5. Mental Game
Rise and Climb 1. When you wake up and don’t feel like getting out of your sleeping bag, remind yourself: I woke up to climb. So why am I whining about rolling out and getting after it? I wasn’t put on this earth to just lounge in my tent like some weekend warrior who’s afraid of the cold."But sleep is nice!" Sure, but were you built just to seek comfort? Or to send the moves you were made for ? Look around: birds are flying, ants are hauling, bees are making honey—everything is doing what it’s meant to do . And you? You’re just lying there?"But I need rest."
Yeah, and nature gave us the right amount —just like you don’t overeat or overdrink if you’re disciplined. But when it comes to actually doing stuff, suddenly, you act like you’re on some kind of forced labor crew.If you truly respected yourself, you’d push yourself the way a sculptor works his art, a musician hones his craft, or a dirtbag climber refuses to give up on his project. You’d chase your climb the way a gold-digger chases their stash or a fame-chaser goes after their followers. But here you are, thinking that the work that actually matters —living well and pushing yourself—is somehow beneath you.
Shake Off the Bad Headspace 2. It’s actually easy to brush off any bad thoughts—like loose chalk off your hands. Just let them go , and you’ll find yourself instantly back in a calm, collected zone.
Commit to the Right Route 3. Hold yourself accountable to the moves that align with your nature. Don’t get distracted by hecklers at the crag or climbers talking trash about your beta. If you know your send was solid, don’t second-guess yourself .Everyone else is climbing their own line, making their own choices. Stay locked into yours—your path and the path of nature are one and the same .
Every Climb Has Its End 4. I move through life like I move on the rock—until I finally rest, spent but fulfilled. My breath will return to the air it came from, my body to the earth that fed it, and my spirit will dissolve into the great cycle that brought me here in the first place. Just like how every fall ends in the dirt and every meal fuels another push—so does my time here serve its part in something bigger.
Play to Your Strengths 5. Maybe you’re not the strongest climber out there—so what? You’ve got other things to bring to the crag. Maybe you’re the most honest , the most determined , the most humble , the most stoked . Maybe you’re the one who climbs for the right reasons .Look at everything you already could be doing —things that don’t need "natural talent," just effort . So why are you still hanging low on the wall, making excuses? Instead of complaining about your weaknesses or showing off to impress, just climb your damn climb .
Good Climbers Don’t Brag—They Climb 6. Some people love patting themselves on the back when they do something good. Others keep track of favors like they’re running a tab. But the best? They just do the thing .A solid climber doesn’t stand on the summit yelling, “Look at me!”—they’re already eyeing their next line. A dog doesn’t brag about finding a scent, and a bee doesn’t demand recognition for making honey. So why should you make a big deal about doing what you were built to do ? Just send, reset, and send again.
Go With the Flow, Accept the Weather 8. You wouldn’t complain if a doctor prescribed you ice baths or barefoot training to heal. So why freak out when nature prescribes you challenges —sickness, loss, hardship?These aren’t punishments. They’re just part of the route . Just like a mountain guide picks the safest way up a peak, the universe has mapped out what’s necessary for the whole system—including you.So embrace the rough terrain . If you trust a climbing coach, why wouldn’t you trust nature to know exactly what it’s doing?
Stop Making Excuses, Get Back on the Wall 9. Don't get frustrated if you keep falling off a move . You don’t rage at a climb because it’s hard—you take a breath, shake out, and pull back on. If you love the climb, you’ll keep coming back to it .Same with life. Don’t treat philosophy like some self-help seminar —treat it like a trusted crash pad that you keep coming back to. Not as a crutch, but as the foundation that keeps you upright .
The Climb Never Stops 10. Some people think the truth is impossible to grasp —like a sketchy crimp on an overhung route. Others, like the Stoics, say it’s just hard to hold onto, but not impossible .Fine. So what? What are you gonna do, give up? Look at life for what it really is—fast-moving, unpredictable, full of random players —and ask yourself, why waste energy caring about fleeting things? The real play is to focus on what’s solid: climbing well, living well, and moving with the flow.
Your Problems Are Just Another Part of the Crag 12. Look at what most people chase—money, fame, comfort—and ask yourself: *Do these actually matter?*Because if they really were "the ultimate good," then it wouldn’t be funny to say, "That guy has so much money, he doesn’t even know where to crap." See? Deep down, we all know these things aren’t what make life meaningful .
Everything is Temporary—So Climb Now 15. Everything fades. The names of great climbers get forgotten, routes change, mountains crumble. Even the most famous summits? Someday, they’ll be nothing but dust.So what matters? Climbing this moment , being present on this hold , and moving with purpose .
Stop Fighting Reality—Flow With It 17. Getting mad at people for being terrible is like getting mad at a rock for being sharp. What did you expect? That the world was just gonna be soft jugs and perfect cracks?
You Can Handle More Than You Think 18. Nothing happens to you that you weren’t built to handle. If something seems impossible to bear, someone else has already handled it —whether they were strong, wise, or just too clueless to notice it happening. So if they could take it, why can’t you?
No One Can Mess With Your Mind—Unless You Let Them 19. Nothing external actually touches your inner state —unless you open the door and let it in .Pain, failure, loss? They can knock at the door, but they can’t force their way inside . You’re the one who decides whether they move in or get left out in the cold.
Find Peace in the Flow 30. Look at nature—it works like a perfectly designed belay system. The weak serve the strong, the strong support each other, and everything is part of a system that works together .So play your part . Climb for the sake of climbing . Live for the sake of living well . Move with the rock , not against it. In the end, that’s all that matters.
Final Take If you’ve ever stood at the base of a towering wall, felt the wind howl around you, and known this is where you belong —you already understand Marcus Aurelius. Life is the crux. The universe set the route. Your job is to climb.
