You'll understand why these folks are smiling...
when you explore the iStand Experience yourself.
Fellow Visionary,
You and your vision
have a vital role to play in the creation of a world that works for
everyone.
And you know it.
That's why here
at VisionForce, we refer to you as a 'visionary.'
Whether you're an entrepreneur, a
social entrepreneur, an activist, an artist, an inspired parent or
teacher doesn't matter. Your age and cultural background don't
matter.
What matters is you see something
others don't see, and you know you can make a difference with your idea
or your vision.
But the visionary path can be a very lonely,
painful and dangerous one. Gandhi was referring to this when he
said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight
you, then you win.”
Gandhi was killed for walking a visionary path, but
most often it's just the vision that dies. And, of course, the
spirit of the visionary often dies a slow death amidst the struggle.
It doesn't have to be that way. If I have
anything to say about it, your vision won't die--and neither will your
spirit.
 |
|
| My name is Michael Skye, and I'm the founder of VisionForce,
and developer of iStand Dynamics.
If you're new to VisionForce, know this one thing:
I am your ally.
|
I'm Standing For You
And Your Vision
|
|
If you consider yourself a visionary as I do, I bet I know some things
about you. 21 to be exact:
21 Things I Know About You:
1 - You are one of the few who can’t turn your back
on the opportunity you have to do something great in this lifetime.
You’re committed to doing something great–something born of your own
vision (your vision for your life, your family, your company, your
community or humanity).
2 - You’re frustrated in a world that rewards
conformity and tolerates mediocrity. You’re compassionate to the
situations of others, yet you’re unsettled by the way conformity and
mediocrity has human beings staying small.
3 - You know that what stands between you and the
better world you envision is really but one thing: your own limits. And
you know those limits are but an illusion. Thus, you are committed to
transcending your limits to be the change you seek in the world. Deeply
committed.
4 - Thus, human development is not something new to
you. You eat it up. You don’t just have an intellectual fancy for human
development ideas, you do the work, you take the action.
5 - Having been someone who takes action to
transcend your limitations, you see how much more is possible–not just
for yourself, but for the world at large. The more you see yourself
transcend your own limits, the more you see is possible for all of
humanity.
6 - This vision, you know, is more than a dream.
People in your life may see you as an idealist, a dreamer, a rebel or
maybe even a nut. But their opinions of you are based on their own fears
to live from their own vision–and you know that. So you don’t give much
credence to their doubts and fears.
7 - Yet it bothers you. You give so much in life,
you sacrifice, you work, you commit at such a high level that you may
often find yourself alone, disheartened or even in despair. For you have
no comfort zone to retreat to. You can’t pretend you don’t see a greater
vision. You won’t pretend. You won’t turn around and live a “normal”
life.
8 - Until your dying day, you will keep standing
for the vision you see–for what you know to be possible. You are a
visionary–a revolutionary. The world is born by those with your courage,
your will, your love. There you stand, you can do no other.
9 - You know that if more people could but see even
a little more of your vision (or their own), it would change their life.
It would change the world. You sense something is deeply missing from
traditional self-improvement methods. You don’t want to just succeed
inside the prevailing system–you want to change the system or give birth
to a new one. And you know that takes an entirely different set of tools
for thinking, being and communicating.
10 - Words like “change,” “revolution,” and
“transformation” don’t scare you. “Bring it on,” you say. You welcome the
new, the different, the complex.
11 - You likely have very few people you can
talk to who really “get it”—who deeply understand you. Or at least it
sometimes feels that way.
12 - The idea of arriving at a final truth or
solution annoys you or humors you. You know it’s a fallacy that the
fearful cling to. To be human, you’re sure, is to be alive with the quest
and the question, learning and evolving continually. The thought of
pretending you have the answer repulses you.
13 - So you don’t try to sell people on your
worldview. You don’t have a need to change their beliefs. You are
comfortable in the question, in the unknown. That is your home. It’s where
you live every day.
14 - You know fear. You seldom ignore your
feelings. Rather, you face them. You feel them. And yet you don’t define
yourself as them. You define yourself by your actions.
15 - You just keep stepping out there.
Sometimes you’re clumsy. Sometimes you fall. Sometimes you let people
down. But that’s what it’s like in the unknown, forging your own path! Why
can’t more people see that? Why can’t they see YOU? Why must they jump to
conclusions and judgments upon seeing you fail? Can’t they see you fell
because you dared to climb? Can’t they see that you fell again only
because you got back up the last time?
