Ilchi Lee had the opportunity to share his personal journey and latest projects at the OLLI (the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) Lunch and Learn program at the Sedona, Arizona campus of Yavapai College on Wednesday, February 12, 2014.
Lee, a 17-year resident of Sedona, was asked to speak because of the special experiences and contributions he’s made to Sedona, a place he attributes to much of his inspiration and creative drive. He explained his experiences in his most visible contribution to Sedona, his New York Times bestselling book, The Call of Sedona: Journey of the Heart.
As he told the audience of approximately 100 people in attendance, the breathtaking beauty and unique energy of Sedona offers many who visit a chance to open their heart and experience the pure energy of their soul. Many people who come to Sedona see only what’s on the surface. However, by using a deeper sense, our natural ability to feel energy, we can perceive the magic of Sedona that lies beneath.
The strong energy of Sedona helps people activate this deeper sense, allowing them to examine themselves and their own energy, including the pure, unchanging energy that lies at their core, the energy Ilchi Lee calls the soul.
Lee wrote in The Call of Sedona and repeated in his talk that afternoon, “Sedona is beautiful, but your soul is even more beautiful.” The soul, Ilchi Lee indicates, is the source of our passion, conscience, and creative power. Having active communication with and expression of our conscience is the key to developing ourselves to our fullest potential.
Ilchi Lee said what the world needs for its problems right now are prodigies of humanitarianism and integrity, rather than prodigies of mathematics, science, or art. Since we all have a conscience, we all have the potential to be humanitarian prodigies. To develop that potential, he’s established an Earth Citizen School, which aims to develop leaders who serve the good of all and are committed to their continual self-development and promoting peace and sustainability in communities around the world. Ilchi Lee has made Sedona, Arizona the home base for this school.
To make self-development accessible online, Ilchi Lee created ChangeYourEnergy.com, which offers online courses as well as free content. The educational media website will expand its offerings to include online live classes in April.
OLLI is a local, volunteer, peer-to-peer, adult education program. Its Lunch and Learn program, offered weekly from 12:30 to 1:00 pm, is free and open to the public. The program invites local leaders in art, civics, and thought to speak on a wide variety of topics. An OLLI catalogue is available at www.yc.edu/lifelonglearners.