Going on holiday?
When was the last time you took a holiday that was exciting, full of adventure and wonderment, compelling, inspiring, refreshing, liberating… ? How much did you pay to take that holiday? How long did it take you to prepare to leave, to travel to your mode of transport, to be delivered to your destination, to find your way around a foreign location, to pack to return, to travel to your mode of transport, to be delivered to your home destination, to travel home? Whew… I don’t know about you, but I’m already exhausted.
If you put sorting out kids, pets, plants, someone to watch your home, putting a hold on your mail, making sure everything is settled at work before you go and then addressing everything waiting for you at work upon your return, into the mix - it is compelling to stay home and not even take a holiday!
If you’re wondering why I’m writing to you about holidays, it’s because I want to share with you the last amazing holiday I took. You may want to consider it for yourself.
I went on a holiday last fall that took six weeks - well, an hour a week for six weeks. I wanted adventure, excitement, discovery, inspiration, relaxation, liberation and all the fabulous things a good holiday can deliver. I got a lot more than I bargained for. Let me tell you how it happened…
I prepared for my holiday by putting together the things I would need: a backpack and baggage; survival tools like food, water and matches; a tent with tools; and, I almost forgot, a sense of curiosity and adventure. I was told I’d be provided with a compass but that I could choose how and when I reached my destination. Sounded good to me…
When I first started my holiday, I was asked to do some work. I know, you’re saying work on a holiday??? Yep, work. But, hey, no holiday is complete without a little work. I had to haul my backpack and my baggage everywhere I went - there were no porters provided. I had to manage my time, my food and my supplies. I had to decide which direction I would head in every time I decided it was time to move from one point to the next. I was never lost as I had a compass to keep me going north.
What I found over the six weeks was that, as long as I did the work required, my baggage diminished, my load became lighter and I discovered myself in my adventure. The tour guide I was with got to know me very well over the six weeks and I found the experience liberating, fulfilling and exciting. The real bonus to it… I didn’t have to leave the comfort of my own home.
Okay… I can hear you saying, how can that be as it sounds like you did a lot of traveling and went on a major camping trip? Let me explain… my backpack was the tool I used to hold implements I could access at a moment’s notice to be effective in my experience. The baggage was all the stuff I’d been carrying with me over the years, even from my childhood, that kept slowing me down and holding me back. The tent was a recognition of my time and self management as it symbolised the fact that I had to provide, occasionally, shelter from my work and rest for integrating what I was learning about myself. The food, water and matches were those things that enabled me to keep going: food to sustain me, water to refresh me and matches to remind myself to light the fire of motivation, inspiration, and creativity. My sense of curiosity and adventure… necessary for giving myself permission to explore and consider possibilities. The compass provided by my host… The Foundation Course that is part of The Development Compass.
“Men [and women] go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars — and they pass by themselves without wondering.” - St Augustine
Most people find themselves paying thousands of pounds for the privilege of taking a holiday that they have to return from to get some rest and relaxation. I paid just a few hundred pounds for the privilege of true freedom! I have never been so relaxed, so calm, so free of everything that used to weigh me down! It has been an amazing benefit to me, my family, my friends and my work. Beyond that, this has given me an alternative work as I am now training to be a facilitator for The Foundation Course. Maybe I’ll be your tour guide one day!
If you’re looking for a holiday that is full of adventure and wonderment, exciting, inspiring, refreshing, liberating… sign up for The Foundation Course. You’ll be glad you did! BTW: If you’re concerned with your carbon footprint, this is a great way to take a holiday from the comfort of your own home and still reap the benefits of a traditional holiday and much more!
If you’d like to speak with me a bit more about my adventure, I’d be happy to share it with you. Feel free to drop me an email at jean@thedevelopmentcompass.com and I’ll share with you why I think this is something to get excited about!
