“For each of us there is a special place in this world…A place where beauty, adventure and majesty capture the soul…Discover your place and discover your soul.” Author Unknown.
In early March, I took a trip to Sedona. Now this was not just any trip. I had Sedona on my list of places to visit. You know, that list you make and then visit every other place on it. Not me. Not anymore. My lists are my bond. If I put it on there, I will do it. Sedona, which is 2 hours north of Phoenix in the state of Arizona, was a place that I’ve been drawn to for a few years now. In January, I got an email from WestJet saying if I booked in the next 24 hours, I would get to use $225 WestJet dollars. I booked within minutes of opening the email. Oh, and did I mention I was going to visit Sedona all alone? Yes, all alone.
So I booked this trip on a whim (didn’t ask my wife, but she was there when I booked it). And now I had to plan it. (Usually, my wife does this stuff). So January and most of February happened, and I hadn’t planned a thing. With 7 days left before takeoff, I finally got to it. I booked my hotel (the Matterhorn Inn) and got a car rental from the Phoenix Airport (GMC Terrain from Avis). And then I planned my days, which involved tons of hiking. I researched which trails to go on, and how to get there, and where to park. My wife told me of a Reiki session I should do. I hold no clue what that was. But I booked it. Let me rewind for a second.
Reconnecting The Heart, Mind, and Spirit
The reason I was going on this trip was to connect again – with spirituality, my heart, and well, my life again. I had lost myself a bit in the last couple of years. My son Luca has certainly helped me regain much of that and fill my heart. Luca was turning 7 months around the time of this trip. He is my heart. He is my life. But you can always improve in life, right? This was by no means a mid-life crisis. I turned 36 a few weeks before this trip. And I still feel young. This trip was more about soul searching and opening myself up to new experiences, and trying to find some spirituality. I am Catholic. I believe in God. But at times, like anyone, I question things. Why did this happen? Why did this not happen? How can I get over this? How can I fulfill my full potential? What is my life purpose? Where is God when I or others get hurt? What is my meaning? I was not expecting my Sedona trip to solve all this, but I was open to it, whatever it was.
I arrived in Phoenix on a Thursday afternoon (direct flight from Calgary). Waited an hour for baggage, another 30 minutes for my rental, and then a 2 hour drive took 3 hours because of a jackknifed truck on the highway. Yet, I was calm and figured this was the worst of it. I arrived in Sedona around 6:00 p.m. Mst. The drive into Sedona was breathtaking. Kind of like seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. Red rock mountains everywhere. Sites that can’t be described properly with just words (hence why there are so many photos and videos accompanying this blog post). Magical and inspiring. Courageous even. Sedona can also be unpredictable in many ways, weather being one of them. Sedona can be really hot and really cold, often within hours of each other. It can snow, and you can get sunburn in the same day. Sedona has this unrivaled energy about it. I was ready to start my sojourn into Sedona.
That first night, I went to eat at Mariposa, a popular Latin-inspired grill just a few blocks from the heart of town. Food was great, service was excellent. During the day, Mariposa has some of the best views of any restaurant. At night, you can’t see much. But after dinner, walking back to my car, I looked up. I had never seen a moon so bright and shiny white. They say you can hike at night because of its light, and that of the stars. Unbelievable. Ok, enough about Thursday night. Let’s continue where we left off. The Reiki session!
Trying New Things, Like Reiki
What is Reiki? I wondered myself. I booked online with Sedona Destinations and paid the $240 before I knew what it was. Again, this was a trip of new experiences, and no was not in my vocabulary. According to my friends at Google, Reiki is a healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the patient’s body and restore physical and emotional well-being. So my Reiki master Lawrence picked me up at a hotel across the street at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning.
As a leader in your professional career, you have to be open minded about trying new things, be it processes, techniques, or change management strategies. I jumped head first into a Reiki session.
Lawrence picked me up and we drove about 15 mins to the Bell Vortex. Lawrence and I spoke a bit about what brought me to Sedona and what I was looking for on this trip. He told me how he became a Reiki Master and the fact he had done a 10-day silent retreat. I told him that would be nearly impossible for me. We both laughed.
