PSI Seminars - My Weekend of Discovery

When my staff partner and I opened the doors on the September Basic PSI Seminar, we saw a lobby full of nervous, apprehensive people. From all walks of life – real estate agents, mothers, constructions workers, nurses, teachers, retirees, teenagers –they filed quietly into the auditorium. PSI doesn’t advertise so the students were there on the recommendations of friends, family, or business colleagues.

They were nervous and frankly a little scared because the Basic Seminar isn’t easily described or encapsulated in a brochure. It’s an experience. And as I watched the weekend unfold, I was reminded that the individual experiences are as unique as blades of grass in a field . The “ah-ha” moments the previous students discovered might be completely lost on this newcomer. By Sunday night the mood changed completely and each one left with a proven set of tools for reaching their goals, a deeply personal inventory of themselves, and a renewed excitement about the future.
They came in looking isolated and left with hugs. We had to shoo them out of the auditorium because they were having so much fun exchanging email addresses with eighty plus new friends. They left knowing that the aloness they’d felt before was just an illusion. We are all connected.

This morning I discovered a quote from a graduate named Mark Montoya. He said this about PSI Seminars - “Crucial to my development as an adult and a successful sales and marketing professional was my enrollment in the PSI Seminars, a series of seminars that empower people to change their lives. Attending the PSI Seminars helped me hone my leadership skills, understand the importance of goal setting, expand my capacity for success, and develop real integrity.”

I witnessed the transformations and empowerment Mark spoke of. I watched as, in a safe environment, the students won back lost integrity and self respect, taking personal responsibility for their lives. They set goals for the future. This was like a foreign language to many of them. Decades had passed since one woman had dared to dream of anything for herself. I listened as they shared about their lives, each story resonating with me and others in the room. A few brave souls allowed people to really KNOW them for the first time in their lives.

As a volunteer staff person, I took part in the exercises, too, giving me the opportunity to do the personal work again and set my own 90 day goal. I took a clear look at where I am and the greatest clarifier was the students. I uncovered my answers through their stories and my interactions with them during the exercises.

All of them are awesome, wondrous human beings. I’d love to have a big party and invite the whole group! Helping out with a personal growth class or any personal development work you believe in is a gratifying way to make a difference in the world. Take someone you care about to a church retreat or tell them about a support group that worked for you and accompany them there. Go with friends to see leaders who motivate you or get an extra ticket and invite that person at work you hardly talk to. Give back to them some of the valuable information that’s been passed on to you. Better yet, go learn a new concept together!