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ADVENTURE is defined as: 1 an undertaking involving danger and unknown risks, 2 an exciting or remarkable experience.

Last month I posted about the 3 words I chose to guide my quest for growth/improvement in the New Year. One of my words is ADVENTURE. If you ask my octogenarian mother her keys to staying young, she will tell you, “Drink red wine, keep learning new things & travel to new places.”  What an adventurous approach to life!

At some point in my adult life I switched from being daring and adventurous to being cautious and risk averse.  I didn’t realize it until I starting working with a professional coach.  He had me list a few “dream” jobs and what it would take for me to have those jobs.  I had no problem identifying the dream jobs.  But I would come up with 18 reasons why I might fail before identifying how I might succeed.  This tendency to focus on risk rather than opportunity kept me complacent in a comfortable job.  After hours of coaching and countless exercises in positive affirmation, I gained the courage to embark on a professional adventure of self-employment. Sure, I have faced some unknown risks, but it has certainly been an exciting and remarkable experience.

The main lesson I had to learn was that mistakes do not equal failure.  Rather, mistakes present opportunities to learn and grow.  Some of the greatest lessons I have learned in my business are those I learned from my mistakes.  Reframing my mindset to see risks as opportunities has not been an easy task. But this is why I have chosen ADVENTURE as an approach to life.

On a recent vacation, my husband and I went on our first white water rafting trip.  The guide prepared us, teaching us what paddle strokes to use in different situations.  The trip was fun and exciting, but didn’t seem dangerous.  That is, until our raft got caught on top of a boulder in the middle of a category 4 rapid.  Being in the forward position, I could see that in front of us was another large boulder that we would possibly slam into once we got our raft dislodged.  While our guide didn’t plan for our raft to get stuck, using his skills and experience we were able to navigate out of the dangerous situation.  At the end of the trip we were all given a memento emblazoned with the tour company’s motto which I have adopted as my own:  “Can’t get lost on an ADVENTURE!”

I wish you a year of health and adventure!

 

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