When Street Wisdom came to Brighton for the first time, we weren’t alone. Our event coincided with a large political march and the town was packed with police and angry protestors. And at one o’clock it was pouring with rain and no-one was quite sure how things would go as we gathered at the Emporium cafe. Least of all Anna Reynolds who’d been inspired to run her own Street Wisdom on a hunch:
By the time Street Wisdom ended at the Old Ship Hotel, the rain clouds had given way to blinding sun and the protest had evaporated along with the puddles. This is how a couple of participants summed up their experience and what they learned from it…
There’s real value is setting aside time – a good body of time – to devote to communing with yourself, your imagination and the world. And doing this in company provided added focus and exchange, amplification and incentive. I’d recommend Street Wisdom to anyone – surprises guaranteed!
Remember to live in the moment, find value in the details, take time to re-evaluate the place around you and re-asses your place in it
David
Anna’s Experience
Through my work as a coach I help people tune in to the “whispers within” to experience their own insights about their perceived problems and possible solutions. Therefore, leading an event based on the idea of tuning in to the street, allowing it to become an expression of our own inner wisdom greatly appealed to me.
I also embrace dispelling the myth that we need to get away to somewhere in order to relax and find clarity – this is the myth that creates a life built around the annual holiday.
So when David Pearl told me about Street Wisdom I jumped at the chance to bring it to Brighton. And what a great time we had! Hats off to those who committed to their own inner adventure on such a chaotic day, weather wise and protest wise (Note to self – check what else is happening in the city next time you lead Street Wisdom!)
A vital part of this event is the set-up, perfectly called “Tuning The Senses.” I led the participants on 4 mini walks, designed to sharpen their perception so they could pick up the messages the street was “sending them”. It was great fun to observe each one of them shift their state in preparation for their personal quest – an hour long wander with a single question in the back of their mind, a question that was unique and personal to them, something they each wanted to find an answer (or answers) to.
In preparation for leading this event I had run my own quest through Brighton streets the day before. At the risk of sounding dramatic, what I experienced was truly astounding. Answers are indeed everywhere if we’re willing to look. For me, some of those answers to the question I asked myself confirmed what I already knew (which was lovely), while others came as a complete surprise. Some might call those insights “outside of the box” thinking. All of these answers excited me enormously.
Two things I learnt from both experiencing and facilitating Street Wisdom: Firstly, to get the most out of this event choose a question you really care about, a question you’re really invested in – there is gold-dust in your desiring of an answer. And secondly, (perhaps a paradox in light of the above), don’t push for answers. Let them come….and they will. At one point my mind was buzzing with insights, everywhere I looked the street and its inhabitants were speaking to me. In my excitement I began to push and the street went quiet. In this respect, this is a great way to practice non-attachment to an outcome.