Joseph Campbell said “The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.” This is our most important “work,” and is the journey I have been on for the last few years. I have been willing to be uncomfortable in the not knowing. I have not just taken on something to fill the space and stop the discomfort. To say yes to my adventure, I must say no to other things. I am glad that I am patient with myself had said many no’s. Then, last week, I have been living into my adventure. Last Friday-Sunday I was helping prepare for and facilitate a guts-work weekend where people get to do a part of their work. It creates miracles. Monday I was in Detroit helping Aberkyn facilitate transformational teambuilding with many old friends, and Tuesday helping to facilitate a culture change workshop with McKinsey for these same friends who are a common client. What these all have in common is real human connection and helping others grow, which is my grand adventure. I LOVE connecting with and helping others grow and helping them connect with each other. After the workshops, several people commented how much they got out of it and how I was “in my element,” doing it. I had a blast doing it! Participants reflected that this was the best meeting or use of their time in their career or life. This is the icing on the cake.
What is your grand adventure? What will it take for you to say a hearty yes to it? For sure it will take self-exploration. It will take sitting in the discomfort of not knowing. It will take leaving some space in your life for it to show up. It will take saying no to other things, like “should’s” and what you think others expect of you as well as busyness. And it will take going for freedom, as I shared in post last week from an interview with Sam Zell. He said go for freedom, which allows you to work on what you love and if you work on what you love (this is your grand adventure) you will be able to stick to it long enough to get good at it. And if you stick to it long enough to get good at it, enough money to live will come. It will also take courage and disciple.
It has been a long time since I have felt this good while working as hard as I did last week. And it is because I was saying a hearty yes to my grand adventure. Thanks to all of you here in Tennessee and in Detroit that I had the honor to participate with. I look forward to leaning into our grand adventures together.
Have a great rest of the weekend!
Art
