preaching to the un-converted


2005-1-6

After thinking and planning my new role as workshop and seminar coordinator I was recently confronted with the classical 'tell me what it is' kind of question from a complete outsider. I started mumbling and trying to explain the unexplainable. Why is it so much easier to preach to the converted than to tell new people what it's all about?

My kind of work - helping people find their own truth and inner peace - is usually of the 'when you are ready for it. you will understand' kind. It is my strong intention NOT to be a 'missionare' and try and convert the heathens, so to speak. It's not in any way the philosophy of what I do.

But ever now and then I'm in a possition where I need to explain what those seminars are about to people who are by definition 'not ready'. Even though they are not 'customers', I really need to sell my stuff better even to them. Being elusive and mysterious in such situations really only helps to further the obstacles I might be presented with. There is a very real and strong mistrust of the 'esotherical' and 'new age' kind of thing in the rural environment I now live and work in. Trying to explain self-reflecting and self-discovery in all too vague terms will instantly trigger the deep rooted fear of 'religeous sect' even with the very open people I usually deal with.

And I'm doing it again, right here and now. Anybody who doesn't know what it is I'm doing who reads this will surly not be any smarter now.

So here it is, an attempt at defining what kind of workshops and seminars I am dealing with:

"In these seminars you learn to look into yourself for inner guidiance and tap into your deeper being"

Uhm, okay, nice words. Very eso-esque and vague. Utter crap in other words.

Next try:

"In our seminars we help people find ways to better deal with their daily lives and also how too heal deep wounds of the past. We teach how to find strength in oneself and how to find inner harmony."

Hmmm, better, I think. Still uses some phrases that are too close to eso-babble to be comfortable with strangers.

Does it help to mention that these kinds of seminars will only be one kind I will be organizing? (My wife Sandra will be giving most of those)

The kinds of seminars/workshops I personally will be offering have a more mundane twist, so here's an attempt at 'un-initiated' explanation:

"In my workshop I show people new strategies of how to gain their financial and occupational desires. How to earn money and still enjoy their life."

Ha! Now how's that for a start? Sound un-dangerous enough?

Only problem I see is the 'get rich quick' kind of drawer people might instantly put that in... I only hope it let's enough room for starting an open-minded discussion.

I will be working on this more in the future. If you have comments or thoughts about this please let me know (martin AT traumwind DOT de)

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