Edgewalkers

Serving Those Who Walk Between the Worlds

Evolution

The Importance of Spiritual Practice in Navigating Uncertainty

Edgewalker Senior Associate Patricia Campanile

We are not in control. The uncertain times we have been living in have shown us that regardless of our good intentions to plan, organize, make resolutions and control our lives we have been asked to let go and create a plan B. Whether change has been forced upon us or we had to make difficult and necessary decisions to shift our plans, we were often left with feelings of disappointment, sadness, frustration and despair. Unanswered questions, what’s next, what now, and feeling as if we are sailing through the “fog” of the unknown can also be an opportunity to discover, recover and apply spiritual practices that can guide us into our new future and evolving world.

I love how Thomas Merton describes uncertainty: “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope.” My inherent Edgewalker nature and those of my colleagues and friends who share the Edgewalker journey are supported by our orientation to look to the future and focus on opening to new possibilities. To quote the wisdom of Buddha: ” To know and not to do is really not to know.” NOW is the time to do, and be, what we know! This is when “the spiritual rubber meets the road.” These are the times to support ourselves and one another by integrating and applying our spiritual practices and rituals, and modeling and walking our talk with integrity and courage. When Edgewalkers access their spiritual connection they are more easily guided by their intuitive wisdom, trust their faith in the Universe and rely on their inner strength.

Spiritual practices and ritual can anchor and guide you to stay balanced, centered and focused as you move away from familiar shores as the new horizons unfold. For many these practices are no longer optional but necessary to assist you in staying the course and discovering what is next with curiosity and an open heart and mind. What are your navigational “tools” as you sail through uncertainty? Some examples of spiritual practices and rituals include prayer and meditation, yoga and breath work, walking a labyrinth, reading books on personal and spiritual development, journaling, creating an altar and sacred space, setting intentions on the new moon and letting go of the old and what no longer serves you on the full moon. Space clearing and feng shui as well as creating a vision board can help you attract what you want. Being in the beauty and peace of Nature can ground and expand you and provide perspective as you step away from everyday life. Experiencing the energy of a group, whether online (such as Edgewalker Cafes) or in person gatherings such as drumming circles, support groups, church services, and sacred dance create the interconnectedness and support that community provides, whether it be the Edgewalker community or one you resonate with.

As you explore and reflect on your journey thus far, remember that the choices you have made throughout your life have brought you to this exact moment. There are no accidents. What will you consciously choose now with the knowledge and discernment you have accumulated over your lifetime? Are there spiritual practices and rituals you can add to your daily life to assist you as you move forward? Utilizing what you have learned and chosen to embrace along your journey develops the strength, the “muscle” of awareness, trust, courage and self-acceptance. Clarity and certainty are available to us if we are fully present, breathe and appreciate each moment. This is the greatest spiritual practice of all!

Edgewalkers in the New Era

Patricia Campanile, Senior Edgewalker Associate


Dr. Judi Neal, author of “Edgewalkers: People and Organizations that Take Risks, Build Bridges and Break New Ground” (Praeger 2006) defines Edgewalkers as “people who walk between worlds and have the ability to build bridges between different worlds. They have a strong inner life and are very grounded and effective in the everyday external world.” There are five Archetypes of Change that people and organizations may take, depending on the situation. They affect the extent to which the individual or organization can truly be on the leading edge. The Edgewalker Archetype looks to the future and is focused on openness to possibilities.

“Edgewalkers” are needed now more than ever in the New Year, in the NEW ERA. How do you know if you are an Edgewalker – walking, working, living on the leading edge? I have a distinct memory of first hearing the word when my long time friend and colleague Dr. Judi Neal was writing the book and birthing the idea. I felt instantly connected to the word “Edgewalkers” and was excited that there was a term, a way of being that I could relate to. I have always felt different and lived out of the box. My whole life I sensed that I was called to do something something special in world. I live an unusual yet exciting nomadic lifestyle full of adventure, wonder, magic. My (w) holistic shift in perspective includes embracing diversity and assisting my coaching clients and organizations in bridging new ways of thinking and being. I seek guidance and make choices in my life and work based on trusting my strong intuition and living first from the inside out and then the outside in. I seek to walk between worlds as I integrate the spiritual and the earthly. My strong foundation is built on a rich spiritual life combined with grounded down-to-earth, strategic and practical skills.

As we bridge this pivotal time in the world, we can create our future and use the chaos and uncertainty we find ourselves in as an opportunity to break new ground and expand our possibilities. Edgewalkers are often global, Universal citizens who often have an unusual combination of interests, speak many languages and are familiar with many cultures. Strongly aware of the problems of the whole planet, Edgewalkers want to see more action taken. They are not afraid of risk taking, making changes and recognizing the importance of evolutionary transformation during this fertile time in history. As leaders they are different from the typical leader you might find in an organization. For example, they naturally listen beyond the words that are spoken and align their work with their deepest values. They are not afraid to explore new ideas and wonder about what the next new thing is in their field or area of interest. There are many Edgewalkers in the world. You are not alone. We are increasingly attracting and connecting with our “tribe”, our people, as we provide one another support, growth, collaboration, community and focused vision.

Fellow Edgewalkers we embrace you, celebrate you, invite you to join us on this evolutionary journey. Now more than ever this New Year is the perfect time, a New Era, to consciously choose and courageously contribute our innovative ideas, creative solutions, unique experiences, and Divine gifts to the planet. We are the ones we have been waiting for!

Leaping Into the New Year – My Edgewalker Journey #12 – Patricia Campanile

“Leap & the net will appear!”

