The Epiphany

In 2012 I had a client was an avid adventurer and philanthropist. She organized groups of people to go to Africa and participate in a service project called “Plant with Purpose“, to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, and to enjoy a Safari. I saved money and planned the trip for a year. I trained hard and dreamt about the experience. I was prepared for anything and everything….everything but the epiphany.

I took three weeks off for the summer. The trip started in London by ticking the box:“attend Wimbledon Championships.” I had never been there… WOW!
But Something was missing. The 5 days spent traipsing around London was uninspiring. The Wimbledon experience was the sole piece of joy and very short lived. I still have the tennis ball and entry ticket…both of which seemed to have been a message to me to be discovered much later.
The trip took me to Africa and many boxes to check. Upon my arrival, I was filled with fear and lacked trust as I walked out of the doors of the airport. My heart and head were not prepared for the first steps in trusting that my people were there to pick me up.
I learned very quickly that I was part of the best team of people, who had my back and knew every step we would take going forward.

The first experience was meeting the other climbers. I knew 4 of 11 people and got to know the other 7 as people I would never forget. The next three days were guided experiences from village to village through the eyes of Plant with Purpose. I could feel my heart opening up. I could feel something that I had no idea existed inside of me. Gratitude for every single “thing” that I had became less important than the “people” I have.

We planted trees, Farmed crops, attended community economic meetings, planted new gardens, and shook many hands and received many hugs. I was being educated at every step. I found my heart opening even more.

The day finally came when we would start our 8 day adventure up the highest point of Africa over 19,340 feet. I was physically prepared to climb and mentally prepared for the time it would take. Little did I know what was about to happen
The first steps were so slow, "pole’ pole’". The conversation was getting deeper. The views were ever changing. The heart and head were opening more… I didn’t know what was happening.
My tent mate was a man called Ricardo. He is from Brazil and more of a business man than a mountain climber. He was the most sleeping bag challenged human on the planet. This was his only flaw, and the only flaw of anyone else on the trip. His situation became an integral story to this adventure. And we could all look to it as the basis from which to consider ourselves lucky. I learned more from this man in 8 days than so many others in years.
Ricardo and I talked for hours and became soulful friends. We knew each others story and this would be the beginning of a long distance magical connection delivered by God. We were paired up together for a reason. To this day, nearly 9 years later, I’m sitting here mystified at the feeling this friendship brings

On the second morning, we woke in the middle of a massive “field” with an uninterrupted panoramic view with only Mount Kilimanjaro as the stand out focus. I still cannot describe the feeling of worry and fear leaving me. I felt light, clear, and full of something that was unfamiliar in recent years.

Every pole’ pole’ step from that moment to the summit was easy. I was gifted the ability to see more through this experience, than any other in my life. The clarity that I was experiencing because of that mountain, those people, that experience, and the letting go of the past became my “IT.”

The time spent without conversation became filled with thoughts of gratitude and dreams. My thoughts stretched farther than all the limits I put on myself. My dreams became stepping stones to something so much bigger than I had ever imagined before. My heart became so much more open to the gift of trust and love and all that you get from giving those very things.
I was going to take my life experiences and tie them into the warrior logo and create a new company based on supporting all of the things I love; Shorts, Health, Fitness, Adventurous Experiences, Experience based education, and Philanthropic service. Every step since July 2013 has been in pursuit of making IT happen through PHIT and the first idea of a Mens clothing brand starting out with 365Freedom Shorts. Welcome to the conception of PHIT Threads.
The best part of plans and dreams, are the ability to accept the amazing changes that add to the experience. That is a whole other chapter.   (EDIT).... this was composed in 2017 and the word "CHANGES" can't describe anything that could have been planned or hoped for... personal disaster, professional disaster and global disaster... FFW to where we are today... The Symbol of the Warrior is the one thing that has kept me going... the story you just read is the one thing that has kept me going...I feel like I am just beginning again... this time the limp is real as I am currently recovering from a ruptured Achilles .... The Warrior is strong and will be stronger and stronger as the tribe grows.  Grateful if you made it this far with me... lets go a little further and find out what it feels like to GO ALL THE WAY.