Skiing on the slopes of the Big White in Canada taught me that it’s possible to integrate the skills of skiing with the skills of life. We weren’t born with a manual for life and life can be tricky, as can a sport/hobby we are finding our way with.
Here is what I discovered to have more ease with it all…Enjoy XO
Awareness
You have to be aware of everything around you whilst on the slopes. The potential crash in front of you, where the skiers each side of you are going to go, the obstacles on the snow, such as exposed rocks, all pose a risk. And of course your awareness of your body and its movements potentially posing a risk to you and others. All senses are switched on dynamically. The expansion of my awareness allows me to be calm whilst having a true sense of what is going on around me, much like horses and other animals where their zone of awareness is expanded in all directions out in the wild. How often do we go into robot mode when we don’t think we need to use our awareness? Basically becoming a contraction of who we actually be? Our automatic pilot of just functioning and only switching on our awareness in times of danger. Yet if we we were to switch on our perception 24/7, how much more could we tap into? Not leaving our awareness to chance in just those moments that we have decided are more important or when we fear for our lives.
TIP: Awareness allows you to be calm whilst having a true sense of what is going on around you.
Fear
At the top of the mountain and the windiest conditions I have ever seen, the fear was intense. The wind was literally pushing me down the mountain before I even had a chance to position myself. So much hesitation to make that first move. What do I know about fear? It’s designed to stop you, to take you out of being and paralyse you from choice. It’s not real. The things that I have feared the most in life have turned out to be my greatest achievements and have had the most dynamic impacts on my life and living. My separation was one of them, the other dealing with lawyers and a settlement of assets with my ex husband, certain creations in my business I have feared also and interestingly have all worked out in the grandest, most magnificent ways. This slope was no exception. I made my first move and oh that feeling when I did was electrifying and so not scary at all. It’s that fear of the unknown that stops us in our tracks yet often has the most pleasure on the other side, albeit uncomfortable at the time.
TIP: In times of fear, remind yourself it is not real.
Falling doesn’t equal failure.
Although I didn’t fall many times during my ski sessions, what I do know is that falling is an opportunity to see what is required to move forward. The times I fell interestingly were when I was standing still. What is that if we think that if we don’t move, we can’t be failing or that we are not messing up? Yet standing still is the one sure way to keep perpetuating the same outcome. Every move and every step is a step to give you an awareness of what to choose next. When I am standing still I ask a question like “what can I be or do today to create (blank) right away?” The question opens up an awareness and shows me the possibilities of what I can choose next. Whether it be making a phone call, meeting up with a potential client or chatting to random people when I am out and about. The key here is to keep moving and keep asking questions. The times I have had the greatest productivity and creativity has been when I am in constant motion, when I am at my busiest and this for me creates a space of absolute joy.
TIP: Failure is an opportunity to ask questions and to see what is required to move forward.
Choose your own path.
There were two paths to the bottom of the mountain I was skiing on this day and most of us would take the route with everyone on it, the road most travelled because it should be the safest right? I chose differently this day. One of the runs was like a ghost town that no one dared to venture down. It was the wildest and windiest section of the mountain. I gestured to my lover “hey let’s go down this route”. He was reluctant at first and then eventually gave in. That run resulted in the best skiing we have had so far. The snow was beautiful and soft, so reassuring under my skis. It was as if it was literally carrying me gently down the mountain and enveloping my entire being. No need to worry about passing skiers or crashes in front of us. The snow was abundant and oh so yummy. We were both grinning from ear to ear and our bodies were smiling and so alive too. We were so chuffed at our choice to take that run. How many times in life do we take what we perceive as the easy route, the one that everyone else takes? What is it that we know? What is that could create the most for us? Following the crowd may seem comfortable, however what does it equate to in the end? More of the same? In 2018 I choose to take the road less travelled more and more, even if it feels as intense as standing at the top of the mountain in the big white. I know what lies ahead is far greater, bigger and filled with infinite possibilities just waiting to be chosen when I step out of fear, follow my awareness and choose my own path.
TIP: Choose the road less travelled more often to change things up.
By Danielle Tooley
Access Consciousness Certified Facilitator.