Thrive wherever life takes you #2

A blog series chronicling the adventures of a psychologist, ultra endurance athlete, and outdoor enthusiast committed to creating a life rich in experiences, growth, and purpose. 

One adventure in the books:

Recently I embarked on a grand adventure in the Grand Canyon with a grand group of individuals. The spectacular task that brought us all together was a crossing of the Grand Canyon, from the South rim, to the North rim, and all the back to the South rim in one day. About 48 miles and 11,000 vertical feet of climbing.  

My friend Billy Yang captures the day beautifully. Check out his video about our crossing here. Even more than the running, although that was epic, I enjoyed the small moments of connection with the group more than I can possibly convey. Being in the company of so many strong, kind, and like-minded individuals felt special. Swapping stories, making morning coffees, and staying up way too late talking about our dreams and passions. Being in the company of individuals who humble me, inspire me, fill me up, and make me so grateful to be a part of this community.   

One lesson worth learning:

Your posture matters.

Exciting research in the field of psychobiomechanics suggests that changing our posture and poise is one way to change our psychological state. The way we carry ourselves is inexorably linked to the way we feel. 

The taller we stand or sit, the taller we feel. Having an upright posture positively influences our perceptions of ourselves and makes it more likely we will pay attention to our positive attributes. In research conducted by Brinol, Petty, and Wagner (2009), participants called to mind more positive attributes about themselves, and rated themselves as better more competent professionals when they assumed an upright posture versus a slouched position. Furthermore, more than 90% of people found it easier to recall positive, happy memories when in an upright position. 

Posture even translates to performance. In the world of sports and business, being in an upright, expansive position (think legs shoulder width apart, arms outstretched), increases feelings of autonomy, preparedness, power, desire to take action, and ability to perform at peak levels. Our posture can help us think and act in more powerful and effective ways.   

Not only does our posture impact the way we think and feel about ourselves, but it impacts the way others think and feel about us as well. Research conducted on job interviews consistently finds that non-verbal factors, including presence, posture, enthusiasm, appearance of comfort, and genuine expressions of happiness/smiling, have a significant influence on raters’ opinions of interviewees, their potential, and their ultimate decision on who to hire (Young & Kacmar, 1988). This research has also been extended to sales pitches and venture capital presentations. The strongest predictors of who is successful is these scenarios is not the content of the presentation or the persons’ credentials, it’s their presence, posture, gait, apparent confidence, and ability to convey passion and enthusiasm (Balachandra, 2015). 

One quote I’m loving right now:

“It’s supposed to be hard, the hard is what makes it great”