In the summer of 1992, barely 18 years old, I stepped onto a plane, leaving my family, school, friends and everything I knew behind. I was going to a place called Calumet, of which I knew little. The sense of adventure and the sense of freedom were fantastic, and completely liberating; I couldn’t wait!!
I finally arrived at Calumet, late on an absolutely pitch black night and after briefly meeting D-Guy I was shown to my bed at I-house. As I fell asleep that night I said a little prayer in which I told God, ‘this is going to be the best summer of my life’.
The following morning I woke, stepped out of the door I thought I came in the night before, (there are two doors) to find myself standing on a beach and my first ever sight of Lake Ossipee. As my eyes adjusted to the morning sunshine, I stood on the beach speechless; time stood still under that deep blue sky and as the waves lapped onto the sand a few feet away, I sensed that my prayer for the best summer of my life was already fulfilled; I felt at home.
Being the only Englishman on staff that year and being unknown to anyone, I realized later, that possibly for the first time in my life, the real me finally showed up. With a sense of freedom and limitless enthusiasm I worked in the kitchen for most of the summer. I made friendships that last to this day and had, quite simply, the best time of my life.
One day, after Family camping week, I was asked to clean all 17 of the big kitchen bins, the ones used at the back of the kitchen. For the first time all summer I was not excited by the task. As I stood there with gloves, a stiff brush, chemicals and 17 smelly bins, Wade Hlushuk stopped by.
Wade and I had become close friends over the summer (a friendship which continues to this day) and I shared my lack of enthusiasm with him. Wade then offered me my first major piece of mindset coaching, which still guides me today. With a warm and friendly smile he said, ‘Rory, you can decide to be excited about anything’. In that moment my whole day and ultimately, my whole life changed. Those bins had never been so clean and I, quite possibly, had never been so happy.
Throughout my career as a speaker, author and philosopher I am often reminded of that day for two profound and very moving reasons. Firstly I realized that in every moment I am responsible for my thoughts and that my thoughts literally create my experience of life. Secondly I realized that being of service to others, even cleaning the bins when everyone else has gone home, is a profound privilege.
My time at Calumet, the people I met and the acceptance I received, reassures me every day of my life. In a sometimes uncertain world, Calumet is like a lighthouse, ensuring I never loose sight of who I am and what is truly important to me.
