Walking on Fire!

Quantum Leaps Lodge Fire Walk . Facilitated by Brian Olynek in Calgary, Alberta. October 10, 2009

The intention of this course was to guide us through overcoming our fears by confronting them. This evening event was designed to have you stretch your boundaries and do things that you previously thought impossible. By achieving the seemingly impossible, many tasks in our lives become more attainable.

The best part of this evening was of course the fire walk itself. Much of the evening was spent in discussion about fears and goals, and the build up towards the fire walk. Throughout the course of the evening we were taken through exercises that gradually challenged our belief in our abilities. I don’t want to give away any of the specific exercises, but I can say that one of them actually gave me more hesitation than the fire walk did.

I have heard from other attendees at this event that they have a whole new perspective on fear. One girl in particular now says that if she can walk across red hot coals, maybe she can walk on water too! I think this evening allowed all of us to change our beliefs around what was possible for us.

I know that I now have a new outlook on what I can accomplish once I set my mind to something. I went into this evening knowing that I would walk across the glowing coals, even though they made it very clear that everything we did that night was on a voluntary basis. No-one would be forced or coerced into doing something they weren’t ready to do.

I would highly recommend a Fire Walk to anyone who is prepared to challenge their fears, and make forward progress in their lives.


Dan Giercke
Director of Gurutropolis

Scorpions, Maggots and Richard Branson – A Voyeur’s Perspective

November 19, 2009 Andrea Ross stole the title:
Second Fearless Person in Canada!
National Fearless Day never saw a more fearless woman! I dared to compare and held my hand out to hold a scorpion at the entrance door, but alas, my focus was chief camera-woman and cheerleader. I ran to the front of Toronto's Circa Nightclub's dance floor to the media fenced stage shaking my hand in spasms to release that creepy crawly arachnid residue.

Sifting through heaps of live maggots to unearth Scrabble tiles spelling 'FEARLESS', Andrea won the first contest! Richard Branson (billionaire host of the Virgin promotion) rewarded the crowd of screaming fans by lovingly casting hand fulls of maggots across the audience to adorn their hairstyles and open bags with. Cripes!! I quickly picked out the white wriggly vile monsters from my new found girlfriend's hair and scoured my open purse for any lone lipstick leaches. As brilliant and powerful as Richard Branson is, that exhibition of engaging the crowd into the competition was distasteful at the very least – or maybe I should be thankful we didn't have to taste them! The underground Circa Nightclub now truly felt underground complete with offensive grubs and larva everywhere!

As a spectator of this event, I was a proud supporter of my snake covered friend Andrea. Puffed up I yelled "GO ANDREA GO!" vicariously living a powerful endorphin rush by watching Andrea totally focus on each contest and give it her all. Wonderwoman Andrea broke free from the locks and chains and the snakes retreated.

Winning two out of the three contests, the third was her last test. Wonderwoman Andrea shapeshifted into Elastagirl as she scaled tall towers and stretched her long limbs to the second tower finish line while balancing on a tightrope. As fearless as Andrea was, she was no match for the web spinning muscle bound young heart throb that was suspiciously pulled out of the crowd to compete. Spiderman effortlessly scaled the tower and beat Andrea's time to win the competition.

Battle of the Supers sadly ended as Andrea was defeated by her worthy adversary Spiderman. From the audience I admired Andrea as she held her head in her hands laughing and smiling as her opponent clearly won. She communicated great sportsmanship with the acceptance of her silver medal, (well actually $2,000 and a Virgin phone). A true winner, Andrea is gifted with many superpowers: super smarts, super courage, super focus and super positive!

We celebrated with copious amounts of food and wine at Toronto's Convention Centre and danced into to the wee hours of Toronto night life.

Thank you Andrea for the experience of Toronto's Battle of the Superpowers! You totally Rock!

Jill Fischer,

Director of Gurutropolis

Andrea's encounter with Richard Branson

Hello Folks,

OK...here is my story. It started this morning at about 11:45am when a car picked myself and Jill up outside the Hyatt and drove us a block and a half to Club Circa. When I got there my birth mom Janice and half sister Tanya were waiting in line - a very cool welcome.

I got ushered inside and upstairs to a back lounge area where they dressed us in coveralls, we met the other two participants (Aaron from Cambridge and Star Spyder from Toronto). We hung out for almost an hour. They told us what we would do....which was no biggie and we waited for Richard to get there. (more stories from backroom if I talk to you in person...)

While we waited they gave out phones. Of course my sister was front and centre (its in the genes) and was willing to do something crazy for a free phone... alas she won - way to go girl. Also in the audience was my friend Jill who came with me and my friend Laurel who drove in from Orillia for this (thanks girls).

OK so Richard got there and it all began. The first thing they did was pick three more participants from the audience. Us online winners went first. They put us in front of a glass container filled with maggots. Inside were scrabble tiles and we had to pull out one at a time the letters to spell FEARLESS. The maggots stank, but I didn't see them - I blocked them out and only saw tiles. We had one minute and the top three of the six would move on to the next challenge. and GO.... 46 seconds later the word FEARLESS was on my scrabble wood and I was screaming.... After one minute the buzzer went off and I was one step closer to the next challenge. The other two sat on the couch with me worried….

The next three went up and only one of them finished in time. So it was based on points. 2 audience members (both guys) and me advanced to the next round.

