Landmark
Current mood: contemplative

The work of Landmark Forum certainly has changed my life. Within the work, we talk about avoiding "fixing" or "changing," but rather creating new possibilities for our lives, and "enrolling" others in our having gotten that possibility... and doing so in such a way that the other person is "touched, moved and inspired" by our having gotten the new possibility.

I'm here to tell you that as simple as this may seem, there is a world of miracles awaiting for those who choose to do the Landmark Forum work.

My eyes are fully open to the various criticisms of Landmark and its EST parentage. In fact, I'm fascinated by the whole Transformational Growth movement, apparently spawned by the work of Warner Erhard and Erhard Seminar Training, or EST. My parents did some work like this at a place called "Land's End" in upstate NY in the 70's. As a teenager, what I remember is their coming home listening to new, hip (for the time) music such as Innagoddadavidda. And the "graduation glow" was something I came to recognize as strong, markedly different, and (of course) fleeting. But I do believe the work made a difference for my parents.

I know the Landmark work is making a difference in my life. *I* am making a difference in my life. My picture is already outdated, as I've lost 30+ pounds since doing my first Landmark Forum on Labor Day Weekend of this year. And yesterday, I went to the gym. That may not sound like much, but I tell you it's HUGE. If I can get my 320-pound carcass on a treadmill in front of God & everybody, I swear ANYTHING'S possible.

Integrity is a core issue in the Landmark work. We take pains to separate the notion of "morality" from Integrity. It's not "you're good" and "you're bad." It is simply "honoring your word as your self." Keeping your promises to yourself and others. And making it right as soon as you discover you can't keep a promise. Acknowledge the failure, make a new promise, and keep that new one. Our Seminar Leader, Heather, keeps encouraging us to live a life of 100% integrity. That is harder than it sounds. I seem to crave an "out" from what I perceive as the pressure of keeping my word. Usually takes the form of wasting time, as if to claim some time for myself, even when I've promised to do something or be somewhere. Gets me in trouble when it's related to work or to family.

So, I'm exploring what's involved.

This Landmark work resembles psychotherapy in the depth of personal growth and self-searching involved... but the work isn't focused on a therapist, but on me. In other words, I have a sense of doing the work, rather than having the work "done" to me.

One day, I'd like to lead Landmark Forum introductions, then seminars, and eventually be a Forum leader. I am present to a sense of great amounts of personal work to do to achieve those goals, and they feel "unreasonable," that's for sure... i.e. I have no idea how I'll get to that point. There are time concerns, priority concerns, etc etc.

I welcome questions about Landmark Forum work, whether from the curious who've never done it, to folks in similar relatively new positions within the work, to "old pro's" who have been performing "ontological surgery" upon themselves and others for years and years.

With gratitude and respect,

Greg

Currently listening : Christmas With the Dale Warland Singers By Brian Steele Release date: 05 August, 2003

7:52 AM - 0 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment