7 Values I Learned By Walking the

Camino Across Spain

tuesday, june 09, 2015

432de vizualizri

45de aprecieri

5comentarii
Distribuii pe LinkedIn
Distribuii pe Facebook
Distribuii pe Google Plus
Distribuii pe Twitter

Last week I shared the 5 project management lessons I learned by

walking across Spain. Hundreds of people found that article useful, so I
decided to share another set of lessons I learned from my 500 mile hike.

Every pilgrim (peregrino) has a passbook to get

stamps along the way to prove they are doing the trail. My pilgrim passport
hangs proudly on my wall and gives me something more than just memories:
it lists 7 values each pilgrim should live by while on the trail. I've found
these values useful for everyday, post-Camino life.

#1 "Live in the Moment" - To prepare for the

month long hike, I loaded my iPhone with hundreds of hours of audiobooks. I
left my iPhone turned off the first day to fully experience it. I never turned it
on after that. I'm glad I didn't, as the Camino turned out to be so much more
interesting with its own soundtrack.
LIFE LESSON - I will unplug my earbuds and plug into the world around me more,
especially at the start of a new experience.

#2 - "Welcome Each Day, its Pleasures and its

Challenges" - The Camino is clearly marked with yellow arrows and the
scallop shell symbol to guide pilgrims. Sometimes they are on poles,
sometimes they are simple arrows spray painted on the ground. Because the
trail is so well marked, pilgrims don't have to spend hours each day with
their nose buried in their guidebooks and maps to make sure they don't get
lost. By having the path clearly marked, we were able to focus
on appreciating all the things around us.
LIFE LESSON - Each night, I will set a simple goal for myself to welcome the next day.
That daily goal will serve as the yellow arrows for my day so I can focus on
experiencing the pleasures and challenges along the way.

#3 - "Make Others Feel Welcome" - My first bad

blister appeared on a Sunday night in a small town. Other pilgrims told me
the local pharmacy was open until 9 or 10 pm so I hurried there one limp at a
time. When I got to the door it was locked with a "closed" sign. I didn't knock,
but an older gentleman was in there cleaning up and came to the door. He
opened it and simply asked me if I was a peregrino. I said "si" and showed
him my blister as a shortcut to a word they didn't teach in my high school
Spanish. He let me in and, without another word, he pushed a button and
said something on the call box outside the door. A few minutes later an
irritated pharmacist appeared from outside and asked me what prescription I
needed. I pointed to my blister. She huffed, and while giving me the
2

antiseptic gel, she angrily told the cleaning man this wasn't what she
considered an "emergency" for her after-hours on-call status. The old
man played dumb with a "sorry, I misunderstood the American" shrug. I paid
and he showed me to the door. Letting me out, he took my hand with a
conspiratorial smile and a wink and said "Buen Camino."
LIFE LESSON - Be the stranger someone will tell stories about for your random act of
kindness.

#4 - "Share" - Every night, I ate with a different group

of peregrinos who happened to be at my same stop. The group was always
an eclectic one, with people from many different countries. One day I
stopped at a village and saw another peregrino I had met before so we
decided to do an impromptu picnic in the little park. I bought a bottle of wine
and she brought some chips and we shared. Within a few minutes, our
picnic grew as other peregrinos came along. Some contributed food or drink
or maybe just shared their different guidebook. Some had nothing to share.
Fast forward two years, and I still count several people from that picnic in
this picture as good friends.
LIFE LESSON - Giving away things for free today can be very profitable tomorrow.

#5 - "Feel the Spirit of those Who Have Gone

Before You" - Not everyone has the time, health or means to do the
Camino. It's also a physical challenge that can be dangerous. One day's hike
started with a grueling, long climb up a steep hill under an unforgiving July
sun. About half way up the hill, I saw a memorial marker for a peregrino who
had died a few years before at that spot. I paid my respects, rehydrated, and
3

continued on. When I finally reached the top of the hill, I was stunned by the
view and I snapped a picture of the landscape. (In fact, if you are reading this
story, that view made an impression on you, as it is the picture at the top of
this story.) So my fellow peregrino may never have made it to see that view
himself, but his spirit lives on with every peregrino that stops to pay their
respects at the memorial his family placed on that hill.
LIFE LESSON - Whenever I walk by a memorial marker, I will stop to read the story it
tells, because that story was important enough to someone to make that marker.

#6 - "Appreciate those Who Walk With You Today" - Every

day I had a moment with a woman who was walking the trail alone. She
was older and slower than me, so I passed her each day. Our daily shared
moment became a ritual that I looked forward to, partly to see she was OK
and able to continue her solitary pilgrimage. Every time I passed her I
exhausted my French with a "Bon Jour!" and "Ca Va?". She always smiled,
albeit a more tired smile each day, and replied with different words in French
that I pretended to understand. When I reached the end of the trail in
Santiago, I went to the mass for pilgrims in the cathedral. The mass capped
off a very emotional final day for everyone with many hugs and tears. The
hug that meant the most to me was the one I got from this woman who I had
gotten to know, and care about, in 30 one-minute interactions.
LIFE LESSON - Whenever I ask someone "how are you?" I will actually mean it.

#7 - "Imagine those Who Will Follow You" - I wrote this

article to help others interested in the Camino. If you have read this far,
maybe the next peregrino to follow me will be you. If so, allow me to be the
first to say "Buen Camino!"
LIFE LESSON - If I feel others can benefit from my experience, I will take the time to
craft the story in a way that others will find useful and interesting. (And I'll lead with
a great picture.)
4

(You may also be interested in my post last week, 5 Project Management

Lessons I Learned by Walking Across Spain)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------