Last night I went into Circular Quay with my husband and a group of friends to have a bite to eat and to wander around the magical ‘Vivid Sydney‘. As we were standing waiting for the bus home, I realised that the Outdoor bus shelter ad rotating beside me was the marketing campaign I had handed over on leaving my Campaign Manager role at Vodafone, two months earlier. It made me realise that only a matter of months before, having been so totally immersed in that world of creative development, media schedules, production schedules and general Client-Agency mayhem, moving and changing at a million miles per hour… that I have absolutely not a single regret about turning my career on its head to become a kayak guide.
I worked with a fantastic team, who I am still in touch with, but in terms of the work itself, I am now in such a totally different space. And this new world of working barefoot outdoors, being customer facing, and predominantly of learning sooo much, about kayaking, people, my skills and the ability of others, not to mention the beautiful environment I paddle in, is wonderful. There’s no doubt I’m incredibly lucky to have been able to make this change and to have the support of my husband. We all know people stuck in that same old rut, complaining about the daily grind, and let’s face it, it’s all too easy to get stuck in that negative space in favour of staying with the ‘safe’ and familiar as opposed to venturing into the ‘risky’ and unknown.
More and more I realise that with every life change I’ve made, at the time it has seemed a monumental decision – often because of other people’s opinions of my ideas, but looking back from the brighter side, I have no regrets at all. All those days and nights spent weighing up the pros and cons of making that big change pale into insignificance. Of course it’s not always going to be easy, and change doesn’t happen overnight, but who wants to look back and think, “what if….”. Change does not have to mean throwing away your previous life and burning bridges, it’s about building on that experience and venturing into the new. With each change I’ve used my existing experience as much as possible, while acquiring new skills and experiences to build and enrich that foundation. Change should be exciting and fulfilling.
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” Gerard Way.
Swell Haven 