I'm trying to get a few more people into the New York WriteSpeak Retreat next week, because one of the most important results of a retreat is the amazing support team that's created. Bigger is better, and the limit is 15 anyway, so there's no way to get too big. So I'm writing grads of the Part I all-day teleclass who haven't been to a retreat to come to this one.
But whenever people ask me what we do at the retreat, I draw a blank. I mention a few of the processes I remember - like the last full day (and sometimes through the night) being entirely devoted to 'Message, Medium, Motivation, Money. So I asked some recent grads to send testimonials.
They sent great ones. But, like me, nobody said specifically what happened. ( I'm looking for a letter from a grad of the first retreat, who has come to two more retreats because she likes them so much and knows the benefit of being part of a group of people who will become movers and shakers in a year or two) in which she explained to someone who wanted an agenda, why nobody can describe it -- I'll add it when I find it.
And then last night I got one more testimonial in my inbox and it made me feel like a million bucks. It might stand as the best description of what actually comes of being at a retreat to date. You tell me:
(If you want to get into Saturday's teleworkshop or read more about the program, head over to http://WriteYourOwnSuccessStory.com or www.geniuspress.com and take a look.)
A few friends who know I went through Barbara Sher's WriteSpeak program
last year asked me if I learned anything, and if it was worth it.
Looking back at what I've learned astounds me. Here's just a few things
that come to mind quickly:
Technology / Social Media
Barbara is on the cutting edge of technology and how it's used today
in business. In all honesty, I had no idea half this stuff existed before
she insisted that we learn it.
Prior to her class, I had never:
Written a Blog
I wasn't even sure what a Blog *was*. Now I have three.
Created a Web Site
For 15 years, I begged every techie in the family to help
me get a decent web site up for my small business. In
one weekend in WS, I learned how to create my own -
easily, and for FREE. Now I have 10 websites (no joke!)
and switch out old and new ones whenever I feel like it.
Used Twitter
Again, I hadn't even heard of it. Now I have over 1,000
followers and new friends from around the world. They
answer questions to stuff I want to know, inspire me,
teach me, amuse & enlighten me. I love it.
Published an eBook
Another thing I was vaguely aware of - but hadn't a
clue where to begin. Now I can churn them out.
Uploaded a Video to YouTube
Silly, but this never would have entered my mind before.
Now I upload, download, embed and reuse videos. Wow.
Self Published on Amazon and Elsewhere
This is still on my to-do list, but now I know how to
actually DO IT, and I'm no longer afraid of the process.
I'm sure there are 30-40 other things I take for granted
now and do on a daily basis that I learned in WS.
Personal Growth
On a personal basis, there has been tremendous growth as well.
Everyone knows that Barbara Sher is all about wanting you to
follow your dream, but how many of us even believe that's possible?
Before going to WriteSpeak, I was a lonely, scared, easily-intimidated,
insecure, overworked wreck. And that was on my good days.
Going to WriteSpeak was the first step in a journey to reclaiming myself
that continues to this day. Barbara and the wonderful friends I made at
WS II became my personal cheerleaders. They saw value I had overlooked
or forgotten. I made friends there who are now a permanent and important
part of my life.
They reached inside my tired, ragged heart and brought out a light I had
forgotten existed.
They told me I can write well. (I always wondered about that.)
They said I'm a artist. (I always hoped so.)
They respected me. (Whoa - who'd a thunk?)
They supported me when I struggled, kicked me when I procrastinated,
laughed at me when I was silly, and just *totally* accepted me - as I am,
flaws and all. What an enormous relief!
How can you begin to sum up a year like we've had? Every person in
the group has grown. We are not the same strangers who met a year
ago, hoping to learn a few tips and tricks about the writing and speaking
trades. We are a team now - a family who love and support each other
(even the weird ones). We rejoice in each other's triumphs and reach
out a hand when there are bad times.
And nowadays, I'm thinner, healthier, calmer, more at peace with myself,
more creative, aware of and accepting of my limits, and far, far, happier
than I was when we started this journey.
So was it worth it? My God, yes.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.
Would I suggest that *YOU* go? You'd be a fool not to.
