In the Middle of Now Here - Motivational

Posted by Vince Poscente on Tue, Oct 30, 2012 @ 09:07 PM

It would be insulting to your hosts if they found out you had said, “Hello, from the middle of nowhere!” At the moment of the release of this eBrief we (a group of adventurers) are trekking through the remotest parts of the Indian Himalayas, and our hosts are a few snow leopards and mountain goats. They wouldn’t be offended by the affiliation with ‘nowhere’... Yet, in this case, ‘now here’ is a state of mind worth considering.


In 2006, Jeff Salz led a group of Westerners up a sacred valley within the newly minted Great Himalayan Nation Park. The quest we sought was to summit the yet unclimbed Chakri Peak. Three years later, Jeff handed off the expedition lead to me for a summit attempt of an unnamed mountain. Due to unstable snow, our summit attempt was halted, but we went on to explore fascinating communities near Tibet.

Now, we’re back to another region of the Indian Himalayas for a different adventure; the Sikkim Valley and the Lepchan people. The snows have come early. Temperatures will drop well below freezing. After five days of steep, wet climbing we will spend a couple of days staying with the people of this isolated culture in India near the Tibetan/Nepalese borders.

Let’s explore the concept of “now here.”

One, a trip like this is a chance to reboot. It’s not much different from switching a computer off, then on, to allow the hardware to reconfigure and function better. Getting off the grid – checking out of society – being immersed in an unencumbered break is healthy for the mind and body.

Two, climbing forces you into the moment. When each step counts in the category of safe or life threatening, it forces you to pay close attention to the moment. We will be in the far reaches of mountainous elevations. There is no technology - only a good foothold. Being in the moment for extended periods of time can erase the worries of past and future.

Three, adventure is the jalapeno in your chili. The security of monotony can addictive. By visiting a small society isolated from the trappings of the age of speed is a way to force variety into life. It was not easy to get to India given responsibilities at home, work and the sheer distance travelled. Yet, at the time of writing this, I can promise you, “We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto.” Break your routine. Break it often.

By being here – now you release the obvious drag the past or the future can have on your psyche. Yet, being present, when forced on you by your environment, can be a true catharsis. Take daily breaks of meditation to allow your brain to reboot, your thoughts to transcend time and your perspective to be energized. Take longer breaks like holidays or time-off to do the same for lasting influence on your brain, thoughts and perspective on life.