I firmly believe in the adage, “Wherever you go, there you are.” Still, it’s comforting to read a great book that reminds me I’m not alone—even those who reach great heights struggle within.

As is the case with renowned mountain climber, Melissa Arnot Reid. Melissa has summitted Everest six times – including once in which she became the first American woman to summit without the use of supplemental oxygen and survive the descent.

Impressive, right? But Melissa has written an incredibly touching and vulnerable memoir that reminds us that there is no accomplishment that can prove we are worthy if we don’t already believe it ourselves. Her story is so powerful precisely because she has done extraordinary things and still had to come to terms with her own stuff. Just like with Cheryl Strayed’s book, Wild, Melissa’s journey reminds us that sometimes we have to walk a lot of miles just to get to know ourselves.

In this episode of The Life of Try, I was lucky enough to get to talk with mountaineer, guide, and author Melissa Arnot Reid about her memoir, Enough. We explore how writing can bring hidden parts of our lives into the light, why success can disguise inner struggle, and what it means to move from seeking validation to living by our values. Our honest conversation also covers vulnerability, self-compassion, women in male-dominated spaces, nurturing leadership, mentorship, grief, parenting, and the courage to keep showing up when life is hard.

Melissa shares her vision of “mountain goddess” leadership—combining ambition and firmness with tenderness, curiosity, and room for imperfection. She also reveals how the mountains have changed for her: no longer a place to prove herself, but a place to learn, explore, and discover what was already there.

In this conversation:

• Why we cannot achieve our way into belonging
• How vulnerability and imperfection strengthen leadership
• “Mountain goddess” mentorship in male-dominated spaces
• The power of showing up when circumstances are difficult
• Moving from validation-seeking to values-driven curiosity
• Why a summit may reveal us rather than change us

One other note about the power of showing up that we talk about in this episode. After the death of her friend, Chhewang Nima in an avalanche in 2010, Melissa co-founded The Juniper Fund. The fund supports Himalayan mountain workers, their families and communities. As this episode goes live, Melissa in is Nepal doing Juniper Fund work of showing up in grief and support for families that have lost someone while trying to improve the safety margins of Nepali climbers. Link to The Juniper Fund site is below.

If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe to The Life of Try, leave a comment with your biggest takeaway, and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that they are already enough.

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Links for this episode:

Melissa Arnot Reid on Enough: Why No Summit Can Prove Your Worth transcript

Melissa Arnot Reid’s website

The Juniper Fund: Supporting Himalayan Mountain Workers, their families and communities website

Buy Enough: Climbing Toward a True Self on Mount Everest on Barnes & Noble, Bookshop or Amazon

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(featured photo from Pexels)

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