Fair warning to readers who may be looking in this article for applications of new gear or tips and tricks in the art of tree climbing. Instead, I am going to take a risk and do a deep dive into another topic in hopes of inspiring growth for us as arboreal creatures in the industry.

Brick Reilly after completing a 36-mile ultra-
marathon trail run. Photo courtesy of the author.

We all have an origin story of how we got into the tree industry. If one could zoom back on the hundreds of thousands of people in the tree industry, I’m sure they would see common threads sprinkled with some uniqueness. The common threads might be finding a job to pay the bills, being outside in nature and the hands-on tactile experiences that come with climbing and rigging with ropes.

Now starting my 24th year in the industry as a tree worker and climber, the thing I have always experimented with and found to be fruitful was personal development. The more time I spent on personal development, the better I got professionally, starting with basic things such as sleep and nutrition to more complex things like building on personal values and principles, then diving into real experiences that shape worldview and outlook.

Lately, a buzz word in our industry has been longevity, and I really appreciated it when it came around, but I felt it didn’t intuitively tap into what we really need – durability. Remaining durable along the journey of tree work, I felt, bears the fruit of longevity.
Pursuing longevity
The question for me then became, what would be the life force behind actions leading toward longevity? Meaning, we can do all the things – eating right, mobility, endurance training, spiritual grounding and such – but something still might feel missing, a master link if you will, to bring all the parts together.

Then I read a book, “The Comfort Crisis,” by Michael Easter. “The Comfort Crisis” explores the evolutionary need for humans to embrace challenges and discomfort for improved health and happiness. Long story short, it’s about how humans in society have gotten comfortable with modern conveniences while disconnecting from nature. Think of the simple but amazing luxury we have of controlling temperature in the homes we reside in.

One of the main insights I gained from this book is knowledge about a Japanese tradition called Misogi, and this is the nugget with which I am hoping to inspire others. Misogi is a Japanese Shinto practice of ritual purification, traditionally involving immersion in cold water, such as a waterfall, to cleanse the body, mind and spirit. Using this practice and mindset, with a Western twist to it, the idea of how to apply it to your life is simple but powerful. It has just two rules to follow; once a year do something extremely hard that you feel you will have a difficult time accomplishing, and don’t die doing it. As extreme as that sounds, hold that thought for a minute.

After I read this book in 2022, I immediately implemented my first personal Misogi by trail running an ultra-marathon of 32 miles, with only having run at most five miles at any one time prior. While this is highly advised as a terrible idea, I learned something in that experience that cannot be denied. So many experiences and emotions arose during that time that when I was done, for at least a month afterward, I operated differently on all levels of wellness: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social.

This experience then made everything else I do make sense, like it was a missing piece to becoming a durable industrial athlete in the pursuit of longevity in this industry. It’s like each year you get your “life cup” filled to the brim, then that is used to take care of responsibilities and yourself until the next one.

For years I have been “preaching” the idea that taking care of ourselves will make us better tree climbers/workers, but never have I been able to suggest one thing as a catalyst to set in motion various actions needed to strive toward longevity. This is where Misogi has been the keystone for me.

Now, most people would read this and say, “What does this have to do with tree climbing or work?” But I like to flip that question back and ask, “Why do you think that who you are and what you do aren’t intertwined?”

In hindsight, after receiving advice from a close friend, I wish I had started my talk on this topic, longevity, at TCI EXPO ’24 in Baltimore with my personal story – having been born profoundly deaf and navigating the hearing world. The reason for this is because, while my story is normal for me, it remains a powerful one for people who hear how the journey has been.

This resonated with me because when I did my first Misogi, the terrible struggle felt familiar. Dare I even say I knew what to do when it got hard. Quitting was never an option.

My life story has always been one of overcoming obstacles and challenges, but they were things out of my control. “The Comfort Crisis” more or less said to add something into your life that is extremely difficult (you control that experience), so that when life hands you a challenge that is painful or heartbreaking (you can’t control what happens in life), you will have a healthier way of handling such discomfort. This would then, in turn, increase the capacity to handle life and work-related challenges.

Applying the lessons
If you have read this far into this article, you might be wondering if the grind and hard days of tree work would count as being a Misogi. That’s the thing about a Misogi. It has to be something your body and mind are not familiar with. For example, a loved one gets cancer (like my wife), and along with the hope that they will live is the knowledge that the next couple of years will be an unknown hell. It isn’t something you can prepare for. A Misogi is the same, intended to drive home the feelings and mental hurdles that will arise, since you have nothing to compare it to.

This, then, leads again to, what is the point of this? The point is to create:

• A better version of yourself that will always benefit you in your pursuit of longevity in the tree industry.
• Improved relationships with co-workers through improved communication skills and an ability to articulate on a deeper level.
• A greater ability to “push” your body and see what your mind is capable of, so it grows stronger.
• The mental fortitude to deal with the stresses that come with challenges associated with tree work on a year-to-year basis.

The list goes on, but the point is still the same. Optimizing your wellness will always allow growth into a better version of yourself, and that will lead to good health and longevity in our coveted tree industry.

Closing thought
I began working in this industry in 2002. From the beginning, I worked in a municipality, but along the way, with a business partner, we ran our own small tree company for 10 years. Three days a week, we would do our own jobs after working for the municipality, feeling and dealing with the struggles of tree work as owners taking care of our families. From the beginning, I have always known my body and mind were the keys not only to success in this industry, but as a son, brother, husband and dad. This knowledge and my body haven’t failed me, and I hope this nugget of wisdom helps you dive deeper to bring out the best version of yourself.

Brick Reilly, CTSP, is a supervisor in the Shade Tree Department of the Millburn Township Department of Public Works in Millburn Township, New Jersey.

This article was based on his presentation on the same topic at TCI EXPO ’24 in Baltimore, Maryland.