You will never get the appreciation or gratitude your looking for in others, but that's not the point. Your job is to give the best speech you can every time without the need to see a change that moment. If you did your job correctly a seed is planted within them, and it will take later on when their defenses are down. A lot of people are so messed up that they will never understand nor will they try to. But you did your best and that is the most anyone can ask of you. You have to give them room to learn the hard way, and that is the maturity of a leader, to lead by example and not through criticism. Kurt

"...I've started to speak in places where the corporation brings me in to speak to the employee's..."

There is a spiritual-vocabulary, in places know to be good for quiet and open learning. People come there, freely.

There are places mentally well organized, structured. Places where human energies are closed-aligned in production-gratifications of identity.

You go there, in peace as a holder of good news and liberation. Don't forget you are now on a new living platform. The employees feel it, many will probably be disturbed by your presence. You are fake-peace preacher or a changing-tool for better performance, they might think?

They are confronted to change themselves again and again and for what? For themselves, at the first place? Or for the enterprise?

Give yourself a presence inside the enterprise like a ghost-good presence asking for nothing. Feel the place deeply. Make one or two eyes contacts sharing deep peace of yours and continue walking... and follow your intuitions. BE NATURAL. If not possible... get out. Forget all your learning and learn the place.

Get back home. Put the day-seeds into deep-spirit earth... Let's mother-spirit cooking the ingredients of the day. Be alert! See what's next...

(This time I really get connected with you)

You know, I am just doing some writing about this. There are some people who can only look so deep into themselves and they think that is it.

There is so more depth to life that people like you and me, Deepak followers know. Just like I got married at 32 thinking this was it. Divorce now, i realize that I was in love, but there is a much more deeper love out there to be found. And it took me 50 years to realize that at my own speed of life.

I wish that people would have insight into their own lives, but the good thing, whether they wanted to be at your talks or now. You may make a difference in some of those peoples lives. Even if one person does something because of something you said, you have inspired and been successful.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You are young, successful and just pay it forward!

Joanie

PS. Don't forget the environment you grew up in, the father you have who has inspired you at a very young age.

Most people do not learn the things you have to much later in life. I am not sure how old you are, but you have been given a gift and just enjoy and keep doing what you are doing. joanie

Max,

Great story. When speaking to one person or to 50 it's critical to have someone beaming back in return. That return creates heat, movement and change. The synergetic circuitry is full-filling.

If you have too many stagnant audiences you may choose to find new work to do. Stagnant environments will not be how you choose to spend your time. Responsive feedback is the foundation of relationship and community. Why do anything less?

I appreciate that you hear the changes in your inner and outer worlds and speak of them. Thanks!

Trish~~

Hello Max

I think for you to assume that they do not give a sh-t* about evolving because they are not open to you or your presentaton is a bit arrogant and self-centered. Remember, these folks are probably told they HAVE to attend numerous presentations on whatever subject, usually, taking up their time and making it more difficult for them to complete the work they are being paid to do. They probably started very early in their day have more to accomplish than not in taking care of their work and families, so, their being told they have to attend a presentation that they are not interested in attending at that particular time in the day, or week is just not that important to them.

I think in this case it is safe to say that they are "just" not that in to you or your presentation.

have a great day, ruth

"The world can only change from within" - Eckhart Tolle

This quote came to mind. To help people evolve is a great purpose. My feeling is, an outer purpose has to be part of a greater inner purpose for it to be ever-flowing.

First,do you consider yourself to be a highly evolved being? What makes you say that? How do you know that they are not evolved?
You should realize that when you go to talk thinking that you know and they don't know,you create these kinds of circumstances.
Have you gone into one of these groups with the intention not to teach but to learn and evolve yourself?

Al - Ghazali was a great sufi mystic of the 11th c. and one of the most influential thinkers the world has known. As a young man he become an outstanding orator, while serving at the court in Damascus, capable of convincing massive gatherings of people. One day he found himself unable to speak at all, that was a turning point which made him realize that all what he knew is not a knowledge born of direct experience of the divine, but an intellectual covering. He left the job of iman and become a dervish, spending many years wondering until he attained the state of unity which is beyond any language.

This is a late-motif of the scholar being transformed into the teaching itself. Only few pandits have the heart to throw away the known in persuade of Truth. Knowledge, be it worldly in nature or a scriptural one, gives the aspirant a subtle sense of superiority and hidden pride. It strengthens the ego-mind-body complex, making it more difficult for the individual atma to experience its total independence of the three. It is much more difficult to overcome, because the mind-ego complex holds on to the vasana: ''I already know''.

What happening to you could be a blessing from where the true experience starts to unfold. The trick is not to allow the fears of loosing one's image to creep in. The impression of the seeker, who thinks he is accomplished yogi, is hard to part with. That's why Puranas are full of humorous stories of how Shiva mocks the rishis and the yogis.

A word of caution: your dilemma could be something else all together, of course it's admirable to learn and we should learn everyday. What was mentioned above is rather a final stage when in order to progress one needs to part with what one held most dear. Vedanta is the end of Veda ( knowledge ), it is the last step where you move into what is beyond the faculty of mind and an intellect.

Perhaps you've reached the moment when you need to change the approach known to you or simply give yourself a rest from that activity for a while. Teaching is a bit like Healing, I do both and know from the experience, as soon as you assume the role too much you will be hit with the karmic repercussions, and fall of the stage. In both scenarios the healer and the teacher is just a vehicle. For passing the energy, at times one needs to have a brake from that role.

Jai Guru Dev

Max, perhaps you could reflect on your self-judgement and judgement of others as a way to settle your self-consciousness.
Sincerely,
M

Gosh, Max, how odd. Two days ago I was in a similar situation as the one you describe, a completely new setting that made me nervous even if I am so used to speak in front of people. I realized that I'm used to speak on my own terms, so to say, delivering whatever beliefsystem is comfortable for me, and now I found myself among people of completely different convictions.

You know what I realized? I am growing. The flow pushes me to do two things- go out and present my view to a new kind of people, and at the same time, pushing me to accept, include and unify all "kinds of people" and "all kinds of views" inside myself. I realized that my job is to unify this inside, and THEN deliver in a new way. As all growing, it makes me a little nervous, but... hey, the alternative would be to choke in stagnation :) It's easier when you remember it's about taking that next step, and not about how it works out.

I don't know if this is anything like what you experience, but in any case, good luck!

Max: to me, the title of your post is rather revealing. You state that "what's flowing doesn't work". I don't know if that's a statement of fact or a judgement. The judgement can be quite subtle – like in your statement: "That in the *right* (emphasis mine) packaging, everyone appreciates new tools that help them evolve". I think any judgement of 'what is' tends to impede the flow, so that may be the first step. Try looking for a reason why this is the perfect thing to be happening, for you.

If you talk to other people in a similar line of work – one that involves regularly presenting one's views and belief system to audiences that are largely unfamiliar and therefore likely to be skeptical - you'll likely find that the more evolved performers do the Big 'Let Go' at some point in their careers. They find the source within that motivates them to pour out their hearts, they crystallize & visualize the desired outcome, they prepare in advance as best as they can, they let it rip onstage, and then they don't make their happiness conditional on the results they see reflected back from the audience. Looks like you're asking for suggestions on how to do that last bit; try rephrasing your purpose in a way that doesn't require a certain response from others.

Ultimately you are the expert on yourself; only you can find the something that doesn't let you feel what you say you've 'got'. Good luck!

Peace, Love, Blessings…