We parked and then hiked up to a quiet spot. He set up a camping chair for me to sit on, and proceeded with the Reiki session. He tried to get a feel for my energy, and my emotional well-being. He also gave me a breathing technique I have started using. I was not mediating during the session, but I was totally relaxed. I think my mind being clear helped him read me better. He told me two things that I needed to improve upon (I had mentioned one of these things to someone days earlier, and he did not know about it until after he told me). So yes, I was impressed. He also spoke to me about Chakra, which are focal points in the subtle body used in a variety of meditation techniques in the esoteric traditions of Indian religions and used in new age medicine and psychology. The concept is found particularly in the tantric traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. I had heard about Chakra before, but never knew what it really was. Lawrence was truly helpful and sent me a link to a book that helped him. It’s called Anatomy of the Spirit: the Seven Stages of Power and Healing. I’ve already ordered it and will be open to their teaching. Lawrence also said that I had a lot of fire in me. As per Wikipedia, Fire is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with the qualities of energy, assertiveness, and passion. Now, too much of anything can create an imbalance. He said while it’s good I don’t like spicy foods, wine and coffee may need to be reduced. Now, that may be a problem for me. We had a good chuckle when I told him my end goal was to own a vineyard and run a coffee shop within it. He also told me to buy a sage s mist, which I did. Sage is said to soothe your worries, ease tension and revitalize skin and hair.
All in all, I was extremely happy I did this Reiki session. I don’t know if it was the Vortex, the Reiki session, or just being in the fresh air of Sedona, but I was energized like never before. After the Reiki session that morning, I headed to a popular hike up another Vortex area, called Cathedral Rock, which is famous in many files and pictures.
Cathedral Rock Vortex and One of The Best Hikes of My Life
At times, the climb up Cathedral rock was tough. And as I was climbing higher and higher, I routinely saw people give in, and head back. They had reached a ceiling, and for them, the dangers of further climbing were enough to stop. Some advice I’ve received when hiking that we should all take to heart – when you question if you should go higher or continue on a hike, you are usually right. Head back or stop. So I continued until I had reached that point, and the end of the trail. Sort of. I was curious and tried to go even higher. So I did. I then saw two young ladies in front of me, who had not only climbed where I had, but proceeded to climb down a path that did not look too stable. So I had reached my ceiling, and did not feel comfortable going further. I had pushed myself as far as I could on that hike, about 4,500 feet in elevation.
It was exhilarating. Leaders often need to know how to get the most out of their team, they have to know their employees and the plateau (or ceilings) their employees may have in a given day or week. Standing high up on Cathedral Rock, I had pushed myself higher and further that I was probably comfortable with. And I loved every second of it. In daily life, you should always try to push past your limits, which helps you set new boundaries and even higher thresholds.
Next up was the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
Chapel of The Holy Cross – Spirit Lives Here
As per Wikipedia, The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic chapel built into the buttes of Sedona, Arizona, run by the Diocese of Phoenix, as a part of St. John Vianney Parish in Sedona. The chapel was inspired and commissioned by local rancher and sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who had been inspired in 1932 by the newly constructed Empire State Building to build such a Church. After an attempt to do so in Budapest, Hungary (with the help of Lloyd Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright) was aborted due to the outbreak of World War II, she decided to build the church in her native region.
If you park at the lower level parking area, it’s a 10 minute hike up to the chapel. The chapel itself probably fits around 50 people. Imagine saying a prayer in a glass chapel overlooking mountains of red rock. I was humbled and thankful. I lit a couple of candles, and then headed down to the gift shop to buy some items for Luca and the family.
By this time, it was about 2:30 p.m. or so, and I headed back to Uptown Sedona, where my hotel was located. As an aside, Sedona does not have a downtown. Uptown is Sedona’s downtown. Uptown consists of a few blocks of restaurants, small bars, hotels, cafes, wine tastings, and spiritual healing and well-being places. So I dropped a few things off at my hotel, and walked to the nearest wine tasting place, Winery 1912. Great atmosphere with some amazing live music (more on that later). I had a fantastic wine flight (who knew Arizona had some pretty decent wine?) and then went to find a store that sold sage mist. As I was paying, the lady processing my transaction said they had a cancellation or a massage if I wanted one. I figured after a grueling day of hiking and spiritual openness, my body could use some fine tuning. So I took a 30 minute session. You’d think I would be tired after this point, especially after the massage. But I had so much energy. And felt amazing. So by around 4:30 p.m., I figured I had another hike in me, one I thought I could pull off and see the sunset.
