My Manifesto – Part 8....

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I have deep faith but yet do not require anyone to share in my commitment to these covenants. I am completely respectful of all faiths or of no faith at all when it comes to spiritual choices in our lives. I have committed my life to Jesus Christ and have chosen to honor these covenants at the deepest point of my soul. I will live by his gift of grace and extend his love and patience to all! I ask that you respect my choice and allow me to express my beliefs, as I will honor this with you. I hope that you will not feel threatened by my choices and feel free to explore faith, as you feel led. I believe faith is one of the cornerstones of our organization as it is a cornerstone to all humanity. But religion and faith are two very different things. Religion is a set of rules and protocols, I believe designed to control people and thus keep people under fear and submission. Faith is a deep relationship of love and grace. It brings me great peace and never in any way radiates anger or fear. We are loved and forgiven and I pray we will extend this kindness and mercy to all mankind regardless of their spiritual or personal preferences.....

We launch this journey with nothing more than our brains and hearts. From this wellspring we will help people find a path to peace and prosperity. We are creating a future that doesn’t even exist yet, something extraordinary and a cause worth fighting for. This will take great courage, commitment and initiative. It is much easier to react than it is to respond or initiate. Reacting is often instinctive and done without much forethought. It is often dangerous and ill-advised, taking you down a road that you later regret. Responding requires patience and grace. A response is a respectful way to acknowledge the issue and peacefully find a solution. There is a big difference between asking a man a question and questioning a man. One will have insight anger and defensiveness while the other will suggest respect and patience. However, initiating is truly the work of an insightful confident leader. Our goal is to make the first move and suggest a peaceful resolution before emotions can arise. It is our intention to develop the insight to foresee turmoil or challenges, and proactively make choices that lead to everyone feeling loved and respected. We vow to do our best but will always extend grace when any of us fall short.....

I know that as we launch down this road many mistakes will be made and many significant leaders will challenge our beliefs and choices. I read the other day that IBM thought the global need for computers was around 5 in the early 1950s, that Steve Ballmer of Microsoft said that “Google is not a real company and a house of cards” and that “there can’t be any more deep technology in Facebook than what dozens of people could write in a couple of years. That’s for sure”. Sir Isaac Newton was completely wrong about his theory of alchemy of which he spent most of his life on. He was as wrong as a scientist can be and yet he, like the others, is regarded as one of the greatest scientist, and innovators of all time. Over and over throughout modern and ancient history leadership has been wrong, but this does not discredit their lives work. My mentors are amazing people and have proven that throughout their lives. I am eternally grateful for their love and guidance but have chosen to take a new path that I pray will honor them not discredit or bring them discomfort. Steve Jobs was wrong about apple III, Mac FX and the NeXt computer. The secret of being wrong isn’t to avoid being wrong; the secret is being willing to “BE” wrong. The secret is realizing that wrong isn’t fatal. I will certainly make my share of wrong decisions and will have to make many adjustments as we go down this path. It is safe to assume to that our initial launch of change will not be better than the system we are departing from. If we all need the alternative to be better from the very start we may as well never begin. Soon enough we will surpass our original mentors. Truly our goal is not to be better but to offer the best solution possible to help our teammates live their dreams. Shouldn’t this be our predecessor’s goal anyways? Don’t we all want our kids to do better than we have? Isn’t it our life’s purpose for the next generation to stand on our shoulders and see the future and then lead them to this place? I also know that our past does not predict our future. Both our successes and failures do not dictate our destinies. Past success does not guarantee future success and transgressions do not create future failures, in fact, if anything they will guide us through these landmines of the future. The secret to leadership is simple. Do what you believe in, paint a picture of it and then go there with all your heart and soul.....

