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Open-Hearted Living – beautiful… and an absolute bitch!

| 3 Minute Read |

Welcome back!

Ahead of the second season of Behind the Hashtag, I’ve been revisiting all my previous articles; they are a powerful reminder of the journey I started some years ago. Many of the struggles I faced make more sense to me now.

Since I last shared an article with you all, it’s been a time of incredible growth, AND you can bet your sweet ass that growth has NOT been comfortable. No question, it has most definitely been worth it, though I’ll never pretend it’s been easy.

Most annoyingly, I have come to accept that growth can never stop. If we want to experience all that life offers growth must be part of that journey. Acknowledging that truth also means understanding that I don’t have to LIKE something to accept it.

The Behind the Hashtag season one cliffhanger ending had me “wrestling a greased pig in the dark”, a term I borrowed from Bréne Brown to describe personal growth. In hindsight, I needed to step away and make enough sense of what I was working through before writing about it – hoping that would allow the shared experience to be vaguely useful to the Behind the Hashtag community when I returned. Being useful is the hope and intention of all the writing I share.

I’ve been working on the struggle between my head and my heart – and what a Game of Thrones-level battle that turned out to be! At times, it is fun and funny but also brutal and very difficult. Thankfully, I did not do this alone; to say it took a village would be an understatement – this was a global support effort from family, friends, fellowship, therapy and even a horse (more on that later). And yes, I do realise how high maintenance this makes me sound … all I can do is own that, be incredibly grateful and pay it forward in any way I can.

So, I return once again from a place of “Love and Loss”, where this journey began in honour of my late friend Chrissie, who always wanted me to get started with blogging. I still hear Chrissie’s encouragement and down-to-earth advice as I reflect on life. However, this particular return to writing is a very different version from the first one. Behind the Hashtag came back into my heart on a day when I was processing the death of my dad and, at the same time, ending another relationship which had been beautiful and powerful but ultimately would not be healthy for me in the long term.   

Love and loss indeed – but a moment where I was the most open-hearted I think I’ve ever been in my life. A moment when I realised that the armour I’d built and held around my heart for years had quietly fallen away, one final large chunk of armour came off when I least expected it amid grief, and I simply did not see it coming. It was emotionally raw, and I felt exposed in a way I had never experienced before. It was both beautiful and a complete bitch, to be honest.   

What helped me was having the humility to accept that this really was the cost of admission to a happy and honest life. An open heart isn’t always going to feel happy. An honest heart, however, would always be healthy. I could celebrate that being a people pleaser was now firmly in my past. I was willing to do whatever it took to live the life I had worked so very hard to build – even when that felt difficult and painful in the moment.

In the coming weeks and months, I’d love to share the recent chapter I’ve been living through. The past year, in particular, has had the most incredible adventures, brutally difficult life events, some of the most glorious fun I’ve ever had and, above all, given me an understanding of how I have been getting in my own way for most of my life! As Taylor Swift sings in her song Anti-Hero…” It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me…”

I’m looking forward to taking the journey with you all and hopefully opening YOUR hearts along the way.

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The Power of Yet!

| 3 Minute Read |

That’s not a typo, it is YET, not yes.

So what makes YET such a powerful word? I think it’s the sense of possibility that it gives.

Let me give you an example… A few months ago, I decided to try some new things to push myself out of my comfort zone a little (and give myself a figurative kick up the arse). So I thought I’d start out gently with a beach yoga session followed by a cold water dip.

I’ve done a few yoga sessions over the years, but it would be fair to say that I never quite made it to the bikini-wearing hand-standing yoga stage. I’ve always been more focused on “please don’t let me fart or pee myself” as my measure of success.

Anyway, despite not knowing anyone, I rocked up at the session game to try. The instructor was so lovely, encouraging us all to stick at a comfortable level. Which, by the way, is “Child’s Pose” – even that felt a struggle for me. I inquired if there was a “having a wee lie down on the mat” pose I could try instead; alas, apparently not.

But instead of worrying about my Downward Dog, I concentrated on being on a lovely beach, the sound of the lapping water, surrounded by hills and fresh air, and I just did what I could. When the “oh my god, I really can’t do yoga” thoughts came in, I suddenly remembered a conversation I’d had the day before and how adding the word YET to the end of the sentence completely changes the thought and feeling.