16 - Ah, but it’s not about whether they see
you or not, or you wouldn’t be on the path you’re on. You gave up managing
their image of you long ago. There’s no freedom or power in that. You know
who you are, and that’s enough to move forward.
17 - Still, it hurts sometimes when close
friends and family don’t see who you are, and they judge you. In a world
where being true to your values and vision is often called, “selfish,” it
can be a difficult and lonely world for the visionary.
18 -Especially, because you refuse to judge in
return. It would be easier and more comfortable to judge those who judge
you. That way you don’t have to take their criticism seriously. But
criticism is the air you breathe. You want feedback so you can grow, so
you can be capable of more and more love, more and more commitment, more
and more courage.
19 - Many may never understand how your
undying commitment to your vision comes from your love of humanity and
your commitment to what can be. But you won’t compromise your vision just
to please the fearful. Rather, you sacrifice their approval to be true to
your vision. You’ll impact their lives and their children's lives by being
true to your vision, even if they never know it.
20 - You think sometimes of the day when you
“arrive,” and the world finally understands why you’ve walked the path
that you have. And still, deep down, you’re not climbing the mountain
because you know you’ll make it to the top. You climb, because it’s worth
climbing. You choose the steep mountain, the treacherous one, because
there’s something worth standing for.
21 -You are a visionary. You are someone who
refuses to deny your fundamental human capacity – the ability to see a
vision of what does not yet exist, to feel called to bring that vision
into reality, to take steadfast action and continue to create solutions as
you encounter obstacles… to inspire others to stand with you and create
with you, etc.
|
You Are Not Alone.
You are not alone. And we are not alone. There is a rapidly growing number of people around
the world, who are seeing their unique opportunity to make a difference as
never before, and who refuse to let anything stand in their way.
At VisionForce, I've gotten to work hand in hand with many such
courageous visionaries, who are taking it upon themselves to "be the
change" and create what they envision.
Being surrounded by such people on a daily basis has given me an
unwavering faith in humanity.
I am absolutely convinced that the quality of our lives--present and
future, individually and collectively--rests in the hands of those who
dare to own their natural power to bring forth their visions in the world.
That's why I've given my life to stand for such people.
I know first-hand what it's like to stand in the face of
everything, to bring forth the vision of my heart. And over
the years, I've gotten to stand for others as they make their visions real
despite the most challenging of circumstances (I'll share some of their
stories in a moment).
I believe there is an amazing future for you, your loved ones and many
others that will only exist, if you choose to let nothing stand in the way
of bringing forth your vision in the world.
But it's important that you know the challenge that lies
ahead. So, what I have to say next may be a bit controversial.
Please understand that it comes from my unwavering stand for you as a
visionary being.
As A Visionary,
You Are Dangerous
If you are
your own authority, courageously living your life by your own inner
guidance, you will often be perceived as a threat to “the system” and the
powers that be.
It makes sense that in order for the institutions Big
Government, Big Business and Big Religion to guide us to peace and
prosperity, they simply can’t have everyone thinking for themselves and
following their own vision.
Any human being operating at his or her full
capacity—as a visionary—is a threat. Jesus, Galileo, Gandhi, Martin
Luther King, Jr.—all threats to the status quo and the powers that be--all
lost their lives.
The world has always been a dangerous place for those
who’ve dared to walk a visionary path. But the paradox is that to survive
and prosper in the rapidly changing world we live in today requires
a visionary mind and spirit (And those who’ve been trained to blindly
follow and obey authorities are quickly becoming the greatest threat to
our collective peace and prosperity).
Q: What Is The Life Expectancy of the
Visionary Spirit Inside You:
A: 5 – 30 years from the time you’re born.
|
The Life Cycle of The Visionary Inside
You
As a child, you
have strong visionary tendencies: You have big dreams of what you’d
like to be and ideas of how we might like to “change the world.”
Anything is possible!
But children who
follow their own minds are not easy to manage in a classroom, at work
or in society, so naturally, you are conditioned to learn how to
follow, obey and fit into the system, so you can get a job, pay taxes,
obey the law, etc.
When your values or
vision conflict with authority’s values or vision, that’s when the
real training happens: You are punished and often made to feel guilty
or ashamed. Perhaps you’re diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and given drugs
so that you sit in your seat and pay attention to the teacher.
