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Quoting Willowwind:
I had the very distinct pleasure, 7 years ago, to attend a "personal development" seminar. The speaker was a man I went to Highschool with. Back then, he, to me, was an amazing person. Many of my classmates just sort of acknowledged his existance in a non-descript manner. He was a little different, yes, but that difference is what I appreciated most.
All of these programs have their own introductions of the speaker. Usually the attendee's are seated and the speaker is introduced, appears from some direction in the room, ascends the podium (or speaking area) and begins, after the greeting and thankyou's, etc.
In this particular seminar/meeting, the doors were opened to the waiting people. As you walked in the speaker was on stage, sitting in a chair. His wireless microphone was attached to his collar and he greeted the entering audience with a wave and "Hello, I'm Michael. Come on in. Welcome, take a seat." A different approach. I liked it already. It was very much like Michael, from what I remembered/knew of him, to utilize this approach to the introduction. People laughed, waved back, and some responded with their greetings.
After a few moments, you heard the loud thud of the entry doors closing. Michael stood, walked a few steps forward, and asked the question, "How many of you here are ready to explore the possibility of discovering an opportunity to improve the real you? Raise your right hand and leave it up." You could hear the rustle of paper and things and the swooshing sound of arms moving. Then he said "Now, how many of you here think you know who 'you' is? Raise your left hand." The sounds of soft laughter (including mine) emerged along with another session of shuffled things and clothing swooshing. Michael took three steps forward, looked over the audience, smiled that brilliant smile I remembered, raised his hands into the air, and said, "Ok, by the show of hands here, I would say there are a lot of rollacoaster afficianado's in the audiance tonight. Great!!" Keep your hands up." Then he turned so that his back was facing the audience and said, "If I kept my back to you the entire time I was speaking, would you still listen? If so, lower both hands. Let's be real with this question. It's what we are here for, right?" Again, the shuffle, not as pronounced and louder laughter filled the room. I had to look around a little as I grabbed my delicatel,y balanced program that was sliding from my knees, but, the room was a little dark to discern the number of hands still raised. Michael turned around to face the audience and said, "Those of you with your hands still raised might want to re-think whether or not you REALLY want to be here tonight, whether or not you are ready to ride the rollacoaster." There was a moment of silence until what he said had registered, then, the room filled with laughter.
Once again, he flashed that brilliant smile, and said, "By the way, just so you know, I am completely and totally blind. The hands thing was for your own benefit, not mine. My turning around was for your benefit as well. The only reason I know I wasn't facing you was by knowing I had made a 180 degree turn to the left and heard all the shuffling and laughter coming from behind me." There was a short period of whispers, low talking, mixed with laughter. I cracked up. I knew he was blind and there were probably a few there that also knew it, some not, but he had everyone's attention at that point.
After it became quiet again, Michael clasped his hands in front of him, smiled, and said, "You are here to explore how you can make a difference not only to you, but to everyone you come in contact with. I'm here to show you that can only be achieved by not using your eyes to see it, but, to allow yourself to look inside YOU, not your environment, not at other people, not at books, documentaries, or any other visible means of communication. You are here to become blind to all that, and, to discover your other eyes, or, perhaps be reminded on how to see with them. I can't teach you how, or, tell you how this can or will be done, but, I am here to help you focus on how self growth can only improve on who you are. My only hope is that, when you leave here, I gave you something to think about. What you do with the time you spend here is completely up to you."
Food for thought !!!
It was the best hour and a half I have spent in YEARS, and, it began a new era in my life.
Sadly, in February of this year, I received a telephone call from Michael's brother to tell me that Michael had passed on. That seminar I attended had, actually, been his last. No one but his immediate family knew he had Mesothelioma. But, it was just like him not to allow his own hardships in life influence his purpose. I think he had more than perfect inner vision.
I'm happy to see another Michael with the same message. Thanks for the reminder.
I had the very distinct pleasure, 7 years ago, to attend a "personal development" seminar. The speaker was a man I went to Highschool with. Back then, he, to me, was an amazing person. Many of my classmates just sort of acknowledged his existance in a non-descript manner. He was a little different, yes, but that difference is what I appreciated most.
All of these programs have their own introductions of the speaker. Usually the attendee's are seated and the speaker is introduced, appears from some direction in the room, ascends the podium (or speaking area) and begins, after the greeting and thankyou's, etc.
In this particular seminar/meeting, the doors were opened to the waiting people. As you walked in the speaker was on stage, sitting in a chair. His wireless microphone was attached to his collar and he greeted the entering audience with a wave and "Hello, I'm Michael. Come on in. Welcome, take a seat." A different approach. I liked it already. It was very much like Michael, from what I remembered/knew of him, to utilize this approach to the introduction. People laughed, waved back, and some responded with their greetings.
After a few moments, you heard the loud thud of the entry doors closing. Michael stood, walked a few steps forward, and asked the question, "How many of you here are ready to explore the possibility of discovering an opportunity to improve the real you? Raise your right hand and leave it up." You could hear the rustle of paper and things and the swooshing sound of arms moving. Then he said "Now, how many of you here think you know who 'you' is? Raise your left hand." The sounds of soft laughter (including mine) emerged along with another session of shuffled things and clothing swooshing. Michael took three steps forward, looked over the audience, smiled that brilliant smile I remembered, raised his hands into the air, and said, "Ok, by the show of hands here, I would say there are a lot of rollacoaster afficianado's in the audiance tonight. Great!!" Keep your hands up." Then he turned so that his back was facing the audience and said, "If I kept my back to you the entire time I was speaking, would you still listen? If so, lower both hands. Let's be real with this question. It's what we are here for, right?" Again, the shuffle, not as pronounced and louder laughter filled the room. I had to look around a little as I grabbed my delicatel,y balanced program that was sliding from my knees, but, the room was a little dark to discern the number of hands still raised. Michael turned around to face the audience and said, "Those of you with your hands still raised might want to re-think whether or not you REALLY want to be here tonight, whether or not you are ready to ride the rollacoaster." There was a moment of silence until what he said had registered, then, the room filled with laughter.
Once again, he flashed that brilliant smile, and said, "By the way, just so you know, I am completely and totally blind. The hands thing was for your own benefit, not mine. My turning around was for your benefit as well. The only reason I know I wasn't facing you was by knowing I had made a 180 degree turn to the left and heard all the shuffling and laughter coming from behind me." There was a short period of whispers, low talking, mixed with laughter. I cracked up. I knew he was blind and there were probably a few there that also knew it, some not, but he had everyone's attention at that point.
After it became quiet again, Michael clasped his hands in front of him, smiled, and said, "You are here to explore how you can make a difference not only to you, but to everyone you come in contact with. I'm here to show you that can only be achieved by not using your eyes to see it, but, to allow yourself to look inside YOU, not your environment, not at other people, not at books, documentaries, or any other visible means of communication. You are here to become blind to all that, and, to discover your other eyes, or, perhaps be reminded on how to see with them. I can't teach you how, or, tell you how this can or will be done, but, I am here to help you focus on how self growth can only improve on who you are. My only hope is that, when you leave here, I gave you something to think about. What you do with the time you spend here is completely up to you."
Food for thought !!!
It was the best hour and a half I have spent in YEARS, and, it began a new era in my life.
Sadly, in February of this year, I received a telephone call from Michael's brother to tell me that Michael had passed on. That seminar I attended had, actually, been his last. No one but his immediate family knew he had Mesothelioma. But, it was just like him not to allow his own hardships in life influence his purpose. I think he had more than perfect inner vision.
I'm happy to see another Michael with the same message. Thanks for the reminder.
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