Out of the 6.8 Billion people on the planet, we need just 50,000 people to donate 1 dollar (or more) or 500 to donate $100 (or more) Will you choose to be one today? Come on… Join the Fun and Make a Difference!!!

UPDATE!!!!Over 25 Difference-Makers have already joined the team!! So as of today their impact = over 2,515 Difference-Makers at the $1 level! Why not choose to be one too by donating right now! Each dollar you donate = one Difference-Maker!

Please consider choosing to be a Difference-Maker TODAY! Together we WILL help change a world… Believe it!

Seriously, our team that is making a difference for women and youth in Kenya and the slum of Kibera needs to find from within the 6.8 billion people in the world, just 500 giving $100 per person OR 50,000 people giving $1 to continue a program for one year that will empower women and youth while creating solid leaders of self. Most of the work to date has been with women and youth from Kibera, one of the largest slums in the world located near Nairobi, Kenya. As the program expands, we will begin to work with women and youth throughtout Kenya. We have no doubt that over time, the empowerment and self-leadership training will spread outward from there.

We have learned over time that women who do not believe in themselves are reluctant to take action for justice when their rights are violated, even if they know what to do or where to go. We know that all the education in the world may not help if they lack a strong foundation of empowerment and self-leadership

. So we began our program of empowering women and youth, creating strong leaders of self, and giving each the opportunity to choose for themselves, actions that would lead to the end of the abuse and violence cycles that have been such a part of their lives and those they love. We wanted to instill a belief that their lives truly mattered and that they could, by their own choices, make their own future.

That initial program was a success as it transformed in so many ways those who were willing to take on the work and had a commitment to change their lives.

But the demand was far greater than the available space in that initial project and now, Women for Justice in Africa, Leader Development Group and the entire team have committed to meet that unmet demand by continuing and expanding the initial program for a full year!

To do this we need to raise $50,000 (USD) and we know we cannot do this alone. We need to find the people around the planet who want to be truly Difference-Makers by donating to this project. It is our fervent hope that you will be one of them OR you will find people out there who will be!

And With All of Us Banding Together We Can Do This!!!

So come on aboard and join a team of rag tag dreamers who by their actions will begin to make a difference and in time will change a world!! Will you be one of the them???? We hope so as we want to be together with YOU as we begin to end the cycles of violence, abuse and the ignoring of the rights of women and children. Do we think we can to this? Yes we do.

Be one of the people who chooses to make a difference by acting right now! Just click the Special Kenyan Project page above or the link below and make a difference that over time will change a world:

http://www.leaderdevelopmentgroup.com/special-kenyan-project/

We look forward to creating something special with you this day!

For me, I always had a feeling deep within my spirit that I was meant to do something… a special something of some sort of which I knew nothing of the details. I just had a feeling within myself that it was important and that it would somehow help others. As I grew older I began to pass off this feeling as just the dreams and fantasies of youth of the sort that makes one very important within their own minds but clearly detached from the real world.

Did you ever have or do you still have a feeling that there is something yet undone that you were meant to do?

And then my life began to unfold. I worked with the Press Liaison Office of the United States Senate, became a successful teacher, a state senator who never lost an election, and then a President of a community Chamber of Commerce. All were great experiences but throughout each of them I still had this nagging sense that I was supposed to do something and that whatever it was… what I was currently doing was not it! It was always present, and the older I became the more acutely uncomfortable the feeling became. What was a nagging sense for so many years quickly became a constant almost depressing sense of panic each moment of my existence. There was something I was supposed do and time was running out! Then out of disaster came the opportunity to understand and discover a dream that had been deep within me and with that, a chance to make that dream a reality.

