I write this just outside of Santa Cruz where I’m on my last day of attending a 5-day retreat focused on conscious communication and effective influence.
We are 20 participants and 4 facilitators split into 2 work groups of 12, living in 2 houses, spending a minimum of 13 hours daily in group process plus everything that comes with meal prep, cooking, cleaning, bathroom-sharing, etc.
Despite being an introvert who desperately needs her space to recharge, and has a serious aversion to being around this many people in such tight quarters, I’ve returned here for the 3rd year in a row to continue learning new approaches and hone my skills by experimenting with new behaviors in service of deepening connection with myself and others, and the possibility of expediting the transformation process through clear transmission.
In the past 5 years I have experienced several extended periods of being alone with myself, deliberately declining most contact with others…and I loved it. It was easy for me, in a vacuum, to believe that I had mastered my mind and had everything under control. In my own little bubble I was able to live practically trigger-free. And while my relationship with me did reach a depth I didn’t even know was possible, I wasn’t aware of the degree to which I was robbing myself of valuable self-knowledge. It wasn’t until I embraced relating again, welcoming intimacy into my life, that I could understand how invaluable it is to allow others to be mirrors for us – enhancing, instigating and accelerating our self-awareness.
On the days I still desire to hide out in my own little world, I remember my choice to engage in the full expression of me that can only be found when others reflect me back to me and I honor them with the same in return.
This is why I love working with groups. By sharing ourselves with others we get to see ourselves in new light. When we experience resonance by feeling seen, heard and met, the opportunities are endless. And there’s so much richness available in conflict as well.
This is why I’m back here in Santa Cruz again. The skills I hone by deepening connection with myself and others this way expedites the transformation process. I am seen, heard, and met. Others are, too. We share in the growth together. This is what I am committed to, and it is my purpose in life to bring it to others as well, which is why I am also committed to my Jump! Coaching groups as we traverse our jumps together as a cohesive unit.
If you are ready to be seen, heard, and met and experiment with new behaviors in service of deepening connection with yourself and others… and are ready for the the possibility of expediting the transformation process through clear transmission, I invite you to join this next group as we Jump! together beginning January 22. You’ll share TEN 90-minute group coaching calls with me, one for each step of my process in my book Jump … And Your Life Will Appear, plus a bonus 11th call on Thursday, April 16th to wrap things up, AND a private Facebook group where our community will be accessible 24 hours a day throughout the Jump! and the months to follow. Registration for this group ends tomorrow. You can join us right here: https://nancylevin.com/signup/.
