Around this time last year, I set off for the mountains in the Pyrenees for a trek with 9 women to celebrate my sister's 40th birthday. I left home feeling nervous about whether I was fit enough, did I have the right kit, would everyone else be more comfortable in the mountains than I would, would my dodgy ankle hold up.... I needn't have worried. It was the most spectacular few days. In the company of extraordinary women and in the most stunning landscapes I had one of those weeks that will live in my memories forever. I also found myself taking away lessons from the mountains that will last long beyond the trip itself. So, this week, I thought I'd share a few of the things that I took away from that incredible adventure.
Find Your Tribe
Perhaps the greatest joy of this trip was the women I shared it with. The exhilaration of achieving new things together, the belly aching laughs about everything and nothing, the stories of adventure from our guide, the hugs, the tears, the words of encouragement. It was a trip that bonded us through our shared experience. And it reminded me that the people we surround ourselves with are one of the biggest factors in how we feel. So have a think about the people around you, do they fill you with joy and encourage you to be happy? If not, now is the moment to start finding your tribe....
Get out of your Comfort Zone
Before I set off on my adventure my brain was finding all sorts of crazy ways to stop me going. Some kids at school had chicken pox and my brain said to me 'probably best to stay at home, it wouldn't be fair on my mother in law to cope with that'. Flights were looking problematic and a little corner of my brain whispered hopefully, 'maybe the flight will be cancelled.' But of course, I knew what my brain was playing at. Trying to keep me safe. Trying to keep me in my comfort zone. So I ignored the niggles and I headed off, nervous but excited. And I had a life affirming trip. And remembered that my comfort zone is not the place to hang out. Growth and joy comes from getting right out of your comfort zone. So, go for it. Whatever it is you've been worried about doing. Just go for it. You'll regret not doing it, way more than you'll ever regret doing it.
Enjoy the Journey
This trip was no walk in the park. There were some very steep climbs, some big old drops, some extremely uneven terrain and some moments of genuine terror! So at times it was tempting to keep heads down, looking at our feet, just plodding along until we reached the top of a peak. I had to keep reminding myself to look up. And when I did, I would find that I was walking in the most awe inspiring landscape. I'd mentally pause, take a breath, drink it all in and just enjoy the journey. In mountaineering you may not ever reach your destination, the weather might turn, rocks could fall, you or a member of your team may have an accident... So of course celebrate reaching the destination if you get there, but make damn sure that you are enjoying the journey too. Because really, there is only this moment right now - and peak or no peak, it's up to us to enjoy it.
Type Two Fun is Sometimes the Best Kind of Fun
'It doesn't have to be fun to be fun', one of our guide's favourite phrases. Type two fun is the kind of fun that is bloody awful at the time but looking back it is just the best. There were a few moment of type two fun on this trip. Scrambling up big rock faces, crossing ice paths with nothing but crampons stopping us from tumbling down a steep and rocky drop. But guess what bits of the day we talked about over dinner each night? Which stories have been told and retold? Which moments we are proudest of? Doing hard and scary things, is hard and scary but the feeling when you do it is so, incredibly worth it. So go find yourself some type two fun...
I could keep going and going and going... those 4 days in the mountains are like a microcosm of real life. All the things you think about, talk about, experience in normal life get compressed and magnified. The learnings are vast, the experience second to none. And now I am bringing all of this to you. The chance to get out on an adventure in the mountains of the Pyrenees combined with incredible transformational power of coaching. This is going to be VERY special. Check it out or email me on hello@harrietbarcella.com and let's have a chat about it.
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