Part 4a: The Waterfalling Estate
This story comes to an end, but needs to be teed up properly. So, a Part 4a to proceed the conclusion Part 4b.
As I strolled along a beautiful white sand beach in Maui at sunset, I felt at peace. Perhaps it was from the self-love I had been rewarding myself all week.
It was mid-November, and I had just completed my 18th retreat of 2022. This was the most I had ever operated in a year. I was emotionally and physically drained, as I gave 110% of my heart at each. This was my chance to recuperate and reset before 2023 began. It was also a reward for a job well done. Many lives had been transformed at my property Bliss Island.
I had booked a room at a very nice hotel for a week. I also bought a ticket to an Eckhardt Tolle retreat walking distance from my hotel. Lori had business in Florida so it was just me with my thoughts. I was grateful for the time to unwind, recharge and be present. Or, maybe I felt at peace cause I had made a big decision.
Aloha Carrie, I said to our realtor. I have bad news. I need you to submit a Letter of Withdrawl to the seller. I have decided to drop out of escrow. Aware of the fact that this must be every realtor’s least favorite call, I tried to be succinct and gentle at the same time.
Carrie responded, “I am sorry to hear this Eric, is there anything we can do to change your mind?”
No, I said, I’ve made my decision. This is an egoic purchase and my Soul doesn’t want it. Also, with interest rates at 9%, I just can’t make it pencil. So I’m out!
Proud of myself for choosing what my Soul wanted over my Ego’s desires, I spent the day contemplating the year ahead. I found a beach chair with a killer view of the ocean. I ordered some scrumptious food & drinks from the poolside attendant. I proceeded to make a list of awakened doing projects for my consideration.
Tomorrow, I would fly to San Diego to experience the final presence practice coaching session of the year with my best friend Patrick Combs. As he was also my business partner going on five years, I also wanted to be prepared to share some ideas for how we could play together in 2023.
After a peaceful sun drenched day of reflection, I closed up shop, took a quick shower and dressed for the evening. I began my walk to the nearby venue hosting Eckhardt’s evening talk. I got there a few minutes early and after taking my seat, I pulled out my cellphone. Ignoring the person walking around the venue with a sign saying “NO CELL PHONES PLEASE, USE THIS TIME FOR REFLECTION”. My Ego presented the thought, after reflecting all day (and ignoring me), that I was special and the well intentioned rules did not apply to me. I started to check emails from the day.
Wait, WTF is this? A Letter of Default regarding the Waterfalling Estate from some lawyer. Sotheby’s was threatening to sue me for the full purchase price of $5.75 million plus the Buyers Premium of $375k for attempting to pull out of escrow.
But this is bullshit, my Ego correctly argued. My contract had a Termination clause that I just followed perfectly earlier today. What the actual f*&@! These people are idiots! (The Ego needs to be right and feel superior to others.)
An announcement came over the PA, “Eckhardt will be taking he stage in one minute. Please take your seats and become present.”
Easier said then done at the moment. My Ego was contemplating actual murder. My Soul was barely audible saying, “this is the perfect time to practice presence!”
Despite my skin beginning to boil, I managed to smile at the irony. I was less than sixty seconds away from my seventh Eckhardt Tolle talk of the week. All I had to do was put out of the three alarm fire raging in my thoughts. Then become present, so I could intake a two hour cerebral talk by THE Presence Master on the Planet. And I had to do this despite just finding out that I was being threatened with a $6.2 million lawsuit.
The next sixty seconds felt like an eternity. Feeling a trigger mounting like a giant tsunami, I quickly turned to the countermeasures taught by Coach Patrick. I would deploy the countermeasure I trusted most.
As anxiety from fear attepmted to enter my consciousness, I became the Observer of my thoughts. This was easy cause my Ego was not holding back. It had already paddled atop a gnarly 60-foot wave, ready to drop into a pain body level trigger without hesitation. I observed that it had already tied the leash to my ankle.
As the Observer, I was able to calmly identity two solid options. Eckhardt was to go on in seconds. I could stay in my seat, continue to deploy countermeasures and learn from his two hour talk. Or, I could quietly and respectfully step out of the venue before he took the stage, so I could focus on the pain body level trigger that was building up inside of me.
What should I do? What would be the most self loving thing to do?
Not ready to make a decision yet, I reached into my tool belt for another countermeasure. I deployed breath work to create space so this decision could be easily made. I took three deep breaths in through my nose and then another three through my mouth.
The deep breaths helped me tremendously. I felt a calmness combatting my boiling blood while the racing thoughts faded. This allowed me to deploy countermeasure three. Allowance & Acceptance.
I asked myself, what can I allow, or accept, about this situation?
What immediately came up for me, is that I could accept that there are unscrupulous lawyers willing to lie for their clients to make a buck and that some people lack integrity in their business dealings.
P
Feeling ignored and ineffective, my Ego shifted strategies and shared the distracting thought, “Man, all this in less than sixty seconds! My presence coach Patrick is going to be so impressed!”
This put a smile on my face. It also made my decision. I would be incapable of tuning out my Ego while the most cerebral speaker I had ever enjoyed, would calmly share content on being present in the here and now for the next two hours. My Coach would acknowledge that I was nowhere near ready for such a challenge. I’m still just a student.
I made the decision to go to the beach so I could deploy countermeasure number four (out of four, and why this story has four parts too).
I would sit with the pain. Attempt to identify where it was in my body. Notice its form. And finally, calmly wait for it to discipate or leave my body altogether, so I could make good decisions on what I should do next in a trigger free state.
Not how I expected my beautiful day to end, but grateful that my year spent learning presence practice techniques had served me well. I got through it with very little pain. I even managed a great nights sleep and woke up the next morning feeling calm. I didn’t have any answers on what to do next, but as I boarded my flight to spend a special in-person presence practice day with my Coach in San Diego, I felt confident that they would come as I had created the proper space.