I feel as though I have spent the last decade of my life trying to influence change from the inside of a massive powerful and wonderful organization. I am compelled to come to the realization that it is my calling to lead change from outside this group and develop a new tribe of growth and change. It may have been foolish to try and create change from the inside but I felt that it was my duty and responsibility to serve and influence a new path in every way I could without causing too much disharmony. Clearly this has been my intent but it has been frequently misinterpreted. I realize the view of the majority is to maintain the status quo and continue on their path. I have chosen to lead a new tribe of leaders that are willing to risk comfort and run with them. Instead of standing around waiting for change to happen and letting this opportunity fade away from our hearts I am choosing to boldly step out and believe that many feel the same way and just need to be led. I believe that it is riskier to play it safe and hope that things will change than it is to step out and invent our futures. The world is clearly changing and I intend to embrace this opportunity.....

My Manifesto – Part 7

We aren’t looking for everyone, we are looking for those highly motivated people who want to not just be a part of something great but be a great part of something worthwhile. The rest of the population is free to continue doing whatever they choose to do without any judgment from me. Great leaders don’t try to please everyone. Great leaders don’t water down the message in order to enlarge their fortunes or power. They realize that leading a passionate tribe of warriors is far more powerful than a large group without fire. “I would rather run with a hundred than drag ten thousand.” And I would rather lead a group of sheep in lions clothing than a bunch of lions in sheep’s clothing.....

We are not most people! Most people work hard to fake people out. Most people aren’t willing to lead. Most people are afraid. Most people would like for the world to stay just as it is. Most people are more committed to preserving what they have than they are in growing and multiplying what they have been blessed with. We can worry about most people all the time but they are not worried about us. They are more concerned about themselves and how the world views them. They won’t hear you no matter how loud you yell. Some of these people will work hard to denounce you and assassinate your reputation for the sake of holding on and preserving their own false sense of power and control. Regardless of what they do or don’t do we will love them unconditionally, extend full grace and pray they find a path that leads to peace and prosperity. This is the covenant for which I stand. ....

We all have the ability to lead this change and help this hurting world. We need to go deep with the people in our lives and pull out of them the passions that have been buried for so long. Do not underestimate the power of one. Christ, Gandhi, Mandela, King, Jobs, Gates Puryear and Britt have all answered their callings. They simply stood up and said follow me! One person can change history, one person can change an industry, one person can change a culture, one person can declare war, and one person like you can reinvent your life and the lives of thousands. The only thing most people lack is faith. Faith that you can do it, faith that it’s worth it, faith that failure won’t destroy you and faith that together we can live our dreams. ....

We will develop new techniques, strategies and technologies from the communal minds of many. I believe that creativity is derived from the masses that are in the early stages of their business, out in the daily grind and facing the reality of our issues. I also believe that discernment comes from those that have succeeded at a very high level and have obtained the wisdom through decades of trial and error. We will develop a safe and respectful environment where these two groups can communicate and share in experiences that will help us all generate our new future. ....

I believe that growth and change must be linked together in order to shatter old habits and rules thus cutting us loose to reinvent an industry that has been too afraid to change for a very long time. This will require great courage because we will have to overcome the resistance of people we love and trust. My confidence and faith does not come because I know something that others do not but it comes from drawing a line from the past to the present and merely extending that into the future. This clearly shows us where we would go if we do not change and therefore strengthens my resolve and faith in the changes we are making. Pure faith is often underrated but clearly must be a companion in the heart of a leader. ....

