The Founders training took a noticeable shift with Founders Eleven. Every Founders training is different than every other. Each group is surprisingly unique and that calls forth a somewhat different training. Some groups are quiet, others are feisty. Some groups are analytical, others are deeply soulful. But Founders Eleven called forth a whole, new approach to conscious living that we'd never seen before.
We called it "going deeper down the Truth Well," and while that may sound like EVERY Founders, this time it was different. From the very first weekend, the group and the trainers had little patience for "thinking." Founders Eleven was chuck full of smart folks, and all that brainpower threatened to bite deeply into the forward movement of the group. "Thinking" we would all agree, is what got us to where we are today -- for good or ill. If we were going to break through into new realms of living large, it'd take something far beyond thinking. It would require a new, powerful form of bringing our FEELINGS to bear in life.
Throughout the weekends, this trend coalesced. Dozens and dozens of times during Founders Eleven we considered a trainee's sharing and we asked ourselves "truth or lies?" For Founders Eleven, a "lie" was any expression that didn't come straight from the heart. In a mind-bending shift, we began to reject talk that didn't speak the whole, soulful truth. Even if the sharing was technically accurate, that wasn't enough. This group demanded pure heart.
Then, in the final weekend, we took it further still. This focus on heart was yielding BIG results. Anger shifted into passion. Cleverness became soulfulness. Charisma gave way to authenticity. The shifts in the group were stark and inspiring. Out of this atmosphere of love and awakening arose several new processes, all pointing us toward the deepest, most authentic truths, no matter how crazy they may sound or how vulnerable they might leave us.
Founders Eleven certainly changed the lives of the group, as evidenced by the outpouring of love and exhilaration expressed by the trainees via Facebook, email and phone. But this Founders also had a radical effect on the lives of the trainers and staff. Pamela and I, for certain, will never be the same. Founders Eleven opened up a brand new adventure in conscious living that has us totally stoked.
Way to be with your cards face-up, Founders Eleven!
