men of the world:
• If you’re bringing your power to your purpose...
• If you’re committed to men’s work...
EarthRise Retreat Center, Petaluma, California
The Shift Men’s Initiation is more than just another training - it’s a chance for you to change the world.
This Initiation offers an extraordinary, powerful experience for you to go to the next level of your authenticity, integrity and power. If you are a leader among men who is committed to raising the bar for men’s work, we invite you to become one of our leaders.
If you’re involved in transformational training, or if you support trainings or facilitate men’s work, we want you to become part of the vision to take the men’s movement to the next higher octave.
And if you are deeply committed to creating a shift in consciousness on the planet and recognize that widescale transformation of men is essential, become part of our team.
With this training, we bring you the best of the best in men’s work. We gathered nine top leaders from six different men’s organizations to design a 5-day experiential journey to awaken you even further into your true power as a potent evolutionary force. We’ve also invited the largest men’s organizations in the country, including The ManKind Project and MDI, to collaborate with us in taking the men’s movement to the next level of effective action in the world.
Raising the Men’s Movement to a Higher Power
Men:
Our first Shift Men’s Initiation was a smashing success. Nearly all of the participants said they “got what they came for,” and used words such as excellent, outstanding, phenomenal, transformational, and powerful when they described their experience in the training. 60 men healed old wounds, shifted their perspective significantly, opened new possibilities for their future, got clear about their purpose and mission, and delved into deeper layers of truth, vulnerability, and self-discovery. It was a spectacular demonstration of what one participant called “a powerful and revelatory experience.”
The Shift Men’s Initiation Program is a 5-day experience unlike any other. Our mission is to bring men - and the entire men’s movement - to the next level of growth and effectiveness.
I’ve met thousands of great men, and the ones I most respect have been cross-trained through multiple disciplines and paths. They’ve taken advantage of every learning opportunity to continue their self-development. We shape ourselves on the anvil of our experiences - which usually involves a lot of hammering!
All that cross-training pays off - it leads to a life of success and fulfillment, what Aristotle called totem bonum, the “all good” life.
We want a better world, and we want a better life - for ourselves, for our children and for all people on the planet. I brought together nine of the best men I know - leaders of men, transformational teachers, healers of the soul - and we asked these questions:
- What experience could we create for men that would be over-the-top incredible?
- What could happen if we brought together everything we know about developing great men?
- How could we offer it to men everywhere - all around the world, in only a few years?
The Shift Men’s Initiation was born out of this collaboration. Come experience this 21st Century Initiation into the Sacred Masculine, and then help us spread it around the globe.
The future holds great challenges ahead. There will be difficult times. There may be great chaos. We need to build a new world out of the ashes of the old, as a butterfly creates a beautiful new form out of the nutritional soup of what was once a caterpillar. We don’t have time to wait. We need to start now, and develop the qualities that allow us to step up, and do what needs to be done.
This is a call to the best men of the world.
The men’s movement is being called to be part of something much larger - a shift that will transform civilization from its old form into something we’ve only dreamed is possible. As men, our job is to collaborate, cooperate and cross-train each other to become catalysts and change agents for this shift.
We each have something important to contribute. We each have wisdom and skills to offer. We must challenge and teach each other, and forge ourselves into a new kind of organization - not built on hierarchies of power and control, but one that brings us to our highest and best virtues and principles. A man initiated into the Sacred Masculine understands and demonstrates the right use of masculine power - to protect and build. If we coordinate our actions at all levels of society, we can turn the present danger into a great opportunity, and co-create heaven on earth.
I know you are one of the best. I call on you to contribute your gifts, and join us in making the Shift Men’s Initiation a phenomenon that benefits the whole world - starting with you.
In Strength,
Lion
You’re Already Doing Great - Now, Do Better
Our Initiation Program is designed to open new possibilities for your life, to enhance your relationships and improve the world. It’s designed to re-ignite your masculine power, open the channel to your life purpose, and connect you to a wider community of men who are all dedicated to depth, authenticity and integrity.
Discover and clean out your remaining wounds. Enhance your health and fitness in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual realms. Network with other men to share your insights and offer your gifts to a larger circle of men.
If you’re already committed to personal transformation and you’re already part of the solution, The Shift Men’s Initiation is for you.