Suddenly I was starting on a journey, the beginning of something – YET creates a bridge to a future state where I will be able to do something. It may not be next month, it may not involve a bikini or a handstand, but I will almost certainly be able to do more than I was could that day. And oh my goodness, it takes so much pressure off! I’ve already talked in previous articles about the danger of comparison, and sometimes it’s comparing the “today me” with the “when I was younger/fitter me”.

There’s a twist to this tale in terms of how you can use YET. It can also be a wee warning to watch yourself if you’re slipping into bad habits. After deciding to overhaul how I’d been looking after myself, I’ve been getting some great support along the way. It was one very wise (and experienced) lady I recently started working with who introduced YET into my story. We had discussed healthy habit changes, having both heard some very powerful stories at a meeting earlier that week. I happened to comment how relieved I was that “at least I’ve never done xyz”.

She stopped me right there and said, “Please add YET to the end of that sentence you just said”, and oh my goodness, did that change the perspective for me! We can so easily avoid facing up to behaviours that are actually really bad for us in the long run – particularly when they can be so comforting in the short term. Adding YET gave me a brilliantly simple wake up call.

In that moment, I recalled how so many times over the years that I had justified my unhealthy behaviours by telling the “but I don’t do that” story to myself… Oh, if only I had added YET to those thoughts all those years back, how much easier my path might have been!

Whether it’s about your sleep patterns, how you exercise, how you’re eating, even how you’re connecting with others in your life, or balancing your time between your responsibilities and having fun – try using the word YET when you think about where you are today, what you want to avoid happening and most importantly, where you would like to get to.

I don’t have the flexibility to get into all the yoga poses, even some of the basics… YET, but I will keep at it, though. Granted, with the seasons changing, I’ll be moving from the Scottish beach into the heated studio. When I hit the mat for my specialist workshop of yoga for the menopause… I’ll continue to hold the “I haven’t farted or peed myself YET” as my mantra, this is one YET I’d like to keep in place!

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Grabbing Life by the Throat

| 5 Minute Read |

There’s something really quite exciting about visiting a new city. Having spent years on end going to Disney again and again on family holidays, you can imagine my excitement last October going to Venice, with my daughter Iona, a city neither of us had been to before. Thanks to our very kind friend Gianpaolo and his family, we were going to their apartment for the half-term break.

The Venice trip was significant in so many ways, mainly because it came on the back of a particularly challenging time for Iona and I. We were finally finding our feet, which felt like an exciting new chapter. This trip together was a significant page turn for us – just not in the way we expected!

We arrived in Venice late in the evening. We didn’t want to be navigating our way to the apartment in the dark, mainly as it was in the very heart of Venice, where the only taxies were (of course) by water, so we spent that first night in an airport hotel.

The next morning the weather was beautiful and the city wasn’t too busy, so we were so excited as we pulled our suitcases over bridges and down alleys. Then, just as I was working my way down another set of stairs on yet another bridge, Iona screamed. Thanks to her heightened senses and vantage point from the bottom of the stairs, she’d spotted a pickpocket taking my wallet out of my rucksack and immediately alerted me.

What I did next was driven by instinct, and let me emphasise it is NOT what would be advised from a safety perspective. It was purely my visceral reaction in the heat of the moment. I recall the strangest sensation coming over me – everything seemed clearer and slower – I’d never experienced this before. I knew what fear and adrenalin felt like, but this was different. This reaction was primal – my daughter was in danger, and I went into lioness mode. I spun around and was now toe-to-toe with the would-be pickpocket. I immediately started yelling at the top of my lungs “Thief, thief, police, help”. He was trying to protest that he’d done nothing, but I could hear Iona’s urgent cries “He’s got your wallet mum, it’s him, it’s him, I saw him take it”.

Next thing I knew, as he tried to move away, I’d grabbed the bugger by the jacket at his throat, “Oh no you f@cking don’t!” came blurting out of me, in a voice drawn from some part of my soul I’d never tapped into before. He didn’t move – though his friend took off like a bat out of hell. I snatched my wallet back and checked everything else was in my bag, all the while continuing to yell for assistance (BTW not one of the passing tourists stopped to help – or did they think it was a bloody street art performance?!). Thankfully, nothing else had been taken from my bag, so I released my vice-like grip and shoved him away with a final “F@ck off”.

We had been very, very lucky, and even now I try not to think too deeply about what might have happened if he’d had a weapon. Seriously, not an advisable approach!

At the bottom of the bridge, my poor daughter was crying hysterically. This truly was her worst nightmare. We hadn’t even got to the apartment yet, and our trip already had a horrible incident overshadowing it. We gathered ourselves together and continued on, I just wanted to get to our apartment safely and then work out what to do next.

