Conversations For Transformation: Essays Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

The Breakthrough That Unlocks Futures

Black Stallion, Napa Valley, California, USA

October 3, 2014


"Today is for the championship." ...		Breakthrough Racing

This essay, The Breakthrough That Unlocks Futures, is the eighth in an open group World Transformed:

in that order.

It is also the sixth in a hendectet of Breakthroughs:

I am indebted to Dan Miller and to Kathleen Morris and to Claudette C'Faison who inspired this conversation, and to Tom Davidson and to Kathleen Morris who contributed material.

I can only speculate what my life would look like today had I experienced Werner's work earlier than I did. I mean much, much earlier - like in my teen years or even earlier than that. Of course, I'll never know. That's why it's only speculation. Things happen exactly when they happen. They never happen one second before they happen. They never happen one second after they happen. And so (all speculation aside) it's perfect people experience Werner's work exactly when they do, and not one moment sooner and not one moment later.

Still, (speaking now as an adult) the idea of experiencing Werner's work as a young person, indeed the whole idea of making it available to young people and teens, is intriguing. Imagine, just imagine, what becomes possible like a future when transformation is available at an early age. Imagine what becomes possible for a young person's life when it's available at an early age. Imagine what can happen when it's available. Perhaps even more pertinent, imagine what can't happen when it's not available. The whole conversation about not gratuitously gravitating toward trouble, and instead creating worthwhile, productive lives, becomes accessible. The whole notion of youth living at risk and that particular, pivotal point in life when young people can truly choose what their lives are going to be about, becomes accessible.

To be sure, without the advent of transformation, that particular point may become accessible only much, much later - but it may also never become accessible at all.

My three children, Alexandra, Christian, and Joshua, are each graduates of the Landmark Forum for Young People and Teens. This doesn't impose any agreement on them to be like me, or to do what I do, or to think like I think. Neither does it come with any expectations that they'll be committed to Werner's work as I am (and they may be). What it does allow is an ongoing conversation between us in which who we really are is front and center stage, a conversation in which what's possible is assigned a higher priority than excuses for what's not possible, a conversation in which accountability and responsibility are givens - like places to come from rather than behaviors to develop. That's my view of the value of their participation in Werner's work ie it's the value I get from them being graduates of Werner's work.

On Friday October 3, 2014 I made the following worldwide announcement to two thousand people plus by e-mail, inviting you to celebrate the New York City Youth At Risk chapter's first first twenty five years ie its first quarter century, of delivering transformation to young people, their families, and other adults who live and work with them, with stunning, inspiring results. Thousands and thousands of young people and teens have received the gift of transformation through Youth At Risk. Young people are living lives they never dreamed of, as a result of their participation in Youth At Risk's programs. During this celebration, Unlocking Futures, the new name of the Youth At Risk organization, was to be launched.

Please notice at the time, this announcement was expressed as a work in progress.

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

The Breakthrough That Unlocks Futures

Black Stallion, Napa Valley, California, USA

October 3, 2014

Work in progress.

* * *

When Werner developed the Breakthrough Racing project in the late 1970s and competed for the gold cup in the United States' Formula Continental motor racing circuit driving Argo Super V race cars, it wasn't because he's a reckless thrill seeker who likes to drive fast. Rather, he chose motor racing as a research medium (a laboratory, if you will) to discover what he needed to do (which is to say what he needed to distinguish and, where he was stuck, what he needed to break up) to develop himSelf as team. And for the research to be powerful, he chose a medium, motor racing, in which he had no prior experience or special skills.

When the research project was complete and the abstracts for being team were laid bare, Dan Miller, the project manager, and Werner further developed their ideas for young people, especially young people in trouble, to turn their lives around. They called this project Youth At Risk.

The New York City Youth At Risk chapter was founded in 1989 and is now celebrating its first twenty five years, a quarter century, of delivering these programs to young people, their families, and other adults who live and work with them, with stunning, inspiring results. Thousands and thousands of young people have received the gift of transformation through Youth At Risk. Young people are living lives they never dreamed of, as a result of their participation in the programs.

Many of you have been enrolled in Youth At Risk's work and programs, and continue to support them. What I want you to get is that without you, there would be no celebration! Thank You!

On Tuesday October 14th, 2014 from 6:00pm through 9:30pm at our celebration in the Loeb Boathouse in New York City's Central Park, we will be launching Unlocking Futures, the new name of the Youth At Risk organization. At the core of all its programs will be the Curriculum for Possibilities.

Please come and celebrate with us! If you have friends or family in New York City, please also let them know about this event, and invite them, or share this invitation with them.

Please visit this website to purchase tickets for this event:

https://yar.secure.force.com/Donate

or you may download a form by clicking here, then print and complete it and mail it to

Claudette C'Faison
Unlocking Futures
25 West 36th Street, 8th floor
New York NY 10018

We are having an auction in support of this event. Please visit this website to view some of the items:

https://yar.secure.force.com/Donate/NYYARProgramDetailView

For more information, please contact

Claudette C'Faison phone USA (917) 566-7975
Kathleen Morris phone USA (805) 302-9493

I am indebted to Kathleen Morris who contributed material for this announcement.

Thank You for Your Listening.

Thank You for Your Ongoing Support of Youth At Risk / Unlocking Futures.

Thank You for Your Relationship with Werner.

With my Love,

* * *

Coming soon.

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Werner Erhard's work is almost certainly going to produce value for those who participate in it wholeheartedly - which is to say Werner's work is almost certainly going to unlock futures for those who participate in it wholeheartedly. That's just the nature of it. I say "almost certainly" rather than unequivocally "certainly" because the final arbiter of the value produced, is each participant. Werner's work will produce value. That's the given in the equation. Listen Werner's work like it will produce value .. and it does. Don't listen Werner's work like it will produce value .. and it doesn't - or don't listen it at all, and it won't produce value. Your listening is the key to getting value from Werner's work, just as your listening is the key to the quality of your life and the value you get from being alive. That's just the nature of it.

The Unlocking Futures event was a great success. The guests were enthralled and inspired - and as if as a bonus, the weather was perfect with the sun streaming down, drying up all traces of rain from the day before which earlier had threatened to put a damper, a cloud (literally) on the proceedings. Everything worked. All the graduates shared their life experiences and how Youth At Risk / Unlocking Futures had turned their lives around - which is better said as "All the graduates shared their life experiences and how they turned their at risk lives around by participating in Youth At Risk / Unlocking Futures' programs.".

No surprises here.

Communication Promise

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