“Love your neighbour as yourself.”
— Jesus
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I became an outdoor instructor because I loved messing around in nature. Always have, probably always will. But I got my start guiding others because of a friend.
I was at a loose end, not really doing much, and Scott invited me to join him in an outdoor programme he helped run.
My bed was the couch, my few possessions stuffed underneath. I had to wait for Scott and my other flatmate to get tired and head to their rooms before I could lay my head down. The three of us didn’t have a shower, only a bath. And the hot water tank was tiny, so we ran one bath and had a roster system so we all got a chance to be in first, leaving a (depending on the activities of the day) sludgy residue for the next body.
It wasn’t what you would call glamourous. But it was the greatest thing I could imagine doing at the time.
I loved it – I wouldn’t trade a thing. I was totally in my element, and I had finally found a purpose, a direction for my energies.
Scott’s programme was taking kids in trouble out into the wild and reconnecting them with nature, and themselves. We combined messing around in the outdoors with modern counselling and coaching skills; and it was hugely successful.
Contributing to this was incredibly satisfying - and I can’t tell you how much. I found a level of sustained joy and aliveness that was fleeting in the past.
To see these angry, bitter, confused and lost kids shed the skin of their pasts and step into themselves; to find their own understanding of themselves, free of the past judgements and hate directed their way was a life-changer, for me.
Of course, I had my favourites.
But the best thing was learning that even the ones I thought were dicks I owed a clean slate to, as best as I could. It was obvious that what I was seeing today was the end result of often a long and difficult past.
I learnt that they transformed when I saw them through the highest eyes I could, and I offered them exactly what I would want for myself:
The time, space, understanding and patience to mess up but then learn and become bigger for it; the lack of judgement, prejudice and holding me to my past mistakes; honesty and clarity and direction and support …
In two words: Truth and love.
Truth and love – I saw first hand the absolute transformational difference it made for me to consistently aim to become one with the highest potential I could imagine; and greet everyone I met with the same.
Imagine a world where we saw that in each other, where we gave that to each other?
Man, if that’s not a recipe for a better world, I don’t know what is.
And it all begins with you; it’s the one thing we can all most certainly build towards – it may be all we truly control in this life.
Lifting your chin up and aiming higher, at whatever version of truth and love and service you might define for yourself, is wholly a domain you can shape. In a world where there’s so much we can’t control, this is a journey where you stand tall, where you find certainty and purpose.
As the Buddha once said, “If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.”
The feeling of aiming at better combined with contributing brings such depth and satisfaction to your life, I can’t tell you. It’s powerful stuff.
So if you’re in this with me, I salute you. Let me know how I may assist in this journey of yours.
It’s an honour.
Go well,
Arjuna
PS.
The first Ascension course for this year is coming up soon, I’m super excited.
It’s a fun, relaxing yet very powerful weekend.
Interested in coming?
Dates are 4-6 March (starting 7pm Friday), and for more details get in touch.
Talk soon!