The Sedona trip and experience was amazing, unbelievable, overwhelming, mind-blowing, spiritual, with all the ingredients of an awakening. It would take years to process. I returned home to a part-time job that was much needed to help ground me and distract myself from the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind. I was also volunteering much of my remaining time which became a calling.

I visited a friend I had met on one of the spiritual group meetings. The song kept playing wherever I was, "Africa" by Toto. The line, "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you" stayed in my head. Once again a restless state emerged. We were watching a show and there was reference to Africa. This time it caught my attention. The next morning I remembered Margaret, a Near-Death Experiencer (NDE), talked at the conference I attended about her trips to Africa where she volunteered. She said that others were welcome to join, but that we needed to pay our own way.

I called Margaret out of the blue, and she answered the phone stating, "I was expecting your call." The signposts were clear now. I had to go. She spoke about a woman whose dream it was to go, but could not afford the trip. I looked at the expenses to make the trip and, no surprise, I had enough to cover my own expenses, along with one other. Her name is Lib and I was humbly able to make her dream come true. She ended up staying in Africa to fulfill her own purpose.

The experience there was, and still is, unbelievable and profound. I left the fast-paced world of America, and into a place where there was no time. My body went through the withdrawels related to the rituals of the West (schedules, timelines, constant stimulation, activities) to adapting and ultimately embracing life at a much slower pace. I felt as if I was in a National Geographic special as I spent time in tribes, experiencing their customs that were unlike anything I have ever experienced. I would eventually leave on my own for a journey that would bring me to experiencing the wonders of Africa and its amazing human beings.

Once again, my life would change, this time at the core level related to my beliefs and values. I volunteered in one of the Townships that housed the purposely displaced native Africans, into massive ghettos filled with despair, starvation, crime and more. This was contrasted with up-close experiences with that amazing wildlife of Africa, and a "near-life" experience rafting down a Class 5 river in Zimbabwe.

The essence of Michael Crichton's quote made total sense now, "“Often I feel I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am. There is no mystery about why this should be so. Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of your food, your closet full of your clothes -- with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating.”

Note: I am concluding my podcasts with Transformation Network, as I seek a new beginning related to my dream of guiding and inspiring others to find their own truth and become their full potential. I am incredibly grateful to the staff that helped me get my start in podcasting. They are truly amazing people. And thank YOU for your time to listen in and be a part of my life and teachings. I hope that I influenced you in some small or big way to make the most out of the most amazing journey you will have --- YOUR LIFE!!!

Michael

growhumanpotential.com

Discovering Michael: An Inspirational Guide to Personal Growth and Self-Discovery, Balboa Press

Link to Book on Amazon