Step Through Fear (Glacier Landing - Denali, Alaska)

I must admit, #Alaska was never on my travel list. I thought it was too cold, and I really had never read any #travel magazine where an article on it was featured.

Boy, was I wrong.

It turned out to be one of my favorite vacations of all time - chalked with wildlife, amazing food, lush scenery, salmon fishing, iceberg site-seeing, a glass-top train and sleeping in an igloo to watch the northern lights (more on that in another article).

Of everything I've seen in the world, Alaska has my #1 favorite excursion - a bright red prop plane that lands on the glacier in Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. (I know, right!?) K2 Aviation | Denali Flightseeing & Glacier Landing Tours ( flyk2.com ) is who we used, and they were fabulous.

My husband was siked! I, on the other hand, made sure my bank accounts had beneficiaries lined up (seriously, I did). I was mortified to get in that plane. I'm not scared of small places, or of flying, but it seemed so dangerous.

I remember walking out onto the runway with 9 other people. I remember how cramped the seating was and that I had a hard time breathing. I was wearing several layers to stay warm (plus, I am over 6 feet tall). I popped a Dramamine. Then, the pilot closed the door.

Gulp. This was it. I am going to die.

Between some prayers and some closed eyes, the plane take off was like nothing happened. No bumps or loud noises. We floated above miles of color-changing trees, winding streams and wildlife, all effortlessly. It was a world apart from a commercial flight - so very peaceful.

After a while, we reached the mountain and the glacier. I had never seen such an amazing sight - majestic in its magnitude, covered in snow and sharp drop offs around glacier blue puddles. Simply incredible.

Once we landed, we all piled out of the plane.

Now, I was excited! I was alive!! And, on a glacier for the first time in my life. Cue the energy!

I will always remember that silence. No wind. The snow crunching when I walked and how cold my hands got taking pictures. It was serene beyond anything.

After about 30 minutes, we headed back to the airport. After I stepped out of the plane onto the concrete again, I told Chris, that was the best thing I have ever done.

As a leader, we often times need to remember that we are human, and fear is a real emotion. By stepping through fear, we are able to lead change. Change of mindset, operations, team members, organizations and...growth of ourselves.

• That difficult conversation could lead to a great relationship with the other person.
• That new project you're leading could lead to your passion.
• That employee who is challenging the status quo because it's simply how their mind works...what if they can lead your team to an entirely new innovation, just by being who they are.

Remember to lead through change by stepping through fear. Something amazing is on the other side. #IMSPIRE

Lead Where You Are.

Written and lived by Megan Billnoske, owner and founder of IMSPIRE, LLC. She specializes in working with leaders who are ready to have fun strengthening their leadership skills, unleashing team performance and delivering legendary ROI.

In her 12-year corporate career, she's trained 14,000+ leaders, had 27 bosses, launched 14+ brand new training programs, led countless international teams, worked in 12+ industries throughout the globe and loves what she does.

Services:

• DiSC
• Training development
• Instructional design
• Facilitation (virtual and in-person)
• Project management
• Coaching
• Mentoring
• Speaking

Contact Her Today: Website, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram