Hear the "news?" John Kerry (who ate breakfast a few tables over from me at the Four Seasons in Austin Sunday morning) makes a joke intended to slam Bush, Republicans slam Kerry, Kerry slams back...

When will the day come? How long will it be before we have visionaries as leaders? In some respects each man may be a visionary, but when will we all stop thinking, speaking and acting like positionaries? All it does is cause more of the same from the other side. This back and forth bickering, battling for positions, wastes all of our time... and our tax money. Perhaps worst is it sets an example for all of us, an example that says acting this way is socially acceptable.

Is this normal behavior for adults? For leaders? Here's my prediction... America's next president will be much more a visionary, and much less a positionary. America is tired of the positionary-think, demonstrated by most politicians. It's based on fear, blame, pride, manipulation and propaganda.
 
Barack Obama from what I have seen speaks more more like a visionary than a positionary. Could he be America's next president? Anyone who can communicate as a visionary, rather than a positionary, has an advantage I think. What do you think?

Visionary Mind^™
Experience Your Call to Greatness

Sample 1A-01 - "Welcome to Visionary Mind"

This is a clip from the Orientation CD of our new home study program: Visionary Mind. In this program Michael accompanies you first through an inquiry that will have you see the world with new eyes, and then through experiential exercises that have you feeling what it's like to be guided by a powerful vision. (Note: the actual CDs are a much higher audio quality.)

[If you do not see an audio player, your Javascript is not enabled or you do not have Flash.]

     Download your Visionary Mind!

Last week I started a pod called, Tele-Zaanghas. Here's the audio recording of our first Tele-Zaangha!

**Listen for Zaadzsters you know from around the world!

(you should see an audio just above this line. if you don't you may not have Flash or may not have JavaScript enabled.)

You know what a zaangha is, right? A local gathering of zaadzsters. Well, with TELE-Zaangas we'll gatther on the PHONE – on free conference call lines, so it doesn't matter if you're in LA, London or Lebanon! We can talk LIVE!

Join the Tele-Zaanghas pod!

- Michael

PS. By joining this new pod, you can host and list your own tele-zaangha, or join others!

I've recently joined forces with one of my boot camp graduates (pictured above on a trip to Japan--his internet biz allows him to freely travel the globe) from 3 years ago, to take the for profit arm of my business to the next level using the internet.  I've been using the internet to reach people from around the world for the last 5 years, but never have I employed the business dynamics that this man has.  It's an expensive program, limited to 100 serious entrepreneurs.  If that's you, I invite you to join us.

I don't fear death, really... I confronted and dealt with that long ago.

What I fear is working like a dog all my life to accomplish a great mission, suffering incredible criticism from those who don't see the vision, and then dying BEFORE my vision is actualized.

It happened to three of the most influential people in my life, one of them this year, and another just a few years ago.  I was following in their footsteps, working and sacrificing at levels few do.  And then to see both of them pass... it's had a bigger effect on me than I've previously realized.  The past year it's been more difficult to sacrifice at the same level, and only now am I venturing back to that path...

A path where I'll face anything, even if it does mean dying an early death.  This is the path I've chosen.  This path is what defines me.  To not walk it fully is to die a spiritual death.  And that's worse than any physical death could ever be.

I choose the live as they lived.  And if I die as they died, so be it. 

I only pray that I'll have the chance to look death in the face and be conscious that it's about to happen.  On that day, I see my sentiment echoing the words of the Samurai leader in the last Samurai...

"It's a good day to die."

Our friend Clovis on Zaadz, who is likely one of your friends because he's so dang popular, is in Kampala, Uganda right now without much access to the internet right now. His university is closed due to a teacher's strike.

Nevertheless, Clovis is continuing forward, calling his fellow students to take a stand for his country and all humanity through his vision workshops.

Now Clovis needs a place to lead his classes and workshops, and his vision is a small business called, quite appropriately, the Vision Cafe! It's where students and other Kampala residents can access the internet for a fee, and collect to a global community and economy–just as Clovis connected to Zaadz!

This is Michael Skye and my company, VisionForce.com, has been supporting Clovis with educational materials and limited funds. Tomorrow we're shipping him a web cam so he can video blog on Zaadz!!

Now, I am coming to you with an appeal to come together in the spirit of Zaadz and contribute an amount–any amount–large or small to support Clovis' dream: the Vision Cafe!  

If you're reading this inside Zaadz, you should be able to see an image below, where you can chip in! Please do so. And I thank you on behalf of Clovis.

NOTE: I am personally accepting the funds to my paypal account and will then withdraw the funds and use Western Union to get the funds to Clovis. Right now I don't have a non-profit organization and PayPal is not available in Uganda. So, this is what we worked out. If you wish to contact me by phone, don't hesitate: 877-844-6667. Leave a message if there is no answer, and I'll get back to you. Thanks so much!

Michael Skye
VisionForce.com

I just got off the phone (via Skype) with Clovis in Kampala, Uganda!

This was my first time ever speaking to him live on the phone, and it was great to hear his voice!

He is so appreciative and so excited about all that you are doing for him as a Zaadz friend.  All of your support in the form of friendship, advice, financial contributions and other donations means a lot to him (and to me).

He said the university is still shut down from a teacher's strike, and he hopes it will re-open in January.

In the mean time, he says many of the students from far away regions are staying in Kampala right now in anticipation of his Vision Cafe, and the exciting developments that will come through his visionary training workshops, access to the internet, interaction with the zaadz community and more!

