I have been a section hiker on the AT for about 5 years now and what you have to say in this video really hits home. My first few backpacking trips were less than wonderful. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I was a middle-aged woman, overweight, out of shape and didn't have a clue. I wanted to quit and never try again, but decided I would just keep trying, because, 'No pain, no rain, no Maine'. I didn't want to give up just because I was struggling. I knew that many others had dealt with hardships on the trail and had managed to find a way around those obstacles and finish what they started. Now I have managed to complete 900 miles on the AT and my current plan will take me to Katahdin by 2027. I'd love to hear you speak about how failure can build success if we learn the lessons we are being taught. And how we can look at the struggles others have had and overcome to encourage us to continue on our path.
I'm glad you've stuck with it! Section hiking is really tough imo because you have to go through that period of adaptation over and over again. The first 2-3 weeks of a hike are always the most difficult for me as that's when all the adapting in the body happens, then it gets way easier, but section hiking you're just stuck in that adaptation phase the whole time! So good job.
My personal jujitsu journey over approximately 14 years was the most transformative process for me, much like you described for yourself over the course of all of your miles hiked. I absolutely love the conversation concerning changing our relationship with pain. I also enjoy the spiritual connection as well. I do hope that you continue to make content discussing these things as they come to your heart and mind. Thank you very much for talking about this aspect of hiking.
The Second Arrow is a new phrase for me, and one of my greatest challenges. Building a negative narrative is a downward spiral. Thank you for your reminder that practice is the key to escaping this cycle. Even though I know that a huge part of accomplishing something is mental, it can be so easy to think that you’re too tired for that last mile or that last set. Great video.
I remember my first AT hike the last few miles were always agony, cause I was torturing myself just wanting the day to be over when the reality was I was still walking. That was very noticeable change for me to just keep walking until I'm done walking and not have that torturous last hour.
6:10 - THAT is what MAKES one "THAT KIND OF PERSON". Fear, keeping one from action. VS "Seeing/Leaning/Facing/Stepping into" the fear and still finding the "space/courage/energy/vibration/resolve" to "commit/survive/succeed". Period! Equanimous (great word Jack) - Suffering, but within a balanced position. (no 2nd arrow). Use discernment folks some fears are actually RATIONAL (bears are REAL, lol). as Jack said, it's a manner of quieting the mind of the "potential harms that you're not actually experiencing" and sitting in a balanced awareness. Other's may choose to stumble, sit in victimhood stories, building drama around themselves and their families but we remain unaffected (not ghosting cuz that is simple disrespectful) but instead choosing to USE that Super Power. (to others this may come across as lacking empathy or being distant or even quiet, be aware of this as well) Some choose to step into these "practices", or "super powers" or "tools in the utility belt"...by choosing long hiking, hard jobs (first responders, we're looking at you) or distance cycling, or the spiritual practices of growing as a soul. Some get thrown spiritual and mental disease, illnesses and cancers, suffering and so forth, (some of us get to experience many of these experiences) but to every person comes the opportunity to see our limitations as something conjured from our own perspectives of the mind while the heart seeks the adventure of experience both larger than life, and small enough to be personally intimate. Don't short change the existence of everything in the universe people... CHOOSE TO FEARLESSLY BE YOU... doing so brings the universe into being. Thanks Jack, I love you brother.. So happy i came across your story, growth, and perspective.
Thank you so much for making this video on the mental aspects of life and through hiking. It has really helped to be more aware, and to search deeper into myself for the answers to controlling negative thought patterns. I have experienced a lot of negative thoughts during the most difficult parts of my hiking. I have also recently experienced panic attacks after extreme exertion. I have had to calm myself and not allow this crazy and fearful thought process to consume me. I now lean into this experience will not allow it to control or stop me from doing what I enjoy. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and insight. It is a great encouragement to me and I'm sure many others.
I can’t hit the thumbs up button hard enough! A truly inspiring video. My thru hiking dreams are in full blaze and love the mindset that you bring to my attention. Thank you.
