Why Pilgrimage?
When people see that my website says Leadership, Pilgrimage, Revelry, some of them ask,
“Why Pilgrimage? What does pilgrimage have to do with what you do?”
The power of pilgrimage is that it incorporates the everyday aspects of walking and transportation into a sacred journey.
Pilgrims are not tourists. People who make pilgrimages see and learn things along the way that shape the rest of their lives.
Pilgrimage is essential to the work I do at StrategicMonk. Each of us is on a journey that incorporates the everyday and the sacred, and each of us is shaped by the wisdom we gain along the way.
My own pilgrimage has included times of travel and times of extended stays, times of productivity and times of great dryness. I spent a long time asleep to myself, and now I am living the dream of recognizing my true self. My journey has been both painful and triumphant.
I work with people who are on journeys of their own. Some of them are focused too much on their destinations, while others do not really know where they want to go. Each person’s pilgrimage is significant and very personal to that individual.
Each of them needs a guide, someone who has faced similar challenges and who can help them meet them for themselves. Each of them needs specific help along the way. Some of the people I help need a spiritual director, some need a leadership coach.
Some of my work is with organizations that are on a journey like individual people.
Each is telling the story of their journey, remembering what inspires and motivates them and finding out what comes next. Each pilgrimage is filled with challenges, lessons, and wisdom that will shape the steps that come next.
Where are you on your journey?
What lessons will you learn today?
[Image by h.koppdelaney]
12 Comments
Ani
July 18, 2012I think that pilgrimage fits perfectly with what you are doing here. The ability to guide others to their own truth depends on you having experienced that journey yourself.
Namaste
Strategic Monk
July 18, 2012Thank you, Ani.
I look forward to spending time with you on the journey.
Namaste
steve riege
July 18, 2012Thanks Greg, you are always inspiring. Aren’t we as leaders, owing to ourselves to always be on a pilgrimage? We must keep learning and guiding others through sharing.
Strategic Monk
July 18, 2012Thank you, Steve.
Yes, I think we are on a pilgrimage whether we recognize it or not. As we grow in appreciation of our own journey, we grow and learn. We gain the wisdom that we can share with others.
It is a pleasure to share my pilgrimage with you, Steve.
Tanner Colton
July 18, 2012I love how you relate the idea of a pilgram to not being a tourist. There is a huge difference between travel/pilgramage and tourism I think. It is sort of a popular debate right now with the Indie travel community waging war on the tourist community. But what I love here is that you take the negative out of it and place a sacred duty on our travel experiences. It makes me feel like I can be a pilgram every day in all that I do, no matter if I am at home or overseas. Thank you for your words.
Strategic Monk
July 18, 2012Thank you, Tanner.
I agree, and try to be a pilgrim as I journey through each day.
I look forward to talking again soon.
Bob Holmes
July 18, 2012Greg, I would have thought the question would be, “Why Revelry?” LOL.
Mirth aside, Great Post!
The idea that we are on a journey, and that it’s a sacred journey totally Rocks! We as Americans are so fixed on end games, and destinations that we forget that life is lived in the journey.
Thanks Greg for the wake-up. I’m reposting this one!
Strategic Monk
July 18, 2012Thank you, Bob.
We are on a sacred journey and it does rock, though sometimes we forget. It is a pleasure to be able to share the journey with you.
Tone
July 18, 2012Right now I feel lost…just trying to be grateful in the moment.
Strategic Monk
July 19, 2012Thank you, Tone.
There are times when the journey is challenging. It is a challenge to feel grateful, and a challenge to continue.
We face obstacles, we develop blisters, it feels like we are getting nowhere. Sometimes we get lost. We become afraid.
When I feel this way, I try to calm myself and remember the story so far, how I have gotten where I am.
It would mean a lot to me to help you.
Sue Dunlop
July 23, 2012“Find your bliss”. Your post really made me think of Joseph Campbell. Thank you.
Strategic Monk
July 23, 2012Thank you, Sue!
Each of us is on a pilgrimage through the world, seeking the deep truths that are within us. Sometimes we need the help of an experienced guide to find who we really are.
I look forward to walking with you.