A Graduate Training for Advanced Men
The Shift Men’s Initiation is designed as an advanced program especially for men who have been through one or more of these programs:
- ManKind Project’s New Warrior’s Adventure Weekend
- Sterling Institute’s Men’s Weekend
- MDI’s Legacy Discovery
- Tribe of Men Initiation
- The Sword and Scepter
- Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend
- Young Men’s Adventure Weekend
- Men’s Cornerstone Weekend
- Or other immersive transformation programs or rites of passage
In traditional cultures, men went through many initiations during their lifetime. We need periodic initiations - it’s like re-booting your computer. It clears the cobwebs, kicks us into higher gear, and brings us into the next phase of our development.
EarthRise Retreat Center, Petaluma, California
and want to talk to a live human being with answers.
The Wisdom of Elders in a Modern Context
The Shift Men’s Initiation was designed by elders in the men’s community - men who hold a vast range of experience and wisdom in the realms of:
- Psychology and personal transformation
- Spirituality, spiritual practices, and awakening
- Business and organizational development
- Martial arts and physical fitness, and
- Traditional and modern initiatory processes
Our Promise: Challenging experiential exercises will press you up against your limits, help you clear out old junk that’s still in your way, enhance your masculine power, and free you up to be more effective in fulfilling your life purpose. Or your money back! (Guarantee applies to program fee only, not room & board.)
You’ll have the opportunity to:
- Reflect deeply on your past, present and future
- Uncover power dynamics you have with other men
- Heal your past with women
- Clarify your life purpose and mission
- Explore and change your core beliefs
- Activate the power of archetypes in your life
- Understand your unique virtues and how they serve
- Confront your own sense of honor and integrity
- Explore the roots and depths of love
- Make new commitments for a better future
- Integrate these changes into your daily life
You’ll be handed transformational tools that will serve you - and the people you love - for the rest of your life. However, we know that “workshop transformation” usually lasts until you get home and get surrounded by the needs of your family and work. The old patterns return. For that reason, we’ve built into the program a series of teleclasses that will keep you on track, help you integrate the shifts into your life, and keep you connected to the men and teachings that have touched you.
The 8-week Integration Program can be accessed by telephone or web. For 1.5 hours each week, you can join us live and participate with the other men from your course. Or, you can listen to the class recordings at your convenience. We’ll deepen many of the topics from the course in much greater detail, including:
- Clarify your life purpose and mission - and learn how to manifest it in the world
- Learn to re-program old limiting beliefs into new empowering beliefs
- Explore new ways to communicate with your spouse, kids, and colleagues
- Use a specific process for staying on track and being accountable
- Activate the Sacred Masculine in your life and your relationships
- Cultivate your Signature Virtues through specific behavioral changes
- and many more.
Leaders of the Integration Program include:
- Lion Goodman, Director of Men’s Programs at The Shift Network, and author of Transform Your Beliefs
- Keith Merron, Leadership expert, author of The Golden Flame: On Bringing Out Your Inner Leader
- David Fabricius, creator of The Agoge Training, and Men of the Code, author of Heart of the Leader.
- Bill Kauth, co-founder of The ManKind Project and author of Circles of Men
- David Kaar, former General Chairman of the ManKind Project (International)
- Stephen Dinan, Founder of The Shift Network and author of Radical Spirit
Here are just a few of the programs:
David Fabricius: First Discover Your Life Purpose - Then Manifest It Without Excuse, Apology, or Compromise
You were born with a specific higher purpose, a spiritual calling, a gift to give, and a mission to accomplish during your life. When you discover and fully live your purpose, you’ll experience a deep sense of fulfillment and meaning in life. And at the end of your life, you’ll have true satisfaction knowing that your life was worth living. You‘ll learn masterful techniques for getting clear on your purpose, and specific ways you can begin to track and live your Soul’s Code.
