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Teams in 21 days – The MDI Walkabout

By Nick Gibson, Western Canada Region 

My name is Nicholas Gibson, Son of Alexander.

I did my Sterling Men’s Weekend in Oakland April 2011 and my Legacy Discovery in Toronto November 2012. I have lived in Calgary, Alberta Canada since 2003 when I moved out from London Ontario (near Toronto). I am not married; I do not have any children. I am an entrepreneur, I have a painting business and a catering business, and I do shamanic, healing and spiritual teaching as my mission. Now that you know me, I’d like to share a special MDI journey. 

In January 2014 I decided to visit the men of MDI in California to get connected with the men of MDI and to spend some time in the sunny south. I got to spend a week in San Francisco, a week in Los Angeles and a week in San Diego with a weekend in Vegas on the way home. In that time I went to 15 different men’s team meetings in the Western and Southwestern regions. 

I left Calgary January 18 and got home February 11, 2014. In that time, I drove 4876 km (3,047.5 miles). I spent about $460 USD for gas, another $650 or so on groceries, beer and food. I only stayed with the men. I did not have to get a hotel one night in just over three weeks on the road.  

I did the trip for several reasons: 

  1. To get out of my comfort zone and get on my edge
  2. To escape the cold winter in Calgary 
  3. To learn from the wisdom of the men  
  4. To share my shamanic and spiritual healing gifts

At most of the team meetings I got a chance to share a spiritual ritual that involved smudging, drumming, didgeridoo, ocean drum, the three keys to be happy lesson, and the prayers from the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. (Thank you CJ Hill for your support and encouragement to refine and master the ritual). 

One of the highlights of my trip was to perform the ritual on Hill on the cliffs that overlook Swami’s Beach in Encinitas. Prior to our ceremony, I had done a brief prayer and offering to call the whales in … and they came and put on a show, breeching in the distance. I felt gratitude and a strong connection to the Earth. Hill encouraged me to share the ritual with as many of his men as possible, so we went to six team meetings in four nights. One night we even had to drive for a 1:15 minutes to make both meetings. I felt really blessed to get such an opportunity.

I was able to spend time with some of the most inspiring men that I have ever met. I spent time with Olaf Krop, Bob Irwin, Matt Lyons, Randy Listman, Jeff Parish, Jeff Francisco, Maurice Camargo, Chris Wilkinson, Fred Boyles, George Rosato, Oscar Gomez, Sandy Peisner, Jim Ellis, Michael Fowlkes, David Fabricous, CJ Hill, Eric Louie, Corey Terramana and others. It was an amazing trip, I would encourage every man in MDI to go and visit as many different teams as possible.

In October I took another trip to the East Coast. Here I did production on the LD weekend in Toronto, then production on the MDI Bubba in Atlanta, and then visited the Sterling Men’s Weekend in Newburgh, New York as a graduate. The men from the Toronto Iroquois tribe sent 38 men to the Sterling Weekend, and I rode on the bus to and from the weekend with them. The energy from the men after their weekend was amazing; it was great to be a part of it. 

While I was in Toronto, I went to my 30th different men’s team meeting this year. I go to men’s teams to hear men share about their lives with open hearts. I listen for the honest moments where a man shares earnestly from his experience and is able to receive from the wisdom of the men.

After 30 different team meetings this year I have some observations.

We come together as men on team to hold a safe space where we can share honest moments, be held accountable on clear and concise goals, and support and challenge each other to be the best men that we can be.

  1. The best way to get value from being a member of MDI is to get into relationship with the men of MDI.
  2. Many men are having challenges in relationships. This is a common theme listening to men check in. Typically relationship issues took about 70- to 80 percent of check-in time.
  3. Not all men have the tools that they need around money and finance.
  4. The men that challenge me the most are the men that have the greatest gifts for me.

The best lessons from the road:

  1. Rod Green Poker Canyon: Be Swiss cheese with your woman – let her anger flow through you, if you don’t resist her she will blow herself out.
  2. Bob Irwin Valhalla: With every decision I can choose short-term gratification or a long-term vision. Successful men most often choose the long-term vision. 
  3. Epiphany on the road on the way home. Everything that has form is serving its purpose perfectly in this moment. There is only this moment, and in this moment nothing is missing. I have everything I need to give my greatest gift of love. Meaning in life is created by my perception of a void and acting to fulfill what I perceive to be missing.

All of this came to me, on the road, and with the men.  

Being a member of MDI has been such a blessing for me. I feel a strong connection to the men I have had a chance to meet and with whom I have interacted. 

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