Not Everyone Understands an Adventurous Spirit: How to Overcome the Critics

Ever hear a personal story that’s so captivating that you want to share it with others? At Agorapulse, we’ve heard some extraordinary stories from people who live life at a deeper, inspirational level. And we want to share them with you.

In this new blog series, we share the experiences of such people, one narrative at a time. We’ll dig deep into what inspires us about them, how they overcame daunting challenges that threatened to distract them from their focus, and what they’ve learned along their journeys. (Read part one of Ingrid’s story.)

Becoming an adventurer was a process for Ingrid Ulrich. She didn’t wake up and decide to start stand-up paddling in the most extreme environments out of nowhere. The fact that she recently went to Greenland on an adventure didn’t take root overnight.

That exploring, inquisitive courage came through time, and, in a sense, via an inner journey.

But not everyone has understood that journey.

Ingrid’s faced deep criticism from people. “Especially because I’m a woman,” she says. “They say a woman should stay at home and make cakes for her children!”

The criticism comes from family and friends as well as strangers who say that they are concerned for her well-being.

They don’t understand the spirit of an adventurer, the in-your-bones desire to get out there and face new challenges and overcome obstacles and triumph over them.

“People often tell me that I am putting myself in danger,” Ingrid says. “But I need these adventures. This is what gives meaning to my life. If I did not have my daughters, I would be living in the wild. I would be somewhere in the vastness, in a hut to live in, surrounded by nature.”

To help handle the criticism and also to focus on what she can do, Ingrid prepares herself both physically and mentally.

“I prepare so much in my head,” she says. “I read a lot of stories about what I do. It allows me to know the difficulties encountered by others and think about them before they happen. Doing so lets me get ready for almost anything.”

Inspired partially by that bigness of the world around her, Ingrid’s goals are always big as well. They seem to go beyond what the average person considers a challenge.

“I am often told that my projects are impossible,” Ingrid says. “But I always prove otherwise.

“Even if I can’t finish what I set out to do, I at least tried,” Ingrid says. “And that’s already a good thing!”

What this scrappy adventurer knows is that, sometimes, you don’t have to reach the finish line to have that surging feeling of accomplishment.

At Agorapulse, we understand that commitment to a dream, that dedication to hard work, and the focus needed to overcome all the naysayers and dream killers along the way. Living out your adventure isn’t easy, but it can be done. We hope that sharing Ingrid’s adventures will inspire you to believe in yourself a little (maybe even a lot) more and chase down that dream with a singularly focused determination.

Whether you slip and fall on the journey or make it to your goal, you’re on the path to achieving your dream. And that’s a win either way.

Look next week for the next installment of Ingrid’s journey!