What I learned after "surviving" for 72 hours without my phone or any access to the internet

When was the last time you turned off all the electronic devices for 3 days??

I don’t remember myself doing that. Ever…?

So…last weekend, I spent my first 3 full days and 3 nights without access to phones or any for of electronic technology.?

72 hours in the beautiful but cold Romanian mountains together with 3 friends and 7 other men.?

We had no map, no clock and we didn’t know where we were going.?

We had to fully trust the organizer of the event.?

Crazy enough??

It was cold, it was tough and it was dangerous.?

I wanted to give up every at least 2 hours. That’s around 36 times in 2 days.?

But…

Giving up was not an option from the beginning.?

On one hand, I committed to completing the 72-hour mission.

On the other hand, traveling alone was very dangerous. Did you know Romanian forests are full of Brown Bears??

There are 7,000 to 8,000 brown bears in Romania, the largest number of any European country aside from Russia.

But these were not the only reasons I didn’t give up…

The number one reason I didn’t give up was being part of a fantastic team with 10 other comrades…

Comrades that become friends fast…

Friends who became brothers during all those thought moments we went through together.

So why did I not give up??

Because we were a team. And not just in theory.?

When I felt I had to give up, I looked to men who looked physically weaker than me and saw them carrying big backpacks…

...some of them even bigger and heavier backpacks than mine.?

They were just doing what they needed to do. Without complaints, without asking for compassion or attention.?

There were moments when I was the last, and everybody waited for me.?

There were other moments when someone else struggled to keep up with the team. We waited for him, and nobody was left behind.?

Leaving someone behind was not an option either.?

I can’t stop my tears writing these words. And I learned this is ok…?

During the 72 hours, I learned that even some of the toughest men have tears in their eyes sometimes…

Sometimes, I wondered how some people can endure so much struggle in their lives…and still be not only functional but also successful and leading others.?

I learned that our bodies can endure much more pain than we imagine.?When the body gets tired...the mind jumps in to help.

And I felt it on my skin that even when the mind starts to reach its limits…

The soul, led by God, takes over and helps us take another step…pushing us to limits we never thought possible.?

During the most challenging moments in the forest…

Doubt turned into Confidence?

Fear turned into Courage

Anger turned into Fuel that helped us move forward?

Instead of looking for the phone, the hands found each other and helped me pray.?

Instead of calling for an Uber to avoid the cold, I asked the team to move slower or pause to change clothes.?

We helped each other build the shelters, shared food, and realized that working together can help us reach our goals faster.?

Multiple teams of 7-11 Men were involved in this experience. All of us carry different pieces of baggage…some heavier…some not so heavy.

And…I realized that the backpacks are not the heaviest things a man carries on his shoulders…

However, I realized that even if men come in different shapes, sizes, toughness, or backgrounds…

...they are all capable of carrying big or small baggage and being prepared to help others carry theirs when needed.?

If there is no way to give up… you simply won’t… It doesn’t matter how hard it is…?

One of my big lessons was that the right team will never let you fail…

....and being part of a team you trust and respect will make you want them to succeed, too.?

Because you are in the same situation together and heading in the same direction.?

I also learned to trust the one who leads…and to lead when it’s my turn to do so…

Not for pride or the title but for the good of the team and to make God’s will.

How is this translating into business??

I don’t know yet…?

But I have a lot of ideas. And I know what I want from a team and what I can offer to a team.?

And I know more than ever that one of the core values of my business remains RELIABILITY.

And this experience will for sure impact how I build my team and become part of other teams.?

I feel I need to show my appreciation and say thank you to my amazing, reliable marketing team. Sandra Popimoise and Florin Iacob ensured that all the campaigns ran properly and on time without me.?

My good thoughts go also to the amazing team that organized the event and made this experience possible: https://4mro.ro/