During this week you will:
- Discover your life’s purpose that you came into life to fulfill
- Find out what you are uniquely equipped to do for this world
- Learn how your gifts can make a difference AND make money
- Grow in your capacity to manifest your mission in the world
Stephen Dinan: Activating the Sacred Masculine
There are 9 key principles for activating and honoring the Sacred Masculine in every area of your life. You’ll learn how to:
- Honor all the aspects of your being, helping to release judgment or shame
- Create space and time for the many archetypes of your full manhood
- Consecrate your power to the service of a greater good
- Dance with the Divine Feminine in a more liberating way
- Establish a connection to Source at the center of your life
Lion Goodman: Cultivating Integrity, the Signature Virtue for Men
Integrity means being true to yourself, being honest, upright and decent in your dealings with others. It is the basis for your reputation and self-respect. A man of integrity is trusted. Your words and your deeds are aligned. You’ll be introduced to The Promise Game, a new blame-free methodology for making, tracking and keeping your promises, which you’ll practice throughout the Integration Program. You will:
- Learn how a virtue-driven life leads to happiness, satisfaction and success
- Find the source of all virtues, and look at where you’re out of integrity
- Connect up your virtues, values, behavior and purpose, integrating soul and ego
- See where limiting beliefs interfere with your ability to create the life you want
- Learn how important it is to hold yourself accountable for the promises you make
Spend five days with good men from around the world in a shared exploration of our deepest shadows and your truest self. Get into action with men committed to honing themselves and repairing the world.
After you experience The Shift Men’s Initiation as a participant, you can turn it into a source of livelihood and impact. If you’re a professional trainer, you can add this program to your repertoire by joining our 5-month Train-the-Trainers Program, which begins in March of 2012.
Why We’re Doing This
Our mission is to empower a global shift in consciousness and culture that leads to a healthy, peaceful, sustainable and prosperous world for all. Our plan is to rapidly replicate this training around the U.S. and in other countries, preparing men globally for a new era of human evolution. Our aim is nothing less than a worldwide upgrade of men and masculinity.
We can’t do it alone. Every man and every organization in the men’s movement is invited to join us, to work together to create a worldwide phenomenon.
Our goals include:
- Train a group of leaders to replicate this training in their communities
- Advance already initiated men to the next level
- Bring thousands of new men into our evolutionary movement, and
- Improve the world through ballsy action - individually and collectively.
To Do This, We Need YOU
We’re looking for a few dozen good men to begin the global roll-out of the Shift Men’s Initiation, which will occur during the summer of 2012. We need leaders, trainers and staff for our worldwide launch. This upcoming initiation - our second - is designed for leaders of men’s work, and potential leaders of our program. Our goal is to launch 30+ Initiations around the world in 2012, 80+ in 2013, and 150+ in 2014. Would you like to be part of this dynamic force for change?
When you participate in our dynamic Train the Trainers program, you’ll not only upgrade your own game, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for a position as a Lead Trainer, Assistant Trainer, Facilitator or Logistics Supervisor. Upon certification, you’ll be qualified to create or support Shift Men’s Initiations in your local area - beginning in August of 2012.
The Shift Network will provide worldwide marketing, production support, and administrative services to help make your course successful. In addition to being a significant source of income for you, a percentage of revenue will be donated to non-profit men’s organizations such as The ManKind Project and MDI.
TSN + MKP + MDI + YOU = WOW
The Shift Network’s collaboration with Mankind Project, MDI and other organizations signals a new era. The men’s movement has evolved over the past 25 years, but it’s remained somewhat competitive and divided. It’s time for the next step up - a coordinated effort among all men’s organizations to up-level the whole game. This is a new era for the men’s movement - one that is inclusive, collaborative and mutually supportive in calling forth our excellence.
The Shift Men’s Initiation invites and challenges you to activate your highest gifts and to hone yourself for the challenges of the future.
To make the necessary Shift in our world, we need noble, clear and loving men like you to lead the way - to be heroes of a new world culture.
We can’t do it alone, and there’s no time to waste. The world is in crisis. Let’s work together to make it happen.
Join us for 5 days of body, mind, and soul clearing. You’ll emerge refreshed, embodied and inspired. Your purpose and mission will be re-ignited into action.
You’ll explore your deepest nature, expose your undiscovered shadow to the light and take five days away from work and family to go deep with a bunch of great men. Join us. It’s going to be a good time!
and want to talk to a live human being with answers.
Your Program Leaders
The Shift Men’s Initiation Program was designed by a team of 9 extraordinary transformational leaders in the men’s movement, some of whom will attend the February program.