My Manifesto part 6

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As passionate agents of change and healing we are committed, to guide as servant leaders. Challenge is the existing power that requires commitment for both public and private. Fence sitters only hurt both sides. We must get to work and put our thoughts and ideas on the line. More than anyone else, I’m the one who must dare and willing to risk it all. Dare to be great and lead change will require my total presence, not just a “punch the clock” Mentality. I will do this without any interest in glory or power. Great leaders are willing and able to reflect their light onto their teams. Great leaders don’t want the attention, but they use it to empower others. I’ve heard that people are calling me an ego-maniac and that this whole movement is about me and my vendetta against my former mentors. Nothing could be farther from the truth! I am committed to this movement through my desire to add value and help people heal. My only desire is to empower others to believe in themselves, not to raise the value they hold of me. I know that it is the intent of our leadership that matters most. True leaders can sniff out unauthentic people who are seeking attention or looking out for number one. I am committed to use all recognition and authority as a tool to unite us and reinforce our deep values in personal growth, peace and brotherhood. My motivation is not of money or status, it is the pure joy of finally seeing my brothers and sisters enjoy the same quality of freedom that I have lived for nearly two decades. This is about what I can do for this tribe not what it can do for me! I truly deeply desire to serve and leave a legacy of greatness and freedom. Freedom causes our personal responsibility to rise and surface. We either rise with it or we will lose our freedom. The only way to cultivate freedom is through experiencing and learning how to handle an increasing number of options. Managing options is how we expand our lives into an ever-increasing wealth mind set. However we will remind ourselves that a wealthy mindset is not about money or things, it is about freedom and generosity.....
We will encourage people to see their blessings as a responsibility to bring love and security to the environment they live in. Pour their lives into the long-term benefits of society and future generations, thus changing the destiny of any that will ever bare their names. A culture of honor is not an idea; it’s a practice, a practice of giving! I dream of a generation whose dream it is to benefit the world around them by learning to handle and give away the limitless, transforming resources of Gods kingdom. ....
We will build a culture of honor that is love driven not rule driven. We will share in the belief that we are free people. We will do whatever it takes to courageously embrace this truth, walk in it and come to know it as our reality! A true culture of love!! I believe there are clashes going on of two dominions; fear and love; freedom and control; old and new covenant; and law and grace.....
I will choose to lead, not manage, and do my best to connect with the heart and needs of our community. I will work to unify our tribes in purpose over action. We will be unified by spirit and harmony not rules and enforcement. I will encourage a 360 degree style of leadership that runs all directions not upline/downline only. Positional leadership will be abolished and mentoring relationships will be based on mutual love, trust and respect. No submission, just love and trust. We will have peace in open source communication and environments like social networks where we can openly share ideas and help each family member. Communication will be kept constant via twitter and mobile updates.....
This will create discomfort for those that crave authority and power. It is this discomfort that will force all of us to grow in our own confidence and love for each other. It is uncomfortable to lead a tribe of independent thinkers, it is uncomfortable to run with an idea that might fail, it is uncomfortable to challenge the monolithic organizations that have dominated this industry for 50 years and it is uncomfortable to resist settling for the safe route. But it is in this discomfort that we find the place where new leadership is needed the most!....
This is a call to action; we need all of you to be actively involved in leading this tribe and spreading this message of growth, love and peace. Truly it will be up to the micro leaders that are out in the trenches every day not just the current leaders of this movement. We will be relying on the contributions of the young enthusiastic people of passion and purpose. I hope to create a vacuum affect that pulls all of you to your highest purpose. Leadership is a choice and to do nothing is a choice. Hiding or sitting on the fence is a choice to do nothing. I respect whatever you choose and have no personal attachment to your decisions but my prayer is that you will desired to achieve your highest calling. I Love you no matter what and this decision will not alter that commitment. ....
Just showing up will not be sufficient, we must work hard to reach out to the hurting people of the world. We must act confidently, humbly and peacefully to find these wounded souls. So many people have a front up; therefore it is my call to help them find the true purpose that lies dormant in their minds. We must help them find their voice and realize that the safest thing we do feels risky and the riskiest thing we can do it play it safe! This will be the mindset that will set our cooped up passions free and lead us to distinguish our own greatness from the mediocrity that we have been hiding behind.....

My Manifesto part 5

My intention is to lead people that will eventually leave. I believe a real leader is not based on what they become but measured by what they create through their success. I want to rise up leaders that go out and change the world in a positive way. I want people enable to lead their own tribes and pursue the passions in their souls. I expect people to use this business as a trampoline to greater outreaches. I am not concerned with keeping people in this business forever. If people would like to stay, there will always be a place for them here, but I’m looking forward to celebrate your success outside this business from the profits and personal development you received from our team. You will always be a free agent and hopefully an agent of change. ....

