Hi, this is Michael Skye with an open invitation for you.  Come join  Robyn Emerson and I for an evening of jazz and inspiring conversation, right here in Austin, Texas! 

Robyn and I are going to Kenya next month to work with kids there and have them see their greatness.  Here’s Robyn:

Hello! Hola!, Jambo!, Nanga def!

Join us for an inspiring evening of young people from the Austin area showcasing their development as Global Citizens. Each week at least 150 young people are growing aware of the world in which we live! A Glimmer of Hope Foundation has given their support, won’t you join them.

Sincerely,

Robyn T. Emerson
A Showcase of Hope – Jazz on the Patio

When was the last time you were in the presence of a young person you felt that the world’s issues where in good hands to be handled – poverty, education for all, gender equality, health – infant mortality, maternal and diseases, environment, and partnership? I have this honor daily and I invite you to experience it as well. We need your help to make these forums available at more sites and build our Hazel’s fund – a financial assistance fund for any young person wishing to join on an exploration. Come for an evening of inspiration!

Nuevo Leon Restaurant 
1501 E.6th St.
Austin, Texas

May 10, 2006
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
 
 This notion of Global Citizenship is not new. Martin Luther King was a Global Citizen, Ghandi was and elson Mandela is too. Through weekly forums young people in the Austin area are growing to -be aware of wider world and has a sense of own role -respect and values diversity -understand how the world works economically, politically, socially, culturally and environmentally – be outraged by social injustice – participate in and contributes to the community at a range of levels from local to global -be willing to act to make world more sustainable -take responsibility for actions.

That’s not enough for us. We create opportunities for young people to express their global citizenship on Explorations around the world – Guatemala, Senegal and Kenya. Our second year of explorations proofs to a perfect combination of leadership development, cultural experiencing and world issue exploration and addressing. Summer ‘06 Explorations will allow for campus improvement and residing at a children’s home along with leading a youth peer leadership workshop in Kenya, community development – educational services improvement and village facilities improvement in Senegal and implementation of proven successful youth empowerment program in indigenious Maya community in Guatemala. Young people in the Austin area are eager to meet peers around the world to lend a hand to world issues. Those that express an interest we want finances to not be the barrier to do so. Please help us build our financial assistance fund
 

Dear Friend,

Here I am now, in the middle of the night after driving into my office, because I had something I knew I must share with you.

What I realize now, more than ever, is that over the last few years, my message has become compromised.

My voice has become compromised. In an effort to succeed financially with our business and thus be able to expand across the globe, I’ve begun to lose
my voice.

If you don’t mind, I’d like to share with you the shift that is occuring now for me, and what I have to say to you—and the world at large.

I’ve been having a profound awakening over the last several weeks. It hasn’t been a huge aha! moment. It’s been more like a light gradually growing
brighter day after day.

It started with a phone call from an ally of mine .

(An ally is someone who sees me for who I stand for being in the world—and nothing less —and who interacts with me this way.)

He challenged me to no end to actively find more and more ways to speak in public, and have my voice be heard.

This guy is a graduate of my boot camp—an event which changed his life forever—so he’s pretty passionate about pushing me to take my message far and wide.

At first, there were the plentiful practical excuses…

It wasn’t the right time, I was focussed on other things, etc. Finally, I just said yes. I just committed to making myself much more public, willing to speak to anyone or any group anywhere!

Anyway, since then doors have been opening up all over.

First I got invited to co-create the Africa workshop in June, where we are teaching greatness to school kids there.

I said yes.

Then, I got invited to speak to a class of 11th and 12th graders without much notice… what would I speak to them about? I’m not used to standing in front of a room of highschool kids. I haven’t done that since… well, highschool.

I said yes.

Something happened to me the day I spoke to those kids. Seeing their eyes light up, and watching a few of them really take on the distinctions about standing for something, about greatness, about “being the one.” Then having those few come up to me and personally thank me after class.

About that same time I watched as local children walked out of local middle schools and high schools to take a stand about the U.S. immigrant issue. I watched as they got patted on the head and told to stay in school… as if what they would learn in the classroom that day would really be more important than what they could learn by taking a stand.

