“Into the jungle in flip-flops.” 🩴
When I heard that, I thought: you can’t be serious.
No sturdy hiking shoes. No mountain boots. Just flip-flops.
How?
You’re constantly walking through small rivers, mud, sand and wet paths. Shoes only get in the way. So everyone walks in flip-flops.
And immediately, your mind starts racing.
But what about the insects? The snakes? Sharp branches? Rocks? Is that even safe?
It felt like we were about to do something very unwise.
Until you’ve walked the first few hundred meters.
Then you realize it’s actually completely normal. You adapt. You pay more attention. You move differently. And before you know it, it feels like you’ve never done it any other way.
Entrepreneurship is exactly the same.
Beforehand, everything feels scary.
Your first client.
Your first employee.
Your first investment.
Your first presentation.
Your first video.
Your mind comes up with a hundred reasons why it could go wrong.
But as soon as you take that first step, you realize that most fears were mainly in your head.
Comfort zones are often not comfortable.
They are just familiar.
Only when you step out of them do you discover how quickly you can adapt.
Thank you, Biondi Pikientio, for this unforgettable Sovereign Wild Experience. Thank you to the entire group for the adventure, to the Saramaccan people for your hospitality and, of course, to the jungle itself for all the lessons we are taking home.
In my podcast, which I recorded on the flight back to the Netherlands, I share many more special stories about life in the Amazon, the Saramaccan people and the lessons I learned there.
What was a step that felt terrifying beforehand, but turned out to be surprisingly natural afterwards?
