Light – the country of Saints, Yogis, Swamis, Rishis, Sadhus, and Monks, the variety of religions, existing peacefully beside each other, and the many, many temples, mosques, and churches representing them. India seems to be THE most religious and spiritual country. Darkness – beggars, [read more...]]]> Today’s Reflection is about a beginning of a whole new adventure.

Light – the country of Saints, Yogis, Swamis, Rishis, Sadhus, and Monks, the variety of religions, existing peacefully beside each other, and the many, many temples, mosques, and churches representing them. India seems to be THE most religious and spiritual country. Darkness – beggars, often kids, slaves, millions of people living in slums, or on the streets. Such daily reality of everyday life seems to be normal in India. 

A three-week adventure
Stepping into the unknown
Courageous messenger
A precious gift to be shared.
To 116+ lucky strangers.

These are the opening lines of a poem and a card my beloved handed to me as I was packing my way to India. “This one you can open now, but only after you board the plane.” The other two cards have future dates for them, and I wonder what gifts do they hold for me.

India. A country that has been in my mind for a very long time, creating a mysterious push and pull at the same time. My interest in Eastern philosophies and teachings, many years of practicing yoga, the love for vibrancy of colours, smells, and people, the ancient history – all captured my imagination with a firm grip that wouldn’t let go. The pull.

With that, there was the other aspect as well, the push. Perhaps not very logical, as these often are. The sensory overwhelm, the poverty and crowdedness, the fact that pretty much every friend of mine who has spent any time in India, came back with some kind of a disease or a parasite.

This cheek-to-cheek dance of the push and the pull has been percolating within me for quite some time, and somewhere around the beginning of last year, I decided that I will simply have to go to India and stop this dance. Face the reality. Smell the chai tea. Overload my senses. What I didn’t know was the form this decision will take, which currently looks like a bit more of a gentle ease into meeting India than a backpacking trip I had imagined. I am arriving to teach a course at the School of Inspired Leadership, SoIL, which is located just outside of New Delhi. Then, when I am done with a two-week full time course with about 116 MBA students, I will have a few days to explore…

Let go of your agenda
Of how things ‘should’ be
Be scared, anxious and frustrated
And then turn your face towards the sun
And say, ‘Thank you.’

A trivia question – how many cars can fit into one lane? The answer will vary, depending on the moment of the day. For instance, in New Delhi on a Sunday (“Sir, this is not crowded traffic today,” according to my taxi driver Pankaj), it can be any combination of several cars, a tuk-tuk (aka riksha), a bicycle or two, a few people crossing the street amidst the cars, the occasional dog, a pig, and a cow. Magically, they all fit together, flowing side by side, seamlessly weaving in and out, without even touching each other.

So far, after about a day and a bit in India, I am seeing a paradox in action, on a moment to moment basis. Modern high-rises and sophisticated office buildings rising into the sky, while the roads to them are not paved and people are living on the streets around the construction sites. A bicycle loaded with everything from plastic pipes to metal construction rods to bags of “whatever” trying to speed up amidst buses that are falling apart and mercedes cars passing by. A lovely old British-style cottage of my hosts, where I am staying while I teach, with beautiful – and cold – marble floors and heavy wood, and the house-keeper and his assistants who stay up all night, outside, awake, warming themselves by a little fire they build on the street across the gate.

The duality is everywhere, and people seem to not even notice it exists. Or, perhaps they do, yet it appears completely natural in its rich and vibrant tapestry of the human experience. Light and darkness, each giving existence to the other.

Thank you.

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.

Another year has gone by, seemingly quite fast. Or, perhaps, it is simply the case because it was such a rich and full year, with many exciting ventures, adventures, and people finding their way into my life. As I have been completing the [read more...]]]> Today’s Reflection is about the gifts of 2011. Well, some of them.

Another year has gone by, seemingly quite fast. Or, perhaps, it is simply the case because it was such a rich and full year, with many exciting ventures, adventures, and people finding their way into my life. As I have been completing the last year, and peering into the crystal ball of what the next one might bring, I thought about gratitude for the gifts 2011 brought my way. Sometimes gently, and at other times, not so much.

“One of the greatest mysteries of our current state of consciousness is how we can live in a world where absolutely nothing is fixed, yet perceive a world of ‘fixedness.’ But once we start to see reality more as it is, we realize that nothing is permanent, so how could the future be fixed? How could we live in anything but a world of continual possibility?” – anonymous

Dear 2011,

Thank you. I know I have been saying it for some years now, to all your younger siblings, who came and left before you, and you might think that I am “just saying it.” I am not. Thank you, for you have been the best one yet. Perhaps not the easiest or the smoothest ever, yet I think that, by now, I am almost at peace with the fact that this is not how my life is going to look like.

I know I was asking for international travels and adventures, and for some reason thought it would be Japan. It wasn’t. There was a week in Istanbul, which was wonderful. Yet, much more importantly, in a few short weeks, I will be heading to India to teach a 2-week course, and then spend a few days exploring New Delhi – if I have any energy left, that is, after teaching a group of almost 120 MBA students at the School of Inspired Leadership (http://soilindia.net). You obviously knew of my long-standing push-pull turmoil towards India, and decided that I need to get off this particular fence. Thank you.

I have been contemplating, for quite some time now, as to how my 10 years of work in the area of life purpose and vocation will combine with my dissertation of the PhD in Eco-Psychology. You obviously did not. All it took you is to set me up with one very random conversation with one of my students, in June, and over 15 minutes or so, the clarity emerged – and Right Livelihood Quest (http://www.RightLivelihoodQuest.com) was born and is happening. Thank you (though, I am curious – how is it that it was so easy for you?)

You, dear 2011, have a sense of the people I need to have in my classes and facilitation work. All these students and clients are absolutely incredible – passionate, committed, engaged, and resistant in just the right areas for me to struggle and learn more about myself. I am deeply grateful for you for this one, as you kept sending the right people on my path.

You obviously talked to your younger siblings before you arrived; otherwise, how could you have known to send me such wonderful friends, new and existing, who kept reminding me of the importance of belonging to a community. And not only friends, but also professional collaborators. You obviously knew that I have been doing my work on my own for a long time, and wanted to collaborate and co-create with others. Well, the people I have been working with this year are incredible, and it is a true blessing to co-create transformational learning experiences together.

And then there is this relationship thing. I know, I know – I said I was ready for one. It is just that, sometimes, theory and practice are quite different. I really could not have imagined the learning I will be facing in this one. It is deep, rich, inspiring, loving, confronting, challenging, and has a way of questioning quite a few of my set ways of being. This next level of “loving as a way of being” is beautiful, juicy, and not always easy. Still, I am truly grateful to you for this one.

“Surely, the function of relationship is to reveal the state of one’s whole being. Relationship is a process of self-revelation, of self-knowledge. This self-revelation is painful, demanding constant adjustment, pliability of thought-emotion. It is a painful struggle, with periods of enlightened peace.” - Krishnamurti

Thank you for bringing me exactly what I need, when you think I need it, even when it might be not exactly how I thought I wanted it. I’d like to say that I am learning to trust, and have no doubt your next-in-line sibling, 2012, will make sure I keep learning this particular lesson. Apparently, I can be a slow learner.

Wherever you are now, 2011, I deeply appreciate all that you brought for me, and am looking forward to your older sibling, 2012.

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.

I think this particular chapter, or practice as they call it, should come with a warning. It needs to say something along the lines of, “Warning: Once you read this chapter and truly grok [read more...]]]> Today’s Reflection is about what Benjamin and Rosamund Zander call “Being the Board,” in their timeless masterpiece – The Art of Possibility.

