Tag: wilderness

Coming back from the wilderness at a farm

Posted on by philipdodson

I feel like the last few years that I have been in the wilderness.

I stopped running my own businesses about 4 years ago, I took some time out, then my Mum passed away and COVID hit and then the last 3 years or so I have been inside a bubble.

After a working career of 15 years of running and building businesses for others, sitting on corporate boards and travelling all over the world, then running my own businesses for nearly 20 years after that…I NEEDED A FUCKING BREAK!

It’s interesting, we think when we have all the time in the world, that we will do everything that we kid ourselves we don’t have time for now…laugh out loud, we don’t.

The biggest challenge when you go from the crazy, stupid, busy insanity and stressed to nothing is that you have all the time in the world to think.

Thinking is the root of all of our woes. The more we think, the more we suffer. The psychological fear of the uncertain future is the killer. The ‘what if’ and ‘what now?’ conversations drain you.

About 5 months ago, I saw a job advert and just went for it and got a job!!! A job, something I’d not had since my mid-30s. The great news is, it is a job where I do not have to commute, it’s a mile from home, it’s working in a dairy at a fab bio-dynamic farm where we already get all our food from, I do not have to make decisions, I do not have to sit in meetings, I do not have to worry about anything other than helping to make delicious yoghurts and other stuff. I am part of a community and it feels meaningful.

And guess what? I stopped FUCKING THINKING all day long.

I am back from my wilderness and I feel like I am ready to take on the world…of course, one step at a time.

The conundrum of fitting in

Posted on by philipdodson

The easiest thing to do is fit in and the most challenging is to be our true self. Fitting in and being ourselves are nearly always at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

Fitting appears easy and we believe it will bring us happiness, however, the overriding of our true essence in order to fit in causes us deep suffering and conflict, it prohibits true happiness.

Not fitting in and being on our own unique path requires us to be in the ‘wilderness’ and that seems scary and requires us to be vulnerable and courageous. We have to overcome the psychological fears created by our minds and ego, the uncertainty, the risk, the fear of being isolated and unliked.

However, being our true self brings us the greatest peace within and long-lasting joy. Once we go down that path and commit to it, it becomes easier and easier. When we focus our energies on this present moment and let go of the story, the ego, the narratives in the mind, then it becomes easier for our true essence to shine.

Fitting in denies us the real life that our soul wants to have.