7 Lessons the Shamans Taught Me
Everything I’ve learned from a week off the grid, working with Shamans, can’t possibly fit into a single blog.
In fact, the true nature of what I’ve taken away from my latest adventure in the jungles of Costa Rica cannot easily be put into words at all. There’s a depth to the experience that has profoundly changed me, deepened me, and ultimately has connected me with my soul at a new level.
Within this new knowing, which I gained from the ceremonies, has emerged some ideas and insights. I think what I’ve learned are not only important discoveries for myself on a personal level, they translate into everything else and are applicable to every facet of life, so I wanted to share them with you.
Here are 7 lessons the Shamans, and my experience last week, taught me about life and business.
You cannot get there from here. Solving, fixing or innovating cannot happen in the same way the current situation was created. Just spending more hours doing the same things doesn’t yield breakthroughs (and oftentimes may yield less as burnout strikes). And yet, it seems the natural approach of many is to continue to do the same things while expecting new results: going to the same trade shows, maintaining the same sales strategy, keeping the same routine, all the while hoping (or maybe pretending) that this is going to be the day, week or year that makes the difference. Real change doesn’t happen unless you change the way you approach things. Sometimes that means taking time off working on something, or working on something else or maybe even changing who is working on it. If you want a transformative result, you cannot get there from how you’ve been approaching it today.
Trade in your resistance for acceptance. You cannot change the past and you cannot change what is. It’s time to stop fighting it. Moreover, it’s time to accept and even embrace what is. One of the Shamans had this beautiful saying: “A flute only plays music because it’s empty.” He went on to say, “If it was full of prejudices, limited perspectives or resentment there would be no music.” We are the same. Being in denial, even in small ways: not liking or addressing how a co-worker has done something, believing that you should be in a better, stronger, wealthier position than you are, or even refusing to deal with difficult things you know are coming… all of it leads to more pain and less growth in the long run. Words of truth lead to truth.
Chase the darkness. Or, as I would say it: Hunt Discomfort. When presented with two options: The easy path you already know you can do, or the harder path where you’re unsure of the result, take the latter. It’s only within the unknown, the dark corners of our life and being, that true growth takes place. Others serve as a mirror to see yourself. When you’re triggered, upset, confronted and uncomfortable, ask yourself: What are you learning in this situation? What darkness can you let go of? When you chase the darkness, instead of hiding from it, you become more open to creation instead of clinging to limitation.
Keep reflecting on who you’ve become. What kind of person would arrive in your current position? The answer is easy: You. It’s a hard truth to face that the situation that you’re in is exactly because of the ways you’ve developed to do, be and act. Of course, there are tough circumstances that happen seemingly at random. They can be nobody’s fault. But if you don’t spend time reflecting on how you’re responding, you can become stuck within a status quo. The Shamans had me realize that there is no end to this process. It’s a mountain we’re climbing that has no top. But by continually evaluating yourself and how you’re approaching things we can reach ever-higher.
Swap doubt for belief. It’s probably a very rare person that doesn’t have any doubts, for the rest of us we have a choice of what to do with those doubts. Doubts like if you’re going to be able to hit your goal, or if you can accomplish a certain task, or anything else. The perception of ourselves, those around us and the world must necessarily change as the world changes. We can either develop a deeper anxiety towards life, feeding into the doubt. Or, we can mature into a more complete understanding of it. Instead of reveling in the doubt, cultivate a conscious practice of belief. Spend time each day sitting with your doubts to swap them out for real belief that you have the ability to figure it out, #NoMatterWhat is thrown in your path.
Think from the head. Look from the heart. If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking a lot. And oftentimes, you’re thinking about the circumstances, the situation, the things we can see with our eyes. Those things matter, but it’s not where you can find what ultimately matters: The truth. I deepened my understanding in Costa Rica that the eyes see what the eyes see. But when we look from the heart we can see the true nature of things. It’s only when seeing and dealing with the true nature of things that a meaningful impact can be made.
Keep asking questions, or know you are the answer. There are infinite questions we can ask: Is this the right way? Is that person the right one for me? Am I doing what I’m meant to be doing? Questions on top of questions, on top of questions. No surprise given the infinite complexity of the universe around us. We can keep asking those questions ad nauseam. Or, you can realize that you are the answer. Within you, your potential, your approach, how you go about doing things is the only answer that you need. You can move forward with a direction and know that if it’s not right, you have more than enough ability to do something about it.
I’ll be sharing more details and experiences in the #NoMatterWhat Community on Facebook, if you want to join me. The community is a group of entrepreneurs, business executives, community leaders, and includes anyone looking to make a real difference. It’s a place to engage more deeply, sharing, discussing and inspiring all things around #NoMatterWhat, so I’ll look forward to meeting you there!
These 7 things are only a very small piece of what I’ve taken home from Costa Rica. There’s so much more I’m unable to put on paper that will shape my ideas, blogs and approaches in the future because it has changed, at some small level, who I am to begin with. What I do know is this: I’m back more grateful for who I am, more grateful for who you are, and more excited than ever to do more, achieve more and be more within this community and within the world, together.