Everything Awesome

The Values Behind the Investment

Our most valuable asset is not our house, not our car and not any of our possessions.
Its ourselves. The best investment a person can make is in themselves.

At its core, self investment is rooted in a specific set of values that transform it from an act of vanity into an act of stewardship.

1. Self Efficacy and Agency

To invest in yourself, you must first believe that change is possible. This is the value of agency. It is the rejection of the “victim” mindset, choosing instead to believe that through effort and learning, you can alter your trajectory.

2. Long-Term Thinking (Delayed Gratification)

Society often rewards the “now.” Self investment requires patience. It is the understanding that reading a difficult book today might not pay off for a year, but the cumulative knowledge will eventually create a “compound interest” effect.

3. Humility

To invest in your growth, you must admit where you are lacking. This requires humility, the willingness to be a “beginner” again.

The Pillars of Self-Investment

• Intellectual Capital: Staying curious and learning how to learn.

• Physical and Mental Health: Investing in sleep, nutrition, and resilience.

• Social Capital: Building integrity and a network.

The Ultimate Return on Investment (ROI)

The true ROI of self-investment is freedom. The more skilled and resilient you become, the more options you have.

We here at Everything Awesome run some fantastic courses, you can learn new skills, make new friends, and invest!

In Mountain Training terms, “summer conditions” are defined by the absence of winter hazards (snow/ice) rather than by the calendar, usually requiring no crampons or ice axe for safety. These conditions involve navigating, leading groups, and traveling on steep, rocky ground, typically with long daylight hours but potential for heavy rain, strong winds, and high temperatures. 

Today was a stunning day, the skies where blue and the sun had some warmth, the moors where snow covered, but the paths where clear.
Does this constitute summer conditions? who knows, but it was a stunning day to be out working on Navigation skills.

A lichen is a complex life form that is not a single organism, but a symbiotic partnership between at least two different organisms: a fungus (the mycobiont) and a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont), which is usually either green algae or cyanobacteria. 

Key Biological Features

• Symbiotic Relationship: The fungus provides a physical structure that protects the photosynthetic partner from drying out and harsh environmental conditions. In return, the algae or cyanobacteria produce sugars via photosynthesis to feed the fungus.
• Structure: Lichens do not have roots, stems, or leaves like plants. Their main body is called a thallus, which is composed mostly of fungal filaments.
• Nutrient Source: They absorb water and minerals directly from the air and rain rather than from a substrate. 

Three Main Growth Forms

Lichens are typically categorized by their appearance: 

1. Crustose: Crust-like and tightly attached to surfaces like rocks or tree bark, often looking like a splash of paint.
2. Foliose: Leaf-like with distinct upper and lower surfaces, often resembling small pieces of lettuce.
3. Fruticose: Three-dimensional and bushy, appearing like tiny shrubs or hanging threads (e.g., “Old Man’s Beard”). 

Ecological and Human Importance

• Air Quality Indicators: Because they absorb everything from the atmosphere, lichens are highly sensitive to pollution. Their presence or absence is used by scientists to monitor air quality.
• Resilience: They are some of the toughest organisms on Earth, capable of surviving in extreme environments from the Arctic to hot deserts, and even in the vacuum of space.
• Pioneer Species: They are often the first organisms to colonize bare rock, helping to break it down into soil over thousands of years.
• Usage: Humans use lichens for traditional medicines, dyes (such as for Harris Tweed), and as a vegan source of Vitamin D

A question i see asked

Why would anyone pay for guided outdoor activities?

Hiring a professional guide for an outdoor activity—whether it’s mountain biking through rugged terrain, rock climbing a granite face, or navigating a complex backcountry trail—is often viewed by beginners as a luxury. However, the value of a guide extends far beyond simply showing the way. It is an investment in safety, skill acquisition, and the overall quality of the experience.

1. Safety and Risk Management
The most critical value a guide provides is risk mitigation. The outdoors are inherently unpredictable; weather can shift in minutes, trails can be washed out, and equipment can fail. A certified guide is trained to read these variables and make informed decisions that keep participants out of harm’s way.

Beyond environmental awareness, guides are typically trained in First Aid, Typically Advanced Outdoor First Aid. Should an accident occur, having a professional who can stabilize an injury and coordinate an evacuation is the difference between a minor setback and a life-threatening crisis. They carry the heavy first-aid kits, emergency communication devices, and repair tools that the average hobbyist might overlook.

2. Accelerated Learning and Technical Mastery
When you pay for a guide, you are paying for a “fast track” to competence. Trial and error is a slow and sometimes painful way to learn an outdoor sport. A guide provides real-time coaching, correcting your form on a mountain bike or teaching you the most efficient way to plant your trekking poles.

This professional instruction prevents the development of “bad habits” that are difficult to break later. For complex sports like rock climbing or downhill mountain biking, a few hours with a guide can equate to months of self-taught practice. You aren’t just paying for the day; you are paying for a foundation of skills that you will carry into every future adventure.

3. Local Knowledge and Hidden Gems
In the age of digital maps and trail apps, it is easy to think you know a landscape. However, digital data lacks nuance. A guide knows which trails get too muddy after a rain, which viewpoints are best for sunrise, and where the local wildlife is most likely to be spotted without being disturbed.

They provide a layer of interpretive education, sharing stories about the local geology, flora, and history. This transforms a physical workout into a deep, meaningful connection with the environment. You aren’t just passing through the woods; you are understanding the ecosystem you are standing in.

4. Logistics and Peace of Mind
Outdoor adventures require a mountain of logistics: gear rentals, permits, transportation, and meal planning. A guided service often handles these “invisible” tasks. This allows the participant to remain in a state of flow, focusing entirely on the activity rather than worrying about whether they packed enough water or if they are parked in a legal zone.

Conclusion
Ultimately, paying for a guide is about maximizing the “return on adventure.” By offloading the stress of navigation and safety to a professional, you free your mind to fully engage with the beauty of the natural world. Whether you are a novice looking for a safe introduction or an intermediate athlete looking to level up, a guide provides the expertise that turns a good day outside into an unforgettable one.

It’s easy for sports coaches to forget the “beginner’s struggle.” Once you’ve mastered a discipline, your movements become economical and refined; you’ve trimmed away the excess until the difficult looks effortless. To an outsider, an expert barely looks like they’re trying. But for a novice, every fundamental is a conscious battle, and every motion is inefficiently large.

To reconnect with this reality, I’ve decided to become a beginner again.

Despite being a competent Stand Up Paddleboarder (SUP), I am qualified as an instructor, leader, and sheltered water coach. I have stepped into the world of white water SUP. The experience has been transformative. I am loving the “fun of doing,” but I’m finding even more value in the “fun of failing.” Making mistakes and navigating the steep learning curve of a new environment has been incredibly grounding.

This experience has reinforced a vital lesson: Empathy is a coaching superpower. When we remain comfortable in our expertise, we lose touch with the cognitive load and physical frustration our students face. We forget what it feels like to have “clumsy” muscles or a brain overwhelmed by basic cues. By placing myself back at the starting line, I am reminded of how a beginner actually processes information and how vital patience is to the learning cycle.

I would advise any coach, regardless of their accolades or qualifications, to pick up a sport they have never tried. Immerse yourself in the awkwardness of a new skill. Understanding the emotional and physical hurdles of a novice firsthand is the single most effective way to refine your communication and become a more impactful, empathetic educator.

Being an expert is great, but being a beginner is where the real growth, for both you and your future students, truly happens.