I had a rather large birthday earlier this year…
To celebrate, I planned a year of experiences with people that play a significant part in my life. Each experience a reflection of our friendship.
I’ve just arrived back from a few days in Iceland. And what an adventure! The pictures aren’t too flattering but when you’re on a snowmobile up a glacier and in a storm, you’re not too concerned about how your hair looks!
We made every minute count.
- A walking tour of Reykjavik sampling traditional Icelandic small meals. All delicious but with one exception… the fermented shark!
- The seven rituals at the Sky Lagoon, a geothermal spa with a hot springs soaking pool and a cold plunge pool (much preferred the hot one!)
- The Golden Circle in a super jeep
- Snorkelling at Silfra between the tectonic plates that separate North America and Europe. It’s the clearest water in the world. It was 2 degrees hence the need for more special outfits!
- An evening of horse riding across the most stunning landscape at 10pm when in Iceland, it is of course still daylight.
The nature was breathtaking, awesome and on occasions, the sheer magnificence brought me to tears.
This is what you do when you are 60!
One of my core beliefs about my work as a coach is that if I am asking my clients to push themselves out of their comfort zones, I must be willing to do the same.
Stepping out of our comfort zones is different for us all.
For some having a difficult conversation, making a presentation, committing to a relationship, or stepping up into a leadership role are all perfectly normal examples of people moving into their stretch.
A tiny part of me has often kept me playing small. When I dug a little deeper to challenge and understand it its message was “don’t try anything new, if you can’t do it you will look stupid” – a throwback to being last in the sack race that left its impression after an embarrassing school sports day.
When we haven’t done something before it’s perfectly normal to experience some nervousness. It is part of being human. It’s whether we choose to believe it or challenge it. The choice is all ours.
So thank you Iceland for 72 hours out of my comfort zone. You certainly delivered.
Thank you Karen Wilson – Travel Counsellors for making it all happen and being a very special friend and human being and Rannveig at OBEO travel http://www.obeo-travel.com/ for working with the weather to help us make every precious minute count.
If you are feeling too comfortable in your professional or personal life and need a little support getting out then please get in touch. It’s much more fun outside of it and I would love to support you!
Oh and some blatant advertising, if you fancy a trip to Iceland get in touch with Karen.
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