Oh, I got fired up. What are we teaching our kids? That when conscience calls you to take a stand, that you should only do it if the authorities in charge and the majority agree? That it’s more important to follow and obey than to think for yourself?

I thought at first I was too busy to do anything. Then I got the idea to host a conference call and speak my mind in a radio-style show.

I said yes.

Then there are the movies I’ve been watching, and the particular messages I gleaned from each and how they seemed to form a puzzle for me…

I saw V for Vendetta when it first came out… back to back in the same theatre. “A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.”

I watched Good Will Hunting, where Matt Damon’s character is a No to life all the way through the movie, while everyone is standing for him and his greatness, and finally at the end, he says Yes. He chooses to face life head on.

I watched Batman Returns again. “It’s not who you are inside, but what you do that defines you.”

Then just the other night I watched the documentary on Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer, as you may know, was the protestant pastor who took a stand in Nazi Germany, when most the other religions and religious leaders smiled at Hitler or turned their backs to the atrocities.

The part in particular… after he’d sailed away from Germany to America where it was safe, he just didn’t feel right. He turned and thought about getting back on that ship and going to face his greatest fears… This choice would define who he was.

And he said yes, returning to face the Third Reich and death itself. He would be the one to stand. That choice defined him.

Then just tonight… to cap it all off… I’m watching a documentary I picked up that looked interesting.  It’s called Promises. Have you seen it? If not, go
rent it.

It’s about 7 Palestinian and Israeli youth. Towards the end I just started weeping. Couldn’t stop.

I related so deeply to those kids. And it’s just become even clearer to me who I am, and what I have to say.

I know that we can bring about a new era of peace and prosperity in this world, if we only reach a small number of people who truly get what it is to take a
stand in life, and live from it.

I’d like you to join me, and to speak with me in person.

If you’ve read all of this so far, I’d like to invite you to join me on a conference call this Thursday evening at 8:30pm Eastern.

I want you to be there, because I want you to learn what I have to offer you inside of the event that I am so proud of, the Vision Force Boot Camp. I’ve invited some special guests, who have graduated from this event, and they’ll
be joining us. We’re all going to be here to answer your questions.

We’re doing something really “crazy” on this call… something we’ve never done before. We’re going to make it possible for people to attend with only a $300
deposit (the rest can be worked out).

So, if you’ve been waiting to do this event, because you “just can’t afford it,” now’s the time.

Call Michele and Jon to get the special call-in number, so you can join us on that call.

1-877-844-6667 is NOT the number to call on Thursday night. This IS the number to call to get YOUR special number and pin code for Thursday night.

See you Thursday.

-Michael

Thursday, on my journey back from North Carolina and the recording studio, where I recorded Visionary Mind, I changed planes in Chicago… or at least I was supposed to!  You see, I had 2 hours in between flights, so I went to the gate where the next plane would take me to Austin, and I closed my eyes…

“I’ll just nap until they call the Austin flight on the loudspearkers,” I thought.  Well, they never called for Austin.  Apparently I was at the wrong gate.  Anyway, I missed my flight, and wouldn’t likely catch one until the next day (this was 1pm Thursday).  So, I called a local guy who was a Vision Force Boot Camp graduate, and he came to pick me up.

You should see his place… A suite on the 14th floor of a very nice apartment complex in the tourist area of Chicago.  When he opened his door that evening, all I could see was the lights of Chicago’s most beautiful buildings and their reflection on the lake.  Amazing.  Well, we relaxed, while watching some video footage he had recently taped… here’s where it gets good.

Just over 2 years ago, Emced attended a Vision Force Boot Camp, then called the Wealth Warrior Boot Camp.  Inside that event, he saw a vision that deeply called to him, and then set about to make it a reality.  His vision was to create a documentary that would show Hip Hop’s power to change the world for the better, and the science behind powerfully speaking your vision via the spoken word, poetry and rap.  His name is Emced Hammas and his company is 2020 MultiMedia.

Well, I saw live footage of passionate interviews with KRS1, Busy Bee and DMC that will be appearing on the documentary, and I’ve gotta say… Emced is onto something.  These artists were attesting to the power of framing and speaking your reality or vision, and thus giving it life in reality. 