Jack, I absolutely loved this video! I've been diving through your channel over the past few days and I am just blown away. You and I seem to be travelers on a similar road. Albeit, you're WAY ahead. I am 41, retired from the Air Force after 21 years (back in '22), small business owner, and have wanted to do an AT thru-hike since April 2011. In 2016, I suffered a bad injury at the USAF Senior NCO Academy, which forced me to undergo back surgery on my L5/S1 vertebrae. Life-changing event. I've struggled with, abuse during childhood, addiction, depression, weight gain, more drug abuse, and so many other abstract problems that you mentioned in your video (FEAR!) I had LONG since abandoned my hopes of ever doing an AT hike and hit ROCK bottom in 2018. That's when fitness, weightlifting, and weight loss (through keto) saved me....or at least gave me a second chance at life. My wife left on a 4-month deployment on Oct 6th, and then EVERYTHING went to hell on Oct 7th (ironically the anniversary of my little brother's suicide). Anyway, the past month has been hell on me. I'm sitting here in the cold dark Alaskan winter and I feel like I'm fading into nothingness with frequent anxiety/panic attacks over fears of WWIII. I have not fallen back into drug habits and I DON'T plan to, but every time my wife has to hide in a bunker from drone attacks, ALL I want to do is go smoke weed or drink vodka. So I made the decision to go for it and try to do the AT in '24. My current wife, ex-wife, and my two daughters are all very supportive of this and have my back. I have been really looking for a content creator who was similar in age and one who I could identify with, and when I started watching your videos, I knew YOU were THE DUDE I was looking for! Your videos have REALLY lifted my spirits and given me some hope. And for someone who has been feeling this much despair and hopelessness, that's a BIG deal. So thank you! This is the first time I've broadcasted my plans to anyone besides my family, and the reason is FEAR of failure and the subsequent embarrassment of feeling like a failure if I don't make it to Maine. But eff it, if I fail in '24, then I'll try again in '25. I've been able to overcome a lot in life. My back surgery complications from 2016 is NOT a valid reason to quit, it just requires additional planning and a slower pace. I'm going to follow your hiking advice as well as some of your gear recommendations. I'm also going to use the referral links on your website, so hopefully you'll get a little $$$ kickback in time for the holidays. Sorry for leaving such a LONG comment, but I just wanted to say thanks! Hopefully, I can be an adventurer like you and don't take an arrow to the knee. ;-) (
Hey DJ glass I appreciate your comment! Feel free to message me over on Instagram if you have questions about trail or anything like that, I get better notifications over there. Or just drop messages on the videos I see those too! Winters can be really hard and sounds stressful to have your wife overseas with the current situations! If you have the time/inclination I think daily meditation can be super helpful for everything you described, that's the one cornerstone that's allowed me to really overcome my fears and grow and really the cornerstone of everything I said in this video. www.dhamma.org/en/about/mini_anapana That's a good guided introduction. You can do it! I wish you the best of luck and success and the winter might be rough but just remember that everything changes, winter will pass, and you will get on trail and even if you feel super low and have no idea how you'll find the energy or willpower to complete the trail when you're sitting in a dark alaskan winter, remember that your mood and mental state will change completely once you are on trail.
Sir, Thank you so much for your reply. I am taking your advice to heart and I have been learning about this. Your comments about simply acknowledging pain as just a thing....and not attaching a narrative or allowing it to spiral into negativity really got through my hard head and stuck with me. I've practiced mindfulness before, but this was the first time I've heard about Dhamma and I'm going to read up on this for sure. Thank you again for the kind words. The internet can be so negative & mean sometimes, so I'm glad to actually see so many nice and inspiring comments by you and others who watch your content. Ohhhh...and btw, I think it's so cool that you spent a season doing wilderness firefighting! I have ZERO experience in that field, but "Rapid Response Firefighting" in the Alaskan wilderness or joining the local volunteer fire department have been two of the TOP jobs on my post-Air Force career list. So I thought it was cool that you did that! Thank you for all of your service! Have a great day Jack! @@QuadzillaHikes
@djglass1982 yes that is key! Everything that has the nature to arise also has the nature to pass away. So don't get stuck on anything that happening as it will change. I've been really enjoying the insight hour podcast with Joseph Goldstein, if you're interested in Dhamma he gives really insightful talks on the subject. And I hear firefighting in Alaska is just absolutely brutal. Working like 20 hour days cause of all the sunlight in the summers haha and the bugs. I'll pass. Good luck brother! New ep of Appalachian Trail doc will drop this week you'll probably like that one, it's all ice and snow
Thank you for sharing your raw experience. Truly beautiful to watch. Love the analogy on just leaning into discomfort and being with it. I'm about to start my own journey on the AT and i know after watching this your words will be echoing in my head on the difficult stretches. It's wild how much i relate with you in my own journey from the military, hiking, meditations, to jiu jitsu and struggling with anxiety. Life really does happen for you. Thankful i found your channel before starting off. Blessings mate. Keep it up
Hi Jack, thank you for sharing your story and how you've embraced fear/anxiety/pain and developed skills to find peace with these feelings. I find your stories very relatable and part of the reason I enjoy hiking is the esoteric nature of it. Being at the beginning of the fear/anxiety curve, I find this very encouraging. Really enjoy your presence and messages! Happy trails :)
I really loved this video. Your wisdom clearly comes from experience which is transformative. You and I have shared some similar paths in life, as I was too an 11b, a BJJ student, and lover of hiking. I also loved going to Boulder Outdoor Survival School, which helped me to be more mindful and present in each situation. Anxiety had been crippling at one point in my life from my time in OIF and OEF, but being present and mindful has helped me to push through just as you mentioned!! Thanks for your content and wisdom!! 🙏🙏🙏
Excellent video. This is very helpful to me as I prepare to thru hike the AT next year. You definitely hit many of my fears - rain, cold, running out of water, and yes, the fear of failing. Thank you for sharing what you have learned.
And they'll all be there until you get out there! It's helpful for me to remember that all these things bouncing around in my head amount to nothing when faced in real life, but they'll just be there until you begin, no way around it. So go despite them!
