The Crystal Path: What Would Aragorn Tolerate?
Well, today is the last day of the first half of the year, 2026. How about that?
I keep a spreadsheet for tracking all my “goals” (whether standards, process, or metric type), and on there I keep short notes for each day about what I did. Often that amounts to five or six entries.
When the new year begins, I save the previous year’s spreadsheet as the new year’s version. That way I can see what I was doing on each date the year before.
On this day last year, I was just arriving home from a four-day trip across the country from my apartment in the Southeast.
That felt good because I realized I still have at least three months of great summer weather ahead of me!!
Whooo!!
It’s also a good time for a mid-year check-in.
Tomorrow I’ll do my normal FIRE Metrics That Matter monthly post on how my goals related to my radical lifestyle design went this past month. And if I don’t cover it there, then later this week—or at least sometime this month—I will share what I am doing to “re-set” the year, as I assume I’ll make a few tweaks, if not some major changes.
However, I think back to January and realize that what I thought I’d be doing then is way different from what I’m doing today.
So there’s plans, life, and how we live it.
That’s part of the adventure.
Today, I want to share another experience I had at the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD) annual conference I attended last week in Ashland, Oregon.
It was during the Gems and Dreams workshop (see What Would Aragorn Do?: Part 3 – Sun + Moon = Aragorn and Arwen).
The facilitator had us do a guided meditation and/or active imagination exercise. Technically, I’m not sure what to call it, but she gave us instructions, we closed our eyes, and paid attention to what we experienced and imagined.
First, she told us to picture a gem or crystal with a smooth surface, as if it were still water, and then enter the crystal.
My crystal appeared in my mind’s eye. It was cut like a diamond, but it was a light red—or perhaps bright pink—color.
Then she told us to find our inner guide.
I looked around for Aragorn, and there he was.
With him was one of the little people. A hobbit? An EBE? I don’t really recall.
Next, she said to look around the room we were in and notice what it was like.
I was clearly inside the crystal, and As I was looking around the lighting changed from the red-pink glow to a soft white light. It was cavernous inside, so I could only see about twenty or thirty yards in any direction.
She then said our guide would take us to a pedestal and wanted us to see what was on it.
My guide had me board a little boat, and it floated to a small island where I could see a bright gold pedestal, almost like a lecture podium.
I was immediately reminded of Gollum’s little boat and island where he kept his “precious”—the One Ring.
The island was ahead of us but slightly to my right.
When we stepped onto the island, the pedestal was also just off to the right. My small guide pointed toward the top of it (he was too short to see it himself), and I looked.
I don’t remember seeing anything.
The facilitator then told us to enter a room in the crystal, one we hadn’t noticed before.
I looked to my left, and there it was.
I walked in and immediately knew the place.
It was a boring, fluorescent-lit corporate huddle room.
One I had spent many hours in during my previous position before I achieved FIRE.
It gave me an immediate answer.
When the facilitator brought us back from the exercise, she asked if anyone wanted to share their experience.
Again, I usually yield to others. I let those who are most eager to share go first and process things on my own.
But this day, I was all about sharing.
As I told everyone about the color of the crystal, one of the participants asked,
“Could it have been magenta?”
Oh yes!!
Of course.
That is the official color of my previous company.
Suddenly, the corporate huddle room made even more sense.
But what was the answer my guides were pointing toward?
That room represented what I tolerated.
Let me explain.
The first memory that came to mind was of a team meeting I held in that room with my direct reports.
We were doing a talent review of everyone on our collective teams.
We were challenging ourselves to be more precise about the “fit” of individuals on our teams.
As we finished the discussion, it became very clear there were two people who were creating ongoing issues.
I liked both of these people a lot.
But they continually caused chaos, discord, and generally detracted from overall team morale.
What happened as a result of that meeting?
Nothing.
My two direct reports—who these individuals reported through—were going to work with them, help them improve, or, if necessary, face consequences.
The consequences never happened.
The needed changes never happened.
The two team members continued creating discord.
I left the company within a year of that meeting, and I have no idea where either of them is today.
But you see…
I tolerated it.
That was the message.
I have tolerated too many things, particularly when it comes to the people I have surrounded myself with on this journey.
I am a very accepting and approachable person.
I believe in the inherent worth and potential of all human beings.
I believe almost everyone deserves another chance.
I think these are some of my greatest strengths.
And Perhaps one of my greatest weaknesses.
am I forgiving and loyal—to a fault? Likely.
That memory was a clear example of a time when I, as the leader of the team, relented and let my direct reports “handle it.”
If I could relive that moment today, I would have either:
Scheduled a weekly follow-up to review progress, or
Insisted we make the necessary team changes immediately.
Instead, I let the situations continue to fester, believing I was being a “good” leader by allowing my direct reports to step up and deal with the issues themselves.
And really…
It’s not about other people’s faults or foibles.
It’s about Adhering to my own standards.
Or, more accurately, the Lack of standards I have accepted, tolerated, and allowed to fester.
That is changing.
Well, just like I ran out of time to see those issues through at my former workplace, I’ve also run out of time for today’s article.
But in closing, this Gems and Dreams workshop experience has profound implications for what I want to do now and into the future.
It became the basis for choosing my next One Hit Wonder.
Oh yes…
It was time for the fifth one to be declared and tracked.
I decided what it would be this morning and have officially begun my one-year commitment.
But you’ll have to come back later this week to hear what it is…