Is is true that being out in nature can help you “disconnect from the chaos to find the truth”? That is what Tom Scott, a co-founder of Nantucket Nectars posits. In the April 2012 issue of Harvard Business Review, there is an excellent article co-written by the director and diversity manager of NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School.
As all of us who have spent time outdoors know quite well, immersing yourself in natural beauty can have a tremendous ability to calm the mind and enable clearer thinking. I know it works for me!
And those of you who have ever been lost on a hike, or faced inclement weather on a backpacking trip, or had a run in with a bear, know that wilderness adventures can pose mental challenges and require conflict resolution skills. Perhaps that is why so many business leaders find that spending time in the wilderness makes them better at their desk jobs – they know how to remain calm in a crisis, have the humility to realize that actual skills matter more than titles or degrees, and problems get solved when people can look past the imminent danger and plan a resolution.
Perhaps all high school students should be required to spend a week in a wilderness survival school? There is so much to learn from being outdoors in the wilderness – not just how to read a map or survive in a worst-case scenario, but skills that can be translated to the rest of our lives…teamwork, communication, delegation, planning, backup planning, and even more backup planning! I’ve made some of my closest friends by spending time with them on backpacking trips, and we’ve all learned how to be better people because of these trips.
I’m off to enjoy the natural world around us and take a nice sunset hike in the local hills. I’ll be thinking about my next backpacking adventure… 🙂
Have you taken an outdoor course such as the NOLS course referred to in the Harvard Business Review article? What did you think?
Thanks for the comment, Lucinda! Happy trails.
I am a member of the Cleveland Hiking Club and hike in the woods and on sidewalks sometimes. I agree with what everyone has said and find that it restores peace of mind and helps me cope with life’s challenges.
Five decades of growth in the wilderness have taught me to realize the relationship to life is symbiotic and enlightening. To gain experience in one allows reciprocal growth in the other. There is the potential for great personal growth in the face of adversity and achievement. What you are saying is true. I have shared my experience with many younger people and I activley promote personal growth in nature and in life. They work well together. Thanks for sharing. Good post.
Hi Alex!
Thanks for the comments. I totally agree with you.
Great, great post! Thank you!
I haven’t taken a NOLS course, but did complete Wilderness First Responder (WFR) training and in high school did a NOLS-like wilderness leadership program. I was one of two who didn’t get sick (contaminated water, perhaps…?) and ended up shouldering extra weight on behalf of my companions. It was a tremendously valuable experience at a formative time in my life, the lessons from which I carry with me today.
So, yes, I think teenagers stand to reap enormous benefits from wilderness survival training!