Aiport Mesa Vortex and the Hike That Made Me Miss the Sunset
I headed to Airport Mesa, another Sedona vortex. Airport Mesa has a vista, a small hike with some breathtaking views. So I hiked up and figured it was time to put some fuel in my body i.e. beef jerky. At this point, it was about 5:30 p.m. and sunset was at 6:23 p.m. There is a great hike around Airport Mesa which has some inspiring 360° views of Sedona. You literally walk all the way around the mountain and back to the starting point. It can take up to 2 hours to complete, 1 if you do it quickly. So I proceeded to do the oval hike around the mountain. It was a pretty easy hike and pace, but after about 45 mins, I was figuring I may miss the sunset. So I picked up my pace, only to be caught up in hiker’s traffic, a few well intentioned people going at their own pace (and not trying to see the sunset). I eventually passed them, but only caught the tail end of the sunset. Thankfully, I had 2 more nights to see one.
After hiking more than 26k steps (much of which was actually climbing), I decided to call it a night and head for supper at Saltrock, a trendy, SouthWest inspired resto located at the Amara hotel (part of the Kimpton group of hotels) and just across the street from where I was staying (which was good news, because my legs were starting to tire). While I waited for my meal, it gave me a chance to catch up on emails and see if anything urgent needed to be taken care of. You might be asking, I thought you were trying to disconnect. Well, I love what I do, and as someone passionate about Digital, I don’t ever feel overwhelmed, or like I need to completely disconnect from work (I do for a few days of the year, but I thought this was a great time to catch up on work). And with my sip of espresso and last sip of port, my first complete day in Sedona had come to an end.
On Saturday, I had booked a hot air balloon ride. I was really excited for this, as it was the first time I would have been on one, and I love new experiences. However, on Friday night, just before the sunset, I got word that because of strong winds coming into Sedona, the ride would be cancelled and moved to Sunday. So I changed my days around. My plan for Sunday’s hike became Saturday’s.
Being agile is a valued quality not every leader possesses. I could have been down and sad that the air balloon ride was cancelled. It would have been my first time up. I could have let it ruin my night and my day. But I just rolled with it. You can get an email at the beginning of the day that sets your day off track, or a meeting with your boss that gets canceled and delays approvals. Which leader do you want to be next to: the one who sulks and takes it out on their team, or the leader who rolls with the punches and gets on with their day?
Boynton Canyon Vortex – And the Long Hike to Nowhere
So Saturday morning came around, and after a nice, filling breakfast at Mesa Grill, I headed to another vortex, Boynton Canyon. Boynton Canyon was a long hike. It takes about 3 hours to complete it (there and back). It was early when I began, just before 8:00 a.m. It was cold and muddy. Periods of sun broke through. There were paths full of ice and some snow. For the most part, this was not such an enjoyable hike, mostly in tree-covered areas. I could have turned back, and thought about it halfway in, but I worked so hard to see the end, the climax, that I couldn’t turn back. I soldiered on.
Leaders always have a choice to cull a project – maybe the project is late, running over budget, or lacking quality. Leaders sometimes have to trust their gut and make the choice to continue on or stop the project. Seth Godin and some other great thinkers believe sometimes quitting is good, as it allows you to move onto the next project or chapter even quicker. I agree. In this case, however, I continued the hike.
When I got to the end of the trail, it was quite peaceful. The sound of birds singing ricocheted off the rocks. I decided to sit down for a few minutes, have a few snacks, and really be thankful for where I was in life. I also did the breathing exercise my Reiki Master had showed me the day prior. After about 15 minutes of rest and solitude, I headed back the same way I came.
