It’s 6:00 AM in Engelberg. The air is sharp, the peaks hidden in early fog. Five minutes into the race, I was already angry.

My drinking bottle burst open — water leaking down my right side, soaking me. It was cold, uncomfortable, and unfair.

For a moment, I lost control. The thought came instantly:

“Why is this happening to me?”

That’s the victim mindset — the invisible weight that makes everything feel heavier than it is.

But the mountain doesn’t care.

The first climb — over 1,000 meters in the opening hour — silenced every excuse. My focus shifted from what went wrong to what I could control: breathing, posture, rhythm.

That’s the switch — from reacting emotionally to responding with awareness.

Lesson #1: Complaining Wastes Energy

When we complain, we don’t remove obstacles — we reinforce them. Energy follows focus. Whatever you focus on multiplies.

Lesson #2: The Mountain Is a Mirror

This race wasn’t testing my legs — it was reflecting my mindset. The broken bottle didn’t ruin the race; it revealed who I was: impatient, reactive, human.

And that’s where transformation begins — with awareness.

Reflection Prompt:

When things go wrong, what’s your default reaction — frustration or focus?