Leading From the Heart | Parables from the Pit | Ep 006
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Parable #1: When in the Deepest of Pits, Light Comes From Unexpected Sources
- Gus was deep in the pit – his business, marriage, spirit and health were completely broken. His estranged wife’s ‘chance’ meeting with Garrett and a group of men writing in their journals on the beaches of Laguna created a curiosity on her part and, unbeknownst to Gus, would set the wheels in motion for his journey into the brotherhood of Warrior.
- While in the midst of his deepest pain and agony, a surge of hope arrives as a surprise text from his wife, with no other words written except a link to ‘Wake Up Warrior.’ This leads to a six hour marathon of videos where Gus feels his life is being displayed right before his very eyes in the form of Garrett J. White.
QUESTION: Think of when you have been in the deepest of pits and ask yourself: How did the Light arrive?
Parable #2: If the King Doesn’t Rise, the Queen Will
- Gus had the false hope that he was ready for Warrior Week. His wife had taken over the role of leadership within the family because at the time, Gus was not in a place to lead his Kingdom. She wanted him to rise and be ready to receive the crown again, and also wisely knew there were steps he needed to take before making that investment into Warrior Week.
- In the conversation of Leadership: The King has the responsibility to lead the entire Kingdom. If you have delegated this important leadership role to your Queen, take a look at the patterns and routines in your life. The Queen didn’t take the power from you, you handed it to her on a silver platter. If you are not operating as a King inside your Kingdom, and your Queen doesn’t see the power in you as the King, she will rise and take over to protect the Kingdom.
QUESTION: When are you going to believe that you are the King?
Parable #3: Take Back the Kingdom
- Every fucking morning, Gus asks himself: Am I ready, willing, able and capable of doing what is required to sustain the Kingdom and remain as a King TODAY? He sustains his role by utilizing the tools within Warrior and doing the required work, which fuels him with energy and brings him to a place of power to take on that responsibility.
- At the end of the day, it all comes down to this: You matter. Taking time for yourself to grow and expand every single day, matters. Remaining in the Kingdom sans growth and expansion with his Queen, a man is a peasant pretending to be a King. The number one mission of the King is to expand the kingdom for himself, his Queen, and his people.
QUESTION: If you believe yourself to be a King, are you able and capable of building your Kingdom for the next 60 years with your Queen?
Parable #4: It’s a Matter of Heart
- In his experiences with Warrior Week, Gus learned how to accept and love himself, and how to give himself permission to just be him. The piece of the puzzle that was missing was connection with his wife, which was rekindled on the beaches of Laguna where she first encountered Garrett and the brotherhood – which experience was fueled by Sam’s counsel: Open up your fucking heart and stop living in your head. Operate by the simplest rule in the world: say what’s in your heart.
- We have years’ worth of downloaded blueprints in our subconscious mind of how others believe we should be living our life. The casting of judgement from others, coupled with the pressures of culture, society, and parents creates limitations in our mind. The one place that remains untouched? The heart.
QUESTION: What are some of the limitations you have been groomed to believe about yourself?
Parable #5: The Purpose Has a Purpose
- In Warrior Week 40, the Pit came alive for Gus as he began reliving the all encompassing pain, shame and guilt of not being there for his wife and daughter. During the ‘Hand of God Evolution’ exercise, Gus felt an energy unlike anything he had ever before experienced, and found himself screaming out to that power,”Help Me!” His relationship with that power – The Voice – shifted that day and led him on the journey of finding his Purpose, which Purpose is driving him today.
- When you connect with your Purpose, everything you decide to do impacts others. There is no one in the world that has your experiences and parables, nor has been on your exact path and journey that has led you to be where you are today. At the end of the day, Purpose is people, pain, problems, possibilities and the path. Be vulnerable, listen to The Voice, and then have the courage to act on the revelations it brings you.
QUESTION: Who in your life would benefit from having a conversation with you being vulnerable and speaking from your heart? When are you going to have that conversation?
Parable from the Pit:
“When you understand and feel your purpose and it becomes clear, it opens the door for more passion, profit, and meaning in your life.”
Sam Falsafi
“Being the strong guy 24/ 7 was the image I was giving my wife, but when I opened up my heart and became vulnerable – which was really uncomfortable – everything shifted.”
Gus Van Dender
