…heartbeat
of the positive revolution
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Five Years Left To Live On a snowy evening in Colorado, family and friends were enjoying each other around the fire in our living room. When the conversation turned to Revolutionary Agreements, someone asked me about my impetus for writing the book. I recalled a Sunday church service years before in which the minister offered a simple exercise that was simply life transforming. He invited us to close our eyes and then asked, “If you had only five years left to live, what would you do with your life?” Sitting in my church seat, I took a deep breath and allowed the images to flow. It looked much like my life that day, brimming over with the joy of watching my young son grow up, working and playing with my beloved husband, continuing to make the contributions I was making through my wellness and business coaching. Yes, I would keep on doing just what I was doing today, I thought. Then he asked, “What if you knew you had only six months to live?” Suddenly the picture of my ideal life turned upside down. “Only six months?!” My heart raced as I searched my soul for the answer. The visuals slowly appeared: I saw myself standing on a soapbox in front of a small audience casually gathered around. I felt a passion and an urgency to tell anyone who would listen everything that I had learned during my lifetime that might be of use to them. That was the vision that seeded my writing Revolutionary Agreements. From his cozy position next to the fire, my son spoke up and threw in a ringer (aren’t teenagers great?). “But mom, what would you do if everyone on Earth died when you died? Like 2012,” he said, revealing his personal interpretation of the end of the Mayan calendar. “If you knew that we ALL have only five years to live and then we’re all gone, what would you do?” I couldn’t answer. No one could. His question left us speechless. Once again, I experienced that feeling of life turned upside down. What legacy could I leave if no one would be there to receive it? Who would care what I knew about ANYTHING? Should I just play? Is there anything I had not done or seen that would make my life richer? I honestly couldn’t think of a thing that I felt I needed to do or have before I died. I suppose this is a good thing, but it left me cold. His question continued to prod me during the following week. I shared it with many others, most of whom were as stunned as I was about the answer. Only one spoke with tremendous clarity and certainty: “Why wouldn’t we all do everything possible to stop the world from ending in five years?” he asked. “What could I possibly do?” I asked myself. Suddenly, I was hit with a BFO (blinding flash of the obvious)! With a sigh of relief, I realized that by sharing the Revolutionary Agreements, we’re all already promoting greater inner peace and thus greater peace on Earth. Perhaps that is all that is needed to save the world. With deep gratitude,
Your stories are the heartbeat of the positive revolution. Keep them coming! Unbridled Performance with the Agreements Amy Skolen facilitates senior executive teams in creating change that positively impacts their organization's profitability, revenue potential and performance. Among her clients are GlaxoSmithKline, Alcoa, Dick’s Sporting Goods, American Eagle Outfitters and GE. www.unbridledperformance.com About 10 years ago, I integrated the deep passion of my lifelong experience with my horses into my equally exciting leadership work with corporations. Because horses are emotional mirrors, they provide immediate visceral feedback, serving my clients to discover how their mindset, behaviors, actions and communication styles impact others. When Marian’s book was published in 2005, I incorporated the Agreements into my executive retreats. As a result, my programs achieved even greater depth. We begin our intensive work together by creating a modified set of the Agreements from which we operate and communicate with each other over the course of the program. The combination of Agreements and horse experiences facilitate many challenging breakthroughs and sometimes emotional “Ahas” by individuals and teams. My clients learn to create their reality based on respect and living in the now… and not on assumptions. Each retreat offers new learning for me. I am constantly amazed and gratified as I observe personal accountability and commitment reach new levels that sizzle with possibilities. January 7, 2008– The Indigo Method Heart-Centered Parenting Program, a Free Introductory Webinar from11am-noon MST. Learn a revolutionary new way to parent your children from professional parenting coaches and psychotherapists, including Melisa Pearce who will offer a practical and powerful way to incorporate Revolutionary Agreements into your daily lives as parents. February 10, 2008 – Six-Week Revolutionary Agreements Study Groups launch at the Unity Church for Creative Living, Jacksonville, Florida. Call (904) 287-1505 or email info@unityinjax.com for information about the study groups or Revolutionary Agreements facilitator trainings. March 9, 2008– Marian is the guest speaker at Unity Church for Creative Living, Jacksonville, Florida. Service at 10:30 a.m. For more information call the church at: (904) 287-1505 or visit its website www.unityinjax.com. [Excerpt from The View from Birch Corner, Oct/Nov issue] “While in Colorado last month we met an inspirational and joy-filled person whose commitment to action is making a big difference locally and globally. Based on the contents of her book, Revolutionary Agreements, Marian Head is living in a space of peace and love that grows each day. At the same time, through sharing her book and facilitating groups, she is impacting thousands of individuals in businesses, governments, international political summits and global conferences. We have decided to highlight one Agreement in this and each coming issue of The View from Birch Corner.” www.birchcorner.com Peace IS where we live and I confess that I allow myself to occasionally wander to a place where I forget that I can make a difference. As Marian’s message so beautifully suggests, who knows how far into the future our timeline goes? Until then, I will keep doing what I love and let my heart swell in gratitude for every opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life because of the words that I write. Peace Where We Live I donated food and clothing As I mingled amongst the folk The little girl tugged at my sleeve, “What are you then?” she grabbed my sleeve Twas smiling sweetly, full of hope Her face lit up like a star. The seed of peace I thought to plant All the faiths and all beliefs “Let there be Peace on Earth |
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