I met Chris through the “Loving Leadership” seminar in October 2001. I was at a crossroads when I met him. I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my life. My talks with Chris during his office hours and after the seminar have made a big difference to me. Since then I have attended most LIFT seminars. It has helped me better understand myself, my husband, my colleagues, and other people in general. It has had a positive impact on my relationships with other people, both personally and professionally, thereby improving the quality of my life at a fundamental level.

The primary emphasis of LIFT has been to value the human spirit and address our needs from that perspective; in order to improve the quality of our lives. The different seminars address different components of this vast concept. Here is a brief overview of some of the ideas that have made a difference in my life. The “Loving Leadership” seminar helped me recognize that true leadership cannot be achieved without caring for the whole person, and that this was a consistent trait in all great leaders of the past. The talk on the “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator” was extremely helpful in truly understanding myself. It made me aware of the fact that people have different perspectives and preferences to act or think in certain ways. The “WORLDS” seminar helped me realize that people who do not think and act like me are not inferior or wrong, but are simply different. This single revelation has changed my relationship with my husband, and suddenly it is all very clear why we have had all our misunderstandings. It also helped me understand some of my prejudices and how to deal with them. Learning to communicate effectively was the topic of discussion at the latest LIFT seminar. An understanding of primary emotions, that prompt us to act in certain ways, was very helpful in learning how to communicate successfully, in order to build healthy long-term relationships. I am positive that anyone who attends this program can only benefit from it.

I believe the students at the University of Michigan are very fortunate to have access to the LIFT program. I’m convinced that if my advisor and I had attended the LIFT seminars during my graduate studies, it would have helped us better understand each other and build a stronger relationship. I could then have focused all my energy on my research work, thereby increasing my productivity.

I would like to thank the University of Michigan for having made LIFT seminars possible. It has provided me the opportunity to meet Chris, his wonderful staff, and many interesting participants. These people have helped me change for the better. This program has influenced every aspect of my life, both personal and professional. I sincerely believe that if more people attended LIFT seminars and practiced all that we learn, the world would be a better place to live and life would be much happier for everyone.

Aarthi Rao - SDRC