I will talk of the dream a bit later, as I suspect there is some curiosity for some as to the nature of the disaster. Let me just say that if bad things come in “threes” I hit the jackpot. I was asked to resign from my job due to a difference in visions, a son whose choices had put his life in danger, and a failed relationship. Not a good combination to be sure, yet out of this low point arose the chance to create the future that had always eluded me… the one I was supposed to do. I was given an opportunity to reflect and to do some heavy personal lifting that admittedly was not much fun to do. Yet in the end, it was worth it as I found my dream and found a determination to make it a reality.

From my experiences, I have found that to find ones dream it is important to know the following things:

 Who you are at your very core?
 What are your true core values and how do you actually define them in a way that resonates within you?
 What times or moments in your life did you feel time standing still because you were so engaged, that you were energized by each moment, and that you felt joy and fulfillment?
 At what moments in your life did you feel absolutely aligned with the universe and what created that sense within you?
 What could you do to create and experience those feelings of joy, passion, energy, meaning, and fulfillment every day of your life?

When I went through this process I discovered that there were two things that stood out when I felt most alive and content… teaching and working to create authentic leaders for tomorrow. It was only a matter of time before I became aware of what I had always wanted to do. I needed to take my teaching talents, combine them with my knowledge and experience with creating authentic leaders, and take it out into the world to whoever was willing to learn. It was also at that moment that I knew I had a choice. I could either play it safe or I could take the steps to make my dream a reality… steps that would mean there would be a point of no turning back and an acute awareness of there being no guarantee of success. I had a choice.

There come those moments in time where, if we are aware, we realize that we are at a crossroads. One way will be the safe, tried and logical way of living and the other a more dangerous, uncertain path where your heart and spirit truly want to go. The good news is that we are always at that crossroad and we can still choose to follow the path that will lead to our dream. The choice is, as it has always been, with us.

For me it was a simple choice to make. It was not an easy choice, just a simple one. I decided to follow my dream. So amid the worst economic environment the world has experienced, and with far too few assets to begin such a venture, I began taking my initial steps down the path where dreams are made; sometimes called “The Path of No Guarantees”.

In Part III we will delve into what going down the path of one’s dream looks like. We will also look at the tools individuals will need in order to keep from merely reacting and recreating the past from the multiple events and circumstances that will arise, to being able to consciously respond thus creating new possibilities for both the present and the future.

I look forward to having you drop by for Part III. In the meantime, how would you answer the questions posed above? Do you know or have a new sense of what your dream and/or purpose is? Do you think these are important enough questions for you to spend some time on or are you too busy to take time for what may be one of the most important questions in your life? What is your dream? Just curious…

Dreams are a funny thing. When I grew up I knew what dreams were and I, of course, found great comfort and joy in both my dreams and daydreams … maybe too much comfort at times for I dreamed and daydreamed a lot. And as I was growing up, I recall being told countless times that dreams can come true if one believed in them enough. I liked thinking that and yet, deep within my mind, I never believed that my dreams could or would come true.

MY DREAMS were of my knowing every language in the Universe and having the ability to speak with anyone at any time in their own tongue, or of knowing how to play perfectly every instrument of music in the world as well as having the ability to play any piece of music my memory or by merely sight reading it. Of course there was also the dream of becoming someone who would make a real difference in the world, but that dream was always a bit hazy and unclear even though it felt so good to see me in my dreams doing something of great value to others. But deep down I knew that these were more fantasies than dreams and instinctively I knew they were not real and would never happen. I was wrong.

This is an introduction to a short series of posts about “When Dreams Become Real”. It is a true story as it is my story. I think it could easily become your story about making your dream become real.

And out of curiosity, what do you think your life would be like if you were actually creating your dream every day?

I now sense I was right when I was younger, that there is a difference between a dream and a created fantasy. I have learned that a dream is something that one has deep within their core spirit. It is something that is akin to knowing one’s purpose in life and though we instinctively have hints and glimpses of that dream as we live our lives, it is never clear until we take a leadership journey deep within ourselves to discover our deepest core values and eventually our purpose in life. When we decide to take this perilous “Journey to the Center of our Spirit” we will if we work hard enough and are determined enough, find the foundations for how we can by our choices, become fulfilled and energized every day. And best of all, we will discover the direction our choices need to take us if we are to become that which we were born to be.