Developing the courage and trust “muscles” to follow the signs and listen to your instincts is necessary, yet not always easy, as you leap into the unknown. I often hesitated and questioned with doubt and fear whether my choices were crazy, or Divinely guided as my Edgewalker journey magically unfolded. What if I made a mistake? Could I ever go back? What was on the other side of my decision? Would I be OK?

I recalled a scene from one of the Indiana Jones movies where actor Harrison Ford is running on a path through the jungle being chased by angry and frightening natives. As he reaches the ledge on the end of the cliff he looks down and sees a deep, dark chasm. He has a choice to either turn back and be ravaged by the natives who are determined to kill him, or take a leap of faith into the unknown, trusting that the he will be miraculously saved by some unseen force. Being the brave warrior that he is, Indiana Jones chooses the scary unknown, takes a step, and magically a path appears under his feet. He walks safely over the abyss to the other side, to his future. The path then disappears so the angry “natives” cannot chase him. He is saved!

I am so inspired by the symbolism of this scene (thank you Steven Spielberg!) My take away is that BECAUSE he took a leap of faith and chose the path unknown, life, the Universe responded and provided a new path, guiding him to safety, his future, himself. If we choose we can co-create with the Divine, our Higher Selves & deep intuitive wisdom. We can leave behind whatever is scary and sometimes familiar. My Edgewalker Journey to my authentic Self, to my future and new life, often involved blindly stepping into places, relationships and situations where my rational, resistant and intellectual mind thought I was crazy.

However, since I was and continue to be committed to cultivating and practicing with patience and awareness the Edgewalker qualities, my courage and trust “muscles” have strengthened over time. Most of us have the seeds of these ‘qualities’ in us, but some people more naturally have been able to develop and integrate them.

As we approach the New Year 2018 I invite you to commit to your personal evolution, take a leap of faith and step into your new year and the new you, waiting to be birthed and expressed. Because YOU matter, the “net” will appear to support you. You are worth it!

Here are the Edgewalker Qualities to support your magical journey in 2018 and beyond!

1. Self Awareness

Awareness of your thoughts, values, and behavior, and a commitment to spend time in self-reflection with the goal of becoming a better person.

2. Passion

An intense focus on your purpose or the use of your gifts in a way that adds value to your life and the world.

3. Integrity

A commitment to live in alignment with your core values, to align your words and your behavior, and to keep your word.

4. Vision

The gift of being able to see what others cannot – possibilities, trends, the future, guidance from the spiritual world.

5. Playfulness

A joyful sense of fun and creativity, and an ability to keep everything in perspective.

My Edgewalker Journey #10 – Walking Between Worlds – Patricia Campanile

Living in Hawi on the northern most point of the Big Island of Hawaii was beautiful and isolated. House sitting for friends on their 12 acre sanctuary was heaven on earth. I was deeply grateful to be surrounded by tropical fruit orchards and abundant flowering plants and trees, coy ponds with crystals and lotus flowers, egrets flying, cows and horses in the fields, and breathtaking views of Maui and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. My favorite thing was gazing at the infinite stars in the dark night sky. I felt at one and connected to the Universe as if I were walking between the worlds. At times I also experienced isolation, aloneness and felt small. My so called problems and life seemed insignificant in the grand scheme of things, like I was an ant invisible in an ant hill. It was a valuable yet often uncomfortable perspective that threatens the ego and invites the spirit at the same time.

The Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated place on Earth. The closest land is about 2500 miles in any direction. It can feel like heaven or hell on earth, depending on your perspective. I loved the peace and quiet, beautiful nature, expansive, nurturing energy of the land and fresh air, and being away from my life on the mainland. However, the longer I was there the more I was BEING in the quiet and not DOING and staying busy. I was reminded of how much I was driven to distraction my entire life. My New York, type A personality and east coast upbringing was still running me even though I was thousands of miles away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The expression, “You can take the girl out of NY but you cannot take the NY out of the girl” applied here. You can be in the most beautiful, peaceful and remote place in the world, yet the peace and quiet becomes deafening and uncomfortable when the voices of self-judgement, doubt, old stories and the ego mind start to chatter. The “monkey mind” as they call it in Buddhism, become very loud. All the issues, fears, limitations and insecurities I was running away from caught up with me on that beautiful sanctuary on the Big Island. I was faced with myself, the self I did not like to BE with, feel, acknowledge.

I sought heaven, yet was still living on Earth. As an Edgewalker I understand that life has many dimensions and WALKING BETWEEN WORLDS integrates body, mind and spirit. My sense of belonging and interconnectedness with nature, the stars and greater Universe felt easy. However I also was living in a physical body with it’s challenges, human experiences and emotions, fears and concerns. Looking back the support I had from friends and neighbors including Jim Channon, and so much time alone provided me the much needed perspective to stop, get grounded, listen, feel and heal. It was as if I was having an identity crises, letting go of my old world and paradigm, yet not yet knowing where my new life and Source of Self would come from. Little did I know that my authentic self was within me waiting to be revealed. I had been searching all my life for the very thing that had been within me from birth and beyond, my Divinity, my spiritual heart, my soul. I began peeling away the layers as the journey of transformation continued.

**Lessons:

*No matter where you go there you are. You cannot run from yourself.

*Give space and time to the parts of you that want to be seen, heard, expressed. You are worthy and deserving of your love, compassion, patience and nurturing. Watch, observe, breathe and allow. As you reclaim your wholeness you reclaim your life.

*Paradise is an inside job. We can create heaven on earth when we find peace and acceptance within ourselves first.