The Leap of Faith

“The Leap of Faith”, a Ropes activity that consists of climbing all the way to the top of a telephone pole, standing up… and jumping. From the ground, it looks exciting. Maybe even easy. But up there, fear can truly paralyze you. Did you want to do it? Did it seem simple? Up there, all of that fades away.

Yesterday I witnessed something incredible — in the literal sense of the word… A Fort camper started climbing the pole, and before even reaching the halfway point, he began to say: “I can’t do it. I don’t think I can do it.” And even after saying that, he kept climbing. Past the halfway point, he cried out again: “I can’t do it, I’m scared.” This time, with tears in his eyes. And still, he kept going. Step by step, through fear, through doubt… he made it to the very top.

And then he said: “I don’t think I can stand on the pole.” What do you think happened next? He stood up. Crying — and yet smiling big, with a face full of satisfaction. He stood tall on that narrow pole, trembling, crying, with his heart racing — and I couldn’t help but jump with joy as tears filled my eyes. What was I witnessing? Was this real? A small child… with a determination greater than that of most adults. Because this camper didn’t stop being afraid as he climbed. If anything, the fear probably grew stronger. And still — he climbed. With fear. Despite fear.

In Ropes, your “Leap of Faith” is a physical one. A literal jump. But in life, we face so many leaps just like this. Our minds are powerful. And fear — it can be helpful. It protects us. It helps us survive. But the problem with only surviving… is that we miss out on truly living. With tears still in my eyes, I found myself wondering: How many times do I say “I can’t” when I actually can? How often do I wait to “not be afraid” before doing something that scares me? Spoiler: that moment doesn’t just show up…

Back to our amazing camper — once he stood on the pole, he didn’t want to jump. He had already done the hardest part (what very few manage): climbing to the top and standing up. But “letting go and just fall” — in that moment, it felt like the scariest thing in the world. And doesn’t that happen in life, too? We overcome huge challenges, and when we face a new one, we forget all that we’ve already conquered. We lose sight of our own strength in the moments we need it most.

Eventually, our camper came back down. But here’s something else that moved me deeply: The way he chose to come down wasn’t what most would expect — and that’s okay. He didn’t take the big leap into the air like others might. Instead, he came down his way. Slowly. Carefully. Thoughtfully. And you know what? That took just as much courage. Because bravery isn’t about doing things the way everyone else does. It’s about knowing yourself, honoring your limits, and still choosing to move forward. In the end, he made it back down — in his own way — and that was exactly the right way for him.

When I saw him standing on solid ground again, I said to him: “You made me cry tears of joy. What you did today —and what you’ll keep doing— truly inspires people. You inspired me. You may be smaller than me, younger than me, but today… I look up to you. You’ll remember this moment every time something scares you. Not just something physical, but personal — every time you face a hard decision, take a tough test, try something new, or work up the courage to talk to someone.”

And that moment I saw with my own eyes — teary and amazed — will forever stay in my heart and my mind… We are capable of so much more than we think. We are capable of doing hard things — even with fear. And now, the real challenge is this: To take that Leap of Faith… in our own lives.