Finding Strength in a Simple Refusal

Ever wondered what it would be like to be on a reality TV show that pushes you to the extreme? Picture this: a casting director from Naked and Afraid slides into my Instagram DMs, inviting me to bare it all for a survival challenge like no other. As a fan of reality TV but not exactly an outdoor survival expert, I found myself wrestling with an unexpected opportunity. Join me as I share the whirlwind journey from initial intrigue to a surprisingly abrupt conclusion, all while pondering just how far one should go for the sake of a challenge.

Caught between the thrill of a new experience and the stark reality of my own limits, I dive into the complexities of decision-making when the stakes involve both vulnerability and survival. This episode explores the balance between curiosity and personal values, highlighting the wisdom in knowing when to decline. So, what's the wildest challenge you've ever faced, and how has it shaped your understanding of personal boundaries? Tune in for a candid reflection on finding peace in saying "no" and embracing the wisdom that comes with it.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:14

Hey friends, welcome back to the Hike Like a Woman podcast. I have a story for you today, one that involves Instagram, reality TV and a whole lot of self-reflection. Let me ask you this what would you do if someone invited you to strip down literally and test your survival skills on national television? That's kind of wild, right? Well, that's exactly what happened to me last month. So there I was scrolling through my Instagram DMs and I see this message from a casting director. She works for the show Naked and Afraid. Yeah, that show, you might have seen it on TV. Anyway, I'm not a huge Naked and Afraid fan, but if I can't find anything else on sometimes I will watch Naked and Afraid. But super, mega giant fan I am not.

Speaker 1: 1:05

So anyway, I get this DM from a casting director for Naked and Afraid and apparently she thought I'd be a great fit for the show. Now I'm not really what, why? I don't really know why she thought that. I don't know that there's any part of my Instagram that seems that screams like naked survivalist, because most of my Instagram is like group trips. We have guides that are cooking us food. There's nothing on my Instagram that is showing any skills whatsoever in hunting, fishing, fire, starting bushcraft, making clothing out of reeds, like I don't, I don't do survivalist stuff, but anyway, um, I had no idea why she reached out, but I was flattered and a little bit baffled.

Speaker 1: 2:00

And, as I said before, I really do love reality TV and I love a good reality TV binge I mean, who doesn't? But the idea of stripping down for a survival show, yeah, that was not exactly my cup of tea. So at first I just laughed it off and I moved on. But then a tiny part of me started to wonder could I actually survive 21 days in the wild, completely naked, with a stranger? It's a challenge, right? And if there's one thing you know about me, it's that I love a challenge. It's that I love a challenge.

Speaker 1: 2:36

So when the casting director reached out again, I figured, why not? We hopped on a call, we had a lovely conversation, and then that conversation led to another and before I knew it I was being interviewed to go on, naked and Afraid. So I'm sitting in my office, I'm sitting there, we're about half an hour, 45 minutes into the interview, I'm being asked all sorts of questions, and then we get to the end of the interview and there was this big moment, the final question and they asked me something along the lines of tell us why you would not tap out. So basically they were asking me like show us what you would do to make sure that you stayed the full 21 days and did not tap out. And I had to answer the question as honestly as I could and I said I actually wouldn't think twice about quitting and I would tap out if my health or my safety was compromised. And just like that the interview ended super abruptly. I was out of the running. It was like I did not give the answer they were looking for and I was just dismissed very quickly.

Speaker 1: 4:04

At first I felt a little disappointment. How often does an opportunity to be on a TV show like Naked Afraid actually come along? But as I reflected on the experience of being contacted by the casting person all the way up until this final interview, I realized that sometimes, at least for me, the allure of a challenge can be really intoxicating. It's that spark, you know, it's that curiosity that makes us wonder what we're truly capable of, and I think that's a really good thing. But here's the kicker Not every challenge is worth saying yes to.

Speaker 1: 4:47

Sometimes it's okay to say no challenge is worth saying yes to. Sometimes it's okay to say no, and sometimes it's important to recognize that a challenge doesn't align with your values, or a challenge might push you beyond your limit or beyond your idea of fun, and that's not failure, that's actually wisdom, because in hindsight, there's no way that I would want to spend 21 days naked in the wilderness with a stranger. That would have really stretched me mentally, and physically too, but I think that would have been a very, very big stretch mentally. So now I'm curious what is the craziest challenge you've ever considered? Would you have gone on naked and afraid, or do you, like me, prefer your challenge a little less revealing? We can talk about that over on our Instagram or Facebook or drop me an email.

Speaker 1: 5:43

Hi at hikelikeawomancom. I love to hear your stories and when it comes to challenges, we're kicking off a new year here and I would challenge you to do something that is going to push you a little bit beyond your comfort zone, a challenge that you can do and still leave your clothes on. And if that challenge just happens to be joining me for an amazing adventure, maybe climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is the kind of challenge you're looking for. Maybe it's a guided trip to southern Utah, where we're going to visit four national parks in seven days. Maybe that's more of a challenge the challenge of joining a trip with a group of women who you may not know, with a group of women who you may not know. If you're feeling challenged and want to tackle a challenge with me and with our Hike Like a Woman community, be sure to head over to our website, hikelikeawomancom to learn all about the epic outdoor adventures that we lead all over the world. So thanks for tuning in. Until next week. Keep challenging yourself, just not too much. Cheers.