Yesterday

Imagine being four years old and knowing exactly what or rather who you want to be. As this little kid you already have your role model, hero, and best friend. You love them unconditionally. Everything they do you want to do just like them. From how they brush their teeth, to how they hold their fork you are the hardest working little four year old ever trying to do things just like they did. Imagine that your greatest joy is to be seen with them. Whether sitting in their lap on a drive or sitting next to them in church service nothing is better than just being around them. Now imagine that they leave. But just before driving away they say to you, “I’ll be back to get you”. See yourself running back inside to get dressed. You are now all dressed up and ready to go. You fall asleep and wake up. When you wake up you realize that you’ve been sleeping for twenty years and you are still waiting…

The story above was me. The person I was waiting on was my dad. While I was sleepwalking I managed to do some pretty cools stuff. I always made the honor roll for good grades. I was active in sports like football (even got to run the football a few times), track & field, and basketball. I even have a few plaques and trophies from the times I excelled. I also discovered early on that public speaking was something other people thought I did well. My academics were good enough to make college possible and so I attended Oklahoma State University. Still sleep walking I landed a corporate job and while working there discovered Toastmasters. I started attending regularly and a man named Frank Slane planted a seed of possibility in my mind. Mr. Slane convinced me to start speaking in local competitions. I did and I won. I won District 16 (state of Oklahoma) and got to go to the Regional championship. At the Regional, I got my butt kicked by Jim Key, the 2003 World Champion of Public Speaking. Through Toastmasters I met Nina Reineke who invited me to attend a seminar on personal development.

Have you ever discovered something you didn’t know you were looking for until you found it? That was me sitting in this course. During those four days, I woke up. When I woke up, I realized that most of what I had been doing was an attempt at getting my dad to notice. I saw that my success in academics and athletics was never really for me. Maybe that’s why there was a feeling of emptiness on the medal stand as a state champion.

I endeavored to find out what the truth was for me. My mission became to experience the fullness of who I am. I studied. I read everything I could get my hands on. I attended any workshop that someone recommended. Most times I sat up front because I didn’t want to miss a second. I was nerdy about it. I would go home and do the homework. When reading books I answered the questions at the end of the chapter. If the book referenced another book I would find that book and read it also. That continues today. I am a student.

Today

I finance dreams and show people how to finance their own.

Courtland Warren Inc. was founded after a decade of training in the personal development industry. The most untapped resource in the world is the mind of human beings. We fear making changes that lead to personal power. Most people never actually live. They die without ever knowing how great they are and what they’re capable of accomplishing and contributing.  I believe it’s possible to change this. I’m helping people reshape their self-image and thereby experience freedom. I do this by teaching how to build leveraged businesses and master the skill of influence.

I embrace opportunities for who I’ll become in the process. I align myself with companies and organizations that allow me to realize my purpose. I’ve discovered that as I start to value myself more, I contribute more and thus am compensated in the ways most consistent with my self-image.

Success in the 21st Century will be in direct proportion to ones understanding of leverage and building dynamic networks. I’m building an intrepid network of inspired leaders and entrepreneurs who want to be part of something big.

Tomorrow

Let it be said that I was the perfect imperfection.

(Thank you to Lauren Brooke Sanchez who when I was asking clients for feedback via a survey used this Japanese term, Wabi-sabi, to describe her experience of me.)