This year I decided to spend my birthday in Colorado. My brother and I had talked about ziplining at one point. Regurgitating lines from a crumpled pamphlet, I rambled on about outdoor adventures, even skydiving, and the “majesty of the Rockies.”
Assuming he was passively listening the way younger brothers often do, I felt certain that our actual participation in one of these excursions seemed a remote possibility. After all, we had a few precious days and there were family dinners, shopping and maybe even a microbrewery tour.
Then he called later to say that we were we scheduled to soar above the trees in Colorado's “historic gold mining country.” We would embark upon a “night zip” beginning at sunset in Idaho Springs…the next day.
Panic set in. “But, it will be chilly and, shucks, I didn't bring a coat.” He had spares. “What about the dark? That can't be prudent.” They will provide us with lanterns and lights attached to helmets There Will Be Blood extras only dreamed of. “That all makes sense, but with Denver traffic, we'll never make it in time.” He had already taken the afternoon off.
Out of excuses, I managed to squeak “great.” Growing up, I was the family daredevil, a notion that seems both absurd and hilarious now. So why was I so nervous? Perhaps because the fear of the unknown is stronger than the fear of something bad happening. But trying something new, as this most recent trip reminded me, forces us to grow and become confident that we can handle it when things don't go as planned. It seems to me that sometimes we need to face an ambiguous outcome and meet a new challenge, regardless of whether it involves a harness or not.
In work and life, it's all too easy to resist change—that new system implementation, set of procedures, or new supervisor. Yet, these moments can provide laser-like clarity to our lives. They can bring out the best in all of us, forcing us to up our game and creatively problem-solve.
Our guides said they have facilitated many teambuilding retreats over the years, with executives awkwardly climbing the towers just as we had that chilly night. Had they also observed the gorgeous sunset and compared each other to Ewoks? Perhaps.
Tired, hungry, yet invigorated and happy, we left the grounds and talked about our next adventure and my brother's love affair with his new iPad2. He suggested the “Leap of Faith” trapeze. Maybe next year, bro.
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