Alptitude: a journey for happiness
25 world-improving entrepreneurs gathering in Dream Valley to bring their ideas to the next level… It took me a week to write this blogpost to get a grip on all that happened during this Alptitude-trip and in the buzzing days after.
In December 2014 The Happy Startup School organized their first ‘Home School’ — an online course to build your ‘happy business’. I took part in this course and was interviewed by Laurence McCahill on using LEGO Serious Play for discovering meaning and purpose in teams and organizations. After we finished the interview Laurence told me about this fabulous plan the Happy Startup School had: to organize a week-long ‘workacation’ in the French Alps, with a bunch of ‘happy entrepreneurs’: Alptitude. Right at that moment I decided I had to be one of them.
So I was. Or in fact: we were. Because my partner and I decided to make it a real treat, by attending Alptitude with our family (we and our two kids). So did a few others, who joined us in the ‘family house’ during our week-long retreat. Pretty hectic, so it appeared, but nevertheless a nice experience to celebrate holidays with people we didn’t know before, and meanwhile sharing business- and life-insights and reflecting on our own happiness.
A real ‘workacation’ it was, rock climbing, mountaineering (with kids!), sunbathing, sleeping with the four of us in one room, picnicking, doing yoga, having trampoline meetings, facilitating workshops, sharing life and business stories, enjoying delightful dinners, hottubbing, taking beautiful pictures, doing unconferences, learning new stuff and trying to do some ‘real work’. Actually: we planned to, but were in fact just checking our e-mails now and then. All this new insights and wake-up calls we got — and the attention the kids claimed — simply put us off our ‘real work’. Luckily.
So it was a blast, this week in the mountains with those beautiful and inspiring people. And it’s just impossible to give a complete picture of what happened and what’s still happening. Therefore I’ll just picture some key-insights, a random top-5 in verbs:
Be yourself. Open door, absolutely, but there was no way to think or act otherwise this week. So many beautiful people, all authentic cool-doers, sharing their stories and asking for yours, living to the max, laughing out loud, and acting like no-one is watching. Fuck peer pressure, just do what you’re up to. Enjoy, dance, play, laugh and cry. Make everyday a 10/10 — it’s up to you.
Speak out: it might sound somewhat strange, but I was surprised Alptituders seemed to take my advice serious. So many cool people doing dope things, and they just listen to the things I (sometimes thoughtlessly) shout! More than that: they act accordingly, or build upon my ideas. Apparently I’m inspiring for some others as they are for me. :-) And it really doesn’t matter what language you speak — people understand your intention, I noticed.
Team up: I think I am a good facilitator of meetings and like to be in the spotlights, but when I am ‘just’ a group member I do my best not to be in the center of all attention. I learned I am more introvert than I thought, and that’s cool. And: I am a creator, according to the Impact DNA workshop we did. Just let me be. And please team up with me: I need people with other roles and strengths to build a sustainable business — and act upon my own power more.
Act: screw it, just do it… I really had no clue what ‘Via Ferrata’ meant. Yes, something like ‘iron road’ — and Jack Hubbard (who is living in Dream Valley) said I should really do it, even his 70 years old father ‘walked’ it. So there I was: ‘climbing’ a mountain. Secured, ofcourse, but nevertheless: it wasn’t easy. But how cool it was! I am delighted to just have acted, without doing research upfront. It is ‘easy’ to hide under your bed and don’t act upon your ideas, because of fear or other’s expectations (or your presumptions about them). Stop doing that, you’ll miss out on the coolest stuff and the world will miss your brilliance.
Ask: a question is the most powerful firestarter… That’s what I notice when organizing and facilitating sessions for the Cool Ideas Society. On our last day I finally took the initiative to do an idea-exchange session with Alptituders, because I noticed everyone was full of answers, whilst they didn’t make use of the potential of the group — by just asking a simple question. So we tried… and it took off! Wow. You can read about this session in Jack’s post. And you can experience something like it yourself: by just asking others to help you. Be surprised: everybody can — but they won’t if they don’t know what’s your question…
