More To Life Around The World

The Power of Connection course debuts in UK, US soon to follow

2009-07-10T12:19:00.003-05:00

After the eager anticipation of MTL mentors around the world, The Power of Connection course debuted last month in London taught by Louise Smith.

The Power of Connection explores how to connect with what is going on inside of you and how to move past protective barriers that get in the way of connecting with the best in yourself and bringing out the best in others.

The course will help you create the relationships you truly want --

Being ...

a more fulfilled individual
a more caring friend
a more loving partner
a more successful parent
a more productive colleague
a more effective leader

The techniques you will learn in the course help will enhance all the relationships and partnerships in your life, for the rest of your life.

The Power of Connection is the latest in a series of short courses offered by licensed MTL mentors who have completed a program of practical and experiential training. Along with the Power of Self Esteem and the Power of Purpose, the Power of Connection can be taught anywhere in the world in a private or corporate setting by a licensed MTL mentor.

Louise Smith is a MTL coach, mentor and trainer candidate. Her first Power of Connection course was such a success that she decided to offer a second course in London beginning August 9. Clare Prendergast & Wendy Thomas will be the first mentors in Manchester UK to offer Power of Connection beginning August 23.

Next week Louise makes another debut as she joins MTL Senior Trainer and Training Director Sue Oldham to train the US based mentors to teach the Power of Connection course.

The Power of Connection A Phase Mentor training will be held July 17-19 in Houston. I am told there are two spaces left. You can register here if you would like to learn how to teach this extraordinary course.

I know Will Kidd will be in Houston taking Phase A. Will is a US-based MTL coach and mentor. He has scheduled the first Power of Connection in the US to be offered in Knoxville beginning on August 2.

On a personal note speaking as a MTL mentor and one who works in community organizing and social media, I think the Power of Connection is a course for our time. For all the ease and speed of communication in the age of computer-mediated communities, the power to genuinely connect or, as EM Forster’s imperative “only connect” suggests, has never been a more important or sacred intention.

Register for Power of Connection A Phase here

Learn more about the Power of Connection course here or www.moretolife.org/connect

Carolyn Baehr

MTL Healing Intensive Pilot, June 26 - July 1

2009-06-22T08:00:00.004-05:00

The MTL Healing Intensive is an exciting new pilot being offered in Minneapolis. It is a unique combination of a More To Life Weekend (2 1/2 days) followed by 3 days of working with 10 practitioners of the healing arts. In addition, the course is limited to 10 participants which provides for an abundance of one on one time.

This pilot is based on the adage, 'Know the Truth and the Truth will set you free'. You can count on an experience and integration of healing with the support and expertise of many professionals, including Ann McMaster, More To Life senior trainer.

If you're interested in this next step for your life in support of your well being on every level, please contact us right away!

Here are the details:
Dates of the Healing Intensive course: June 26-July 1, 2009
Location: 205 Salem Church Road Sunfish Lake, MN 55118
Cost: $3,000.00
Where to go for more information: www.livingwellbeingwell.net
For information, contact: Diana Makens at Diana@ramsys.net, or call 612-965-8939
You may register by going to the website and clicking on Register. Then fill in the online forms and email them to Diana Makens.

2nd More to Life Weekend in New York City

2009-06-08T18:26:00.006-05:00

The 2nd More To Life weekend in New York City ended on Sunday night at 11:30 EST.

In the wee hours of Monday morning, Andrew Wertheimer sent this email to several More To Life students who helped make it possible for him to attend the June course.

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to say thank you one more time for helping me experience such an intense and life changing weekend.

Without you guys caring, contributing your time and money and staying on my butt since last fall I would not have attended. I don't know if I am missing anyone here. If so I apologize. I learned of people asking about me when I got to the hotel that I had no idea remembered me!!

I am told there were anonymous donations made on my behalf so if anyone speaks to those people, as I mentioned to Ralph, please give them a heartfelt thank you from me. I feel blessed.

I am still processing it all. So much happened it is quite surreal.

One thing I know is by the end I felt much lighter and to share that experience with all those amazing people was incredible and moving.

Faces etched in my mind more vividly than people I have known for years. Different yet all so similar - just wanting a connection - to be happy, free, alive, awakened, non-judgmental, giving, loving - not much else matters.

Finding tears rolling down my eyes specifically after the mirror process was liberating. I suppose that was what I was going for.

A feeling of liberation from the prison I built around myself. Because it automatically made me happier and soooooo much more able to give myself and genuinely smile :)!

To connect to people without fear. Knowing how human we all are - knowing/remembering that I am too simply human...

Conjuring up that feeling constantly is the goal and to maintain it and move higher. But I know, all in good time - and I will certainly do my best to be here in the now as I am.

