I once asked Karaj how he did what he did. I was so impressed with the way he was able to see through what people were saying and touch the core of their message, their humanity, and even their soul sometimes. He saw things clearly, and led people by the hand so that they could see it too. He made connections effortlessly, and clients would go quiet mid-sentence as realisations dawned on them. The power of that alone could be enough to change lives.
He was making a cup of tea when I asked him how he did it. His answer was a nonchalant ‘It’s easy. I’ll show you.’ And he did. I was privileged to work so closely with him, shadowing him in a way which made my learning inevitable, regardless of any desire. Thankfully I wrote everything down because my journals allowed me, years later, to return to that environment and squeeze everything I could from it. I edited the journals and put them on my blog. I took those entries and worked meticulously to distill from them the purest essence I could for my book. Three years later I still read it because I continue to learn from that whole adventure.
I use it in my work too. I have worked with individuals and groups, but it was only really during this summer’s retreat that I felt a surge of ‘This is what I trained for!’ The intense environment of that weekend was so reminiscent of the weekends we spent working on ourselves under Karaj’s guidance. I felt so at home, so at ease in that place. Its familiarity embraced me and allowed my work to flow in a way which honoured those long days with Karaj and the group. I felt the same sense of joy I had on many occasions throughout my training.
Joyful as they were, those years were often very challenging; but they also saw the most fulfilling personal development work I have ever done. That familiar sense of fulfilment was there again during the retreat. Marcus and I knew we could work together and we felt we could make a real difference, but even we were surprised by how good it was. A friend of mine said the same thing last week, following a training I gave for his company. I spoke to him and his team for two hours, and afterwards he told me, ‘I knew you’d be good, but I never thought you’d be that good.’
It is all down to the combination of who I am, what I learnt, and the man from whom I learnt it. I feel a deep gratitude when I do my work. And when I reflect on the recent experiences with the retreat and the latest training workshop, it is clearer than ever just how good my training was, and how far I have come since. Karaj could often be heard saying that he wished I could see myself as he saw me. Someone very dear to me says the same thing. From the first day we met she has seen my light, and for her it always shines brightly. Thanks to him, and thanks to her, and thanks to a sense of homecoming in recent weeks, I am beginning to see it too.
Retreat posts: Outside & Inside | Slow & Steady | A Magical Retreat | Retreat Insights & Learning