You Can!
You can... be new at something and very experienced at something else.
You can... do something outside your comfort zone. "That can have different degrees for different people which is really beautiful," shared Veronika. "For one person it can be going to the shopping mall 20 minutes from their home town and then pushing that comfort zone a little bit. For another it can be jumping off Mt Everest. Adventurous for me is doing something outside your comfort zone." Through sharing other's views, we can gain the confidence to "sail," our mission.
While sitting on the bow of the boat watching the water part as we cruised back home, I learned Veronika Nelson left her United States home and traveled alone to New Zealand with a number of goals in mind. Several months later, she paused reflecting on where her time had gone. "I found the real reason (I came to New Zealand) was to reunite with the water and learn to sail." And sail she does. Veronika moved from a land-based home teaching people to ski the snowy slopes of Colorado, USA, to renting a moored sailboat on which she lives while working on a schooner during the week and crewing in local regattas. Such a strong character ventured into the world of sailing with no prior experience.
Though sailing may be unconventional for many, like Veronika who leaped from thousands of miles above sea level to a few feet above the sea itself, the embedded challenges ARE achievable and deeply satisfying! “I think that in this day and age, I don't have to do just one thing. I'm allowed to rock climb, and sing, and read about political science and do all these things. Some people are so afraid of the unknown that they are frozen.”
The willingness to step beyond a comfort zone is a growing experience supporting the development of self-confidence, self-reliance, independence, and strength of character. Each step we take beyond our comfort zone develops the ability to walk with confidence, even though there might be fear. These kinds of experiences give one the ability to live life freely and deeply. You CAN be who and what you want to be.
Experiencing the unexperienced leads to growth.
