Influence of Hunting Experiences

The view from my tree-stand watching the sun rise

As I was sitting there feeling my heart beat stronger and stronger I thought to myself how I had been waiting for an opportunity like this!  The rush of adrenaline and nerves makes it hard for me to sit still and be patient.  My palms start sweating as my legs feel that they can't support the weight of my body any more.  For the last few years I have been working and preparing all year long waiting for this single moment and now it all boils down to right now... what happens next will be the determining factor.

My brother and I spending time in the outdoors!

If any of you are hunters, you have felt this way before while sitting in a tree stand or some other pursuit while hunting an animal.  This is an experience that I have come to love while hunting, especially archery hunting.  I can remember the first time I ever felt this way was when I was in my teens hunting with my dad and older brother chasing mule deer.  I can't tell you how wobbly I was when I was trying to hold my rifle still enough to even see the mule deer doe in my scope let a lone pull the trigger!  As the years went on I was able to control my emotions that came with "Buck Fever" enough to get a few trophies and memories.  These experience not only helped me later in my hunting but they also helped me control my emotions in my situation last week!

Last week I was asked to interview for a school counseling job I have working toward for years now.  As I was sitting waiting for my interview I felt myself experiencing "Buck Fever" even though I was sitting in an office surrounded by other people.  I chuckled a little bit about the correlation I felt between the two experiences and realized that even though they were very different, they were also very similar in nature!  I thought to myself that if I can control my emotions while hunting then why not try to do the same thing right now for this job interview.

This is my definition of studying at times :)

Long story short, I was able to do some of the same techniques I used while hunting such as visualization, controlling my breathing, etc. to calm my nerves before my interview... After the interview I reflected back on the experience and was extremely grateful that I was a hunter and was able to have experiences like this multiple times a year to help prepare me for this opportunity.  Later that day I received a phone call which turned into a job offer for the career I have been pursuing for some time now.  My person offering me the job talked to me about how confident and calm I came across in the interview which surprised me knowing how nervous I was for the interview.  Without a doubt, I attribute my hunting experiences, and the lessons I have learned while hunting, just as much as I do my schooling for preparing me for this job interview.  Never did I think that my hunting would eventually help me get a job but it did!  The lessons you learn from the outdoors are endless and invaluable.

And this was a lesson of what happens when I'm impatient... just hair nothing else