Rising when we fall

At times that can be quite a formalised process offered as part of our co-curricular programmes with activities such as cross country running, being on the ocean as part of our sailing programme, or for many, time spent on inland lakes and rivers with their boat moving through the water. At other times, students engage with the outdoors as part of our world-class Outdoor Education programme spending time in some of the most pristine environments in the world.

In all these activities, our students get to experience setbacks and challenges, adversity and success. It is through such activities that they grow and learn. The American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that; The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. While we can understand the concept of courage, we need to be courageous to really feel it.

We do that when we step over the cliff edge when abseiling and are afraid of heights, or on the start line at a rowing regatta with trepidation in our hearts. These experiences all allow us to test and push ourselves.

I often speak with parents when their students return home from Outdoor Education camps. So often I hear the same sentiment voiced; that their children seem to have grown that little bit taller, that little bit more confident and that little bit more resilient in their time away with our staff.

Current research clearly demonstrates the significant health benefits that the outdoor environment offers. In the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, it is suggested that being exposed to natural environments improves working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attentional control.

We innately know that being in that great playground called nature is good for us.

As Khalil Gibran wrote forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

As I finish this article, I am watching a group of students back from our Grade 10 Retreat programme and camp, walking past my office. Their smiles tell me all I need to know about their week away. Tired young faces, but with a sense of fulfillment.