What Would You Do If You Were Fearlessly Courageous?

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington, this is Stories From Women Who Walk a uniquely forward-looking, story-based podcast for anyone charmed by and curious about the power of story to profoundly and positively shift our awareness, our behavior, even our culture as well as those who wish to learn more about the power of walking to reveal the world around us and within us. Like magic, the sorcery of stories is this: they help each of us to be seen and heard, to understand and be understood.

When I was getting underway with my new podcast Stories From Women Who Walk, a fellow podcaster and colleague Isil Uysal Calvelli, co-founder of BeCoach Academy who knew of my pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago de Compostella suggested I talk with her friend, colleague, and co-founder of BeCoach Academy Elena Marsh in Augsburg Bavaria Germany who also walked the Camino. And here we are together. My conversation with Elena is in 2 parts so be sure to stop back next week to hear the conclusion – which is always the best part.

When asked the question, “What would you do if you were fearlessly courageous?”  Elena Marsh said, “I would walk Camino”. From that moment it began to get serious. Elena Marsh walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (also known as The French Way or Camino Frances) beginning in August 2019. And I’m delighted to invite you to join us as we walk together and retrace her footsteps across Spain.

00 to 0700  Reflections and insights

• What is the Camino and what was the draw
• Her dream – how to manage self-employment with this dream – magical
• A knowing to go – no question
• Coaching conversation: what would you do?
• 6 months to prepare
• What is it so important to go: inner voice: living life to fullest – out of ordinary setting – move beyond comfort zone – self-learning – connection to people – it’s deeper out there – constant singular question: what brought you here?

0700 to 0930  Background on Camino

• St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago
• walked with husband
• 35 days to walk 800 km/500 miles
• accident interrupted walk to Finisterre – went by bus
• Camino magic

0930 to 1400  Expectations and surprises

• what did you expect and what did it turn out to be
• expected adventure, difficulty, meet fabulous people, deep insights
• surprises: physical responses (25 km/day usually); walking with spouse/partner, what strategies did she employ? patience, compromise, growth, discussion, values, respect, and communication

1400 to 1730  Connecting together in nature

• hesitancy about pilgrimage with partner – different on Camino because of being together
• facing unexpected
• deepened connection being together
• compassion versus ego
• appreciation
• challenges together enhanced connection

17:30 to 2130  “I felt I had died….”

• 3rd or 4th week of walking
• long stretch – no shade – little water – heat
• collapsed in shower
• what would keep her alive

2130 to 2400  The power of the Camino to break you

• getting into walking harmony
• coming close to quitting
• experience of dying and vulnerability

2400 to 2809  Preparing and adversity

• insight: you have to go
• trust: keep your heart open
• remember the lesson

Elena’s Bio:

“Walking Camino de Santiago was my dream for many years since my husband showed me the film “The Way” with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez.  With all my insights I felt that I MUST go. I just knew it’s my thing to do and that something special will happen to me there. Year after year I was postponing the adventure. Until December 2018 when I had a coaching session with my coach and she asked me “What would you do if you were fearlessly courageous?” And I said: “I would walk Camino”. And from this moment it all began to get serious. My Camino happened in August 2019. Together with my husband, I walked from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostella. It impacted my life significantly on different levels. And this is what I will be sharing with you in this podcast.”