Dear Reader,
Do you get wildly inspired by people who stretch the limits of possible and pioneer human accomplishments, especially when that accomplishment ends up rippling out into the world in positive and nourishing ways?
I do. I nerd out that way, inspiring myself every day with stories of ordinary humans doing extraordinary things. Ordinary with extraordinary courage maybe.
The courage to defy convention, not conform to it.
The courage to follow the pull inside them and continue despite the challenges.
Inspired because through their courage, and commitment, they have shifted the way the whole world reflects and defines a whole new level of what’s possible. It inspires me to raise my own game, stretch into the depths of the potential that I’ll never reach — because potential is always just in front and a bit deeper down…
That’s why it’s called potential, right!
Next year, I’ve committed to crossing the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean in one go. 920+ kilometres. 55,000m of vertical climb and the same in descent over 4–6 weeks. I’m so excited. Currently, I’m in research phase and just starting the training program, slowly.
Wanna be part of the adventure?
There are two ways you can join me: in the preparation phase by signing up to the Wild Spirit Leadership Adventure, or simply by meeting at certain stages on my way across.
All this adventure had me reflecting on the importance of actually having an adventure to undertake, a guiding star or a heart longing to follow — and how to take it on fully without burning yourself out or having to reduce it to ‘realistic.’ How to keep resilience high over the long game.
Here are 10 insights:
- Know THYSELF. Know who you are. Know your essence. Know your goodness right down into your cells. Know your limits, but never believe the lies you tell yourself about what’s possible for you if your heart is urging you into a life adventure. Knowing yourself is the key to your impact and your ripple effect in the world.
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Make sure your dream or vision is actually yours. Not a left-over relic of the past or the vain efforts of your socialised self, wanting what you think you should want because that’s what all your friends have, or because that’s what’s expected in your social norm.
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Cherish your moonshot, your vision, your dream, your impossible and love on it every day. Feel what it would be like to have it.
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Equally. Love the life you have. Love on it. Love it. Appreciate it. Appreciate YOU.
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Be unwaveringly honest (NOT judgmental or critical) about where you are right now in relation to that. Drop any expectations that you should be further along than you are because that would be delusional, not to mention impossible. Besides, you can’t leave a place you’ve never been!
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Don’t confuse the dream for the step. In other words – you don’t have to take the biggest jumps to get there. There’s no special place in heaven for people who take bigger steps or a faster route. Making a strategic personal plan with milestones and steps to bridge the gap will help. In your plan, evaluate what STRETCH is right for you right now, what’s the experience you want to have of the process, given where you’re at, your current resources, your current commitments. If you love a challenge and want to stretch your resources, remember this resilience mindset, “effort, not struggle.” If you’re struggling rather than stretching, there are some steps you’re likely missing in between – go back to your plan. When Pheidippides ran the marathon, he died. You don’t have to, you can train for it in increments…
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Stop waiting for the right time. There is not a right time. Your current life is likely too busy and expertly organised in such a way that there is no free space for you to create what’s next. Nor will there be any. You’ll have to create it. And the sooner you commit, the sooner you create the life you want. You may as well commit to start now. Then choose your stretch to build the momentum that’s right for you (see above)
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Give up being so independent. Stop trying to do it all by yourself. Hyper independence is a trauma response, and a damaging myth about the Self-made Man, nourished in the hyper individualistic and totally misleading narrative of the patriarchy. NO such thing as a self-made man – just ask the women doing the background work or the networks that supported their ascension. We are interdependent. Raise people’s roles in your life by asking them to help you reach your vision. If your dream, your cherished vision can be pulled off without support, it’s probably not a dream but an extension of what you’re doing now. Your dream will need a bit more support for you to bring it to life. That’s the fun part – nourishing your community with your dream.
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Afraid of being selfish? There’s really no such thing as an individual dream. All our dreams and aspirations are beacons and signposts of possibility for others. When Roger Bannister ran the 4-minute mile (previously thought impossible). When Alexandra David Neel at 55 made it to Lhasa in 1924. When Kathrine Virginia Switzer became the first woman to officially enter the Boston marathon in 1967. When Helen Keller learned to communicate and became a world renowned name for women’s rights. These were all personal accomplishments that paved the way for humans to dream bigger and stretch their definition of possible. But there is such a thing a personal dream, vision, aim… and that’s what sets your own precious heart on fire and fills it with longing. Trust it.
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When you step on the way, the way appears. Commit to the dream and be open to how to get there. Despite your plan, you rarely get to control the how, because you can’t see the whole web of interconnections that start moving when you step forward. Synchronicities happen when you commit to the what but not the how!
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Bonus. Transform all complaints into commitments. Complaints are just an energy suck.
October 11th, we’re setting out on the next Wild Spirit Leadership Adventure into Awesome, Audacious YOU. I’ve spontaneously decided to open it up to women who have not done the original Wild Spirit Leadership Adventure that started out in 2020!
Are you spontaneous? Are you missing a challenge? Do you want to join other adventurous women leaders? Do you want to raise your game and take your confidence to its next level?
There is still space for two more women to join the next 10-week programme. Just reply to this email, and we can talk (interview only at this stage).
Yours in adventure,
Love,
Angela
Wild Spirit Leadership
P.S. Stay tuned for the Beyond Resilience Podcast. And if you have a resilience story to tell – get in touch!!
