Josh is going to be co-leading CMomA’s first Journey to Peru this month! Click here to learn more.
In less than a week CMoMa and team will be embarking to Peru for their first ever journey to help and uplift orphaned and vulnerable children. Exciting times.
I’m along for the ride, watching in awe, as Marcy and team have planned and prepared for what will be an unforgettable experience.
I’ve begun packing, which for me happens every few days, and when I pack I think—probably too much.
I’ve been planning humanitarian excursions for over 10 years now. Yet, before each one, I get nervous. Not for any logistical reason but as I pack I begin to think over who is coming and I begin to hope and intention that each will have the experience they need to, that we will all come together as a team, and that we will all walk away changed in some way, for the better.
These thoughts can overtake me at times. I inevitably land on the question: Will everyone have fun? When I arrive at that fear or question I realize I’m stepping into the realm of control. I let go, I laugh.
As we pack for any journey we begin to think through what we need and this invariably creates expectations. Should I pack a bathing suit? If I do, I better get the chance to use it! What about sunscreen? It better be sunny! And then our packs get heavier. Heavy with expectation.
It’s a very human process. A very easy one to get caught up in. Attaching expectation to this or that only leads to disappointment and angst.
So to my fellow travelers to Peru and in life I want to suggest a simple intention through a story I recently experienced in Mexico.
During our annual Christmas trip to the El Sauzal Orphanage this past December, I found myself worrying about whether the our plans were going to be fun enough, good enough, memorable enough for the kids and our volunteers. Organizing gifts for 50+ people, having Santa show up, coordinating the elaborate food plans and night activities can get overwhelming. I had a great team. We decided it would be really funny to introduce our Mexican friends to what we Americans call Mexican food, aka Taco Bell. We brought the menu, the sauces, created Taco Bell signs with legit logos. We had the kids apply for passports and decorated their dining room as authentically as possible. I hired some of the older kids at the orphanage to work the counter and take orders.
Then that silly question came to mind: Will everyone have fun?
I worried that the kids wouldn’t get the fun we were trying to create. As we passed out the fake American money so they could buy tacos, nachos, and burritos, I set a simple intention: just show up. Just be part of the experience and help things go right.
That intention settled me quickly and soon magic happened. The kids loved ordering their own food and using their own money. They loved the Americanized-Mexican food we cooked. They ate it all up and spent all their money buying the food they wanted.
We also planned a delicious dessert: waffles with fruit and freshly whipped cream. I walked out into the dining room eating a waffle and everyone’s focus quickly turned to me.
“Where did you get that?” everyone asked.
I said, “It’s on the menu. Did you guys save your money?”
Then one of our best memories ever happened, naturally, totally unforced. If I had been worrying and fretting I wouldn’t have seen the opportunity.
We started a riot. All the kids rushed the Taco Bell counter and demanded their money back. The kids started chanting, “Dame mi dinero!” (give me my money). It got a little crazy as we explained to the kids that they didn’t budget correctly and that only those with money could have dessert. It got crazier until we told them it was a joke. They all really enjoyed the dessert!
The volunteers had a blast. We laughed the whole time. Everyone was just showing up and being who they were as the night unfolded. It was an amazing experience.
So to all my fellow travelers both to Peru and in life, let’s let go of any expectations and just show up authentically. This allows the universe to let amazing things unfold.
I am excited for all the fun we will have together.
Josh Brazier is a Certified Professional Coach, an Arbinger Trained Coach, and founder of the Kaiizen Foundation, dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s orphaned and vulnerable children population through mentoring and education.
His mentoring company, Kaiizen Mentors, is helping youth and families in the States live better lives.
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