Trusting The Unknown: A Life-Changing Experience

When I left Hobart to travel to Bali for the i4 Neuroleader™ Methodology Certification Retreat, I was unsure what to expect in the course content, although I anticipated a technical, theoretical, possibly analytical overview of the concepts around brain science. The idea of diving into this style of training made me a little nervous, and to be quite honest, I was doubting whether I had the capability to absorb this. I can say that I had fairly simple expectations about what I was hoping to take away.

I expected to come away from the program with some additional techniques and information that may be valuable for coaching discussions within my client group, predominately leaders, and I was keen to learn anything that would help them be better leaders.

The first thing I learned was that the self-doubt I had felt was largely created by a fear of judgment and was holding me back from realising my full potential, and to be a true ‘value creator’, I had to let this go. I also learned that this was something that I could overcome. I was not a lost cause.

The concepts around integration have been intriguing, and the week sparked an interest in growing my understanding of how we can balance the brain, mind, and body for better outcomes.

Returning home, I recognised a noticeable shift in my behaviour and mindset and found that I had developed the ability to recognise my brain’s responses to threat and fear. Now that I can recognise the change in my physical and mental response, I have developed the capability to regulate my emotions and manage a situation at the time of the event.

During one of the activities in Bali, I recall having a conversation with one of my colleagues around imagination and innovation, which has really stuck with me. We spoke about my work as an HR Business Partner, and I mentioned that my strengths were in the corporate space, particularly redundancy, contract management, and restructures, and that I’m not overly creative or imaginative.

I mentioned a general workplace cultural issue that I was struggling to handle, in which I would often ask questions and challenge the status quo, but our organisation didn’t seem to have an appetite for change.

“You do have imagination,” he said.

My colleague, quite rightly, pointed out that my imagination and creativity were coming through in my work in the way that I was asking questions, collaborating with colleagues, asking ‘why,’ and looking at different ways of operating.

Since returning from Bali, my conversations with leaders have changed, and I feel more confident in challenging ideas and encouraging my leaders to do the same.

I’ve noticed how frequently people often bring up an idea only to dismiss it immediately. Now, when I see this happening, I make a conscious effort to hold space for the idea and encourage exploration by saying things like:

“Don’t walk away from that idea.”

“Why couldn’t we do that?”

“What if we actually could do that?”

This approach has been transformative in my work with the leaders of my organisation. Together, we’ve started taking our performance tasks in an entirely new direction. While we don’t yet know where this journey will lead, the process of being open and creative is energising and deeply inspiring.

The experience at the i4 Neuroleader™ Methodology Certification Retreat has also developed my professional skills in recognising when someone is close to the tipping point and providing useful tools for them to counteract the effects of workplace stress.

What I learned was that this was the type of methodology that I have been wanting to live by but have never felt supported to live within. Moving forward, I am going to commit to understanding and recognising that these practices are accepted, and there is a scientific basis for my methods and beliefs. I am going to live and breathe this as much as possible so that I can have a positive impact on my personal and professional life.

Never had I ever considered signing myself up for the type of life-changing experience which was the i4 Neuroleader™ Methodology Certification Retreat in Bali.

I never imagined I would find myself wading through sacred temple waters, screaming into a rushing waterfall, swimming beneath another breathtaking cascade, inhaling the herbal steam of garlic tea in a banya, or falling in love with the warmth of the Balinese people and their rich culture.

I never expected to share deeply personal stories with newfound friends, to laugh and cry over the scars we carry, or to experience profound healing through meditation and sound. But perhaps that’s the true magic of the unknown.

These intense activities were like nothing I had experienced before, but my intuition told me to go with it. I’m glad I trusted that gut instinct to simply let go of myself in the moment and live and love.