Recently, HealthRise (the company I run today) did an all-company retreat at Timber Ridge Ranch in Northern Michigan. Throughout my career, I have attended or led more retreats than I can count. Each retreat has its own power, its own purpose: but there is one common ingredient that makes a retreat, a family vacation, or even a business trip special. That ingredient is inside each and every one of you; it is the conscious decision to be present.
I went into the retreat with several desired outcomes: to bond and build on our relationships and trust in one another; to round out our skills and create the ultimate tribe; to have each one us walk away feeling more committed to HealthRise and our cause to change healthcare; and to grow as individuals and as a team. As a seasoned hunter, I know the only way to make all those things happen is to be committed to be fully alive and present for every moment we were together.
When you make that vital decision, to not judge and instead to be alive and awake in the moment, the opportunities, the memories, the growth you achieve can be staggering. When you bring this mindset in as a desired outcome and live by it, many things begin to change. Paradigm shifts will occur in your life, catapulting you toward the bigger goals in life that you may or may not even realize yet.
The next time you are away from the office or school, outside of your daily routine, put effort into being there in the moment. Resist the temptation to judge and instead climb up high into that tree stand, hunter – and stay above and clear in the moment!
