This is a great real life example of someone applying ideas from the Self-Expression and Leadership Program.
I was hard headed person. I was headache to my family. I was negative thinker. I was great pretender. I don’t like myself. I don’t like when someone correct me and worst of all I hate when someone advice me…I really hate advices that’s the reason why I wont share because I am avoiding whats they gonna tell me after I shared. In my heart there is a lot of insecurities and fears… I have fear in my future, in my job, in other words I lost my self confidence, my self esteem.
My intention of registering in the Landmark forum is how can I get back my confidence. On the first day I got confused I have a hard time to understand what the speaker trying to emphasized. On the second day I thought I still feel the same like the first day. I actually got bored but I was fighting for it because I don’t want that my money will put into waste through learning nothing. At the early hour of the next day when someone shared I didn’t know I got hit because I feel I am ready to share and willing to hear whatever comments I can get either negative or positive. I really feel I don’t care any negative comments against me. So, I called up to one of my best friends to whom I was unreal and untrue towards our friendships. In my mind I can handle it that easy but I was wrong, my hand was shaking while dialing. I really don’t know what I’m suppose to do…I’m turning the music on, I feel vomiting, I feel peeing. When I heard the voice of my friend my tears started to fall down non stop, my voice was shaking, I talk stuttering. After I shared I have a heart and ears to listen to her everything negative or positive.
My second breakthrough was redeeming my good relationship with my parents because I know I hurt them, I was not good daughter to them, I frustrate them…before it’s hard for me to say “I love You” or I’m Sorry” but now after Landmark saying “I love you” or “I’m sorry” is easy for me, it’s like normal words to say like “expression”.
Landmark Forum helps me redeeming my self worth, self confidence and trust…I can now creating possibility and live with it. I CAN BE ME!
My friend from work shared with me about the three and a half day Landmark Forum course that he attended and invited me to attend a free introduction. It sounded interesting and when something is free, rest assured I’ll attend. I decided to go to an introduction, but did not make it until about a year later due to excuses and time constraints.
I honestly had no idea what I was about to attend or why, but I decided to be open minded. This all happened over five years ago. I’ll never forget watching the leader command the space in the room and thinking how incredible it would be if I was able to have that level of charisma and leadership. Whatever that course leader guy had, I wanted.
Mary Eckman,
Chicago, IL
Sounds Good But…
He spoke of enrollment, breakthroughs, possibilities and distinctions.
It felt like I was listening to a language I had never heard before and I felt confused and annoyed. This was my experience when I attended an introduction to the Landmark Forum for the first time. I kept thinking why is everyone here so happy, smiley and personable and why are they pretending like they care about me and my life? The Forum leader’s energy and words were inspiring and captivating. I felt so charged up in that room and remember having the feeling that I actually could have the things I wanted in life. My mind was opened up to possibility for the first time in my short 25 years. I had had a burning desire to make a significant change in my life at that point.
Their about us statement: “The Landmark Forum, the foundation of all Landmark Education’s programs, is designed to bring about a fundamental shift or transformation in what is possible in people’s lives” sounded great, so I decided to see for myself if this was true.
I Agreed to Take It On
That introduction was my first experience of me actually creating my experience. Many people in the room did not have the same experience as me because they had come in closed-minded and skeptical. The way they experienced the introduction was the way they created it for themselves. Likewise, the way I experienced it was as a result of how I created it. Needless to say, I registered for the $485 course with only $60 in my bank account. My friend agreed to pay half for me so that made it seem even more appealing. I was kind of turned off by the pressure to register in the room, and how at least ten people came up to me to talk to me about what is stopping me from registering. It was strange because I wanted to do it, but then once people started asking me I played devil’s advocate. So regardless of my annoyance and frustration, I registered. In my world, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Not What I thought
I arrived to the course on Friday morning and in true Mary fashion I was about twenty minutes late. I went in the room and sat at the end of the row with a hoodie over my head. They were still in the process of answering questions about what the weekend was going to be like. I kept wondering when this thing was going to start. It didn’t take long for me to realize that it had already started. People would go to the microphone and share about their lives and what stops them from having the things they want. They talked in detail about events that had happened in the past. I was shocked at the openness of the group. I felt like I was in a room with 120 people who had all taken their masks off before they got here.