You learn to fear
getting the wrong answers and failing, which while it prepares you to
be a “good” rule-following employee, soldier or citizen; it leaves you
fundamentally ill-prepared (and even dysfunctional) for life in the
unknown as a visionary, where there are no “right answers” and the
failure is an essential part of the learning process.
Fear, guilt and
self-doubt start to eat away at your confidence, your vision and
passion for life.
If you make it
through 14 years or so in the public education system with your big
notions in tact about who you’d like to be or how you’d like to change
the world for the better, you’re called an idealist, a dreamer, naïve
or foolish. You haven’t yet “grown up.”
You head out with
your big ideas or dreams of starting a business, playing your music,
authoring a book, starting or joining a movement, etc.
You experience the
emotional challenges in being a ‘visionary,’ and at some point you
give in to the pressure, give up the dreams and go along with the
masses, who seem to have had it right all along. Having given up on
the foolish notions of youth and learned to be a good, responsible
adult, you’re all grown up now, because your conclusions now match
what the masses seem to have known all along:
-
“I, as one person, don’t
really have that much power to make a difference.”
-
“People are lazy and
irrational, and nothing’s really going to change.”
-
“The best I can do is be a
good member of society: a good citizen, a good employee, a good
parent, etc. And the way you do that is follow the system.”
-
“Dreamers and rebels who
think they can change things are naïve and foolish, and are wasting
their time. Those trouble-makers should ‘get a job’ and follow the
rules like everyone else.”
A part of you
suffers for the rest of your life, knowing in some way you gave in or
gave up. I believe Thoreau was describing this, when he said,
“The mass of men lead lives of
quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed
desperation.”
|
So after all these years of conditioning, if you’re very lucky, you
haven’t given up hope. You may in fact still be fighting for your life—a
life guided by your own vision. If that’s the case, life is not easy for
you.
You're not content fitting in and being 'good.' You're striving for
greatness.
Goodness vs.
Greatness
From the time you were young, you’ve had to live
among well-meaning parents, teachers, bosses and others who have been
trying to train you to be “good.”
In addition to rewarding and punishing you to modify
your behavior, some of them even told you what to think. Put the “right”
ideas in a young person’s head, and they’ll be “good”—or so their thinking
went.
Many of these authorities paid lip service to
integrity, but when our values or visions conflicted with theirs, what we
learned was obedience. The difference is night and day:
|
Obedience vs. Integrity
Obedience: doing what
authority says to do; acting in line with authority’s values, even
when they conflict with your values
Integrity: doing what you
say you will do; acting in line with your values, even when they
conflict with authority’s values
|
Perhaps you remember the day in 2006 when thousands of high school and
middle school students across the U.S. stood up and walked out of their
classrooms and marched into the streets to make their voices heard on the
immigration issue?
Teachers, principles, police, parents and other
authority figures freaked out. What was going on? Who was in charge? It
was a real crisis for many of the authorities. Some were outright
authoritarian in their position:
“The students are
supposed to be in school. They shouldn’t be leaving under any
circumstances. I’m sure they just wanted to get out of class. They need
to learn how to follow the rules and obey authority, that’s how our system
works. Those who disobeyed should be punished.”
Others were more understanding, yet condescending in
their position, essentially patting the young revolutionaries on their
heads:
“Well, I know you want
to take a stand for what you believe in, but you need to stay in school.
It’s the law and those are the rules. If you want to make a difference,
you can do it after school on your own time, as long as you don’t break
any laws.”
Punishments followed, some students were even
jailed. Few parents argued with the authorities. After all, they
rationalized, their children did break the rules and laws.
I was outraged.
Not because of my position on the issue, but because
these young people were being punished for taking a stand.
What does the young person learn by staying in
school, when her heart is calling her to take a stand? She’s going to
learn she’s too scared to stand for what she believes in.
She’s going to learn that it’s more important to go
along with the majority and authority, rather than to think and act from
within. If your heart calls you to take the stand, and risk the
consequences, take the stand. Stand up!
Rosa Parks broke the law and the rules, when she
refused to take a back seat on the bus. Was she a bad citizen, a good
citizen—or a great citizen?
Had Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Galileo or America’s Founding
Fathers and Mothers had a little more “goodness training,” the world would
be a different place.
By trying to train you to be good, the authorities
throughout your life disconnected you from your natural instincts for
greatness.
Being Visionary Is Your
Birthright!
Think of a wild stallion, a majestic lion, a
magnificent eagle. These great animals are born with certain powers that
give them their "greatness."
