As we get older, get homes, get married, maybe have children, the demands on our time and attention only increase. It becomes more and more difficult to get out to the crag, to get to the gym to train, and eventually we tell ourselves a little lie—that it’s okay, that there are more important things that we should be doing right now.

Many (myself included) give up rock climbing to pursue life’s more “meaningful” goals. And then once you have everything you’ve ever wanted, you come across this old dusty trunk in the back of your mind. Like the trunks we keep our mementos from the past in, this one has our lost dreams and ambitions, our former drive and motivation to see how far we could push ourselves.

We start getting antsy, start getting the itch to perform. We start to envision the next 30 years, and, though we have everything we said we wanted, we have to acknowledge that there’s something missing.

That hole in our hearts can only be filled by discovering our true potential. And though we’ve tried many things and love many activities, rock climbing’s ability to push our physical limits—and an increasingly difficult game with no end to what is possible—is alluring.

Perhaps you’re wondering if it’s too late, if you’re too old to really push your limits, if you have what it takes.

You want to know how far you can take it, but maybe you’re scared.

Don’t be. It’s who you’re meant to be. You can’t hide or deny who you are. This is who you are, to the core. It’s time to reincorporate your dirt-bag past life with your professional self. Merge the two worlds, and you’ll see your personal development (in life and in climbing) accelerate.