Candice LandauLast Updated on October 28, 2024 by Candice Landau
Ever since discovering scuba diving last August, I haven’t been able to stop marveling at how a single activity can so drastically change my perception of the world and of myself. Realizing there is an entire other (relatively unexplored) universe out there has been nothing short of exhilarating. And, the feeling of accomplishment that comes along with learning something that requires physical and mental prowess, has also been an immense confidence boost. Not only did I learn I could do much more than I ever thought possible, but I realized how many worlds there still are to explore; worlds I previously thought inaccessible to me because of training and experience required.
Today I am doing things I would not have thought possible a year ago: I am writing in coffee shops, I am managing my own business, I am meeting new people, I am pursuing the first scuba course that gears me toward teaching diving, I am learning to sail a keelboat and I am exploring other activities that may open even more doors.
The truth is, it’s never too late to start and there are always people to train you. By sheer dumb luck I’ve made friends with a caver who simply by example is encouraging me to reach for new heights. On top of that, there’s really nothing quite as inspiring as having someone to drive you, especially if you’re a woman operating in a male-dominated world and it’s a woman doing the driving! With Gilly I’m learning it’s possible to hike faster and harder, to climb any route a man can climb, and to dive “better” instead of at silt-stirring warp speed. Plus, I’m being reminded on a daily basis that I can do any activity a man can do and that yes, I still can do any activity I want to if I put my mind to it, thirty years old or not.
Honestly, if you’d said to me last year I could manage my own freelance writing and marketing business, and take on new activities whenever I wanted I would never have believed you. Surely it takes years to build up enough business to be able to operate on your own? Nope, it’s all based around what you think you’re worth and what you think you’re capable of. People will see this in you and they will want to work with you.
For some reason, the longer we stay in full-time office-based work, the more this feeling of self-worth diminishes and before long you’ve become part of a team of people working towards helping the owners achieve their dreams, instead of working towards doing the things you love. You’ve become reliant on a check, and this check, while it feeds and houses you, also keeps you chained to the job. But worst of all, you’ve boxed yourself into a single little role that you’re slowly letting define you. And you’ve forgotten that the world is a whole lot bigger than it actually is.
