Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa!

I have just returned from the David Lynch Weekend at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. The theme for the weekend's activities was "Exploring the frontiers of consciousness, creativity, and the brain."

I really knew very little about Transcendental Meditation (TM) before this weekend, but I'm amazed at how much I learned and how this practice really does support my passion about teaching students to think rather than how to give the "right" answer.

One of the most fascinating things to me was finding out about this university in the middle of Iowa. It was founded in 1973 and today has a K-12 school as well as the university where students are taught transcendental meditation (TM) as part of the curriculum.

We heard from John Hagelin, a quantum physicist and featured speaker in What the Bleep and The Secret, who is also a faculty member at the university. He wasn't able to be with us in person because he couldn't get away from his research in New York, but he was with us live via satellite. He presented all kinds of medical statistics of the benefits of TM on not only the person doing the meditating, but the energy of the world.

He showed that when the square root of one percent of the population in any country is practicing TM, they can actually cause the collective consciousness of that country to move to peace. That means 2,000 people in the U.S. can meditate for the rest of the country. John Hagelin is working on a project right now with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of this university and the father of TM, as well as with the U.N., to get 35 countries to have the proper number of meditators in their country trained in TM by September of this year. That means that the square root of one percent of the population of 35 countries will be using TM to raise the consciousness of those 35 countries.

It was very fascinating information, especially when it came to teaching kids these techniques. Statistics show that test scores are raised, stress is decreased, creativity, memory, moral reasoning, emotional maturity, reaction time can all be stimulated by TM. In fact, it has even been proven that IQ can be increased by practicing TM.

David Lynch, who has produced such films as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and the TV series Twin Peaks, spoke about his use of TM and the effects on his own creativity. He is on the board of trustees at the university and created a foundation two years ago to offer Consciousness-Based education in colleges and schools to help students become “wide-awake, energetic, blissful, creative, powerfully intelligent and peaceful human beings.”

Through David’s work, including the David Lynch Foundation, thousands of students are learning the creativity-enhancing, stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique in the US and around the world.

David is now launching a new program “Teaching One Million Students to Meditate.”

Donovan is a legendary singer, songwriter, and musician whose string of major hits starting in the mid-1960s included Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Catch the Wind.

Donovan is actively involved with the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace where he is fulfilling his 40-year desire to bring the Transcendental Meditation technique to students.

He actually studied under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi with the Beatles in India, and we had a chance to meet him this weekend.

It's amazing to consider what's happening right in our own backyards. Fargo is another well-kept secret ... consider finding out what's happening here and share in your own bigger small talk at the Bigger Small Talk Summit June 27-28 right here in Fargo!

What keeps you from playing BIG??

I'm thinking today about all the times I have thought about something and then haven't DONE anything with it, only to have my idea come back at me from someone else. Why don't I ACT when I have an idea?

So I'd like to challenge all of us - me included - to starting thinking BIG ... to dream the most outrageous dream ... to imagine what the world would look like if you were playing to your fullest capacity. What would you think? What would you say? What would you DO?

I would create a foundation or an organization or some entity that would be responsible for teaching school kids how to ask better questions - of themselves and others - and then to add a layer of personal accountability to that. Maybe it would be a series of charter schools which are all about teaching the fundamentals (reading, writing, math) but making it fun and applicable, and then helping the kids uncover and remember their own genius and strengths and capitalizing on who they ARE, instead of who they might someday grow up to become. I would incorporate Wayne Dyer's idea of taking orphans who have no family and raising them in an environment where there is no doubt - where they are raised in pure love and acceptance and belief - and then educated - allowed to share their own inspiration (inspiration = in SPIRIT) before putting all that information in (information = in FORM).

Maybe there is a "camp" for adults who want a week of this stuff in kind of an immersion basis. Kids could be in one part of the building/setting/"camp" and parents/adults could be in another section and then they come together to share what each has learned and created. (Thanks for this idea goes to my friend Virgil!)

This is the type of conversation I envision creating and allowing at the Summit for Bigger Small Talk. What topic or subject makes you come alive? Where are you inspired and compelled to bigger action?

