So, what about those three retreats we have coming up with Jeddah Mali, Paul Scheele, and Marie Diamond? I thought I would write a little about them to help you decide if this is something you want to do for yourself this year.

First let me say, getting away from home for four to six days allows you to put your life on pause so you can take quality time to contemplate your life, explore intriguing concepts, and take on new skills. It can be a phenomenally transformative experience.

The information you learn from one of our retreats is not common. The exercises and mental processes are not ordinary.  The people sitting around you are more than everyday folks—just like you. The leaders of the retreats are true masters—the exact people you want to learn from. Each retreat is designed to affect you at the very core of your existence. You can’t help but look at life differently when returning home.

If you haven’t done one of our retreats, seriously consider one for this year. If you have, you are always welcome to come back.

#1 

In a couple of weeks we have a powerful retreat with Jeddah Mali where you will explore yourself as an energetic being. You will experience what is true about your being. You’ll see how the definitions of yourself are merely stories that at the core may be creating a lot of stress and resistance in your life.

A story?  For me, “I’m president of Learning Strategies, and we help people get great at living life.” That may be the role I’m playing, but that’s not who I am. Understanding that through every cell of your body is extraordinarily freeing.

Here’s another story of someone I know: “I can’t grow my business, because I cannot trust my employees.” That story has constricted his life in ways he cannot see, because he is so buried in it. But his friends can see how miserable he’s become, his employees and customers sense the problem, and his wife certainly feels it.

Someone else: “I’m a poor woman, because my husband left me with no money.”

Someone else: “I own a beautiful home in the nicest part of town.” Yes, stories can be positive, but they are still stories. What would happen if he loses the house? What would happen to his life?

These stories serve us in many ways, but in due course they create struggle. Jeddah’s work is about changing the paradigm of your life. She helps you through stimulating conversation, interesting processes, and by leading you through meditations in which you experience firsthand what is going on in your life and what ultimately is true.  Once you recognize this truth, you can learn to operate from this truth in all areas— beyond anything you are experiencing right now in your life.  Call me at the office if you are interested and want to talk it through.

If you’ve enjoyed any of Jeddah’s programs such as Seeds of Enlightenment, you’ll love the retreat. And if you’re new to Jeddah, you’ll be in for a treat.

There are only a couple of weeks left. If you’re interested, visit this webpage or call Jennifer at 1-888-800-2688.

#2 

Let’s switch gears to a retreat more obviously related to your everyday success: Paul Scheele’s Transformational Leadership Intensive coming up in September.

Paul is one of the most brilliant people I know. His understanding of the genius mind and of human development, interaction, and growth is extraordinary.

Last fall I read one of his doctoral papers: Leadership Development as a Reflective Journey to Wisdom and Spiritual Intelligence.

It was immediately clear we needed to offer his new body of work in a retreat. The traditional way of training leaders is insufficient to address the large-scale problems of today.

We all have seen how humanity needs leaders who are prepared to help bring about a world that works for everyone. A world that is socially just, environmentally and economically sustainable, and spiritually fulfilling. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Wouldn’t you think every nonprofit and for-profit company, government, school, community, neighborhood, and family would benefit with leaders prepared for the challenges of today and tomorrow?

Paul says the most effective leaders of today have gone through a powerful personal transformation and gained a greater understanding of the bigger picture through reflection, spiritual intelligence, and the cultivation of wisdom.

The integration of body, mind, emotion, and spirit increases a leader’s capacity to undertake a personal transformation, facilitate the transformation of their constituencies, and lead shifts in the consciousness of an organization.

So…if this resonates with you… if you are a leader of one degree or another… if you want to support a leader… then Paul’s Transformational Leadership Intensive is an absolute must. You can read more about it and enroll here. You can also listen to a 30-minute conversation with Paul talking about the event—the link is in the right hand column of that page.

#3 

Marie Diamond’s October Retreat takes a look at what drives you from the soul level. I found the material eye-opening when I first learned it from Marie in 2008, and I’m delighted she finally agreed to lead a retreat on it.

We all fall within seven spiritual codes, or archetypes, or vibrational levels. They steer our lives from deep within.

When you let your “ego” run the show, your spiritual code can lead you into crisis, but when you let your soul guide you, your code can help you express your personal mastery. Marie likes to say, “Your ego keeps you busy, while your soul keeps you free.”

Here is a simplified version of the seven codes:

#1 – Power & Will

When run by your ego, you’ll see problems with abuse and manipulation. When run by your soul, only the sky limits your success. You achieve whatever you set out to achieve.

#2 – Love & Service

When run by your ego, you’ll see problems surrounding personal neglect and addiction, and when run by your soul, you’ll enjoy harmonious relationships and a fulfilling life helping all.

#3 Active Intelligence & Creative Intelligence

Ego: problems with needing to have the perfect body, the best clothing, the ideal relationship. Soul: an effective problem-solver, someone full of great ideas, a go-to person, someone admired for their influence.

#4 Harmony with Conflict & Healing

Ego: problems finding balance, always changing careers, mood swings… always being in crisis. Soul: living a full, centered life, healing others, a great sales person.

#5 Science, Knowledge, & Justice

Ego: problems with being strict, lacking spontaneity, over-analyzing emotions, putting labels on everything. Soul: being inspired to discover and understand, holding complex thoughts, expressing a natural brilliance.

#6 Devotion & Idealism

Ego: problems with fanaticism, overwhelming others, revenge, pushing until you implode. Soul: being passionate, stretching boundaries, and holding strong principles.

#7 Divine Order & White Magic

Ego: problems with arrogance, creating chaos, multiple and simultaneous emotions.  Soul:  creating order, having charisma, enjoying freedom of the mind, and bringing magic in through your work.

You will learn your own code, how it manifests in your life, where it creates problems, and where it connects with great opportunity. Marie will verify your code for you to make sure you are completely on track. She will help you move from ego to soul.

Knowing your code will make decision-making much, much easier, because you’ll know what is completely consistent with your life.

You also will learn how to discover the codes of others so you can better relate to them, have more compassion, and act in a way that supports their heart’s purpose AND your heart’s purpose.

If you’ve enjoyed any of Marie’s programs, such as Diamond Feng Shui, Diamond Dowsing, Diamond Quantum Colors, or Diamond Hexagrams, you’ll love the retreat. Marie doesn’t like to repeat retreats, so if this intrigues you, make your deposit today on this webpage.

Okay…there you have it. An overview of the three events.  If you have any questions, please call us, write us, or leave a comment below. We’ll do our best to get you the information you need.

Seven years ago I would have thought retreats were a luxury. After fully participating in many of our retreats myself, I’ve come to look at them as a necessity. Do I recommend a retreat every year? Not really. You can certainly do it. I do. I do strongly recommend that you make time and budget resources to do it every three or four or five years. They significantly increase the quality of your life.

Thank you for following along. Again, get back to us with any questions.

Pete