Recently, my daughter and I both learned to ski. She went to children’s ski school and I went to adult ski school. Finally, on our last day of vacation we went skiing together. Here are a few things I learned from her about skiing, and about life.
1. Be fearless- Eloise was just a little girl on a big mountain, but I never once heard my daughter say, “I can’t” or “I’m scared.”
2. Don’t use what you don’t need. I thought I could not ski without my ski poles. They were my crutch, my security blanket. I saw my daughter ski effortlessly without them. I used ski poles because everyone else did, they didn’t really help me in any way. I learned the less I used my ski poles the better skier I became.
3. Learn from someone with experience. If you want to do something, anything, find someone that is experienced and learn from them.
4. Have faith. On skis, my daughter would follow my wife down the steepest mountains. Why? Because she had faith that her mom would keep her safe and would not mislead her.
5. Take breaks. When my daughter would get tired on the mountain she would stop and rest. Sometimes it’s a good idea to take a break.
6. Carry your own gear. If you can’t carry it, you probably don’t need it.
7. Look good while doing it. This one I’m not very good at, but she seems to have mastered!
Somedays I feel like my kids teach me more than I teach them. How about you?
-Pete