A "Thank You" That Meant So Much!
A group of young people walked down to the beach one day. One young lady in high heels, squealed about spoiled shoes, sand in her toes and breathlessness at the 5 minute walk from the road. They spent two nights with us, went rafting and after borrowing my river sandals, she actually did a short trek up to the waterfall and the village across the river. She came back maybe a month later and told me this story.
She grew up in small town Haryana, worked in a BPO equivalent in Gurgaon. She liked to dress smart, she thought giggling and being girly was what was attractive. She was smart and good at her job, but at work the boss would ask her to get the coffee, file the papers while he asked the boys to do the important stuff. She had not even considered it till she went back after that little trek, which had involved clambering up a small, rocky waterfall. She had been the first one to get up above it, she had helped a boy climb up too. She had forgotten to squeal about sand and dirty feet and enjoyed herself thoroughly. She had bravely been the first to go body surfing, because she could swim. She discovered she was more than a giggling, attractive girl and if she had been smart enough to get the job along with the guys, she was smart enough to not be the only one making coffee for the boss.
She had come back to say thank you for showing her that she was equal and sometimes better than the boys. She was getting another job, the confidence and very difference in her whole demeanour was infinitely happy making.
That was the start of the corporate learning off sites for me and made me actively push the concept.
From 1989 to 2011, I lived, learnt, taught and grew on the basic principal of ‘Outward Bound’ - learning by doing. Along the way I learnt the operational standards and guidelines that applied internationally and tried to introduce them into our fast growing industry. Helped to set up guidelines and safety systems for a newly emerging Adventure sport dynamic that was leaping and bounding into popularity. Acquired some certificates, polished some teaching techniques, attended workshops and got better at sharing and facilitating the learning that I had imbibed since I was a little person.
Today I look at the number of young and old that just my life living the ‘Outward Bound’ principal has moved, motivated, helped, changed and am delighted to be part of a world wide organisation that makes this happen to millions.
‘Outward Bound’ - the term used when a ship sails out of harbour, denoting that she is shone, cleaned, equipped with everything she needs to face the challenges of an open sea. Each year this amazing concept of discovery and learning is going to allow so many ships to sail out of harbours with their blue pennants flying!
She grew up in small town Haryana, worked in a BPO equivalent in Gurgaon. She liked to dress smart, she thought giggling and being girly was what was attractive. She was smart and good at her job, but at work the boss would ask her to get the coffee, file the papers while he asked the boys to do the important stuff. She had not even considered it till she went back after that little trek, which had involved clambering up a small, rocky waterfall. She had been the first one to get up above it, she had helped a boy climb up too. She had forgotten to squeal about sand and dirty feet and enjoyed herself thoroughly. She had bravely been the first to go body surfing, because she could swim. She discovered she was more than a giggling, attractive girl and if she had been smart enough to get the job along with the guys, she was smart enough to not be the only one making coffee for the boss.
She had come back to say thank you for showing her that she was equal and sometimes better than the boys. She was getting another job, the confidence and very difference in her whole demeanour was infinitely happy making.
That was the start of the corporate learning off sites for me and made me actively push the concept.
From 1989 to 2011, I lived, learnt, taught and grew on the basic principal of ‘Outward Bound’ - learning by doing. Along the way I learnt the operational standards and guidelines that applied internationally and tried to introduce them into our fast growing industry. Helped to set up guidelines and safety systems for a newly emerging Adventure sport dynamic that was leaping and bounding into popularity. Acquired some certificates, polished some teaching techniques, attended workshops and got better at sharing and facilitating the learning that I had imbibed since I was a little person.
Today I look at the number of young and old that just my life living the ‘Outward Bound’ principal has moved, motivated, helped, changed and am delighted to be part of a world wide organisation that makes this happen to millions.
‘Outward Bound’ - the term used when a ship sails out of harbour, denoting that she is shone, cleaned, equipped with everything she needs to face the challenges of an open sea. Each year this amazing concept of discovery and learning is going to allow so many ships to sail out of harbours with their blue pennants flying!
