That’s how I think of Marta Czajkowska as I read Masters of Badassery: Reclaim Your Wild and Worthy Self.
Marta — a coach, climber, and traveler — wrote a raw and moving account of her own journey: of becoming a true badass, living with full power, courage, and authenticity.
Marta writes:
“And then, one moment, I imagined the canyon not as an obstacle, but as a mirror.
The stone didn’t reject me, it reflected me.
My own doubts, my own distortions. […]
The wall had never been against me. It was simply holding the line until I could meet myself.”
And later, in a reflection addressed to herself:
“The canyon didn’t need your send, it needed your presence.
And so did you.”
Isn’t it the same with everything I think I’m struggling with?
In business. In relationships. In myself.
Maybe there are no real obstacles — only the truth about where I am right now.
And that’s not a problem, because tomorrow I’ll already be somewhere else.
Until I cross the threshold and meet myself on the other side.
Maybe all it takes to move forward is to stay present with what is.
I’ll sit with these questions for a while.
Marta’s book reminds me that when we are wildly, unapologetically aligned — when our words, choices, and energy all point in the same direction — the universe listens.
And that perhaps, if I want to live like a badass, I need to fully engage — and be fully present with what is.
Becoming a badass, living your own legend, can be uncomfortable.
And yet, as I read this book, every cell in my body seems to cry out:
“I want to feel that alive. I want to live that way!”