EC Training Network International
Your #1 Academy / Workshop for Life Skills training based on Universal Law
FOR QUICK ACCESS, use the Table of Contents tag on the right. If you want to get straight to the heart of the matter, find and click ‘Nobility In Action’ on the list.
RAISE FUNDS FOR YOUR FAVOURITE CHARITY OR CAUSE
Introduction
The oldest occupation in the world is not prostitution…
It is ignorance.
The biggest problem in the world is not poverty…
It is ignorance.
The worst crime in the world is not war…
Again… it is ignorance.
Man is the only creature on earth blessed with the omnipotent intelligence of a conscious mind. It is the most magnificent instrument in Creation, yet, he mostly ignores it, instead of developing and using it, as it is meant to be developed and used.
In doing so, despite holding this esteemed privilege of a Creative Mind, he shortchanges himself severely. He strangely shuts out most of his inherent God-given intelligence of superiority over every situation, condition and circumstance, and inflicts loads of unnecessary struggle and suffering upon himself.
Huh? Yes he does… strange as it may seem.
Yet, all the time he is superior to every situation, condition and circumstance in his life.
It’s like leaving the Bentley parked in the garage, firing the chauffeur, walking the nine miles to and from work daily then complaining about how tough life is.
Duh?
Then he moans and wails about his suffering, searching for an answer everywhere, except the one place he will find it… in the annals of his own mind.
As James Allen so succinctly states, “The essential difference between a wise man and a fool, is that the wise man controls his mind, while the fool is controlled by it.”
Our Humble Offering
To right this rightable wrong, our humble offering is to serve. In order to help charities raise funds we happily conduct practical workshops of half, one and two-day duration on vitally important Life Skills topics, many people would not have access to normally. Our services are free. Full details further forward in this post.
The purpose is to share Truth (Universal Law), for man to find his own enlightenment, hence, our motto, ‘Fiat lux’... Let there be Light... Light, as in awareness, understanding, realization of Life. This is our constant practice, the ever-evolving reach for “Light… more Light” according to Goethe.
POVERTY IS DRIVEN AND SUSTAINED BY IGNORANCE
Poverty (driven and kept alive by ignorance) has killed more people and wrecked more lives than all the wars and sicknesses in the world combined since the dawn of mankind. Read The Real African Awakening here.
To play an active role in the eradication of poverty by first eradicating ignorance, it is firmly believed — and we have categorically proven it many, many times — that this is really the shortest route to real freedom Spiritually, mentally and financially.
LET’S UPGRADE PEOPLE, STARTING WITH OURSELVES
To lift our beautiful country out of the quagmire of corruption and squalor, into which it was dragged by mindless, parasitic leadership, we have to upgrade the people (their thinking) starting with ourselves.
The change that is needed is driven home by the wisdom given us over 2,000 years ago by the greatest Sage of all sages when He said, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It does not get more accurate than that.
Think Rich… You get Rich.
Think poor… you get poor.
Now what part of that do you not understand?
Conducting ‘transformation workshops’ to achieve that end is a great and powerful solution. From this practice will emerge the calibre of people — especially the youth —who will take South Africa back up to those esteemed echelons of integrity, dignity and self-respect we once knew under the inimitable Nelson Mandela. It is an environment we can and will have again. Of that there is no doubt.
Just as darkness is repelled when you bring light to bear on it, the good in our beautiful country will triumph over evil. And that… is Universal Law. It becomes our duty, yours and mine, to bring Light where the darkness of ignorance now rules.
THE REAL SOUTH AFRICA – IT NEEDS TO BE SAID
If all we feed our minds daily is the mainly negative ‘Breaking News,’ we’ll soon crawl into a tiny space, too afraid to even breathe. Negativity will rule, and we’ll believe that everything in South Africa is wrong… everything is bad. That is a recipe for self-destruction. Remember, what you expect, you get. Thought is magnetic.
