Landmark - The Advanced Course

Wow..14 hour days for the past three days... what a long, tiring, brain draining weekend. I thought I would be super exhausted this morning but it's the complete opposite. I'm extremely happy, grateful, optimistic and truly inspired from all the wonderful tiring weekend sharings I just experienced these past 3 days.

I'm going to use this burst of energy this morning to review the Landmark Education Advanced Course. Some may say I'm insane for going through 14 hour days...even myself had self doubt about what I was getting myself into again but I decided to just check it out with no expectations because the LandMark Forum has changed my perception of life SO MUCH for the better....why not just check out the Advanced Course?
So like I said, I went in with no expectations but also going in with the mindset of "Well why do I need to take the advanced course? I already took the Forum?What else do I need to learn?'' This is the mindset of a human being..nothing wrong with it. It is just the way it is. Until the Landmark forum changed all that in this little head of mine.

The Way Landmark Education's Curriculum works is there are three different courses to take and then you live your life as a Master of Living life powerfully and a life I love..just like a Doctor cannot be a Doctor until he graduates and gets his PHD..you cannot be a full on Master until you complete the 3 courses. Each course transforms your life but if you want to be a master at it, taking all three courses is necessary.

1. The Land Mark Forum is about me. The way human beings are programmed to live our lives from past relationships and experiences. They gave me to tools to create new possibilities for myself in my life and has allowed me to mend relationships I never knew was possible and to really get what this life is about. The experience has been life altering. If you'd like to read more about my review on this pls refer back to my LandMark Forum entry.

2 The Advanced Course is about myself in 'group'. It's about making a positive impact in my family, in my community, in my organization, in society, in the world. I went into the Advanced Course thinking it would be about me again but on a whole new level. ..like a Landmark Forum Part 2...I was completely wrong

It is quite different, and requires a lot more from the participant. In The Landmark Forum, the Forum Leaders are doing a lot of the heavy lifting. In the Advanced Course, this begins to shift to the participants. There is much more individual participation and interaction with the Advanced Course Leader, who are also Landmark Forum Leaders. And it is remarkably transformative – I saw many timid people on Friday of The Advanced Course who were no longer shy by Sunday night. Something magical happens when you strip off all the harsh opinions you place on yourself and others. It's allowed me to realize that my passion doesn't just have to stop at my passion. I can take action and make it possible to live my passion.

Many people leave The Advanced Course and make drastic changes in their lives, because they suddenly see what’s really possible for themselves and for others, and can actually overcome what’s been holding them back. I now have more tools to use when I make difficult decisions. The realms of possibilities I never knew existed is now reachable.

Did I enjoy the course? Yes, however there weren't as many aha moments as I had in the Forum. Most people love the course. There were some bright moments, like when I finally had the sense of self-realization, or during some of the exercises where I felt very connected to people in the course, and most of all, during the moments of radical metaphysical discussion about reality. That said, ultimately, just about everyone is thrilled that they took the course. The value is enormous, especially compared to the price. I will continue to recommend this course to anyone who has taken The Landmark Forum.

Part 3 of the Landmark curriculum for Living is the 'Self Expression and Leadership Program' -This program is where I will be taking on a project I am passionate about. The great thing about this course is I will have my own personal coach for 6 months! They will help me in mastering and completing a project! Exciting!!!
I will be attending this course in March to Complete the entire program so I can be a master in living a powerful life and the life that I love in all aspects of my life.

So as you can see, Landmark is awesome for EVERYONE. If I had all the money in the world I would make sure all humanity had access to this. Worth a million dollars

Thank you Landmark . You're Pretty Nuts.

Failure is the Highway to Success

Failure is the highway to success. Tom Watson Sr. said, "If you want to succeed, double your failure rate."

Like I've always promised myself, I will leave this earth living life to the fullest by taking risks, giving back, and doing life big. I believe EVERY SINGLE ONE of us has a talent within us that we need to share in this world but a lot of us are just too afraid to fail. I say EFF it. That's what life is about. Failing breeds success.
If you study history, you will find that all stories of success are also stories of great failures. But people don't see the failures. We usually only see one side of the picture and they say that person got lucky: "Ah, he must have been at the right place at the right time."

Let me share someone's life history with you. This was a man who failed in business at the age of 21 ; was defeated in a legislative race at age 22; failed again in business at age 24; overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26; had a nervous breakdown at age 27; lost a congressional race at age 34; lost a senatorial race at age 45; failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47; lost a senatorial race at age 49; and was elected president of the United States at age 52.

This man was Abraham Lincoln.

Would we call him a failure? He could have quit. But to Lincoln, defeat was a detour and not a dead end.

In 1913, Lee De Forest, inventor of the triodes tube, was charged by the district attorney for using fraudulent means to mislead the public into buying stocks of his company by claiming that he could transmit the human voice across the Atlantic. He was publicly humiliated. Can you imagine where we would be without his invention?