Now think about human beings. Our claim to greatness
is vision. Vision gives us confidence, power and purpose. Vision gives
us the power to venture into the unknown, to blaze new trails, to create
what never existed before.
A
man or woman without vision is like a great stallion without its legs, a
lion without its roar, an eagle without its wings.
Take away any animal's natural power to guide and
protect itself--take away its sight, hearing and smell and what happens?
It becomes afraid, reactive, and hesitant. It no
longer has its natural power to guide itself, and it will start seeking
comfort and safety. The once great animal will die a little more each
day.
Now teach the animal that it is wrong to be
strong, to be great, to act in accordance with its nature. Punish the
stallion for running free, the lion for roaring and the eagle for flying.
Before long, the once great animal is not just
fearful, violent and reactive... now it is also ashamed of its power,
ashamed of its natural greatness.
What would it be like to be such an animal? Wouldn’t
your life become one of sadness, resentment, self-doubt, outbursts of
anger, fear... quiet desperation?
Take vision away from a person, and even teach him
that it is wrong to follow his or her vision, and what happens?
Some of us become fearful, self-doubting and timid.
Others become depressed. Many of us seek escape with addictions to food,
sex or drugs. Others resort to anger, hatred, or violence. Some become
irrationally selfish, doing things that hurt themselves and those they
love. The sad fact is that without our natural vision, we are
psychologically wounded and never come to experience the deep inner peace
and satisfaction we deserve.
Is this "human nature?" Or is this suffering the
product of our training to follow and be obedient, when our inner guidance
conflicts with the powers that be?
The World
Can Be Hostile To Visionaries Like You
A fish out of water can’t live too long. Just the same, if you’re
surrounded by cynics, critics and people who have lost their vision, it’s
hard to powerfully walk your visionary path.
On some level, many people want you to fail, not
because they are mean people, but because, if you fulfill on your dreams,
they are going to feel even worse that they gave up on their own. Not
only that, they’ll feel more internal pressure to try again, but that
would mean facing a lot of fear—and facing the same critics you’re facing.
It’s uncomfortable for many people to be around you,
because you haven’t given up hope. Far from it, you really believe things
can be different.
Why I'm So Passionate About Being Your
Visionary Ally?
I know what it's like to head down new roads, guided only by your own
vision, or a feeling in your heart.
I grew up in a very loving, devout Mormon family,
where choosing not to walk the "right" path held eternal consequences.
For years in my late teens, I feared trusting my own mind and heart for
fear of eternal damnation. And when I finally chose not to go on a
Mormon mission and pursue the Mormon path, I spent a year feeling the
clouds of shame and guilt hanging over my head.
I feared that in the eyes of my father and my
extended family, I had not chosen a path of honor. And I was
suffering.
The suffering with fear, guilt and shame disappeared
the following Spring. After a day of intense questioning, facing my
fears and doubts head on, I took a stand and chose to fully trust my
heart--regardless of the consequences. It was then that a new path
emerged for my life. A path of honor--defined by me.
Over the years, I've fought to protect that sacred
path, and my sacred honor, and it hasn't been easy. I know how hard
it can be to stay true to your heart and follow your vision--in the face
of a world that so often judges, criticizes, doesn't understand and
doesn't seem to care.
Two Essential Traits You Must Develop to Survive and Prosper as a
Visionary in the 21st Century
Essential Visionary Trait
#1:
The Visionary Alliance Builder
I'm not talking about being able to build a team, form
partnerships, etc. That's easy enough. What isn't easy is
building such strong alliances with other individuals that they are
willing to face anything to stand with you as your ally for your shared
vision.
I'm talking about building an alliance of visionaries,
not followers, each of whom have their own powerful visions and
opinions, and are standing as your ally no matter what.
They're not standing with you, because of your charisma,
because they fear you or because they are being paid. They are
standing with you, because they feel so deeply connected to your heart.
They are your ally--and they would settle for nothing less.
Few people ever know what it's like to have one true ally,
let alone five or ten or more. Most visionaries are alone on their
path. Often times, not even their spouse or partner fully stands
with them as their ally. Sure, they may have people who tell them
they understand, believe in the vision, and are willing to help. But
it's conditional.
They're not bad people, they simply don't have the skill
to be an ally.
How Many True
Allies Do You Have Standing With You?
You'll know when the going gets very tough.
