ChoicePoints September 2002

"If I do not choose for myself, someone else will choose for me. I then become an instrument for the accomplishment of their goals and intentions - and mine are lost."  _{Louise LeBrun}

This issue released: Saturday, September 14, 2002

Spotlight On - people, products and pronouncements
Today's Thought
Coming Attractions!
Quick Updates
The Morphing Continues…
Did you know? - arcane tidbits for fun & frolic
Thought Waves

Spotlight On — Oceanstone - destination for a Huna Retreat

We are delighted that Oceanstone - a peaceful, cozy spiritual oasis on Nova Scotia's South Shore - is a destination for our magical four-day Huna Retreat.

A natural retreat on the shores of the Atlantic, Oceanstone is a stone's throw from Halifax and just a hair away from Peggy's Cove. Overlooking the crashing surf of the open ocean and the quiet waters of the historically interesting village of Indian Harbor, this warm, inviting and vital Inn features fully equipped, impeccable suites and cottages in a variety of comfortable configurations. Guests can enjoy stunning ocean views, amber and lavender sunsets and inky-black nighttime skies aglow with sparkling lights.

Oceanstone offers an incredible bounty for the discerning palete! Filling our days with the magnificent smells that accompany freshly baked muffins, cakes, cookies and loaves, dinner becomes an invitation to engage all the senses in gourmet meals that delight the eye and please the taste buds. With organically maintained properties, expect fresh vegetables, edible flowers and herbs right from the garden to accompany your taste treats. And the desserts…well, we'll leave those for you to discover for yourself!

Oceanstone is the treasured creation of Carole and Ron MacInnis. A psychologist with a PhD in education, Carole taught at Acadia University for some twenty years. She has spent many years working in community development, fueled by her passion for enriching the lives of children and families. She is perhaps, best known for her work in the establishment of the Appletree Centre which has received national recognition for its outreach programs. Carole's current interest and research have been in the area of the use of dialogue as a catalyst for change.

Ron is a former broadcaster with a background in stage and television production, as well as being a writer and teacher. An accomplished musician, Ron's desire to preserve and enhance both the music and its people has resulted in his doing extensive and award-winning work in community development. He continues to have an interest in and be involved in all of the above.

Both Carole and Ron left their positions four years ago to establish Oceanstone Inn and become its loving guardians. Be sure to watch as Oceanstone unfolds not only as a haven for rest, relaxation and replenishment but also becomes a gathering place for minds and ideas that will press the edges of the way we create our world.

Oceanstone, clearly, is an expression of the special ambience and gracious welcome we seek for our clients and ourselves. We'll look forward to your being with us in November!

You can visit the Oceanstone web site at http://www.oceanstone.ns.ca
and find our more on the Huna Retreat at http://www.WEL-Systems.com/programs/hunaretreat.htm

Today's Thought

"The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning
and does not stop until you get into the office."
Robert Frost

Coming Attractions!

We are pleased to offer you the following seminars, workshops and programs -each one designed to provide thought-provoking and life altering experiences for your on-going personal and professional development.

Experiences: October to January

Toronto

Ottawa

Halifax

Phoenix Rising The Freeing of Human Potential	Nov 9-10	Oct 5-6
Resourcefulness in Action WEL-Systems:NLP Field Experience	Oct 12-20	Oct 19-27	Dec 7-15
Igniting the Self WEL-Systems:NLP Practitioner Certification	Oct 14-20	Oct 21-27	Dec 9-15
In the Company of Women 7 week series	Starts Oct 21
Influencing with Intention WEL-Systems:NLP Master Practitioner Certification		Oct 29-Nov 7
Huna Retreat Hawaiian mysteries for day-to-day mastery			Nov 28-Dec 2
Magical Logical Levels Exploring the magic in structure	Jan 18-19
Feeding the Hunger Mystery and Mastery at the Deep End	Jan 20-26

For more details and the complete program schedule, see http://www.WEL-Systems.com/schedule.htm

Quick Updates

WEL-Systems:NLP Certifications back in Halifax!

Two of our WEL-Systems:NLP certification programs return to Halifax, in December 2002, at the Radisson Suites Hotel (see schedule for details). You get all the great NLP techniques, plus the powerful WEL-Systems context in which to engage them - program size is limited to 20 participants.

