We have done alot of seminars and workshops over the years but the Be Activated with Douglas Heel is one of the best we have went too. This time it was hosted by our friend JL who created RPR(Reflexive Performance Reset) with Cal Dietz and Chris Korfist as the other two founders. The Be Activated is so powerful and moving for just about everyone that RPR was created to help bring it to the masses in a technique based first level and a deeper Level 2. I have stated in the past after the first round of Be Activated , I had no idea how more people didn't know about it and used it as it was so powerful and moving. This was the same sentiment that birthed RPR that will solidify it well into the future as I believe Douglas has put it in the right hands.
This was our 3rd time. Yep ,third time we lugged ourselves to a place and spent 4 days learning and absorbing with the Heel. Although each time has most of the same principles, the experiences have been different each time. I have written a couple of different ones on each time you can check out at:
1/ https://www.elitefts.com/coaching-logs/found-some-of-what-i-was-looking-for-and-the-gift/?_ga=2.19945663.609446744.1563901212-903755752.1537275655
Alot has gone on since the first and second go of this. I am at the 3 year mark with cancer free-knock on wood. We moved to a new building that has brought its own challenges along with revamping the business the way we always wanted it to be. That alone has been one of the hardest challenges changing mindsets and breaking old habits that have hindered us in the past to the point of almost breaking down. Just a incredible amount of strife and unwillingness to change. Change is always, nothing can stop it.
So when we found out Douglas was coming back stateside, we jumped all in without hesitating. We did not expect what happened as he was different and so were we. As usual, introductions around the room. This is always the most difficult part for me and for everyone. He wants to know who you are and why you here. This is always a difficult part for me. My anxiety about saying the right or wrong thing has always hindered me. No matter how much or little I prep, it never seems to come out right and that is the main problem, This is a long process with 20 plus people going on taking up to 3 to 4 hours. It seems like a waste of time but it starts to bring all the shit to the surface. If you are bullshitter or monologue specialist yakking about your certs, you will get tore up till you finally say why you ar really there. I battle off and on working on catching myself. The real deal is to hear what each person says and what they don't say. So staying out of my head or actually going in it was going on. This is a neurological survival response on my part. My physiology was determining the outcome in other words. Now, you think I would have this shit down and I did better this time but these things are so ingrained in your tissues and if you don't work on them they come back out but in this instance, I would activate and pull them down.
Moving on he gets to us. He looks at me and says his South African," Helllouu. He asks how am I. I try to monologue it and throw some deflecting humor about here to get our annual "Dougie Fix" but as usual he ain't buying it. He keeps on me. I mention I am trying to amp up my training which I have been. Business is doing pretty good. But then for some reason I say I am a bit bored and unenthusiastic about things. Well that lights him up and he pounces on that finally getting out of me the powerlessness I have felt for quite some time. In instituting all the changes we wanted, I asked the wife to do this as she is organized and can see the detail part I am not great at. I see the large picture well but making all the small parts happen is not my strong suit. It is hers. We had other circumstances where we just had to step in and retake the reigns. But after six months we had made great strides but were so frustrated with the constant kickback and passive agressiveness from several of the people who worked for us.
My plan was I wanted to light them all up with a flamethrower when they took a shit on her but she would not let me do it as it would be ugly and people would quit or just get fired or get their feelings hurt when they were doing wrong. I often would say stop coddling them. Anyhow, I wanted to go in and napalm the region and she would stop me. It hurt me to see her try so hard and not allow me to do something especially when it was completely in everyone's best interest and they would over time make more money! It is pretty much what every family does to each other though.
After I admitted this out loud, he looked at me and said, Boredom and depression are the same thing. Sue was aware of my depression and had mentioned it several times before but she did not know exactly why. Her pain had become mine as I accepted it. This was eye opening for her as well as she had felt powerless and unheard herself but knowing what this was doing to us clicked the lights on as well as the anger towards everyone who had done this. That is her story and you check out her blog.
