Today is September 16 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you remind yourself that technique and ability are not enough?”
People who navigate the chaos understand that technique and ability to do a specific task very well is important; but it is far from enough to succeed.
For many willpower is just as important, or for some, even more important. Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei noted “Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given by others; it rises from your heart.”
She was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and the first woman to ascend all Seven Summits by climbing the highest peak on every continent.
Tabei was born in Miharu, Fukushima, the fifth daughter in a family of seven children. She was considered a frail, weak child, but nevertheless she began mountain climbing at the age of 10, going on a class climbing trip to Mount Nasu.
Although she was interested in doing more climbing, her family did not have enough money for such an expensive hobby, and Tabei made only a few climbs during her high school years.
From 1958 to 1962, Tabei studied English literature and education at Showa Women's University, where she was a member of the mountain climbing club. After graduating, Tabei formed the Ladies Climbing Club: Japan (LCC) in 1969.
The club's slogan was "Let's go on an overseas expedition by ourselves", and was the first of its kind in Japan.
Tabei later stated that she founded the club as a result of how she was treated by male mountaineers of the time; some men, for example, refused to climb with her, while others thought she was only interested in climbing as a way to find a husband. During this time, she climbed mountains such as Mount Fuji in Japan and the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps.
By 1972, Tabei was a recognized mountain climber in Japan. Junko Tabei realized that willpower was far more important than technique and ability.
Do you?