These men will lead your journey:
Lion Goodman is Director of Men’s Programs for The Shift Network. Lion was the driving force behind The Ultimate Men’s Summit and the Ultimate Man Course. He has 30+ years experience in entrepreneurial business management, spiritual practice, transformational coaching and men’s work. He’s a dynamic coach, a widely published author, workshop leader, public speaker and successful businessman.
He co-founded The Tribe of Men, an initiatory program for men in Northern California, and is the creator of The BeliefCloset Process, a methodology for permanently transforming beliefs at the core of the psyche. From 1984 to 2002, he was President of The Goodman Group, an executive search firm that recruited and coached senior executives for high-tech companies across the U.S.
He is the author of two eBooks: Menlightenment: A Book for Awakening Men and Transform Your Beliefs. His newest book, Creating On Purpose, will be published by Sounds True in 2012.
Keith Merron, Ed.D. is founder and managing partner of Avista Consulting Group, an organizational consulting and leadership development firm. He is a co-founder of The Tribe of Men, and co-creator of The Sword and Scepter, a workshop for men. Keith is dedicated to helping organizations with bold visions achieve sustainable high performance and industry leadership. He has more than 25 years experience assisting executives and managers in business, government and education. An organizational effectiveness expert and executive development consultant, he has designed and led over 100 seminars and programs for leaders, co-creating some of the most innovative leadership training programs in the country.
Keith received his Doctorate from Harvard University in 1985, where his studies spanned the fields of human and organizational development. He is the author of four books on human and organizational change, including The Golden Flame: The Heart and Soul of Remarkable Leadership.
These seven men were deeply involved in the design and creation of the Initiation, and are adjunct faculty for the follow-up Integration Program:
Bill Kauth - Co-founder of The ManKind Project
David Kaar - former General Chairman of the ManKind Project (International)
Brad Leslie - Co-founder of Young Men’s Adventure Weekend- Canada and KingMakers, MDI Associate Member
Stephen Dinan - Founder & CEO of The Shift Network and member of the Transformational Leadership Council
Mark Schillinger - Founder of Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend and Alumni Member of MDI
Robert White - Founder of LifeSpring and ARC International
David Fabricius - Founder of Men of the Code and The Agoge Training
The Location
EarthRise Retreat Center in Petaluma, CA
EarthRise at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) is housed on 200 acres of beautiful rolling hills of Petaluma where hiking trails meander through pristine native live oak woodlands, and the surrounding open space offers panoramic vistas of the California landscape. It is located just forty-five minutes north of San Francisco. It is easily accessible from the East Bay and North Bay, as well as from San Francisco, making it one of Northern California's premier retreat sites.
Special features at EarthRise include a beautiful vegetable garden that provides fruits and vegetables for our kitchen, a labyrinth, a meditation hut nestled in a peaceful oak grove, a tepee for group rituals and classes, and sitting areas for quiet contemplation.
The Institute founded a transformative learning center that provides a gathering place to explore ancient wisdom traditions, supports experiential learning, and engages in modern scientific inquiry.
EarthRise on our campus has become a space where psychologists, educators, leaders, philosophers,frontier scientists, and spiritual masters conduct their work. We support intrapersonal and interpersonal consciousness work in a gorgeous natural setting.
At EarthRise -- where cutting-edge scientific research is studied and conducted-guests can commune with the land and experience ecological awareness and transformational programs and practices that foster self-reflection and personal growth. The campus is a place where we integrate theory and practice, science and spirituality, as well as renewal and retreat.
Dining: The dining hall at EarthRise provides indoor as well as outdoor garden dining. Local ingredients are the inspiration for our cooking and include luscious organic fruits and vegetables, free range poultry, hormone-free meat and dairy products, and extraordinary cheeses. We use organic produce from local farmers whenever possible and draw upon flavors and techniques worldwide to create a diverse cuisine.
Yes, Sign Me Up!