Consider bringing your ideas and your passion to Fargo June 27-28 where you'll meet others who are itching to co-create with you.

Register online at www.biggersmalltalk.com - and tell everyone you know to come along.

How FAR will you GO to put your mouth where your heart is? Come to FARGO!!

26.2 Miles - Uff Da!

Yesterday was the third annual Fargo Marathon - and what a wonderful event it was! Although the day dawned cloudy, windy and cool, the hearts and the greetings of all 9,000 or so runners were VERY warm.

I dropped off some friends who were running the 5K and then tried to find a spot where I could watch the marathoners. So I ended up in a coffee shop on Broadway with only one other person. It was an AWESOME venue which I learned was just after mile marker #3.

I was giving a speech at noon for an organization, so I was dressed in my speaking clothes, but I stepped outside when I saw the runners coming by to cheer them on. I was very surprised at how many people I knew in the race! Although I didn't see all of them first, many of them shouted greetings to me while they were running! One person who is originally from my hometown actually came over and gave me a hug in the middle of her race! What a great event!

So I am dedicating today's radio show to these brave and spirited runners who completed the marathon, half-marathon, marathon relay and the 5K. What inspiration they provided for me! Remember, you can tune in to the You Already Know This Stuff radio show at 11 a.m. central Sundays at www.thunderradio.fm or www.kndsradio.com.

Here's today's lineup:

1) Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
2) Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
3) Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac
4) You Can Do Anything - Stephen Bishop
5) Keep A Goin' - Mr. Cowpie (a children's hit!)
6) Believe - Lenny Kravitz
7) Runnin' Down a Dream - Tom Petty
8) Anyway - Martina McBride
9) Follow Your Dream - Sheryn Regis
10) Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better - From "Annie Get Your Gun"
11) Yes I Can - Sammy Davis Jr.
12) Celebration - Kool & The Gang

Re-Emerging

None of the work shows ... and then ... one day ...




It is spring, the time when the perennial flowers start poking their heads out of the frozen winter ground. As the world turns green before my eyes, it occurs to me that I've been like those tulips for the past couple of weeks - working hard behind the scenes, but not emerging until now.

I'm on my way in about 90 minutes to my booth at The Best of Organizational Development Summit in Chicago. It's sponsored by Linkage, and is a great place for Bock's Office to unveil our new focus. My partner and I have been planning this event since December, and we're ready to tell the world about our strategic career development ideas.

I'll write more when I get a chance to tell you all about it - and watch for more posts from me again as I pull my head up from this project and focus again on all the ideas running through my head.

After this show I will be getting ready for my trip to Florida, where I'll be speaking at the TWI Summit and then participating in Bob Proctor's certification program before coming back to Fargo to host Lisa Haneberg on her motorcycle trip. Then it's on to the Summit for Bigger Small Talk, which promises to be an event you won't want to miss. If you've never participated in an Open Space event, this will be a great place to learn about it.

Talk to you soon!

Have we become complacent?

If you think about it, our natural state as living human beings is toward growth. We can't help it. No matter how much we try, we can't avoid growing - at least in our physical bodies. We grow older by the minute, and our bodies change all the time.

Do our minds automatically join our bodies in heading toward change and growth? It seems that there are many people in the world who have become complacent, cynical and resigned with their place in the world.

Now I'm not saying that we shouldn't be grateful for what we have and where we are - that's the only way to move forward. But if we're grateful - truly grateful and truly happy - then we will recognize that our natural state is toward growth and won't resist changes that come our way.

I've been busy this week doing some personal accountability training and also accelerated innovation training - and, at least for me, I realize more and more all the time that I teach what I most need to learn. I was reminded this week that there is no place for blame or for cynicism in my view of the world. If we are to move to action in our lives, it's important that we remain open to new ideas and calculated risks.

If our natural state is growth, getting out of our own way will allow that to happen in our lives without effort. As Oprah says, if you feel like you're swimming upstream, turn around! Get in the flow! Complacency, resignation and cynicism block the flow.

Keep asking yourself, "how is it working?" and you'll find that an objective answer to that question - without judgment - might help you see that there are new choices to make in any given moment, which will lead to that flow!