The Legend of Two Springs

Many Indigenous cultures say there are two springs—the first occurring underground, invisible from the surface, and easy to miss by the naked eye.

In my work with people and organizations, I have noticed this two-spring phenomenon, inner evolution, the precursor to outer change. Often starting as a faint flicker of light, the first spring (inner spring) reminds us of who we are and why we exist.

It is the eureka moment, a recalibration, awakening from the slumber of day-to-day existence to the possibility of passion, adventure, and joy.

In organizations and individuals, it looks like this….

- Connecting from a felt sense to your mission, vision, and forgotten values

- Realizing, accepting, and forgiving the fact that you may have lost track

- Finding your way back to the soul-infused life you dreamt of in youth or your organization's infancy.

Recently, while wandering through the winter gap, I found myself upon an inner spring. In a moment of confusion, I sat in my office, staring idly at my bookshelf, taking in the titles and stacks lining the tree-shaped shelves.

That's when it happened. The eureka moment, the hint of nirvana busting through the fog of "where do I go from here? confusion.

People, planet, change. That's my “why”. It's everywhere; it's all I read about, it's all I want to talk about, it's the thing that gets me, as my friend Jenna says, "stary-eyed and fast-talking."

Boom! Inner spring had arrived. I knew I was there from its tell-tale sign; attention shifted rapidly from focusing on what I didn't want to boldly proclaiming what I do.

Without inner spring success is futile. We might achieve outward riches worthy of envy, but without the roots of a well-placed 'why' our endeavors and businesses lack heart leaving us aching for more.

Interested in provoking an inner spring? Try these steps:

1. Allow the gap

2. Feel it in your bones

3. Trust what arises

4. Be bold and 'love what you love'

5. Prepare to plant seeds – the second spring is coming

*the concept of first spring was shared with me by friend and colleague Marilyn Poitras, a wise woman, ethical space designer, and Metis storyteller.