As an accountant, when I see money leave my account, my brain classifies it automatically: cost, personal deduction, asset or liability. But this weekend’s bootcamp retreat went in a different column: investment.
I thought I’d move my body, enjoy the beautiful Spanish nature on a long walk and maybe make some friends. Instead I found myself among nine women of different nationalities. In investment terms, that’s a well-diversified portfolio, and every one of them added something to mine.
Discipline. Three Bulgarian women showed me what discipline looks like in practice. One of them went from an injury that left her unable to lift her arm to becoming a mobility coach who pole dances as effortlessly as a grandma in a Moldovan village cracks sunflower seeds and gossips at the gate. I left wondering what I could rebuild if I trained my habits the way she trained her body.
Foundations. I was taught how to walk. Literally. We talked about shoe quality and how to place my feet. I realized that even the basics I’ve never questioned can be audited.
Borrowed experience. I had a great conversation with a Brazilian entrepreneur who turned her passion into a Pilates studio. She was generous and honest about what running a business in Valencia really takes.
Respect for time. An American TV producer who has worked with stars in LA shared stories about how differently people treat others’ time. Some treat it as a free resource. Others pause everything to check on the crew. In accounting terms, some people only count their own hours. I strive to be someone who counts everyone’s.
Self-worth. A South African woman with a remarkable career as a casino COO told a story about receiving a beautiful gift with no strings attached. The takeaway: I don’t have to earn every good thing by paying for it in some other currency. Sometimes I can simply receive it.
Physical Capital
The best-performing asset of my weekend: I did a headstand with my legs straight.
Full disclosure: with one fingertip of support from the mobility coach. As a tax advisor, I’m obliged to declare the fingertip.
I also nailed a crow stand, which means balancing my knees on my elbows and hovering like a very determined frog. It might look effortless, but it felt like a negotiation between my wrists and my fear of landing on my face.
Market Volatility
On the way to the hike, we stumbled straight into the Fiestas del Pilar. For our safety, we went behind barriers, caged to be protected from the bulls.
It was exciting to be surprised by that kind of serendipity. But it also felt unnecessary. Why stress an animal that just wants to be left alone? It reminded me of day-trading crypto at 02 in the morning: lots of adrenaline, lots of noise, and the main return is stress. I’ve been reminded that not every thrill is worth the volatility.
The Dividends
My real returns were all the conversations in between: the laughter, the deep stories, the motivations.
The weekend taught me to hear stories from a different angle. Like attempting a candlestick pose and suddenly seeing everyone’s pedicure upside down. Nothing builds intimacy like a group candlestick pose, where your view of the world is reduced to nine pedicures pointing at the sky.
We had long, honest conversations about motherhood, timing, readiness and struggles.
That’s the part I can’t price. When I truly listen to people, I don’t just collect their stories. I borrow their angles on life, and I come back seeing mine differently. That’s wealth to me: not only what I count, but what changes how I see.
My Weekend Balance Sheet
Costs
- Retreat fee: €500
- Pride: written down to zero after being taught how to walk
- Wrists: have filed a formal complaint, currently under review
- Fear of falling on my face: partially liquidated
Returns
- Crow stand: frog status officially achieved
- Nine masterclasses… and all these without receiving a single invoice
Net result: Wealthier, wiser and slightly sore.
Your Turn
Who has added the most to your spiritual portfolio lately? A stranger, a teacher, a friend who said one sentence you still think about?
Diversified and grateful,
Irina
