A growing number of visitors are taking Iceland holidays to see the country's impressive collection of natural wonders ? the kind you once heard about in a Geography classroom. The package holidays Iceland offers include walking on volcanoes and glaciers, swimming in hot pools, and seeing the place where the world gets wider.
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Holidays to Iceland offer a rare opportunity to witness a phenomenon that is usually concealed by 3,400 metres of Atlantic waters. A mid-ocean ridge crosses dry land here, so Iceland holiday makers get to see the join of two continental plates and the canyons that form where the ground is splitting. This means that as the plates grow apart Iceland is getting wider at a rate of about 5 cm per year.
Working-up a Lava
This creative power is evident in the nearby island of Surtsey. The island rose from the ocean floor after a series of eruptions between 1963 and 1968. The ?lava bombs? and volcanic material cooled and hardened to form one of the world's newest landmasses, at one point growing at the rate of an acre per day. Unfortunately there will be no holidays to Iceland's little brother; visits to Surtsey are restricted to those conducting scientific research.
Since a volcano erupts here an average of once every five years there are many chances for those on Iceland holidays to walk on a lava landscape: black rippled sheets of what once was lava, floods of basalt and ash, and fields of ?scoria?, which are areas of uneven ? almost bubbly ? volcanic rock. Some of those who take holidays to Iceland talk about how much it looks like a moon landscape.
Hot & Cold Running Water
But it's the eruptions occurring every five or ten minutes that will feature on the itineraries of most package holidays. Iceland is famous for its geysers, especially for those at the town of Geysir, after which the hot fountains are named. Some of these plumes spurt frequently; others do not show for years before blasting boiling water sixty metres into the air.
For the water moving in the other direction, Iceland delivers generously, too. The Gullfoss waterfall, and the ?Queen of Iceland? waterfall provide wonderful attractions for Iceland holidays; the thunderous Dettifoss goes one further, claiming the title of the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The volume of Iceland's water system is enhanced by meltwater drawn from its glaciers. Glaciers, too, are water on the move in a sense, but their power is less obvious at a glance. Though they appear hardly to move, their sheer size and the magnitude of erosion that they force upon the landscape (such as the fjords) is difficult to ignore.
More than a tenth of Iceland's area is covered by glaciers at some point during the year, so this provides ample opportunity for tourists to explore the strange and captivating ice-landscape. Iceland holidays might include hikes across a glacier, or organised trips on snowmobiles or a tour in larger vehicles across the larger glacial areas.
When glaciers meet the ocean they put on yet another show. Seeing and hearing their ice walls crumble into the water is quite a spectacle and boat trips to see this happening in the fjords can be added to some specialist holidays. Iceland is always in flux it seems, whether it is melting, moving, exploding or growing, it makes itself a prize destination for seeing this world's geological phenomena in force.
QUOTE: "Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." —Marianne Williamson
During a Mastermind session last week, I got clear on the ONE obstacle standing between me and doubling my business next year. Contrary to what I originally thought, it's not a lack of knowledge, of what to do next or a marketing challenge. I actually know exactly what to do to double my business. For me, it's a question of leveraging my time, my marketing and my resources so that I can help many, many more solo-preneurs get more clients, create systems for marketing, clean up their mindset and give them the tools and the permission to succeed. That's my purpose and it's fun for me.
What's actually been holding me back is something much more internal. It's the deeply ingrained fear that the bigger I get, meaning the bigger my business gets, the more I will make myself a target for criticism and "pot shots". Here's why:
For years, I've witnessed women entrepreneurs truly succeed and watched as others began to pick them apart, to criticize them and sometimes trash them, even when they didn't know them. Have you noticed that too? Ironically enough, it's usually other women doing the criticizing (instead of the supporting), and I'm sad to say, I've partaken in that sometimes too, even when I didn't know the person. I regret it, especially as I'm poised to be in the very same position sometime soon.
Somehow, it seems that the bigger in business you get, the more people feel entitled to take you down. My friend Valerie Hayes (PageantInterviewCoach.com) coaches her pageant contestant clients that as they become more of a ‘celebrity', they must recognize that they're now a target for gossip and to just "deal with it". As she says, it's just a part of human conditioning and that you can't do anything about it. It almost means you've "arrived", a signal of success.
What she also shared with me is that if people are criticizing you, it's almost never about you, but about them. When you put yourself out there in a BIG way, realize there WILL be a backlash. I believe it threatens or intimidates people when you have the courage to stand out a little bit more. It's that Tall Poppy syndrome that Australians talk about, meaning, tall poppies need to be cut down when they grow higher than other flowers in the field. Funny enough, poppies are one of my very favorite flowers and I have paintings of them in my office. Perhaps I was born to be a tall poppy. What about you?
The solution for getting over the fear of criticism from getting bigger is to come from a place of Compassion and Purpose. Compassion because I believe that deep down, people don't mean to be malicious, it's just their own "stuff" that comes up, feelings of inadequacy or jealousy, that they haven't arrived yet.
Their personal issues are not your problem, so ignore them, with compassion, especially if you've been there too at one point. And Purpose because, when you stay focused on the purpose for your business (helping OTHERS), then anything else becomes secondary, even if it hurts sometimes. Focus on your leadership and power as being something that SERVES others, not hurts others and you'll shine and then give others permission to shine.
In a battle between Fear of Criticism and Helping Others, courage will take you through the fear and into doing the right thing, despite what snippy people will say. The bottom line is, the ‘yummy' people will stay and that's all that matters: "Those Who Mind Don't Matter and Those Who Matter Don't Mind." – Dr. Seuss.
Your Assignment:
Have you been holding yourself back in marketing because of fear of growing too big and being criticized? You've heard me say this a thousand times: "It's your DUTY to get out there and market your services in a big way because it's your DUTY to help others." Your fear of criticism is simply your ego wanting to protect itself from the unknown, wanting you to stay small and stay safe. Fact is, it doesn't serve you or anyone else to stay small.
Look at fear in the face and start thinking about the worst-case-scenario. What's the worst that can happen if you get criticized a little? Would you die? Probably not. Would you survive? Probably yes. THEN, look at all the upsides to moving through your fear of growing your business bigger. List all the wonderful things that would come from it and live from THAT place. Remember, Successful People feel the fear, and they do it anyway. And now it's your turn (and mine). :)
If you're not sure what you need to do to get out there in a BIGGER way with your marketing, in the first place, then it's time to take action and invest in a step-by-step marketing system that will feel easy and authentic to you.
Both Vikki Beale & Fabienne Fredrickson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Vikki Beale has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure. Vikki Beale is a holiday expert for iceland2go, a specialist operator providing and Greenland. We provide luxury tailor-made itineraries and the finest. Vikki Beale's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.
Fabienne Fredrickson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Prospects, Business Cards and Acne Treatment. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids all the unnecessary stuff and instead gives you the most important things to do to get out there in a big way, set up simple, solid systems, so you consistently fill your pipeline and continually get n. Fabienne Fredrickson's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.