001 - What does that do for me?

Hey, you.

In my first months of pitching my coaching offer to people on social media, in search of my first few clients - the question that was the hardest to answer wasn’t even the “What do you do?” - but the occasional follow-up: “Okay but what does that do for me?”

So here’s a short story Massara and I built together. It’s also the inspiration for the logo on our podcast.

That is, to “Face the Sun”.

Here’s why.

Imagine the Sun, and the Earth.

Now Imagine, as kids, we’re BORN from the Sun and we eventually have to drift out into our healthy orbit some day - but for the time being, we’re really dang close and since we don’t know the source of the warmth, wonder and vigor we have as children, we’re facing AWAY from the Sun.

We simply feel its’ warmth on our back, and it’s a profound symbol for a lot of important things.

Physically and literally, it sustains all life on Earth. It’s a source of clarity, allowing us to see. It prompts our growth, it keeps us healthy, and it also casually keeps us from drifting out into an existential void of infinite darkness and cold. MMmmm. So nice.

The actual sun is just a placeholder for the much more important concept that follows.

Now, as our Center, with a capital “C” - That means that, in metaphor, the CONCEPT of the Sun, is that “thing” wherever it is, that gives us Life and allows us to not just SEE from a distance, but to EXPERIENCE in first person, the beauty and the wonder and magnificence of all that we experienced as kids. Yes, this imaginary Sun stands for a lot of really cool and good things but the absolute primary idea is that it’s “warmth” air quotes, Life Force, is that presence of everything we live for. Life is the proof of the presence of God. It makes life worth living.

Back to the story.

As children, we simply feel truly and richly alive just by being there (close to the Sun). It’s awesome. We’re also completely full of ourselves and take it very personally when we’re given proof that we’re not God. Not awesome.

The problem, however, is something Massara pointed out to me - it’s not that our feelings are hurt, but that we IDENTIFY with that punishment.

Here’s where some discernment is needed, because she nailed it.

Since children simply feel alive and take our correction personally, they soak up our punishments to mean that they are not allowed to feel alive. That’s not okay, and we as parents and leaders need to pay better attention to keeping their self-esteem high AND their wonder for life high.

Later in life, as those children grow up, they don’t consciously know why - but they have this background voice pulling them away from the things that give them life - that’s how they were conditioned (because WE as the adults haven’t faced the Sun to know what to teach them).

So they, as a planet, drift past the healthy orbit, and start getting colder and darker. They’re facing away, so they continue to take it personally and think they’re the problem.

Now, here you are, reading a newsletter about how to feel more alive and find a healthy orbit, and the fact that you’re here means you’re doing a great job.

The occasional opposite story is when the child was spoiled and stayed TOO close to the Sun, addicted to its’ warmth baking them alive. They look out at the other planets and see them reflecting back to the spoiled planet (making them think they’re the actual center of the Solar system) without knowing he’s just a speck on the face of a star.

And it seems to both of us at least that people who end up developing pathological Narcissism simply started to identify with their spoiled self-image and develop massive blind spots around what others (who’ve experienced a healthy orbit so to speak) consider common sense.

Ultimately, whether we find ourselves in an orbit that’s too far or too close, our very simple and ultimate reminder is to learn to face the Sun, and finally calibrate our own orbits around knowing it’s not exactly us, but it’s also never leaving. It was there before we were born, and it’ll be there radiating Life long after.

So, this “Navigator Newsletter” is where we teach how to face the Sun.

Everything that matters is a direct and indirect result.

And we appreciate you.