I love adventures and I love it when I’m in an adventurous state of mind.
When I’m off on an adventure there’s a sense of being prepared, but not knowing everything.
The thing that makes it an adventure is the exploration into the unknown – knowing that at some stage I’ll probably come across something I’ve not come across before, but trusting I have the skills and capabilities to navigate whatever comes up.
It’s always exciting to set off on the adventure – packed up, ready to go, unsure of what might unfold, knowing that there will be something new to discover. And along the way, there are often moments of amazement as I connect with the world around me. But that doesn’t mean I’m in that frame of mind all the time.
Sometimes I’m just plodding along, lost in my thoughts, putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes I’m not sure which path to take and sometimes the path disappears, and I have to use make a judgement about which direction to go, knowing that I could end up on the edge of a cliff face, or lost in the undergrowth.
And sometimes I find myself in danger, needing to rely on my instinctive reactions in order to get out.
I don’t love the scary moments when they are happening, but the feeling that comes from finding my way through, discovering new things about myself and experiencing the world around me in new ways, are what take me back for more.
While the views from the top of the mountain or seeing the beauty of the wildlife in the forests are amazing, my reason for loving adventure is more than that – it’s about the self-discovery that occurs as I face the scariness of the unknown.
What if we approached every day as an adventure?
Each morning we wake up, ready to set off into the unknown. Who knows what amazing new things we might discover today?
Sometimes we’re just plodding along, sometimes the path disappears or we take a wrong turn, and sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we feel scared and overwhelmed and unsure what to do.
But whatever comes up, we find our way through, discover something new about ourselves and our capabilities, and we know a little more about the big wide world.
This is the idea I come back to whenever life starts to feel challenging or overwhelming – I remind myself that this is the bit that makes life an adventure and that it’s an opportunity to learn more about myself.
This idea has helped me make a leap in my career, move from one end of the country to the other and start my own business.
It’s also helped me with smaller things too – nudging me to get out there and make new friends, try a new activity and put myself forward for new projects.
As things open up post-pandemic this idea is also what’s helping me get out there and expand my world again. Each expedition is a mini-adventure into the unknown – and each one I do increases my confidence in myself and makes it easier to take on the next.
What are you scared of having a go at right now?
How could you turn it into an adventure or a series of mini-adventures to get you out there and explore the world?
Adventures can be so much more fun when you have someone to share them with.
If you’ve got a particular challenge right now and would like some one-to-one support to guide you through, book a call to talk to me about a package of one-to-one coaching sessions!
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