The next hour was pretty hellish – I couldn’t find the apartment, Iona was petrified and just wanted to head straight back to the airport, but thank goodness we eventually stopped for a coffee and calmed ourselves down a little. The wonderful cafe owner was so lovely and apologised for our experience – apparently an ongoing issue in the city (which is true of almost all cruise ports). With my head still spinning and some clear directions, I was elated to finally find the apartment and get into our home for the week.

After catching our breath, we ventured back out – hoping the beauty of Venice would soothe our troubles. Neither of us felt particularly happy being out-and-about that afternoon, so we took some food and a deck of cards back to the apartment. We didn’t actually chat much that evening as I think both of us were trying to process our thoughts.

What you are truly capable of lies on the other side of fear

Later, when we were tucked up in bed, I could feel Iona was shaking and thought the wee soul was crying, then a laugh bubbled out of her… “Oh my God, Mum, that guy’s face today – he was absolutely terrified of you!”. Then we both started laughing (albeit slightly hysterically). Neither of us thought I would have that kind of badass in me. Both of us were shocked at my strength in the moment. Who knew?

I would have much preferred the experience hadn’t happened – as it did sadly colour our week and we ended up cutting our trip short, but the experience was a gift – it revealed an inner strength we’d never seen before.

The period following our Venice trip was amongst the hardest months of Iona’s life, it seemed that one thing after another came at her, and eventually, it knocked her over. Now, having seen the fierce side of me, it helped us grab life’s challenges by the throat, together!

From Iona’s perspective, it’s done her no harm knowing her mum has a genuine streak of badass in her which can be called upon when needed.

Is there anything in your life right now you might want to bring a bit of badass to? A situation that might help to “grab by the throat”?  Feel free to share in the comments below.

Stay safe – and don’t underestimate your inner strength.

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There can be no failure where there is learning

| 4 Minute Read |

A few years ago, I had a very extreme experience which taught me a great deal. I had taken on a few other physical challenges earlier that same year, so I was certainly becoming more adventurous, and then this particular experience took me even further out of my comfort zone.

My extreme experience was The Mighty Deerstalker, a challenge described as “A cult running event deep in the Scottish Borders. The infamous course sends you across rivers, through forests and over a mountain or two in the pitch dark on a chilly March night.”

I know, I know… I really had no business whatsoever attempting this. It was a last-minute invitation from one of my favourite workout buddy’s from boot camp and seemed like a fun adventure, so I just said ‘Yes!‘.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I’m partway around the course… The weather had been on our side, and during the initial stages, the atmosphere was a lot of fun, plus I was keeping a reasonable pace with my race partner, Heather, so it didn’t seem too awful. At one point, I even remember thinking, “I’ve never felt so alive,” perhaps beginning to believe that I really was Wonder Woman… ah, you’ve got to love a bit of adrenalin.

Jean MacAskil - Mighty DeerstalkerThen the experience began to shift – the uphill part for me had been fine, but for Heather, that part had been brutal on her legs. We got to the top of our first hill, and something happened in my head and to my body. I suddenly felt very out of control.  The imminent downhill section terrified me and physically pained me in equal measure.  Multiple runners were barrelling past me, many chasing a specific finishing time.  At this point, I wasn’t entirely sure I was even going to be able to get off the hill, never mind finish the race.

I can recall that moment of terror so vividly like it was yesterday. I was holding onto a tree and using some deep breathing techniques to calm myself down enough to carry on. Though, all I could think about was getting the hell out of the race!

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.I managed to keep moving and a little further along the route was a cut-off for those only wishing to do the half-course. Having set out to do the ‘full stalker’, taking this ‘shortcut’ felt like a failure. There was a moment of hesitation, a little regret, but then an overwhelming feeling of not giving one tiny sh!t about my perceived failure. I was done.

Although I’d quickly made the decision to only attempt half the course, deep down I knew it was the safest option for me. My partner said she was keen to complete the full course, as the downhill part would be a breeze for her. I know Heather didn’t want just to abandon me, so I promised her I’d be fine and would wait for her at the finish line, we then said our farewells before she headed off alone into the dark! Go Heather!

As the majority of participants had already completed the race or were off doing the full course, the final stages of my run were eerily quiet; I too was alone as my inner voice of doubt and failure started to creep in. Now cold and tired, the sense of failure also began to sit heavy on my shoulders – a horrible feeling as was the feeling of wading waist-deep in freezing cold water under a bridge.