Making Dreams Real
So the next series of articles will be about making our dreams a reality. They will be about finding joy and meaning for our lives each and every day. They will be about changing our lives from merely reacting to life thus repeating the same kind of day until we become trapped into a cycle of sameness and meaninglessness, into one of creating something new… of responding to life in a way that makes our lives full of wonder, purpose, and most of all… meaning.
These will be of my story but it could be yours if you choose. Of course it is my hope that you too will choose to embark upon this journey of self discovery. And if you do, I suspect you will find what I have found… sheer amazement and wonder at the higher levels of joy, passion, and energy that has been within us since our creation – an energy just waiting for us to become aware and to create from.

I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR JOINING ME FOR THE FIRST OF THE SERIES TO BE POSTED HERE SOON!

SO ON YOUR MARK! GET SET! DREAM! 

I have learned over the years that the best way to get to where one wishes to go is to understand and believe in the value of this statement, “I need help.” It consists of only three words, but when put together in that fashion great things can happen. And quite honestly, “I need your help.”

It has to do with giving people in need the tools they can use to create a life that mattes and the belief that they can create their own futures. It has to do with empowerment. It has to do with creating opportunities for change and for hope.

There is a training that is going to take place in Kenya that will be powerful and will create opportunties for change within those that want it. It is a training that will create empowerment and a belief that one matters and that one can create change. It is a training that will point to the bridge within each that can connect everyone to God, the divine, or the Universe. It is a training that will create hope and a knowing that they are not powerless and individuals can make a difference.

I want you to be a part of what is about to happen. I want you to choose to be a part of something bigger, that in the end will create the seeds of change in the world. I wish for you to choose to join me so together we can experience something that reaffirms in each of us a knowing that we too made a difference. If this is something that resonates within you, please go to:

http://www.leaderdevelopmentgroup.com/special-kenyan-project/

If you choose to help, we will be in partnership as I will find a way to get there and do the training for free. You will give the participants the ability to get to the training site. And together, we will make a difference.

Blessings to each of you this day,
David

UPDATE!!! Dollars are coming in and so far 22… make that now 45 women will be able to attend the 5 days of training…and with your help that number will continue to grow! I am deeply humbled and thankful that so many are choosing to be a part of what is going to be created with this project. Together we truly are going to make a difference. And once again I humbly thank each of you… David

I was reading a dialogue string within a wonderful group of leaders this morning on LinkedIn (LCF or the Leaders Foundation Café). There was a comment by Kwai Yu of the United Kingdom that I responded to there, and I write of here. The overall issue was the world’s economic crisis and that maybe the best way to learn and to create better systems is to, when they crash, let them crash so they can be rebuilt in a better way. Yet it was acknowledged that this would be very painful to millions so in the end, maybe it is best not to let those systems crash when they are in trouble and to do what we can to keep them going while fixing what we can. So it was within that context of “pain” and of our trying to minimize the pain our systems create at times for people that the following comment was made:

“…Perhaps … we should embrace Jugaad: A New Growth Formula … one that accepts pain as part of growth?”

What came to mind with the above quote was that the natural systems that surround us DO accept pain and joy, suffering and excitement… all of it for as natural systems they can be no more that they are… complete and whole. I suspect it is only in the systems we create within the natural systems surrounding us that we naively attempt to control all that is within. Don’t want to feel pain? No problem, we can manage and control that. Don’t want people to bring the emotions of home into the work place? Not a problem… we can control that through policies! Yet there is pain and because it has been ignored it can come back with a vengeance… as the pressure pot explodes when the pressures within wishing to expand cannot be held back any longer. But wait… it exploded? No problem, we can handle that! Let’s create a new policy that….

