Some of the most beautiful places in the world will only ever meet the touch of relatively few humans. Yet for those few who experience these wonders, the experience can be life changing. One such place is the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in Spain.
This is the story of my friend Jacobo Moreno Lampaya who lives in Seville, Spain and the story of what happened when he took a pause from his work in to traverse these mountains alongside friends.
After several days of glorious hiking, they were at the 4th stage of the climb. It was here when a very important change took place within my friend. As he was pondering completing the final stage of the trek, the steepest most challenging part, he asked himself “Should I move forward or go back?”
How many times in life does this happen? We come to that fork, and we need to make a choice. What to do…
[Side lesson: Too often we stay there – staring at the fork – paralyzed by fear, overanalyzing – looking at the costs, the challenges and not the opportunities – and then doing nothing.]
Fortunately, my friend realized in that instant this fork was bigger than the decision whether to continue forward with the climb. It was a business lesson. No, it was even bigger than that. It was a life lesson!
If he moved forward with the mountain climb, he would also move forward with the launch of his business. He would create the life he envisioned. A life where he could spend more time with loved ones, share his expertise, and make a difference. If he went back and did not continue with the climb, he would go back to the ‘safety and security’ of his former role. The life he briefly envisioned would be wisped away like the clouds over the mountain peak.
In reality, once we hit that point of questioning, we can never really go back. We might go back and go through the actions, but something in us has already changed.
We can never experience that ‘old’ role as we did before. Not when we are called forward. He knew this instinctively and wisely chose the path forward.
With this transformative experience in the mountains behind him, he knew he could be successful with his business. He knew this calling was his, and his alone. He is now sharing his impact with the world through his business EnviroHub Trashform by providing sustainable engineering solutions through the design of new products that are easily recyclable with the existing procedures and technologies of the waste industry.
This is the Power of the Pause
Pauses give us the gift of time… time away from busyness, distractions, and societal norms that no longer serve us. Yet too often, we convince ourselves that we are too busy to take a break. We are instead consumed with busyness, importance, or the deadlines of others; and therefore we miss these opportunities that bring about beautiful outcomes. Beautiful outcomes for ourselves, our loved ones, and even our future clients.
Pauses can be transformational, allowing time for you to sit with your heart, to feel your intuitive power, and ultimately, move towards the impact you truly want to share. It is in these moments that we find our next big insight, the solution to a challenge, or as in my friend’s story, even our calling.
Comments are closed.