I honor your practice and the way you are bringing it to the thru hiking world. I’m a fellow practitioner and I appreciate your encouragement to continue to recognize the experience and the relationship to the experience. I’m hiking the CDT this year and have many times been overwhelmed, not by the experience but by my mind insisting that it should be different. Respect.
Amazing video! I have loved following you for awhile now. Your strength and determination motivates me! It’s always about our mindset! My daughter and I are learning from you as we prepare for our AT thru hike attempt in March! Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience.
Fear was created under our survival instincts, before we had modern medicine and hospitals. Not advocating pushing yourself far beyond, put pushing yourself a little and progressively is needed to improve. Imposter Syndrome. Even the best feel like they are imposters. You have made it even if you have a few shortcomings as everyone has them, everyone. All good advice, and from your CYTC you have concrete experiences to draw from. Stay healthy, Healthy Gamer.
This is a great video. I have read books about this and tried unsuccessfully for years. Over the past 5 years I have been able to see pain how you described. It has been amazing. I love the way you put it words. I appreciate it.
*_There are 5 lessons learned from mountain climbing activities, 1. Team Work Building, 2. Tolerance values, 3. Gratitude 4. Making friends and 5. Conquering Yourself, I agree with you and I like your education. Greetings, I am Rudy Tutorial Outdoor from Indonesia_*
what a powerful video! Thank you for sharing so much of you and your journey. LOve that you highlight that anybody can do these things and that there are different paths.
Thank you so much, Quadzilla. I have section hiked every summer for 8 years. I know what the first month is about and how to do that. When I thru-hike south in June, I know the long-term mental game is probably my biggest challenge. I have been trying to work on exactly this. Thank you for adding to my mental fortitude practice. I am so grateful for having followed your journey last year and for this video!
I had an accident in 1999 and I spent 9 years on crutches and had to teach myself to walk again. Over years since then I’ve done some martial arts, learned to ride a motorcycle and 3 years ago I took up hiking here in the UK which led me to completing Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, a 192 mile hike from one side of the country to the other.
Damn! I needed to hear this today. Thanks, Jack. I love the whole aspect of adding a story, or the second arrow, to the pain. I am very guilty about doing that in tough situations, where it becomes all I focus on, that pain, that anxiety, that stress.
Very deep thoughts! And so true. Awareness is the number one skill I have developed and this has enabled me to do all kinds of things. So good to hear that you have recognized this as this will be with you for the rest of your life. I await your next adventure!
Vaguely figured out "the second layer" just yesterday on my own during my weekly long run. But, Quad, you have articulated this into absolute clarity today. Awesome timing, my friend. I thank you.
Thanks. It was very thoughtful of you to share your insights you have learned by harmonizing with nature during your journey through life. I applaud your efforts! Well done. I practiced Aikido. It does take much practice to separate the spiritual self from the physical self in order to find balance. The companion of contentment is disenchantment. They seem to be in competition. What helped me though my anxious teenage years, my years in the military and my moments of life was a poem my mother gave me when I was young. “If you think you are beaten you are. If you think you dare not you don’t. If you like to win but think you can’t it’s almost a cinch you won’t. If you think you’ll lose your lost. For out in the world success begins with a person’s will. It’s all in the state of mind. Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster person. Sooner or later the one who wins is the one who thinks they can.” “Confidence is the greatest friend.” Be well. Happy Trails! ― Lao Tzu
Thanks for that quote. Love it. I've just been reading about disenchantment and disillusionment with Joseph Goldstein's book on mindfulness. I think it's a tight line to walk on the path to freedom because in order to be free of the clinging to the world you must necessarily become disenchanted with it, but in a way where you're reaching for freedom and space rather than a negative way where it leads to indifference and apathy.
Very sentimental essence to this video. Great accomplishments that led to such clarity of ones journey. Triumphantly you have conquered so many fears , In which only made you stronger. Always enjoy your videos, Very inspirational.
Very informative info and story! Really enjoyed how you could see the techniques applying to all kinds of different life situations. Reminds me a bit of reading autobiographies on Everest climbing/ Antarctic crossing -life challenges in general. 🙌🏼
You really hit the nail on the head here! I relate to so much of this it's wild. Makes me feel like we are similar paths; I'm just still waiting to fulfill my thru-hiking dreams. Really great stuff here man, thanks for sharing!
I needed to hear this video, I just retired and have always loved backpacking, especially being in nature. That is when I am at my best, I have wanted to do a thru hike. I am looking at doing the AT first. I think I have fears because people can be negative if you want to do something they would never try, also my own fears. You have been such an inspiration for me. Thank you 😊
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Completed my nobo PCT thru this 2023 season and am reintegrating into my home life. Meditation training starts this week. All the love! - Bob ze Builder
When I was younger, I had a problem with warts (over 36) on my hands. The treatment was to use liquid nitrogen on them. I learned how to use mind over matter to control the pain levels. The Dr. Would freeze the warts as fast as he could and it would take over an hour to treat my warts. This happened ever week, for over 6 months. I was able to learn how to block out the cold too. I will have to try and use mind over matter, the next time I am on a step switchback section.