I think this particular chapter, or practice as they call it, should come with a warning. It needs to say something along the lines of, “Warning: Once you read this chapter and truly grok it, life will never be the same again. You will never be able to blame anyone for anything, whether you like it or not. Especially when not. You will have to face the fact that you play the lead part in anything that is happening in your life, whether it is happening to you directly, or to those around you. Especially when you don’t like what is happening to them. You will forever forfeit the sentence, ‘I had nothing to do with it’ in any flavour or variation of it. The scope of your personal ownership and accountability will expand exponentially, and oftentimes, this will suck – while you are learning to accept and own this expanded scope. Back doors will permanently close. Everything around you will become a mirror, reflecting your oh-so-non-flattering blind spots of yours. This truth will set you free, eventually. But first, it will really piss you off. Think again before you turn the page, and read at your own risk!”

Something along these lines.

“Of all the virtues we can learn, no trait is more useful, more essential for survival, and more likely to improve the quality of life than the ability to transform adversity into an enjoyable challenge.” - Mihalyi Csikszentmihaly

I have been using this book in teaching a variety of courses over the years, in areas of Coaching, Leadership and Personal Development, and alike. The book is a gem, and the various chapters and practices have always been tremendously valuable. Both to students and to myself. Right now, apparently, the Being the Board chapter needed to be a reminder for me. And not for the first time. Strange how we tend to forget some lessons…

In the classroom, Being the Board means that everything any participant is going through, has a direct connection to what I am doing and, even more importantly, who I am being in that moment. This has been a very rich lesson to keep learning, and I am glad to say that it has slowly been finding its way into my “classroom.” Yet, this might be the easier part of the lesson, merely the preparation for the next phase.

I have known about this particular lesson in various other contexts as well. Still, there really is nothing like a relationship to bring the lesson “closer to home.” As “in your face” close to home, staring me in the eye, noses touching, breaths merging into one. And, when I am facing such a reminder, the answer to “Have I really caused it?” is not the easiest nor pleasant to absorb.

“The Universe operates on a basic principle of economics: everything has its cost. We pay to create our future, we pay for the mistakes of the past. We pay for every change we make… And we pay just as dearly if we refuse to change.” - Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson (Dune: House Harkonnen)

The truth is slowly and ever so gently setting me free. Yet, because of the cyclical nature of my life, I suspect it is not for the last time.

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.

I am designing a process and an experience for a class I will be teaching sometime in February of next year. Well, perhaps it is more accurate to say that I am contemplating it, rather than actually “designing.” I really don’t [read more...]]]> Today’s Reflection is about that interesting place, on the edge of chaos and order.

I am designing a process and an experience for a class I will be teaching sometime in February of next year. Well, perhaps it is more accurate to say that I am contemplating it, rather than actually “designing.” I really don’t know why am I doing it right now, as the class is still so far away, especially for someone like me who is deadline oriented. This means that I am normally planning the workshop during the introductions and pack on the way to the airport. Yet, while February is still very far away, the thoughts are here, and I am following where they lead me.

“Man knows himself only to the extent that he knows the world; he becomes aware of himself only within the world, and aware of the world only within himself. Every object, well contemplated, opens up a new organ of perception within us.” - Goethe

How does one plan a class, a learning process, and an experience that is oriented around not knowing? Whether we call it some delicious and enlightened terms, like  “beginner’s mind,” being on the edge of chaos and order, or embracing the mystery, the fact remains the same. Being in the space where we don’t know is not a place we visit very often, given that we like to know, like predictability, and like comfort. Such place, of not knowing, is not very conducive to embracing the void, the mystery, and its shadows.

What does “not knowing” really mean and look like, anyway? I am thinking about a state of deep presence and deep listening to what wants to emerge in the moment, moment to moment, without relying on any of the past knowledge and experience one can often bring forward. There is a flavour of innocence in such a state, whereby everything shows up as new, fascinating, and friendly. Trust. Curiousity. Wow!

Not knowing means allowing myself to open up to the experience of the moment.

Not knowing means saying yes to the innocence and the curiousity of a child that is sitting dormant within us.

Not knowing feels freeing and liberating. Scary and vulnerable too.

Not knowing means being open to the gifts the moment has up its sleeve.

Not knowing invites, or perhaps seduces, to love this space of the ever evolving now. Now. Now.

