#46 - Worth The Risk

From this photo of our honeymoon, where would you guess we'd been?

Thailand?
Australia?

No... Scotland. Our two-week stay in the Outer Hebrides and Inverness brought us breathtaking sunsets, swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, turquoise waters and pure white sands. We took a risk with our choice of destination, rejecting more obvious options for somewhere we knew virtually nothing about, with unpredictable weather. We were rewarded with warm sunshine, the sight of seals bobbing around in the waters, and a glorious double rainbow that we could see both the ends of. The experiences we had were made possible by the few visionary people who took risks - financially, emotionally, time and energy-wise - in order to create the guest houses and self-catering accommodation in which we stayed. I asked them: what made it worth the risk?

David Milne runs Ness Bank Guest House in Inverness, a place that we chose because of its great vegan breakfasts. He says, "The B&B had been an idea on the back burner for ages. We had stayed in so many bad ones with awful food we wanted to open one that we would like to stay in. I think every now and then you have to shake things up a bit otherwise life gets very stale. Giving up our jobs... it was a fair chunk of cash to give up. But once you don't have it anymore, you don't really miss it. We'd saved a fair bit and did things quite cautiously - moved to a rented house, did a business plan. The current place came on the market and although a touch too much, we had to have it; it's a great location. I love earning my own cash and not being stuck in a computer studio 50 hours a week."

Ian at Broad Bay House on the Isle of Lewis doesn't even know if he'd call it a risk, having seen it more as a "great opportunity that might have a downside". He focuses on the upsides - "running our own business, living somewhere great, seeing the reaction of guests when we show them the house and location, and meeting loads of fun, interesting people".

The guest books in these places are full of praise and gratitude, testimony to the owners' commitment to providing wonderful holiday experiences for people. These people leapt, the nets appeared, and those nets are now little sanctuaries where others can stay in order to enjoy beautiful parts of the world. Inspired to open your own?

Do Things Differently
This week, challenge yourself to go that little (or big) step further. Push the boundaries, take a risk, focus on the opportunity as being more compelling than the drawbacks. Notice your relationship with this idea of 'risk' and how it feels to know that others could really benefit from you taking that leap.

(c) Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2008

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If you're considering creating an inspirational venture like these, do get in touch and let me know. I support people at various stages of turning an idea into reality, through one-to-one coaching and group workshops.

#45 - We Are A Circle

We got married on 26th July. Our wedding could not have been more beautiful, nor more in keeping with the spirit of Doing Things Differently. So many people told us that it was the most enjoyable wedding they'd ever been to - firstly, because there was such overflowing of love and secondly, because it was so unique and had 'us' stamped so clearly upon every aspect. I could go on and on about every little detail but instead here is my top ten of some of the reasons this day became the dream it was:

10. tons of activities and chances to get involved e.g. a treasure hunt, a video diary room, a 'guess the baby photo' game and a Wisdom Tree from which guests could hang their thoughts
9. the whole thing took place outdoors in my parents' beautiful gardens with recycled glass jar lanterns at sunset
8. both wedding dresses were from Oxfam Bridal and tiaras from British Heart Foundation
7. a performance section with friends offering juggling, jokes, beat-boxing & singing
6. many decorations were enjoying their second life from shop window displays e.g. sparkling pink fairies from Lush, and signs were painted by our friend
5. the buffet was entirely vegan and sugar-free and had everyone going back for more
4. our friends made a photo slide-show which documented our 4 years together and played piano and sang as the back-drop for our first dance
3. speeches were toasted with home-made champagne from hand-picked elderflowers and accompanied by local strawberries
2. the ceremony itself was held by our three best friends, with various friends and family offering readings and singing our favourite chant: We Are A Circle
1. our love truly was at the centre of the whole day, with every decision leading back to that core.

Our love inspired all the organisation and then the sense of created-by-community inspired our guests. What made this possible was that we really looked to our circle of friends and family to hold the day for us and support us, both practically and emotionally. We looked to their skills and asked what they wanted to contribute. And rather than this being a burden for them, we saw their joy at being so instrumental in creating the magic of our special day. They gave us so much, and we gave them the opportunity to share their gifts with others. It fully affirmed my belief that we all long to contribute and find our meaning in this way. The beauty of the day will be with us forever - THANK YOU to all of you who gave that to us.

Do Things Differently
Whatever you're working on at the moment - be it a business venture, a home-development project, an event etc - really look to see: Who is your circle? Who would absolutely love to contribute something of their skills and talents to help you out? Play with the idea that they might be desperate for an opportunity to offer their gifts and see if you can provide them with that.

(c) Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2008

After-thought....
Yesterday, I got chatting with my optician about our wedding and he was so impressed by how different it all was that he wants me to sit down with him and his fiancee and help them generate ideas for theirs. I'm wondering if there might be something in this so I'm keen to explore a You Inspire Me 'plan an inspirational event/do your event differently' service. So... if you are planning an event like a wedding, birthday, or anniversary bash and want to Do It Differently - book a session. This is a new venture so we'll assess as we go how many sessions you might want. Sessions are £50 each and can be booked here.