An Evening with Adam

Today, I heard Adam Leipzig speak on “Hollywood Creativity and Entrepreneurship.” Mr. Leipzig stood about 5’7”, 5’8” and delivered a timely and refreshing message, not with fervor and intensity, but with poise and a gentleness that invited and challenged the listeners to transform society “ten percent over the next ten years.” The challenge was presented, and I accepted the challenge.

Adam Leipzig is the Senior Vice President of Walt Disney Studios and President of National Geographic Films, with successes including "Dead Poets Society" and "March of the Penguins." He spoke about “niches” and “micro-niches,” and revealed to us the value of vulnerability: “The thing that the world wants most is the most vulnerable thing you have... What if you made a small difference over a medium length of time?”

The highlight of the evening was when Mr. Leipzig opened the floor for questions, and I was offered the mic. I used the 30 second window to introduce myself, sharing that I am a student whose desire is to reform education and who was inspired by a man teaching calculus on YouTube who has a world-wide classroom. Mr. Leipzig, being an advocate of “strengths-management” asked me what I was “superbly good at,” in which I could go home this evening and upload an instruction video that would immediately gain 5 students. I answered “networking,” after a few moments of hesitation.

After the talk, I lingered for a bit. I did this purposefully, because I knew that I would find at least one person who would come up to me with some valuable information after I declared my intention to the room, on air, and online. This person did, in fact, appear. “Are you the education guy?” she asked. “That’s me!” “Have you heard of Udacity?” (I, in fact, did. I just read about them a few weeks ago in a magazine article.) “Ben Nelson just got granted $25 million in seed funding for Minerva, his Ivy-League start-up. Contact him and ask for a job.”

That’s in fact what I will do.    

7 Years Ago Today

Seven years ago today, I found the purpose of life.

Not just MY life, but LIFE ITSELF.

Being an analytical person, I’ve always asked, “why?”

I started asking the BIG questions when I was around sixteen. 

Here’s a little glimpse of where my mind was back then:

1.       If I was born in India, would I still be Catholic?

I grew up Catholic all my life; I kneeled, sat, stood and prayed all throughout my childhood. I went to Catholic elementary school, Catholic high school, and never missed a Sunday with my parents and sister growing up. I was very disillusioned with Catholicism; why was the bible rarely emphasized? It seems as though my catholic faith was more of a cultural upbringing than a personal belief. If I was born in India, I probably wouldn’t be catholic; I probably would be Muslim or Hindi. Why? Because that is the culture and the context I would be raised in. But does not God transcend culture? Is He not greater than culture?

2.       There are so many religions! Which one is the “right one?”

There was a meme that said, “I’m going to hell in every religion.” For the longest time, I was against “organized religion.” God gave us a brain; why would we need to fit ourselves in one of these pre-molded organizations? Doesn't this restrict us? Doesn’t this hinder our growth as human beings, if we are simply to “do this and don’t do that, say this and don’t say that, be this and don’t be that?” I’m an independent thinker! I can think on my own, thank you very much! Jesse Ventura said “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.” Bono of U2 said, “Religion is what is left when the Spirit has left the room.” So many people kill in the name of their religion. It’s dangerous! Why would I want to be a part of that? You can have religion. I’m fine without it. I would rather live life to the fullest, respect all people, and treat others the way I want to be treated. That makes more sense to me. Simple.

      

3.       What if I study all the religions, and live by the thread that weaves them all?

The Golden Rule: Do unto others the way you would have do unto you. Love people. Treat all people with dignity and respect. Karma: what goes around comes around. You reap what you sow. 

4.       Doesn’t “organized religion” divide us more than unite us?

Sunday is the most divided day of the week. Everyone across the globe gathers to their own places of worship, whether it be a church, synagogue, temple, or tv set. I’d rather spend my Sunday volunteering at a soup kitchen or something. Why sit and listen to someone preach to me for an hour while I could use that hour actually applying what is preached?

5.       How valid is the Bible? Isn’t it just a bunch of stories written by man?

We’ve all played the game of “telephone” – take a bunch of people in a room, whisper a message to one person, have that person whisper to the next person, and voila! You went from “Mary had a little lamb,” to “The cow jumped over the moon.” - a completely different story, with a completely different subject and predicate. This brings up the question, “Did Jesus really exist?”

6.       If God is love, and He is our Father in heaven who loves us, why would He send His children to hell?

Is hell even real? Is heaven real for that matter? I finally got the answer to this question after many years: Hell is not meant for you. It’s meant for Satan. The problem is, so many of us choose to listen to the devil instead of Jesus that we send ourselves there, not God. 

7.       Is there such thing as true humility?

As human beings, we are selfish by nature. Don’t believe me? When you look at a photo with you in a group, who do you look for first? You, or the group? Exactly. However altruistic we try to be, our nature is always to look out for numero uno. With that being said, is it possible to be truly selfless? Could it be that humility is just another form of pride? 

