Bryan Dunlop - News

What do diamonds, captivity and firewalking have to do with business success?

01 October 2009

In his fourth article from Business First, results Coach, Bryan Dunlop describes why he uses the fire walking metaphor in his seminars and why he feels it is so necessary to provide his Attendees with the opportunity to address such a challenge.

In February 2008, I went to listen to a speaker at an event in London. One aspect of the event was that we were given an opportunity to firewalk. For some people this was the main reason they were there though this wasn’t the case for me.

We spent 6 hours being prepared for the firewalk and then at 11pm, we walked out to the fire lanes. I spent 45 minutes standing barefoot on cold concrete before walking across what I was assured was a 10 foot coal bed. I wasn’t convinced. I felt no heat at all just some crunching under my feet.

I liked the idea of firewalking though. I run events that are focused on mindset. One aspect of our sessions is focusing on how we confront our challenges and I always like to put the theory into practice.

There are a number of ways of doing this and some are a test of pure strength, which I found to be discriminatory. Firewalking is not a test of physical strength so I went to Sweden to find out more, see if it was really for me and gain an accreditation as an Instructor along the way.

Over four days in the Swedish country side we built and walked on a variety of fires. On the Saturday evening I completed 108 laps of a 10 foot fire lane without injury. Interestingly, the next day I stepped onto a 10 foot fire lane and with the very first step, received my first blister.

I was pleased that I did because it demonstrated that the fires do have heat and that firewalking is not some form of trick of physics.

Fear interests me. One hand it stops some people from doing things and on the other hand, when they have started, fear stops them from stopping what they have started. Fear inhibits and yet it can also inspire.

For some people, just getting over initial anxiety or fear suddenly opens up amazing doors for them. This can be from starting their own business through to applying for the job they want as opposed to staying in the job they’ve got.

Our three hour evening session focuses on why we think the way we think, in other words, how we have been conditioned and what impact this has on us.

We then look at how to easily establish where you really want to go and finally start to build the plan that will take you there.

If you really want to do something, you are going to have to take action at some stage. I can carry people (metaphorically) down to the fire lane and place them in the right position in front of the fire. Only one person can make the decision to step onto the coals. No matter what is going on inside your head, if you want to fire walk you have to decide to take the one step that will start the walk. Fear might hold you back but once you step onto the coals, fear will ensure that you keep walking!

Our fire lanes are now 14 feet long. This will require the fire walker to take between 5 and 7 steps to complete the fire walk. It is possible to step off the fire lane if you want – so there is a get out clause if you want it.

Let’s be very clear, fire walking is just a metaphor for confronting challenge.

When I was held captive on a diamond mine in Angola, West Africa, then safely evacuated to Namibia, my Boss asked me to go straight back to the civil war torn country, and take my Team with me.

I was scared, of course but I overcame my fear by simply stepping onto a plane and my Team took the same step.

I was the only one who could make the choice to step onto that plane.

I am not a theorist, though I understand the theory fully. I like to provide our Attendees with an opportunity to experience similar emotions to the ones I felt, because when they take that one step, their perspective could change for ever.

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