“Awakening moments” are those pivotal moments that shape a person’s paradigm and changes the direction of their life. These life changing moments happen every day in the Outback wilderness for staff, students and therapists. While these moments are often small, they have big impacts on the lives of those experiencing them. These awakening moments are the foundation of Outback.
The hardest hike –
“I went into a girls group a few weeks after they had completed an extremely difficult hike. They all complained about the hike and talked continuously about how much they would never want to do it again. Later that day, as we sat around the campfire, I asked them to answer a few questions. I asked, “what is your most memorable experience at Outback?” All of them answered that the difficult hike was their most memorable experience. I then asked, “what has been the most 
rewarding experience at Outback? Ironically, nearly all of them reported that the same difficult hike was their most rewarding experience. When I asked them how that could be, they responded that even though it was the most challenging thing they had ever done, they felt a great sense of accomplishment after having done something so hard. They talked about the confidence they felt and the courage they felt in facing new challenges. This transitioned into a discussion about how the difficulties they experienced in life could be viewed in the same way. Rather than focusing on the negative impact of the challenge, they could focus on the positive possibilities.”