Andre Chiasson, from Dartmouth, will co-facilitate the programs with Gwen McCauley, Executive Director of the WEL-Systems Institute. Andre brings a wealth of experience in the HR/management field, as well as training in a variety of areas. Gwen's gifts become evident quickly and are best experienced through her laughter, sense of play and taste for the irreverent!

If you have any questions you can contact Andre directly at achiasson@accesscable.net

The Morphing Continues…

the WEL-Systems Institute expands

Partners in Renewal has been joined by three new operating divisions: Portals Passages, TidePool Resources and ProGenerations. Nestled in the crucible of the WEL-Systems Institute, each division has its own designated area of specialized program offerings with the WEL-Systems approach to change at their core. Whether your interest is in NLP, personal wellness and spirituality, or whether it's leadership and corporate renewal, our full range of program experiences will continue to offer the same opportunities for exceptional results.

Did you know?

Recent advances in modern medical techniques have brought about an increase in the number of "flatliners" being resuscitated. Flatliners are people with no respiration, heartbeat or brain function. They are considered clinically "brain dead". And yet up to 10% of resuscitated 'flatliners' report conscious memories formed some time after all life has apparently left their bodies.

This phenomenon has become so prevalent that two medical researchers in Britain are applying for funding to study 1,500 heart attack survivors to explore and document their near death experiences. They believe that many doctors have witnessed patients with these experiences but don't discuss it with others for fear of ridicule.

Typical 'near death' experiences include visualizations of tunnels, bright lights, images of dead relatives, experiencing out of body phenomenon where they can see medical staff working on their bodies, hear conversations in the operating theatre and see objects in distant parts of the operating theatre. So strong are some of these experiences after clinical death has supposedly occurred that some patients have identified medical staff weeks after having been in the operating room, supposedly dead!

The implications of this phenomenon are significant and research findings may have serious implications for the definition of life and death and the criteria used for deciding when the organs of "brain dead" patients may be harvested.

Thought Waves

Change: Is the spirit willing when the body resists?

What is it that makes change so hard? Why, in the face of change, do we have such gut-wrenching, visceral experiences, our bodies screaming STOP when our intellect insists we must proceed? Is there not some way to make it easier or, at least, find a way to reduce the conflict?

You and I have been taught that our intellect is the key to getting over the past, holding the course on the present and creating a viable future. As such, we have come to rely on our logic; our ability to analyse, understand and reason our way through life, both at work and at home. This is not a bad thing, but it is also not the whole picture. Something critical is missing from the equation.

Quantum biology - the science of the 21st century - tells us that our bodies are massive, incredible, bio-processors; stunningly brilliant, organically engineered computers that process data at the rate of 3 billion bits of information per second. Logic and reason, on the other hand, can process seven (plus or minus two) items at a time. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out which one you want in your corner for the big stuff!

Change is big stuff. Whether at home or at work, experienced directly or by extension, change moves through our bodies as massive waves, or impulses that make it impossible for us not to notice. What would life be like if we were to come to trust the innate intelligence of this process and acquire the skills to accurately interpret the information/direction that the waves carry

We have come to trust that quantum science allows for technology miracles. Imagine what life could be if we were to learn to trust this same science and its implications for us as bio-processors?

What messages is my body sending to me? What situations cause my gut to knot? When does my heart soar? My palms sweat? Do I allow myself to notice these messages and pay attention? Or do I shut myself down with activity, distractions, drugs of all sorts (food, drink, chemicals)? What's my payback for ignoring the signals of change? Who could I become if I listened to these messages from inner space? Who would I choose to have in my life if I let myself be everything I can be?

Do I celebrate confusion as a sign that I am experiencing something new? Or do I condemn my intellect for not being fast enough, rigorous enough? Do I give myself (and therefore those around me) permission to ask questions for the purpose of exploring a topic rather than getting a quick answer? Do I dare to live by Mae West's famous advice: "Whenever I have to choose between two evils, I like to choose the one I haven't tried before."

Louise LeBrun & Gwen McCauley

The WEL-Systems® Institute
Leaders in WEL-Systems Experiences
9 Antares Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada  K2E 7V5
Tel: (613) 254-7218
info@WEL-Systems.com