Last month, I was in Rishikesh, my favourite place in the world for river rafting. River Ganga has some kind of spiritual aura that pulls everyone to it. The experience is always magical, there is something different and I can never put my finger on it of understand the reason behind it.
I have rafted in many places across the world but none of these experiences are similar to Ganga. Yes, all the experiences have been exhilarating, thrilling and lots of fun but it cannot match the experience of Himalayas and river Ganga. The forests & the hills along the river are also soothing for eyes. I go there every year and enjoy the tranquil & soothing experience of the river.
I was rafting with friends. It’s the same course and the same river but every experience is different. It’s a wonderful feeling to ride the rapids, jumping into the icy cold waters and enjoying the splash of water over you from time to time. The sense of team work and achievement after each rapid is a wonderful feeling. It’s fun to stop on the way on river beaches and quickly grab some snacks from the local vendors like spicy bhel or a quick sandwich with masala chai.
As I was thinking walking on white sandy beach and thinking about the experience next day, I realized that rafting or any other adventure sport teach us very important life lessons.
- Rapids & Rocks : As we cruised through the river, we came across lot of rapids and large rocks. We skillfully maneuvered our raft through it and took it as a challenge. In fact, were laughing in anticipation of the thrill, as soon as the rapids were in sight. Similarly, life will throw a lot of challenges and obstacles. You need to accept them as a part and parcel of the life and navigate through them with a smiling face. That’s very important when we are going through the difficult times in our lives.
- Rafting Gear & Tools : In life, it is always good to be equipped with proper gear & skills to face the challenges. Equipped with proper equipment makes all the difference. All the safety tools and initial briefing did make us feel safe and prepared for our trip. It also allowed us to enjoy the experience.
- Education & Awareness : Good education and talent are always a key to success. It’s important to know the rules of the game and using them to your advantage. The more you know, the better you can perform. If you exactly know what to do in case of crisis, you will be composed and cool. And staying calm in a crisis situation is critical to safely making it through.
- Teacher & A Guru : The raft master or the guide is the most important person during the Rafting Adventure. The crucial factor in white water rafting is to let the guide lead. All successful sports champions have a coach and their coaches play a major role in their success. Its important to find your own mentor or even a personal advisor, who can guide you through the rapids of life. It was a lesson in trusting the guide to lead us through the tough patches and following his instructions. Our teachers and mentors in life play the same role.
- Team work : Working together always works! All of us in the raft had to watch out for each other and follow instructions and working together to be effective against the currents. So who is in your team, in your life? Are you working together and moving in a synchronizing pattern towards common goals?
- Focus on Goals not on troubles : The river bed was crowded with rocks. Some rocks, we maneuvered around, others we squeezed through and yet others, submerged under water we scraped on, through the gushing white water. Such is the reflection of our lives! We can choose to go with the flow, squeeze through or choose to be caught up in the boulders and be stranded.
- Enjoy the Journey : The fun part of rafting is getting wet…while that seems obvious, it can be intimidating to fall in the water. Even when working hard in adverse conditions, don’t forget to look around and enjoy the beauty of nature. It would have been a shame to miss surrounding forests, the sunshine, and the amazing scenery. Life is more than the immediate challenge and it’s beautiful. Enjoy the journey.
- Celebrate success : After negotiating each rapid, we celebrated it with a ‘high five’ with all our oars in the air and huge smiles. Each obstacle overcome was a victory, so celebrate!
- Smile : Our guide and the safety raft crew had big smiles and a very positive and helpful attitude throughout the trip. They instructed us to smile for the camera, several times. Smiling definitely helps and makes everything brighter & lighter
Ashutosh Rawal is a world traveler, photographer, adventure seeker, writer, teacher, snake charmer as well as a student forever. Professionally working in the field of Tourism, Destination Marketing and Corporate Events, he travels across India and the globe for his work. He leads the Travel Company called Kairamya Journeys LLP., based in Ahmedabad. He is highly excited about his upcoming book release which narrates his travel experiences in Japan..
Ashutosh Rawal