cause and effect

my philosophical contemplations lately are still mostly about free will, interdependence, and cause and effect. how much of our thoughts and emotions are really within our control and how much are simply the result of cause and effect, conditioning and stimulus? our thoughts really “ours” or are we more witnesses to them?

cause and effect is definitely playing out nicely in the gym. i keep practicing and i get stronger, more confident, and better at holding onto smaller or smoother things. today i completed my first 5.11a pitch. i have been getting pretty comfortable climbing 5.10a, b, c, and d’s though still having trouble with some - especially when tired. the 5.11a i tried yesterday and failed to finish nearly bested me again today. i pushed through and made it to the top! it had lots of really tiny, fingery hand-holds, and a couple sloppy hand-holds with nothing to really purchase. i know, i’m celebrating meaningless milestones again. but it made me happy. <smile>

for friends not in north america, here is a comparison chart for different rock climbing difficulty ratings. for example, today i completed a 22 in australia, an e3 in britain, a 6c in france, or a 6+ in finland.

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