Dear Soul of Money Institute Friends:

Lynne and I have returned home from 10 days in Tokyo, having successfully completed a record 13 events in a Lynne Twist / Soul of Money Institute / Pachamama Alliance Tokyo Tour.  It turned out to be a transformational and nourishing journey for Lynne personally, as well as the entire team who assembled to make it happen.

This was Lynne’s first major activity following her health sabbatical and not only did the pace and intensity not deplete Lynne’s energy, but it restored, renewed and clarified the next era of her work – of the work.  I have not seen such a bounce in her step in many months.  The outpouring and receiving of love and acknowledgement of Lynne’s message healed her in a way that none of us expected.

The Soul of Money book was translated in Japanese, as well, and Lynne signed hundreds of books.  I’m sure we sold thousand of books during the time there.

This is a lengthy recap and I think worth reading as it captures the immense global impact our message carried for both The Pachamama Alliance and the Soul of Money Institute.  Joel Mitchell and his magnificent team, who masterminded the tour for the last 9 months, did a spectacular job.  Lynne said many times, it was the most masterfully orchestrated trip she has ever been a part of.

It was an honor and a privilege to witness the transformation of thousands of Japanese participants, of each of the organizers, and of Lynne as she came alive and transformed herself.

Here’s a recap in chronological order.

Forest Publishing Golden Life Conference:

• Lynne was invited to participate in a 3-day conference by Janet Attwood, a fellow Transformational Leadership Council member, colleague, and speaker, who collaborated with Forest Publishing to bring Lynne to Japan. This is where we truly launched our week.
• Lynne was one of 5 keynote speakers and the event was filled to capacity, close to 1000 people. She spoke on the last day for 150 minutes about the condition of Scarcity, the principle of Sufficiency and the whole Soul of Money Message. The tidal wave of impact in Japan began and the response exceeded our expectations.
• Huge gratitude to Janet Attwood for the invitation to bring us to Japan and for spearheading the launching of a transformational week.

The Saionji Family:

• The Saionji Family is a highly respected, prominent Japanese family that Lynne has had a longstanding relationship with.  Yuka Saionji, who Lynne knows very well, is the daughter of Masami Saionji, a descendant of the Royal Ryukyu Family of Okinawa, and the Chairman of the Goi Peace Foundation, the World Peace Prayer Society, and the Miyako Sanctuary in Fuji.
• Masami Saionji is an international global activist, respected lecturer and author and an obvious deep soul connection between Lynne and Masami was launched for a lifetime of collaborations.  The entire family hosted Lynne and we plan to return in 2015 to celebrate the anniversary of the Miyako Peace Sanctuary in Fuji.

The Joy of Fundraising

• This public event hosted by the Japan Fundraising Association (JFRA), was an evening of dialogue and conversation facilitated by Ken Shibusawa, the Director of JFRA and CEO of Commons Asset Management Co. This event was packed and oversold. The audience was mostly business leaders and nonprofit organizations interested in fundraising. Ken shared that it was the most robust response he had ever witnessed from this audience.

Intimate gathering with the First Lady, Akie Abe – and her Circle of Powerful Women in Tokyo:

• This event was an elegant, intimate dialogue with the first lady and her circle of 8 prominent Japanese women who meet monthly. It was a formal afternoon with lots of reverence and protocol around the first lady. Lynne felt very honored and special to be a part of the day.
• The women were taken by Lynne’s stories and sharing about the Sophia Century, the Native American prophecy of the Bird of Humanity, the work of the Pachamama Alliance, and the Nobel Women’s Initiative.
• Lynne invited the first lady and all of the women to join us on a Pachamama Alliance journey.
•  We made beautiful connections with the First lady and her highly accomplished women friends.

Sophia Century: Unleash your inner Power

• Lynne did a keynote alongside two other speakers about empowering women for “The Sophia Century”. The other speakers were Dr. Masaru Emoto, bestselling author of Messages from Water and global activist, Nanako Oba. Another standing ovation and oversold venue. I had to whisk Lynne out like a rock star so she wouldn’t get mobbed.

