Am I in the right room
today? Which room am I in? The W-CARP convention? I guess
I'm in the right room today. What is the motto for this
year? Breakthrough 2003! What is the sub-motto? "Owning the
Culture of Heart!" Highlight the word "owning."
Now all of you know that
by now although I do not like to speak, somehow when I start
speaking, it doesn't end. Do you want me to speak a long
time, or maybe a medium time? Today the stadium is very hot.
If I speak a long time, we might get very sweaty. Still it's
OK? If I've observed young people, especially if you speak
for a long time, go like this [falling asleep]. I think most
people who've spoken in public know that their energy level
is fed by the audience. That means the minute you start
going like [falling asleep], the minute I start going like
this [falling asleep]. So are you going to go like this
[falling asleep] or have your eyes and ears open and absorb
everything that is said? Then I guess I have my work cut out
for myself.
What is it this year, the
motto breakthrough 2003, owning the culture of heart? Owning
the culture of heart! As we know, when we look at the world
today we see a culture that does not necessarily reflect the
ideals of our original mind and heart, right? Let me ask you
a question. Do you like war? Do you like violence? Do you
like hatred? Do you like disunity? Do you like misgivings
and doubt? I can go on and on, yet when we look at the world
today, it is not that difficult to say this world is filled
with war, doubt, misgivings. Thus any conscientious person
will come to a conclusion that this world really is not an
ideal world. We see that throughout the course of history
men and women have sought for something better that allows
their original mind to find something better. They look for
something better. The original mind longs for something
better. So what is it that the original mind longs for?
I see today in the
audience we have people from many, many different
nationalities. We have people that represent many different
cultures, yet we gather here today for one reason, to take
ownership of the culture of heart. I would venture to say
that the original mind that resides in all men regardless of
race, creed, nationality, have the same common purpose and
long for the same thing. If we talk about peace, isn't that
the goal? If we talk about happiness, isn't that something
that we all want around the world? If we talk about love,
isn't that something we all want, irregardless of race,
color, and creed? If we talk about harmony, unity, isn't
that something we all desire? So those things that we all
want, is something that is universal. It is not the province
of one people, one race, but a longing of all human desire.
Then, how do we find those
things such as peace, love, unity, harmony? That is one of
the reasons why we have this year's motto "Breakthrough
2003: Owning the Culture of Heart." God originally intended
from the beginning to substantiate a true culture. That was
a reflection for God himself to touch the divinity within
God's soul. What was the impulse that beckoned God to create
in the first place? True love! It was a love of a parent
that wanted to substantiate a tangible love relationship
with his beloved son and daughter. God wanted Adam and Eve
as the original parent of mankind, as the original ancestor
of mankind to reciprocate this love as a son and to share
this love between themselves as brothers and sisters. Then
God wanted them to partake in the love between husband and
wife, thereby creating a Four Position of Foundation, the
fruit of that love, meaning the children of Adam and Eve,
the future of mankind. Within that original model and
blueprint, God wanted a substantiation of that true culture
that resonated first within Him, within His bosom, which was
true love. God wanted Adam and Eve as individual self bodies
to resonate in this true love. And then God wanted Adam and
Eve to pass on this love to their children, their children's
children, on and on and on thus to all humanity. This
selfless sacrificial love that lives for the sake of others
should have been the bedrock of culture that humanity
embodies, as generation and generations came to pass. Had
that happened - the realization of God's dream, man's
original mind and heart - we would have been living in a
world of peace, harmony and unity. All those things that our
original mind beckons for, longs for, we would have been
living in that place.
Yet, what happened?
Somehow this plan was spoiled or unrealized. Now, what was
the impulse that prompted Satan, or Lucifer, the Devil,
whatever you may want to call it to tempt man away from
God's original ideal? What was the seductive tactics that he
used to seduce Eve and Eve used later to seduce Adam, and
that eventually Adam and Eve heartistically disconnected
with God? It is so said that you shall reap what you sow. So
too in the original history of making, going back to the
ancestors, something was sown. What was it? God originally
wanted to plant a seed of true love and through that seed
and planting wanted to create a world of original ideal. But
what else was sown? What was sown in the Garden of Eden was
the total opposite of what God wanted. It was self-centered
love! Still love, but the motivation is self-centered.
Love is such a powerful
force that it's so hard not to react to its prodding. That's
why the motivation has to be correct. Isn't that right? What
was God's motivation when God created Adam and Eve in the
first place? Was it self-centered love? I want to create
these being Adam and Eve so that they can worship me and
fear me. Or was it I am creating these beings as my son and
daughter so that we can live in love that is rooted in
living for the sake of others? Yet there was a helper in
that original garden. He realize that although he helped God
raise Adam and Eve, God's heart was drawn to his children
Adam and Eve. Working in this mind?