South Africa is a fantastic country, warts and all. But far too many fly into a feeding frenzy every time a bit of negative news about the country hits the headlines, gorging themselves on yet another negative or disaster. They are ignorant of the fact that ‘what you magnify you multiply‘ (in your life).
That to which you give mental ascendance, sets the tone and colour of your life. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he!
“South Africa is the best country in the world to live in” says Gift of The Givers CEO, Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman. If anyone knows how crushingly cruel conditions in the world can be, he does. And with his impeccable integrity there is no doubt that it is the truth. So it warrants repeating… South Africa is a fantastic country.
There are far, far more good-hearted, fantastic, positive and honourable people in our wonderful country than the evil and the nasties. But they hardly ever get the limelight. The evil ones do. Disaster does; crime does, because negative news sells. Because negativity is given prominence in the headlines, it is given prominence in our mind. Not true!
So as a reminder of the massive mountains of gold of good and wonderful people among us, here are two tidbits out of literally thousands, of the real South African spirit that stand out waaay above the rest.
SELFLESSNESS ON INSTINCT
Monet van Deventer had a problem, having forgotten her purse at home, but needed fuel. Nkosikho, the petrol attendant, without hesitation reached into his heart, did the natural thing and put R100.00 petrol in her car. In ‘harsh, crime-infested-racist’ South Africa? Unheard of. Or is it?
BEYOND SELFLESSNESS
Hein Venter found drug-ridden Xolani, a cripple, who had given-up on life sleeping under a bridge. He picked him up, put him back together, to where the two of them completed 90kms of grueling Comrades in 2018. To-day, Xolani is much in demand as a public speaker.
And there are many, very many more selfless people who make South Africa great. Rotary exchange students from all corners of the world who spend some time — a year or two —in our wonderful country, upon leaving, run out of complimentary adjectives with which to describe our country’s greatest treasure.
It is not the impressive scenery and sights. It is not our very unique wildlife, clean air and cuisine. It is the very rare, the magnificent, the truly awesome and wonderful South African heart and spirit. Any Rotarian who has heard exchange students speak upon leaving, can verify this. But no precious painting knows its own worth.
Think Rich… You get RICH.
Think poor, you get poor.
Now what part of that do you not understand?
Impact The Future With Positive Waves
Arranging a workshop to raise funds for charity, based on the teaching of Universal Laws does much more than simply raise funds. It transforms the ordinary thinker into an erupting volcano of positivity, of creativity, of pure awesome.
It impacts the minds of those attending and they will in turn impact and uplift the minds of others who will in turn impact and uplift others… ad infinitum…
Every soul we are privileged to touch, every ear that will hear, and every mind that will move into a more constructively positive frame than it was before, is one small step in the right direction. And enough right steps taken can start a mass movement. Let’s start the positive movement together. Who knows what good it could generate…?
Let’s make the pieces of life fit.
Nobility In Action
"Each one reach one...
Each one teach one...
Till all are taught"
This quote from James Allen embodies a much-needed culture with which we can activate and live the principle “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” It also serves us with the ideal opportunity to deal with rampant ignorance head-on. What good is knowledge if not used to help and uplift others? Knowledge used becomes wisdom.
OPPORTUNITY… THE PURE GOLD KIND
You can do a ton of good helping your favourite charitable organization raise funds by organizing half-day or one-day Life Skills workshops.
This service requires total dedication and selflessness on the part of the organizer/s to be effective. It demands a synchronized, joint effort of a committed team for success.
It can be a local community service, a charity, Crèche, youth organization, School, Church, Retirement village, Day-Care Centre or any other registered organization. All rights are reserved.
Assuming all boxes are ticked, and with the full backing of the organization concerned, here is a general view of requirements for this to work. Selflessness, Innovation, initiative and creativity should be paramount.
Shout it out loud. Then VERY loud! The louder the better.
Modi Operandi
The list below is simply an aid in cases where organizing events of this nature is a new experience. In most cases it may not be needed.
Assuming all necessary planning meetings have taken place — a planning committee, a dedicated team under the captaincy of a suitable leader would have been assembled. What follows is a guide of the main items to have in place for a successful workshop.