Thank you for the great video. I am facing some hard hiking challenges ahead. Your words are exactly what I needed to hear. Also, congratulations on your calendar year triple crown. Well done.
Hi Jack. I had to get cortisone shots in my feet today and the anticipation of the needle in my foot was much worse than the actual shots. I just relaxed into it and thought. “The pain is only temporary “. Thanks for the advice.
Very valuable! Much appreciated how you shared your experiences then and now. And, what it took for you to develop a skill to stay committed to what you had set out to do like that incredible completion of the Triple Crown in a calendar year. Wow! That takes alot of leaning into whatever the sensations are in any given moment - hot, cold, wet, dry, etc. That's discipline! This was very helpful. Again, thank you. Btw where is home, for you?
Hey Quadzilla! I loved the video! As a thru hiker of both the AT and PCT, it's been hard to bring those mindsets from the trail back to the real world. Thanks for the advice, and I am at a point in my life where I need to commit to it. Also I met you on the PCT going up Seldon Pass and again at Reds Meadow. Congrats on the CYTC! - Unfiltered
Will you talk sometime about the moment of your triple crown finish and the pain that was in your voice. That was hard to watch and experience with you.
I listened to this twice. Lots of great information which is valuable. I wish more thru hikers would speak about this. Thank you for sharing your personal story, lots of people suffer from anxiety 🌻👣
As a longtime student of Eastern philosophies, this was music to my ears. I’m intrigued by the second arrow concept and realize that it is sometimes an issue for me. Keep it coming, Quadzilla!
Greetings from the UK. I hope you will continue with this kind of Vid'. The wisest counsel my father ever gave me as a scared kid was when he said, "Things are never as bad as you 'think' they're going to be!" So true.
Not sure you are guna read this but this video is awesome. I love all your vids because there are always mental takeaways and this is nothing but😃😃. Thank you for all your info and insight on trail pertaining to trail and life.
@@QuadzillaHikes appreciate your vids and words of wisdom. I will be on the Pinhoti headed north in a week. Bama to Baxter. I am sure to rewatch your vids for inspiration. Thank you again
Thanks for this, I've been trying to teach my 12 yr old son on how to deal with being uncomfortable. He's in football and jiu-jitsu and I bring him backpacking and hunting. These videos give me some great talking points!
Haha I've already lost interest in running, it just takes SO MUCH TIME! I think my focus for the near-term future will be martial arts and maybe some fast-ish hikes, like a 70-80 day AT or PCT.
I wanted to just quickly say that I did enjoy this video. I found it pretty surprising that a person who has just pulled off an epic calendar year triple crown could have been at one point a borderline agoraphobe who was dominated by anxieties. I would never have guessed. It certainly seems like you have left that in the past, which is quite a feat in its self, I think anyone with anxiety issues would agree. I dig the concept of powering through by observing and feeling the suck, but not reacting to it. Possibly the first time I have really heard it put just so.... I personally am really good at getting down in my own little miseries and rolling in them like a dog - which is Totally not a productive pursuit. I think what you discussed was the exact opposite, and requires only a change of mind.... Good stuff, I have thought about it several times since watching the video.
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
I have been a section hiker on the AT for about 5 years now and what you have to say in this video really hits home. My first few backpacking trips were less than wonderful. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I was a middle-aged woman, overweight, out of shape and didn't have a clue. I wanted to quit and never try again, but decided I would just keep trying, because, 'No pain, no rain, no Maine'. I didn't want to give up just because I was struggling. I knew that many others had dealt with hardships on the trail and had managed to find a way around those obstacles and finish what they started. Now I have managed to complete 900 miles on the AT and my current plan will take me to Katahdin by 2027.
I'd love to hear you speak about how failure can build success if we learn the lessons we are being taught. And how we can look at the struggles others have had and overcome to encourage us to continue on our path.
I'm glad you've stuck with it! Section hiking is really tough imo because you have to go through that period of adaptation over and over again. The first 2-3 weeks of a hike are always the most difficult for me as that's when all the adapting in the body happens, then it gets way easier, but section hiking you're just stuck in that adaptation phase the whole time! So good job.
My personal jujitsu journey over approximately 14 years was the most transformative process for me, much like you described for yourself over the course of all of your miles hiked. I absolutely love the conversation concerning changing our relationship with pain. I also enjoy the spiritual connection as well. I do hope that you continue to make content discussing these things as they come to your heart and mind. Thank you very much for talking about this aspect of hiking.
The Second Arrow is a new phrase for me, and one of my greatest challenges. Building a negative narrative is a downward spiral. Thank you for your reminder that practice is the key to escaping this cycle. Even though I know that a huge part of accomplishing something is mental, it can be so easy to think that you’re too tired for that last mile or that last set. Great video.
I remember my first AT hike the last few miles were always agony, cause I was torturing myself just wanting the day to be over when the reality was I was still walking. That was very noticeable change for me to just keep walking until I'm done walking and not have that torturous last hour.