The weekend was amazing and will unfold more as the days pass but just the moments of serenity I felt when the weekend ended are soooooo sacred.

Thank you again and all my love.

Andrew

Follow Up about Using the MTL Community Forum

2009-05-14T13:08:00.002-05:00

If you’ve attempted to sign into the Community Forum or if you were able to sign on once but then were locked out, we’re glad to say the bug has been found and fixed. Give it another go and if you get a ‘login failed’, you WILL be sent a new password which you can use. If you choose, you can then reset your password by editing your profile.

If you haven’t yet signed onto the Community Forum, please do so! Here’s how:

On the home page, enter your email address in the box in the upper left-hand corner where it says ‘email’. You’ll need to use the email address that you provided previously through your participation in the MTL program.

After entering your email address, press the ‘login’ button. This will take you to a page called Student Area / Account Verification.

Enter your name and choose a password that you will use on the website. Please note, your email address will serve as your username.

Once this is done, a new page will come up advising you that your account is now active and you can login. Your account is now active. In order to start interacting on the Community Forum, you will need to login using your username (email address) and password. There are four different discussion threads in which you can participate: Relationships, Parenting, Money and Career, Courses and Learning from Life. The fifth, Getting Started, is a reiteration of how to set up your account, etc.

Hope this helps!

~ Peggy

The MTL Community Forum is now live!

2009-04-30T15:52:00.002-05:00

Hello, it’s Mike Beukes here from Warp & Woof again.

I have some great news! The MTL Community Forum and Network is now up, running and waiting for your input.

We have a few FORUM TOPICS to start with, but stay posted, there will be more on the way. The starting line up we have so far includes:

Money and career
Parenting
Relationships
Courses – your experiences or questions
Learning from life
Getting started

The MTL Coaches will be providing occasional facilitation of the Forum, so you’ll get to know these advanced students as well.

The guide below gives you everything you need to know to get up and running on the site. This ‘Getting Started’ info also exists as a post in the forum, so you can easily access it any time in the future.

I hope you’ll all enjoy using it, and we look forward to seeing you there very soon.

Mike and the W&W team

Getting started
Activating your account
If you are a student of More To Life, you will be able to activate your account and get started using the Community Forum. Please note that only MTL students will be able to use or view the forum.

To do so, please enter your email address in the box in the upper left-hand corner of the home page (‘email’). You’ll need to use the email address that you provided previously through your participation in the MTL program.
After entering your email address, press the ‘login’ button. This will take you to a page called Student Area / Account Verification.
Enter your name and choose a password that you will use on the website. Please note, your email address will serve as your username.
Once this is done, a new page will come up advising you that your account is now active and you can login.
Your account is now active. In order to start interacting on the Community Forum, you will need to login using your username (email address) and password.

Editing your profile
Once you are logged in to the site, you can edit your profile by clicking on the ‘My profile button’ that appears on the left of the screen on every page of the site. This will take you to your profile, where you will be able to update personal information, view friends, messages and posts that you have made.

Posting to an existing thread (subtopic) or starting a new one
Once you are logged in, posting a new thread is really straightforward. Just head to the Community Forum and select the topic that you want to review by clicking on it. You can choose from the following topics:

Money and career
Parenting
Relationships
Courses – your experiences or questions
Learning from Life
Getting started

You will then have the choice of reviewing existing threads (subtopics) within each topic and posting a response against an individual thread, or starting a new thread (subtopic) in the white box.

Thread four: New to More To Life?
If you are exploring the More To Life website but haven’t yet taken a course, you won’t be able to view the Community Forum as this is only available to existing students. If you choose to take the More To Life weekend, you will be able to activate an account once you have completed the course using the steps outlined above.

Sharon Hoover newest Board Member

2009-04-06T07:46:00.006-05:00

In the coming months we will spotlight members of the More to Life board members. Today we meet Sharon Hoover of Knoxville TN, one of the newer members and recently elected Vice President.

The beginnings of Sharon’s involvement with the MTL program is somewhat legend. She attended the More to Life weekend somewhat reluctantly, “my husband (psychologist John Hoover) attended the weekend in 1983 and I wanted to keep up with him and what he was learning.”

A year later the Hoovers were among the founding members of the Knoxville Community Center and hosted meetings in the early years around their dining room table in our family room. They have been Mastery Teachers since 1986.

Sharon is a Profession Certified Coach in private practice in executive leadership coaching for small business owners. She uses the core skills learned in the MTLW with her clients guiding them through corporate and personal belief structures that inhibit creativity and productivity.

Q: After all these years, why did you join the Board now?

“Well,…because they asked me,” Sharon said with a smile in her voice. And, I see places I can make a meaningful contribution to the program. It is also a way to give back although it seems inadequate to what I’ve received.”

Q: What legacy would you like to leave?

