Have you ever taken an intentional trip to a place that would require you to let go of your cell phone and connectivity? A place so different from you own that it resulted in your slowly letting go of your list making, your sense of scheduling, your attachment to getting things done and your sense of time and even place?

Have you ever immersed yourself into a culture so foreign that the language and alphabet where unrecognizable, that the sights, the smells, the food, the routines would stretch you to observe, learn and adapt on the spot? Where even your positioning in the power structure of the culture was dramatically different and forced you to change to be safe and appropriate? And a place where everyday amenities of your life were scarce?

If you have braved this kind of adventure what did you discover about yourself?

When you took yourself out of context and mastery of your own world, what emerged?

Did you show up in this new place as the person you want to be or did the disruption in your life cause you to struggle and resist?

You might be asking yourself right now, ‘Why would I subject myself to such a journey?” ” Vacation time is so precious why would I not go for comfort, security and familiarity?”

I would reply, ‘Because the journey into the unknown and unfamiliar might light up and illuminate something about you that you have lost or forgotten.’ ‘Something so essential yet dormant that needs this wake up call.’

I just returned from such a trip. When the offer to go to Jordon and join a community of individuals who also wanted to explore places unknown, be facilitated in letting go of the world for a while to explore one’s inner landscape and experience a Bedouin life style, I jumped at the opportunity.

If this same offer had come across my desk in the last five years I could not have said yes. My responsibilities would have prevented such an adventure. My physical health was not up to the challenge. My mental state absorbed by grief was not open to such an opportunity.

I knew I would be transitioning in my life after the passing of my second parent, my own aging process and exploration of how in my work I could be relevant in the world. Never did I imagine that such a transition would take years and not months; that my transformation from chrysalis to butterfly would be slow and steady, a sometimes dark walk toward my future — facilitated by the exploration of big questions.

I learned to wait patiently for the answers to emerge. I accelerated the process at the end by accepting the invitation to travel beyond my boundaries and my experience, to plumb the depths of my being and discover who I was becoming in this phase of my career and life.

I know that this sounds very ‘woo, woo’. It is and it isn’t. I did what I had learned when I was 17 and living in Sydney, Australia as a foreign exchange student. While in Australia I studied the Aborigine culture. Their connection to the earth and ability to live in community attracted me deeply. I recognized there is much to learn from indigenous cultures and that there were many parallels to the organizational systems I work with today and lessons to bring forward.

I always adopt a new habit from every cultural experience to which I am exposed. And from the Aborigines I chose ‘walk about’ as a way to find myself and my balance.

To ‘walk about’ is to take one’s self on a journey away from the known into the unknown and to reconnect with one’s self and one’s environment. To embrace a path that will challenge all of your routines and senses and require you to use all that you know to be adaptable and observant. It is to live in the simplest way without the trapping of your life. It is to quiet the noise and listen for your inner voice.

I traveled far for my ‘walk about’. And I return less in my head and more in my body. I am gentler with how I approach time and the day’s responsibilities. I am clearer with voicing my needs yet slower to put my voice in the mix. There is a ‘pause’ in my step.

I want to hold on to these feelings and new sensations. I want to step back into my life but not simply pick it back up as it was but slowly bring a new me to my relationships.

The re-entry from such an experience can be challenging but there are also lessons to be learned from the coming back to place.

I have seen ancient civilizations, sat on the ground for days, worn the same clothes, slept under the sky, mastered a few new words in Arabic, drunk tea and ate food prepared on the fire, bonded with new friends, learned from horses, traversed the desert on camel and so much more.

My bucket of life lessons and renewal is over flowing. I found the world that I traveled to – to be filled with kind, gentle and generous people who care about many of the same things that I care about. I felt welcome and safe everywhere we traveled. The world is a small place and people are people everywhere and goodness shines through.

I also deepened my knowledge of world events and witnessed the hardships of poverty and war. I met people working for international aid organizations who were endeavoring to contribute to solutions. I met women learning new skills to support themselves and their families. I sat quietly in their company as the call to prayer played in the background.

I am happy to be a world citizen. Grateful to have made the trek. Appreciative to have the means. And humbled by all that we take for granted.

My wish is that I hold onto these feelings and bring them to my work and working relationships. And I also recognize that I could make a ‘walk about’ without ever leaving my home if I am willing to open myself to the world immediately around me and slow down to connect.

How do you find your quiet?

Are you listening to your inner voice?

When was the last time you took yourself on a ‘walk about’?

Leslie

“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ~ Brené Brown