6:10 - THAT is what MAKES one "THAT KIND OF PERSON".
Fear, keeping one from action. VS "Seeing/Leaning/Facing/Stepping into" the fear and still finding the "space/courage/energy/vibration/resolve" to "commit/survive/succeed". Period!
Equanimous (great word Jack) - Suffering, but within a balanced position. (no 2nd arrow). Use discernment folks some fears are actually RATIONAL (bears are REAL, lol). as Jack said, it's a manner of quieting the mind of the "potential harms that you're not actually experiencing" and sitting in a balanced awareness. Other's may choose to stumble, sit in victimhood stories, building drama around themselves and their families but we remain unaffected (not ghosting cuz that is simple disrespectful) but instead choosing to USE that Super Power. (to others this may come across as lacking empathy or being distant or even quiet, be aware of this as well) Some choose to step into these "practices", or "super powers" or "tools in the utility belt"...by choosing long hiking, hard jobs (first responders, we're looking at you) or distance cycling, or the spiritual practices of growing as a soul. Some get thrown spiritual and mental disease, illnesses and cancers, suffering and so forth, (some of us get to experience many of these experiences) but to every person comes the opportunity to see our limitations as something conjured from our own perspectives of the mind while the heart seeks the adventure of experience both larger than life, and small enough to be personally intimate.
Don't short change the existence of everything in the universe people...
CHOOSE TO FEARLESSLY BE YOU... doing so brings the universe into being.
Thanks Jack, I love you brother.. So happy i came across your story, growth, and perspective.
Thank you so much for making this video on the mental aspects of life and through hiking. It has really helped to be more aware, and to search deeper into myself for the answers to controlling negative thought patterns. I have experienced a lot of negative thoughts during the most difficult parts of my hiking. I have also recently experienced panic attacks after extreme exertion. I have had to calm myself and not allow this crazy and fearful thought process to consume me. I now lean into this experience will not allow it to control or stop me from doing what I enjoy. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and insight. It is a great encouragement to me and I'm sure many others.
Well done bro. This is the way. I hope this serves as a guidepost for people. 🤘🕓
🤘
I can’t hit the thumbs up button hard enough! A truly inspiring video. My thru hiking dreams are in full blaze and love the mindset that you bring to my attention. Thank you.
Jack,
I absolutely loved this video! I've been diving through your channel over the past few days and I am just blown away. You and I seem to be travelers on a similar road. Albeit, you're WAY ahead. I am 41, retired from the Air Force after 21 years (back in '22), small business owner, and have wanted to do an AT thru-hike since April 2011.
In 2016, I suffered a bad injury at the USAF Senior NCO Academy, which forced me to undergo back surgery on my L5/S1 vertebrae. Life-changing event. I've struggled with, abuse during childhood, addiction, depression, weight gain, more drug abuse, and so many other abstract problems that you mentioned in your video (FEAR!) I had LONG since abandoned my hopes of ever doing an AT hike and hit ROCK bottom in 2018. That's when fitness, weightlifting, and weight loss (through keto) saved me....or at least gave me a second chance at life.
My wife left on a 4-month deployment on Oct 6th, and then EVERYTHING went to hell on Oct 7th (ironically the anniversary of my little brother's suicide). Anyway, the past month has been hell on me. I'm sitting here in the cold dark Alaskan winter and I feel like I'm fading into nothingness with frequent anxiety/panic attacks over fears of WWIII.
I have not fallen back into drug habits and I DON'T plan to, but every time my wife has to hide in a bunker from drone attacks, ALL I want to do is go smoke weed or drink vodka.
So I made the decision to go for it and try to do the AT in '24. My current wife, ex-wife, and my two daughters are all very supportive of this and have my back.
I have been really looking for a content creator who was similar in age and one who I could identify with, and when I started watching your videos, I knew YOU were THE DUDE I was looking for! Your videos have REALLY lifted my spirits and given me some hope. And for someone who has been feeling this much despair and hopelessness, that's a BIG deal. So thank you!
This is the first time I've broadcasted my plans to anyone besides my family, and the reason is FEAR of failure and the subsequent embarrassment of feeling like a failure if I don't make it to Maine. But eff it, if I fail in '24, then I'll try again in '25. I've been able to overcome a lot in life. My back surgery complications from 2016 is NOT a valid reason to quit, it just requires additional planning and a slower pace.
I'm going to follow your hiking advice as well as some of your gear recommendations. I'm also going to use the referral links on your website, so hopefully you'll get a little $$$ kickback in time for the holidays.
Sorry for leaving such a LONG comment, but I just wanted to say thanks!
Hopefully, I can be an adventurer like you and don't take an arrow to the knee. ;-) (
Hey DJ glass I appreciate your comment! Feel free to message me over on Instagram if you have questions about trail or anything like that, I get better notifications over there. Or just drop messages on the videos I see those too! Winters can be really hard and sounds stressful to have your wife overseas with the current situations! If you have the time/inclination I think daily meditation can be super helpful for everything you described, that's the one cornerstone that's allowed me to really overcome my fears and grow and really the cornerstone of everything I said in this video. www.dhamma.org/en/about/mini_anapana That's a good guided introduction.
