Dear friends,
I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a bit.....but I've got so many great stories to share. I just returned from a two week travel extravaganza starting in Albuquerque New Mexico and ending in Costa Rica. Because I have things to share from each piece of the journey, I'll pair them out into multiple posts this week. Cool?
So after an amazing weekend at the
World Wellness Weekend conference where we taught 17 classes in two days, I arrived back to LAX only to depart again for Costa Rica at 1:50 am. As I started to board the plane, I had a difficult time figuring out whether I was feeling uncomfortable because I was exhausted or if it was because I was heading off to a foreign land. Hmmm....probably a bit of both. Add the equation the fact that I was traveling alone, I had no cell phone (the first time in 10 years), I wasn't exactly clear where I was going once I landed, and my Spanish was rusty (at best). As I waited in line, I felt unusually out of my element. Interesting.
When I arrived in Costa Rica the next morning after getting a few hours of shut-eye, my discomfort elevated as I got lost in the airport looking for the baggage claim. Jeez, 5 minutes in and I was already confused. What can I say? All the signs were in Spanish!!
Once I finally made it through customs, I found someone holding a sign for the
ANH conference I was attending. Phew....some certainty (funny how much better that made my mind feel). As I sat in the shuttle waiting to take off, I realized that my anxiety came from not having the ability to communicate. Interesting how that works. It made me appreciate how important it is to teach people how to get clear on what they need so that they can express themselves in such a way that increases the chances of them getting what they want; and just by bringing this conversation into my awareness lessened the fear energy behind it.
Often times, just acknowledging what's happening in your consciousness without building a story around it dampens the intensity. Right?
Once I got checked in at the hotel, I decided to wonder through San Jose for a bit. After a poor attempt to order some food (yo quiero un lasagne con spinach y no meat) I grabbed a seat at the table and took a moment to breathe. It was in that moment that I realized that I still have a long way to go in my own evolution. When I'm in a familiar place, I can remain as centered as I want to be. But as soon as you stick me in a new environment, I get a little freaked out. Good to know.....
Sitting with that fear gave me a perfect opportunity to fashion my vantage. Do I speak Spanish? No. Do I know where I am? No. Do I know what's going to happen next? Nope. Is this the perfect time for an adventure? ABSOLUTELY!!
With that change in energy, I spent the rest of the day strolling through San Jose, butchering the Spanish language. I kept thinking back to the times when I would meet someone foreign who was trying so hard to speak english but couldn't; but they would sound so cute. Don't you think there's something really charming about someone who knows they don't know but is trying regardless?
Upon reflecting back on my day, I realized that traveling is an excellent opportunity to shake you from your comfort zone and learn some great things about yourself. So here's my question to you, my dear selfcentered Tribe:
If we were to schedule some selfcentered journey's to foreign lands, would you be interested in joining us?
More to come soon my friends.......
Posted
Mar 18 2008, 10:27 AM
by
Max Simon