Train like an astronaut...
Walking path along The Lakes, Copenhagen, Denmark. October, 2023
I was recently in Copenhagen for four weeks and settled into a morning routine of walking around The Lakes. They are a series of lakes that used to be part of a moat surrounding the edge of the city but were converted into lakes and walking paths. On one of my walks, I passed by the Copenhagen Planetarium, as it sits at one end of The Lakes. It's an odd-looking cylindrical building with three tall steps leading to the edge of the building. What caught my attention was the writing on the steps: 'Træn som en astronaut' (Train like an astronaut). I assumed the steps were used by athletes and fitness trainers for various workouts.
Train like an astronaut, Copenhagen Aquarium, October 2023
During the first part of my stay, I walked by them and thought 'What a good idea'. But continued my walk without another thought. A few days later, I considered maybe trying the steps but feared I might look ridiculous trying to climb up and down the steps. What would people say? What if I fell? Or tripped? Never mind that nobody knew me, yet I was worried about what strangers might say.
Later that morning, I ran across an Instagram post from Mark Manson:
Wow. Why was I afraid to appear silly or make a fool of myself? How often had I let the fear of 'looking like an idiot' stop me from doing something? I then and there decided that it was okay for me to look like an idiot and that I would never again worry about how ridiculous I might look.
I decided to try the steps on my next morning walk. The first day, I worked my way up to the top (it wasn't elegant) and then came down. My quads were a little shaky, but I managed to go up and down without falling or using my arms to steady myself; Mission accomplished, I did it once. Yay me!
When I got home, I decided that with seven days left in Copenhagen, I would train my body to do 7 in a row by the end of the week. The following day, I went up and down the steps twice. Each day, I increased the challenge by one, gaining confidence in my balance and strength. I started to feel a bit of pride in trying something completely new and seeing little bits of success.
On the day I left Copenhagen, I did my morning walk and went up and down the steps 8 times! My legs felt strong, but more importantly, I reaffirmed that I could teach my body new things, and this increased my confidence.
My latest mantra is 'Train like an astronaut, and be okay with looking like an idiot'. The best outcome: you visit the moon. The worst outcome: a scraped knee on the steps of an aquarium in Copenhagen. All in all, those are pretty good results!
Might there be something you’re missing out on because you fear looking like an idiot?
Swans on The Lakes, October 2023