You can do it! I wish you the best of luck and success and the winter might be rough but just remember that everything changes, winter will pass, and you will get on trail and even if you feel super low and have no idea how you'll find the energy or willpower to complete the trail when you're sitting in a dark alaskan winter, remember that your mood and mental state will change completely once you are on trail.
Sir, Thank you so much for your reply. I am taking your advice to heart and I have been learning about this. Your comments about simply acknowledging pain as just a thing....and not attaching a narrative or allowing it to spiral into negativity really got through my hard head and stuck with me. I've practiced mindfulness before, but this was the first time I've heard about Dhamma and I'm going to read up on this for sure. Thank you again for the kind words. The internet can be so negative & mean sometimes, so I'm glad to actually see so many nice and inspiring comments by you and others who watch your content.
Ohhhh...and btw, I think it's so cool that you spent a season doing wilderness firefighting! I have ZERO experience in that field, but "Rapid Response Firefighting" in the Alaskan wilderness or joining the local volunteer fire department have been two of the TOP jobs on my post-Air Force career list. So I thought it was cool that you did that! Thank you for all of your service!
Have a great day Jack! @@QuadzillaHikes
@djglass1982 yes that is key! Everything that has the nature to arise also has the nature to pass away. So don't get stuck on anything that happening as it will change. I've been really enjoying the insight hour podcast with Joseph Goldstein, if you're interested in Dhamma he gives really insightful talks on the subject. And I hear firefighting in Alaska is just absolutely brutal. Working like 20 hour days cause of all the sunlight in the summers haha and the bugs. I'll pass. Good luck brother! New ep of Appalachian Trail doc will drop this week you'll probably like that one, it's all ice and snow
Thank you for sharing your raw experience. Truly beautiful to watch. Love the analogy on just leaning into discomfort and being with it. I'm about to start my own journey on the AT and i know after watching this your words will be echoing in my head on the difficult stretches. It's wild how much i relate with you in my own journey from the military, hiking, meditations, to jiu jitsu and struggling with anxiety. Life really does happen for you. Thankful i found your channel before starting off. Blessings mate. Keep it up
Hi Jack, thank you for sharing your story and how you've embraced fear/anxiety/pain and developed skills to find peace with these feelings. I find your stories very relatable and part of the reason I enjoy hiking is the esoteric nature of it. Being at the beginning of the fear/anxiety curve, I find this very encouraging. Really enjoy your presence and messages! Happy trails :)
I really loved this video. Your wisdom clearly comes from experience which is transformative. You and I have shared some similar paths in life, as I was too an 11b, a BJJ student, and lover of hiking. I also loved going to Boulder Outdoor Survival School, which helped me to be more mindful and present in each situation. Anxiety had been crippling at one point in my life from my time in OIF and OEF, but being present and mindful has helped me to push through just as you mentioned!! Thanks for your content and wisdom!! 🙏🙏🙏
You might like a vipassana retreat since we're doing all the same thing haha. I have found them to be super helpful.
Excellent video. This is very helpful to me as I prepare to thru hike the AT next year. You definitely hit many of my fears - rain, cold, running out of water, and yes, the fear of failing. Thank you for sharing what you have learned.
And they'll all be there until you get out there! It's helpful for me to remember that all these things bouncing around in my head amount to nothing when faced in real life, but they'll just be there until you begin, no way around it. So go despite them!
I honor your practice and the way you are bringing it to the thru hiking world. I’m a fellow practitioner and I appreciate your encouragement to continue to recognize the experience and the relationship to the experience. I’m hiking the CDT this year and have many times been overwhelmed, not by the experience but by my mind insisting that it should be different. Respect.
Hope your cdt hike brings you everything that you need!
Amazing video! I have loved following you for awhile now. Your strength and determination motivates me! It’s always about our mindset!
My daughter and I are learning from you as we prepare for our AT thru hike attempt in March! Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience.
Fear was created under our survival instincts, before we had modern medicine and hospitals. Not advocating pushing yourself far beyond, put pushing yourself a little and progressively is needed to improve. Imposter Syndrome. Even the best feel like they are imposters. You have made it even if you have a few shortcomings as everyone has them, everyone. All good advice, and from your CYTC you have concrete experiences to draw from. Stay healthy, Healthy Gamer.
This is a great video. I have read books about this and tried unsuccessfully for years. Over the past 5 years I have been able to see pain how you described. It has been amazing. I love the way you put it words. I appreciate it.
Right on! Thank you. The “second arrow” concept, that’s fantastic, so on target 🎯
Great informative video, thanks. Interesting hearing your mental process of life and hiking.
Wow what a strong inspiring person you are. There are so many people out there that could relate to your journey through life. YOU ROCK !!!!!!!!
*_There are 5 lessons learned from mountain climbing activities, 1. Team Work Building, 2. Tolerance values, 3. Gratitude 4. Making friends and 5. Conquering Yourself, I agree with you and I like your education. Greetings, I am Rudy Tutorial Outdoor from Indonesia_*
what a powerful video! Thank you for sharing so much of you and your journey. LOve that you highlight that anybody can do these things and that there are different paths.