Coming to terms with things you don't want to is the hardest thing but there it was in the open. She gave her part and the crying started for me but this is all in Douglas Heel's Be Activated. It is a cleansing process for the majority of people who attend at some point or another. At the last two, we weren't allowed to work with each other. This time he didn't even have to say so as we both circulated the room. We are there for ourselves but also watching the stories unfold is gorgeous to observe. So this was just the first four hours. We would learn so much about each person as the days rolled on and as always the story at the bottom is always the same. We are all just people trying to make it
Now, the first two we attended most everyone was fresh to Be Activated meaning they did not have as much experience with the techniques or philosophy. This go, alot of the room were first and second level RPRers looking to fill their cups so I believe that changed how Douglas presented. We still did alot of the technique work but the philosophy was much deeper this go as we all worked out our shit.
Day 1 and 2 go pretty much like the first time we attended. The first day your system begins to relax and settle down but it is fighting you tooth and nail to hold on to what it knows-anxiety/fight/flight/shutdown-whatever it uses. Day 2 the fight is much less and pretty much over by the end of the day as your nervous systems drops lower and lower towards the parasympathetic it is suppose to be in. You watch people have moments including myself. Douglas comes by while I am on the table getting working on . Things are always bubbling on the surface ready to be let go and this was one. He asks me about a huge business concern we have been facing for several months and was it within my control and if it was hurting me in this moment. I say no and the tears well as the problem just sorta melts away. I have said this very thing to people about the moment and whether or not that thing you are fretting over can really do anything to you at that very moment. The truth is it can't. But someone else had to present it in a moment I could accept it.
Day 3 we continue to work on Level 1 and move in some to Level 2. Lots of great changes and ah hah moments for everyone. Sue talks about finding her voice and her strength in her blog. Part of that process, was Douglas working on her while she was singing. She has sung in church for many years, at weddings, funerals-you name it. The room we were in was the drama club so it had a small stage. People were milling around working on each each including me and another person. I hear Douglas stop her and begin to talk with her and he asks her to sing. She was not sure what to sing but, " Somewhere Over the Rainbow" came up and so she started singing.
I am on the stage working with another classmate when I hear them talking but I don't want stop and intrude on the moment as they go into that moment. I know something is coming just not sure about the outcome. Again it is different for each. Later I would hear he gently stepped on her foot and wrapped his arm around here as she began to sing. This was to ensure he be able to work and she not pull away if that wasn't obvious. As the singing began, my tears welled up and I fought to keep them down(remember if I was a superhero it would be the cryer). She sings beautifully no matter but as he worked on her on the room became utterly quiet as all the chatter died. She always tells him how much she hates him before he starts and this was said pretense. But as she sang and he worked on two parts of her pecs the sound of her voice changed. It became stronger,louder and clearer as her singing literally filled the room. I had to squeeze my butt cheeks and lift my head to slow the tears it was so beautiful. Words don't describe these moments when this work expresses itself as a liberating freedom in a person.
We were asked to head to dinner with Doug and JL. Douglas had said he had some ideas to go over. We thought it would be just some product he was thinking about. That, it was not. It turned into alot of jokes, awesome conversations and other possibilities to be named later. Namely just a good time hanging out and just being in the moment.
Moving into the last day, it started off badly for the wife. She drank way more proseccos then usual(like 5) and woke up puking and sick all throughout the day. It was alot more alcohol then usual but not the amount to do that. Thought maybe slight food poisoning but it just kept coming for most of the morning. She tried to hang in there but eventually just went to the car to sleep it off for just about the rest of the day. Douglas surmised it might be alot of purging of toxins from the work we had been doing both physically and mentally. Basically vomiting your demons out. There are always firsts in each class where people drop off their shit off and this was her way. After napping, for several hours, she was just fine as we finished up visual field work. For once he left up how the last day went on us which is highly unusual. Some wanted more technique work, some wanted more of the philosophy of the work. He obliged. We did some work and we listened to more stories and life philosophies as the day wound down and time drifted away.
So there it is. Be activated-3. I would say this sequel is the best for us and where we are in our lives. It is hard to quantify these things as sometimes you get what you need and the universe delivers as it is suppose to go anyhow. What will be fun is what happens now-I am already much happier in this moment.
FInd a RPR clinic and go. You will walk away feeling better.
