"The Powers of Ten is like 10 years of classes condensed into 10 hours," says company president Shawn Smith from Cincinnati. "It's an amazing experience!"

Created by college professor Dr. Barbara Condron, the Powers of Ten is a seminar experience unlike others. "Exceptional individuals know how to access key elements that make them successful, healthy, and engaging," Condron said. "Throughout the day we explore the art and science of being outstanding in any field of endeavor." Condron has researched and taught at the School of Metaphysics for over 30 years.

The school, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) educational and service organization with 16 branches and headquartered in Windyville, Missouri, researches and teaches how to develop the mind's potential. Concentration, memory, listening, imagination, reasoning and five other mental abilities comprise the ten essential life skills taught at the school's branches and introduced during the Powers of Ten.

In addition to passing on a wealth of information, Condron engages the minds of participants, encompassing creative thought as well as the cognitive power of the brain. It makes for what television producer Vicki Andersen of Indianapolis, Indiana called an "unbelievable day - life changing!"

During the 10 hours of the Powers of Ten, participants are led through interactive experiences that shed light on the concepts explored. Attendees examine themselves in new ways, making new discoveries about their past, present, and future through deeper thinking. “Since attending the Powers of Ten, I have developed a much greater understanding of objectivity,” says general contractor Sebastien Hartman. “The way Dr. Barbara Condron described ‘zero point’ made it very clear how to recognize my strengths and my weaknesses, with a perspective of ‘I can improve.’ Now I strive to look for ways to invest myself in whatever I do.”

"This seminar is a must for companies in the 21st century," said construction project manager Larry Hudson of St. Louis. "The hands on activities and the interaction with other participants allow everyone to put these principals to work immediately in their lives. The activities that I participated in gave me new insight into how I fit into the company and how my relationships with other employees affected the company in positive or negative ways."

Because the Powers of Ten gathers attendees from diverse backgrounds and professions, it is helping bridge the gap between seemingly unrelated professions and areas of life. "People from different fields of expertise are brought together in one seminar," said teacher Damian Nordmann. "They realize that everything – the part they play in the world – is connected to the whole and is functioning the way it needs to."

The String Theory visibly illustrates this connectedness. Participants form a circle and a web is woven among them using a single string. "Visually seeing and experiencing the String Theory was incredibly powerful to me, " corporate manager Adam Williams says. "As a manager, 90% of what I do is interacting with people and in that, trying to show them how they can use their resources to be successful. String Theory is a powerful experience of how much everyone is connected. When you see this clearly, it is much easier to recognize that the decisions you make, and how you make them, affect others."

"I am a dentist, inventor and entrepreneur by trade," said Dr. John Pawlus of Columbus, Indiana. "This experience has helped me recontextualize what I am doing and why I am doing it. Finding greater purpose in all that I do has led to a greater sense of fulfillment." Pawlus received such personal benefit from the Powers of Ten that he sent his entire staff to the Butler University seminar because "I see how this could impact their lives and in turn those we serve on a daily basis."

The Powers of Ten provides participants with a clear picture of essential life skills, how they currently utilize each, and how they can increase their ability to do so. For example, people of all professions and lifestyles can benefit from improved listening and concentration skills. "The Powers of Ten gave me the information and experience I needed to expand my capacity to listen to another person, not only with my ears but with my heart, meaning I gave my full and undivided attention," said Christopher Sheehan, an artist from Louisville, Kentucky. "This alone will change every relationship that I currently have, for the better."

In addition to increasing personal effectiveness, attendees experience clearer thinking in life situations, whether lingering memories or present day circumstances, pleasant or unpleasant. Throughout the Powers of Ten, Condron shows participants step by step methods for creating centeredness in any life experience by expanding their perception of it and gleaning deeper understanding from it.

"I had a patient at the hospital - a mother brought her child in, and he was adopted, so she was afraid for him," says registered nurse Karen Mosby. "He was sick and needed to have an IV started. Other nurses had tried to get it in two or three times, and this mother was frantic. She was concerned because she thought he was going to die. I wanted to help her in some way. I knew that my attitude - how I presented myself - would make all the difference. I told her why they were having trouble starting the IV, and how she needed to be calm. I walked her through everything. I had her sit in the rocking chair with her son and hold him, and I was able to start the IV. She cried when we were done because she was so thankful we got the IV started. What I used in this experience reflects what I learned and experienced at the Powers of Ten, and it has aided me to understand the power of my thoughts as well as their impact upon my patients and their family members."

One of the interactive experiences is "walking in someone’s shoes." Participants are paired up and receive instruction for embodying one another. "As a Recreational Therapist I interact with a variety of people who experience challenges mentally, emotionally, and physically," says Sheila Benjamin, a therapeutic recreational specialist who is submitting the Powers of Ten for professional continuing education credits (CEUs). "The exercise we performed entitled ‘walking in someone’s shoes’ gave me greater insight and compassion for those I serve. This helps me know what one of my patients may be going through when they find it difficult to walk without assistance. There is a great deal of healing that takes place when you can relate and connect with another. I am very grateful for this awareness."

Dr. Teresa Martin, faculty member at the College of Metaphysics, says, "Learning how to see the world through someone else’s perspective affords the opportunity to learn compassion and forgiveness. This also facilitates seeing the world, seeing yourself, and seeing your relationship to the world in ways that allow you to draw more meaning from your experiences."

The ability to see how you created situations in your life and how those situations exist to learn something about yourself, your own mind, and your purpose for life, is the learnable skill of self respect presented in the Powers of Ten. "During the Powers of Ten, I shared my thoughts and feelings from what I had written and from activities we had done together, very openly with the people at my table," said Nicholas Zajac, an Independent Contractor from St. Louis. "From doing this, the feedback I received showed me the value of what I have inside myself and the influence that it has on other people in ways that I have not given myself credit for. I can see now what is unique to me that can change the world."

The Powers of Ten is being presented at a growing number of universities. Upcoming schedules and registration is available online at www.som.org . The seminar can also be tailored for corporate educational needs. To pursue this opportunity contact Dr. Martin at SOM World Headquarters, 417-345-8411 or by email at powers@som.org .