10 Things I Learned From 30 Fearless Girls

To say 2019 was full of learnings is an understatement. After leaving my corporate job of 7.5 years - every week in my new Fearless life I was challenged to think differently and add new skills to my belt. Last Autumn we had 30 girls from all across Amsterdam, some traveling from Almere and Zwanenburg to join us for 8 weeks across 3 different courses. With an equal split of Dutch and English speakers in the courses, our programs were taught fluidly between the languages ensuring no one felt left out and all voices were heard. 

As I look back on Project Fearless’s first launch of programs all I can say is I am incredibly grateful for the teachings of the past year! Most importantly from the amazing girls who joined us.

Here are 10 things I learned from 30 Fearless Girls:

1. the “small” things matter

They say, “it’s’ not what you do but how you make someone feel” and time after time small gestures were what made us all realize how true this was. We often heard girls saying to each other, “thank you for trying to speak Dutch (or English) to me” or “I’m really glad everyone was so nice here.” Or even a simple birthday card signed in messy markers by the class, brought the biggest smiles and an even bigger boost of confidence. 

2. Falling

…it hurts a lot less when you know your team is there to help you back up! 

3. Muffins! Muffins! Muffins!

There is something special about sharing a time to “break bread” or in our case pass around the muffin bag. These muffin breaks often became a time for us all to regroup during a busy skateboarding lesson or a moment for us to appreciate how strong our bodies are after a round of push-ups. A time for us to laugh, reflect, and recharge to take on the remainder of the afternoon.

4. Moving without limits

Sometimes it takes a 9-year-old to remind you, “it feels good to just move without being worried I’m gonna be told I’m doing this wrong.” Here’s to more moments of letting down your walls and move without limits! 

5. Everyone is nervous at the beginning and that’s ok!

One of the more unique things about Project Fearless is that we encourage girls to sign up without their friends. We can use this as an opportunity to meet new people without the social pressures (and social ranking) of who they may feel they need to be at school. Although it can be nerve-wracking to try something new without your “crew”, it’s a chance to practice being yourself and realize not only does being yourself feel good but also people will support and accept you for it! Plus, who doesn’t love meeting new friends? 

6. The 3 golden C’s

By week four it was clear our girls LOVED anything that incorporated Choreography, something Challenging, and Collaboration. “I liked it when we were challenged to try something new-it was hard but really fun!” “I loved learning the dance moves, now I can practice at home.” And anytime the three C’s came together was when the full magic happened. Both our skateboarding and Mind & Movement courses ended with the girls collaborating in small groups to create their own choreography and then challenging the rest of the team to try it. Lots of laughs, smiles and high fives ensued.

7. Be Yourself

…others will thank you. *A much larger blog post coming up on this (my favorite) topic. 

8. Share your fears

Being open about how something scared you, but you tried anyway and how it turned out, can really help someone else when they are a bit nervous to realize they aren’t alone. Here is a fun dinner conversation starter: What was the last thing you did that scared you, but you tried it anyway? And how did it turn out?

*Fun Fact: I threw up 3 times the day of our first course.

9. Bravery comes in many forms

Sometimes we so badly want to fit in with our peers that we will continue to do something even if we don’t like it. Whether it be staying in job that has a title everyone "oohs and ahhs" over, but is actually making you miserable or even hanging out with a group of people who you don't like just to look "cool" (my middle school years were full of this), people of all ages can recognize this uncomfortable feeling. It takes real courage and self-assurance to recognize what you don't like and make a change that feels better for you.

On week 6 one of our skateboarders came to me and said, "I don't think skateboarding is my thing. So is it ok if I stop and I just cheer people on instead?" I don't think I've ever smiled bigger- "OF COURSE, YOU CAN!" 

 

10. Role models at any age, for any age

I think a common misconception is that a "role model" must be older than you. Every week I was surprised by the insight someone 1/3rd of my age brought into this world, continuing to inspire and challenge my way of thinking. I'm happy to say at 31, I now have 30 new and very unique role models all below the age of 15. 

In all honesty, I could have written a 150-page essay about all the incredible learnings from the 8 weeks, but these 10 continue to pop into my head as I walk through every day. So, to the 30 pioneering Fearless girls- I thank you.

Our next courses start in February and I cannot wait for all the incredible Fearless Learnings of 2020, stay tuned.

Until then, hugs & high fives,

Mérida