"Only the youth have the time and imagination required to elaborate a sustainable future for our descendants. It is no longer time for bandages and wound dressings....we need to prepare the deep reform of the very structures of our society" ~ Jacques-Yves Cousteau (1996)

Thursday, May 21, 2020

A word from the director

The sun is shining,
The trees are budding,
The birds are nesting,
The dandy-lions are dancing,
Spring is here!

I ask myself often these days: "how can I serve humanity better?" and my answer to this question is by sharing my love of nature, movement and art to visitors, that cross my path on the road of life and keep prepping, cooking, serving with my assistant cook, Olivia Robinson and my ambassadors.

Last year, at exactly this time, I was enjoying cooking, serving, dishwashing, prepping in the little kitchen at the Amerispa Cantley. This seasonal job guaranteed the survival of my Amik Forest Project. Today, I am doing the exact same thing but in the Amik Lodge! Prepping new offerings and leadership initiatives in the forest gym by choosing to be brave in the face of Covid-19 pandemic. Choosing flow over fight, fear or flight.

As I reflect on the titanic effects of the coronavirus on our planet and evolutionary consciousness, I keep returning to an old 1994 memory. Upon my return from medalling in both 40km and 100km Finland Ice Marathon, I stumbled on an on-flight magazine article that has kept resurfacing in my mind since the beginning of this pandemic.

This well-crafted article was rooted in Jeremiah 12:5 | "What is it you really want, Jeremiah? If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?"

I then stumbled on the book Run with the Horses by Eugene H. Peterson in the Religion & Spirituality book section at Chapters...a great read by the way. It complemented my favorite of all favorites, Women Who Run with Wolves by Clarissa Pinkoles.

I believe that this covid-19 pandemic is asking us the same question. Our present society does NOT sustain life on our pale blue dot, our home! We have known this for many years now. I have "howled" this reality since the founding of Creative Wheel Consulting in 1997. How many conferences I have led awakening my audiences about the three circles of sustainability: ecology, society and economy and that by embracing times in solitude or with kindred spirits, one would understand this principle at a whole new level. How many articles I have written.

In a way, Covid-19 is humanity's wake up call, but most of all, our opportunity to keep "voicing" our wishes for a JUST SOCIETY.

I could go on and on... however, I take this opportunity for you to visit the Amik Forest this summer, on foot or on knobby wheels or come for a weekend retreat and enjoy some primitive camping on the land. Come and witness the "force of nature and the power of self" as you explore the eight spokes of your "creative wheel of life"...and re-learn that together, we are stronger. That together, we are the true 2020 Olympians.

YES we can self-responsabilize to guarantee the survival of our ecosystems that have sustained us for hundreds of years and hopefully for many generations to come.

May the Amik Forest Project be a small model of sustainability that reflects the passionate philosophy that where passion lives, magic shines.

2019 message

2018 message

2017 message