A New York Times editorial on December 10, 1903, questioned the wisdom of the Wright Brothers who were trying to invent a machine, heavier than air, that would fly. One week later, at Kitty Hawk, the Wright Brothers took their famous flight.


Colonel Sanders, at age 65, with a beat-up car and a $100 check from Social Security, realized he had to do something. He remembered his mother's recipe and went out selling. How many doors did he have to knock on before he got his first order? It is estimated that he had knocked on more than a thousand doors before he got his first order. How many of us quit after three tries, ten tries, a hundred tries, and then we say we tried as hard as we could?

As a young cartoonist, Walt Disney faced many rejections from newspaper editors, who said he had no talent. One day a minister at a church hired him to draw some cartoons. Disney was working out of a small mouse infested shed near the church. After seeing a small mouse, he was inspired. That was the start of Mickey Mouse.


Successful people don't do great things, they only do small things in a great way.

One day a partially deaf four year old kid came home with a note in his pocket from his teacher, "Your Tommy is too stupid to learn, get him out of the school." His mother read the note and answered, "My Tommy is not stupid to learn, I will teach him myself." And that Tommy grew up to be the great Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison had only three months of formal schooling and he was partially deaf.

Henry Ford forgot to put the reverse gear in the first car he made.


Do you consider these people failures? They succeeded in spite of problems, not in the absence of them. But to the outside world, it appears as though they just got lucky.

All success stories are stories of great failures. The only difference is that every time they failed, they bounced back. This is called failing forward, rather than backward. You learn and move forward. Learn from your failure and keep moving.

In 1914, Thomas Edison, at age 67, lost his factory, which was worth a few million dollars, to fire. It had very little insurance. No longer a young man, Edison watched his lifetime effort go up in smoke and said, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burnt up. Thank God we can start anew." In spite of disaster, three weeks later, he invented the phonograph. What an attitude!

Below are more examples of the failures of successful people:



1. Thomas Edison failed approximately 10,000 times while he was working on the light bulb.

2. Henry Ford was broke at the age of 40.

3. Lee Iacocca was fired by Henry Ford II at the age of 54.

4. Young Beethoven was told that he had no talent for music, but he gave some of the

best music to the world.





IF YOU THINK



If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don't!

If you like to win, but think you can't,

It's almost a cinch you won't.



you think you'll lose, you're lost;

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow's will;

It's all in the state of mind.



If you think you are outclassed, you are,

You've got to think high to rise,

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.



Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger and faster man,

But sooner or later the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can

Revenge

Earlier today, I ran across this blog with the Title: Success is the Best Revenge.
It wasn't the only time I've heard or read the saying and when I was younger, when I'd come across it, I would think, " wow, this is so true..!" Because of my life experiences as an adult, I now think this saying is very sad.
For those that believe that "success is the best revenge" I invite you to look at life a little differently.
Revenge. .... in any way shape or form does come at a price. Instead of helping us move on with our life, it can leave us dwelling on the situation and keeps us remaining unhappy. To me it's evil. It all comes down to not having true peace within and not forgiving those who have done wrong. So why not show happiness, success or whatever it may not to seek revenge, but to really...just be happy for yourself.
We're all human. We're all flawed..we all go through times of disappointment. Hey, it's life. You can choose to hold grudges, seek revenge, or let go of your hatred and FORGIVE. When I'm around folks that just decide to dislike someone just because they rubbed them the wrong way, it makes me really sad for them. If only they knew what true peace was and how they can use that energy to create something more meaningful and bigger...and to really focus on greater things in the world. We are given this itty bitty amount of life we have to live ..we can't allow peoples opinions of us let us down. Dream a bigger dream. Do something huge. We all have so much talent and positivity in us if we really try to dig in and think kinder thoughts.
Success shouldn't be the best revenge. If one must really seek revenge, let forgiveness be the best revenge.. It heals the soul.

Well, 2011 has been an amazing year filled with a whole lot of love, laughter, curveballs, serious talks and desicion makings.

I LOVE my job, if I can even call it a job. For the past 8 years, I can say that the passion inside of me to change a man, woman, or child's life and to allow them to live again has changed my perspective in life. Don't get me wrong, we all have our ups and downs, but the most important thing to me is to deliver 101%. I believe that in life, you are worse than a failure if you haven't even attempted to be successful. Give it all you've got. Take risks. Do it big.