After the long hike back from Boynton Canyon, I headed up to the Boynton Canyon Vista point, which provides a marvelous view of mountains, trees and The Enchantment Resort right below it. I finally saw a lizard up there. I decided this would be my place for lunch. Now, how often do you get to sit thousands of feet up high on a mountain top, with only a few other people around? For me, not often. This was like closing the office door and putting noise silencing headphones on. I appreciated and was thankful for these peaceful moments of eating lunch in utter silence, the wind breaking through the air the only thing my ears could hear. It’s one of those moments you know may not come for a long time afterward.
As a leader, you have to make sure you and your team have these moments too. It might be a complete day off to disconnect. Taking them for a coffee away from the office. Or granting them the time off needed to travel, even if it’s for a couple of weeks. Let your team members experience peace and quiet. Everyone needs to feel refreshed from time to time. Be sure to know when your employees need that time away.
I had about another hour of hiking in me, so I decided to head to Deadman’s Pass. I figured this would be a strenuous hike up a mountain pass that would challenge me. Instead, it was a pretty easy hike in what felt like clay and dirt. It was a biker’s Heaven. Some easy straight paths with a few bumps and jumps. For a hiker, it was not the best of hikes, ending in the middle of a forest; the wayfinding signage was also not very clear towards the end of the trail, and didn’t really let you know which way to go to continue on. I decided to turn back. While the area was peaceful, it was probably my least favourite hike of the trip. But Deadman’s Pass had to be the best of the names!
Wine O’Clock in Sedona
It was about 2:30 p.m. and since the Sedona Film Festival rolled into town, as well as a mountain biking competition that began that morning, you could notice a significant spike in traffic and people in Sedona. I headed to another wine tasting in Uptown Sedona. I was noticing that wine tasting was becoming my center of alignment for 1. Being thankful for a great hike and 2. The culmination of the physical and mental/spiritual aspects of the day.
I loved getting the chance to talk to people about Arizona wine and see their passion. Admittedly, Arizona wine can be hit and miss, but seeing the passion that people who worked there had was inspiring. I love my job and I’m lucky that I have a passion for my industry and what I do each and every day. You can’t teach passion, but as I listened to these Arizona wine lovers, I knew that to do a job well, passion was needed. As leaders, we need to figure out how we can draw passion from our employees. If they don’t love what they’re currently doing, how can we insert elements or experiences into their day-to-day so they feel tinges of passion? Something we need to continuously consider.
I truly believe in the “work hard, play hard” mentality. I had hiked for 28k steps on Saturday, so besides the wine, I also indulged in some of the best nachos ever (superb guacamole) at 89Agave Cantina, a fine resto in Uptown Sedona and a perfect late lunch snack. Bring on the calories!
That night I intentionally did not have supper plans. I didn’t want to be on a schedule that night. I did manage to catch the sunset before supper. However, it was cloudy. While it was not picture perfect, it was cool being around people who wanted to see and capture such beauty.
I headed to a place called Vino di Sedona, which was a wine bar with live music. I saw it on a map of the city that morning, and figured it would be a cool Saturday spot. Well, I was right, but it was packed to the gills. So I altered my “plans” and headed to Pisa Lisa, an Italian, wood-fired pizza joint. Funny enough, Mariposa, Pisa Lisa, and the restaurant I would go to on Sunday night, Dahl & DiLuca, are all owned by the same owner, Lisa Dahl. I love her story for naming Pisa Lisa. “When I was a kid my dad would pinch me sometimes and say, ‘I wanna little piece of Lisa!’” Beautiful Lisa! I loved that!
I was still full from the nachos, but their pizza was outstanding. Had a really good chat with the bartenders and some of the guys making the pizza. Definitely a family feel at Pisa Lisa. In fact, one of them was headed to Banff in July. Told him to time his trip around the Calgary Stampede. He hadn’t heard about the stampede, but I’m pretty sure he’ll time it right.
Change of Plans – Hot Air Balloon Ride Cancelled
On Saturday night, I got word that the air balloon ride would be cancelled due to high winds on Sunday, thus ending my hopes of doing another first. I would not get the chance to ride up high in a hot air balloon. So I shifted my plans forward and bumped up my Sunday afternoon plans to Sunday morning. I love talking about plans and goals – be it for a trip, relationship, life, or work.