8.       Did Jesus really exist? Who was He? What was His mission?

I read somewhere that there was more proof of Abraham Lincoln’s existence than Jesus’. Interesting.

9.       What is love?

Baby, don’t hurt me.. no more. Agape. Philia. Eros.

10.   What is the purpose of life?

Existentialism? Nihilism? New Age? “To become the next Greatest Version of the Grandest Vision of Who I Really Am” Neale Donald Walsh “You Only Live Once” Drake “You are what you repeatedly do.” Aristotle “Love your life” “Life is not about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself” Coffee Mug “Free yourself from yourself” Nick H “Salvation lies within.” Shawshank Redemption “You are in control of your destiny” “Trust in yourself” “Self Reliance” Emerson Leave your legacy. Make a dent on this earth.

These sayings sound nice, but they are all driven by the self, which is driven by ego. Ego is selfish by nature, so how could one truly love each other if we are doing it for our own personal gain?

I spent a lot of time in my adolescent years seeking the answers to these questions. I would talk to “religious people,” but a lot of these people just followed their religion blindly and/or didn’t have the answers themselves. To me, I didn’t understand how you can truly believe what you believe unless you really ask “why?” 

Which leads me to my answer.

I found the answer in a book entitled The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. On September 25^th, 2005 I read these words:

It’s not about you.

The purpose of your life is far greater than

your own personal fulfillment, your peace of

mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater

than your family, your career, or even your

wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to

know why you were placed on this planet, you

must begin with God. You were born by his

purpose and for his purpose.

The search for the purpose of life has puzzled

people for thousands of years. That’s because

we typically begin at the wrong starting point—

ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like,

“What do I want to be? What should I do with

my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my

dreams for my future?”

But focusing on ourselves will never reveal

our life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God

who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s

life is in his power.”1

“It’s not about you,” was the first four words in the first chapter. “The purpose of my life is not about me? How does that make any sense?” For you to know the purpose of your life, you can’t start with yourself, you have to start with God.” Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “Plans not to hurt or harm you, but to give you a hope and a future.” God has a plan for me?? It’s in the Bible?? I never heard that before! That is such a relief, because before that, I thought I had to figure out on own! Needless to say, that first paragraph captured my attention, and for the past seven years I’ve been able to live my life with extreme confidence, finally knowing the answer to these ten questions I have asked since I was sixteen. This is such a weighty topic, and one blog posting does not thoroughly illustrate my point of view in depth, so I may have to revisit this topic again in the future. In the meantime, please think deeply on this posting, as it has been the result of fourteen years of asking, seeking, and knocking. Meditate on it, and be blessed!

I,Too,Have A Dream

Forty-nine years ago, a great man with an audacious dream boldly declared his sentiments: He spoke for unity and not division; peace, not war; love, not hate; content of character, not color of skin. He spoke of brotherhood of men, not destruction of fools.

Forty-nine years later, I speak of my own dream. It, too, is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream. I have a dream that one day, students will be tested not on the information they memorized, but on the relationships they built, the projects they made. I have a dream that students will be educated holistically, not segmentally. I have a dream that teachers will be paid what they are worth, and not with the leftovers of the state. I have a dream that education will be a “discovery process,” not an “employment process.” I have a dream that students will no longer graduate with a question over their heads, but with an exclamation over their hearts; that every student will clearly know Who they are, How they are, Why they are, and What they are to do, upon graduation.

Every human being was created with a purpose, and every human being is significant. I have a dream that one day, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestant and Catholics will know that purpose, and discover the great joy of education - of drawing out – that purpose instilled in childbirth.

NTLP 2012: "The Best Day Ever"

In my last post, I mentioned about the importance of leadership camps. I just returned from staffing at National Teen Leadership Program in Sacramento, California, and my life was made more rich! I met more people, learned more skills, challenged myself, stepped out of my comfort zone, expanded my mind, and re-opened my eyes. I met old friends and made new ones. I re-explored a once familiar environment and familiarized myself with it once again. 150 young adults were awakened, educated, and completely transformed over the course of three days, and I was greatly honored and privileged to be a part of that transformation. This post is a brief synopsis of what I personally got from the weekend.

What constitutes having a great experience? This past weekend, I heard a young man tell his father, “This has been the greatest experience of my life.” I heard another young man say, “This was this best day ever.” A young lady in my group wrote me a note saying, “You… have taught me skills I will use everyday of my life. Thank you so much for giving your time to be here.” 

