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The Journey and The Guide
It is a common thought that life is a journey, not a destination.
We say this because life has ceased to be predictable, certain and secure. It is much more a process of discovering what we need to know right now, every day.
Everyday, traveling along an unknown trail, means that the skills and knowledge we need are quite different than if we never left our home and ventured into the unknown.
As my work has developed over the years, I’ve come to realize that while my work falls into the broad category of consulting and coaching, my real service to people and organizations as been as a guide along an unknown trail of life and work.
What does a guide do?
Small Talk
Small talk are those random conversations that we have with people. Most of us are missing out on these chats because our lives are so regimented. Many people have closed themselves off to these random conversations. They feel exposed, vulnerable, that they must have something to say that impresses people. It isn’t that way. People aren’t interested in whether you can impress them. They just want to be treated with respect and dignity.
The Long View
Accounting for Time
Our measuring of time is not by the clock, but by the attention that we give it. If we sit down and become immersed in a really good book, we lose track of time. An hour or two flies by, and yet, we feel time has stood still.
However, if we live with our televisions always on one of the news channels, we begin to see the chapters of each day divided up in 3-minute segments. It becomes exhausting because, in order to claim your attention, there must be an emotional hook. It is hard to have a long view of our lives when our attention and our emotions are being turned off and on throughout the day. It is difficult to know where we are at any moment.
To account for the time that our lives spend, we need to establish a long view. From this perspective, we can take our time, learn as we go along, and not lose ourselves in rapidly fluctuating emotions. We gain focus and commitment to fulfilling some purpose that we can only see as the end of the long view.
Road Trips are for Thinking
I drive long distances to think. The side of my brain that is focused on safe driving allows for my creative side to think uninterrupted for long stretches of time and distance. I drive with a pen and my journal on the seat next to me. Yes, I do pull off the highway to write down notes. There is a kind of sorting out of thoughts that takes place for me as I drive.Today I begin a 50 day road trip across the country.This trip is more open ended. I have destinations, but no absolute route to take, and with that, the time to wander, and time to think.Here’s some of what I’ll be thinking about.