“In life, in work, and with the program I want to ask the hard questions. Are we willing to look at our scared cows and underlying assumptions that inform our decisions? Are we willing to change what no longer serves us as a person, a business, our world? As an organization, are we willing to change in order to be more sustainable? How will we respond to internal and external factors so we are lighter on our feet and well positioned in the current environment as well as the future?”

Q: What would you like everyone to know about the Board?

“The program is in the strong and capable hands of the Board, the trainers, and the staff. We will do all it takes to keep growing the program, growing enrollment and growing the program in the world. You can count on that. Communication is the name of the game: talking, sharing, exploring together. There is room for creativity and opportunity, and it is ours (the stakeholders) for the taking.”

The Kairos More To Life Foundation Board of Directors are:

Jack Palma, President
Sharon Hoover, Vice President
Chris Kendall, Treasurer
Diana Makens, Secretary
Pascale Ascher
Briggy Kiddle
Peter Kiss
Anu Pillay
Rhonda Schlatter
W. Roy Whitten - Emeritus
Anne Brown - Emeritus

Which Board member would you like to know more about next?

Carolyn Baehr

Just a click away...

2009-03-30T07:52:00.002-05:00

I have gotten several emails saying the video in the last post was not visible in email subscription delivery.

In the email, please click on the title of the post "Describing the More to Life Weekend" and it will take you to the published post. The video is there.

Carolyn Baehr

Describing the More to Life Weekend

2009-03-27T11:32:00.005-05:00

I am frequently asked how I would describe the More To Life Weekend.
-- Not the easiest experience to put words to.

The weekend was like ...
learning to ride a bicycle, or
learning how to swim, or
falling in love.

Just words really.

Once I had the experience,
once I learned something new about my self,
I could never again say
"I can’t" or
"I don’t know how."

Something I longed for was freed inside me, and has never been tethered again.

It’s very much like this video by William Lamson

Is there something within you longing to be set free?

Here are the next 10 MTLWs scheduled around the world:

EUROPE

London, United Kingdom
April 3 - April 5

Manchester, United Kingdom
May 15 - May 17

Kiel, Germany
May 15 - May 17

London, United Kingdom
May 29 - May 31

USA

Knoxville, TN, United States
April 17 - April 19

Bozeman, MT, United States
April 17 – April 19

Minneapolis, MN, United States
April 24 - April 26

New York, NY, United States
Jun 5 - Jun 7

NEW ZEALAND

Christchurch, New Zealand
May 1 - May 3

SOUTH AFRICA

Durban, South Africa
May 29 - May 31

Online registration for April, May and June courses is available.
Or contact your nearest local center.

Carolyn Baehr

The Power of Self Esteem in Kuwait, part two

2009-03-15T19:53:00.006-05:00

In 2008 Nadia met MTL student Vijay Reddy, an experienced Self Esteem and Purpose mentor and MTL coach, in South Africa while attending Seven Days Of Creation, a weeklong MTL course exploring the realms of creativity.

During this week of reflection and expression, Nadia’s vision to bring The Power of Self Esteem back home to Kuwait was energized and began to be realized with Vijay’s partnership and experience. Six months of weekly skype calls between Nadia in Kuwait and Vijay in South Africa followed. Using the visioning and planning tools of the courses were they creating, Nadia and Vijay mentored two Power of Self Esteem courses and one Power of Purpose course in Kuwait. And, there are plans for more.

In January Nadia went to New Zealand for Coaching Essentials. Now, as a licensed MTL coac h, Nadia will passing on the wisdom, patience and connection she received from Shelagh and Vijay to women and educators in Kuwait who want to embrace new perspectives and ways of seeing themselves, each other, and their place in the world. She is in the process of translating the course materials into Arabic and does follow on coaching after each course.

Last month, one of the women who experienced Nadia’s first Power of Self Esteem course traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee to take the More To Life weekend.

The world gets smaller and the common bonds of humanity transcend culture every day…

For more information on a Power of Self Esteem course in your part of the world, contact a local MTL center.

Carolyn Baehr

Well, ain’t that a lifeshock

2009-03-13T08:26:00.004-05:00

Hi, it’s Mike Beukes here from Warp & Woof.

I’m one of the owners of the company that’s been hard at work creating More To Life’s new website. It’s been quite a job with loads of ups and, yes, a couple of downs, too.

Last week we reached an amazing point where everything was working, the excitement was brewing and finally after months of working late into the night we were ready to launch.

And launch we did.

We’re exceptionally happy with the site. Except for one thing – a technical issue with the area we were most excited about – the Community Network and Forum. (The functionality that is going to allow MTL students from around the world to interact and reconnect.)

Urgh.

So, I’d like to extend an apology to everyone who was as excited as we were to start using the forum and social networking. It’s been one of those real lifeshock moments for me, our team and the team from More To Life. Sometimes we do our best, and life provides some unexpected twists and turns.