Isn't it strange how
usually when people fall into destructive act the first step
is self-absorbed pity. In the same respect, the Archangel
Lucifer started asking the question, "Why does God love Adam
and Eve so much more than I when I have given so much to
invest in His creation?" I have been God's helper from the
very beginning, I have done this and that, yet look at Adam
and Eve, these immature little brats. Whatever the case
might have been, the seeds of that self-centered love that
sprouts jealousy in all those negative things consuming,
consuming, consuming, and consuming him, so that the
motivation was self-centered love.
So the seed that was
planted from the very beginning that prompted the fall of
Adam and Eve was not true love, but substantiation of what
God did not want, which was false love, self-centered love.
Therefore, if we look at the world today, one of the reasons
why nations fight is because nations are only thinking of
themselves. Isn't that the root cause of why people fight
because they only think about themselves? Races also, I can
go on and on. The root cause of all these travesties has
been the motivation of self-centered love. You can even see
traces of this when young kids come up and say, "What have
you done for me lately?" Isn't that right? In other words,
these seeds have been planted so that it has become an
accepted norm.
Unless we get rid of this
seed and taint, true love, true peace cannot be realized. So
what is the cure to get rid of this and to root out this
self-centered love? It is living for the sake of others!
This has to be the motivation behind the bedrock of CARP
culture that is why I keep saying this is not something you
understand conceptually or talk about, but something you
have to embody. If you look at what CARP has done over the
last 3 years there has been a tremendous consistency,
although it is only recently that I talk to you about Core
Values, everything we have done from the beginning of my
inauguration up to this point has been about Core Values.
Most important component of Core Values has been "living for
the sake of others" or "living for the greater good." If you
don't have that, ownership, teamwork and dream big mean
nothing.
So, what does it mean to
take ownership? I had many talks up to this point with CARP
leaders, telling them constantly, "You have to take
ownership of this." In the past they look up at me with
confused faces. Does it mean that I just memorize and how
quickly recite them? What do I mean by ownership? When I say
ownership, I mean you have to embody Core Values. Core
Values have to be you. Whatever you walk, speak, do, should
be Core Values. Isn't that how culture is built, not by what
we say or teach, but by who and what we are, how we do
things. This is what I mean by owning Core Values.
Now, think about if you
own Core Values? Don't you think you will be somebody who
can lead others? I have had the opportunity to show Core
Values to many, many people, especially those who consider
themselves to be professionals in the leadership training
field. Their reaction is "These qualities are qualities of
leadership." In other words, if you embody the Core Values,
you will understand the fundamentals of what a leader is all
about. How does one lead? Do you lead because you have
position? Resources? Money? Because you have charisma? It is
because you are able to touch the heart and soul of man.
As a student of history, I
see some older parents in this hall. During the 1960s all of
you were moved to activism. Why? Because some Harvard
professor in his ivory tower came up and gave you a lecture
on why we should move to activation, communicating to your
brain? Or was it that at that time you saw all the
injustices that was being perpetrated by the whites on the
blacks? What moved you to action was no great speech or
argument - it was no judge or the supreme court that said
this verdict, but what prompted you was your original mind
and want to make a better world. Now granted when I look at
those activists in 1960s were misguided. But what moved them
to action was not this [mind], but this [heart].
What is the intrinsic
quality for leadership? It is the ability to move one's
heart that allows people to action that allows people to
commit to something greater and grander than themselves. So
is it the basic quality of living for the greater good,
something that can move one's heart? If you follow that
logic, you will come to the conclusion that living for the
greater good is the first impulse to knowing the meaning of
leadership. That is where leadership begins. Especially
being CARP members, do you think we should be leaders or
followers? I don't know. But I said in the last CARP
Convention last year that I want to be a leader of leaders.
So are you leaders, if I have set the paradigm as the leader
of CARP to be a leader of leaders? Do you think you should
become leaders or followers? If you want to become leaders
what do you have to embody? I think somebody over here said
it just right. Core Values! Because that is the framework of
building a leader. If you want to be a leader you should
embody Core Values.
Looks like I took a
shower. It's really not in here. But shall I go on or shall
I stop? Go on? You want to see who can outlast who?
Especially these STF kids! I can't believe you. I think
especially in the Unification Church, parents are surprised
to see that all of a sudden kids come home in black T-shirts
(STF shirt) and become transformed. I remember saying that I
am going to change STF. If you want to be a leader you have
to set the bar high. As the bar is set high then you raise
all those who follow you up to that high bar, then
eventually once you reach that bar, "Ok, who amongst us is
going to raise the bar even higher?" Then raise the bar even
higher. That is leadership.
