Long Way Round

The last two weeks have been filled to overflowing with ruminating, visioning and dreaming about the changes to take place with Diamond Thought. I've consulted a whizz bang Business Coach, Ben Sibley (www.Goandseeben.com.au), who steered me through exercises as well as helped me see the true value and worth of what I offer to the world. I also am in consultation with Kate Haskett from Shock Media (www.shockmedia.com.au) about how to get my message into new sectors.

I've been doing so much contemplating and writing for the business, that my blog writing has taken a back seat, and I've been lost for words. Such days of peace have arisen and for that I am eternally grateful.

What has been haunting me though is a TV Series that I rented out on DVD starring Scottish actor Ewen MacGregor and English actor Charley Booreman. They are two lads in their late thirties, both with families, who embark on a gruelling 20,000 mile around the world journey on their motorcycles. Begining in London they venture through eastern Europe, through Ukraine, Mongolia, Russia, flying over the Bering Straight, landing in Alaska then travelling down through Canada, into the States ending up 110 days later in New York City.

And although the shooting of the journey and the tales along the way were intriguing, watching two youngish men overcome travelling obstacles along the way, even at times moving me to tears, it is the symbolic significance of THE JOURNEY that I wish to speak of here.

When the first four disk set finished I felt a saddness inside that I couldn't quite place. it felt odd because it isn't as if I have a personal connection to these two people. As I sat with the feeling longer, I realized that it was that I was so enthralled and engrossed in the process that these human beings underwent, that my empathy grew as their journey continued. Further I was in awe and admiration how incredibly courageous to allow the TV viewing public to see not only their vulnerable sides, in the morning, being tired, missing their loved-ones, but also the inner fortitude they mustered after moments of deep doubt.

After three days of travelling the torturous terrain along the non-existent roads of Mongolia they were going to take the easier way of heading north back into Russia, where they knew there would be roads. Captured on film is the discussion between Ewen and Charley, between Ewen and the producer and between Ewen and himself in the form of a Video Camera Diary going back and forth between the pros and cons. In the end the team chose to continue the struggle through Mongolia; choosing the road less travelled to encounter themselves more deeply, having to dig deeper within to overcome more incredbile hardships. In the end it was the choice of becoming better people because of it.

So often we choose the easier, softer way to our destination. So often we get discouraged and want to give up along the route because the unforeseen obstacles become far too great. It is however in equal proportion to the effort that we put into our journey that we receive joy as a result. We have been aculturated to believe that easier is better, however we cannot become a soft piece of wood by continually having silk slide over us. Instead we need the sandpaper of life to smooth our rough and pokey edges.

Any journey film excites me, just by the nature of it. Life is a journey. The destination is never as important as the effort we put in along the way. And not only the effort, but the quality of the effort. We also all need inspirational stories to help us continue on our own personal journeys. Ewen and Charley's bike trip did just that for me. In a time when I am undergoing transition and transformation sometimes the lack of clarity, like a continuous stint of rain, can get a bit daunting. Rationally we all know the sun will shine again, but in the midst of the relentless downpour, we need gentle and heroic reminders.

I was so jazzed by Ewen and Charley's epic travels that after the CDs had finished I felt like my journey had also ended. It was then that I realized there was another box set of their trip from the northern tip of Scotland at Joan Groats to the tip of South Africa in Capetown sitting at the Video Store waiting for me. And guess what I did?