Motivational speaker gets group pumped up

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"Some are chosen, some choose to be chosen and some are never chosen. Many are called but few are chosen because few want it."

These are the words which echoed in my mind as I left Howard Rainer's positive self-development workshop held development workshop held Feb. 22-23 at the Terrace Inn in Edmonton. Each day since, those words have kept coming back to haunt me. I, like more than 95 other participants from Hobbema, Alexander, Alexis and Siksika, returned from the two-day, intensive self-esteem and positive self-development workshop feeling refreshed.

With renewed enthusiasm I intensified my positive approach at home and those I work with at the University of Lethbridge. I even took this positive approach further and shared Rainer's methods and concepts at two subsequent workshops involving about 150 Native community economic development officers and Canada employment Centre managers.

Rainer is a Taos Pueblo-Creek Indian originally from Taos, New Mexico who began his humble start much like many North American Indians. He was frustrated, alone, and angry. In his words he "was angry with the world and carrying a big chip on my shoulder for all the wrong reasons."

It was not until his college years and after previous failures in school and his personal life did he begin to change. With the help of his strong personal intimacy with Native spiritualism, coupled with his devout belief in God and through the help of his loved ones and trusted friends, he soon realized he had an empowering gift. He was blessed with the ability to speak and to understand human behavior. Soon he was on path to train and to help change people's lives through positive reinforcement.

Being the curious human being I am, I wanted to find out from a number of the other participants if they were following through on Rainer's request for a commitment to share his message. I also wanted to determine if his method of teaching was being applied in their home communities.

I was ecstatic when I heard comments like: "I got home and immediately re-affirmed my love for my family by giving them a big hug and I told them how much I appreciate and love the At work I'm using the positive training methods with those around me to get things done more effectively My planning skills are so much better. We requested our chief and council host a series of self-development workshops in our communityI spoke to a group of 300 students and used Howard's positive exercises and I got really good results I'm getting good feedback from my staff I think my family sees a difference in me When I use some of Howard's quotes and those I heard at the workshop, people keep asking me where I'm getting them from and they say, 'Hey, that makes sense' I've given two of my favorite people some of my notes to read and they just couldn't believe it. They said, 'That's exactly me.' "The notes referred to a lack of self-confidence by a Native person in a non-Indian situation.

Rainer cites his educational background as one of the integral ingredients which paved the way to his success.

And he's disciplined. He writes for 30 minutes everyday, seven days a week, 365 days a year. He reads 90 minutes each day with the same intensity. No matter where he is, whether it's northern British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Minnesota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, New Mexico or Arizona he maintains constant contact with his wife and family.

He stays fit through strenuous but enjoyable exercises and daily prayer is a way of life for him.

Rainer is the program administrator of the North American Educational Outreach Program at Brigham Yound University in Provo, Utah. For 20 years he has been serving Native people as a trainer, motivating them to catch the true vision of their potential and abilities.

His unique blend of lectures, combined with exercises on empowering other through the power of motivation, lends itself to all ages.

"Howard's sole message literally gives people the desire to succeed," said LloydGauthier, co-ordinator of WIN Sports, the sponsoring body for the workshop.

Gauthier said he was overwhelmed by the response to Rainer's sessions. "I expected only 50 participants. By noon we had 125 registered and everyone stayed to the close of the day. On Saturday we retained 95 of the registrants. I think that says something for those who are committed to learning."

Participants ranged in age from 13 to 72 years of age and they were from all walks of life including a chief, councillors, educators, administrators, students, grandparents, nurses, researchers and managers.

Student counsellor Cara Currie from the Samson Band at Hobbema said "When Howard talked about being called and chosen, it really hit home to me. A year ago if someone told me I would be counselling students I would have said, 'No way!' but that is exactly what I'm doing and it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done."

Sandy Crowfoot, a 15-year-old Blackfoot student from Edmonton who took part with her parents and brother, said she like the workshop because "everyone was involved." Involvement was an understatement.

Rainer also sought commitment and he got it if an our-of-town participant is any indication. "I got up at five to get my chores done so I could be here at 9 a.m."

Some powerful messages about self-worth and life values were echoed. One shy 72-year-old woman displayed her tower of strength when she found the courage to speak for the first time before a group. In retelling her story of hardship she truly exemplified the role of the family and its importance. What was to be a one-minute talk turned into a seven-minute oration by a grandmother everyone was proud of.

Rainer's concluded his workshop with his mission statement, which he gives to every participant across the United States and Canada:

I am the best,

You are the best,

I have power, I have strength

I have intelligence and spirituality

And I'm COOL!

Kirk Buffalo, referred to by Rainer as "our group philosopher," summed up th feeling of a pumped-up group at the close of the workshop, saying, "Let's get out of the ice age and into the cool age."