Let's look at our current
state of 2nd Generation. How are they like? Mostly kids fall
into this average. We will make this average the standard.
Well, that's the way our 2nd Generation education program
was set up in the past. So if that's the new standard, what
happens to the kids that are really excelling? They fall and
that new average becomes the stop standard and then the
average goes down, so it is the formula for disaster. So I
said we are going to change this. I don't believe that young
people want to settle for the second best. I don't believe
that young people want to settle for mediocrity. I don't
believe that young people are only consigned to the role of
following. So, what we are going to do is raise the standard
and we are going to raise the standard high.
Once we set that standard
expectation for everybody, make the kids realize that we'll
raise the bar again and again, then what happens? You raise
the standard up here. There is going to be a few leaders who
will reach that standard. By raising them up, all the middle
guys will come up. And among them some will want to raise
the bar even higher. In other words, you keep on going
higher and higher and higher. So I said, instead of having
our STF kids have their own STF program watered down,
friends having fun together, let's create a more disciplined
program. Let's have a training program as hard as initially
the training program that the first generation has to go
through. And then once they start exceeding and excelling
that standard, what do you think my next directive will be?
Let's raise the bar higher. Only then is there promise in
the future. Are there going to be leaders coming out of the
2nd Generation that is worthy of being followed? That's
where leadership begins.
I don't know how many
times I have to tell people the most precious things you
have to learn to define who you become are not things you
learn in school. But those most precious learning
experiences are those that you work for through experience,
good experience, where you are making an effort practicing
the very Core Values that I outlined, the very basis of
leadership. Living for the sake of others, living for
greater good, taking ownership, working teamwork, giving
value to others, but owning it, experiencing it and making
it your own, and the fourth component is dreaming big,
thinking that anything is possible if I take ownership and
build teamwork, anything is possible! How can you teach
somebody these in the classroom? The only way you can teach
these is by gaining your stripes by walking and living that
course.
The philosophical
background for this change in ways of thinking - CARP
epistemology - recognizing that there are two components in
the way in which we learn - the experiential and cognitive
learning. Experiential is most profound. Isn't that why when
we look at families those who come from good stable family
are usually more stable. Yes or no? The strange thing has
always been that - I sent many people to the top 5 MBA
programs in America. Most of my top management team at UVG
has gone to the top 5 MBA schools in America. None of what
they learn has been something that I'm teaching here today.
Yet when you ask them to the letter what is the most
profound, they would say what is taught here because this is
the fundamental of leadership. This is where everything
begins. You don't learn it in the classroom. This is the
power behind experiential component of learning. We put
great, great importance on the experiential component.
That's why I created STF so that you can experience it and
make it your own. Of course it doesn't mean that we don't
have classroom lectures but they framework the experiences
that you have.
So, let me ask you the
question here. How many records are you going to break this
year? I bet if I was one of you kids. I will not stop until
I break the past records and I will lead other to break that
record. A constant push! Everybody starts to grow and take
ownership. It just becomes a continuous cycle of value
creation. Yes or no? Do you think anybody then can stop that
momentum? No! Think about it. Leadership is the key. It has
nothing to do with resources, how much money you have. It
has everything to do with leadership.
I remember the kind of
qualities I look for people who should become leaders. You
have to have drive and passion, conviction, energy that is
unquenchable. And then what I look for is "creativity."
Because leadership is a creative process. It is easy to
think linearly. There is no whiteboard here, so I cannot
show you my graphs. But what I mean by think linearly is
this. Most of the times when you are a leader you face
issues and problems where you have to pioneer the course, it
is very easy to resort back to the way you used to do
things. It takes more effort for creative problem solving.
If it takes that much effort, don't you think that what
drives that is your passion and drive, your exuberant
energy? Invest to find out a way. Now, where are those
character traits formed? It is developed at your age. It
doesn't mean you will have it all of a sudden. But it
develops over time to become a part of who you are. Whenever
you engage in something that is the way you operate. That is
why the experiential component of what you learn becomes
more important in what you do. Parents, you think what I'm
saying is right or wrong? Just wait and see how these kids
turn out.
