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A Global Team Pulls It Off
I relocated from London to Hong Kong. Han Dana, a graduate who resides in the U.S., enrolled me and David Brock into taking on the possibility of bringing The Landmark Forum to Hong Kong. Han is a master enroller and excellent creator of powerful possibility. He is also the individual and web master of the ever so famous, Landmark graduate Web site, www.ilovepossibility.info.
Han's ancestry, originally being from Asia, inspired him even more to take a powerful stand for bringing the work to this region. He wanted to mobilize whomever and whatever he could source, from the States, thus enrolling us to take a powerful stand for having possibility powerful present. Han strongly supported us every step of the way. He organized a weekly conference call with graduates and leaders from all over the world. His web site facilitated all of us being present and in communication with one another. Every Sunday, graduates from around the world would get on a phone call just to create the possibility and to play a global game to bring The Landmark Forum here.
From all the international conference calls, the momentum began to build. The people on our calls knew a person here or there and said, “Here's their phone number, call them up, and invite them to an introduction.” So family, friends, and colleagues began to build up. We hosted several Special Evenings About The Landmark Forum. Jerome Downes, a Landmark Forum Leader flew over to lead a couple of them.
But, it didn't all come together with grace and ease, believe me. We really went through “growing pains” and struggles, as global leaders and a fledgling Landmark international community of only a few. Yet leaders being leaders, we declared we would not give up regardless of setbacks, disappointments, challenges, and struggles. We were out to have The Landmark Forum here, and that was that. And, it worked!
There was a core team: Chelsea Blackburn, Nathan Phillips, and Charles Caldwell, along with us, Greg Hart, source person and David Brock. Even one month before The Landmark Forum was scheduled to occur, it didn't look like it was going to happen. Registrations didn't materialize as fast as we had planned on. We declared a breakdown, stepped out of our comfort zones, really pulling together the team, and played full out to make The First Landmark Forum happen. We were having lunch introductions, weekly meetings, even handing out flyers on the famous Hong Kong escalators; extending our invitations until the very last day before The Landmark Forum.
Then The Landmark Forum actually happened. I remember sitting there the first day, as if it were just yesterday. You see there's a word used in Cantonese, called "gweilo," which literally means a foreigner or directly a ‘white ghost'. It's what all Caucasians are called. It actually means “foreign devil.” Jerome, who led The Landmark Forum here, was that very “foreign devil”, worse yet an American foreign devil in British territory. So, Jerome was up there in a very hot seat; dancing in the conversation of fear and resignation that was ever so present for Hong Kong at that time.
The economic and political situation of late really has had a battering effect on Hong Kong citizens. During the course of The Landmark Forum, you could actually see breakthroughs emerge in the conversation of this very fear. People were able to stand in the space to create a new possibility to take action, with an inner sense of freedom. They were able to be with issues in a much more positive and effective way. You saw people really moving through the resignation, lighting up, and seeing a new way to be, by taking a stand to act.
Individual stories were so touching, moving and inspiring.
I remember a local gentleman here who was having serious challenges relating to his boss. This guy's boss would skew and justly falsify things in order to get his own way and force his agenda onto others. He didn't have basic respect for the employees or even really listen to what they had to say. The gentleman in The Landmark Forum was honestly “stuck” with it - this was the true reality for him. There's no way he could forgive his boss for what he'd done or have any respect for him. Through participation in The Landmark Forum, a new possibility emerged - maybe the boss was just a human-being. Maybe interpretation and gossip blew things way out of proportion. Then people got sucked in and it became the agreed upon reality. During The Landmark Forum the guy called his boss - they actually had an authentic conversation, setting up a meeting to rebuild and reconstitute their relationship powerfully, creating a relationship was not available before.
Another story of a very successful, middle-aged Chinese woman was about her parents and their challenging separation. Early on, she had gotten really upset and angry with her father and mother. She had really not had any satisfying or close relationship with either them. You see, in the Chinese culture, as long as you're respectful and you spend time honoring your parents, you're doing your just duty and obligation. So she went through the motions of paying respects but feeling no real love or respect for them. What she got out of The Landmark Forum was a brand new relationship with them, distinct from the past. She actually started talking to them again and established a profound love and commitment in her relationship to both of them.
These are only two of hundreds of touching stories that made this all worthwhile, taking just what it took to host, source and presence the possibility of our education for the first time here. The impact profoundly touched people on many levels - in the big questions of life and also in the little day-to-day challenges and opportunities that are the very fabric of our lives. What an honor and pleasure to be part of something that makes such a difference of this magnitude for so many!
David Brock (shown left) and Greg Hart (shown second from right)
