"I am firing you as my coach for empowerment"

January 13, 2001
By a Forum participant

I just participated in the first day of a Landmark Forum, woke up the next day and faxed a letter before coming in as scheduled the following morning. In my opinion, Landmark's Forum is unbelievable mind manipulation. Too bad they can't separate the dysfunctional from the functional people and treat each with due respect. They did have a few good points, but it's clearly targeted for the weak and dysfunctional [sic].

It seemed to me that others might be interested and could gain from my comments. The following is my letter to Landmark.

Dear Landmark:

I am firing you as my coach for empowerment.

I am totally disappointed in your model for facilitating creating someone's future possibilities. In terms of efficacy of time, why Landmark chose the "boot camp" approach, as opposed to optimizing the statistically proven 8-10 hour window for human retention productivity is beyond me. Just far too much foreplay. In listening for just for one day, it occurs to me that the essence could have been distilled to 8-10 hours. I'm exhausted after 15 hours and admit I'm worn down. Yelling passionately also turns me right off.

My intention was to get out my "gray" or safe zone, which has limited me to only working for someone else during an otherwise successful multi-decade career and not achieving financial freedom. I am a byproduct of a functional family and there is nothing in my past that precludes me from reaching my future possibilities. All of the "breakthroughs" mentored yesterday appeared to be for dysfunctional families and relationships--UGH!

I am "authentic" through my outlook and reality, but will be "selling out" because I feel that Landmark cannot facilitate the "breakthroughs" to reach my future possibilities.

I will be prioritizing another model to reach my future possibilities. Your model doesn't work for me.