In a few short hours I am heading to the beautiful state of Colorado.
This is never a bad thing.
I'll be there to participate in a retreat centering on personal growth and transformation. In addition to the teaching, we'll also be placed into groups to discuss and engage with the topics at hand. I'll be with the same group for the duration of the weekend and these groups will then connect via Skype twice a month for the 6 months after the retreat to continue on the journey of change together.
I'm rather excited by this opportunity for a few reasons:
- It's in Colorado. In the mountains. In winter. Seriously. Beautiful!
- I generally geek out about living my best & then using my life to leverage change in the world. So, things like this get me excited.
- Part of the requirement of the trip is that we have to turn off our cell phones & laptops. My email/text/twitter usage has increased dramatically the last months as Life Equals has grown; to be offline for 5 days... honestly it sounds difficult but refreshing.
As I prepare for the trip, two words come to mind: solitude & perspective.
Henri Nouwen, in his beautiful little book the Way of the Heart, says of solitude:
Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.
Being in Colorado with 50 other people on a retreat isn't full solitude, but getting out of town & turning off my constant communication devices is certainly a step in the right direction. I hope these simple acts will help to bring about perspective — a step back from my life & Life Equals to see with a wider lens. In doing so I hope to discover how I can live more fully & healthy, as well as engage those around me to do the same.
In short, this retreat is one simple living out of Life Equals' core belief:
a better you creates a better world.
I'll be sure to update everyone with how it went. Maybe I'll even throw up a few pictures!