The point that came to me this morning was that the answers may again lie within us… that we first as leaders need to see, understand, and truly know who we are… and then be all that we truly are. We are pain and joy. We are suffering and excitement. We are passion, hate, fierceness, creative, compassionate, loving and a whole lot more. That maybe, if we begin to create systems that reflect all of the knowledge and balance found deep within each of us, we will be able to create systems for the benefit of all that are also in sync with the natural systems that have always surrounded us. I make up that if we can do this, then instead of fighting nature to make it what we wish it to be, we will be a part of nature (the universe) and from there become creators of what we were always meant to be. Then again, that is probably just a dream. I’m sure there is a policy or concept that can control that…

That’s my share for this morning or afternoon or evening depending upon where you are at this moment! As always, my best wishes to you all!

David

A few days ago there was a “Summit-9″ held in Suriname. The Summit was intended to focus on the “findings” from a recently completed study to meet the challenges of the 9 million youth within the Caribbean. Many of the Caribbean leaders who often spoke of their commitment to the youth of the Caribbean were “no shows”. During the Summit a few days ago, 24 Youth Delegates and two National Youth Directors stood for 9 minutes to bring awareness to that lack of attention. It was a courageous thing to do and it has already had impact.

I believe that those 24 Youth Delegates are leaders not because they did something dramatic, but because they stood for what they believe in. They stood for the 9 million youth they were representing and working tirelessly to help… to make a difference. I believe that because of their actions, and the support they received from two National Youth Directors, they will know that they can stand their ground and as such the next stance will be even more powerful. I suspect they have already begun to inspire others to also stand firm to demand the attention that the issues facing the youth of the world need… a demand for action that stands apart from political rhetoric.

And I also know that there can in these cases be repercussions… that leaders of state and people holding positions of authority do not like to “look bad” or to be publically criticized. Yet I sense the die is now cast. That people around the world are finding within themselves what they truly care about (core values) and are beginning to draw their own line in the sand. I sense a shift taking place where people are beginning to believe in their power to truly make a difference in not in their life, but in the lives of others… in this case 9 million others.

I sense that there is an awakening within hearts and spirits of people all over the world. I sense what has been referred to as a “Spiritual Conspiracy” beginning to take place. And though this “standing firm for change” will not be easy, nor will it be a quick journey, the end results will be amazing.

I know one of those Directors who stood with those 24 Youth Delegates. I wish for each of you to know her too and to remember her and those with her, as they stand firm for the needs of youth not only in Jamaica and the Caribbean, but the world. Her name is Roberta Brown-Ellis and in her heart is love, courage, and a passion to make a difference. AND, she is a servant of God.

So if any of you have an urge to say something, or offer encouragement, here would be a place to do so. I promise you they will see it… and it will have impact.

Blessings to each of you this day…. David

The phrase that comes to my mind when reading all of the ideas about leadership, each with their own set of merits and demerits, is: When things seem too complex and life seems almost overwhelming, just focus on the next step, and then the next. Soon you will look back and see how for you’ve come not how far you have to go.

I say this as I think of the magical complexity of the universe and the extent how little we know compared to the vastness of what we do not know. And yet, we will all discuss, and thrust, and parry, boldly exclaim, or quietly speculate what we believe to be true from our own world views. And we base our beliefs on bits of information or facts that are neither true or false, just bits of information, thus our beliefs are shaky at best again due to the vastness of what we do not know.

And yet, there is simplicity of things, like seeing the fractals of an object. It is like looking at the form of chaos from afar and seeing that there is indeed a pattern, a form, a design. Maybe, when we step away from the chaos and complexities of the moment, we can actually see a commonality; a pattern if you will that flows and connects all. Maybe it is as simple as seeing that the essence of leadership is simply (although not easy by any means) the knowing of one’s true self, one’s core values and purpose if you will, and to be aligned with who one is throughout every decision within every moment of one’s life. Maybe that is all leadership is when all the complexity is stripped away.