The Transformation Began
Over the next 3 ½ days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday evening) I went on the rollercoaster ride of a lifetime. I cried, I laughed, I saw myself in every single person, I challenged my conditioned beliefs and eventually on the third day had my entire view of reality shifted.
Seems like a lot to accomplish in such a short period of time, however it did happen and my life has never been the same since. All the fear, the drama, the lies, the falsities and fakeness that had been stuck inside of me my whole life had melted away on that third day. My first thought was OK this is amazing, but is this really going to last?
The Freedom I Never Thought Possible
On that third day I realized why all those people at the introduction had asked me to register twenty times. I was moved by their commitment to having a planet that works for everybody. Those people knew the power of the course and what it makes available for your life and wanted me to have that. If you are ready to become serious about your life and face yourself and your fears, I highly recommend doing the Landmark Forum. It really is a life changing course that will be the beginning of new life and freedom you never thought possible.
Life Changing and Permanent Results
Well, it is now five years later and it has definitely lasted. I have taken other courses inside of the curriculum; however, the tools I use on a day to day basis are as a result of the Landmark Forum. This course has given me an abstract arsenal to effectively deal with any person and situation I will ever encounter. I feel and know that I can handle anything life throws at me. I’m not saying that it’s easy to do this kind of personal development. However, the tools you learn to use really give you an advantage in life. I have been able to have conversations with people I would never have even considered having.
I’ve been able to become friends with people I never thought I’d be able to. I’ve been able to get jobs that weren’t available. My biggest fear of being in a healthy, loving soul mate relationship has been accomplished. The worldwide and personal success of Landmark’s programs are based on a form of transformative learning rather than informative learning. This course enabled me to face my biggest fears and see that anything I want for myself and my life is available to me if I choose it.
Joseph Dowdy shares about the difference The Landmark Forum and Landmark Education has made in his life. Watch the video below.
I just wanted to share with you all what a blessing this work has been to me. I did the Landmark Forum in 2009 and continued on the Advanced Course in Fall 2011. I am now in my Self Expression and Leadership Program and finally, I truly understand the difference this work has made for me. For my project, I am creating The Love Muffin Project with my community. It’s a dessert and cocktail party to raise awareness and support for survivors of sex trafficking in the New York area.
It has been such an amazing journey as I’ve seen the project literally take on a life of its own. Everyone in my community has taken part in the project and I have been able to introduce countless people to the cause. But personally, I have finally ‘gotten out of my own way’ and decided to start my own business as a part of this experience! Not only will the event be a fun night and help meet the
$10,000 fundraising goal that we set, but it will also be my debut as a baker with my company Love Sweet NYC! Talk about being unstoppable!
I never would have done this for myself had I not participated in Landmark Education. I have seen myself take on challenges and go after my dreams like never before. It has made a tremendous impact on my relationships, both personal and professional. I’m even being recognized for my patience. Now, that is a breakthrough, if nothing else.
I have also recognized how happy I am when I live to make a difference for others. I want to use my gifts to help and empower others and will donate 10% of the proceeds from my business to charitable organizations.
If you would like more information, please visit:
http://thelovemuffinproject.eventbrite.com
Facebook: The Love Muffin Project
Twitter: @LoveMuffinNYC
Krystian Dennis
New York, NY
Perhaps being a workaholic was the better way of being prior to the Forum, as at least while at work others came first. During the day I truly was committed to service to others and fulfilled, then the night time came. At night I was left with moments of being with myself & I would quickly try to fill with various activities. I tried working out to playing piano for a few months at a time only to find myself bored and unfulfilled. “There must be something,” was always the question that lead to the next “something.”