Jean MacAskil - Mighty DeerstalkerAs you can imagine, the finish line–which was a mudslide down a hill–was a very welcome sight. With a good dose of hysteria, laced with immense relief, I skidded down towards the finish – at precisely the moment both my head and chest torches died!

As I crossed the finish line, I felt every shred of feeling like a failure evaporate.

Here I was, a 48-year-old woman, decidedly unsporty, lumbering about the Scottish countryside on a Saturday night, running up hills, successfully traversing through mud and water for over five miles. How could that be a failure?

So, what did I learn?

I’d learned to listen to my instinct, that a steep second hill would have been too dangerous to attempt (how right I was – given the batteries on both of my torches barely made it halfway around the course also). I’d learned how to calm my terror through mindful breathing and sufficiently brought myself back to the present to reach the finish line.

By any standard, it was an incredible experience and I learned so much. To be clear, though I will never do this particular challenge again, it has left me with a completely new attitude towards learning. I continue to look for adventures that will teach me something new; I just don’t worry about being “brilliant” at them.

Do you have a failure that may, in retrospect, have been a learning moment? Is there a past experience you could reframe or a future experience you would now try?

Remember, growth and comfort never come together – annoying, but true. ?

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Can you be afraid of fear?

| 4 Minute Read |

I don’t think everyone hates the feeling of fear. The adrenalin that comes with fear can be very addictive for some. Why would people bungy jump, or ride on rollercoasters, or go on life-threatening expeditions? I can’t imagine fear is absent in those individuals – they must just love the adrenalin rush which comes with it.

Me – not so much. I recently discovered there is such a thing as ‘a fear of fear’. Phobophobia. I don’t think I’m quite that extreme, I will step into some things I’m terrified of and that provide a good dose of adrenalin – but the “pay off” from doing it has to be REALLY worth it.

Everest RollercoasterFor example, I absolutely hate rollercoasters. Always have. If you check out the picture here, I’m on Everest at Disneyworld’s Animal Kingdom. I don’t think anyone could read joy or achievement on that face. That face is saying “Get me the f*ck off this!!”

At least rollercoasters are over pretty quickly – though the unpleasant spike in adrenalin can last for hours. I did discover a much deeper and more visceral fear a few years ago when I tackled a high ropes course as part of my training for climbing Ben Nevis. I had to select a “mini” challenge ahead of the climb, to help me get into the right mindset – I picked the high ropes course because my daughter said she would do it with me… Though on the actual day, she was nowhere to be seen near the ropes – #JustSaying.

On reflection, I’m not sure I thought the whole thing through. Carried away with just enough adrenalin for it to seem fun, and simply part the journey with my coach Jessie Pavelka, the film crew and the Cisco team – it was an adventure.

Once I was at the location and getting kitted out, the fear started to grip me even tighter than the harness I was being fitted into. My mildly hysterical inner voice was working through various options to get me out of the whole thing – fainting being the favoured option.

As it turned out, the fear of letting others down was stronger than the fear the rope challenge ahead – probably one of the few instances where my bloody ‘people pleaser’ persona was helpful! So as I walked towards the starting platform, the whooshing noise of the blood blasting through my ears drowned out most of the instructions I was being given. Then we were suddenly there – the jumping-off point, the moment of truth, unbounded adrenalin and not of the fun kind.

I froze. I swore. I stepped back and away from the edge. I swore some more. I felt I was on the verge of hysteria. I don’t think I’d ever been that scared in my life. My body was physically rooted to the spot. Undoubtedly it was my most significant “What were you thinking?!” moment ever. My coach was yelling encouragement from the other side of the first zip line, “You can do this ‘Jean the Machine'” – I’ve never wanted to actually punch someone as much as I did at that moment. To be fair, Jessie had warned me there would be moments I’d hate him during training.

“I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t do this…”, it was like a drumbeat in my head. I’m sure my hesitation in taking the leap felt like an eternity to everyone watching. An entire film crew had come up to Scotland and Jessie had flown over from Los Angeles for this challenge. No matter how patient he sounded, he probably felt like coming over and kicking me right up the arse at that point – and I have to say, the shape of the harness made it a splendidly defined target! Still, the voice in my head repeated, “I can’t do this”.

Click to watch my leap of faith…

Jean on the edge

Then in a split second, I jumped off, and there was no way back. With a blood-curdling scream, I zipped across with the elegance of a sack of potatoes and whacked my leg at the other side. But I’d done it!

