The difference

Is there a difference? Yes. As climbing has become an uncontrollable passion in my life...i've noticed a difference. The way i eat, think, train...everything has become different. As I've noticed lately, within this "different" train of thought, many decisions have been put on my plate. What i have pondered most: the difference between being a full blown professional climber, or climbing as much as humanly possible without sacrificing "all of it". Speaking with a friend of mine, who is a "full blown professional" athlete...it was really encouraging for him to stress on how important family life is. Throughout the "professional" athlete world of climbing, it seems that time and time again I'm hearing about all the divorces, lack of family time, "i rarely see my kids", those sorts of things. I've decided, even with how driven i've become to succeed at being a "solid" climber, nothing is more important to me than God and my family. There's no doubt that i face challenging thoughts of "going for it". But what does "go for it mean"? Being payed to climb, free gear, and lots of traveling. Or does going for it mean–climbing your butt off, pulling as hard as you possibly can whenever you get to a climb. I've begun to realize that being a top climber doesn't have to be about fame and fortune, however quite possibly just committing to the actual sport, the joy of being out there, all the while cranking to your fullest ability and then some. The feeling of being on a climb, being totally stoked that you're up there, exposed to the elements, tested by your every nerve. Looking up, and "going for it". That's what it's really about. That's, in my opinion, of what "going for it" really means.