You're going to get a lot more out of this than you can
even imagine. Trust me. I've been there.
Showing posts with label retreat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retreat. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thursday, December 3, 2009
In case you're not on my mailing list..
Barbara Sher's Newsletter
Hi All!
The first part of this newsletter is about going places. The second is about coming home. Not about me coming home. Maybe about you coming home.
GOING PLACES
I'm getting ready to head out for the French Pyrenees, to meet my son and his family for Christmas and New Year's. While still jetlagged, I fully expect to be dodging my very dangerous 6 year-old, snowball-shooting grandson's missiles. (You'd think my son would protect me since it's his kid and all, but he just keeps laughing and taking movies.)
When I finally haul my carcass off the battlefield I'll grab a nap and then pick up my ongoing project of shifting a whole lot of my work to Europe. I'm setting up even more speaking gigs for myself -- I'm thinking Sweden, maybe Estonia, you know?
You can see the ones I'm already doing. I'm doing that partly for my 'half-the-year in the E.U.' plan for 2010, and partly, as always, to stay one step ahead of my WriteSpeak students (more about that in COMING HOME, below).
What started as a good excuse to spend more time with my overseas family has turned into something much bigger.
TWITTER GLOBAL NEW YEAR'S IDEA PARTY
The more I see my mission as saving as many geniuses as I can in my lifetime and making the world a better place by freeing up all that genius, the more I realize that none of it would be possible without the internet.
The Twitter Idea Party
So, when I get to my hotel and dust off the snow, as New Year's Eve approaches, I'm going to do another round of the Global Idea Party, like we did last March. I don't know who'll be joining me, but I'll be there (and I'll need you to join me, at least part of the time) and together we'll be heading through every time zone to ring in the new year by helping people make their dreams come true.
It won't combine with conference calling this time, because I won't have the crew working with me as I did last time. (They kind of threatened my life if I made them stay up all night again.) You can see the story at the Wishcraft 30th birthday celebration site. (Remind me to put a clip up on YouTube from my 'Idea Party Pledge Special' before December 31st, just to get you warmed up.)
SINCE I'LL BE IN FRANCE ANYWAY...
Whilst in France, we're also visiting the site for my next Scanner Retreat in April. It's an immaculate inn set in a medieval stone village that overlooks the Languedoc countryside. We found the place quite by accident, (here's that jolly story:) but we knew this was the right place as soon as we saw it. It can't be very well known yet because we've gotten a great group rate in fabulous rooms with breakfasts and gourmet dinners. It's kind of like a wonderful dream. And you'll be surrounded by Scanners, possibly the first time you'll be among people who understand who you are (read: who don't think you're flaky).
So, here's to the world. See as much of it as you can, because you never know which dreams you'll uncover. And make sure you get all the help you need to make them come true. I'll be here, so join the party, come to a Scanner Retreat and find your tribe! When you win, it's good for all of us!
And now...
COMING HOME
When I get back to New York I won't be lounging about either. January 16 will be the next (and only, for a long while) Part I Telephone Workshop for the WriteSpeak program. That's where you find out what your message is - or you begin to. Read on and you'll see what I'm talking about.
The teleworkshop is the prerequisite for WriteSpeak Part II, which is the Retreat on Feb 12-17, so if you haven't already taken it, you'd best sign up. If you want to come to the WriteSpeak retreat in New York in February, that is.
I know I ran a WriteSpeak retreat less than a month ago. I didn't plan to have another for a year or so. But there's a story here, too.
A few days before last November's retreat began, three of the nicest, smartest attendees had to drop out. They were very unhappy about that, but one had pneumonia (she was going to come anyway, but I swore I'd do everything in my power to hold a February retreat for her, so she stayed in bed. She is now fully recovered and holding me to my promise!). Two others were told subtly by their bosses that if they missed that particular Monday or Tuesday (whatever), they might not need to come back to work at all, ever. Choke. Naturally, I promised them I'd have a retreat in February, too.
So don't make a liar out of me. Help me find some wonderful people who know they should be writing and speaking but didn't know they could. Just show them the letters I got tonight from the grads of November's retreat. I can hardly read them without beaming and getting a tear in my eye, and that's not a figure of speech. I guess I'll just let them write the rest of this newsletter.