Rest assured, we’re working to get it all resolved and you’ll be hearing from us and More To Life soon announcing the (re)launch of the forum. All this said, it doesn’t mean that you still can’t interact with other students. Head over to MTL’s Facebook page – there are already hundreds of students online and connecting as I write this.

I’d like to thank you in advance for your patience with this. Hopefully, I’ll running into you on the forum soon, too.

From Mike (and the ever hard-working and talented Warp & Woof Team)

The Power of Self Esteem in Kuwait, part one

2009-03-08T18:29:00.005-05:00

When Nadia Al Attar, a Kuwaiti woman studying psychology in Aberdeen, Scotland, registered for The Power of Self Esteem it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. But, isn’t that how the creative force of life works?

“I saw a flyer on the bulletin board at school; it caught my interest.”

Looking back at that experience, Nadia remembers how her mind resisted embracing much of what she learned in the course. But something inside her knew there was more for her to know. She credits a deep connection with Shelagh Brown, one of the mentors of the course and a More To Life Coach as being pivotal. After the course they spoke weekly and over time Nadia saw something very valuable in how she was learning to fully experience her real self and true personal power.

“My (formal) education had taught me what to think. Now I was learning how to think and how to be free to conclude things for myself, without the approval of others.”

Enthused by the promise of helping others to empower themselves and experience the freedom of their own conclusions, Nadia became a licensed Power of Self Esteem and Power of Purpose Mentor so she could one day teach these courses in Kuwait.

“We (in the Middle East) are in a war zone… there is a lot of misunderstanding, resentment and hate. But under the fight I see love… Gandhi dealt with violence with love and he won. I think I can help people here to see a new perspective of life and of love, just like an opening of the heart.”

The Power of Self Esteem is offered in the US, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Contact local MTL centers to find a course in your part of the world.

Carolyn Baehr

Photo credit, boulanger.IE

Become closer.

2009-03-03T17:52:00.005-05:00

- Learn how to transform conflict into creative dialogue

- Create more intimacy with the people you care for

- Understand the evolving nature of relationships

- Develop a bigger vision for your future together

The Relationships Focus Course

March 7 – 8 in Houston
March 14 – 15 in London

houston@moretolife.org
londoncentre@moretolife.org

First Pay It Forward MTL pilot in Minneapolis

2009-03-03T08:50:00.004-05:00

You may wonder – what’s with ‘pay it forward’? The pilot course is essentially a More To Life weekend, but with an explicit theme of paying it forward, i.e. participants are invited to pass on what they learn and experience to others, as well as to undergird the MTL program.

These pilots are an exciting innovation for our program. Creating trainings of this size is quite thrilling, in and of itself, but the potential impact in individual lives, communities and the larger world in an even bigger way is the bottom line goal.

Just last weekend, our leaders in Minneapolis created the first Pay It Forward pilot with 77 enthusiastic participants completing and 50+ team members supporting, many from out of town. The second pilot (Houston in May) is moving forward with a powerful team and a big vision in place.

Kudos to all those who gifted themselves with this experience, to those who put their time and talent into creating this course, and to those who served on team.

Peggy

Learning More about the More To Life Community

2009-03-02T12:37:00.005-05:00

I’m delighted to have this opportunity to be contributing to the evolution of More To Life blog. Peggy Jarrett has asked me to pull together news, insights and ‘happenings’ from around the world in the More To Life (MTL) communities – USA, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

We want this blog to be of value to anyone who happens by wanting to learn more…and to folks in the MTL community wanting to know what’s going on globally.

As we expand our vision of this blog, we will report on and celebrate the difference being made around the world by More To Life students and communities.

In the many friendships and collaborations I have had with students over the years, I know first hand how profoundly the course skills are used daily to make an enriching difference in the lives of others—from mending a broken relationship to getting in touch with what is deeply important and then taking action for change.

I think the MTL program is one of the most powerful vehicles for enduring personal change I know. And, I want everyone to know about it and have a sense of what exactly is on offer in the program and how anyone can participate in and support our volunteer, non-profit foundation.

Here’s a shout out to everyone -- I’d like you to do 3 things to help spread the word about the evolving conversation of the MTL community that is happening globally now:

• Subscribe to this blog with RSS or email delivery

• Spread the word and pass on this link to others

• Share your personal story of transformation or nominate someone else whose story you’d like told

I welcome any and all feedback and story ideas from anywhere in the world. I can’t promise I can post everything but I can promise to listen and respond to your notes and letters.

And remember, the More To Life program is a global community of communities, and a never-ending conversation. Let’s combine our knowledge, share together and talk about what is found to be valuable.

