One of the questions I’m asked most often is, “How did you find your passion?” People usually expect me to talk about climbing mountains or becoming a speaker. They assume that somewhere along the way I discovered the one thing I was meant to do. I’ve come to believe that’s the wrong question. I don’t… Continue reading I Don’t Think We Find Passion
Most people think the work ends when the audience leaves. For me, that’s usually when a different kind of work begins. After almost every successful keynote, I find myself going through the same process. Within a few weeks—sometimes even a few days—I begin rewriting it. The audience connected. The stories resonated. The feedback was encouraging.… Continue reading What Happens After Every Keynote
People sometimes ask me: “After Everest, what’s left?” After climbing the highest mountain on every continent. After skiing to the North Pole and South Pole. After becoming the first Asian woman to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam. What mountain is left to climb? It’s a reasonable question. From the outside, it can look as though… Continue reading The Mountain Changes. The Practice Remains.
People often assume that climbing Everest transformed me. They imagine that standing on top of the world somehow turned me into a different person. For a long time, I told the story that way too. But sixteen years later, I see it differently. Everest didn’t change me. It helped me remember who I was. Before… Continue reading Everest Didn’t Change Me. It Helped Me Remember Who I Was.
When people ask about Everest, they usually ask about summit day. What was it like standing on top of the world? How did it feel? Were you scared? Was it exciting? The truth is, summit day is only a tiny fraction of the journey. What most people don’t see is everything that happens before it.… Continue reading The Hardest Part of Everest Wasn’t the Summit. It Was the Long Middle.
Sixteen years ago, I stood on the summit of Mount Everest. At the time, it felt impossible. Not because Everest was impossible. Because someone like me wasn’t supposed to be there. I was a bookish kid from Beijing. I wasn’t athletic. I didn’t grow up climbing mountains. I wasn’t part of the mountaineering world. And… Continue reading 16 Years After Everest: The Summit Wasn’t the Biggest Lesson
We often think achieving the seemingly impossible is about one big moment. A breakthrough. A bold decision. A leap of faith. But in reality, it’s not one moment. It’s a sequence. Over time, I’ve seen the same pattern—whether on expeditions or inside organizations: The people who achieve what once felt impossible are not fundamentally different.… Continue reading How Leaders Actually Achieve the Seemingly Impossible
Most people don’t pursue what feels impossible. Not because they lack ability. But because it doesn’t make sense. It’s impractical. It’s uncertain. It doesn’t fit the plan. So we choose goals that feel reasonable. Predictable. Achievable. And over time, something subtle happens. We don’t just limit our goals. We limit ourselves. My journey didn’t begin… Continue reading Why We Must Pursue the Seemingly Impossible
We’ve been taught to wait until we feel ready. Until we feel confident. Certain. Prepared. But that moment rarely comes. And if it does, it often comes too late. Most people don’t fail because they lack ability. They don’t start because they’re waiting for confidence. But confidence is not the starting point. It’s a result.… Continue reading Why Confidence Is the Wrong Starting Point
If confidence isn’t what gets you started— then what does? We often default to the same answer: Discipline. Willpower. Push through. But those don’t last. You can force action for a while. But you can’t sustain it. That’s why so many people start—and then stop. Not because they lack ability. But because they run out… Continue reading The Missing Driver of Action: Where Courage Actually Comes From