The cavernous room was dark. I struggled not to squint at the bright stage lamps streaming light against my face and eyes. From the twilight edge of my vision, just left of the huge video camera, the interviewer’s voice thrust forth question after question, each one more personal than the last.

The production team from Darlow Smithson was interviewing me for the TV show “I Shouldn’t Be Alive”. They wanted to know every detail, every terrifying thought that wormed its way through my head and heart on the day I fought to survive. To make the great films they are known for, they needed it all so that they could faithfully tell the story of how my friend, Mike Price, and I wound up eighty feet deep inside a glacial crevasse on Mount Rainier.

Although kind and respectful, the interviewer led me farther down the recesses of my unsettling memories. I could feel myself back in the icy darkness, back on the day that my friend Mike died and I fought so hard to live.

I felt the urge to resist. If I had tried, I might have gotten away with waving off a few questions or skirting around some uncomfortable memories. But I couldn’t. That is not how important things get done. Great moments are created and great goals are reached by facing difficulties with resilience, not resistance.

And so, scared as I was, I plunged headlong into every assertive question the skilled interviewer asked. I shared everything that I knew, remembered, and felt on that horrible day of ice and darkness, that trying day of fear and loss. Though nervous, I was strengthened by the belief that if I could stay strong enough to share the full story, they would be skilled enough to tell it in a very powerful way.

After watching the “Killer Crevasse” episode of “I Shouldn’t Be Alive”, I think that together we reached the high summit we aimed for. Based on the extensive feedback I have heard from friends, fans, and colleagues, the film told the tale accurately, powerfully and it has inspired people to rally resilience for their own challenges. Having a positive and motivating impact on other people has now made that daunting day under the bright lights worth it.

Just like climbing out of the crevasse did, this filming experience has reinforced my belief that resisting a challenge leads nowhere. By having the resilience to engage the hard things in life, we can create something positive, even from trying circumstances. Resilience, not resistance, is the way through the darkness.