Barbara Sher's WriteSpeak Retreat was incredible. I'm not a coach, or a writer, and I thought I would be out of place. But this was just the place for me, because I want to be a speaker. I've always known that someday, some way, I would be a speaker - but I had no idea where or how to start. Barbara's retreat gave me exactly what I needed to get started. In addition to Barbara's help and inspiration, the support and camaraderie of all the wonderful people who participated is an amazing and powerful thing. Whatever you have to do to get there, do it! It is the best thing you can do for yourself.
And another:
Attending Barbara Sher's WriteSpeak retreat was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was completely unclear about what my message was before attending - and completely clear and energized about it afterwards. It was fun, casual (I wore my pajamas) and extremely informative. I made new friends - and after 5 years of procrastinating, I finally started blogging. This was unlike any other workshop I've ever attended. Nothing held back, all questions answered and no upsells. It's chatting with Barbara in a living room. We drank coffee, we ate home-made biscuits and we laughed like crazy. If you're thinking about attending, don't hesitate. Sign up now. You'll love it.
and her man, Joe (I love the way that sounds) said:
It's OK for boys to come, too.
They're both hot as pistols and oh-so-ready for me to begin Part III. Take a look at their wonderful blogs and you'll see what I mean:
Patty's blog
Joe's blog
Here's the only other 'testimonial' I'll ask you to read. It's not short, but I don't want to cut a word of it. You'll see why:
Barbara, and the retreat she made, handed me my life's work. I seriously do not know how to thank her.
Coming to the WS retreat had no less a result than leading me nose-first right to my Thing. The Thing I have been looking for practically my entire adult life. My Thing, my Mission From God, you get the idea. And now that I've figured out the Thing, it answers so many questions I've always had about my whole reason for being.
I think it was two things that clinched it: first, the exercise of speaking to my Orphan. This pointed me right at what I would say to someone who reminded me of me. And me saying to Barbara after the exercise that there was something I was avoiding telling my orphan, because I didn't want to freak her out. And Barbara saying "That thing you didn't want to tell her? That was your message." At the time I didn't get it, but over the course of the retreat I came to see how exactly right this was.
The other was Barbara saying that there's something that every one of us has already spent the 'Malcolm Gladwell Required 10,000 hours' becoming an expert on. I understood, in the intellect, that my mission was somehow about helping my orphan, in all her guises. But I didn't really get this until lying in bed one night at the retreat, trying to stay awake and do my homework, and realizing: THIS is what I'm an expert on. This stuff is what I think about, what I write about, what I'm obsessed with. This is the mission. What I never got before was that my obsession with constructing my self would be the basis of my vocation. That my mission could be the result and the healing of this formative wound, made manifest. And that healing myself would be a natural by-product of helping others who remind me of me.
To sum up: the retreat helped me discover my Mission, which I knew was somewhere, but which I had struggled long and hard to find. I didn't know this would happen. I thought I was coming to learn about writing and speaking as a career, and that I would figure out what sort of thing I might be writing and speaking about later. I did not expect that I would leave the retreat having found my life's purpose. What I ended up with is the biggest, most valuable gift I have ever gotten from any kind of education in my whole life.
All this "mission" business aside - I would go anywhere to sit at Barbara's feet and soak up her smartness and laugh at her jokes. Because she is so funny and so real and so perceptive about what people need that just being in her presence is an education. I love her, and kind of want to marry her (Barbara, you should know that I make the best, most protein-y breakfasts in the world). But since she is unlikely to agree to this, I am happy to have her as the chairperson of my High Council of Jedi Knights, and unreservedly, strongly recommend that anyone who has a chance to study with her do it!
THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY 'COMING HOME.' I DIDN'T MEAN ME, I MEANT YOU.
Nothing more to say. That's all you need to know to make up your mind to be there, or to uncork the mission of some stuck genius you value, who ought to be telling the world what he worked so hard to learn in life. That's an obligation you/they have. It's my most welcome obligation to show you how to do it.
