We Are Never Truly Lost: Chief Albany and the Li’l Nüvi

Some people are born with a good sense of direction and some, well, are not.

In a way, if I hadn’t turned right instead of going left—toward Banff, our destination—we wouldn’t have gotten lost at dusk near Lake Minnewanka and I wouldn’t have seen the baby deer on the road blinking at me in the car headlights in astonishment seemingly thinking, ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ Mama deer was nearby and the family quickly leaped safely back into the dense woods.

The Canadian Rockies | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

If I hadn’t booked the holiday through a third party, I would have been able to change our WestJet flight; wouldn’t have arrived in the late afternoon (after an unexpected delay); and would have missed seeing the family of elk peacefully grazing on the side of the TransCanada Highway (A1). What a sight! Next to what geologists call ‘cluster blocks’ and ordinary folk call mountains.

When you don’t have a good sense of direction, GPS becomes very important. And when your GPS doesn’t immediately locate satellites it becomes a problem at best or your worst nightmare. When I saw ‘Ontario’ appear in location and not ‘Alberta,’ my heart dropped.

It all started in the garage of Enterprise rent-a-car at the Calgary International Airport. I was given a speed tour of the Hyundai Kona (2021 model)—and a map. The map and a compassionate hotel receptionist in Calgary are what got us on the A1. He said, ‘You can use the GPS on your phone.’ That’s what—eventually—got us to Banff. I prayed that God would bless this man and his entire family.

Calgary International Airport | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

I like my GPS and call it the Li’l Nüvi for short. It’s actually a Garmin nüvi 44 LM. Without the Li’l Nüvi, I feel lost.

All this to say that in my mistakes—forgetting that the Li’l Nüvi can’t locate satellites while surrounded by concrete in an underground parking lot—and allowing trepidation to take hold of me when we were ‘this’ close to Banff led to the most wonderful discoveries. I learned that my phone can guide me just as well (no offense, Li’l Nüvi); that elk and deer come out at dusk; and that all detours lead to Banff.

Moose Hotel & Suites, Banff | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

Still processing the experience

As I pen these words from my Toronto residence, I realize that I continue to process the spiritual significance of my trip to Banff and the ‘cluster blocks.’ The Nepalese waiter (she/her) from Pacini’s who was born in Kathmandu calls them ‘Baby Mountains.’ We got a good laugh out of that. They may be babies but they sure have clout!

Chief Albany

Possibly the oddest thing that happened on the trip was sensing the presence of Chief Albany. This is not the man’s real name, but for those who have ears to hear, let them hear. It happened at thirty thousand feet.

‘My name is Luba and I’m in an iron bird.’

‘I know what planes are,’ the chief replied.

This provided a good laugh, too.

View From Above | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

We are never truly lost

There was no doubt that I was on the traditional territories—in this case in the traditional air space—of the Indigenous people.

Although I was physically lost near Lake Minnewanka, the chief ‘spotted’ me even before I stepped foot on land and knew exactly where I was.

The mountains seemed to know, too. After every excursion, I would feel their calm and sober presence.

A Panorama View of Lake Louise | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

I had some hesitation before taking my 85-year-old mother out west, but decided to cast my fears aside and go.

And if you’re wondering, the Li’l Nüvi connected to satellites in Alberta after all.

Let’s Take it to the Next Level together,

Luba

Part-time chaplain and student by day; spiritual counsellor by night.

Book your first free session here.

When the Muse Calls

Although LUBA RASCHEFF CONSULTANCY was founded in 2015, the inspiration for ‘Take it to the Next Level’ with Luba Rascheff was born this year, 2019.

Can we dictate when the ‘muse’ comes calling? Of course not.

Take it to the Next Level, therefore, represents a complete overhaul of the business, a so-called ‘re-branding.’

Although re-branding can be disruptive, it is something that had to happen. It is nonnegotiable.

For those of you who follow LUBA RASCHEFF CONSULTANCY and are past or present clients, we are truly grateful. Nothing will change in your regard.

For the novelty of the odyssey that we are embarking on and future clients we attract, we say, ‘Welcome!’ and ‘How can we help you Take it to the Next Level?’

The speed at which time appears to be moving, the uncertainty of life, the unceasing technological innovations our planet is experiencing—some of which are rendering certain jobs obsolete—may seem unsettling. Whereas we grew up thinking that degrees, education, the club we belong to, or what society expects is ‘it,’ today we may find ourselves struggling, on unsteady footing, unsure as to what to do next, how to best move forward, what our next move should be and how to Take it to the Next Level in a ‘new,’ rapidly evolving world.

Our world is undergoing massive change on an unprecedented scale. The news—real or fake—is hard to keep up with, and new generations are challenging old, assumptive values.

LUBA RASCHEFF CONSULTANCY uses a consultative approach to help clients Take it to the Next Level following the LRC Model (Listen, Recognize, and Create). The acronym is easy to remember because it also represents the first three letters in Luba Rascheff Consultancy.

Luba Rascheff will personally assist the client by:

  • Listening to where you find yourself presently
  • Recognizing what needs to be done in order to help you Take it to the Next Level
  • Creating a step-by-step plan that will help you move forward

Listening

Luba Rascheff will spend as long as it takes to deeply listen to what a client has to say in order to be able to pinpoint areas in the client’s life or business that require change—that would benefit from a different direction. Luba Rascheff, an experienced, Toronto-based chaplain, has clocked countless client hours listening on a variety of levels: psychological, emotional, social and geographical. Clients trust Luba with confidential information.

Recognizing

Once Luba, and her client, jointly recognize what is the root cause of feelings of stagnation, helplessness or a perceived inability to move forward, an opening will form in which change can occur. Recognition is the beginning of admitting that there is a problem, issue or unresolved matter and that something positive can be done about it. The first step in taking it to a higher level has to do with recognizing that there is a need and that this need can be filled in a better, different, more ‘evolved’ manner.

Creating

Creativity is a lost art. We’ve become so used to finding pre-set answers that we’ve stopped seeking the muse. We’ve lost the connection to our source of inspiration, to divinity. We no longer allow for an opening to form into which inspiration can rest, out of which creativity can be born. Luba, and her client, will—based on the previous two steps of listening and recognizing—create a step-by-step plan that will crystalize what needs to be done for the client to move forward, to Take it to the Next Level. The plan will not be fixed in stone; it will be flexible and allow for change, depending upon changes that take place in the client’s personal life or business. The plan recognizes that changes require micro re-directions and adaptability in order to reach macro goals.

Your first session* with Luba Rascheff, President and Founder of LUBA RASCHEFF CONSULTANCY, is #FREE. Click on the ‘Contact’ tab in the menu bar of www.lubarascheffconsultancy.com to book your session. Please provide as much detail as possible regarding what you seek and specify Saturday (6 p.m. – 8 p.m. window EST) or Sunday (4 p.m. – 8 p.m. window), and best time within the window to chat.

*Via Zoom technology, 15 minutes for the first session. Subsequent sessions are 45 minutes long.

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Photo by Sandra Kaas on Unsplash