Thank you so much, Quadzilla. I have section hiked every summer for 8 years. I know what the first month is about and how to do that. When I thru-hike south in June, I know the long-term mental game is probably my biggest challenge. I have been trying to work on exactly this. Thank you for adding to my mental fortitude practice. I am so grateful for having followed your journey last year and for this video!
Great video! Love your backpacking videos, but this is an another level.
I had an accident in 1999 and I spent 9 years on crutches and had to teach myself to walk again. Over years since then I’ve done some martial arts, learned to ride a motorcycle and 3 years ago I took up hiking here in the UK which led me to completing Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, a 192 mile hike from one side of the country to the other.
Damn! I needed to hear this today. Thanks, Jack. I love the whole aspect of adding a story, or the second arrow, to the pain. I am very guilty about doing that in tough situations, where it becomes all I focus on, that pain, that anxiety, that stress.
Great words of wisdom. Thank you for sharing and looking forward to your future videos:)
Thank you so much for this. Currently hiking the PCT and just what I needed to hear!!!
Very deep thoughts! And so true. Awareness is the number one skill I have developed and this has enabled me to do all kinds of things. So good to hear that you have recognized this as this will be with you for the rest of your life. I await your next adventure!
Vaguely figured out "the second layer" just yesterday on my own during my weekly long run. But, Quad, you have articulated this into absolute clarity today. Awesome timing, my friend. I thank you.
I can't take credit, it's all from buddhist teachings!
Great advise. Love the videos. A great accomplishment finishing a calender year triple crown. Congratulations
Thanks. It was very thoughtful of you to share your insights you have learned by harmonizing with nature during your journey through life. I applaud your efforts! Well done. I practiced Aikido. It does take much practice to separate the spiritual self from the physical self in order to find balance. The companion of contentment is disenchantment. They seem to be in competition. What helped me though my anxious teenage years, my years in the military and my moments of life was a poem my mother gave me when I was young. “If you think you are beaten you are. If you think you dare not you don’t. If you like to win but think you can’t it’s almost a cinch you won’t. If you think you’ll lose your lost. For out in the world success begins with a person’s will. It’s all in the state of mind. Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster person. Sooner or later the one who wins is the one who thinks they can.”
“Confidence is the greatest friend.” Be well. Happy Trails!
― Lao Tzu
Thanks for that quote. Love it. I've just been reading about disenchantment and disillusionment with Joseph Goldstein's book on mindfulness. I think it's a tight line to walk on the path to freedom because in order to be free of the clinging to the world you must necessarily become disenchanted with it, but in a way where you're reaching for freedom and space rather than a negative way where it leads to indifference and apathy.
@@QuadzillaHikes Thanks for your meaningful thoughts. Be well.
Very sentimental essence to this video. Great accomplishments that led to such clarity of ones journey.
Triumphantly you have conquered so many fears , In which only made you stronger. Always enjoy your videos, Very inspirational.
Very informative info and story! Really enjoyed how you could see the techniques applying to all kinds of different life situations. Reminds me a bit of reading autobiographies on Everest climbing/ Antarctic crossing -life challenges in general. 🙌🏼
You really hit the nail on the head here! I relate to so much of this it's wild. Makes me feel like we are similar paths; I'm just still waiting to fulfill my thru-hiking dreams. Really great stuff here man, thanks for sharing!
I needed to hear this video, I just retired and have always loved backpacking, especially being in nature. That is when I am at my best, I have wanted to do a thru hike. I am looking at doing the AT first. I think I have fears because people can be negative if you want to do something they would never try, also my own fears. You have been such an inspiration for me. Thank you 😊
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Completed my nobo PCT thru this 2023 season and am reintegrating into my home life. Meditation training starts this week. All the love! - Bob ze Builder
When I was younger, I had a problem with warts (over 36) on my hands. The treatment was to use liquid nitrogen on them. I learned how to use mind over matter to control the pain levels. The Dr. Would freeze the warts as fast as he could and it would take over an hour to treat my warts. This happened ever week, for over 6 months. I was able to learn how to block out the cold too. I will have to try and use mind over matter, the next time I am on a step switchback section.
Love the video Quadzilla! Keep them coming!
Thank you for the great video. I am facing some hard hiking challenges ahead. Your words are exactly what I needed to hear.
Also, congratulations on your calendar year triple crown. Well done.
Good luck on your hikes!
You're a King! Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I agree. If I can master my mental, I can master the rest of my life.
I like all your videos but this one most so far , thanks and best wishes.
Hi Jack. I had to get cortisone shots in my feet today and the anticipation of the needle in my foot was much worse than the actual shots. I just relaxed into it and thought. “The pain is only temporary “. Thanks for the advice.
This really spoke to me. Keep it up brother.
Very valuable! Much appreciated how you shared your experiences then and now. And, what it took for you to develop a skill to stay committed to what you had set out to do like that incredible completion of the Triple Crown in a calendar year. Wow! That takes alot of leaning into whatever the sensations are in any given moment - hot, cold, wet, dry, etc. That's discipline! This was very helpful. Again, thank you. Btw where is home, for you?