Email me at carolynbaehr@gmail.com . Tell me your ideas or thoughts about which community you would like to know more about—I would love to hear from you. And stay in touch with us on Facebook.

Thanks,
Carolyn

Photo credit by psoup216

Whetting Our Collective Appetite

2009-01-25T14:24:00.005-05:00

I bet many of you reading this are familiar with Ann McMaster's (MTL senior trainer from Houston) blog, Life As It Is.

Here's some news we're very excited about...

Not only will the News for the MTL Community blog re-launch soon in conjunction with the launch of our new website, but you will also be able to access Ann's blog there, plus a new one to be written by Jan Matney (MTL senior trainer from Bozeman) and Elaine Alpert (MTL senior trainer from Atlanta) called Being Seen. I find the very name intriguing, don't you?

Aaahhhhhh....soon!

In the meantime, here's an excerpt from Ann's blog that I found particularly evoking. (It was darn hard to choose.)

~ Peggy

July 29, 2008

Waking Up
by Ann McMaster

Remember what it's like to slowly and languorously wake up in the morning? First hearing little bird sounds or kid sounds or a neighbor mowing the lawn, feeling the smoothness of the sheets against your skin and the way your pillow is just right, tasting the "morning taste" in your mouth, then smelling the fragrance of hot coffee or cooking bacon, slowly opening your eyes and adjusting to the dimensions of the shapes and the shades of the colors around you, then you arch your back and streeeeetttch your body out, little by little, limb by limb, feeling the deliciousness of coming alive again! Ahhh...what a glorious way to wake up! This way of waking up tends to set the tone for the rest of my day.

Then, of course, there is the other way of waking up, which is really like being less asleep...not really awake, not really asleep, shutting down to any external stimuli because it takes all my concentration to make the next move (feet on floor, stumble to the toilet, wash face, etc), all the time wishing I could go back to bed and to blessed oblivion. This way of waking up tends to set the tone for the rest of my day.

Waking up spiritually is the same - turning on each of the senses, tuning in to my body, and stretching out into the world, while still being at home in myself. Turned on and tuned in! Easy peasy.

Well, it's simple, but not necessarily easy for me to switch from asleep to awake, especially when I have gotten used to groaning about lumbering out of bed, proclaiming to all and sundry that I'm not a 'morning person.' It started as a habit which turned into a deeply dug rut, like a grave with the ends kicked out (I can't remember who said that, but I remember "grok-ing" it completely). I could say the same about my habit of believing that I don't belong in this world the way everybody else seems to belong, or that I have to prove that I am good enough to be cared about, or ... or... or... To continue in that kind of slumber, I have to ignore or skew the incoming data from my senses, so that I can stay encapsulated by my own habit, call it an addiction to my own ego-driven matrix of fears and illusions, walling out Reality, wallowing in my self-generated misery.

And all the time, Life is there, waiting for me to wake up to it. It's never not there. It takes me turning on my senses - noticing what is really there for me to see and hear and smell and taste and touch - then tuning into the power of NOW (as Eckhart Tolle says). Life awaits me - relentlessly present. And when I've had enough sleep, or am bored enough of my own little, limited world, or something catches my heart, then I can streeeeetttch out into living (always with the option of re-choosing the rut, of course - even though it is not as likely to be as comfortable as it once was).

BTW, there was a woman in one of my More to Life Weekend trainings who, at the end of the weekend, said she came because she had heard that the More To Life Weekend was an experiential version of Tolle's latest book, A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. She got it was. YEA!

Watch this space!

2009-01-13T14:29:00.002-05:00

With much excitement I want to let you know that the More To Life blog is being officially re-launched.

As one of the main features on the homepage of our new website (yes, it’s launching very soon; you’ll be hearing more) the MTL blog will have a new ‘look and feel’ and will provide you and all of our visitors to our website with frequent, lively and informative news from around the More To Life world.

One of our talented students whom many of you know, Carolyn Baehr, will be authoring the blog and reporting both corporate and personal stories of interest in various formats.

Pretty cool, huh?

More – much more! – to come.

~ Peggy

New York City - More To Life

2008-08-18T08:31:00.012-05:00

Angie Cooper, with her daughter Wren

Wow!

It has been a few months since I said Yes! to being the training supervisor for the first ever More To Life weekend in New York City (October 17 - 19).

My own training and learnings began in that moment of ‘yes’. I’m learning to trust myself and to speak out when I am noticing something. And I am learning to be more patient and forgiving of myself. There's more, of course, and more that's available for you, too, if you choose to join us in this creative process.

Currently, we have 16 participants enrolled and 25 enthusiastic team members. We are committed to a goal of enrolling 35 participants by August 31st. We see this as an important milestone in reaching our overall goal of 55 students.

