What I Learned Through Camping
I attended a camp weekend in Muskoka infused with fitness, health, new people, and FOOD. It delivered on all the things I thought it would bring me and even more.
I am not a camping person. I kind of wish I was, but now that I've been on two-weekend camping retreats in my adult years, it hasn't gotten THAT much easier. Maybe with more practice? I realize two times is nothing in camping years.
If you want someone experienced at a beach, I'm all yours.
Anyways, I learned a lot this weekend. I noticed how courageous and adventurous the group was and what honouring these values look like as a community. I saw how vulnerable showing up and being there was for people because for many, this weekend involved stepping outside of their comfort zone and sign up for classes like dance, boot camp, or hip hop yoga as some examples. Some were braver than others, heading up to the deep woods/forest to play axe throwing and get eaten alive by mosquitoes (they were everywhere). I, for one, tried it and immediately turned around
once I saw them swarming the group. #sorrynotsorry
There were quite a few brave men present surrounded by women in the group, and the theme I heard during a confidence talk was how uncomfortable being vulnerable was for them. I heard them, I saw them, and my heart goes out to them. In a world where boys are told at a young age that it's not okay to share your feelings, I can see the limitations it's put on men as adults today. Either way, I felt it was vulnerable enough for them even to admit that, so they are already breaking the stereotype. I also saw a few of them in the dance class of like 30 women versus 5 men. BRAVERY.
I felt the weekend was very fitness-themed, with a ton of activities to choose from, and the best part was that you get to build your schedule! I loved Barre, Dance, Hip Hop Yoga and Meditation. Basically, all the classes I took!
The food was delicious; I had roast beef with gravy, ham and cheese quiche, pizza, breakfast burritos, pasta salad, bbq chicken, roasted potatoes, asparagus lots of lettuce, and omg the deserts! Cheesecake, carrot cake, brownies...and the snacks at 9:30 pm? C'mon. There was a ton of fresh food to choose from, from vegan to vegetarian, and it was all baked and made fresh in the kitchen.
On the first night, which was a Friday, the Raptors were playing, and we had requested the camp staff to set up a projector in the main dining area to watch at night. Talk about hardcore fans. We go camping to disconnect and then there we are in the middle of the dining area, a live steam of the Raptors game. I was a little if not alot uncomfortable with the mosquitoes on me who have now found their way into the building... I decided to call it a night a bit early since the Raptors were winning. I wanted to walk back to my cabin by myself using the flashlight on my phone. Well, that didn't go so well. I didn't fully know my way around the campsite yet, and in pitch dark, I kept running up against dead ends. I ended up at the edge of the lake, at other people's cabins, near buildings I couldn't recognize and with my cabin, not in sight. I was like what the heck am I going to do here? I wanted to cry. Even though I knew I would be okay, I was frustrated and scared. I was frustrated because I was like why can't I find it and why can't this be easy for me? So I decided to find the main building again where I met a wonderful woman Rachel who I spoke to during the Raptors game. She was helping out for the weekend, and I thought she'd be the perfect person to help me. I eventually found the main dining building because of the light and sounds. I opened the door, spotted Rachel and was like, "Can you help me find my cabin?" with an embarrassed look on my face. She was MORE than thrilled to help me with her walkie talkie, flashlight and all. Rachel was way more prepared than me and is also a seasoned camper ;)
She helped me get back to my cabin and hugged me before I got to the door. How grateful was I to have her there with me? I literally felt like a 5-year-old again, and she was lovely to guide me.
I thought about this flashlight experience afterwards as an essential life lesson.
Sometimes, we have the tools to get through life; for example, I had a flashlight to see where I was going, but I still couldn't find my final destination. I probably eventually may have found it, but I didn't want to waste any more time feeling the way I did. Instead, I decided to ask for help and backtrack, and together, we found my way home. It was easier, felt better, felt safer, and I accomplished the task pretty quickly with her help and resourcefulness.
There are a lot of people who think they can figure it on their own and they don't need help. I've heard it quite a few times by people when I say I am a coach. They say something like, "Yeah I'm the type of person that can figure it out on my own"
What I now know that I didn't realize before was how much easier life can be when you stop and ask for guidance along the way. Asking for help saves time, and we allow other people into our hearts in a new way. From allowing others to help us, we open up and learn so much from one another. It's vulnerable asking for help. We don't want to seem annoying or weak. We want to show people that we are self-sufficient, especially in our culture of independence and efficiency.
It takes a community of people to raise a child as they say and now as adults, we look for communities of like-minded individuals to spend our time with because it FEELS better. Life just feels good.
There is no better feeling than feeling supported and surrounding yourself with people who grow each other together. There is something powerful about standing for another human being and reaching out when they need it even when they resist it.
Where in your life do you need a flashlight view to see what's really going on? What are you avoiding, and what can't you see?
Are you curious to ask for help and be open to learning more about the incredible human being you are?
You might be feeling stuck in your career, love life, dating and single life, friendships, family, money even, it doesn't matter. If you are ready to commit to something new and take a peek at what might be there, that's already a huge step.
I've opened up my calendar on June 27th offering new clients a complimentary 40-minute flashlight discovery session to experience coaching with me. My promise to you is I will use my flashlight of tools that will shine a light on parts of your life that are important to you. Together, we will take a look at what you want to create, and you will leave with A-HA moments, a new perspective and an empowered feeling to take on what's next for you.
CLICK HERE to book your complimentary flashlight discovery session on June 27.
I'm Sonia and I grow and develop leaders by creating vulnerable and intimate spaces.
xoxo, Sonia Grossi