Go big… Or go home!
Some Of The Issues To Be Addressed
1.A strong ‘Events Team’ decides on a half-day or one-day workshop;
2. Invitations have to be sent out in advance and the requisite number of R.S.V.P’S received to ensure the minimum number of seats would be filled and the admin fees paid. (Over-attendance is not necessarily a good thing as catering logistics being met is crucial).
A SUCCESSFUL HALF-DAY OR ONE-DAY WORKSHOP IS A WELL-ORGANIZED ONE
3. A suitable venue has to be arranged and double-checked prior to the event;
4. Equipment has to be organized — PA system, projector, screen, cordless mics etc;
ADVERTISING / MARKETING IS CRUCIAL
5. Necessary advertising has to be done and every available vehicle employed … print, all electronic avenues and word-of-mouth;
6. Catering is crucial. It is as important as the venue, the fees etc. A hungry audience is not a happy one. Many people come for the catering.
VIP’S ARE VITAL
7. Most people in public service welcome exposure and the limelight. And this is perfect positive exposure many of them would welcome. Give them that opportunity by inviting and recognizing them.
Have all local media invited; local businesses, supermarkets, community organizations et al… get them involved, security, car guards… An idea would be to have the local CPF (Community Police Forum on hand); better still, have the local Police Station Commander attend, even if just as a guest.
Give your VIP’s prominence by announcing their presence and thanking them for attending. Think of the top people in the community and get them there. It adds prestige to the occasion.
8. Have all bases covered; check that everyone attending had paid their admittance fee in advance (crucial); no money should be collected at the door; if it has to be, have a card-swiping machine available; sponsors are to be invited to contribute and display their products and hand out samples etc; raffle prizes, surprise gift packages for mystery draws etc organized;
9. It is advisable to have a First Aid person or personnel in attendance, even if they have to be admitted for free. (It shows professionalism).
PLAN AHEAD
A set attendance fee gets charged. ALL proceeds go to the organization concerned. It might not raise R100,000.00 immediately, but a concerted marketing effort could turn it into a meaningful contribution across two sessions. There is a follow-on system that can be used. A team pulling together as a team… is vitally important.
NO FALSE PROMISES
“I AM! If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. And I won’t stop. I won’t stop.”
Celine Dion – 2024
Like the Phoenix, our mascot, you can also rise above life’s challenges, achieve any goal, reach any height in life.
Without raising any hopes falsely, there is a real possibility that two half-day (Saturday morning?) workshops, a Part 1 and a Part 2, suitably advertised and the event aggressively marketed, could make a sizeable contribution to your favourite charity and those served by them.
A Random List of Topics……
Rich is Right… It Is Your Duty To Be Rich
The Guaranteed Eradication of Poverty
The Best Heirloom to Give Your Child
Crucial Training ALL Youth Need But Most Do Not Get
Why Problems Keep Repeating
To Learn How to Think (eBook will be out shortly)
How to Live Life for Success
How to ensure Your Success in Life
The Crucial Need For Discipline In Life
The education we should have been given
Man’s Biggest Problem in Life
The Reason for All Man’s Suffering
3 Ways Many People Complicate Their Life Daily
How To Deal With Negativity In Life
Any of the topics above can be used as a stand-alone, or two or three can be combined for a workshop. Better still and to make it more interesting, call a quick meeting of a few community members and have them guide the organizers as to what they would prefer as the topic on the day.
Organization’s Responsibility
All the organization admin and costs (securing a venue, programme, MC, logistics, sound / equipment, advance advertising, security, manpower, leaflet hand-outs, control of finances, catering – snacks, drinks or meals) and other logistics are for the organization concerned.
A Fast-Forward Marketing Formula
Give your workshop a catchy title. Two half-day workshops over two consecutive week-ends can solve quite a few problems for the charity organization concerned.