How about you? Is there someone that you want More To Life for? Perhaps they live in the NYC area, or perhaps they’re more than willing to travel to the Big Apple for such an experience.

Would you be willing to explore that possibility with them? Would you be willing to initiate a conversation about their lives, their wants, their challenges? Would you be willing to listen and offer what you know?

I invite you to invite those you care about to the New York City More To Life. If you want more information, please contact me, Angie Cooper, at mentorangie@gmail.com.

2008-07-30T06:26:00.008-05:00

What a training it was indeed!

The most amazing thing for me was that it felt “just like” any other More To Life course - it was so natural!

Sunday morning was a highlight for me, when at the start of the session every single participant was in their seat, upright, really ready to proceed. The attentiveness, the willingness to do the work was tangible. Then, when three people I had enrolled stood up and said what the course meant to them so far and what changes it had brought about already, I was touched to tears.

Another highlight was the team.

It is incredible how much enthusiasm the team brought to this course, coming from all over the world to support the launching of this work into a new language and country. Some did not even speak German and still, they were supporting, following along in a different way perhaps, but all were really present and playing their part.

And then there was Brigitte (Briggy Kiddle, Senior Trainer). She was just ‘flying’. She seemed to enjoy delivering the course in her mother tongue and was so warm and loving. It was inspiring to watch her!

One of the results of all of this is a very active enrichment follow-on group meeting weekly with 13 to 15 participants! It is pure joy for me to see how hard they work and how much they stand for the truth and for themselves.

Knowing that there will be another More To Life in Potsdam only five months after ours is the icing on the cake. (Note: MTL in Potsdam, near Berlin, is scheduled for October 24 - 26.)

This work will surely spread in Germany. I am getting enquiries already about another course in May 2009 in Kiel.

This was only the beginning - a hugely successful beginning! What that means to me is hard to put into words. I trust you'll somehow know.

With much love,

Petra Weigden
Training Supervisor, More To Life in Kiel, Germany

More To Life in Germany – a momentous first

2008-07-30T06:14:00.011-05:00

Briggy Kiddle, Senior Trainer

Some of the MTL team members in Kiel

Clare Vivian-Neal

MTL Business Director

In late May in Kiel, Germany we held the very first More to Life and the first ever course in a language other than English – 100% German, led by Briggy Kiddle, Senior Trainer.

We are seeing the manifestation of a bold and daring vision that has been held for many years now and a new phase for our organization. The MTL team traveled from far and wide (twelve from the UK, seven from Germany, five from New Zealand, and one each from Texas, Finland, Italy and the Czech Republic). It was an amazing mix.

Petra Weidgen, the Training Supervisor (TS) led with grace and a steadfast vision. (See post from Petra to follow, as well as pictures from the weekend). She is keen to pass on the fullness of her experience to the next TS, Elke Brenstein.

We had 37 participants in Kiel start and complete the course. They were thrilled with their experience! They really took to it. It was a very mature group, which included several medical doctors and a professor. The team not only sourced the course but also stayed together at the training facility – a residential experience. They bonded as a team and served with powerful intention. Briggy, or Brigitte, as she was called during the course, was awesome as the trainer, speaking in her native tongue, bringing the essence of our work into German with all skill of her open heart and deep love of humanity.

Since the course, I have heard from many of the team, all of who had rich experiences.

Micha sent an email saying, "I enjoyed being on team very much and learned a few more pieces about myself in regards to having German heritage. I was riding on the train yesterday on the way from Kiel to the South of Germany and felt a new connection to my old home, one of acceptance and love.”

And Ulrich said, "This confirmed without doubt that this work can be transferred to other languages and cultures -it is an absolute win for Brad Brown’s legacy, the Foundation and our world. I am grateful to all for what has been done and do not regret a second of my time and energy invested. All is well."

And Elisabeth sent a message to the Creation Team for More To Life in Christchurch that applies to us all: “Follow your calling. Take that step. You know how to do it. The support of each other we have in NZ is special. My love to all of you.”

And, the More To Life programme in Germany has stepped up yet again with plans afoot for their next course in Potsdam (near Berlin) on October 24 - 26. If you want to play your part in an amazing team experience, contact Elke Brenstein at elkebrenstein@web.de

I’m hoping many of you will step forward to source this next step – as well as yourselves and many other precious human beings.

~ Clare

Some Coaching Pics

2008-07-18T06:18:00.006-05:00

I opened these pictures this morning and just sat and smiled as I looked at so many faces of people who are so dedicated to serving / coaching / upholding others.

The individual shots are of some of our South African MTL coaches; the group shot is of our U.S. coaches, plus Ann McMaster and Warren Kahn, the trainers for Coaching Essentials.

I'm sorry to say that I don't have pictures of the European coaches but it may be that I am sent some soon. If so, I'll post them for your enjoyment as well.

