Birth of the "Yes I Can" Project

The “Yes I CAN” Project has two birthdays. The day I had the idea and the day I finally took action to create it. Both days are in October, but they are three years apart.

The idea came to me in October 2006, while I was in the midst of an intensive 90-day goal setting – goal achieving program called Pacesetter Leadership Dynamics or PLD . Up to that point, I spent my entire life believing and acting as if I was incapable. PLD helped me discover I was far more capable than I could have ever imagined. It helped me discover that limiting beliefs can be conquered.

Then, in October 2009, I launched the “YES I CAN” Project at an event called “Three Feet from Gold”. Everybody who is anybody in the field of motivational speaking attended the event. Bob Proctor, Mark Victor Hansen, John Assaraf, Frank Maguire, David Corbin, LuAn Mitchell, John Gray, Sharon Lechter, Greg S. Reid, Bill Walsh and Les Brown were all there.

Les Brown was the keynote speaker for the event and hearing him tell his life story changed my life.

I didn’t have any heroes as I was growing up. I had plenty of people I looked up to and respected, but I didn’t have anyone I would have called a “hero”. Hearing Les Brown tell his life story changed that. That night I gained a hero.

I came back from Three Feet from Gold very excited and ready to move forward, but I ended up getting very sick, needed a surgical procedure, and spent a week in the hospital.

As I was recouperating, I regularly listened to the Les Brown CDs I had purchased and his highly inspirational message was exactly what I needed to regain my strength… both physically and emotionally.

During the early part of 2010, I set an intention that Les Brown and I would be working together, making a difference to children all over the world, via the “YES I CAN” Project.

In March, I heard Les Brown would be speaking at all three Sunday services at Unity of Phoenix on May 30th and doing a seminar at Unity the following Saturday, June 5th.

I couldn’t believe my good fortune. My hero… the man I set an intention to work with was coming to speak at my church.

I attended all three Sunday services on May 30th and each time Les spoke I was all the more inspired. I could hardly wait until his seminar this Saturday.

Then, yesterday afternoon, I received a phone call that literally left me shaking.

Our minister’s personal assistant called and asked me if I could help. I said “Of course. What do you need”. She said they needed someone to pick Les Brown up at the airport and wondered if I could do it.

My answer was simply, “YES I CAN”.

Post by: Don Ratliff