For much of the way around the high rope course, I continued to curse, shout, and fight back the tears. Once you make the jump you just have to keep moving, “It will eventually be over”, I kept telling myself.

In retrospect, this “mini-challenge” was far more difficult and frightening for me than the mountain climb proved to be months later – though it did give me a glimpse of a braver, stronger version of myself. Thankfully it’s not a mindset I need to draw on daily – nor do I think I could be in this mode every day, as that amount of adrenalin would eventually wear me out. But when I really need to, I know I can call on it.

As I was writing this article, I realised that starting Behind The Hashtag was another jumping-off point for me. However, this time there’s no harness and it’s a very different type of platform, though admittedly there was still plenty of hesitation from me before taking the leap!

What would you love to jump off into? Let me know in the comments below.

Next Steps

There’s a great book by Susan Jeffers called ‘Feel the Fear… and Do It Anyway’, this Animated Review is an excellent summary before reading the book.
Also, check out my review of Susan David’s TED Talk on The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage.

Here’s another example of one of my jumping off points – my TEDx Talk
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The Power of Apology

| 3 Minute Read |

I reckon one of the most vulnerable things you can ever step into is an apology.  A real apology.  To admit that you really got something wrong, that you’ve caused hurt or distress to someone else with your actions.   That’s difficult.  We will naturally become defensive, emotional.  But to say “I’m sorry” properly is so vital to human connection.  Vital to trust.

There is incredible healing power in a REAL apology, one which comes from the heart and is actually about the person who you have hurt NOT about you.

I learned about this in the deepest possible way when I was working with my daughter, helping her navigate through my divorce from her father.

You may have already read my article ‘Would you kiss Mickey Mouse with that mouth?’, where the overwhelming emotion of all that we’d been through got the better of me.  And while I did apologise for that particular outburst, that specific incident was not the main turning point for the relationship – that needed a much bigger apology than that.

ApologiesI once heard an interview with Harriet Lerner PhD talking about the power of apology and one particular comment stuck with me,

“Apologies are very healing, but when apologies are absent, it will compromise a relationship and can lead to the end of a relationship.”

I heard this interview the same week I took part in a session at work about trust.  A question we had to answer was: “When have you forgiven someone after they have broken your trust?”

As I sat reflecting on the question, I realised that the answer for me was never.  That shocked me.  To be clear, at that time, it took a great deal to break my trust – the joy of being a ‘people pleaser’.  However, once broken – my trust had never been regained.

At first, I felt terrible about it – what did it say about me? Am I cold and unforgiving? Then, as I ran through my mind the few times that trust had been broken, I started to see a common theme.  Not once on those occasions had I received a REAL apology.  Not once did the individual take any accountability, but instead gave all the justifying reasons for their behaviour.  It was all about them.

With this in mind, there was no question in my mind that to navigate all the change that divorce would bring for my daughter, it was VITAL there needed to be a foundation of trust.  I couldn’t see any way to ensure that trust than to be entirely and gut-wrenchingly honest with her.  She deserved a bloody good and sincere apology, and the only control I had over that was MY apology.  This was about my relationship with her.

Taking accountability and showing that you’ve really listened and you understand the impact you’ve had on someone else is vital.  Sometimes people lack the ability to take accountability because, in their mind, they hadn’t INTENDED to cause hurt.  Well, intentions are irrelevant.  Hurt can often be caused by doing nothing, by not stepping in and taking action.    So with a lot of tears and many deep breaths, I took ownership for what I HADN’T done.  Taken ownership for what I ignored.

And so, the apology that turned our relationship around also helped create the approach to life we would take in our new home together.   Honesty, humour and love.  We don’t always get it right – but we always make sure apologies are real.

Anyone you might owe an apology to?  You might even strengthen a relationship if you do it well.

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How Mary Poppins found her inner Wonder Woman

| 6 Minute Read |

This article was my first venture into sharing the story of my well-being journey with others. When I originally wrote this, I was going through what I thought was one of the most significant challenges I’d faced, though interestingly it was only the beginning and so much has happened since then. After the article was first published in February 2017 and shared with my Cisco family worldwide, what I loved the most was the connections it created and how readers shared their own stories with me, these interactions taught me so much. So, if the article resonates with you in any way, I would love to hear from you too – you can use the comments section below or get in touch via my contact page.

People have said that an early morning telephone call with me ‘is a great caffeine-free way to start their day’, due to my generally helpful and optimistic nature.  So when the phone rang one morning and I was asked to be part of a well-being initiative Cisco was introducing – my ‘Mary Poppins persona’ kicked in with an immediate, “Yes!”. Little did I know that this ‘yes’ would be life-changing – for both my family and me – and would test my natural optimism to its very limits.