If you lead a team, and you’ve built an amazing plan, and you want to stick to it, no matter what, even with outside forces or trends begging for change, well, you will fail. I get so disappointed when I see leaders know they should change their plan, but it’s easier and safer not to, because then they can blame the approved plan, and not their leadership skills. Think about it. Imagine building a 5-year plan today, and not changing anything on it as you go? Imagine Amazon said ‘no, we’re going to stick with the same plan, sell books and pay out commissions to affiliates’? We laugh, but that is what companies do today. In life, in relationships, at work, we all need goals and plans – but the ability to adapt (to market trends, personalities, cultures, changes in technology) is a real struggle for some people. But think of this: if you set out your clothes for Monday morning on Sunday night, and you wake up on Monday, and you notice there’s a snow storm, imagine saying ‘well, I didn’t pack boots, but so be it, don’t feel like changing, and my sneakers are just fine.’ I don’t know about you, but I would not want to be on that leader’s team.
As I lay down for bed on Saturday night, I was tired physically, but I felt so good. You know those times when you go to bed with a huge smile on your face? I felt I had a permanent one.
The Bell Vortex – Courage, Intention, and Gratefulness
Sunday morning came around. It’s quite cold in Sedona in the morning. Sunday was the coldest of the days. Friday and Saturday were mainly sunny, with highs over 17°C and little wind. Sunday was windy and cloudy, with highs closer to 12°C. I had breakfast at the same place I went on Friday morning, Indian Gardens. What a great place with fantastic coffee. I love when breakfast coffee is enjoyable. Such a cozy feel with great food. As I was going through the map and picturing my hike for the day, I was planning to do the Bell Vortex (back to where my Reiki session was) and hike up to the top. I would then spend some time around that trail, and then head to another mountain. Well, plans change. After about 2 hours of hiking and climbing, at around 10:30 a.m., I decided I would stay around this mountain the entire hike. I felt so connected and so liberated with this Vortex. I said, “why change mountains?” The Bell Vortex was my pinnacle. It was the first place I visited with my Reiki Master, and I somehow felt so connected to it. It’s a fun and challenging climb. Picture hiking around a large rock tube, over and over, but at some point near the summit, the rings get smaller and smaller, there are no signs pointing out which way to go, and often times, no trail, so you have to figure out how to hop onto a 3 of 4 foot “tube.” I reached the highest point I could go by around 8:30 a.m. Great thing about starting a hike early in the morning is there’s hardly anyone around. Worst thing about starting a hike early in the morning…well, there’s no one around to share it with.
Surprisingly, I had great reception on the Bell Vortex, and I was so excited I needed to talk to people. I called my wife and baby Luca. No answer. I then called my parents. Imagine answering a FaceTime call and seeing your son running around the side of a mountain? I think I gave them more anxiety than anything. I was on such a high. Then my wife and Luca called back, and it was cool to share this moment with them. I kept thinking – Luca, you’re going to be taken on some wonderful adventures very, very soon.
There’s a rector that connects Bell Vortex and the Courthouse Vista. Not many people hike up this Vista (truth be told, not sure I was supposed to hike up it, but I did). Sometimes you have to bend the rules, right? At some point up the climb, I had figured if I go higher, I may not be able to get down. But I had pushed myself to figure out a way up – picture no hiking trail or wayfinding signs. You just have to roll with it and figure out a solution. Some of which involved climbing, and not really hiking, but that just added to the thrill. I then noticed another vista point on another mountain. Great spot for lunch I thought. The wind was picking up, which made climbing tougher than usual, so I made my way down the Courthouse Vista and found my way to the other mountain, which looks like a much smaller version of the Bell Vortex. I climbed my way to the top of it, and felt like Rocky on the steps of Philadelphia. Again, I was alone at the top. Time for lunch! This time, as I ate, I thought about CEOs and Founders of companies. And how alone they must feel sometimes – unable to share their fear of taking risks or making mistakes. They cannot show fear, at least in their own mind. They can’t be vulnerable, for it may be perceived as weakness or uncertainty. Who do CEOs and Founders of companies confide in? Must be lonely at the top sometimes.