Do you have the skill to maintain your alliance during the
toughest of times, when they're afraid, when they lose the vision, when
they're half-way out the door and judging you?
I invite you to consider that your skill in building
alliances and growing them to be stronger and stronger is an invaluable
and necessary skill you must learn, if your vision is to be fully
manifest in the world.
Everyone has their triggers and breaking points.
When relationship situations get tough, most people choose a path of
compromise. They either cut the other person out of their life, or
they tolerate the person. Both paths lead to mutual suffering and
compromise the honor and vision of both people.
The Visionary Alliance Builder grows the strength of his
or her alliance through conflict!
Just as the Kung
Fu Master must confront conflict and risk being hurt to attain mastery,
attaining mastery as a Visionary Alliance Builder can only happen in the
throes of personal and interpersonal conflict.
Few are ready to master this
most valuable skill, because they are unwilling to be hurt. To the
extent that a person cannot be fully present to one's painful emotions,
one will never have the ability to build deep alliances visionary
alliances that last.
My path to mastering this skill began when my parents got
divorced, and I took it upon myself to bring my family back together and
keep them together through the years. My Mormon upbringing had
instilled in my the value of families, "Families are forever," and I
refused to believe that we could not transcend our differences, no matter
how painful.
My path continued as I took it upon myself to raise my two
younger brothers and a young man who became my brother in law--allowing
myself no excuse to turn away from them, ever.
The iStand methods have been "field-tested" all of my
life, as gradually I took it upon myself to be an "ally" to everyone I
met. Such a path is an endless journey fraught with deep pain as
well as profound joy, honor and love.
There were many many lonely years early on, but now my
life is rich with so many deep relationships that it's beyond words.
Having allies, in my opinion, and the ability to form alliances, is more
valuable during difficult economic times than having mass financial
wealth.
When money devalues, the market changes or your business
fails, what then? If you're surrounded by allies, your life is
wealthy regardless of the circumstances.
Being a Visionary Alliance Builder starts with becoming a
Sovereign Context Creator.
Essential Visionary Trait
#2:
The Sovereign Context
Creator
In whose presence do you lose your vision? Who are the people you
don't share your vision with? Who do you feel less powerful around?
Other people can drain or cloud our vision, especially when they are
emotional and acting as if the way they see the world is true.
Imagine this scenario: You walk into a room full of
people, who are convinced you are not a person of integrity and you are
the source of their problems. They are upset at you and have formed
conclusions about what you should do.
How do you act? What do you say? What do you do?
Imagine this scenario: A partner on your team, who you
feel very close to, becomes very upset when the team fails to achieve its
goals. He blames you, gives plenty of evidence and leaves the
partnership--after telling everyone else on the team what he thinks of
you.
How do you act? What do you say? What do you do?
How the majority of people will act, what they will say and what they
will do is governed by the given context (or storyline) - in these
scenarios, the context is the way these people are seeing you and the
situation.
Whether you feel shame and guilt in their presence, or anger and
self-righteous, your emotions will be in reaction to the context they
created. You may create your own opposing context (storyline),
and argue with them or ignore them, but your context is still in reaction
to theirs.
Most highly educated, successful and even 'enlightened' or spiritual
leaders, teachers and luminaries fall subject to
Your Vision Is
Vulnerable
As a visionary, it is invaluable and absolutely critical to be
sovereign when it comes to creating the context that you live your life
inside of from one moment of the next. What you feel, think, say and
do is ALL governed by your context.
If you lose yourself or your vision in the presence of people who are
upset at you, are threatening you or who seem to have higher status than
you, you're doomed. The people who would otherwise stand with you
will not trust you.
But how can you be confident and certain when you are in the unknown?
How can you have people trust you, when you don't always know where you're
going?
Weaker-minded people will follow you, if you act authoritative, but
visionaries and leaders won't trust you for a second.
How do you trust yourself amidst the chaos, the failures, the wild
adventure in the unknown?
How can you stay true to your self-invented code of honor and vision in
the presence of other's judgments? How can you act as a leaderless
samurai warrior (of the peaceful kind) in the 21st century?
These Are The
Next-Level Skills That The Future Demands
In my opinion the uncommon skills required to be a
Visionary Alliance Builder and a Master Context Creator are more valuable
than most of the other "success" "leadership" skills you can ever learn.
You can attend dozens of workshops to learn to become more
successful or a better leader. You can also engage with your
spiritual practices to become more peaceful, compassionate presence in the
world.