Not knowing nudges me to gently let go of all the layers of my beliefs, thoughts, and judgments, and lovingly feel the spirit that is within and all around me.

Not knowing reminds me that I take for granted way too much too often, as opposed to being grateful for this breath.

Not knowing shows me that at the center of it all, there is a direct, rich, and indescribable experience of love.

“Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be foresighted enough to trust the end result of a process. What does patience mean? It means to look at a thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn. Impatience means to be so shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome.” - Elif Shafak, “The Forty Rules of Love”

Who knows… perhaps no brilliant ideas will show up, and I will come to class without preparing anything, simply allowing the class to emerge and take its shape and form in the moment. Luckily, I still have time.

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.

I think that, ultimately, we never really know when it is time for something to happen. Sure, we can make plans, prepare, get things done, and line up all our ducks in a row. There certainly is value in that. We can also trust, [read more...]]]> Today’s Reflection is about a new baby being born. Of sorts.

I think that, ultimately, we never really know when it is time for something to happen. Sure, we can make plans, prepare, get things done, and line up all our ducks in a row. There certainly is value in that. We can also trust, be open and present, and truly listen to what the Universe is whispering to us.

I wrote about the Right Livelihood Quest in the July Reflection (http://www.simongoland.com/on-a-right-livelihood-quest/), when preparing for the first two groups and their process. Well, somehow it is almost November by now, and a lot has happened between then and now. It often does. Summer came and left, Fall is making an appearance and slowly, yet persistently, is guiding everything towards the Winter. Throughout all this time, the Right Livelihood Quest emerged and materialized, taking a very concrete, tangible, and incredibly impactful form.

The exploration of this theme, whether you call it Right Livelihood, Life Purpose, vocation, or the Meaning of Life, has been with me for about 10 years. Both personally on my own journey, and also with many others I had the opportunity to work with. It was a source of reflections and contemplations, frustration and agony, passion and inspiration, and probably everything in between. Like on a true journey with no destination nor clear and conclusive answers, the road was winding, twisting and turning this way and that, taking me to places both inside and outside of myself that I had no idea even existed, keeping me engaged. As long as I kept walking, which I did. At least, for the most part.

There were times I innately knew hat a different form is wanting to emerge. However, forcing it did not work. Imagine that! Emergence cannot be forced. It can be invited, or perhaps seduced, yet, as with any invitation, one needs to be patient because, well, emergence operates on her own terms and timelines.

“Listening is hard work. The discipline of paying close attention to ourselves, to the vital signs that blip across the screen of our lives in forms such as dreams, intuitions, feedback, and longings, will help us know what our calls are. This practice of listening will tell us what’s true and what’s not, when to proceed and when to postpone, whom to trust and whom not, which direction to take at the crossroads, whose voices are brawling in our heads, what’s right for us and where we’re willing to be lead.” – Gregg Levoy

There is a story about Picasso and one of his exhibits. A woman is visiting, and is  standing in front of one of his paintings, with him standing beside her. “How long did it take you to paint it?” she asks. “About an hour,” he replies, “and all my life.”

It feels somehow similar, with this Right Livelihood Quest. After these 10 long years, the actual form, and the whole process really, emerged after a 10-minute conversation with one of my students, over a glass of wine. Perhaps it was that particular wine that helped the seduction. A seemingly casual conversation, about him wanting to keep exploring his right livelihood over the summer, and me offering to be of support and suggesting a couple of books to read, a few activities to do, and questions to contemplate. Then an idea of doing it with a group of people entered the conversation. He sent an email later than night, to some other students he thought would like it as well. Within about a week, we had 60 people who expressed interest, two separate locations were offered, and everything became clear. Emergence finally said yes.

“If you bring forth what is inside you, what you bring forth will save you. If you don’t bring forth what is inside you, what you don’t bring forth will destroy you.” – The Gospel of St. Thomas

Perhaps when the stars finally align for us, and decide that we are indeed ready for the next phase on our journey, everything does become easy.

The baby, Right Livelihood Quest, is finally born and is stepping into the light. The father is feeling excited and ready for what’s next, after a long labour of 10 years.