After lunch, I took a hike called the Courthouse Loop, which is about a 90-120 minute hike around Courthouse Vista and the Bell Vortex. It’s peaceful and energetic, it’s scenic and tranquil. I recommend this hike for beginners and experts – not for the thrill, but for the calmness. This would be my last hike of the trip, and for the parts of the last 30 minutes of the hike, I took out my headphones and listened to some music. I was in such a good place and wanted to hear some of my favourites tunes. For the last 10 minutes, I took them off and did a quick recollection of the last 3 days and what they brought to me. I was thankful, full of courage, and had loads of intention. This trip was exactly what I wanted and needed. To re-connect emotionally and find some more spirituality. I must say, I think it was a success.
Being alone while doing some strenuous hiking can really clear your mind and help you think. Same with exercise. The best leaders of any company understand this, and take the time to exercise (walk, run, train, hike, bike, whatever that may be) because it helps them destress and clear their minds. It also makes them less tired to face the challenges of the day head-on. Well, I definitely felt like my mind was clear (which always helps for making better decisions, about the present or future). And with that, my hiking was over, and it was that time again: wine!
Wine and Writing is a Fabulous Pairing
I got back to the hotel and freshened up and then headed to Uptown. I bought a few souvenirs and had another wine tasting. I must say it again – I was surprised that some of the Arizona wine was actually very good. Walking back to my hotel (must have been around 3:30 p.m.), I still had so much energy and some creativity flowing it. So I grabbed my laptop and headed to Winery 1912, the place of my first wine tasting, to have a glass of their Tempranillo, which I loved from the tasting I had there on Friday. I grabbed my laptop because I wanted to remember everything from this trip, and capture some of the notes to write this blog post. I love writing, and I need to do more writing about experiences, rather than industry-related topics (stay tuned, more on a new blog format coming!) Wine and a clear mind can help the words flow seamlessly.
It didn’t hurt that this wonderful wine tasting room had some incredible views, with the spirit of a subtle sound of a musician pouring his soul out behind his guitar. The people around me projected a sense of humility, however we all ordered wine flights in a fashion more like a wine bar, than a wine tasting. In fact, I met some amazing new friends. Amazing what wine and music can do for the soul, especially in a place like Sedona.
Supper that night was at Dahl & DiLuca, likely the most popular restaurant in Sedona. Being Italian, I am usually a harsh critic when it comes to Italian food. Dahl & DiLuca was on point, and delicious. It is authentic and delightful Italian cuisine, with a beautiful selection of wine. It was the best restaurant of my trip. Save the best for last, right? I reconnected with the friends I had made from the wine-tasting-turned-wine-bar and we had a bonfire at the L’Auberge hotel. It’s nice to meet people who are genuine. And Sedona seems to bring that out in people. Sometimes you meet kindred spirits, and the bonfire was a nice way for all of us say goodbye to an experience we will never forget.
My trip to Sedona was booked on a whim, but I knew it was a place I had wanted to visit for a couple of years. Like I said, this was no mid-life crisis. This was me being open to new experiences. Doing and trying things for the first time, and being alone while doing it. It forced me to make decisions, sometimes with the information I had (like continuing on at the end of a trail).
I know how lucky and privileged I am to be able to have gone on this trip. And I was utterly thankful for being there when I was.
The Heart at the Center
I bought a necklace from Sedona, and the inscription it hung on said something that struck me, and I thought it was profound and reflective. It’s called Heart at the Center: The path of the heart requires courage of the seeker. The lessons it imparts are always intimate and personal. The heart is a loving and passionate counsellor and heart lessons unveil all matters of relationship including uncomfortable thought, painful memories or regrets.
I know, heavy right?
Now the question becomes: back to the day to day hustle, can I remember to take the time and practice what I’ve learned in Sedona? Not dissimilar to a leader who goes to a great conference, hears some great talks, comes back energized and motivated, and 3 days later forgets the advice and does the same old thing. I’ll have to work hard to ensure I take learnings from my Sedona trip a routine, rather than a forgotten experience.
My hope is that everyone who reads this has their own Sedona moment, if they haven’t had it already. If this inspires one person who inspires another person, who knows, maybe it creates a spiral of intention, courage and inspiration. I’ll be thankful for that.
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