Many Indigenous cultures say there are two springs—the first occurring underground, invisible from the surface, and easy to miss by the naked eye.
In my work with people and organizations, I have noticed this two-spring phenomenon, inner evolution, the precursor to outer change. Often starting as a faint flicker of light, the first spring (inner spring) reminds us of who we are and why we exist.
It is the eureka moment, a recalibration, awakening from the slumber of day-to-day existence to the possibility of passion, adventure, and joy.
In organizations and individuals, it looks like this….
- Connecting from a felt sense to your mission, vision, and forgotten values
- Realizing, accepting, and forgiving the fact that you may have lost track
- Finding your way back to the soul-infused life you dreamt of in youth or your organization's infancy.
Recently, while wandering through the winter gap, I found myself upon an inner spring. In a moment of confusion, I sat in my office, staring idly at my bookshelf, taking in the titles and stacks lining the tree-shaped shelves.
That's when it happened. The eureka moment, the hint of nirvana busting through the fog of "where do I go from here? confusion.
People, planet, change. That's my “why”. It's everywhere; it's all I read about, it's all I want to talk about, it's the thing that gets me, as my friend Jenna says, "stary-eyed and fast-talking."
Boom! Inner spring had arrived. I knew I was there from its tell-tale sign; attention shifted rapidly from focusing on what I didn't want to boldly proclaiming what I do.
Without inner spring success is futile. We might achieve outward riches worthy of envy, but without the roots of a well-placed 'why' our endeavors and businesses lack heart leaving us aching for more.
Interested in provoking an inner spring? Try these steps:
1. Allow the gap
2. Feel it in your bones
3. Trust what arises
4. Be bold and 'love what you love'
5. Prepare to plant seeds – the second spring is coming
*the concept of first spring was shared with me by friend and colleague Marilyn Poitras, a wise woman, ethical space designer, and Metis storyteller.