These students are seeing that their future and that of their country does not depend so much on them obtaining a university degree, as much as it depends on their vision, their courage, their willingness to stand in the face of adversity and as Gandhi said–to “be the change they seek in the world.”

Right now there are only a few more hours to reach our fundraising goal for Clovis and we are 90% there, thanks to the support of TWENTY NINE generous zaadzsters.  No contribution is too small.  There's still time to contribute, if you haven't already! 

Just go to www.revolution.zaadz.com and use the ChipIn graphic you see at the top of my profile!  Thank you so much again - from Clovis, all his visionary friends there in Uganda–and from me.

-Michael Skye
VisionForce.com

Visionary Mind:
Living at the Level of Vision

An afternoon workshop

SUNDAY December 3 1pm - 6pm, Austin, TX

Dear Friend, If you're reading these words, you've been invited to attend a new workshop here in Austin.  Prepare for a mind-bending adventure! On a relaxing Sunday afternoon, come join 29 other local Austinites on  a provocative conversation on what it means to "live at the level of vision."

“The problems we have now in communities and societies are going to be resolved only when we are brought together by a common sense that each of us is a visionary. Each of us must come to the realization that we can function and live at the level of vision rather than following some great leader’s vision. Instead of looking for a great leader, we are in an era where each of us needs to find the great leader in ourselves.” - Werner Erhard   At this workshop you'll experience natural methods of visionary thinking that may have been obstructed by formal education and training.  You'll see why we're convinced that everyone is a visionary! This workshop does not promote any belief system, religion, new age ideas, etc.  No one will be telling you how you should live your life or what choices you should make.  Instead, you'll simply be participating in straightforward exercises and conversations that make an important difference. “I do not think you can attend this workshop & leave without changing your thinking and wanting to reexamine how you've been thinking and acting up to now.” -Oliver Doyle, Canada (attendee of a similar workshop) Reserve your calendar for the afternoon of December 3, 2006, from 1pm to 6pm.  We'll gather at the residence of Ms. Deborah York, 6501 Scenic Cove, Austin 78739.  Please arrive at least 15 minutes early, after having had a light lunch and dress comfortably. Tickets are $35 in advance, $45 at the door.  RSVP required.   >> To Register On-line Now, Click Here <<     Seating capacity is 30, so please register in advance by paying on-line (click the link above).  To RSVP or get your questions answered, please call Deborah York at (512)656-1725. We look forward to seeing you there! The VisionForce Team P.S.  To learn more about the VisionForce concepts and methods, please subscribe to our free Visionary Mind Shifts.  You'll have the chance to watch videos, listen audios, use on-line tools, attend tele-seminars and more--all for free.

I had to log in and share about this...

American Zaadzster Deborah York sent Ugandan Zaadzster Clovis Ategeka $300 about 2 weeks ago.  Well, Clovis and I were chatting on Wednesday, and he told me this:

1 - He initiated the formal paperwork to start his Vision Cafe business.

2 - He bought 3 stoves and gave three people a job, making and selling something they call, "Rolex," which is a favorite meal for local students that consists of eggs, peppers, chipote, etc.

Deborah, because of your generousity, 3 Ugandans have a job, and Clovis has started his business!

Exciting!  What will he do with the over $1300 that zaadzsters just raised for him?

Well, his plan is to rent a space for his internet cafe and education center, and to purchase a few computers!

Installing internet access will be his next step, and it's not cheap.  But he is well on his way, thanks to Zaadzsters like Deborah and all of you who contributed!  Thank you for supporting Clovis in his vision!

Deborah also sent him a web cam (so watch for his video blogs on zaadz!) and 2 Visionary Mind packages for him to use with his students!

Stay tuned!

The latest Visionary Mind Shift is here: http://www.visionforce.com/course/vision-statement-vision.html

-Enjoy!

Michael

I just got back from Western Union... the company that used to transfer money in the American old west is now wiring $1352 straight to Uganda for a young Ugandan cowpoke named Clovis Ategeka.  The money will go to start his modern day saloon (cafe), which will offer coffee and light drinks, not whiskey; time on the computer, not time with the bar ladies; and a place for people to get lit up with vision, not lit up with bullets!

I wish to again thank all of you who helped Clovis get this off the ground!  I just got off the phone with him and told him his money has arrived--from Zaadz to Uganda with love.  It was 1am his time, so we didn't talk long.

However...

Tomorrow I will tell him of a vision that is emerging.  Zaadzster Desiree and I discussed it today, and you'll hear more about it in the days ahead...

WHAT IF...

What if one to two dozen zaadzsters made the voyage to Uganda in June of 2007 to visit Clovis and his growing team of young visionaries?  What if we each brought a computer with us--to help him fill his Vision Cafe?  What if we helped him build it in a bigger space??  And what if we video taped our journey and shared it on zaadz and YouTube?  It's a Zaadz field trip!  What if?

(When I left my Kenya secondary school students in the summer of '06, I had them all saying "What If?" instead of "hi," or "what's up.")

While there, I'll be leading some leadership and entrepreneurship trainings for Clovis and his students, and those who are versed in the Vision Force work are welcome to assist.

What say you?  Ideas?  Further "What If"s to add?? 

Ideas on how we can obtain cheap group travel rates, etc.?

We might as well stop by a wildlife refuge and do a safari while we are there.  I will be in Africa for an extended period of time, visiting visionaries in Kenya.  Who's interested?