Damsel's Values: Life's an adventure!

There’s something alluring about an adventure, isn’t there?

I always love to think about explorers in ages gone by, travelling to far flung places and discovering new vistas. It all seems so exotic these days, when every corner of our planet is known, mapped, and already visited by countless others. What must it have felt like to go somewhere for the very first time… to know that no one else had ever been to that particular spot?

Or what about solving a puzzle that matters – a puzzle that will save humanity from sure disaster, and only you can do it? Like in those films where it’s up to a small group of people to face up to a challenge and solve it in a few short hours or days?

Adventure like this can feel so far removed from our everyday lives… where we do the same things day after day, the same old routine, the same old patterns.

And yet I believe that adventure is core to the journey of seeking healing and wholeness. Which is why it’s the third of our values here at Damsel Not In Distress!

During the past two years, I had no idea how my germ of an idea to build a business to serve others would become a reality. And yet, I kept being propelled to take the next step, and the next, and the next. Magically, if one keeps taking step after step, we can find ourselves living an adventure, and a longed-for destination that seemed so out of reach can actually be attained!

It reminds me of the first time I did a hill walk by myself at the start of 2023.

My husband Simon and I are now seasoned hillwalkers. We’ve climbed all the hills taller than 3,000 feet in Scotland, known as the Munros. There are 282 of them…! When I first stated my desire to achieve this feat in 2014, it seemed ridiculously ambitious. And yet, step by step, walk by walk, we finished our Munro round seven short years later. While living hundreds of miles away in London with busy jobs. Total madness, but totally amazing!

In January 2023, there was only one beautiful day in an otherwise grey month. Beautiful blue skies and – better than that – snow everywhere, from the glens right up to the mountain tops. But – tragedy! – my hubby couldn’t take the day off work.

So, I decided to do my first solo hill walk. Trust me to choose the middle of winter…!

I have to be honest, I really wasn’t at all sure that I could do it when I got started. It was a VERY steep slope covered in soft, slippery snow. It was incredibly tiring labouring up that slope. No path. No helpful footprints to step into. I was literally on my own on this mountain.

And it was a very different experience without my hubby – no one to keep me company and, no one to help with the practicalities and share the load of all the gear.

I honestly contemplated giving up several times.

But something kept me going – just one foot in front of the other. I didn’t have to see the whole way ahead, I just had to keep taking the next sensible step. And the next. And the next.

And, do you know what, despite everything, I eventually made it up all the way up the steep ascent and onto the ridge! (My water bottle sadly didn’t make it – it fell out of my bag and I watched it tumble down several hundred feet, glad that I wasn’t following it…)

I rejoiced!

Briefly. Then I looked at the 2km I needed to walk to get to the summit.

There was SO MUCH snow. Again, I felt that nervousness – I really wasn’t sure if I could make it.

But, after all that effort to get here, I decided that I should at least give it a shot, and enjoy it for as long as I could.

As I forged ahead, part of me was worrying about the way back down – would it be too slippery, would I get into trouble? Then I realised there was no point worrying about that now – I would have to tackle the descent when the time came, but there was no point spoiling my time at the top by dwelling on potential problems just now.

Again, I kept putting one foot in front of the other – and, do you know what? I really started enjoying myself! The views were just so incredible, and the way ahead wasn’t as hard as I’d feared it would be.

Before I knew it, I found myself at the top. And it was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Wall to wall mountains covered in snow, looking for all the world like I was in the middle of the Alps. I had a glorious half hour to myself up there, eating my packed lunch and drinking in the view.

As it turns out, the way back down was far easier. And, amazingly, I met a couple coming up who thanked me for creating a path in the snow – I’d never played THAT role on a hill before. I was a way-maker!

When I got back to the steep descent, it was far easier than I’d feared. And I remembered that, when it got very steep, it was much more fun to slide down – as long as you control it well enough 😉.

All in all, it was a thrilling adventure that I will never forget. And I keep reminding myself that, if I hadn’t been adventurous and brave enough, I’d never have experienced it.

Which makes me think of my life journey, my healing journey. Not being able to see the whole way ahead. Just having the courage to take the next step. And the next. And the next.

Sometimes slogging up that steep slope can feel never ending. But there is a destination, if we can just listen to our quiet inner knowing, and keep forging ahead.

Here’s to exciting healing adventures!

If you want to find out more about my model for Singing After The Storm, I’ve created a free guide for you which maps out the stages of the journey, and describes how you can cultivate your calm, confidence and calling in the wake of the storm. You can sign up here!