I received some really sweet emails recently from higher ups in our Corporation which was also sent to the entire company and WOW I am so so incredibly touched. It's not through anything that I have done and I can' t take credit for inspiring others but I am truly touched and humbled to make somebody's life just a little bit brighter by the simple fact of just being myself and not letting not so good life circumstances be turned into changing peoples lives.
I usually keep a journal of sweet letters and compliments in my diaryjust to brighten up my day when things aren't going so well, but since I've moved on to public blogging I will post some of the recent ones one here.
......
To All,
As someone who is always looking for the right words to say…I want to start the New Year 2012 by taking the time to Thank Melissa Poquiz for her nothing short of Stellar Performance over the past year.

Winning War Boards…Contests…along with placing high on the Top Closers list in the nation. Watching her Team Work, Camaraderie and Support…reminds me of how truly lucky I am!

So…the only correct words I can come up with is THANK YOU!!!

The Best is Yet to Be!!!
A. Regional VP
................................
Thank you Melissa
Not only are you an amazing consultant(can I clone you?), but you are a very good person.
You are friendly, likeable, passionate and truly care about everyone and our clients.
That means the world to me.
Thank you..
If I was closer, I’d give you a big hug and a smooch.
National VP
...............................
Melissa
In the 17 years that I have worked at HC
I have never been more impressed by anyone in this company! You really are a bright star and are so so so very talented! Gina better be damn grateful and blessed to have you! If not, I will punch her! :O)
Regional Sales Manager
....................


gets me all mushy reading this and cannot take credit for anything I do when I TRY giving the best of me to those I care about. God expects this of me and us all, so I will continue to be more loving especially during the toughest of times.

Ok, bedtime. Happy New Year to all.

Love Like THIS

As I've gotten older, I've learned to live life differently not only like it's going to be my last but also to live life like it's going to be my loved ones' last...because one day one of the two will be true. There are times I feel frustrated with my loved ones and my pride wants to overtake the love I have for them. In that moment of stubbornness I think to myself, what if something happens to the person I'm having qualms with? Is this stupid feeling of aggravation worth it? Nope. The answer is always no. So I tell myself , "Dude,suck it up." I Acknowledge my part in it and move on with LOVE. My point IS in this lifetime, holding grudges with loved ones is NOT worth it. Overall just do it. We are all emotional creatures, we get our poor little feeling hurt. Sometimes you just have to say EFF those feelings and forgive,apologize, move on with love. My saying in life is Enjoy life like it's your last and your loved one's last. Be kind, be sweet. Eat sweets. Mel

Thanksgiving

I love my BHF Derik, my Mom and Dad, Monica and Marco, the rest of my family,my best friends, no matter what we go through and no matter how much we argue because I know, in the end, they will always be there for me.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I am so thankful for all the people in my life.
Give love and receive love.

Give

Laying in bed with the hubby on this fine morning in LA and we stumbled upon a Kobe Bryant Commercial: Fight Homeless in LA. 40000 homeless folks in this city.
It got me thinking about how many people are suffering/dieing from lack of food, medical care, and shelter.
I pray to God for them every night and although I don't have all the answers and all the money in the world to help every single being, I know that I can make a difference by giving back to my community and society.
It's during the Holidays when I feel the most compassionate for the poor and less fortunate. I imagine myself being in their situations - rather than being with family and loved ones. Me being in a shelter, old folks home, on the streets fighting for my life... lacking the love and warmth that most of us are fortunate to have on a daily basis. I would be so grateful to those who showed me they cared enough to feed me.
I am so grateful to those that have made it easier for me to find spots I can donate to. Selfless acts of kindness makes this life worth living; knowing that we each can take a step back to take a look at what we fortunate people can do to make their worth living is an awesome feeling.
I want to share some of the places Derik and I involve ourselves with in hopes of maybe allowing others to share a small piece of your heart by giving a little back.

The American Red Cross- I figure a simple donation every quarter will help. Also blood donations help! The Red Cross offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. You can also register to receive text messages from the red cross to inform you when donations of blood or money are needed asap during a natural disaster. Awesome! www.redcross.org

One Warm Coat - Donating coats to help families / children stay warm during the cold season. Why NOT? Every year, Derik and I will gather our coats that we know we will not pull during the 4 months of winter and commit to donating them. onewarmcoat.org

Second Harvest Food Bank - Donating canned food to the less fortunate. I'm always complaining about how full I am after a good meal. If I can afford to eat and cook meals for myself and my family, why not make a difference in another family's life? Find a donation center near you. Around October/Novemberish each year, Derik and I will purchase 2 bagsfull of cans from Big Lot's - 50 cents to a dollar a can and donate to local drop offs. FeedingAmerica.org ...also there's the SVC Turkey Trot who also benefits to Local charities including the Second Harvest Food Bank. svturkeytrot.com
Derik, Darin, and I have committed to making it a family run every year; the morning of Thanksgiving. A nice family run before eating great meals and it benefits the less fortunate? Wow, amazing!

If anyone has any recommendations please let me know. Sharing is caring. We all can make a difference by doing one simple act of kindness.