Rejuvenation in the Adirondack Mountains

I'm back from the Bigger Game Train the Trainer training in Silver Bay, New York. What an amazing experience! I learned so much, met some wonderful people and enjoyed the beautiful retreat setting. Lake George is a beautiful lake. The day that I arrived (Monday, April 7th) the lake was still completely frozen. Two days before I left the ice had "gone out" as the locals call it. This is apparently a very special event to witness. It marks the transition from winter to spring. Somehow it seems fitting for those of us attending this week-long course. We all, each in our own way, are transitioning into something different and hopefully more impactful.

Here are some of the things I learned during my trip:

1) Don't park under trees if you visit Sydney, Australia! Huntsman spiders are known to drop from the trees and make their way into vehicles parked underneath the trees. Another good tip if you must park under a tree - don't leave your windows cracked open unless you want an unexpected visitor while you are driving. Apparently these spiders, which can get quite large, are the cause of many car accidents. We had three Australians in our class that shared this "good to know" information.

2) Thai food is really good! When I arrived at the Albany airport, I rented a car and drove to Burlington, Vermont to visit our daughter and son-in-law. Kristin had play rehearsal (Annie), so she left within 30 minutes of my arrival. Adam and I went to a Thai restaurant for a wonderful dinner.

3) I can make a delicious orzo pasta salad. Kristin and I spent Monday morning and afternoon together. We went to one of my favorite little restaurants in Burlington for lunch. I ordered a grill chicken and orzo pasta salad. Kristin and I talked about what the ingredients were and I was able to successfully replicate it at home. After lunch with Kristin I drove back to Silver Bay (I had passed by the retreat center on my way from the airport to Vermont) to join my classmates for dinner Monday evening.

4) Running in the Silver Bay area is much hillier than in Illinois! This was a great opportunity to let go of covering any certain distance at any certain pace and simply enjoy running.

5) I really love the Bigger Game model and how it can be used effectively in any context of life. It is an innovation model that allows us to step into our full potential. The recipient of expression of full potential? The world.

6) We can all benefit from "stepping to the right of our left hemisphere". (More on this in a future posting.) On the first day we watched an amazing video about a neuro-anatomist (in other words a brain scientist), who had a stroke and decided while having the stroke to learn about her brain from the inside out. The video is about 20 minutes long. It is fascinating from a medical standpoint and powerful from a how to live your life perspective.

Jill Taylor says the following about her experience:

"How many brain scientists have been able to study the brain from the inside out? I've gotten as much out of this experience of losing my left mind as I have in my entire academic career." ~ Jill Bolte Taylor

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229

7) The difference between a maze and a labyrinth. A maze is designed to get you lost, while a labyrinth is designed to help you find yourself. On Thursday evening we had the opportunity to walk through a labyrinth right alongside of Lake George. Four of us walked through the labyrinth while Sarah (wife of BruceTamlyn, the Pastor of the YMCA retreat center there at Silver Bay) sat beneath a tree playing a wooden flute. After walking the labyrinth, it occurred to me that is exactly what draws me to the Bigger Game model. Especially when you are feeling stuck, the Bigger Game gameboard allows you to find where you are and then, how to move forward.

8) If we let go of "performing and/or achievement" we open ourselves up to greater learning. On the very first day of class, Rick Tamlyn (co-founder of the Bigger Game) said the following; "You all have an "A" already. The application (rigorous application process) was your final exam." What a gift that was to each of us. Rather than being focused on how we looked, performed, and demonstrated our skills, we were encouraged to soak up the learning.... even to fail spectacularly!

9) Unplugging is a great way to plug into what is really important. I don't miss not having TV, e-mail, or phones. That's right, there were no TV's, no computers unless you elected to bring your own laptop, and no cell phone service. (Actually we discovered on the second to last day that cell phones did work if you stood directly underneath the flagpole on a higher elevation part of the YMCA campus.) I did make a call home, standing beneath the flagpole - in the rain, on Friday morning.

The evening hours after dinner were filled with walks outside, breathing fresh air, talking with new friends, reading before bed and being still. By the way, there was also a "no alcohol" rule in place at this retreat. Once all the outside noise was eliminated, and with no alcohol to alter perception, what resulted was being fully in the present moment - the "be here, now" experience. We need more of that in our lives I believe.

When I arrived at the Albany airport everything felt so loud and so bright. The technology seemed especially intrusive. Perhaps that is why it has taken so long for me to return to writing a post for this blog. I encourage you to "unplug" for a day (or more) and notice how much more alive you feel.