CONDITION – MINIMUM ATTENDANCE – 90
Half-day Workshop. “Bring a partner for free!” Admission – R450.00 (Admit 2). Includes refreshments and lunch. Organization must ensure attendance of 90 paying patrons (x 2 = 180 per session).
This is a minimum attendance. If a higher attendance is visualized, make it 180 paying patrons — doubled (for seating and catering) makes it 360. (R450.00 x 180 = R81,000.00). Trebled makes it 270 paying patrons — doubled makes it 540 etc. Caution: Do not bite off more than you can chew.) Efficiency and professionalism are paramount for a successful workshop. That said, the only limitation is the size of the thinking of the organizers.
SELECT YOUR PRICING STRUCTURE
Set a higher price:
A higher price is usually an indication of higher quality. People shop at Woolworths, paying a higher price than for a similar item than at Checkers, and love it. The up-class, the quality, the ambience makes it all worth it. They wear a Rolex which tells exactly the same time as a watch costing R20.00. It’s a status thing. Create the up-class and upper class status value for your workshop.
At your workshop they’ll be getting ‘status knowledge.’ They will up-class their lives by knowing what most others wish they did, and soon, they will have the evidence to back-up that superior knowledge. In advertising our service we boldly state that ‘if after the event you can honestly say that you have not received more than 10 times the use value than the money you paid, demand your money back.
A standard feature that comes with our workshops for all attendees is a 12-month support service worth R3,600.00 ($US200.00) for free. Go with the higher price, but do it intelligently.
Knowing your community, at what level should you set your price? Should it be R450.00, R540, R630.00, R720, R810 or R900.00 per person? Can your venue handle the required number of people comfortably? Can your catering serve all the people capably and efficiently? Breaks are accurately timed and no time overflow is allowed. Timing has to be spot-on and helpers have to be trained and drilled in advance.
IMPACT THE FUTURE WITH POSITIVE WAVES
Have the event expenses sponsored by a local bank, Car Company, cellphone company… Cell C, Vodacom, MTN, or a local franchise… KFC, Nando’s, Wimpy et al. When repeated over two week-ends delivers a tidy sum for an organization. And once established, it can be repeated.
Go big… Or go home!
CATERING SUGGESTION
Either the organizing members can handle the catering by cooking and baking themselves, or have a local supermarket chain or food manufacturing company provide all the catering as their social contribution, which is the better idea. (It does not cost them anything as it comes off their taxes as a Social Community Service expence).
Do not skimp on the catering as it will sour the atmosphere immediately and leave a sour taste, which will have a negative impact on any future efforts of similar nature. Handle this project correctly and the way is paved for future events of similar nature.
Ideas Overflow
There might be a repetition of ideas already mentioned. No apology is offered as it takes but one small item overlooked for everything to fold like a stack of cards. Planning has to be water tight. Attention to detail is crucial.
“Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle.” Michaelangelo
THE SUCCESS OF THE VENTURE DEPENDS ON THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL BY THE TEAM
Local supermarkets and businesses can be roped-in for contributions, to sponsor prizes or financial donations to offset costs.
Invite the local Rotary / Lions Club, Women’s Club, Sports Club, schools, to become part of it by helping. That’s what they are there for.
Invite participating businesses to send their staff to attend, or to do 3-5 min. product presentations during the interval.
Gift baskets and vouchers can be raffled to raise funds. Use a card machine at door, not cash. Arrange car guards to guard vehicles.
Get the local Chamber of Commerce, Business Association and factories involved. Get the local councilors involved.
A local hotel / casino can be asked to offer their conference / training facility and basic catering for free.
Think out-of-the-box. Send your mind to where it has never been before. Demand new ideas from it.
Invite companies to advertise their products, display their banners and/or provide free product sample hand-outs in exchange for printing the pamphlets or paying for the venue.
Businesses/Industries/Commercial Houses can be approached to donate a food hamper. A meat market can be approached to donate a R1,000.00 meat voucher/ clothing stores / shoe stores, furniture stores, cosmetic houses, chemists, restaurants all can be asked to provide a voucher or goods items that can be raffled.
