Bug-off!

In my teens, I was an enthusiastic canoeist for two weeks each summer at Lake of the Woods, near Kenora (a small city in Northern Ontario). Surrounded by wilderness, I could be counted on to:

• build an exceptional fire;
• gunnel a canoe;
• perform a canoe-over-canoe rescue; and
• more impressively, tolerate the clouds of mosquitoes that followed me into the bush while collecting firewood.

All that held true until one year, in my late-teens, when those blood sucking pests finally paralyzed me with fear and stopped me from enjoying the woods. The pride and competitive spirit of counting who had more mosquito bites or the most infected bites came to an end.

Since then, I have easily gone into a panic when swarmed by bugs. Especially salt-water mosquitos - the worst of a bad lot. I have done my best to avoid wooded areas, be out at dusk, or to sit outside without a fire burning.

This weekend black flies were out in huge numbers in the countryside. I was desperate to go for a hike and enjoy a fabulous June day. And sitting on a ledge near the doorway I saw a can of OFF!  It promised 8-hour protection to prevent mosquitoes, black flies, ticks, chiggers, biting midges and deer flies from eating you alive. 

Over more than a thirty year period, mainly because of health concerns, I had never considered using OFF.

I took the can outside, sprayed myself liberally and went for a spectacular long hike. I enjoyed each minute. There was no stress from mosquitoes or black flies hounding me. I was a free spirit in the country.  It felt like Lake of the Woods!

This on-the-spot decision made me reflect on how we go about making choices and meeting our needs. 

And here's the nub: A simple solution - OFF - freed me to think about far more important things than the cloud of mindless bugs hovering above my head. 

Wishing you a bug-free summer,
Coach Minda

Working with me is a great way to discover new things about yourself and uncover what you really want in life. Coaching helps you to discover possibilities you may not have known, then set goals and create plans, and work through any roadblocks along the way.

Disclaimer: I do not promote the regular use of DEET based repellents and if it works for you, use other less toxic insect repellents available.