We will help you face fear and learn to use it as an ally not a foe. Many people in this world are just waiting for all of us to fail! But the world we love and embrace is waiting for us to win and add value. I have experienced both. It seemed like there were so many people that were just waiting for me to fail so they could say “See! I told you so, told you that was gonna happen!” almost like they celebrate being right about someone’s loss. How messed up is that!!?? Because you have the audacity to challenge the present powers and those that sheepishly followed, you will be insulted and then ridiculed when you fail. But, if you are willing to get up and persevere, your fear and pain will be drowned out by the stories of restoration and victory that you help to create. I’ve found there are actually many people out there who really do want us to win. They are cheering us on to get up and get going. All of those people who cry in the movies that suffers the pain of the fallen are actually still whispering into the universe “get up, get up, get up!” “Please get up”! “We love you and we forgive you” “We need you to lead us” “We are here, and when you are ready we will rise with you!” Listen to this voice. God loves us and wants to use our story for the greater good of mankind! Your new humility and wisdom can carry you to heights that we thought were impossible until you went through this crucible. You are now made new and will lead one of the greatest movements of mankind! You have faced death and you are no longer afraid. “God is in the rain!”....

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I am so sickened by the hundreds of stories of people who struggle for years but never seem to get anywhere. For some reason they just can’t seem to get attract and develop of the results they deserve. They should worked hard, followed all the rules and taken all the beatings. I am very proud of the personal changes people have made and don’t discount that at all, however I feel it is my duty to make the necessary changes in order for people to finally make some headway on their dreams. Many are told to continue follow and keep doing what they are doing; becoming better and better at following but never learn to lead. In fact, being told is not to think, just listen and follow. Follow instructions, follow directions, follow the pack, do what they tell you, they did to get where they are at. “Tired men and bored women!” boring ideas don’t spread and boring organizations don’t grow. ....

Working in an environment that is stuck is not fun and breeds more of the same. Worse yet, working in an organization that fight for change will breed the initiative out of you. The age of free-thinking is upon us and yet fear still remains. The old ages will tell stories of what happened to others that chose to go down this path over and over again. Many will use these stories to stoke fear and rationalize their desire to hide and do nothing. Fear keeps people under submission. Fear that there is no way they could make it without the help of their current leadership. I would challenge that it’s not really the fear of failure that grips them but the fear of criticism! We have worked for our whole lives to avoid being talked about and put down. Choosing to is not to be remarkable because we are worried about criticism is very real. People are worried about stepping out, leading change, being a rebel or sharing a passionate message because someone will criticize it or judge them. I’ve been blogged hundreds of times, gossiped about, judged and measured by tens of thousands. It is hurtful, damaging and even sometimes paralyzing but what I try to remember is that the love is silent and the hate is loud. I believe it is the vocal minority that tries to stop my love for people and life. I am grateful to have a voice that people care enough to listen to and criticize but I absolutely refuse to lose heart. Truly, I have learned so much from both sides of the blogs. Both love and judgment can be helpful if taken in the right context. Boring or remarkable is a choice! Follow your destiny and lead a healing movement. ....

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If someone asks you how your day was and your answer is fine then I don’t think you are leading and I don’t think you are living passionately. So, the question on the table is, are we going to live remarkably or boringly? Boring is safe and without issue. William Wallace, in Braveheart , challenged his ragtag army of farmers and blacksmiths by declaring, “Dying in your beds many years from now would you be willing to trade all of this, from this day till then, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies, you can take our homes, you can take our lives but you will never take our freedom!!” as he rode in front of them before their battle..We will never have to risk our lives and our fortunes but we will be risking comfort and heavy criticism. I would challenge all to ponder that if the only side effect of criticism is that we will feel bad about what people say, then we should compare that feeling with the benefits we will get from actually doing something incredibly bold and worthwhile. Being remarkable is exhilarating and raised life to the highest level. The feeling of criticism eventually wears off and dies down over time and extinguished with success and impact. The real question is who are we upsetting and why are they upset? Are they taking it personally that we want to change our lives passionately? Are they afraid of losing control or profit? Are these really reasons that are about helping us live our dreams or their dreams? Thoughts to ponder!....