I am quite astonished by all the requests I have recently received from Elder groups to speak at their gatherings.
At almost 57, yes I guess I now can call myself an elder. We live in a society which marginalizes our elders…which keeps them out of sight. We have lost a connection to the wisdom and teaching that they bring. Many indigenous cultures have not lost this connection and we can learn from them the importance of our elders’ thoughts and experiences…and their approach to our planet.
I fully agree that now is the time in our lives when we desperately need share our wisdom with younger generations. All the hard knocks and lessons we have learned over all these years should not stay locked up in a box. We are actually at the point in our lives where we can create the most positive impact on the world.
In 2010, while my family and I were staying with the Achuar tribe, I personally had a vision during a ceremony deep in the Amazon rainforest. Through the darkness of the jungle a face appeared starting at me with a look of great responsibility. I pondered and questioned the message for some time but then realized I needed to make a major shift in my life. I am now convinced that I truly do have a great responsibility to live a committed life and to do what I can for the world and our future generations.
The full account of this incredible journey is in my book “Take That Leap - Risking it all for what really matters”. 100% of proceeds from sales and speaking engagements will go to our favourite charities.
Please feel free to purchase multiple copies for your family and friends during this holiday season. You will be helping support such great causes as Covenant House (Helping Vancouver's homeless and at-risk street youth) and The Pachamama Alliance (Empowering indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest to preserve their lands and culture). You can see a full list of the charities we support here.
So I would like to send a special message to all of us Elders out there; we all do have the wisdom and knowledge, and therefore a great responsibility to share and help inspire change.