~ Peggy

Announcing...the South African, US and European MTL Coaches!

2008-07-17T14:33:00.004-05:00

Our heartfelt congratulations and deep admiration to:

SOUTH AFRICA
Mandy Antzoylatos
Heide Block
Wendy Bouman
Wendy Hendler
Laura Hutchinson
Kathy Inglis
Lisa Kane
Suzy Lyle
Beth McAlpine
Thapelo Mzizi
Rejoice Ngcongo
Ray Perkel
Andrew Pike
Anu Pillay
Simon Ratcliffe
Vijay Reddy
Mark Weinberg
Lynn Wright
Xolani Zondi

U.S.
Anne Bauer
Anne Brown
Janet Cohen
Kathleen Crawford
Christina Giannelli
Sylvia Hebert
Kirsten Johnson
Will Kidd
Peter Kiss
Cindy Lebow
Diana Makens
Jenny Meadows
Sherry Merritt
Leslie Pierkowski
Glenn Stevenson
Tracey Taul
Elisabeth Ten Brink
Dreena Tischler
Pauleen Ward Brown
Darcy Young-Nutter
Belinda Zuckswert

EUROPE
Letitia Blake
Shelagh Brown
Oenca Calliste-Fontaine
Kathryn Carr
John Cochrane
Kate Crawford
Audrey Elder
Anja Fiedler
Frances Grant
David Berman Howarth
Tal Berman-Howarth
Samina Khan
Shena Kinven
Samantha Lewis
Suzie MacFarlane
Jacqueline Robertson
Claudia Arena Senyoni
Helen Slater
Louise Smith
Adam Stern
Colette Stevens
Tina Thomsen
Petra Weidgen
Alison Wood
Hazel Yeomans

TRAINERS
Pascale Ascher
William Holt
Warren Kahn
Briggy Kiddle
Ann McMaster
Brocas Walton

Coaching Initiative Update - from Ann Mc

2008-07-17T14:29:00.004-05:00

What’s happened? Well, a lot.

It all started about 10 years ago as an idea that never got legs under it. Then there was a resurgence of interest about two years ago, and Sophie Edwards and her team put together a possible scenario. The Makens Campaign moved the possible scenario to an initiative. From there, at the trainer/leadership conference in London, December 2006, the coaching initiative transformed from an initiative to a plan. Flying home, Rhonda Schlatter sat on the plane with me, as we sorted out the Plan A timeline - 10 hours and still the fastest trip I ever spent crossing the Atlantic! As you can imagine, Plan A turned into Plan B fairly shortly thereafter, and we are likely now on Plan ZZZ!

We started with research – what do coaching courses cost, what do they teach, how much do coaches charge, and who do they coach? Fortunately, Rejoice Ngcongo and Wendy Bouman in South Africa; Guy Dominy, Liz Leffman, Issy Crocker and many others in the UK, plus much input from coaches here in the US, all supported that research. Then, Elaine Alpert in the US researched the International Coaching Federation accreditation process, which is currently being carried forward by Kirsten Johnson and her team – Belinda Zuckswert, Pauleen Ward Brown and Shena McKinven. As you can see, there has been a lot of input from a lot of people who have been invested in making this initiative happen…and that’s not counting all of the MTL students who went for their passion and became coaches.

Pascale Ascher designed a four-month evocative and illuminating experience called Coaching Essentials that brought all of Brad’s innovations from business courses into this coaching training. It was a total blast on the one hand, and a life-changing experience on the other. As one participant said, “I had two major crises in my life during Coaching Essentials, and I attribute the grace with which I handled both crises to my being a part of this course.”

As you can imagine, it has been exciting and ... well ... a veritable roller coaster of wins and learnings - for everyone! Camaraderie and genuine closeness with peers and coachees have been the order of the day; a true appreciation for living life fully; and most of all, heart-opening gratitude for this opportunity to make a difference in our own lives, in the lives of others and in our ability to play our part in the world.

And I have a special Thank You to Rebecca Kuhn for turning the gross quantities of paperwork into an understandable spreadsheet that organized everyone’s data. She helped me keep my sanity! Truly! And it was a great experience working with my daughter and seeing her being so much a part of everyone’s journey.

Our students in South Africa led the way with great excitement. Here’s how the schedule worked out:

South Africa - Began in August 2007; completion of Coaching Essentials coursework (four phases) in January 2008
United States – Began in October 2007; completion in March 2008
European – Began in January 2008, completion in June 2008

And here’s where we stand in terms of the numbers of certified coaches:
SA - 25 started, 19 are now certified coaches, 4 are still going for it, 2 have chosen not to complete
US - 24 started, 21 are now certified, 3 are close to completing
European - 25 started, 24 are now certified, 1 will complete within the next 2 weeks, plus 1 extra in process.

