Five Reasons You Shouldn’t Attend Alptitude
I know, I know, you read the webpage for Alptitude and it sounds amazing (and it IS), but maybe, just maybe it’s not for you. I’m here to help you decide.
- You have no interest in making new, lifelong friends. If you’re content with your circle of friends and have no interest in expanding your horizons, then Alptitude is not for you. I was keen to make new contacts and expand my sphere of influence; however, what I didn’t count on was the depth of the friendships I would create. The conversations, the experiences, the desire to share, well, it’s the perfect recipe for bonding. Just a couple of weeks after leaving France, I had two reunions with Alptitude folks (Kathryn and Chandni, I’m looking at you!) in London. With luck, that’s just the beginning.
2. You have no desire to break out of your comfort zone. If you’re comfortable where you are and you have no interest in breaking past self-imposed barriers, then Alptitude is not for you. However, if you’re willing to challenge yourself — concepts, ideas, beliefs, etc, then you have come to the right place. You’ll find better ways to do business learning from others who might be just a little ahead of where you are. You’ll learn new ways to do things — not just professionally, but personally. I loved our mini-workshops and learning new ways to approach various situations. From AGILE structure to Tantric Communication, the breadth and depth of topics was astounding and life-changing. I was especially moved by our last session about Connection led by Kat Tan. The sacred and powerful act of just looking into someone else’s eyes — really seeing them and being seen — will live with me for years to come. I’d tell you more, but really, it’s best to discover it for yourself.
3. Pushing past fear? No thanks. This might sound like it’s related to the second reason, but it’s so much more than pushing out of your comfort zone. It’s truly about facing your fears head on and coming out on the other side. I was terrified of doing the hike and at the end I didn’t do it; however, I did do the ropes course and a 10km hike (they said it was a walk) before going rafting. I promise, I pushed past fear. When it comes to ropes courses, I’m a Ropes Ninja — but only in my head. The reality is that I am an out of shape, 44 yr old, new mom who hasn’t been active in more time than I care to remember — but I went into the ropes course with no fear. That changed immediately after doing just the first crossing. I was terrified and only had two more hours to go. (Gack!) I didn’t make it. I fell after coming across the lake and then my body just gave out. I hanged in my harness for about 5 minutes before they came and rescued me. I cried from exhaustion. My body was battered and bruised and had a terrible friction burn from the harness. But… I felt AMAZING. I kept pushing past my doubts and my fears and made it as far as I could. Same story could be told for the hike. I didn’t make the full 12 km, but I did make it 10, and that, my friends is nothing to complain about or regret.
4. You like when people feel sorry for you. Well, that won’t happen and it’s one of the behaviors I most admired and appreciated. No matter how hard a day someone was having, the fear they were pushing past or the emotions they were dealing with, there was never, ever any pity. Support? Yes. Hugs? Yes. Encouragement? Yes. Never any pity. And that was a beautiful thing. On my 1st ever 10k hike, not only did “Mountain Goat” Alex stay behind and walk with me, 5 others did as well. Never complaining, never making me feel bad that they were missing out on the session at the Horseshoe. I can especially tell you that Wolfgang, who has the amazing talent of #Includer not only was the reason I made it as far as I did on my ropes course, he was there for others as well on the Via Ferrata. And his ability to be there, supporting me, without feeling sorry, is a treasure I will not soon forget.
And finally…
5. You hate fun. If you aren’t ready to laugh — at jokes, at yourself — then this is definitely not for you. From stimulating conversations over amazing meals to rather, um, interesting hot tub topics, laughter will abound and fun times will be had. If you’re into extreme sports — or wanting to try something new — there’s parapenting and rafting and e-bikes. If you’re a bit more of a relaxer (that’d be me) there was plenty of pool and hot tub time combined with walks into town and having a glass of wine at one of the mall cafes. If you’re ready to party a bit, there were BBQs and late night dance parties that happened on the fly. The fact is, fun is everywhere and it’s just up to you to make the most of it, you know, unless this just isn’t your thing.
Jo Self is Peru’s only Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and is on a mission to disrupt the status quo and raise a Strengths-Based Generation. She believes in a world where everyone can live to their full potential, talents aren’t wasted & happiness is contagious. As a mompreneur & expat living in Peru, she understands the challenges and rewards that both entail. When she’s not helping others create extraordinary lives, she can be found at the sewing machine, at the movies, enjoying a glass of wine with friends or horsing around with her terribly precocious little boy, affectionately known as O. http://joself.consulting
