Transformation

A couple of weekends back, I went for a personal development called the Landmark Forum on living one's life powerfully.

A friend had gone for the course in August, which led to a breakthrough in her life. That testimony was powerful -- and spurred me on to enroll. I'd like to get breakthroughs - who wouldn't? :)

The course was also great for networking. Connected with two ladies, princesses really. Birds of a feather flock together. Ms A is a Pakistani living in Malaysia, in between jobs and countries. Before heading to the US to think about the next step in her life, she was going to Bali, Bangkok and maybe the Maldives ... Ms K was the lady I had lunch with on the first day of the programme. No airs about her, tall, pretty. The guys in the class were quite besotted. She works in her family firm, owns a sleek red Merc cabriolet and a Centurion card (by invitation only thank you). Ms K and I will be doing the Advanced Course together in January.

The course was intense, 3 days from 9am to 10pm ... we did everything together except sleep!

Although intense, it made us reflect on our lives, the moments which made us who we are today (probably limited us), just made us so aware of who we are today as a product of all the past. The past was baggage.

And how we could move from the past to focusing on Being Present to the Present and focus on delivering to our Future by inventing Possibilities of the life we truly desire. By articulating our possibilities and possibilities of Being in our lives, we were making it Happen Now.

Some people really got a lot from the Forum. This lady Ruth who hadn't spoken to her 3 sisters for years actually spoke to them. Three men reconciled with themselves -- they felt guilty for the circumstances their families were in, all were reduced to tears. Many reconciliations. Breaks from the past. And commitments and actions for a better future.

After 3 days, it felt a lot lighter for me. Felt a lot lighter for everyone. We were happier, more empowered beings. Freer because we were aware of what caused us to be stuck, and how to ge un-stuck and move on. Now.

The methodology works. The methodology from their website:

Whenever we're limited in life, there is something - a context or framework - that we are blind to and that is holding that limitation in place. Landmark's technology allows you to create breakthroughs in a two-step process in which you:

• Uncover and examine the blind spots or context holding you back in your life.

• Find out where your current context originated and address it for what it really is. Having completed these two steps, a new realm of possibility is available to you.

The constraints from the past disappear. Your view of life, your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions, change - and the change is immediate, dramatic, and without effort. It is a breakthrough.

I understood why so many people who had undergone the course recommended it to others. Having been inspired by the transformation and possibilities in their post-Landmark lives, they wanted to share that with others. Just as Judy Wudy shared with me.

Although I wasn't hot on how they marketed the rest of their courses and the persistence, I truly felt their methodology worked. Since I felt transformed, I signed up for the Forum in Action series and the Advanced Course, and seriously thinking of the Communication courses. Unfortunately, the Wisdom series of courses are not available in Singapore .... perhaps, I'd attend the Global Conference in San Francisco in May next year (EEEKS - the US!)

The methodology worked but whether one's life continues on the transformation trajectory depends on the individual. It's easy to slip into the resignation and cynicism mode, and not practice and use the methodology every single day, every moment. It's easy for us to get trapped in the stories, explanations 0f the past .... the past that shackles.

Having tasted the sweetness of transformation and the freedom and lightness it brought, I'd like that to last forever. Keep practising.

Our Forum in action leader, Gary, facilitates Landmark as this is his way of paying it forward to the community. He desires to bequeath a world of good and transformation to his four children, and his service to us via Landmark, was his way of doing so.

If it wasn't Landmark, he'd have served the community in other ways. Very empowering to hear that someone wants to help build a better community, one person at a time.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to ITE College West. My MD invited the HR manager and I to attend the briefing with her (Sweet!) given by the principal. ITE is Singapore's vocational training institution for the lowest 25% of our student population. I was just amazed by what they achieved for the students in building their confidence, in addition to their skills, and what they contributed to Singapore. Thats True Power.

That was when I knew I'd like to devote my life to those who may not have too many opportunities. I'd like to be a life coach and help deliver life skills, so that I'll help build a better community, a better society, a better world, a better planet for Nadia, Adam and Fatima to live in.

Only catch is ... not sure if ITE wants me hehe

But one step at a time. It always starts with an intention. Insyaallah.