Lion Tracking

Why am I tracking lions in St. Louis?

Boyd Varty, who has spent years with expert lion trackers in the South African veldt, is the author of The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life, a teacher and a podcaster. He describes tracking as a way of finding what draws us in, what compels us, and what leads us forward. According to Varty, the track we follow won’t be the one we ultimately end up on. Losing and rediscovering the track is, in fact, part of the journey. He speaks to the sense of disorientation many of us—especially white men — experience, asking, What expands you? What makes you feel alive? Reconnecting with those feelings, losing the track, and finding it again takes courage.

For years, there has been a common theme in one organization I’ve worked with, New Mexico Men’s Wellness.  For years, Men’s Wellness as an organization has spoken of a lost track. But based on Varty’s perspective, perhaps the organization’s long-term focus — Where are the younger men? — isn’t the real track. The track we try to define in advance cannot be the track because true tracking requires allowing the path to evolve. Have we been following the wrong track? Not entirely, but perhaps the wrong one for the organization’s growth. Think of a lion in the bush—if you pinpoint its location and start heading there, by the time you arrive, it will have moved. So where is our track leading? Where have we lost it? Who is engaging in these conversations, and why don’t they shift, adapt, and explore new directions?  How does an organization ask these hard questions?  

Now, about St. Louis. I’m here conducting provider reviews as an early dip into post-retirement consulting. Some of the work is mind-numbing, and I’ve realized I don’t enjoy franchise hotels. But I also recognize that this is part of tracking — stepping into new roles, discovering what works for me and what doesn’t. This track will lead to another, and then another. From here, I follow a new track to the East Coast to visit my daughters and grandson.

The track is always moving. The question is: Are we willing to follow it?