The initiative being introduced was in collaboration with internationally renowned well-being expert, Jessie Pavelka.  What I had said ‘yes’ to was sharing my experiences as I lived the “Pavelka Way” and – most importantly – completing a significant challenge six months later. That challenge would be to climb the tallest mountain in the United Kingdom,  Ben Nevis, which stands 4,013 feet tall. Eek!

My starting point was that of “struggling to climb a flight of stairs” – what possessed me to sign up to such a massive challenge? Honestly, the fear of how tired and unfit I had become was far greater than the fear of that mountain. Just the month before I started this challenge, my family had been in a car accident – thankfully, no one was injured, but the impact this event had on us was significant. It was suddenly evident how I had become tired, unfit, and lacking in resilience. As energized as I was by my career, I had almost no energy left by the weekend and simply wasn’t able to be as present for my husband and thirteen-year-old daughter as I should have been.

Something needed to change.  The phone call felt like a lifeline.

How do you go from a standing start to the top of a mountain?  One-step and one-day at a time. Using Cisco technology to meet virtually, Jessie spent time getting to know what made me tick, what my schedule looked like, and helped me find the time and space to fit in well-being and movement  – he quickly realized that being outdoors was key for me! And this was my path to my 15,000 daily step target, which became a joy to do!

At the same time, I was putting more colour on my plate, cutting out processed food, and getting more sleep. That’s pretty much what I did for three months as I focused on getting stronger and fitter one step at a time – and the health benefits were almost immediate!

Then came the more challenging part of the process – having built up a level of fitness and making movement a part of every day, it was time to tackle my mind power.  This is where my Mary Poppins persona felt well and truly out of her depth!  My challenge was to complete a high rope obstacle course, and I don’t mind admitting I’ve never known fear like it – ever.

Taking the first step off the platform was the toughest moment, I really thought I wasn’t going to be able to do it! It turns out that my fear of failure was greater, so off I zipped! Throughout the morning I screamed, I cried, I got angry, I fell off obstacles, and somewhere along the process a switch flicked in my head – and I think this is where Wonder Woman made her first brief appearance. I finished the obstacle course. Bruised, tired, and more proud of myself than I’ve ever been.  I could not believe what I had done!

Now it was time to get serious about this mountain climb – for the next three months, I grew my inner Wonder Women gradually day by day. A big part of Wonder Woman’s power, of course, is her attitude and her mind power! That’s the muscle I built up the most when I stopped talking myself out of things.  When you stop second-guessing yourself a whole new world of possibility suddenly opens up.  When it came to the day of the climb, I felt 100% ready.  Nervous, scared and excited, but most certainly ready.

Meditation up the mountainAll of the elements from the Pavelka Way – food, movement, mind power, and family – helped to power me up the mountain! I ate the right fuel to get energy all day. I paced myself and dug deep physically on the tougher parts of the climb. I also stopped to take in the incredible scenery on the way up and even managed a few peaceful moments of reflection. Most importantly, I built an incredible support team around me in the lead up to and during that day. What made the experience even more meaningful was the ability to raise over $3,000 for Scottish Autism, thanks to the generosity of sponsors and our Cisco Matching program.

What I thought would be an ordeal to “get through” turned out to be the greatest adventure of my life. I discovered strength in myself that I did not know existed and realized that what you can achieve becomes so much more significant when you are part of a team all pulling in the same direction.

My career at Cisco is all about creating the best teams and enabling people to truly play to their strengths; every single day, they arrive to get to work. I’ve learned more about the power of teams and how to discover your strengths in my mountain climb than I could ever have imagined, and it’s exciting to now take what I’ve learned back into my work.

This challenge was an incredible opportunity to have, and Cisco even provides the perfect environment to #payitforward as I share my experience and insight with others who maybe want to find a little bit more energy in their days.

My main takeaway from this experience…

What you are truly capable of lies on the other side of fear – we discover strengths we don’t know we have when we push past what we’ve always done. But you don’t have to do it all on day one – start with one step at a time.

It’s also never been clearer to me that humans are not wired to succeed on their own – we just aren’t.  Building a team around you for support is vital for your learning, your success, and it’s just much more fun!

When you think anything is possible – I mean truly believe it – it turns an optimist into an adventurer.

It’s where Mary Poppins becomes Wonder Woman.

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