Session 2 - Intro, Link, Reflections, & Comments.

Intro:

Throughout time, many cultures have designed and implemented initiation ceremonies.  In some parts of the world, they exist today.  These initiation ceremonies were/are often created for children during their early teen years and involve(d) great risk – the families, village elders, etc. who sent the children out knew that some may not return. 

Those who did return successfully would possess increased levels of wisdom, strength, and fortitude that would prove beneficial for them as individuals and would strengthen their communities.  In most modern western societies today, the initiation rituals have been eliminated – for the simple reason that the risks are unjustifiable.  Or…are they? 

Perhaps we don’t need to wander into the African bush or the Amazon jungle for weeks on end as young teens to experience an initiation.  For many young people, a wilderness river expedition represents an initiation – a journey into the unknown with new experiences that may range from exhilarating to overwhelming.  If fact, many experiences (navigating big rapids in little boats, sleeping out under the stars, etc.) transition throughout the course of an expedition from a sense of being completely overwhelming to a feeling of joyous exhilaration as perceived threats lose severity through successful experiences.  The wisdom, strength, and fortitude responsible for this shift is what creates growth.  It’s why you feel different at the take-out than you did at the beginning – about yourself, your peers, and the place you explored that make that growth possible.        

Session 2 of COVID-’20 will begin what will likely become a multi-session series.  It will be facilitated by one of the greatest mentors in my life - a man who guided me through an initiation process I wasn’t seeking and never saw coming.  In advance of this session, please consider these questions:

 1.     Are there specific moments from a GOALS expedition that you view as initiations? 
2.     If so, what tools did you use to navigate those moments / time periods?
3.     How were those moments similar to what we are navigating right now?  Is it a stretch to consider that what we’re experiencing right now could be viewed as a “global initiation”?  
4.     If so, what tools do we have to be leaders in getting through it?  How can the growth we’ve all experienced from “river initiations” be used to benefit us as individuals and strengthen our communities? 

Link:

MEETING LINK.  The link to this session is HERE. 
The meeting ID is 627-306-058.

Again, it’s best to use computer audio rather than call-in, as Zoom suggests that call-in or phone app users may experience lag that computer users will not.

Reflections: