Infinite Routes: Intuitive Connections

Chapter 6 of Intuitive Business Connections

Intuitive Business Connections is a true story about the lessons learned from entrepreneur, Jadi Kindred. She reveals her trials and tribulations of growing a company from zero to six figures as a young entrepreneur and shares what helped her to succeed year after year. Based on the author’s personal experience of entrepreneurship, intuition, and connecting to cultures worldwide, she takes readers on her inspiring journey of growing her business from the ground up and achieving her dream lifestyle.

This book offers countless ways to grow personally, professionally, and socially and will shift your way of thinking about reaching your own potential.

Transcript

Chapter 6.

Infinite Roots.

Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn't mean to take.

By Angela N.

Blount.

I always find the moment I land in another country to be so surreal.

In the morning I wake up in my own bed in Canada and then that evening I am sleeping in Quito,

Ecuador.

It's a beautiful experience.

I once went to Ecuador to volunteer with the Shuar Indians in the Amazon jungle.

I lived and volunteered with that community for three weeks after staying an extra week because I didn't want to leave.

I would sleep on a wood plank at my host family's simple home,

Lived off of yucca and fried plantains and even ate armadillo they hunted and fish they caught.

One of my Shuar Indian brothers and I would talk about our dreams,

Education and goals.

He too graduated from ecotourism and wanted to protect the Amazon and meet volunteers from around the world.

It was such a beautiful lesson on how similar humans are.

We were brought up in the most opposite of circumstances yet there we were.

So many similarities between the two of us.

He would teach me to trust that everything is provided when we went for long hikes in the jungle to reach a sacred waterfall.

I would worry if I had enough water but he knew the jungle had everything he needed and would find the trees to drink water from when he was thirsty.

During my time there I realized how rich they really were.

They had bountiful amounts of food,

Water,

Resources in the jungle behind their homes.

They thoroughly enjoyed their days working,

Playing and laughing together as a community.

At night we would dance around the fire,

Watch the storms pass or talk as we swayed in the hammocks.

I tried to explain to them that they actually had more money than most Canadians.

I explained that many Canadians are in debt and don't have access to unlimited resources like they do.

It was also the start of my journey on how I would later define success and abundance.

I spent some days volunteering as an English teacher in the little dirt hut where the children sat on cut logs as chairs.

The children didn't really see value in improving their English nor did I want to push that on them.

Then a life-changing moment happened for me while I was there.

One evening when I came home from supper a family member was there and he asked me if I could help him with his English.

Yes of course I replied and he quickly went to go and get his English books.

He was so enthusiastic,

Grateful and focused when I spoke that I was amazed.

My heart was fully open as I taught him English that night.

I was able to share knowledge that came so easily for me and yet was so important for him.

From that moment I discovered my true passion for teaching English as a second language to adults.

After my travels my intuition had led me to Quebec.

A couple months before flying to Quebec I started having very vivid dreams.

I dreamt about a crush I had years earlier on.

A man I worked with in Saskatchewan.

In my dreams he came to visit me and even though my conscious mind was still angry and broken hearted by him I felt ecstatic when I woke up from those dreams or sad other mornings when our paths didn't cross in my dream world.

I was surprised by my authentic present feelings when I was not in my ego or pain from the past.

I also discovered a flight pass for unlimited flights within North America for two months that was the same price as a one-way ticket.

I vowed to myself that one year I would take two months off and fly to as many cities in Canada as I could.

That came sooner than later.

The following week the lodge manager where I was working told me that a big contract had ended and therefore I had lost my job and would need to take the next float plane out that afternoon.

That eco lodge was my paradise.

It was also my support system of friends,

Accommodation,

Food and employment and in an instant it was gone.

I didn't even know what I would do when I landed at the airport with my two bags of luggage.

One of my co-workers was there waiting for me.

She asked where I wanted to be dropped off and the only place I could think of was my friend who always left his door open.

He lived on a houseboat on Great Slave Lake.

When I was in town to work at the office he would let me stay with him.

I asked him if I could stay for a week while I figured out my next move.

Being laid off came as such a shock to me that it jolted me to a level of excitement I hadn't felt in months.

In a split second my entire world had changed and I was again open to the infinite possibilities.

I remembered the flight pass and discovered that the end of that week happened to be the deadline for the special.

I was now able to take advantage of that opportunity of unlimited flights for two months.

I sent an email out to everyone I knew in North America.

From long-lost friends to past travel buddies I met along my backpacking trips.

My old crush was one of the first people to invite me to visit him in Setzill,

Quebec.

I thought Setzill was so out of the ordinary I definitely couldn't resist the invitation.

So I booked a flight to Quebec on Saturday then another out on Sunday just to go for coffee with him.

After finally confessing how much of a crush I had on him years earlier he too opened up about his feelings.

This began the many other flights I booked throughout my two-month flight pass and my eventual move to Quebec.

I remember when I first moved to Quebec sitting on my couch paralyzed.

I was paralyzed with the sheer number of possibilities I had before me.

I thought to myself I could just head to the airport and fly anywhere in the world.

Fly back to Yellowknife where I was living the year before and where I still had my friends and could apply to any job or go to any school.

I felt stuck.

Which choice was going to be the best for me?

What was I supposed to do?

Those times were very difficult for me and I had to dig really deep within myself to get out of it.

I reminded myself that I had already been guided to Quebec and that I was exactly where I was supposed to be even if that time was difficult in my life.

I believe in life that we are guided to where we need to be.

I would have never imagined choosing this province as my forever home but now I don't even want to imagine where I would be or what I would be doing if I wasn't here.

I would not have created the dream life that I'm living today.

I was reminded again of the possibility of infinite routes when I was in Saskatchewan for an intuitive workshop I was facilitating and I had sent my Google Maps to my destination in Regina.

The capital Regina is a very small city and you can easily drive anywhere within 15 to 20 minutes.

My GPS said my arrival would be 9 a.

M.

Sharp.

As I was busy listening to the radio I took a different turn and then immediately looked at my GPS to see how late I would be from my error.

It instantly readjusted the route and the arrival was still 9 a.

M.

Sharp.

Phew!

I thought.

Then I did another turn without following the map,

Was now convinced I would be late.

I noticed the map had readjusted to my new route with the exact same arrival time.

That short and simple drive to my workshop that morning gave me a priceless lesson.

It doesn't matter how many extra turns I take,

I will still arrive at my destination on time.

I've now accepted this lesson as a rule in my life.

There are infinite routes to take but you will arrive at your destination on time.

Racing cars at age 17 taught me about looking ahead.

I come from a family that loves racing cars.

My dad and uncles raced pro 4 cars for almost 20 years and I would go watch the races as a little girl.

Finally when we had our driver's license my dad modified an old Datsun from us to race in the mini stock class.

Our car was by far the slowest but my dad brought us out to the asphalt track at Kings Park Speedway to practice our lines to improve our times.

During those days we also had the chance to take the fast pro 4s out to practice.

The first time I sat in the driver's seat I went to adjust the rearview mirror but it was nowhere in sight.

I asked my dad why they didn't have a rearview mirror in their car.

His response forever shifted my thinking.

Looking at the rearview mirror slows us down.

But how do you know if you will hit someone or not I asked.

If everyone focuses on the line and car in front of them then no one will accidentally hit you he replied.

The next race I took a mental note of how time-consuming it was to be constantly looking in my rearview mirror.

I tried only to focus on the track and cars in front of me and my lap time was faster.

Generally I stress about time.

Not having enough time,

Managing my time wisely,

Maximizing my time to the fullest.

The concept of time and where I should be at at a certain age or in my business after a certain number of years creates added stress and pressure that I don't need.

I have an ultimate goal of expansion and growth and every turn in my route will still lead me to where I want to go.

How often in life do we have one foot on the gas and one foot on the brakes?

I know I sure did when I first began my company.

I wanted growth but was scared my company would grow too fast and I would feel out of control.

I always had one foot on the brakes which slowed me down over the years.

Constantly looking behind me was the mistake I have made instead of furiously looking ahead to beat my time year after time year.

When the mind is focused on the task in front we have no time to look at everyone behind us trying to catch up to us.

We become so far ahead of the pack we are in a race of our own.

Take your foot off the brakes today and focus on your goals.