However, most of what you learn or practice disappears,
when you break down under pressure.
How many people who call themselves spiritual teachers act
irrationally in the face of judgment, fear or other emotions? How
many outwardly successful people do we see act irrationally in their
private lives?
When there is a lot at stake,
most people do not have what it takes to IMPLEMENT the skills they learned
to be more successful, more confident, more spiritual, etc.
What Is The Most
Powerful Way I can Stand For You As Your Ally?
I can't tell you how to build a financial empire, how to become the top
person in your company or how to do many other things.
There are a few things at which I excel.
1 - working with visionaries like you to step fully
into their power as Sovereign Context Creators.
2 - working with visionaries like you to become a
masterful Visionary Alliance Builder.
Have you ever thought you couldn't do something--it just
seemed impossible--but a masterful instructor knew you could do it?
There's a great gift in working with such an instructor.
When you hit a wall in your development, and something seems impossible,
this person can stretch you far beyond your limits.
That's who I'd like to be for you, if you'll let me.
Working with me, your idea of your own power will
stretch so far that it will scare you.
Your idea of what is possible in your relationships
will be blown out of the water.
But You Must Be
Willing To Face Everything
And Avoid Nothing
Only when you're willing to let go, and fully face your
own power, will you actually have access to it.
That is my invitation to you. If you are willing to
face and not hide from your own power for one full week of your life, your
life and your power to bring forth your vision in the world will never
be the same.
Over many years of working hand in hand with visionaries
far out on the "skinny branches," I've developed a week-long intensive
called The iStand Experience.
Many, if not most, participants call it "the most powerful
experience of my life," not because the event is powerful--but because
they experience their own power in ways they never thought possible.
Watch:
At this week-long intensive, you'll
Ø
Engage in a game worth playing, an
“impossible mission” with global and historical consequences,
Ø
Forge alliances with bold, unwavering, skillful visionaries and
action-oriented leaders,
Ø
Access the powerful inner solidarity and
sovereignty that can only come from a willingness to “face everything and
avoid nothing,”
Ø
Practice martial arts-like mind-body-spirit
processes to presence clarity in the face of the unknown, honor in the
presence of doubt and fear, vision in the presence of calamity or
darkness,
Ø Learn
a skillful means to live by your code and standards in the face of
crumbling institutions of moral authority,
Ø
Dive deep into the exploration of what it means to live a
visionary life in the 21st century, and experience new vision for self and
humanity.
Ø
Engage
with your most pressing life and leadership questions and challenges in a powerful
space of reflection, interaction and transformative learning.
Ø
Learn to generate profound
vision in any moment--vision anchored in reality.
Ø
Access
far more of your untapped leadership and visionary abilities, and experience new
dimensions of
courage, compassion and vision.
Ø
Redefine
yourself powerfully in terms of what you stand for in a way that
integrates and naturally aligns mind, body and spirit.
Ø
Practice
"Vulnerability As Power," and experience new ability to access love as
your source of power and courage.
Ø
Learn and
practice powerful new methods for liberating yourself and your
community from the walls of judgment that divide and separate us (go
far beyond resolving conflict to profoundly honoring the other side).
Ø
Experience
compelling, dynamic vision that calls you into new dimensions of being
and inspires even your perceived adversaries to stand with you.
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Connect
with the wisdom and vision of an extraordinary community of leaders
and change agents.
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Leave with
a new community of visionary allies spanning the globe.
To
attend an iStand Experience, you must demonstrate one thing: an uncommon
level of courage and willingness to bring your vision into existence.
Who Participates In A VisionForce iStand Experience?
They
come from all continents, cultures and backgrounds. They come to face the
mountain—the great mountain of crises that now threaten our lives, our
children’s lives and our collective future on this planet. They come to
face themselves, each other and the issues that few dare to face. They
bring their dreams and fears, their ideas and doubts, their weariness born
of struggle.
They
are mothers, teachers, activists and entrepreneurs. They are sons,
students, artists and pioneers. They are mid-level managers, musicians,
writers and missionaries. They are warriors in spirit. They are
visionaries in action. They come, because they can’t turn away now. They
feel called from within to bring forth the vision of their heart.
And
so they make their journey here—to the iStand Experience. To face
everything and avoid nothing as they stand for the manifestation of their
vision. This is their time to replenish body and soul, and to prepare for
the challenges ahead. They will exercise mind, body and spirit,
practicing powerful new methods for “being the change.” Most will leave
calling it one of the most powerful experiences of their lives.