For though it may be true that an action by one may not have achieved any measureable signs of being successful, yet their action will have had impact. And that that impact as it passes from one person to another is never really measurable but it will always continue on. I also suspect that the action which was deemed by all to be a failure, could impact another in such a way that as a consequence, their next action will impact another to the point where an unknown person far removed from the original “failed action” will changed a world. In the end, who is to say what action is successful or not?

I think we tend to think in too linear of terms… cause and effect. When on steps away and observes, it may be that the only thing essential about leadership is that people choose to act in ways that are in alignment with who they are at their core… in alignment with their core values and purpose. And by simply choosing to act from that place or reference point, the summation of the cumulative impacts from those actions will create something good even if it is not seen or known at that time or moment. That maybe the essence of leadership is clear and simple. Maybe what is really needed rather than focusing on the complexities of measuring success and leadership is a clearer understanding of the relationship between essential core leadership and faith. But that I think is a topic for another time.

I am in the international city of Jerusalem at this time and am experiencing events that have truly shaped me…. changed me if you will… as to my understanding of the bridge to the divine that is within each individual no matter what belief system they may embrace. For it is when we travel deep within ourselves to find our core values and purpose that we begin to understand the power and great possibilities that can come from our learning to lead from our true selves. And I would like throw out for all, the concept that it does not matter whether an individual seeks to find God, Heaven, the Universe, the divine, or enlightenment… it all starts by taking the most powerful and lasting leadership journey one can take… the journey of self discovery.

For it is from the fertilization of these roots deep within us that we become the types of leaders that the world needs and is so desperate for. For when an individual finds their true self, makes choices, acts in alignment with their authentic self, and believes that their thoughts and action can create things AND have great impact; then a leader is born that can change a life, a family, an organization, a friend, a community, a nation, and potentially the world. I am learning that it is from that place that the power of leadership exists.

May each of us strive to find and to be in alignment with who we are at our core. May each of us in this New Year become the leader within that we were born to be. I suspect if we can do that, the rest… the outcomes if you will… will take care of themselves.

With respect to each of you this holiday season,
David

I was reading through a particularly interesting thread within the site of leadership group called “Leaders Café Foundation”. The thread dealt with the simple concept of the sincerity of people when asking others the question, “How are you?” I began to think about my own life and the countless times I asked the “How are you?” question while having no real interest but pretending to care. This may sound harsh, but as I think back on my nine year legislative career, the mind set was image and spin…. image and spin. This ended up being the main reason I finally resigned as I was becoming someone that, deep down in my spirit, I knew I could not become without losing myself… forever.

So what does that have to do with this thread you ask? Well, as I began to find myself again and go through the difficult yet rewarding journey of self-leadership, I discovered that one of my core values was “respect” or at least that is the word I chose that explained what I was trying to express from my spirit. To me “respect” is that I give each person I meet my absolute attention not because it is the right thing to do or it is culturally considered to be good manners, but because I truly WANT to know and to understand who they are, to get a sense of what is behind their beliefs and world view, and to experience another individual created by the same Universe or God that created my spirit. To me, if I do this, then it is paying each person I meet with the utmost of respect… that I truly care and wish to hear their voice. For if I truly wish for my voice to be heard, the first step is to hear the voices of others and the rest will follow.

So now, when I say, “How are you?” to someone, I look them squarely in their eyes and take the time to truly hear their response. To me it is now a matter of being in alignment with one of my core values… and I must say, the tenor and quality of my relationships have changed dramatically. People have noted the change in my behaviour and they have responded in kind. The impact of my being true to this core value I call “respect” has been nothing short of amazing… and yet not.

