The sophisticated gullible…

The continuing news regarding the deaths in the Sweat Lodge during the “Spiritual Warrior” retreat in Sedona, Arizona continue to mortify and mystify me.

CBS News had an interview with Dr. Beverly Bunn — an orthodontist taking part in the weekend program. Her version of the event is shocking and devastating. And, the pain she is so obviously enduring makes this difficult to watch.

Yet, who are these people would will pay so much — and willingly subjugate not only their thoughts, but also their very safety — for this kind of program?

Let me state from the outset, I know it could be construed as hypocritical for me to ask such a question. I’m paid a significant fee for a one-hour speech. Yet, in almost every case, it is a corporation or association that is footing the bill– I’m usually not being compensated by individuals — and, organizations hire me for a very specific reason. They expect that they will receive a return in improved profitability because of the intellectual property I’ve developed that will far exceed their small corporate investment. After twenty-five years of doing this, if I wasn’t delivering, the word would be out by now.

And, as my close friend, Mark Sanborn, told me — “Scott, if you fail — maybe their customer service isn’t what it should be. If I fail — maybe their leadership isn’t what it should be. We never aspire — nor do we feel qualified — to deal with life and death.” Mark is so right.

It seems to me that these are not the same people — often on the lower end of the economic ladder — who have been easily persuaded over the years by unscrupulous evangelists, who pervert God’s word for their own profit. These people are different. They are the sophisticated gullible.

They’ve become doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and managers. Yet, somehow, the professional success they attained somehow didn’t fulfill their soul the way they imagined. So…along comes someone who says he can make all of the pieces fit. You’ll be healthier, happier, and your life will have meaning if you just attend his seminar. You see…he has a “secret.”

When Sheri was dying of cancer, one of her friends recommended that she go to Mexico to try treatment that wasn’t approved in the U.S. The doctor there had a “secret cure” — and the big pharmaceutical conglomerates were suppressing his “natural” approach so they could continue to sell their poison chemotherapy, the friend told my wife. As Sheri had only months to live, she decided to give it a shot — “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” she said. Thanks to my friends in Speakers Roundtable, we were able to go.

The best part about the treatment was that — at the end of her life — Sheri had no regrets. She never asked the question, “I wonder if I would have lived if we would have gone to Mexico?” However, the doctor there was nothing more than an unscrupulous charlatan.

As I later realized — if you could REALLY cure cancer…why would you have to do it in a tiny, run-down clinic in Mexico? The word would spread so positively and rapidly, your fortune would make Bill Gates’ look puny. The pharmaceutical giants would offer billions for your knowledge. All the “doctor” was doing was preying on the desire of people who would do anything to prolong the life they desperately desired.

After so many centuries of people attempting to improve their lives and enhance their satisfaction with themselves, don’t you think that any “secret” would be out in the public by now? Even THE “Secret” of the book’s fame is a rip-off of many previous works — most notably Earl Nightingale’s “The Strangest Secret.” (How can it be a “secret” if it’s been written about for decades?)

Just today, I received an e-mail advertising a new set of CD’s that will teach me the “method of communicating with God that has been ‘lost’ for centuries!” Sadly, it was sent by a company I perceived to be more reputable. Seemingly, integrity can be discarded when a “lost secret” is concerned.

We have a relatively new breed here — those who own everything and know nothing. Those who have the wealth to purchase “Spiritual Warrior” weekends, but not the insight to understand why they still feel so empty.

(Which, of course, plays right into the hands of the leader. “You just need MORE seminars, retreats, coaching, and investment. You’ve only seen a portion of what our deep, deep message has to offer. So…sign here.”)

Want to know how to lead a better life? There’s more information that you could ever consume waiting at your public library. Want a specific program? There are many — I have one on iTunes, “Just Say YES: Step Up to Success” is available FREE. (Just go to iTunes, search for it, download it. It’s that simple.) You couldn’t send me money for it if you wanted to…

The people who REALLY want to assist you improve your life do NOT want you to “follow” them! They want to help…because to whom much is given, much is expected in return.

Certainly, they should receive compensation — as they have a right to live their dreams, too. But, when the size of their compensation reaches the point it impinges upon your financial stability — you have to wonder if something is wrong with the priorities. Don’t be so gullible!

(Wouldn’t it have been great if James Ray International was earning its stated $100 million plus a year because it was helping a million people achieve their dreams at $100 each — as opposed to something like 10,000 people at $10,000 a piece?)

You don’t need a guru.

You need information, dedication, and discipline.