And
they will go on to stand for peace and prosperity in the world, for
freedom and dignity, for health and well-being—for what matters most to
them. And people will listen. People will feel seen and honored in their
presence. And people from all sides will feel called to stand with them.
And
the world will change.
Expect to engage with a
culturally diverse group of inspired visionaries from around the world (ages 18
and up), who are each exploring what it means to "be the change" in the
21st century.
VisionForce presents...
The iStand Experience
Next Date To Be Announced. Austin, Texas
A 6-day
intensive
for visionary leaders,
entrepreneurs
and emerging world-changers.
(previously the "VISIONFORCE BOOT CAMP")
"Inside this by-application-only, once-in-a-lifetime event, you'll find
common ground and form powerful alliances with other visionaries, and
be equipped with proven tools to inspire and activate lasting change in
the world..."
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As of May 12, only 36 seats
remain—first come, first served.
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This once-of-a kind event is intended to spark a
movement, and may never be presented in this format again (No video or
audio recordings will be made available.)
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Carefully restricted and limited admission ... you
must be able to meet the criteria spelled out below (no
exceptions).
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Includes everything revealed at our highly
acclaimed VisionForce Boot Camps (the precursor to the iStand
Experience), hailed as “the most powerful experience of my life" by
industry leaders, respected trainers and facilitators, fortune 500
executives, ... plus a full extra day of alliance building.
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Featuring the proprietary, breakthrough iStand
technology, including expert facilitation of the Inner Conflict Diagram,
Judgment Window and more ... plus the instructional materials to conduct
these processes in real-life situations as a visionary leader.
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Upon completing this event, you
will join the ranks of visionary leaders and entrepreneurs around the
world, who have graduated from this event and now comprise the global "VisionForce."
These are the first people to call, when it's time to move your vision
forward.
Can we really create
a world
that works for all of us?
For the first time in history,
we may have the know-how, the creativity, the technology and the wealth to
transcend the many crises facing the world today.
Yet do we
have what it takes to transcend the fears and ideologies that keep us
separate? Do we have the courage to look within and face ourselves?
Do we have the compassion to open our hearts to the world? Do we have the
vision or the faith to carry us? Do we have the skills to work
together?
In the program that many participants
call "the most powerful experience of my life," you'll learn a uniquely
effective modern-day martial art for the human mind and spirit that yields
profound access to the courage, compassion, vision and skill it takes to
lead a truly visionary life.
Click here to request an
application.
About the retreat:
Powerful, deeply engaging, interactive, fun and unforgettable, The
iStand Experience is an intensive, integrative six-day learning
experience where participants engage in running, yoga, breathing
exercises, silent reflection, one-on-one coaching, logical diagrams to
facilitate new paradigm shifts and thinking processes, individual work
with the course leader in front of the room, and hands-on practice and
demonstrations in the use of VisionForce's iStand Dynamics.
Retreat Schedule & logistics:
Held on the grounds of a
spiritual retreat center in Austin, TX, the retreat begins on Tuesday
afternoon at 2pm, and continues through Sunday at 4pm.
Breaks are scheduled regularly throughout the days, including two
90-minute meal breaks and on Friday, a special evening dinner
celebration. All meals are
fresh, vegetarian cuisine.
You are invited to arrive a day
early and stay a day later for a week-long retreat and optimal rest
(Additional room and board fees apply).
Program fee: $2495*
*Watch for Early
Bird discounts for our last 2008 event this fall! This may be the
last iStand Experience we offer until 2010, due to a shift in our
business model.
Includes:
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Six days of intensive on-site training, consisting
of:
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Real-life training in iStand Dynamics
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Six nights (Monday through Saturday) of
dormitory-style lodging at the spiritual retreat center where
the retreat is held
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Up to seven days of exquisite, fresh, lovingly
prepared vegetarian cuisine
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A self-paced exercise program
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High-quality yoga sessions taught by a Master
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Plenty of time to reflect and integrate the
lessons
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Opportunities to mingle, network, and bond with
powerful Visionaries from all over the world
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Three 75-minute Tele-Workshops before the event
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Five dynamic and stimulating 75-minute
Tele-Workshops after the event
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Nine weeks of personalized support from our
dedicated Assisting Team
- The opportunity to register for and participate in dozens of
post-Experience trainings and tools
Apply now
below:
