As you all now, we have been off the tour for a few weeks due to Spiros’ injury. We also mentioned that the TDA cancelled the Kenya section of the tour (past two weeks) due to instability in the country. We all arrived in Egypt with huge expectations and lofty goals, but had to accept a different reality. So, we made other plans; some went on Safaris, some climbed Kilimanjaro, some relaxed on the beach, one brave soul even decided to go through Kenya solo. In the end, we had great experiences doing things that we otherwise would not have had the opportunity to do. Not what we had planned or intended, but still pretty awesome. We recently read an excerpt in “No Opportunity Wasted” that sums up exactly what we have been thinking for the past few weeks. The book describes it much better then I ever could (it uses all kinds of fancy words like “unforeseen” and “pursuing”), so I’ll just add a direct quote.
The Biggest Fear of All. It’s not sharks, or snakes, or heights. The fear of failure is number one. And to attack this fear, you must start by asking yourself a simple question: How do I define failure? If you tend to measure success or failure in absolute “all-or-nothing” terms, that may be a big part of the problem. Pursuing big ambitious dreams and N.O.W (No opportunity Wasted) moments requires that you be more flexible in the way you define success. For example, if you set out on a particular journey and get diverted onto another path because of unforeseen circumstances, that’s not failure-it’s simply a different experience (and maybe a better one). One thing I recommend to people as they’re planning future experiences is to aim very high, shooting for the ideal – while understanding in advance that it probably won’t work out exactly as planned. In other words, be an extreme optimist with a touch of the realist. With this mind-set, you’re more psychologically prepared to scale back and compromise if necessary. – Phil Keoghan
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