Daryl Wood's Blog

I’ve been waiting to hear from my friend Adrian Hayes knowing he is on yet another monumental expedition. We met in 2008 at a Leadership Program and have enjoyed a sporadic friendship including when he had a week stay at my home in Tobermory, Ontario. We share a special bond that has taken turns of lifting each other at difficult times. Weeks after my beloved Doug died, Adrian phoned me from his home in the U.K. to talk about Doug and reflect on how he cared about him and me.

Fast forward to last night and I got a call that he is being slowly rope carried down the side of Mount Kanchenjunga in Nepal suffering an illness that has put him in grave danger. They hope to get him to Base Camp 3 so he can be airlifted to a hospital. Apparently helicopters can’t fly any higher so the tedious descent is up to the reliable Sherpas that Adrian has worked with for decades.

As I and so many others wait and pray for his safe return I think about the drive that has pushed him to exceed what most would think of as normal limits on accomplishments. The photo here is me wearing the jacket he had on when he earned a world record for being the first to reach The Three Poles in the shortest time (Mount Everest and the North and South Poles). And he didn’t stop there. Adrian inspires so many looking for personal and professional empowerment to surpass the roadblocks they put on their way to success. He does this with his physical endeavours and the Leadership programs he offers worldwide. And this morning, he is inspiring me.

I have no desire or intention of the kind of physical extremes that Adrian would tackle. But honestly, the emotional and psychological challenges I face feel as daunting as an 8,586 m (28,169 ft) mountaintop. I can hear Adrian telling me to ‘press on’, ‘don’t give up’, ‘focus’, ‘believe in myself’. We have both grown in our fearless quests to live full on with authenticity and passion. Sometimes I still see that in myself and it’s something that keeps him striving where others, like me, might have given in to defeat.

In my search for inner peace and a willingness to find meaning again I want to be sure I don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of my heroes. Adrian is fighting for his life and while I may be judged as dramatic for saying that I am too, there is little doubt in my heart and mind that sometimes climbing out of my despair requires the same fierce, constant attention whether it is as harsh as doing tasks that exhaust me or as soft as watching branches move slightly in the breeze. Today, mindfulness will keep me alert to the reality that is surrounding me so I am not hauled back up the mountain of grief. Today I will stay awake and when I start to slide I will gently comfort my way to self-kindness and a love for the safety and wellbeing of my friend Adrian.