I will never forget the first day in the Forum as I stood at the microphone proclaiming a desire to take time out for myself after being asked why we were here. On the stage stood an overly confident Dutch lady who I was convinced had nothing to offer me at that moment. After all, I completed college with honors, medical school, and a residency in one of the most competitive residencies in the world. I listened to people as they came to the microphone quite captivatingly, which should have been a clue something was happening inside of me as outside of work I typically didn’t hear a thing people said.
After the start of the afternoon session I settled in and began to count the hours, “Nine more to go and four wasted.”. This was always my mentality since my first thoughts as a child. Outside of my white coat, Life was always about me first, then whoever else I could manipulate second, the rest fell in line wherever. Sunday afternoon, around 4 pm, my life was over as I knew it because I got really present to “empty and meaningless.”
Out of that space of everything-nothing was created a life that was worth living on a level that I never dreamed possible. Most importantly, I got that my family was the most precious jewel in the world and spoke to my mother and sisters about who they were and what was their life like. My way of being with my family was transformed.
It was no longer me against them, or the rest of the world, it was me “with” them in the world.
Getting on the phone with all of my friends was the next task and catching those that I could at home if possible. The conversations all began the same way “I have been being such an arrogant person and I have been making you wrong for….and I apologize.” What happened every single time, with every single person, was magical. The first line out of my best friends mouth was, “what did you do with Will?”. A warm feeling overwhelmed me as I was present to a new possibility at the end of every call to complete with someone.
Being present with everyone in every moment since completing the curriculum is a golden opportunity to “listen for the gold,” re-create what’s shared, and then leave them in a world of possibility through the distinctions of the Landmark Forum. My patients are now heard on a level they’ve never experienced before and my practice is growing faster than I can train new providers. Now having completed the Communications Curriculum I am contribution to others through participating in the Landmark Assisting Program and will begin the Introductory Leadership Program in March 2012. What I ultimately “got” from my participation in this education is the power to create others in the world as the possibility that they are, and not the limitations, or reasons, that they exist in. I am an unstoppable force for transformation of the lives of others.
Dr. Will Richardson
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Just wanted to share a breakthrough I’ve made. I started my community project called ‘100 Gratitude Rocks’ following my participation in the Landmark Education programme. The project involved sending 100 Gratitude Rocks to the people who have been a contribution to me and made a difference to my life with a request that the recipient then sends their one rock to someone who they feel has made a difference to them.
The idea being that this would start a never ending wave of gratitude around the planet. I created a blog, where I uploaded the Gratitude Rocks and the details of the things I admired in these people and why I was grateful. I am proud to say that the 100th rock was sent on its way last week and I am receiving comments to moderate from people I don’t even know most weeks as the rocks are being passed from person to person in far off shores such as USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It’s been a wonderful adventure for me and I loved doing it. I feel so grateful for the ‘push’ to do something like this for the sheer hell of it and I am grateful that I proved I can be unstoppable. When I was starting the project, I was asked to consider the size of the community I wanted to impact. I realised that I wanted to create the possibility of affecgting everyone on the planet in a positive way. This project has this potiental so I am incredibly grateful that it has come into fruition.
If anyone wants to find out more you can find out about the project on this link….
http://100gratituderocks.wordpress.com/
Leiza Alpass
Bristol, UK
Attending the Forum has transformed my life as well as my families. I chose a path to live an extraordinary life and wanted to create a healthy community for my kids to step into. So soon after my Forum, I signed up for the 2008 NYC Marathon and now I am on a quest to complete a marathon in all 50 States by the time I am 50, and now my kids are living a healthier lifestyle. Here is a video of my journey so far! Enjoy
Noah Lam
Farmingdale, NY
I am a Landmark Education graduate and I am always so grateful for what I learnt, and to this day, I share Landmark Education when the opportunity arises in conversation. The most important thing I learnt was I wanted to know who I was and why was I the way I was, always angry,always scared, always anxious etc. How could I change? I was tire of the old me. I concluded that I needed to seek more knowledge to help me with this change. I took what I understood from Landmark and put it into practice. Other sources of knowledge were also directing me to move away from my past. If I truly wanted this amazing life I had to re-invent my-self, I had to change and put my past behind me for good. The key is that Landmark taught me that all was possible no matter how difficult it may seem. I had put no restrictions in seeking more knowledge. My mind was wide open, the box no longer exists.
