My last post detailed the Spark and Embark phase of our journey toward healthy body and house after I was diagnosed with mycotoxin illness. This phase starts when Spark lights up something “out there” and the traveler crosses the threshold to Embark on an adventure to get it. Walking away from security is key: If you hold on to the doorway, there is nowhere new to go. It helps that people are still close by enough to cheer you on as you take off.
But when you’re down the road, you’ve moved into the Explore phase of either the heroic journey or the creative process. You’re traveling over new landscapes and concepts. It’s not always pretty. It’s often shockingly different.
Right now the road is dark
This is true for me and Tim. Our journey to lighten up took a very dark turn a few days ago. In summary, the scope of remediation of our house grew so extensive a friend said, aptly, the structure had a nervous breakdown. In an instant we changed our travel plans to go back to face a complete move out. All scenarios forward were terribly bleak, and none were in focus. Then a few days later, we saw a small sliver of light ahead if we could shift the burden just a little bit here, then there. It has lightened the load enough we have been able to pick up and move forward down the road of life.
We may have found our way back from the edge of a cliff for the moment, but it’s now clear we will be in the new terrain of Explore for some months experiencing heartening wins and breath-taking losses, so that’s all I can bear to share right now about my particular situation. But I would love to say more on why staying open to Explore can help us all here, and has been a key to improving humanity.
Moved or pushed into new territory
The Explore phase in the Creative Process is being free to explore new possibilities. In the Heroic Journey we see in movies, Explore is like a flow state, with an acceptable tension between the challenging new landscape and the skill level, more like a child running along the beach, turning over shells to see what is inside. As a Positive Intelligence coach, I know this brain game as “Fascinated Anthropologist.”
When the situation is more crushing, Explore, or curiosity as it is also known, is the antidote to suffering, a condition that most major spiritual conventions agree exists. There are times in life when it at least appears that the grail we seek is not achievable. We want peace, we get war. We want health, we get incurable illness. Prayers seem to go unanswered. Seeing things for what they are, not what we hope they will be, is a gift in itself. Acceptance shows courage and creativity. And yet, even then, to stay open to something beyond what is already known is the key to grace and transformation.
I’ve found a few tools across my life experience that help me in these times. I share these with you from the road:
Help to Maintain Your Balance Even On Shaky Ground
Take lots of mental Vitamin C: Curious. Compassionate. Communication. Creative. Courageous. Connected. Candid.
Keep a song in your heart:
Gail Whipple: Those Who Walk In Darkness Have Seen A Great Light
Jacob Collier: Little Blue
Feels Like Revolution Playlist (in blog post by our daughter Andra Whipple, that got her through the WGA Writers Strike in 2023
Self care:
Rest and rejoice with loved ones when you can.
Take Mini Mindfulness Moments throughout the day. Even a minute of pause to breathe and let go of your thoughts can make a huge difference in your health and outlook. In Positive Intelligence (a system I’m certified in my bio here) we call these PQ Breaks because they build your mental fitness and mindfulness.
Quotes for Momentary Mantras:
Expect something good, just not what you expect (Thanks, Kat)
Life presents, you choose (Thanks, T)
If you’re going through hell, keep going.
Also, remember, there are micro-journeys in every larger heroic quest. Keep aware, enjoy those little learnings and gifts. They happen every day or you can take them. Anything that has you sparked to embark in a new direction, and you really commit to explore mindfully. These can be as small as making a drawing or writing something from your non-dominant hand. Or if you have more bandwidth:
Learn a language, take a dance class, sing karaoke
Take a meandering walk in a landscape you’ve never been in before.
Follow your heart (or gut, or legs) instead of your brain. Because your brain is a predictability machine, it will try to force you into old ways or great fear. Let some other part of yourself be your guiding organ for a few hours or a day to sharpen your other ways of knowing.
The Big Takeaway
Stay curious and look for new learning even in the everyday. To do so enhances health, takes the edge off crisis, and can ease suffering.
Coming Soon: More on the Whipple Wandering