It's all over! Right now it's hawaii, we'll head to SE Asia for a bit soon.
Hey Quadzilla! I loved the video! As a thru hiker of both the AT and PCT, it's been hard to bring those mindsets from the trail back to the real world. Thanks for the advice, and I am at a point in my life where I need to commit to it. Also I met you on the PCT going up Seldon Pass and again at Reds Meadow. Congrats on the CYTC!
- Unfiltered
Thanks unfiltered! I always recommend to check out vipassana retreats, they've been so helpful for me.
Your video is extremely inspiring. Thank you for sharing your work and thoughts about resilience. Much appreciated.
Will you talk sometime about the moment of your triple crown finish and the pain that was in your voice. That was hard to watch and experience with you.
I listened to this twice. Lots of great information which is valuable. I wish more thru hikers would speak about this. Thank you for sharing your personal story, lots of people suffer from anxiety 🌻👣
Quad You are the man! A great inspiration. Keep on keepin' on!
Awesome! Such a unique message in the thru hiking world.
good life advice, been thinking alot latel y and this cleared itup
Thank you! I truly enjoyed hearing about the practice and I can relate to a lot of what you were saying.
Very inspiring video. Keep them coming!
What a great video! I hope you do more of these types of videos.
Thank you for this video, Jack. Very wise and enlightening. I look forward to your next one.
As a longtime student of Eastern philosophies, this was music to my ears. I’m intrigued by the second arrow concept and realize that it is sometimes an issue for me. Keep it coming, Quadzilla!
Greetings from the UK. I hope you will continue with this kind of Vid'. The wisest counsel my father ever gave me as a scared kid was when he said, "Things are never as bad as you 'think' they're going to be!" So true.
So true, and no matter how bad things are, they'll always change!
I just watched it again. Wow Man that's deep!!!
Well said and so helpful!
Hell yeah man! Super Inspirational 🙏 Thank you for this content
Hey I took the nols emt class with ya a few years ago, awesome to see this dude
Haha small world!
You know you make a lot of sense
The short version- buddhism works.
very helpful video, thank you for this.
Not sure you are guna read this but this video is awesome. I love all your vids because there are always mental takeaways and this is nothing but😃😃. Thank you for all your info and insight on trail pertaining to trail and life.
Appreciate your kind words
@@QuadzillaHikes appreciate your vids and words of wisdom. I will be on the Pinhoti headed north in a week. Bama to Baxter. I am sure to rewatch your vids for inspiration. Thank you again
Amazing video Quadzilla! We really value your insight! 💚💚
I loved this video.
Great video, more (please)!
Thanks for this, I've been trying to teach my 12 yr old son on how to deal with being uncomfortable. He's in football and jiu-jitsu and I bring him backpacking and hunting. These videos give me some great talking points!
That's great, wish I'd started jiu jitsu that young!
Fascinating. I like it and respect what you have to say because you have lived it.
Damn! Have you considered signing up for the Barkley Marathon? It seems like something you'd enjoy doing. I'm working my way to it.
Haha I've already lost interest in running, it just takes SO MUCH TIME! I think my focus for the near-term future will be martial arts and maybe some fast-ish hikes, like a 70-80 day AT or PCT.
I wanted to just quickly say that I did enjoy this video. I found it pretty surprising that a person who has just pulled off an epic calendar year triple crown could have been at one point a borderline agoraphobe who was dominated by anxieties. I would never have guessed. It certainly seems like you have left that in the past, which is quite a feat in its self, I think anyone with anxiety issues would agree. I dig the concept of powering through by observing and feeling the suck, but not reacting to it. Possibly the first time I have really heard it put just so.... I personally am really good at getting down in my own little miseries and rolling in them like a dog - which is Totally not a productive pursuit. I think what you discussed was the exact opposite, and requires only a change of mind.... Good stuff, I have thought about it several times since watching the video.
So much wisdom
What about injury, or the fact that you are going to die. How do you overcome that fear?
Nice place to recoup the strength at. Great job on completing the triple crown. Take care and rest up
Thank you Jack, very much appreciated 🙏 always great to hear from you, stay safe, take care my friend 👍🙂
🙏
@@QuadzillaHikes 🙏
This is why I have hikes since a young age of embracing the pain or as you have said embrace the suck!
Wise words.
All I can say is truth, Jack. Beautiful truth ✌️
That was great 👍🏻
Thank you for going beyond the trail. Showing this video to my fearful daughter.
New video: How have your life goals changed since before thru-hiking to now?
More focused on building some stability and less big trips now.
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
Just watched dune 2, great reference
Haven’t seen it yet, but want to. Secretly hoped they’d have Sting in it. 🤣🍻
👍🐿👍 I appreciate you sharing your passion.
The only thing to fear is fear itself..
A phrase I’ve heard and used myself is “embrace the suck”.
Equanimity aka embrace the suck
Embrace the suck.