Transformational Thinking

My intention and purpose is to provide people and organizations with the skills necessary to effect positive change within their realities. All change begins within and expands outwards to include others within our sphere of influence. As Leo Tolstoy said, "Most people think of changing the world but few think about changing one's self."

Transformational Thinking (TT) is a philosophy of change. My first book, Champions of Change, was written in 1997. Its most important message is that we all have a choice. We can be either victims of circumstance or Champions of Change.The quality of our life is determined by the choices we make. By learning how to improve the quality of our decisions. we can improve our quality of life. It is really that simple.

There are several qualities that make TT unique. First of all, it is universally applicable. By this, I mean that anyone can apply it within their own reality and obtain immediate results. It is also skill-based. Knowledge without application is meaningless information. Action is what translates thought into reality. TT is not just a collection of thoughts, concepts and theories. It is a simple how-to guide of quality enhancement. I will be sharing these skills with you in later postings. TT is also what I refer to as a "living" philosophy and, like all living creatures, it is ever-expanding, adapting and changing. It is an inclusive philosophy, as opposed to an exclusive one, as are far too many other philosophies. Whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or atheist, TT is for you.

I have taught TT in over fifty countries to hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals over the past 25 years. For the past ten years, I have lived and worked out of Thailand and focused on South Asia. I will be returning to America within a couple of months and will continue my teaching there. It has been a great experience being in this part of the world and I have learned so much! It is time for me to return home and share what I have experienced with my fellow countrymen.

Transformational Thinking has its roots in the real world, not books. It is derived from nature and the systems found there. I consider nature as the best model and mentor when it comes down to adaptability, so necessary for survival and success. Opposed to current thinking, survival is not about the fittest. It is the most adaptable who survive. TT teaches us how to adapt to change but, more importantly, shows us how to create the changes we want and deserve. Change comes in waves. You either ride them or drown in them. I prefer to create them and TT is the way to do that.

One of the keys to becoming a better thinker is to understand the interconnections of all elements of life. That is not as difficult as it may seem at first. My grandfather, who was a Comanche, taught me, using nature as a guide. Through his patient tutelage, I learned that I was a part of nature, rather than apart from it. In future postings, I will share with you what he called the Wisdom of the Ancient Ones.

The second lesson of TT is that we are all responsible for the results of our decisions and choices. Imagine you are standing on the bank of a small pond and you reach down, pick up a pebble and toss it into the center of the pond. What happens? Ripples. They radiate 360 degrees from the center. Who is responsible for the ripples? You. The ripples represent the consequences of our decisions and, once set into motion, they cannot be stopped or taken back. Every word we utter and every action we take creates ripples. We are each responsible for the ripples we create. What happens when the ripples reach the shore? They return to the source. We all receive what we put out there into the universe.

Our ripples can have direct or indirect consequences and effects. Our words and actions can affect people we have never met. One example that comes to mind was a woman I taught in the Maldives several years ago. Two years after I had taught her TT, I ran into her on a street in Male and she invited me for a cup of coffee. She told me she had used what she had learned by sharing it with her 15 year old nephew (who was having serious problems in school and with his parents). Sitting down all three of them, she shared some simple TT skills with them and the problem was resolved by the 15 year old, himself, an amazing transformation, according to her. Indirect ripples.

This is the first time I have ever written a posting for a blog. I would appreciate your input, questions and comments.