The transformative power of Outward Bound
There's a great quote I like by the founder of Outward Bound.
One way I describe how powerful an Outward Bound course is for participants goes like this: We take them out of their comfortable lifestyle and drop them in a strange and uncomfortable place. We wake them in the morning and point them at some goal for the day that looks to them to be simply impossible; carrying a fifty pound pack for ten miles, hiking to the top of a 13,000' peak, crossing a river when there's no bridge, navigating off-trail using only a map, or rappelling off a sheer cliff. Then by the end of the day, they've done it. Not only did they achieve the goal, they had fun doing it, and they connected deeply and genuinely with their crewmates. We do that day after day for 21 days (or however long the course is). By the end of the course, their prior mental picture of what their personal limits are has been completely exploded. They feel there is no challenge they can't tackle, they don't have to let discomfort stop them, and they have inner resources they can draw on to triumph over adversity. Years later, many will say it was the most important time in their lives.
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