Stopping over on your Journey of Self Discovery
Most long journeys involve a stopover. It’s meant to break your journey. You take a rest, recharge and refuel before taking off towards your ultimate destination. So why stopping over on a journey of self discovery?
Well… if you have ever decided to embark on this particular journey, you know that it could easily become the longest of your life. More importantly though, most people don’t live in a vacuum. We are all surrounded by others, some of which we are really close to. Our version of a different future involves them one way or another. Similarily, we play a role in their version of the future, too. So what about having a shared version of a future? This is where the stopover kicks in. The question now is how to make best use of our time while waiting for the connecting flight!
Enrollment is the answer. It requires a serious conversation to take place with an objective to make everybody feel safe. Don’t be mistaken. This is not about strategy or tactic. You establish a state, a feeling, a place to stand.
Let’s switch from theory to practice. Having spent 30 days in the safe environment of the altMBA program, I felt on track when it came to my own journey. However, I couldn’t just leave my lifelong companion behind, could I? So we had this conversation. Just the two of us. She lead it. I participated actively, yet not a single time did I even attempt to gain control. Practicing silence consciously kept her talking.
This is my version of the future!
And this is the role I could see you in next to me!
Man, this just blew my mind! Who was I to suggest that she didn’t have a clear idea of the future, whereas I obviously had my «plans» all spelled out… the only difference being that I couldn’t recognize much of what I was surrounded by. This just grounded and humbled me. How blind had I been all the time. This wasn’t the end, but a new beginning!
We are all prepared for the hard part when seeking enrollment. What if the hardest part was actually the preparation for it? Getting beyond fear. Communicating with one another. Playing this infinite game. Seeing each other then suddenly makes this mutual place in the future visible, describable, tangible, lovable.
This seems completely unreal. I just can’t grasp it. Why would this be possible now. Would it always have been possible had I only seen the opportunity? Maybe. Certainly.
The material benefit of taking a direct flight is the time saving. Yet, getting somewhere more quickly means potentially missing out on important discoveries along the way. Direct and fast might feel good for you. But “I” isn’t the only letter in self discovery… it very much ends with a “Y”, which I believe stands for YOU!
Wonders do happen! There are moments in life when it feels like you have just witnessed a complete miracle! This was one of those for me. My gratitude goes to altMBA and the fantastic people making up this unique community.