Trainers - 6 have participated in the Coaching Essentials coursework in some way and are now certified.

Coming Attractions!

August 2008 – Public Coaching Course, United States
October 2008 – Public Coaching Course, South Africa
First Quarter 2009 – Public Coaching Course, UK / EU
First Quarter 2009 – Coaching Essentials (for MTL students), New Zealand

As you can see, there is More To Come!

Feeling deeply appreciative of the opportunity to work with people who understand the sacredness of working with others,

Ann McMaster
Project Leader, Coaching Initiative
Senior Trainer

Pictures from South Africa

2008-07-16T19:02:00.014-05:00

To follow on Warren's post (below), here are some photos from his trip that speak as loudly as his words.

The beauty of Cape Town ...

The people taking refuge behind police stations ...

And the aliveness on the faces of those participating in More To Life.

Enjoy!

South African More To Life Program ... Full Of Life!

2008-07-16T18:35:00.008-05:00

During the month of May, I had the amazing opportunity to go to South Africa to deliver two More To Life courses and for my first time, the focus course, Effective Parenting.

This is my second time traveling to South Africa to train and I would say - if you have never been to this vibrant country and never experienced the wonderful More To Life communities there, put it on your list.

South Africa is a country in the midst of enormous change and evolution. In the post-apartheid era there is still much in transition and many stark contrasts - Mercedes Benz automobiles being driven past thousands of people living in shacks, for example.

During my time there, there were 2 days of violence as some isolated groups expressed their fear and anger toward some of the immigrant population groups. However, out of those vicious attacks, there were also people coming forward from many backgrounds to respond with compassion and heart. I had the extraordinary opportunity to join in some of the relief efforts almost 10,000 people took refuge behind police stations to protect their families from the attacks.

For me, it was a first hand, real experience, as opposed to seeing world events on CNN from the comfort of my living room. As I engaged with these lifeshocks, I was enrolled again into what we, as the More To Life program, are doing in the world and what we bring to life through our trainings and our way of being - connected, truthful and loving.

The courses we delivered were deep and energized. We had members of the South African Parliament both on team and in the courses. One of the Parliament members, a very influential woman, commented at completion night, “I have my life back and I am so grateful."

I imagine those of you who have been involved with MTL courses have experienced what I experienced – that the issues people struggle with are basically the same everywhere. Who am I? What is my purpose? How do I heal and get free of old hurts, old beliefs and lies?

At the MTL in Cape Town, there were a considerable number of young university students enrolled. I was so moved by their excitement and commitment to passing on what they learned to others. We had over 70 people at each of the 2 completion evenings. Electric and inspiring!

In addition, I had the joy of training with Vijay Reddy, our newest trainer candidate in the More To Life program. It was her first time at the front of the room and she modeled truth, realness, vulnerability and leadership. Stay tuned for all she will bring forward in the years to come.

The land of South Africa calls to my heart and spirit from the tropical beaches of Durban, to the gold rich bustling of Johannesburg, to the spectacular views of mountains, ocean and vineyards in Cape Town and so much more I have yet to experience. Wildlife and cultures mixing together. Eleven different official languages. Deep wants to heal and unite while on the cutting edge of humanity’s evolution.

To all of you, I say thank you for bringing yourselves to More To Life wherever you are from. And thank you for your part in this precious dance called life.

Warren Kahn
Senior Trainer
More to Life Program

Back in the Training Room

2008-04-08T11:52:00.008-05:00

I was delighted to be back in the training room weekend before last – Making Money Count was held in Huntsville with 20 participants who were really going for claiming their money mastery plus a very sharp and supportive team.

Several of their responses are below so that you can get a feel for the power of the experience that was created…

“The money cost process changed my life.”

“I learned that I had many beliefs and judgments about my inability to handle and manage money. I am not afraid of money anymore. There are skills to learn, but I can learn. I am willing to get back in the game!”

“Money is a spiritual gift that has been given to us so that we may gift others in many different ways. It’s an extension of me and how I manifest in the world.”

“I see that money is just a resource – I was the one putting all the other meanings for it in place.”

I’m telling you, it was an inspiring and reinvigorating experience! If you haven’t taken a focus course in a while, please avail yourself of this resource that we have within our program. During the course of the weekend, I found myself time and again feeling so very grateful to Brad Brown (course creator) for his creative genius and personal mastery, as well as to Sharon Parish who worked closely with him to create the amazing and illustrative handouts for this course.

You might want to check out www.moretolife.org/calendar to see what’s coming up in your neck of the woods…or even if the particular course you want is further away than that!

One of the Making Money Count participants showed up Sunday morning with a stack of fake $10,000 bills and his camera. The picture above shows us having some fun at the end of a very full and very enriching weekend.

Enjoy! ~ Peggy