I found out that lack, doubt, anxiety and fear of death are deeply rooted in us all. We are constantly reminded that we die. Its in our daily language, even Landmarks teachings tell you, you die. In my opinion to say you die creates a negative thinking, and negative language, creates negative thought, which creates negative thinking.
The karmic wheel only spins one way. What would it be like to create a possibility of constant positive thought to constantly train ourselves to be positive and allow the negative thoughts to pass through your mind like clouds in the sky. Simply put be aware of your negative thoughts and let them go. You can’t loose by being positive its impossible. This maybe what is meant by choosing life over we always die. “Life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be enjoyed.”
Our environment, our daily lives, our society reminds us to choose death, anxiety, fear etc. and in essence we become victims of life instead of being responsible for our lives. Most of Landmark participants start off as victims of life including my-self. Victims usually relate to the past and therefore stay in the past. Landmark shines a light on your past to show you what it really is, a story that we hang to, to create our reality but only in our mind. The physical reality happened in the past and cannot be changed. Could it be that the stories we are given about tragic deaths etc are then added to our past stories and knowledge of death to create a fear in the present moment. 9/11 comes to mind. We must learn to let go of our past no matter how tragic otherwise we cannot bring the positive in our lives because then we are always looking through the eyes of the past. So the question might be “How come we struggle to change” and the answer might be because the common thought is negative as our society keeps reminding us. Its instilled in all of our cultures in everything we do. Also known a social consciousness. Our past is not simply an event that happened to us. Consider that our past is rooted in our emotions and we are addicted to our emotions. The stories we tell are always accompanied by our emotions.
If you have done Landmark Education consider that you have been seeking something. Do not stop, the work maybe hard but the rewards are 1000 fold.
Thank you for allowing me to express my-self and I leave you with this quote.
“Listen without trying to hear anything special”
You are all loved unconditionally and again my thanks to all those at Landmark for allowing me to create this amazing life I now live.
Victor Gagnon
Mission, BC
In 2004 I completed the Landmark Forum, the Advanced Course and the Self Expression and Leadership Program. I have not attended a program since. In the interim, however, I started and completed a degree in electrical engineering at one of the best engineering schools in the world.
Most importantly, I have built a magnificent marriage with the love of my life, using the communication skills learned at Landmark. I am now a part time student in law school in a career path to practice patent law, with the full support of a law firm. While these things may not seem remarkable, I was 30 years old in 2004, with no career prospects and a middle school level in mathematics.
The Landmark Forum was the catalyst for doing what seemed impossible to me. What I find most remarkable is that the transformation I made over three days and an evening is a lasting part of who I am, even six years later. Just breathtaking!
Jeremy Briggs
Charlotte, North Carolina
“What I have found in myself and others as a result of participating in Landmark is the inestimable benefit of improved self-esteem, confidence and motivation. These are the key components of what some people are now calling ‘Emotional Intelligence’; they are also the prerequisites for success for learning, work and life.”
Sir Christopher Ball, Oxford scholar, knighted in 1988,
Chancellor Emeritus, University of Derby, UK
“The Landmark Forum is not magic. It is not scary or insidious. It is, in fact, simple common sense delivered in an environment of startling intensity. It is this intensity that makes the difference. While any one of us might well have already been told the same home truths by friends and family, we were too distracted by life and too wrapped up in our own defence mechanisms to listen.”
Ameila Hill The London Observer
"I received probably one of the best educations possible—Harvard, Duke, Yale, etc.—but the single course that made the biggest difference in my ability to live a happy, effective and fulfilling life—was The Landmark Forum."
Dr. Keith Berger, MD
CEO of the Center for Health and Cancer Prevention