The Shift Men’s Initiation Program
Dates: February 1st - February 5th, 2012 Arrive before 5:00pm on Wednesday, 2/1. Leave after 8:00pm on Sunday, 2/5 (or stay for another night at additional cost). |
|
Location: EarthRise Retreat Center, Petaluma, California |
|
Program Price (includes in-person Initiation and 8-week Integration Program): |
$795 |
Food, Lodging, Etc.: Single Room (5 days, 4 nights) + 13 Meals (Limited Availability) |
$795 |
Double Room (5 days, 4 nights) + 13 Meals |
$695 |
Each additional night and 2 meals (Dinner and Breakfast) |
$150 Single, $130 Double |
Commuter Option: 13 Meals
|
$475 |
and want to talk to a live human being with answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
You have a big vision of initiating tens of thousands of men. Is that really possible in just a few years?
In June 2011, The Shift Network created The Ultimate Men’s Summit, the largest gathering of men’s leaders in history, with 90 speakers over a ten-day period. More than 20,000 men worldwide registered for the program, and participants rated it 4.5 out of 5 on average for excellence and impact.
We have been producing successful events, trainings, workshops and retreats for more than two years, and have touched more than 180,000 people worldwide. Many of these events have been created in collaboration with non-profit partners. We are confident in our ability to create and manage this worldwide vision. The Men’s Initiation is part of an even larger program, Summer of Peace 2012, which will reach hundreds of thousands of people.
I’ve already been initiated. Why should I be interested?
In tribal cultures around the world, men go through five or more initiations and rites of passage during their lifespan before their final initiation of death. Dr. Bill Plotkin identified eight initiatory stages in his acclaimed book, Nature and the Human Soul.
We believe in spiritual and psychological cross-training. We encourage every man who has been through any single Initiation to go through every other available program as they are called. We learn more at each stage of life - we’re not the same man as we were when we went through the earlier initiation. This is the next step for already initiated men.
Do I have to attend the February training to become a trainer?
Yes. Our lead trainers will be chosen from the experienced trainers who attended the Shift Men’s Initiation in December, or the one in February. There may be other opportunities in the future, but it’s uncertain. If you want to become a lead trainer, assistant trainer or logistics supervisor, attend this program.
Can I attend if I’m not a trainer or don’t wish to be one?
Yes. This program is open to men of all backgrounds. There is no obligation to become part of our training program. You can decide whether you’re interested in helping us build a worldwide movement after you’ve experienced the program.
What do I need to do to become a trainer, and how much time and money will I need to invest?
The Train-the-Trainers program will begin in March 2012. It includes a 4-day in-person training and extensive teleclasses over a period of five months. This leads to the public launch in the summer of 2012. Those who qualify will be certified for their appropriate roles.
Our goal is to provide a new way for you to merge your passion and purpose with your need for income. We expect the training to provide you with a significant return on your investment. Once certified, you can deliver the training as often as you wish. More information about this program will be provided at the end of the Shift Men’s Initiation Program.
Are scholarships available?
We have set aside a small number of partial scholarships, partly funded by men who attended the first Shift Men’s Initiation. Inquire with full details of your situation and background at scholarships@theshiftnetwork.com.
How will I stay in touch with men I meet in the program?
Our private social network, Shift Movement, will have a group available to all participants in our Initiations worldwide. You can share your insights with others, engage in lively discussions, network on projects and exchange information about events, resources and activities. Discuss your ongoing experiences, practices and growth, and stay connected with an incredible community of men.
In addition, you will have the opportunity to continue your learning with your compatriots from the program through the 8-week follow-up Integration Program, which will involve break-out teams and work groups during each class call.
What about follow-up after the Integration Program?
All participants will be encouraged to join an existing men’s group if they don’t already belong to one. Men are welcome to network and start their own groups, but our goal is to support the growth and development of existing men’s teams. We are working closely with MDI, MKP, the Global Men’s Network and other men’s organizations to provide information about groups that welcome new prospective members. We will also recommend that men register for each organization’s events as a way to cross-train and cross-fertilize the men’s movement.
What is your refund policy?
We guarantee that you will experience a significant transformation if you complete the course. If you don’t, we will refund your program fee (room and board costs are non-refundable). If you notify us that you cannot attend after registering and before January 25th, we will attempt to fill your place. If we are successful in doing so, we will refund your fee minus a service charge of $200. You are welcome to sell your reservation to another person, however. Just let us know to whom you have transferred your registration.
If I have any further questions, how can I reach Customer Support?
Email lion@theshiftnetwork.com or call us at 415.472.6500.
