26th March 2024
In a recent conference I attended, the speaker talked about The Netflix documentary ’14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.’
Hence, I saw it once again yesterday and got some amazing insights.
’14 Peaks’ follows a team of Nepalese mountaineers led by Nims Purja who attempt to summit the world’s tallest 14 peaks above 8000 meters in seven months as against the earlier record of 7 years.
The first climber to summit all 14 peaks was Reinhold Messner (who was also the first to climb Mount Everest solo). Messner took 16 years to climb all 14 peaks, completing the first in 1970 and the last in 1986. He was, however, climbing without supplemental oxygen.
Some lessons and my key takeaways from the documentary include:
- ‘Dream big’
Fear of inadequacy or the impossibility can be paralyzing, but you have the power to overcome fear.
- ‘Take the leap:’
“You have to take the leap before you can fly” is a quote from Nims Purja, the protagonist of the documentary.
- ‘Success is not found at the peak’
Success is found in the journey that brought you there.
- ‘Keep getting back up’
What matters is that you keep getting back up, no matter how many times you fall.
- ‘Risk equals reward’
If you don’t take risks, you won’t get rewards.
‘If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try’, This is actually a quote from Nims Purja.
No, the only way to truly fail is to give up and Nims Purja’s answer is ‘Giving up is not in the blood Sir, giving up is not in the Blood.’
- ‘Have the intellectual honesty to face whatever brutal situation honestly.’
- Maintain a spirit of courageous optimism for the path forward.
‘Don’t show your tiredness or uncertainty’
You’re beat and tired? Don’t show it.
You’re not sure how to get over the next hill? Don’t show it.
Nims believed, as do I, in the power of positive thinking.
Nims Purja started by saying to himself nothing is impossible.
He went even further by naming his world changing project, “Project Possible.”
He faced innumerable difficulties in his project, including funding, clearances & permissions, medical issues etc. but he persisted & achieved his mission to scale the 14 Peaks & bring glory to the Sherpas.
As you proceed on your own journey following your passion to achieve your dream, many, if not most, people will doubt you.
Everyone Nims spoke to, told him it was impossible. Why even try?
I think his biggest strength is that he has (or maybe just shows) no fear.
At one point in the film, he boldly says, “I’m not going to die today. Maybe tomorrow, but not today.”
And the best part is that Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila & her Sherpa guide Tenjin set a new record for ascending the world’s 14 highest peaks in 3 months &1 day in 2023 breaking the previous record made by Team Nims Purja in 2019 of 6 months & 7 days thus reinforcing the belief that ‘Nothing is impossible’, records are meant to be broken and the only limitations are in the mind.
Believe that nothing is impossible, Dream Big, take the leap, achieve & stay blessed forever.