Robert, has avoided his senior team for years. While they “run” the business, he tells himself that his job is to work “on” the business. Slowly, he is losing touch and now feels he needs to “re-connect.” He is considering instituting one-on-one meetings with each of his senior staff. This low agenda, “personal,” time with his key people feels intimidating. But with some prompting he is going to take a risk and blaze into this new territory with hopes of improving his communication with each of his key people.

When we take a risk and question into the unknown, receiving into consciousness thoughts and feelings that may disturb and riddle us, we are “blazing” new territory. Much like the early explorers, we have before us the opportunity to venture into relational terrain and find new and unexpected insights. But to do this, we have to listen.

Blazing is a term we use to describe this “discovery phase” of relational process. It refers to the opening of relational “territory.” Whether this relationship is with the self, another person, or a group; blazing occurs when we take a risk of feeling, communicating, or expressing something which is just outside our norm or comfort zone. When this “risk-taking” is held in a climate of safety, freedom, facilitation, and unconditional positive regard there arises a potential for significant insight and discovery.

One feature of blazing is that we find ourselves marking our way. Traditionally, trees were marked so that one could return from where they came as well as find their way into this new territory at some future date. These markings were also left so that others could follow.

In your communication today, can you remain open and aware of the new possibilities that await you? Can you maintain a sensitivity to others so that your consciousness will experience the vast opportunities that rest just outside of the familiar world you reside within? Can you take a few steps into this “unknown” and mindfully mark your way, so that the territory of your awareness is expanded, just this much more?
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