All the details are here: http://www.RightLivelihoodQuest.com . Drop by for a visit. Share with family and friends. No limit per customer. No MSG added. Has been tested on other humans, with incredible, inspiring, and humbling outcomes. Spread the word.

And, while on the topic of spreading the word, this coming Tuesday, November 1, at about 9:30 AM Vancouver time, I will be interviewed on a local radio station about this topic of right livelihood. The interview will be short, about 10 minutes. My first one ever on a radio. Tune in to http://radioshalomvancouver.weebly.com/ , using the “Listen Live” icon on the web page.

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.

The River of Life is a powerful metaphor to one’s life journey. I use it with new incoming students of Bainbridge Graduate Institute when we gather for 5 days of an orientation to the program and introduction to Leadership and Personal Development (a course I have been [read more...]]]> Today’s Reflection is about yet another wake-up call.

The River of Life is a powerful metaphor to one’s life journey. I use it with new incoming students of Bainbridge Graduate Institute when we gather for 5 days of an orientation to the program and introduction to Leadership and Personal Development (a course I have been teaching there for a long while now).

Students get into small groups and spend time sharing their lives, sharing stories about their moments of twists and turns of their rivers of life. I ask them to pay particular attention to the moments when they encountered rapids, turbulent white water, and other obstacles our lives so graciously present us with, when we need to learn a new lesson, or perhaps review an old one.

When floating down the river, there are times we all get complacent, put the paddle in our lap, and allow the river to take its course and carry us somewhere, while we take a time-out, observe the scenery, or perhaps take a nap. Oftentimes, this is when a wake-up call shakes us out of complacency, reminding us to be vigilant, present, and clear that the river is not to be underestimated.

“Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven’t loved enough.” – Elif Shafak

I received one of these recently, in a form of a BIG rapid. The interesting thing about this particular wake-up call is the fact that I knew I was heading towards this particular rapid. It is called a relationship, of the “romantic intimate kind.” Someone (Andre Gide perhaps) once said that life has two ways of dealing with our wishes; one is to deny these, and the other is to grant them to us. In our more modern lingo, the “be careful what you ask for…” phrase comes to mind. After all, wanting a rich, deep, authentic, intimate, and vulnerable relationship is one thing. Being in one and making it so is quite different.

It is nearly impossible to head towards such a turbulent rapid in the river and remain dry. Such turbulence allows me to gain new appreciation to the forces that surround it and carry me deep towards the center of it, which – from the little I really know about white water rafting – is the only way to go through. It is about getting wet, saying yes, tuning in to forces much greater than my own individual self, and letting go, yet again, from what I think I know about my River of Life. Only then will I learn something new, beautiful, and transformational in its core.

I think I see you, rapids. Here I come.

September 10 was the day of Tobi’s birthday. He turned 8. Strange how the “official” organizations in North America now categorize dogs of this age as “seniors;” I guess this is what happens to dogs with all the [read more...]]]> Today’s Reflection is about a lifelong period of 8 years of a life with a precious companion.

September 10 was the day of Tobi’s birthday. He turned 8. Strange how the “official” organizations in North America now categorize dogs of this age as “seniors;” I guess this is what happens to dogs with all the inbreeding and manufactured food that they are being subjected to. While Tobi is perhaps not a “formal” puppy any more, he is much closer to that, than to being a senior. Except, perhaps, for the increasing moments of “selective hearing,” which seem to show up every time I am in a hurry and he is not. Otherwise, he is still a puppy in his behaviour, personality, and energy.

And what a gift it is to be in the presence of.

“It is by not always thinking of yourself that you might someday be happy. Until you make room in your life for someone as important to you as yourself, you will always be lonely and searching and lost.” – Richard Bach

8 years does feel like a lifetime when I think about all our time together, the experiences, and the moments of learning I have gone through with this four-legged, cold-nosed, tail-wagging angel, guide, teacher, and a role-model. Both about life and about myself. Tobi has this quiet, gentle, yet persistent way of teaching me his lessons, with a lot of patience which I, apparently, sometimes need. He doesn’t care that I can be a slow learner, because he is always present and in the moment and is all too happy to keep repeating the point, until I eventually get it.