Form a team and delegate specific responsibilities to each member and monitor results.
WhatsApp group advertising, free classified and social media advertising should be used. Local community newspapers (The Caxton Group) and local community radio stations can be asked to advertise the event for free, or at a greatly reduced cost. Best of all is word-of-mouth. Use it to its fullest. Make it the number one gossip topic.
Get Into ‘War Mode’… The Winning Mode
The success of what happens on stage is determined by what happens backstage waaay before the event. Running and finishing Comrades is a major feat, but it does not convey the true picture. It does not tell of the hundreds of miles of suffering and countless, lonely hours of ceaseless effort on dusty roads demanded of those who participated.
They had to set their minds into a ‘War Mode’ kind of discipline. A war discipline against personal comfort, against all the arguments their bodies kept giving them to quit, to take it easy, to lie in just another 10 minutes. Such is the effort required by each member of your team.
They had to close out everything else from their minds, except holding a picture of the successful end result. This is the effort that winning demands, and such is the effort that anyone can give. A winning effort is made when winning seems impossible and still you keep on giving of your best.
Roger Bannister, the young man who broke the 4-minute mile barrier in 1954 says of the last dash for the finish line on the cold and misty November night he did it… “when my body had given-up, and everything I had in me was spent… when every muscle screamed ‘give-up,’ when my soul went onto auto-pilot and life slid into slo-mo, ‘Something Else’ pushed me through to win.” That “Something Else” is the winning mode… the mode and attitude you need for the success you want for your workshop.
Go big… Or go home!
Wrap-up
I am available in an advisory capacity prior to the event, and as the presenter.
Presenter
- Errol Clarke
- Trained through Dale Carnegie International Institute – in i) Professional Sales (Champion) and ii) Public Speaking and Human Relations;
- Dale Carnegie Institute Group Leader – 3 years;
- Originator of the “Total Power” method of life skills training – There is no failure in the Universe and there is no failure in man. There is only Success.
- Curated Life Skills courses “Total Power” Motivation (TPM) – 1998 and “Total Power” Public Speaking/ Presentation Skills/Human Relations in 2001 – taught to hundreds of government staff in all departments, and private companies for about 12 years; TPM was upgraded to “Total Power” Empowerment in 2016;
- Conducted Life Skills workshops for government staff and private companies with groups of all sizes and nationalities, covering the widest range of life issues and staff problems for more than 10 years;
- Conducted courses in many prisons across Gauteng for roughly 10 years;
- Lifetime student of Science of Mind … 45 yrs +;
- A student of Truth, Metaphysics – Mysticism – meditation is a way of life;
- Student of UOM – Sedona, Arizona, USA (pursuing an MscD);
- Ex Rotarian – Holder of Paul Harris Fellowship Award;
- Nature lover, animal lover, “I talk to trees,” in love with life;
- The mythical Phoenix has some relevance;
- Proudly Capetonian; grew-up on the Cape Flats when it was still quaint;
- Totally abnormal and proud of it… Normal keeps you average and broke. It does not teach you Rich is Right!
“There is no situation, condition or circumstance
To which the Mind of Man ---YOUR Mind --- is not superior.”
My services are free. The privilege of serving is payment enough. We collect email addresses of all attendees for our fortnightly blog. (There is an unsubscribe option). Traveling within a 25 km radius of Johannesburg is free. Beyond that distance, the cost of the traveling is levied.
Half-Day Workshop: Further afield, basic overnight accommodation has to be arranged for the night before the event. Full-Day Workshop: Two night’s accommodation.
In closing, this is not a one-size-fits-all Skype, Zoom, Teams or any other type of virtual mode presentation. It is a professional, in-person, specially curated and customized for-that-specific-group-and-occasion workshop.
“May your event be a huge success… blast off like a rocket and achieve the goal you want. I commit to doing everything in my power to help take it there.” Errol.
“There is no principle of failure, there is only a Principle of success.” Ernest Holmes