Participants in Personal Leadership seminars to date have brought a rich variation in experience. Their nationalities have included Canadian, Icelandic, Japanese, Pakistani, and U.S. Americans of diverse ethnicities. Their areas of professional focus have ranged from multinational and globalizing corporations to social service provision and administration, from higher education to home maintenance. Some were in the midst of graduate studies, others were in personal and/or professional transition. The common denominator among all was their readiness to take Personal Leadership of their own life experiences.
All my life I have been the 'frustrated artist', always creative but a creativity without soul. Something was always missing. Friday evening I realized what was missing. I knew I did not need tools or machinery, enamels or paints. My head and my heart are my tools and my vision is my greatest creation.
I especially appreciated your helping me reach a life-altering decision. I was able to reach the decision by 1) forming my focus question, 2) going through the Critical Moment Dialogue and 3) reflecting alone and with others. When I committed to the decision, I suddenly had an open road ahead of me. I plan on consciously using the Critical Moment Dialogue until it becomes a natural part of me.
I have visited the transcultural teaching of Angeles Arrien and the Emotional Intelligence concepts of Goleman (particularly as they are implemented by Ron Short), only to discover that you three have been cooking this stew up for me... The holism, the simple elegance and the practicality of ‘PL' is deeply inspiring.
Every expectation, hope, and wild fantasy was met or exceeded...body, emotions, intellect and spirit were present and accounted for in proportions just right for me. There were BIG SHIFTS without BIG STORIES and DRAMA.
Loved the activities, readings, location, accommodations and food. These things enriched and helped to deepen my experience, really facilitating going inside. I enjoyed and looked forward to beginning each day with meditation - the meditation is powerful. It helped, and continues to help me to ground myself. I have been ready for some time to receive these teachings, believing that I had no idea what personal leadership was. What I realized during the seminar is that I've been practicing, am practicing personal leadership, and that I'm moving toward practicing it more.
The contents of the seminar were very rich and well balanced. I engaged in all kinds of exercise and discussions. Field trip and taking hot spring was wonderful!!! Every moment of our lives is connected, and it is like pieces of puzzle. I like the holistic approach.
Thank you for being witness to my remembering. At the core I know that I know... I continue to recognize "old stories" which are no longer useful or true. Thank you for providing the space for all this to happen.
[I'm] much more cognizant of my perceptions/language use re: the victim-creator spectrum. I am re-tooling my word choices and responses. I feel I am doing more to maintain and sustain my learning and insights from this experience than I've done in the past.
I woke up over the weekend and realized that I have been asleep for a long time, but now I realize that I have a choice of being alive or going to sleep. I don't want to sleep anymore… I have things to do!!!
Wisdom resides within me; all I have to do is access it.
I need to do the work of remembering—remembering what I know to be good for me, listening to my inner voice, finding a quiet place, time and space for myself and practicing now, always now. Beginning now, and now, and now.