Business in the 21^st Century: A Panel Discussion with Lynne and 3 Japanese CEO’s – “From Global Economy to Responsible Economy”:

• The panel consisted of:
  • Hidemitsu Sasatani – CEO of Itoen, green tea and beverage company.
  • Juya Nakazawa – CEO of Ten Arrows, a start up clean energy business.
  • Osamu Nagayama – CEO and Chair of Chugai Pharmaceuticals and Chairman of the Board of Sony.

•  A “World Café” dialogue followed, including corporate CEO’s, executives, corporate development strategists, and businesspeople, convening important discussions about transforming businesses into true “World Citizen Businesses.”

An evening at Pasona corporate headquarters, specially invited by Mr. Nambu, CEO of Pasona and close friend of Mr. Saionji:

• Mr. Nambu invites over 80 high-profile individuals to his office for a monthly mini concert followed by dinner and networking. It’s an informal gathering that many diplomats, ambassadors, extreme athletes, comedians, actors, and dignitaries of all ages attend.  Lynne spoke to the very high-level gathering after the concert.
• Nambu-san’s office and company is a vision of the future and is one of the most creative innovative business environments I’ve ever seen. At his office building, there are more than one hundred varieties of roses surrounding the outside, crops growing inside, and the whole building is filled with plants and vegetables growing for staff to eat.
• Employees have the experience of being surrounded by nature in the middle of an office building. It’s impossible to explain, but it was a fascinating evening. Pasona sets an example for every company in the US to follow.

The Future of Leadership Forum

• The Forum was an all-day event where Lynne was in four different dialogues with high-level leaders in Japan, followed by discussion in a “World Café” format. She dialogued with the following individuals:
  • Tetsuo Gyoutoku – 81-year-old Japanese Zen philosopher; INCREDIBLY wise man shown below with Lynne.
  • Keiko Kobayashi – writer, director, producer, and starring actress in Jun’Ai.
  • William H. Saito – CEO of InTecur, a venture capital firm and leading authority on encryption. Sold his company to Microsoft and is considered one of the 100 Most Influential People in Japan.
  • Kai Sawyer – youth global activist.
  • Edward Suzuki – architect and futurist master.
  • Todd Porter – entrepreneur, innovator, and Stanford Business school graduate. Brought TEDx to Tokyo.

• It was a very successful and moving day for all who participated. Also sold out.

Living a Committed Life – The Power of Taking a Stand:

• A public event; oversold and well received. The Japanese were eager to hear the messages about commitment, making a difference in what you do, and giving back. Standing ovation.

Meeting with Seven Generations Facilitators:

• 80 of the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium facilitators from all over Japan made their way to Tokyo to convene with Lynne and get an update on all things Pachamama. It was such a thrill to see and meet the facilitators. They are a very remarkable group, deeply dedicated and engaged in delivering the Symposium at all levels of society.

• Lynne gave an update on Ecuador and all the activities of the Pachamama Alliance around the world. Their partnership with the Brahma Kumaris is especially robust in Japan. It was a fabulous gathering and Lynne challenged the Facilitators to do a surge of 1000 symposiums as a result of the gathering.

Soul of Money Workshop:

• This was a fabulous all-day workshop that was filled to capacity and then some. People are hungry and eager for the Soul of Money Institute message, which is very timely and relevant in Japan. Lots of transformations and lots of books sold!

Awakening the Dreamer Changing the Dream Symposium:

• This was the largest Awakening the Dreamer Symposium ever delivered in Japan, with 400 people; incredibly organized and orchestrated, facilitated by Lynne and Hidetake Enomoto. This just may have been the best Symposium ever done. The Japanese facilitators did a spectacular job of ensuring that every logistical detail went smoothly and perfectly – and it did. The room was packed and the whole event went absolutely beautifully.

• It began at 10am and went until 5:30pm, followed by an hour of networking with local organizations.  Then there was a beautiful party from 6:30 until 8 pm and a dinner partly cooked by the Brahma Kumaris! All 400 people stayed for the whole day.

• There was a children’s Symposium that took place at the same time in another room and a daycare room for babies, too, so whole families were able to participate. The Japanese have developed what they think is a brilliant kid’s version of Awakening the Dreamer, which we promised to bring back to everyone in the USA.

Healthy Lynne!

Love and blessings,

Sara

(or as they called me in Japan, “Sara-san”)

Sara Vetter

Director of Business Development

Soul of Money Institute