Of all the guests I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with this year, none have made quite the impact as Darcy Gaechter did on Quite Franklin.
Her podcast episode is one of my favorites and I thoroughly enjoyed learning from her experiences navigating the Amazon in a kayak.
I strongly encourage you to check it out if you haven’t already.
But in any case, let me give you the cliff notes.
Particularly, Darcy illuminated the importance of having a growth mindset, which helped her conquer the many challenges she encountered on her journey.
And it’s this perspective that I think is not only worth revisiting in today’s article, but something we must have as we head into the new year.
Hitting turbulence
As many of you can imagine, kayaking through the Amazon presents many dangers – on the river and off it.
Navigating red zones with narcos or encountering river pirates and illegal loggers, Darcy Gaechter has seen them all.
How does someone stay motivated on their path and journey especially when they stumble from one danger to the next?
The trail of obstacles never seem to end and the constant threats in the Amazon would have worn most people out, but not Darcy.
If her experiences on the Amazon has taught her one thing, it’s that life is like a river with a series of never ending rapids.
Expecting a smooth ride through the river is not only foolish but dangerous. Being complacent on the Amazon is inviting trouble because danger catches you off guard when you least expect it.
Having a Growth Mindset
It’s always my job to try and apply what I’ve learned from my guests to my personal life.
From talking to Darcy, it’s clear that she adopts a growth mindset.
I’m a strong advocate for persisting through obstacles and developing the grit that is necessary to survive in today’s highly competitive society.
Whether they are professional or personal challenges, it’s important to view each obstacle as an opportunity of growth.
Even writing her book was a new challenge that Darcy had to adjust to.
Rather than seeing each obstacle as either a potential win or loss, a person with a growth mindset believes they can learn and grow from each experience.
A Metaphor for Life
I’m a big believer in the grind.
It’s probably the reason why I excelled in my career as a professional mixed martial artist.
I’ve endured brutal regimens and training camps to prepare for my fights.
My path to becoming the UFC Middleweight Champion was fraught with difficulties.
It takes so much more than simply fighting someone. I battled frequently against misconceptions, stereotypes and other things outside the octagon.
Like the rapids on the Amazon, Darcy says that if life were plain sailing without any challenges or bumps in the river, boredom would set in quickly.
I’ve come to realize that what sets me apart from others is the willingness to live outside my bubble.
To explore the unknown and carry the risks involved in stepping outside my comfort zone.
I could have settled for a nice pension and a stable teaching career.
But I also knew that my eventual goal to be an MMA Champion would push me to break new ground.
Like any person would be, I was both thrilled but apprehensive about the entire journey.
But I took that step to challenge myself.
Over and over and over again.
Traversing the highs and lows
According to Darcy, hitting turbulence on a certain stretch was akin to solving a puzzle which allowed her to pick a line in the river. The next stretch would be a flat water before they would come across a new set of rapids.
This process repeated itself throughout their journey, interspersed with activity from the local, sightings of pirates and other human dangers present along the river bank.
If they were to experience a prolonged stretch of still and calm water, it would only dull the experience of traversing the Amazon.
The highs and lows are part of the adventure and they give us an opportunity to experience life the way it should be.
Say you’re seven days into a 30-day weight loss program.
You’re going to hit that first obstacle when you realize that instead of losing the five pounds you hoped to, you only dropped a pound.
This is you hitting that first set of rapids on life’s river. A problem that is inviting you to solve.
Don’t fold on that first set of problems, otherwise you’ll just drown early in the river.
It can be difficult to have this perspective when you’re knee deep in adversity.
So, I hope this article serves as a poignant reminder for us to have the right mindset going into a new year.
There are many challenges and unknowns.
Look for opportunities to grow and improve yourself.
Good luck!