On asking for help, passion projects and the outdoors

Let me start by wishing you all the best for 2022: may the best days of your and your loved ones lives so far, be the worst of the year to come!

Apparently, we’re not supposed to do this (wishing each other a happy new year) after January 6. However, since you’ve not heard anything from me for a while I’ll simply ignore that rule and whoever made it up. Sometimes rules are there to be broken.

So why the month-long silence on my part? I started my new adventure.

Remember the one I wrote about in my previous Update? Steering a skibus up and down the mountains?

Who knew that the first couple of weeks in that job would leave me completely beat by the time I’d get home? I certainly didn’t.

I figured I’d drive that bus around for a couple of days a week and have tons of energy left to keep up with you, to network and do all the other things that need doing.

However, it turns out there are so many things to be mindful of, to concentrate on that by end of the day all I could do is to stay awake long enough to prep and eat dinner.

Now that I’ve settled in a bit, I find my mind opening up again for other things besides bus schedules, passengers, other drivers, road conditions and managing a vehicle substantially larger than my own car.,

Asking for help

The first four weeks in this new job certainly have been a humbling experience.

I’ve never been very good at asking for help.

This may very well be why the Universe has put me in a job driving a bus. I’ve had never to ask as often for help as I have since I started this one:

• I had to ask a colleague to rescue the articulated bus I got stuck with in the car/bus wash at the depot
• I had to ask multiple colleagues to assist me as I practised driving backwards with said articulated bus
• I had to ask a colleague to teach me how to put snow chains on those giant bus wheels
• I had to ask someone to explain different gadgets on the bus so I know what happens when I use them
• I had to ask more experienced colleagues to teach me the best way to drive down a steep mountain with a passenger-filled bus without ruining the brakes
• I had to ask them to explain to me how to best do it when roads on that steep mountain are covered in snow and ice
• and more

I’m learning there’s much more to driving a bus than meets the eye.

Asking for help — not only because I’m learning new things but also because some things I just can’t do by myself — most certainly is part of it.

New podcast episodes

On the Personal Nature Project

Curiosity, connection and stories have served as driving forces in Amy Atwell’s personal and professional journeys.

With a degree in journalism, she began her career in public relations and corporate communication in the days before texting and video calls.

Recognizing the incredible power of time in nature in her own life, it is her mission to bring that form of true self-care to other adults.

Together we have a conversation on episode 41 about her passion: the Personal Nature Project.

On passion for the outdoors and survival in it

Toby Cowern uniquely fuses his teaching background, risk management qualifications, military training and outdoors experience to deliver Wilderness and Urban Survival Skills training of the highest calibre.

Bringing together his extensive and broad-ranging experience in the Reserve Armed Forces, leisure industry, outdoor activities and Health and Safety industry he is its chief instructor.

Toby is passionate about using immersive nature engagement to help promote positive reconnection with the natural environment (‘Rewilding Yourself’) and tapping into the powerful personal development and growth that can be attained from this.

Check out our conversation in episode 42.

On natural photography and connection

Claire Victoria Bishop is a natural light photographer who is passionate about all things nature – you, me, others, our planet and the simple beauty of the natural world all around us.

Claire works with purpose-driven, nature-centric business owners and sustainability professionals to help them create imagery that connects with their audience and showcase their stories with ease and beauty.

Discover how a focus on real-life imagery, natural connections and creative seasonal photography is empowering to both Claire and her clients in episode 43.

On walking with leaders in the outdoors

After getting a degree in Archeology, Garry Pratt didn’t become the next Indiana Jones. Instead, he embarked on a career in publishing and advertising. It didn’t take him long to heed the call of entrepreneurship.

It must be running in his veins because over the course of his career he started multiple other businesses or played an important role in ones he didn’t start.

He moved on several times, ultimately landing as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Bath and on his current endeavour, ‘Walking Leaders’.

It is in this last role that I caught up with him and had a conversation about walking with leaders in the outdoors and more. Listen to episode 44 to find out what we talked about.

Earlier episodes

You can listen to any of the other 40 episodes by going here.

As always …

Go dare greatly!

— Gerdi