Finding Direction
Welcome to finding freedom: to become the person you're born to be; to love and to accept love, to make good and confident decisions and to experience both the beauty of creation and the mystery of God's love.
I believe our deepest desires are spiritual DNA that match God's call to us; the very purpose for which we were born. They are the reliable basis for a rewarding life with eternal value.
For many years, I worked as a consultant and then as a coach, helping companies create meaningful stories through the leadership of their people. In 2021, I encountered the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius and trained to offer people "spiritual direction" which means helping people find direction for their lives using a divine lens.
This service has always existed, but today, more "ordinary people" are seeking it as the world grows ever more complex and demanding. People need trusted, but uniquely fitted ways forward and Ignatian spirituality is known for its clear discernment processes and its contemporary practicality.
The Spiritual Exercises are based on Ignatius's own experience, and hundreds of years of know-how passed down from generation to generation. From the first, Ignatius encouraged the widest possible audience of believers and seekers.
It's usual to start with little idea about the Exercises. A desire and willingness to commit time every day (yes, like going to work with a personal trainer) and a wish to seek spiritually (ie. beyond the material) is fundamental.
It is possible to make the Exercises in 30 days on retreat at a centre such as St Beunos in North Wales or Mary McKillop Centre in Auckland, meeting a guide every day, but Ignatius was keen that ordinary people could make this journey, seeing a guide every week or fortnight for around a year to 18 months.
Usually, people begin a relationship in Spiritual Direction before beginning the Exercises, to be sure they are ready and that they have chosen the right person to guide them.
That's a lot of information to absorb and possibly, you're LESS clear now than when you started reading, but don't give up! Press the "email me" button for a no-obligation chat about your needs via Zoom.
(I offer direction via Zoom too.)