Where it all started

For six years I had suffered from a serious illness that had paralyzed me. I went in and out of the hospital in my wheelchair. Things looked bad for me and the doctors gave me no hope.

With a number of types of treatments from natural medicine, I had already made great strides in improving my health. These had already gotten me out of my wheelchair. But I needed more.

In my search for more solutions to recover from an intractable illness, I read about a view that supported my beliefs and ideas that I could definitely recover: I had never heard of NLP. I read a number of books about it and experienced how effective its application was. I went looking for the source to make it all my own and I came across Robert Dilts. He was one of the first and most important NLP developers who had done a lot of research and developed applications. I felt invited to embark on the adventure…

Santa Cruz, California, summer 2007

I wanted to learn the perspective of the people who started it all, so I enrolled in the NLP practitioners training at Robert Dilts’ NLPU. A beautiful spot among the Redwood trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Deer grazed freely on the lawns between the houses on the UCSC campus.

Robert stood before the new group of 150 participants from all over the world. His kind eyes radiated a combination of intelligence and empathy, confident and inviting. He welcomed us to the relaxed and all-is-love universe of California. ‘Over the next three weeks you’re going to make friends you know better than your neighbors. You’re going to have fun, learn and experience a lot. You’re going to manifest many of your dreams and new dreams are going to start here.’
Wow, what a promise!

We hung on his every word as he explained how NLP can be used to break down personal barriers in all aspects of life: relationships, career, health, personal development and much more. It became clear that his passion for NLP wasn’t just academic; it was personal. He wanted to help people reach their true potential using these techniques.

A participant asked, “Robert, what drives you to do this work?” There was a hush in the room as everyone waited for his answer. Robert smiled softly and said, “I believe that every person has untapped potential. My desire, my purpose, is to give people the tools to transform their own lives.” It was spoken with sincerity and without pretense; you could tell he meant every word.

After the introduction, people came forward to speak to Robert personally. I watched as he spoke to each person as if they were the only ones in the room, completely focused on their stories and questions. It became clear that Robert was not only a brilliant thinker, but also someone who cared deeply about others.

That night I reflected on what I had seen and heard. Robert Dilts was not just a speaker or a trainer. He was a true believer in the power of human transformation. His character exuded integrity, compassion, and curiosity – a combination I think is rare in this world.

That changed my perspective on what is possible when someone is determined to bring out the best in themselves and others. I have continued to follow Robert and the people around him. I never stopped to learn…