Navigating the Wilderness

Organization is essential on a trip like this. I had to pack maps for our route, a compass, tents, bug spray, ample food for the week, and rope for hanging the food at night (to keep the bears away). So many things had to be planned in advance, and this organizational step was critical.

While driving to Minnesota, I repeatedly reviewed my list in my head, and my nerves calmed when I knew everything we could possibly need was packed. Right?

No motors of any kind are allowed. No cell phone towers exist, and everything (I mean EVERYTHING) you need must be carried with you in your packs and canoes.

Since I was a young man, I have been taking trips to the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area with my father. A very remote area rich in nature’s beauty, the BW was our off-the-grid destination for a five day family wilderness adventure trip located in the most northeastern part of Minnesota, bordering Canada.

Experiences like these have always been enjoyable to me. Though for whatever reason, I found myself nervous about this trip, mostly because I wanted Aimee and our kids’ experience to be unique, enjoyable, and memorable.  

Also, it had been quite a while since I had LED a trip of this magnitude.
 
The nerves your sons and daughters are feeling today about starting a new school year may be similar to the nerves I was experiencing as I made the very long drive from Wheeling to Minnesota. I’m sure you have had similar moments of self-doubt when you were starting something new.

It’s a new school year, and for all students, it may leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed.

For some, it’s your first day at a brand new school.

For others, you are entering into a new grade where the expectations or coursework might be more complicated than anything you’ve experienced in the past.

We all wrestle, including myself, with several emotions regarding the start of the new school year. If you are feeling a bit uncomfortable about the challenges ahead of you, I want to share lessons I learned from my wilderness adventure this summer.

Just like organization was crucial to the success of my trip, at Linsly, you also need to be organized.

How will you keep track of your homework? What materials do you need for class? Where will you keep your class materials? Where do you go for extra help? How do you contact your teacher?  If you organize these steps now, you will be ready throughout the semester, making you feel more confident and prepared while settling any uneasiness.

Next, as I began to doubt and question myself on the long car ride to Minnesota, I had to tell myself I could do this.

The most powerful tool we have is our mind. Even though we often don’t say things out loud, letting our self-doubt and negative talk consume our thoughts impact us in negative ways. Our mind is powerful, and remember, if we say “we can’t,” we won’t, but if we say “we can,” we will!  It’s that simple. If you think positively, it will be incredibly helpful.

Remember, we can all do difficult things, even when faced with tremendous obstacles. Once I started reminding myself that I could do this and told myself that we would have a great time, my mood improved, my stress reduced, and I worried less.

The same is true for you in school. You would not be here if we didn’t think you could do the school work, be successful, and positively impact this community. You know you are in the right place, you want to take advantage of all the opportunities, and you know you can be successful - you just need to tell yourself every day!

Finally, I had to remind myself that I can only control certain things. On this trip, as much as I wanted to, I could not control the weather, what nature (animals) we encountered, the mosquitoes, the mood of the other people, and so many other variables. Yet, before the trip, I was undoubtedly worrying about those things in many ways. Reminding myself that I can only control my mood, attitude, and decisions helped me refocus on things I could actually control. Nothing else.

In the end, my family had an amazing experience in the Boundary Waters, and everyone is eager to do it again.

As students, you worry about friendships, who will join you for lunch, if you can open your locker, or even if you are smart enough. However, many of those things you can’t actually control. Therefore, focus only on the here and now –  the present. If you focus on the here and now and not the past or future, you will impact the things that matter most.

A coach once told me, “The past is the past, the future is the future, but the only thing that matters is the present, so focus on that!”  That was good advice.

Finally, as we begin this year, I want to emphasize our school theme. Benjamin Franklin said, “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” I believe this to be true and hope you do as well. Linsly Prefects helped select this theme to emphasize the importance of perseverance and always doing your best even when you are challenged.

    So, get organized, believe in yourself, and focus on what you can control! If you do these things, you will get off to a great start, and I’m confident you will have a fantastic year!