Those who are well acquainted with Landmark Education may know that Jerome Downes died a few months ago from heart disease. Downes both led the Landmark Forum, and headed up Landmark’s operations in Asia and was extremely well known by many people I know who took Landmark’s programmes in the Pacific Rim.
I didn’t know Downes, but I did have the opportunity to read comments posted on his website that were apparently the very last things that he said while leading the last course that he ever led (the Landmark Forum in Thailand, in November 2009). His comments were basically a charge to go make the world work. Here’s my favorite part:
“Here is your homework assignment. Go make the world work. Get your family to work. Get your company to work. Get your community to work. Get your country to work.
If it’s not you, who is it going to be? If this is not it, when is it going to be it?“
I know for myself that is that it is quite easy to pursue the illusion of being happy someday when the rat race is won, as opposed to realizing that in the present moment, real satisfaction mostly comes from making a difference for other people.
I strongly recommend that readers read the whole thing on Downes’ website, which powerfully expresses the urgency of making a difference now.
What a great assignment for all. The Present Moment is all that has ever been and all that will every be. What better way to Live the Present Moment than Making a Difference…..
Comment by HeartMan — April 21, 2010 @ 1:38 am
I was given his quote as a gift for assisting at an event. I share it with friends and family. It is great.
Comment by Greg — April 23, 2010 @ 3:30 am
[...] Being with People – the New Brainwashing Filed under: inspiration — Tags: being with people, brainwashing, the landmark forum — landmarkeducationinaustralia @ 5:42 pm When I occasionally see someone on the internet say that the Landmark Forum ‘brainwashes’ people – usually in an anonymous post somewhere with no evidence as to what that actually means – I tend to wonder, where was I? There was nothing in my Landmark Forum but a frank conversation about what people are dealing with in their lives. If the course leaders exhort people to do something, it’s do go make a difference with people, help make the world work (see my last post). [...]
Pingback by Being with People – the New Brainwashing « Landmark Education and the Landmark Forum — April 26, 2010 @ 5:43 pm
I personally had the privilege of knowing Jerome Downes. His “assignment” he gave the 2,200 participants in the Landmark Forum in Bangkok, Thailand, was one he gave me 29 years ago when we first met. I have been delivering on that assignment ever since. Imagine a world where people take it upon themselves to have life work around them. THAT is “a world that works for everyone, with no one and nothing left out.” Everyone can choose how to create this in their lives.
Comment by Jim Tsutsui Jr. — May 7, 2010 @ 5:20 am
“Having the world work” is the context for my life. It was before I took the Landmark Forum 10 years ago and it remains that way. It is inspiring to be with people like Jerome who dedicate there life to such a worthy endeavor. He and the Staff at Landmark Education move to to be greater than I know myself to be.
Comment by erjuster@msn.com — May 25, 2010 @ 11:00 pm