Trying to get up onto the seventh step and feeling as though they were unable to do so, Damian's friends were shocked to see that he had succeeded in placing one foot on the step.
He had made it seem so effortless, but the truth was he had reached a breakthrough and was enlightened to something suddenly when facing the imaginary wall he came across.
The mind and body would set subconscious barriers to stop one from progressing in order to reduce the pain, strain and suffering they would have to experience, but they could both be dominated by one's spirit.
One's spirit is essentially an amalgamation of one's willpower, drive, determination and pain tolerance, and Damian was beginning to learn to tap into and understand his own spirit.