When you meet Reon Schutte for the first time, what strikes you is his calmness and the sense of serenity that emanates from him. Having read his bio-data, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Here is a man who has gone through some of the most atrocious experiences you would not wish for your worst enemy, and yet, he is free from anger and hatred, he is at peace within himself and with the world.
International speaker Reon Schutte travels the globe sharing his personal story with millions. He does not shout or jump about on stage, yet his message is very powerful. Listen to him speak and you will be impacted by his sincerity. Reon speaks from the heart. He tells his story with little embellishment, just retelling it at a steady pace. He truly has an admirable personality and strength of character.
Learning can happen when you are having fun or when you are going through a traumatic experience. In Reon’s case, he went through the darkest moments no human should have to go through, and he lived to tell the story. And what a story it is. From the moment he entered the notorious Chikurubi prison in Zimbabwe, he already knew that his chances of ever leaving the prison alive were slim to none, yet he persevered. There were days he went without food, trading his measly meal of half a bowl of rice and half a bowl of cabbage for writing materials so he could write letters to strangers in the hope that someone would take notice of his existence, yet never knowing if anyone did.
Being beaten up by the prison guards daily and sharing a dank miserable prison cell with 49 others is unthinkable. As you listen to his story, your initial thoughts will probably be like mine and the hundreds of thousands who have heard Reon’s story, “Can this be real? How can anyone survive this and yet be so calm?”
We have the benefit of learning through someone else’s experience, in this case, Reon’s. And he has put it so simply–The Power of Choice. He acknowledges that everything that has happened to him was due to a decision he made, a choice he made and that he had to endure the consequences of his decisions. The fact that he survived the living hell of Chikurubi prison plus being diagnosed with cancer was also a result of the choices he made, to change his thinking, change his perspective and be in control of how he would face (and survive) each day. As he says, “We may not be able to choose our circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond.”
As a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Master Trainer, I recognize what he did during those dark hours to be NLP techniques which are inside every one of us. NLP is what happens on a daily basis and is not an invention but rather the result of the study of human behavior. Therefore, each and every one of us has the ability to change, if we know how. Reon did not know a method at the time, he just knew that he was not going to let them win. He re-programmed his mind and was able to understand the universal truths that allowed him to be free, while still in prison. As Reon highlights, many of us are imprisoned in our own Chikurubis, personal prisons that we have created for ourselves from anger, hatred, fear, blame, self-doubt and from which we unable to break free.
Reon shows us that we can overcome adversity and transform ourselves, emerging stronger. Through his story, we are able to look at our own lives and realize that we always have options and that there is always a way out. And we do not have to learn this by being imprisoned.
Another (or easier) way to be equipped is to take up training in NLP and Time Line Therapy™ to unleash the potential within you and to break free from negativity and become a wholesome human being like Reon.
You have The Power of Choice to change, for good. Choose well.
Come and listen to Reon’s story on 24 October 2012 at the Sime Darby Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur. For information about tickets and about the event, contact office@BillyKueek.com or call or SMS +6012 434 9500.