Resilience isn’t built in theory

Hello there,

When you read this, I’ll probably still be scanning the horizon for bears.

This week, we had a full polar bear evacuation.

That’s not a drill.

That’s the real deal:

Bear spotted → guests back to boats → guides holding the perimeter.

It’s intense.

It’s fast.

It’s real responsibility.

It was safe.

It was handled.

It was controlled.

In those moments, you learn a lot about your team, how they communicate, how they move, how they trust.

But more than anything?

You learn about yourself.

You learn how you breathe when the adrenaline hits.

How your voice sounds when you give directions that matter.

What habits kick in, and which ones fall apart.

What version of you takes over when it’s game time.

Here’s what I realised:

You don’t build resilience by reading about it.

You build it by putting yourself in controlled, uncomfortable situations, over and over again, until your nervous system learns: I’ve got this.

We think pressure reveals who we are.

But it also shapes who we become.

In this case, that looked like holding the perimeter, directing people back to the ship, and tracking the bear’s movements.

For you?

It might look like hitting publish on a scary idea.

Or asking for the raise.

Or choosing not to quit when something gets hard.

So here’s the takeaway:

You don’t need a polar bear.

You need reps.

Start putting yourself in situations that stretch you, safely.

Not to prove something.

But to become someone.

Because the next time life comes at you fast, I want your body to recognise the feeling, and already know what to do.

Thanks for reading 🖤

Aitana

P.S. If this hit something in you, send it to someone else who needs the nudge.​