My Concord
I have loved the story of Little Women since I was a little girl. Many many women can say the same thing. A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a children’s book about the woman behind the book. Reading that book to my five year old started an insatiable obsession with Louisa May Alcott. I went on to read two biographies, a book of letters from people who knew her, a book of her journal entries, and started but never finished a book about the author and her philosophical father. They all pretty much said the same thing and to my disappointment, Louisa died at the end of every single one. I knew the obsession had gone too far when my 20 month old daughter picked up a piece of paper, studied it, and said, “Alcott.”
Louisa May Alcott
www.biography.com
Louisa’s life was much more interesting than the classic book based loosely on her life. In the book, there was no mention of Fruitlands, an experiment in communal living that almost ended in a broken marriage between her parents. There was no mention of a childhood filled with constant moving, poverty, and a deep thinking father who dearly loved but did not provide for his family. Abba Alcott and her four daughters worked tirelessly to take care of the day-to-day necessities, while Bronson was lost in thought somewhere or another. There was no mention of being home schooled by Henry David Thoreau or of perusing Ralph Waldo Emerson’s library and having that philosophic soul hand pick books for the little girl who would grow up to become the huge success she was.
What a life!
I identified with Louisa’s desire to improve her family’s economic situation. I was inspired by her hard work ethic and willingness to do whatever was needed to bring in as much money as she could for years and years without seeing any improvement in the family finances. I identified with her crazy father and his attempts to live life counter culturally. Louisa was so discouraged by poverty and such a “victim” at times that she seemed unaware of the amazing people that surrounded her and helped her family along the way–Ralph Waldo Emerson being one of the greatest benefactors and supporters of the Alcott family. I remember thinking that I should like to have a benefactor/mentor of my own. How absolutely splendid life would be with devotion and continual support from one who believed in another the way Emerson loved and supported Bronson Alcott.
It was at this point in my journey–the desire to have my own mentor, that amazing events began to unfold for me–happenings that I could not have imagined or planned for myself.
Like Concord, Mass. in the mid to late 1800s, there is a school of philosophy otherwise known as Supercoach Academy currently in session. It was my desire to go in 2012, and listen to the great minds of my time impart knowledge to those who are open to such matters as choices in all situations, inside out experiences of life, unconditional love and so on and so forth. In an attempt to make it to “Concord,” I signed up for and listened to teleconference upon teleconference.
It was one of these programs, A Taste of Supercoach Academy where I first heard Bill Cumming (aka Ralph Waldo Emerson) speak about unconditional love and making a difference. I wanted to start implementing what I heard in that call with my family immediately and I thought, “This is someone I would like to learn more from.”
Fueled by the question, “Who’s going to stop me?” from going to Supercoach Academy, I continued to brainstorm ways to start making money sharing the powerful concepts that I had been exposed to thus far and had been so instrumental in waking me up to life.
On a teleconference regarding creating money with Michael Neill and Steve Chandler (Bronson Alcott and Henry David Thoreau–at this point any of the three of these great teachers can fight over who gets to be who–I just enjoy picturing everyone as 19th century philosophers and writers), I posed the question of what value I could place on having conversations with insurance agents without having had any formal training in insurance sales or coaching.
Michael recommended I speak with Mike Schweppe (one of the top State Farm Insurance agents in the country) and Matt (his son.) I’m sure I heard a twinkle in Michael’s voice as he said, “That should be an interesting conversation.” (Shoot! I’m out of deceased people to compare the Schweppes to.)
I had a wonderful talk with Mike and Matt, who saw right through my “desire” to assist insurance agents in being top producers and posed the question, “What do YOU want?” After hearing my answer, the Schweppes suggested that we have a second conversation with their associate Bill Cumming.
Inside my head I was like, “SHUT UP! NO FREAKING WAY!!!” But my actual response was more like, “Okay. That would be really nice.”
And so my desire to have an Emerson of my own was fulfilled. I am still amazed and thankful for the opportunity to meet, become friends with, and work on projects alongside the Schweppes and Bill.
While I was not able to travel to Concord and attend the modern day School of Philosophy, I look forward to making a pilgrimage one day and seeing Walden Pond and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery for myself. What an amazing time and place those great people lived in all interconnected, sharing new ideas, and producing brilliant works of literature.
What a great time this is!
If you want to learn more from some of the great thinkers of our time,
check out the links below.
Bill Cumming The Boothby Institute
Michael Neill Supercoach.com
Matt Schweppe Taking A Stand
Steve Chandler
(I can’t help but think of all of the additional content Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and the Alcotts would have produced with computers.)
Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to grow in their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there. If you are interested in learning more about What One Person Can Do or one on one coaching, you can contact Sarah here.