One definition of the word “experience” is “a particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something; knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered, or undergone.” What these young adults had over these past three days was a true experience. For me, when I think of an experience, it implies a wide gamut of emotions: happy, sad, thrilled, exhilarated, nervous, joyful, amazed, inspired, etc. It is possible to have an experience with just one or two emotions, but when a full spectrum of emotions are turned on from one extreme to another in short amount of time, that definitely creates a memorable experience. In three days, 150 lives were impacted through the efforts of a group of devoted leaders. This is just a taste:

Day 1 – True Leadership. There is a quotation in the I-Ching that states, “The leader is not the one with the most followers; the leaders is the one who duplicates the most leaders.” Right off the bat this was made true for me when I took pride in the fact that two young ladies from the first group I led in 2007 have now become staff leaders four consecutive years in a row. Wow.  This day was about meeting new people with similar interests and reconnecting with seasoned friends. I met people who shared my same faith (Jesus), my same calling (education reform), and my same passion (motivational speaking, societal revolution). Of course, many others did not share all my interests, but I am still able to walk with them hand in hand despite not seeing eye to eye. This day I was introduced to the 11 young men and women that my co-leader and I would teach (there were originally 12, but one did not make it). My fear was that I would have a group of rowdy kids I could not control, but that was far from the case. I was so grateful to have been given the opportunity to invest in the lives of these teens, alongside my co-leader. I told them from the beginning, “You guys are not just teenagers, you’re the future; You are the future businesspeople, doctors, lawyers, accountants, athletes, movie stars, etc. Someone told me that if you want to know the future, spend time with a 15-year old. I’m here because I want to make sure our future is bright.” 

Day 2 – Diversity. When I asked these young men and women about the best part of their weekend, most of them mentioned Day 2. This was “Diversity” day. This was a day in which they were able, just for a moment, to be vulnerable and share what they usually don’t share with anyone. Sharing secrets creates trust, and trust forms bonds. How valuable is it to create a safe environment for people to release their inner fears, struggles, and stories? How much is such a cathartic experience worth? To these young men and women, it was the world. Needless to say, I myself walked away with a renewed sense of gratitude, privilege, and respect for life, and for my parents who nurtured me in it. 

Day 3 – The Beginnings. Al Pacino, in the movie “Scent of a Woman” said, “A minute? Some people live a whole lifetime in a minute.” How about three days? By this time, 150 youth have bonded, laughed, cried, and learned together, as one. This was the final day of camp, but the beginning of something great. This was the beginning of a great future that is ahead of 150 young people, with the world in the palm of their hands. It seemed that most, if not every person had their lives changed this weekend. Mark Twain and I share a same sentiment: “I could live a whole month off a compliment.” Before the camp ended, a young lady from my group handed me a note, her face filled with gratitude. The note summed up all the reasons why I did what I did last week:

Robin,

I’m so glad you were my leader for NTLP my first year. I am so inspired by your job and how you have a big dream that you are working hard to accomplish. You [and our co-leader] taught me skills I will use everyday of my life. Thank you so much for giving your time to be here. I hope to see you next year!

Gary Chapman wrote a book entitled, The 5 Love Languages. One of the 5 languages is Words of Affirmation. These words solidified my role and purpose at NTLP. It was the only note I received, but this note has made all the difference for me. I am writing this entry to inspire and encourage you, my reader, to go and spend time with a 15-year old this weekend. If you are already making the future bright living your own life, imagine how much brighter it will be if you invest in the lives of the future.

"It's Still America..."

I’m a seminar junkie. I love going to places to hear successful people talk, because they always have a slight edge over those who don’t pursue their dreams. A couple weeks ago I was invited to a 3-day real estate investing seminar, and I was floored. The last time I attended one of these was 8 years ago, in 2004. I was just a kid back then, and it was the first time I was introduced to terms like, “lease options,” “wrap around mortgage,” “tax lien certificates,” etc. I remember fervently taking down every word the lady said, even though I didn’t understand a lick of what she was saying. Now, 8 years later, I was able to understand a little better of what the concepts and strategies were, and get a clearer understanding of the direction being taught. Needless to say, I have a stronger hope towards a brighter future, after catching a glimpse of what my future could be, if I choose to implement the concepts and strategies that was taught that weekend.

The speaker was in his mid-50’s, a retired US Marine. At the time he said that his only skill was “to eliminate people in 5 different ways, silently, under 5 seconds, so they made me a sniper. Thank God I’ve learned more skills than that.” He began investing early in life, and eventually retired a multi-millionaire at 31, before the birth of his first child. “I have 3 children, and I have had breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday of their lives, because I didn’t have to work a job. I have been to 69 countries, and all of the continents, showing my family all of what God has made.” Wow. I have met a lot of successful people in life, but not one that has been as successful as this guy. “It’s still America outside your cubicle, folks. You can still do it. You can’t do it in Croatia; being rich is not allowed.” He really opened my eyes to see what was possible and probable, if you just take courage and believe that you can truly change your future if you decide to.