Now think about it. Think
about it. What happens if we start the STF program earlier
than college? What happens if we start teaching Core Values
even before they enter high school so that the learning
process is a continuation. So that when they graduate high
school and come into the program they are already well
prepared to take on the STF challenge. I always believed
that it takes at least a minimum of 7 years to raise
somebody. Not one year. Not two years. Not three years. Not
four years. Not five years. Not six years. It takes a
minimum of seven years. Now those of you who say, "Oh,
that's just HJN's opinion." Fine, think like that. But I am
in good company. Especially those of who accomplished a lot,
you know Jack Welch, he happens to be the most famous CEO in
the corporate world. He said that a tenure of a CEO or
chairman should be 20 years, that the first four years you
are still trying to figure things out and that it takes not
seven years, but ten years to make a leader. The reason why
I mention Jack Welch is he is known as the CEO of GE,
considered the training camp of business leaders. Japanese
business leaders thought like that, Korean businessmen
thought like that, American business leaders thought like
that. Shall I give more examples or do you believe, yes or
no? I can go on and on.
Education is not something
that happens overnight, but a continual investment process.
Especially if what you are trying to teach is as valuable as
Core Values. This is learned and won through experience and
through time. So let me ask you parents. Those parents who
think, 'Uh, let me calculate this. Two years of STF program,
one year of missionary work and four years of active work in
college. What kind of job will my son or daughter have?'
Even if that might be a perspective, it is quite short
sighted. You ask anybody anywhere in the outside world, "Do
you want conscientious young people who live for the greater
good, understand ownership, teamwork, have big dreams vs.
somebody who has a degree from this university or that
university?" What do you think they will say? I remember
when I was at Harvard Business School, Warren Buffet came to
HBS and one of the kids asked him, "What type of person are
you looking for to inherit your foundation once you pass
away?" And he said, "I don't know what I'm looking for but I
know what I'm NOT looking for." What I'm not looking for is
a very smart, very well educated kid that has no character
and only thinks about himself.
What you will find out
especially when you get older, the world is going to start
changing. CARP will change the world. Look at what's already
happening all around the world. Even with all these scandals
in corporate America. Issue after issue after issue. You
think the world is not going to be looking for leadership?
The kind of leadership that is being cultivated here at
World CARP? Yes or no? Absolutely yes! The world will be
looking for leadership. New breed of leaders!
Now that I've mentioned
that and alleviated the fears of some of these parents, let
me move on and talk about God's providence because that's
why we are here. Strange thing has been that all the
decisions I've made thus far the focal point has not
necessarily been myself, irregardless of what I've done and
what I've accomplished somehow have been turning out okay. I
wonder why that is. The reason might be if I venture to
guess that maybe what we are doing here is moving in
"alignment" with God's providence. It is moving in alignment
with the course of history. In other words, all of a sudden
things start happening, opportunities start coming up even
before we planned about it. So there's no doubt in the fact
that there is some force behind clearing and opening the
path. Because things always start to happen where even
through we weren't expecting it, turned out to be even
better. I had no idea. That is why I have been moving with
such conviction because I know that the tide of history is
behind us and that we're moving in alignment with God's
providence.
I never believed that it
was in resources or money. When we started out in CARP, CARP
was bankrupt. Members were leaving. How about you 2nd
Generation? Maybe you were 15, did you ever think about
going on public mission? It probably never even crossed your
mind and 2nd Generation were being lost in droves. That was
the reality three years ago. You think that that reality
affected my beliefs and convictions? Or that reality
determined the goals that I set for World CARP and the
expectations and standards that I set for those who will be
part of CARP? Don't ever use the "R" world because reality
can be changed by what we do today. In other words, to
simply put by force of will, we change our future, we change
our reality in which we live.
Think about it. It is
usually harder to change those who carry baggage, is it not?
Did you carry baggage in the past? How much easier do you
think then is it to change those without baggage? Do you not
think that other kids your age will be able to be
transformed even faster? In other words, we are changing our
reality, the future to fit the expectation of God. Amen
no-men? So, are we the vanguard on the frontline making
things happen? Are we going to sit on our butts and wait for
things to happen or are we going to go out and make things
happen? I am not the kind of person who will sit on my butt
and wait for things to happen. I will be the one man that
takes you and turns you around and kicks you on the butt and
says, "Follow me!" But eventually don't you think it should
get to the point where you should be the one that says,
"Come on, follow me!"
Now think about it. If all
members and leaders of CARP have the attitude of following
me, do you not feel that the world will tremble in our wake?
Yes or no? Absolutely yes! Don't you think that spirit of
leadership will be infectious? They'll still follow us.
Leadership moves not the mind, but the heart. If they feel
it, they will come. If they feel it, they will be prompted
to action, eventually they will believe. Amen no-men? I
don't know. Egghead people need a swift kick in the butt,
who just think too much.
How can you be a leader?
