Setting out to “conquer” a mountain – one wonders about the sanity of such a thought? As the ascent towards the beckoning, yet hostile summit painfully and slowly progressed throughout the night, a new awareness arose…an awareness that rapidly eroded the ego and the belief that a mountain can be conquered. With the body wasting away in this hostile environment, gasping for air in the indigo sky etched sharply against the pure white snow-capped summit, beliefs of “victory” collapsed under an overwhelming sense of grace and gratitude and the profound realization that no-one ever conquers a mountain; we only ever conquer ourselves. And there, on that summit, with that indigo coloured sky above, a dream was born.
A dream is born – Himalayas, Nepal, April 2013
Our origins
Our Approach
The scaffolding of our work
Mountains are places of brutal honesty; it cares not whether you are there or not. From such places we discover the realness of life and its demanding qualities. The experience of high altitude is transformative, helping us see beyond the latest fads and fashions. Enduring the hardships found on a high mountain, coupled with challenging life events teach us that successful transformation resides not in “best in class models,” but in finding and owning our unique purposes and strengths. In the effort to summit a high mountain peak, we learnt that a paradigm of “go slow to go fast,” works best. In the same way, there are no shortcuts to rediscovering our humanity. Taking one step at a time, yet without sacrificing our mindfulness toward a goal, gets one to the summit.
These experiences in engaging the constant battle between ego and purpose, between success and giving up, is what underpin our approach. This awareness shaped our vision of a world where human beings are considered contributors to a sustainable world, with profit resulting from people who live into the possibilities that they are, so becoming the best they can be for the world. This is how we build a world for our children’s’ children.
