The Backstory
(7 min read)
Dear Friend,
Every so often an idea or tool comes along that helps you see and understand (make sense) of the world from a new perspective.
In my personal quest toward “happiness” and “wellness,” I have dined from a gigantic buffet of books, courses, workshops, advice from others, the school of hard knocks (daily life), and so much more. Occasionally something would click and I’d think, “YES! This is the missing piece I’ve been searching for!” …. BUT …. A few weeks or months later, I’d find myself frustrated and back on the hunt for that special piece of wisdom that would finally have me yelling out, “Ah-ha! It all makes sense now!”
Alas, that magical “Ah-ha!” moment of enlightenment never came. Instead, I found that the deeper I dove, the more muddied the waters became. I started finding conflicting information and was confused that they could both be “best-sellers.” Obviously they were both successful and worked for a lot of people, but would either work for me? I’d be directed to information on goal setting, then be redirected to mindfulness or manifestation, then redirected to financial philosophy, then redirected to vision boarding, then to strengths or values or zones of genius, then to passions and purpose and ikigai… my head was spinning and I couldn’t find any clear rhyme or reason of how it all went together to help me live a better life.
What I needed was a way to organize the information, experiences, and thoughts I was having so I could see the bigger picture and how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together… a way to determine which advice to keep and which to discard, to determine which information was relevant to me in that moment versus what might be relevant later or for someone else in need.
I didn’t find it.
It doesn’t exist… Now what?
In my frustration, I went back to what I know best – journey planning. Not only do I love to travel, but I had spent over a decade planning, guiding, supervising, and managing outdoor adventure education excursions for students of all ages … from 5-85.
Adventure – an experience you embark upon without knowing the foreseeable outcome.
If that doesn’t describe life, I don’t know what does!
Seed of a Solution
In that moment, my Journey Method was born. I affectionately referred to it as my Happy Plan.
For several years I used it to help me:
- Organize new information
- Gain clarity of thought
- Streamline my focus and motivation
- Determine how new experiences and information fit into my life and decisions
- Evaluate how well the pieces fit together and where I might need to modify concepts
- Figure out where I might need to focus next to bring more clarity or understanding to my own journey, to bring me closer to my dreams, or to become more of the human I want to become
- Guide my actions
- Determine which decisions were the best for me at that moment in time
- Focus my direction toward a path I intentionally chose
- And more
It became my go-to process for simplifying concepts, organizing them, gaining clarity, and guiding my choices/actions to be aligned with my values, spirit, and dreams.
Falling In Love
I loved that it was simple but effective.
I loved that it was always a work-in-progress, not something to finish and set on a shelf to gather dust. It is meant to be dynamic, to change with me and adapt when “life gets in the way”. (Like the year I broke my hip…or when the hurricane hit… or when COVID hit)
I loved that it was guilt-free! It works in my own time. Like all journeys, sometimes things happen faster than you expect, and sometimes it take a lot more time, energy, and distance before the effort finally pays off. When things aren’t coming together the way I expect, I can decide if I want to alter course or keep chipping away. It becomes a natural part of the journey instead of an opportunity for discouragement and icky feelings to creep in and make me feel bad that I’m not good enough at achieving my goals.
I loved that it was centered entirely around ME! I choose what goes into it. I choose what I focus on. I choose what feels important and powerful. I choose what to keep or not keep. Even when other people’s lives are intertwined within, I still choose my own path. This helps use my brain and my heart to consider and evaluate my circumstances so I can make the best decision for ME at that moment in time.
Gaining Confidence
After a few years, I shyly began offering to teach it friends and acquaintances in need.
There was Chelsea, who had been working in the kitchen at a local bar. Through this process, she decided to become a nurse, facing her lack of confidence in school and her fear of math along the way!
There was Charlotte, whose husband had developed mental instability and was unwilling to seek help. She came to realize she had exhausted everything she could do to help him, and made the grueling decision to file for divorce. This ultimately opened the door for happiness and well-being back into her world.
There was Kristen, an occupational/physical therapist who ran her own highly-regarded practice. She felt a change was needed, but didn’t understand why. In many ways she was hiding from her feelings. She felt confused and guilty that she should feel so unhappy and misaligned in life when she “had it all.” Through this process, she came to realize that her values had changed and it was time for her daily life to follow suit. She decided to close her practice and focus on managing her home and family while exploring activities that might bring more enrichment to her life.
There was Katrina, who realized she was facing the countdown to retirement and had no idea what life without work would look like. After our session, she said she was very grateful and happy, but chose not to share details. One year later, she sent me a text, “Wherever you are in the world, I want to thank you for getting me started on my adventures.” Three photos accompanied the text: crossing a suspension bridge in a rainforest, riding horses along a beach, and a capuchin monkey in a tree.
And since I’ve just realized that all the examples I recalled are women whose names start with a C or K, I’ll add one more.
There’s Shaun, who tells me this is a tool he returns to time and again. He uses it as a touchstone to recalibrate and reaffirm his life direction. He says it helps him have confidence that what he’s doing is in the “right direction.” It gives him an opportunity to prove to himself he has actually made progress and make sure his most recent steps are leading him in the direction he wants to go.
Pressure Builds as Time Passes
The more people I worked with, the more I began to hear, “ Casey, this is really helpful. You should be teaching it to more people. I think it would be great for ….” And the more times I heard that, the more I began to believe it.
Fast-forward a few more years (filled with heaps of trial and error), and the big day has finally arrived!! I want to be upfront and acknowledge that I absolutely do NOT have it “all figured out,” but if sharing what I’ve created to help my life become better can also make your life a bit easier or better, then it’s well worth sharing!
I am excited to open the online doors to students!
… and you are cordially invited to join me.
Let’s have an adventure!
~ Curious Casey ~
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