Emced wants to include footage of me speaking at the Hip Hop National Political Convention, or somewhere else in public, for the documentary… can’t wait!

As Emced was dropping me off at the airport the next day, he committed to attending the next Vision Force Boot Camp on May 17th and binging some of the key people on his crew.  This boot camp really has some amazing people attending.  I’m excited to be once again in the presence of a room of people who know themselves as visionaries, and are called forth into heroic action by the power of their own vision. 

(You don’t have to be a visionary to attend.  You simply must be ready to face the compromises in your life that keep you from seeing the kind of vision that calls to you deeply… remove the compromises by taking a stand, and a powerful vision emerges.)

Btw, my partner in the June journey to Africa, Robyn Emerson, CEO of Cultural and Educational Opportunities for Teens, will be in attendance at the next boot camp as well.  (If you’re thinking about joining us, call Michele at 1-877-844-6667… it’s only 2.5 weeks away!)

-Michael

I just got back from a planning session for our trip to Africa in June.  Boy, am I excited!  There were several native Kenyans there, who told us stories about life in Kenya.  You should have seen their eyes light up as they talked about the unique landscapes, wildlife, etc., and as they talked about the culture, the people and life in Kenya.

For years, I’ve had subcribers from Africa writing me, asking when we’re coming to Africa.  Well, my African friends, wait no longer!  We’re coming to visit you! 

Before we go to teach for a week at a school in Ngong, we’ll be in Nairobe, and I’ll be free to meet with you on the evenings of June 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th.  What I’d like is for you to propose meeting places, dates and times here to this blog, so we can coordinate our schedules.  We could have some discussions about the Power To Stand course, or whatever you’d like–FREE of course.  So tell me what you’d like to talk about, when and where.

 If you’re someone who’d like to join us for the whole trip, or if you know a child who’d like to experience this once in a lifetime adventure, contact us ASAP.  We’re going on safari, speaking to local leaders, traveling the countryside and more.  This truly will be the adventure of a lifetime.  The week we’ll spend at the school/orphanage will be an opportunity for you to leave a lasting impact on children–you could be the one to see their greatness, and impact their future forever.  The cost for a child or adult to attend the full 3 week journey is $4,500 and the price goes up the longer you wait.  This fee paid to CEO Teens (a non-profit) covers your airfare and basic costs.  If you want more details, reply to this blog or email us.

For those of you who are truly adventurous, you can join me on a marathon through the wildlife preserve!  Imagine, being able to tell your grandchildren you ran alongside zebras and giraffes!

-Michael

I was in the studio today (for the 3rd day in a row!) recording the last of the clips for the Visionary Mind home study course!

I felt a bit like a rockstar!  Especially when I took a time-out to professionally record many of my poems, some of which are found at http://michaelskye.com.  Someday I’ll be in a studio just like that putting my lyrics to music!

For all of you who pre-purchased the Visionary Mind product, it’s almost complete!  Thank you for your patience.  For those of you waiting to buy the product at a higher price, thank you too!    40% goes to the non-profit CEO Teens, and the workshop we’re co-leading at a school/orphange in Kenya in June!  Can’t wait!

Here we have the fabulous Vision Force rockerette, Michele, in all her glory!  She did the intros on the Visionary Mind CD.  (Yes, she’s also your primary hook up for the upcoming Vision Force Boot Camp–now only 3 weeks away!). btw, give Michele a call today, if you want to claim one of the remaining seats in boot camp: 1-877-844-6667.

OK, be back soon. 

-Michael

Check it out: http://www.squidoo.com/visionforce. Make sure to vote for us (and if you give us 5 stars, we’ll…send you some positive vision vibes)!

Otavo is a really cool idea: help people figure out what they want by tracking their intentions. They call it the intention economy, and it’s a huge leap in the evolution of Web 2.0 (a buzzword that I’ll explain more about later). But here’s what I’m interested in: the vision economy, or Vision 2.0. I’m all for helping me to figure out which BMW I want, but how about creating a new vision for my life and the planet?

That’s what we’re up to with The Power to Stand: A Course in Greatness, only minus the Web 2.0 part–for now. To say the least, this is an exciting time to be alive!