I’d like to say that I do. I know that playing and having fun needs to be high priority in one’s life. “The highest,” Tobi will say, and I will have to put aside whatever it is I am occupied with and focused on, and go play. Perhaps not surprisingly, walking away from that “whatever,” even for a few moments of play, does wonder to my creativity and focus, once I come back to it.

So is being open, utterly trusting, and loving unconditionally, in the moment, regardless of what happened a moment ago. Don’t think I have mastered this one yet, though have been getting better in this area over the years. “There is hope to you yet,” agrees my tail-wagging guru.

It is very important to know what one truly wants and keep asking for it until you get it. This one I do quite well, most of the time. “True,” agrees my teacher, “but only to the extent that it does not contradict the one above, on playing.”

“I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, only more love.” – Mother Theresa

The next one is the key, the most important of them all. Love really is the foundation and the operating principle behind anything and everything. It sources everything, every action and every thought, and I can see how it really is the way Tobi lives his life. Daily. As for me… well… I can only say that it is much better than what it used to be, once upon a time. My wise role model wags his tail in agreement, and sends a deep sigh to the Universe, which probably means that he is lucky to have so much patience for me.

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.

Savasana is a yoga pose, often referred to as the “resting pose,” and is typically done at the end of the session. Lie flat on your back, slowly lift each leg and arm and then let them drop wherever, close your eyes, [read more...]]]> Today’s Reflection is about passion, pace of life, and yoga. In a way.

Savasana is a yoga pose, often referred to as the “resting pose,” and is typically done at the end of the session. Lie flat on your back, slowly lift each leg and arm and then let them drop wherever, close your eyes, and breathe. Allow yourself to feel the gravity gently embracing your whole body, merging with the floor, and allowing each muscle to fully rest and relax. Keep breathing though. While this resting pose does sound easy, it actually is not.

“To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.” – Marilyn vos Savant

Savasana is not about stretching out on the floor and falling asleep, as tempting as it can be, after a good yoga session. It is about truly relaxing, while allowing the body to integrate the experience of the session, to listen, to remain relaxed yet present and fully alert. A contradiction of sorts, perhaps, yet absolutely necessary for ongoing growth, renewal, and rejuvenation.

Much like in life really. And, much like in life, we often skip this phase, because the next thing is here, knocking on our door. A new idea, an inspiring project, pending tasks. Life.

How familiar it currently is in my life, as I think about my month of August. There was a Bainbridge Graduate Institute (www.bgi.edu) faculty retreat, where we finalized a whole new curriculum, going away from the notion of separate courses, and into a much more holistic and integrated way of creating our learning experiences. Then, there was my yearly Summer Gathering event at Hollyhock on Cortes Island. An event of connection, heart, deeply saddening moments when looking at the state of the world, and also beautiful moments of inspiration and celebrations of the work many passionate individuals are doing in the world. Oftentimes, despite all odds.

And then there is the Right Livelihood Quest, which I just finished. Two groups of participants, two 5-week journeys that culminated with a full 3.5 days weekend-long retreat for each group. Tremendous gratitude, inspiration, and humility for facilitating and witnessing a process that was rich, deep, evocative, fun, inspirational, and transformational – all at the same time.

The participants walked away with a rich blend of validation, clarity, new opening, presence, peace, and passion for the way forward in their lives. Life Purpose, Vocation, Right Livelihood – all talk about the same thing really. Why am I here? What task, or rather, mission, has life been preparing me for?

“Those who have a ‘why’ can survive almost any ‘how’.” – Goethe

There has been so much for me to absorb and digest from this month of August, yet I cannot do it just yet. At least, not fully, to the depth I feel the craving for. There are several immediately pending tasks that need to be done by September 10. I am on it – truly, madly, deeply. Still, I want my savasana. Now. Only I think I will have to wait about two more weeks. As I said before, life…

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.