Modern society robs us of attention. And, because we’re so distracted, we emulate Charlie Brown listening to his teacher droning on….”wah, wah, wah, wah….”
One value in taking the time to experience a 5-day workshop is that you slow your rhythm down to truly listen and be heard. It’s a miraculous experience. You had no idea how thirsty you were for this kind of attention.
NFL legend and MEA faculty member Aaron Taylor taught me and my co-founders about the three vaults of communication. Vault 1 is the facts of our life, often stored in our mind. It’s the kind of polite conversation you have at a business cocktail party. Safe and bland.
Vault 2 is the stories of our life, often stored in our heart. This is where it gets more interesting as we understand someone’s personal narrative. But, over time, our stories harden into certainties that collide with each other every time we engage with another person, who is living their own story. Our stories can liberate or incarcerate. We often grow tired of our stories (and BS)…as do our friends and family.
The magic is stored in Vault 3 and that’s where we try to communicate at MEA as everyone in the workshop does their best to listen deeply and empathetically. Vault 3 is the essence of who you are in this very moment, unscripted and unplanned. It’s speaking from the soul and you feel it in your body.
I like to call the MEA Method a “Roto-Rooter for your Soul.” Many of us have a clear plumbing pipe between Vaults 1 and 2, but it’s often clogged when it comes to Vault 3. We don’t have time, nor sometimes the courage, to communicate from Vault 3. There’s a fear of what we might find down there. Trust the plumber! Amidst all that muck are some treasures – forgotten dreams, unexpressed emotions, unvarnished insights.
I look forward to having a Vault 3 conversation with you as it feels as good to me as it will for you. Signing off for the day.
Your friend,
Chip, your trusted Plumber
P.S. For those of you who’d like to do a weekend workshop with me in California, the Southeast, or the Northeast, here are a few options (some of these may be sold out soon):
April 11-13 at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California
April 25-27 at the 1440 Retreat Center, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
June 13-15 at The Art of Living Retreat Center, Boone, North Carolina
July 11-13 at the Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York