With warmest, highest regard,
Barbara Sher
PS: here's your audio tip.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
WRITESPEAK PART I - TELEWORKSHOP JANUARY 16, 2010
WRITESPEAK PART II - 6-DAY RETREAT IN NEW YORK CITY, FEBRUARY 12 - 17
SCANNER 6-DAY RETREAT IN FRANCE, APRIL 6 - 11, 2010
Hi All!
The first part of this newsletter is about going places. The second is about coming home. Not about me coming home. Maybe about you coming home.
GOING PLACES
I'm getting ready to head out for the French Pyrenees, to meet my son and his family for Christmas and New Year's. While still jetlagged, I fully expect to be dodging my very dangerous 6 year-old, snowball-shooting grandson's missiles. (You'd think my son would protect me since it's his kid and all, but he just keeps laughing and taking movies.)
When I finally haul my carcass off the battlefield I'll grab a nap and then pick up my ongoing project of shifting a whole lot of my work to Europe. I'm setting up even more speaking gigs for myself -- I'm thinking Sweden, maybe Estonia, you know?
You can see the ones I'm already doing. I'm doing that partly for my 'half-the-year in the E.U.' plan for 2010, and partly, as always, to stay one step ahead of my WriteSpeak students (more about that in COMING HOME, below).
What started as a good excuse to spend more time with my overseas family has turned into something much bigger.
TWITTER GLOBAL NEW YEAR'S IDEA PARTY
The more I see my mission as saving as many geniuses as I can in my lifetime and making the world a better place by freeing up all that genius, the more I realize that none of it would be possible without the internet.
The Twitter Idea Party
So, when I get to my hotel and dust off the snow, as New Year's Eve approaches, I'm going to do another round of the Global Idea Party, like we did last March. I don't know who'll be joining me, but I'll be there (and I'll need you to join me, at least part of the time) and together we'll be heading through every time zone to ring in the new year by helping people make their dreams come true.
It won't combine with conference calling this time, because I won't have the crew working with me as I did last time. (They kind of threatened my life if I made them stay up all night again.) You can see the story at the Wishcraft 30th birthday celebration site. (Remind me to put a clip up on YouTube from my 'Idea Party Pledge Special' before December 31st, just to get you warmed up.)
SINCE I'LL BE IN FRANCE ANYWAY...
Whilst in France, we're also visiting the site for my next Scanner Retreat in April. It's an immaculate inn set in a medieval stone village that overlooks the Languedoc countryside. We found the place quite by accident, (here's that jolly story:
So, here's to the world. See as much of it as you can, because you never know which dreams you'll uncover. And make sure you get all the help you need to make them come true. I'll be here, so join the party, come to a Scanner Retreat and find your tribe! When you win, it's good for all of us!
And now...
COMING HOME
When I get back to New York I won't be lounging about either. January 16 will be the next (and only, for a long while) Part I Telephone Workshop for the WriteSpeak program. That's where you find out what your message is - or you begin to. Read on and you'll see what I'm talking about.
The teleworkshop is the prerequisite for WriteSpeak Part II, which is the Retreat on Feb 12-17, so if you haven't already taken it, you'd best sign up. If you want to come to the WriteSpeak retreat in New York in February, that is.
I know I ran a WriteSpeak retreat less than a month ago. I didn't plan to have another for a year or so. But there's a story here, too.
A few days before last November's retreat began, three of the nicest, smartest attendees had to drop out. They were very unhappy about that, but one had pneumonia (she was going to come anyway, but I swore I'd do everything in my power to hold a February retreat for her, so she stayed in bed. She is now fully recovered and holding me to my promise!). Two others were told subtly by their bosses that if they missed that particular Monday or Tuesday (whatever), they might not need to come back to work at all, ever. Choke. Naturally, I promised them I'd have a retreat in February, too.
So don't make a liar out of me. Help me find some wonderful people who know they should be writing and speaking but didn't know they could. Just show them the letters I got tonight from the grads of November's retreat. I can hardly read them without beaming and getting a tear in my eye, and that's not a figure of speech. I guess I'll just let them write the rest of this newsletter.
