I’m sitting in my house near Warsaw, about 7,300 kilometers from Floyd, Virginia, USA, and pondering the significance of the geographical distance separating me from Springhouse. I’d say it’s a shorter distance than the straight line from my head to my heart.
Throughout my life, I’ve been taught to think logically and act thoughtfully, sensibly, and mindfully. I graduated with an engineering degree and have worked in the IT industry almost my entire life, so I have extensive experience in precise and effective action. It seemed to me that life could be planned and executed like a movie script in which I was not only the main actor but also the director.
My way of experiencing life changed only when, with the impetus of the Shinkansen “Bullet Train,” I hit a midlife crisis at the age of almost 40. My main support during this time was my individual therapy, as well as practices such as meditation, 5-rhythm dancing, and journaling about my thoughts and emotions. The real breakthrough for me, however, was my adventure with Springhouse, which began in 2022.
It’s not about the techniques I learned, nor is it about any magical knowledge I gained. It’s about experiencing a deep, honest, and natural interpersonal connection, like the one I experienced while spending time with the Springhouse community. Never before in my life had I experienced contact with strangers at the time—people who were deepening their understanding of themselves and their role in the world—in such a conscious and consistent way.
If I were to explain what Sourced Design is and what studying it offers, I would say it’s learning how to ignite a fire in your heart that can melt away all doubts about the meaning of our existence here on Earth. This may sound lofty, but for me, it simply means discovering your life mission and cultivating a connection with yourself so that the sense of that mission flourishes like a plant that is watered and fertilized.
~ Rafał Strzałkowski