May your voice be heard this day…
David

I was recently interviewed by Andrea Bahamondes for a radio blog cast she was putting together. It was an amazing experience. And if you have not yet taken the opportunity to connect with her, I would recommend doing so AND to check out her blog at: www.thenakedelephant.net

There was one topic that Andrea brought up that created within me an urge to follow up here, today, with you. Her question was, “When we are in business, we have so many tools at our disposal to be successful, but what do we do when we are alone… when we start something from scratch that is just ‘us’ in the initial stages?” It was a marvelous question… and though I could do an entire seminar on that question, let me try to put some of the most critical pieces in this post to begin what might be the beginning of a longer dialogue.

It seems to me, that business success is to achieve goals. To become better than the competition and that the successful business man or woman knows how to manage and/or administer the many tools available to them. These tools can be a sales staff, an HR department, marketing, technology specialists, budget guru’s, logistics and data collectors… all are potentially there to create the outcomes or goals set by whomever to keep the business sustained, growing, and profitable. But what happens to the business person who begins to sense that this is not enough for them? That what they are doing is sometimes exciting and clearly challenging, but there is a sense deep within them that there is something “more” that they need. What if they begin to sense and know deep within their spirit that their lives are not giving them the meaning they most want … when they begin to understand that when their “run” is over that, overall, their lives did not make the kind of difference in the world they deep down wished and still want to make? What happens then and how many people today find themselves EXACTLY in that position? Sadly, my experience tells me the answer is in the millions… and it is world-wide. It very well might be you…. and I will tell you quite openly that until only a few years ago, that person was me.
When one finds themselves in that place of wanting “more” and not receiving the kind of value from their efforts as their spirit truly desires, many turn away and strike out on their own to create something that is meaningful if you will. And yet, when they do so, many turn to the same tools that helped them be a success before in business and they end up creating EXACTLY what they had before… a sense of knowing that the harder they work, the less value they receive and they once again “know” that something is indeed wrong. So what is it? What is it that they have missed? What key ingredient or formula was missed in their business education? The answer, I believe, lies in the true concept of being a leader of self.
It is quite simple in concept, yet one of the most challenging yet worthwhile action we will ever do for it deals with creating lives that matter and make a difference… the kind of difference that resonates deep within our spirit as being right… at least right for us. It is a concept that says before one can lead anyone, they must first learn to lead themselves AND the only way to do that is to go deep within ourselves to find our true core values and eventually our purpose in life. This in itself is not an easy journey as many times we are afraid of what we might find as we challenge each of our assumptions/beliefs, identify and understand our own mental modes, and begin to see how we have created our own reality and thus the lens by which we see the entire world. But in the end… we find who we really are. We find what our true, authentic core values are AND we find what it is that when we do it, we become energized, joyful, passionate, commitment, and we KNOW that our actions matter deeply to us and to those we encounter along the way. In short we find our purpose. And it is when we are on purpose AND our choices everyday become aligned with that purpose and our core values that the totality of the power within us is finally unleashed… and it brings us great joy as wonderful, seemingly magical, things begin to happen.
Now just suppose that an individual who wanted more for their life knew that he/she needed to start something new… to go a different direction…. began to create from the place of their core values and purpose? Imagine the powerful energy that would come from their choices, intentions, and actions? Imagine the kind of energy and people they would begin to attract and imagine what all of that together will create since it is all aligned to something of great value and of deep meaning to everyone who was attracted to and impacted by the actions taken. Most of all, imagine the sense of joy, fulfillment, energy, passion, commitment, and value each day would bring to that individual and to those they have encountered along the way. Imagine that person was you…

And therein lies the difference when one is alone and creating from the simple tool of the leading of self. The difference is from where our willingness to create, to build, to organize, to expand, to innovate comes from. The difference is that what we are creating comes from what we were meant to “be” or to do. And, wouldn’t it be interesting if businesses, organizations, families, indeed nations today truly began to see the value that the leading of self can create for everyone. Wouldn’t it be interesting if each employee that came to work felt that, at the end of the day, they had received something of great value to their spirit and that they were making a difference that mattered? Now would THAT create a competitive advantage and increased potential for ROI?