The next round I had to lay in a glass box. My left arm was wrapped in chains and locked, my feet were wrapped in chains and locked. Then a tub of snakes (19 of them) were dumped on me. I had not had contact with Richard Branson before this… but he unbuttoned my coveralls so the snakes could get in and locked me up – Yes ladies and gents Richard Branson wrapped ME in chains and locked me up. NOW THAT’S SOMETHING TO CROSS OFF THE BUCKET LIST!

I wasn’t allowed to GO until the snakes were on me and Richard handed me the keys. It all happened so fast… I didn’t even see the snakes. I concentrated on Richards hands and the keys. As soon as I had them I was trying to unlock my hand. Boom…and then my feet…OH YA…. 38 Seconds later I was free and the snakes were being plucked from my body.

The next two guys went… 1 minute 26 seconds, then 1 minute 4 seconds… I was the clear winner and I advanced to the finals with this muscle man from the audience.

The final challenge was to climb a rope later up to a highwire strung across the bar with ropes to hold onto. NO PROBLEM FEARwise… the problem all along was the inability to control how well the others did…. So I smoked the high wire… it took a minute and 12 seconds to do it – faster than anyone who had attempted it before (all the Virgin staff had tried it)… I was pretty stoked as Richard cheered me on from below and people were shocked at how well the GIRL was doing J Alas spiderman was up next… he pulled himself up the ladder like a rope (no feet) then scaled across the highwire like spider man – everyone was shocked – I had to laugh… I secretly hoped he would fall, but I was impressed. He did it in 46 seconds… Nice work spiderman…he took home the $5000.

We stood on stage and as he was awarded the $5K I was somewhat disappointed because I really wanted it. BUT I did my best and I did what I set out to do – Finish the Competition by completing all the challenges without FEAR. AND sort of meet Richard Branson. We were never officially introduced but I got a kiss on the cheek…not once, but twice AND I handed him one of my calendars signed “Screw it Just Do It” and told him I was on a path to entrepreurial success!

And it was over just like that. He walked out the door…

The media was on me and I got a chance to tell them about the charities I had planned to donate too. I was going to donate $4k to the Metabolic Disorders area at the Children’s Hospital and $1K to Parkinson’s disease to honour my dad. My 2^nd prize winning is $2K though – so I have to figure out what to do with that…

I also got to talk about Adrenalin Peak, Get Your Ass Out There, Gurutropolis and ManifestingaMillion.com – so I am going to be on the hunt for newspaper articles and tv interviews as I did 3 of them….

Thanks to everyone for your support. I had fun and I am FEARLESS! And Richard Branson kissed me (that definitely one ups the time Steven Tyler kissed me)

With love and no fear….Andrea

FEAR - False Evidence Appearing Real

What are your fears? We all have them, and for some they can be crippling and debilitating. For others they are minor and limited to things that don't effect their everyday life. How often has a fear of yours prevented you from doing something that may have moved you forward in your life? I'm often reminded of a weekend seminar I attended in which people were encouraged to face their fears put on by Personal Best Seminars It was during a sharing period after a day of challenging our fears that one participant stood at the front of the room and expressed how he was often confused watching people terrified of participating in a challenge and thinking it was easy. The revelation that he had though was what I'll remember for a long time. If the challenge was easy for him and others, yet terrifying for some what must be the variable that sets them apart. His realization was that the fear must be internal for each person, otherwise everyone would have the same challenges. The beauty of that revelation is that the fear is not real. It is imagined, and often inflated in the mind of the person that has it. Pushing through that fear, and accomplishing the feat will prove that the fear was only imagined, and therefore can be overcome.
What fears do you hold that you could overcome, and make a major breakthrough in your life. I've decided to test some of my own boundries by entering to win Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Mobile National Fearless Day competition. I'm sure if I'm selected as a finalist there will be challenges that push my boundaries, but I've decided that every task that I complete only furthers my belief that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I would love your support in voting for me each day. Myself, Andrea and Jill from Gurutropolis are all entered in the challenge, and want to win the meeting with Sir Richard Branson to bring awareness to our projects and help them grow.
Dan Giercke is a Director at Gurutropolis

National Fearless Day Canada with Virgin Mobile and Richard Branson

Behold our Fearless Leaders - Andrea, Dan and Jill - vote for them to meet Richard Branson AND they will give the money to a good cause. It only takes a moment of your time. Vote Every Day!!!

http://nationalfearlessday.ca/#/en/video/108

National Fearless Day Canada with Virgin Mobile and Richard Branson

Hello Gurutropolis fans, I have a favour to ask. One of our Directors - Andrea Ross would love to meet Richard Branson and help out some special kid - Meeting Richard Branson is on her Bucket List! Can you take a moment of your time to go to VOTE FOR ANDREA and hit vote. The contest closes this weekend and you can vote once a day.

THANKS

Fire walking - Could I Be Jesus?

Is walking on fire any different than walking on water?

I focused on the fire's energy, on my energy, on our energy together. Taking a step, then another and another, at last I was across the long bed of red hot coals! All ten toes still attached and not one blister! My feet were covered in soot - grey/black from their trek, even softened from the friendly fire, but not one scorch. Now if I can do this I can do anything!

Empowered, exhilarated, strengthened, connected, grateful, exuberant, secure, thankful, alive – very alive! I was pumped! Everyone should do this!

Here is my disclaimer – please do not try this at home without a professional to guide you through it. We engaged in training throughout the course that lead up to fire walking. There were numerous exercises and discussions that prepared our feet (hearts and heads) for the journey.

This does beg the question – could I walk on water?

Jill Fischer, Director of Gurutropolis