Barbara Sher's WriteSpeak Retreat was incredible. I'm not a coach, or a writer, and I thought I would be out of place. But this was just the place for me, because I want to be a speaker. I've always known that someday, some way, I would be a speaker - but I had no idea where or how to start. Barbara's retreat gave me exactly what I needed to get started. In addition to Barbara's help and inspiration, the support and camaraderie of all the wonderful people who participated is an amazing and powerful thing. Whatever you have to do to get there, do it! It is the best thing you can do for yourself.
And another:
Attending Barbara Sher's WriteSpeak retreat was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was completely unclear about what my message was before attending - and completely clear and energized about it afterwards. It was fun, casual (I wore my pajamas) and extremely informative. I made new friends - and after 5 years of procrastinating, I finally started blogging. This was unlike any other workshop I've ever attended. Nothing held back, all questions answered and no upsells. It's chatting with Barbara in a living room. We drank coffee, we ate home-made biscuits and we laughed like crazy. If you're thinking about attending, don't hesitate. Sign up now. You'll love it.
and her man, Joe (I love the way that sounds) said:
It's OK for boys to come, too.
They're both hot as pistols and oh-so-ready for me to begin Part III. Take a look at their wonderful blogs and you'll see what I mean:
Patty's blog
Joe's blog
Here's the only other 'testimonial' I'll ask you to read. It's not short, but I don't want to cut a word of it. You'll see why:
Barbara, and the retreat she made, handed me my life's work. I seriously do not know how to thank her.
Coming to the WS retreat had no less a result than leading me nose-first right to my Thing. The Thing I have been looking for practically my entire adult life. My Thing, my Mission From God, you get the idea. And now that I've figured out the Thing, it answers so many questions I've always had about my whole reason for being.
I think it was two things that clinched it: first, the exercise of speaking to my Orphan. This pointed me right at what I would say to someone who reminded me of me. And me saying to Barbara after the exercise that there was something I was avoiding telling my orphan, because I didn't want to freak her out. And Barbara saying "That thing you didn't want to tell her? That was your message." At the time I didn't get it, but over the course of the retreat I came to see how exactly right this was.
The other was Barbara saying that there's something that every one of us has already spent the 'Malcolm Gladwell Required 10,000 hours' becoming an expert on. I understood, in the intellect, that my mission was somehow about helping my orphan, in all her guises. But I didn't really get this until lying in bed one night at the retreat, trying to stay awake and do my homework, and realizing: THIS is what I'm an expert on. This stuff is what I think about, what I write about, what I'm obsessed with. This is the mission. What I never got before was that my obsession with constructing my self would be the basis of my vocation. That my mission could be the result and the healing of this formative wound, made manifest. And that healing myself would be a natural by-product of helping others who remind me of me.
To sum up: the retreat helped me discover my Mission, which I knew was somewhere, but which I had struggled long and hard to find. I didn't know this would happen. I thought I was coming to learn about writing and speaking as a career, and that I would figure out what sort of thing I might be writing and speaking about later. I did not expect that I would leave the retreat having found my life's purpose. What I ended up with is the biggest, most valuable gift I have ever gotten from any kind of education in my whole life.
All this "mission" business aside - I would go anywhere to sit at Barbara's feet and soak up her smartness and laugh at her jokes. Because she is so funny and so real and so perceptive about what people need that just being in her presence is an education. I love her, and kind of want to marry her (Barbara, you should know that I make the best, most protein-y breakfasts in the world). But since she is unlikely to agree to this, I am happy to have her as the chairperson of my High Council of Jedi Knights, and unreservedly, strongly recommend that anyone who has a chance to study with her do it!
THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY 'COMING HOME.' I DIDN'T MEAN ME, I MEANT YOU.
Nothing more to say. That's all you need to know to make up your mind to be there, or to uncork the mission of some stuck genius you value, who ought to be telling the world what he worked so hard to learn in life. That's an obligation you/they have. It's my most welcome obligation to show you how to do it.
With warmest, highest regard,
Barbara Sher
PS: here's your audio tip.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
WRITESPEAK PART I - TELEWORKSHOP JANUARY 16, 2010
WRITESPEAK PART II - 6-DAY RETREAT IN NEW YORK CITY, FEBRUARY 12 - 17
SCANNER 6-DAY RETREAT IN FRANCE, APRIL 6 - 11, 2010
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