Let's say we have American soldier fighting in Iraq. Let's
say you are a soldier and your enemy is pinning down your
squad. If you rationalize this process, 'My God, if I stay
here maybe I'll be able to save my skin. If I go out, it
might mean my certain death.' Machine guns are firing
constantly. You keep on thinking, not acting. You and all
your men die. In that situation, don't you think someone has
to take leadership? Somebody that says, "Forget this. I need
to charge that machine gun nest." Do you think that's a
rational process? If somebody doesn't lead and inspire the
men to charge, most likely several of you will die, but some
of them will live. Do you think you have time to weigh all
that in your head? You have to lead and what will prompt
your other men to follow you is what moves their heart,
their bravery to inspire and it's a split action. Isn't that
where leadership begins? That's where leadership begins -
the ability to move other person's heart so that they can
make commitment to follow.
Many times people who just
live in this realm don't understand this. That is why I like
STF, because it forces you to get out of here [mind] and get
in here [heart]. If we raise our kids to get out of here
[mind] and get in here [heart], don't you think our kids
will do great things. If I'm a betting man, I will bet on
them. You may see great leadership come out of these crop of
kids. Because they're learning the fundamental impulse of
leadership. And they're learning it in the best classroom of
all, which is the classroom of experience on the frontline.
Amen no-men? So are you going to inspire other 2nd
Generation kids to join STF, yes or no? When you go to the
CARP chapters and do fundraising and witnessing, are you
going to break every record? Are you going to show the
highest standard? Then truly, truly our movement has a
tremendous future. Amen!
This is the embodiment of
what we talk about the owning of culture of heart. These
kids are making a conscious decision to own Core Values, and
own leadership and their belief and conviction. You have to
understand this - the meaning of this conference is
"Breakthrough 2003: Owning the Culture of Heart," because
the first breakthrough has to come from the individual
first. If we breakthrough in one person and that person
becomes a leader, he or she can affect millions, hundreds of
millions. But it starts on the individual level and the
breakthrough has to happen in you. That breakthrough will
happen when you own the culture of heart and you become
embodiment of the culture of heart and you become the living
testimony of God's providence at work, true love in action.
Do you want to be a living embodiment of true love in
action, yes or no? By being the living embodiment you will
naturally by default become a leader.
People do not follow
others because of what they have or say or what position
they have, but they follow them because of what they embody.
Let it be a great ideal and what they substantiate. That is
why if you embody Core Values, Core Values no longer becomes
a conceptual thing, but a living embodiment in you. When
people see that what you believe is what you do, people will
be moved. Up until now this has been the main reason why we
have faced difficulty - the alignment between what we
believe and what we do. That is why I told the CARP leaders
that the first battle ground that we have to fight and win
has to be on the cultural level. There is no room for second
best here. We have to win. And the only way we can win is by
every single CARP leader and member embodying the Core
Values so that they can be a living testament to our
beliefs.
Think about it. If that
happens, how powerful that must be. To be able to see that
type of CARP leader, that type of CARP member! Being a
living testament, even if you can't speak the language! Just
by seeing, "My God, that is a very unusual person." Eyes
will open up. "I want to find your secret." You know these
Core Values people when they hear it and read it they are
naturally attached to it. Think of how they will feel when
they see someone who lives it. Do you think they will want
to go away? Let's say we have a CARP center with 6 or 7
members and all members embody these Core Values. Let's say
guests come, do you think they'll want to leave or stick
around? Why? Because their original mind longs for it.
Up until this point,
especially when leaders were talking about how to increase
witnessing, they were talking about educational content.
There is no need to change educational content. But the most
important thing is to address the cultural issue that allows
us to align our beliefs and the way that people embody it.
Amen, no-men? In other words, when words and deeds come
together that is the greatest testament and witness, more so
than what you say and what content you are able to generate.
That is why I explained that the first battleground is
cultural background. Everyone that is a parent, please raise
your hand. It is the cultural battlefield that has to be won
first. That is why this year's motto is "Breakthrough 2003:
Owning the Culture of Heart."
I think this is a good
time to conclude. Transformation has to happen first on the
individual level. And that transformation comes about
through owning these Core Values. The most important
component of these Core Values is "living for the greater
good." Why is this cultural battleground so important?
Because this cultural battleground will allow us to fight
directly with Satanic culture that was caused by fall of
Adam and Eve. Remember the impulse behind the fall was false
love. If the world really wants to find peace on the
national, worldwide level, first has to address this issue.
Instead of planting the seed of false love, you have to
plant the seed of true love. Only then shall the world be
able to reap. Only way is through living for the sake of
others. Amen, no-men?
Those of you, who shall
become the leaders in substantiating peace not only within
yourself, but in your community, raise your hands!
