Fear, Planning, and Uncertainty- The Big Picture We Do Not See

I was reminded of something by a comment on a picture of me rappelling down "into" a glacier, so to speak. It is only a few posts back if you want to reference it. Rappelling down over a cliff that you did not climb up- you don't always know what is down there, you don't always know if the rope is long enough, you don't always know if you are going to make it to the bottom- or even what the bottom is. Here is another picture of one of the group of us going over the same cliff. I think it will give a little perspective. He hasn't actually gotten to the overhanging part yet (which is where the photo of me a few posts ago was taken).



You can see the big picture when you look at these two photos- and I'm typing so you can assume that everything went alright. But here is what we did the night before. Mind you, this is the same exact rappel, however we had not done it before and... it was dark.



This is me getting ready to go down over the edge of the cliff. I cannot see anything. I am looking down to check the little bit of safety I have before I go over. And then I descend- but even though I am descending down the cliff (which you have now seen)- I am really only descending into the inky blackness of the night.

There are times in life, when what we must do is much the same. After the fact, or in a different light- what we have done may seem amazing and fantastic and beautiful. At the time we often do it, however, it is just uncertain and fearful. When you go down off the edge and into the night- what do you take with you?