Climb the Towers

Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain

Are there certain things you always do when you visit new travel destinations? One of the things I find myself doing is climbing towers. When I see one, I know I have to climb it, which might seem odd, as I am afraid of heights. Why do I do it, then? The amazing views, taking on a challenge and sharing the experience with others allow me to move through my fears.

The View

There are some things you just can’t see from ground level. Maybe there is a building in the way or you don’t feel like fighting through the crowds to get to see everything. From up above, you can often see more of the city and identify some new places you want to visit when you return to street level. You may not have even known the place existed, until you saw it from above or that a building had a rooftop bar and pool.

When I climbed (or should I say, walked up the 35 ramps) to the top of Giralda Tower in Seville, I took in the entire 360-degree view of the city and noted how the beautiful Jacaranda trees dotted the landscape.

Applying this to our lives, what are the “buildings” that are getting in the way of your view? It could be a problem that is making you feel stuck, feeling trapped in your email inbox, or not having the skills or tools to move to the next steps in a project.

How can you find a different view? Some ideas include asking some co-workers to join you for a brainstorming or problem-solving session to hear their viewpoints to help address the problem that has you stuck. You could visualize the success of a current project and determine your next steps, rather than feeling captive to other people’s requests in your inbox. If you don’t feel like you have the right skills, you can find a variety of educational sources online or through your professional association.

Facing a Challenge

I know that I may get a little shaky as I climb higher in the tower, but I have faith in myself that I can face the obstacles, and I can take on new challenges. The last few steps to the top of the Duomo in Florence made me wonder if I had made the right decision to climb, but I saw that others were climbing with me and encouraging me, and it motivated me to make it to the top.

In life, I also find ways to challenge myself. A few years ago I decided to take a class on podcasting and start my own show. I find more comfort sitting at my keyboard looking at the words I am typing than hearing the sound of my voice on a recording. It was time to change things up and face that fear. I quickly found out it was more than just the sound of my voice that would be challenging. There were so many things to learn about microphones, recording programs, editing, storytelling and interviewing. But, I wasn’t alone on the journey to the top of the podcasting tower. I reached out to colleagues who were also podcasting to get advice and feedback, which helped me feel less shaky.

What is something in your life that is outside of your comfort zone? Who could you enlist to assist you on this journey to help you not feel as shaky?

Share the Experience With Others

When I went to Italy on a group tour, I told some of my travel mates that I was going to climb to the top of the Duomo during some of our free time. Some of them mentioned that they wished they could do it, but their knees would not be able to carry them up that far. I told them I would be happy to take photos for them.

Sharing experiences is also useful in the business world and in your personal life. When I come across something in a book or podcast that I know would be helpful to a friend of colleague, I usually send a quote or link to my friend. I find that they also do the same in return. I saw this in action when I worked on our rebranding project. I was fortunate to have colleagues at other organizations who shared more about their experience with their rebrand and lessons learned. After completing our rebrand, I was happy to pay it forward to others who had a similar project.

We can’t all be experts on everything or know everything. How can you share your experiences with others?

Take Opportunities When They Are There

There may be a time in life where I can no longer climb towers or an unexpected absence of travel (like we experienced during the pandemic). I am thankful I have taken advantage of climbing towers in so many beautiful cities to see the beautiful views, feel a sense of accomplishment and share the experience with others.

In life, there are many “towers” that present themselves to us on a daily basis. It could be something as simple as going for a walk to see a different environment, taking a class to learn something new or an opportunity to share your expertise by starting your own business.

What is the next tower you will climb?