Letter to Peter Senge

December 18, 2008

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your inspiring words, your insights, and the challenge you offered for us to be in action at the International Coach Federation conference last month in Montreal.

I have long studied and implemented your work, specifically Schools that Learn. I also had the privilege to hear you speak at an educator conference in Illinois many years ago. One thing you spoke about was Masaru Emoto’s study on water. As I think about it, it is interesting that at this conference you again spoke about water, but this time the embedded kind.

After hearing you in Illinois, I made a sticker to put on my Nalgene water bottle. It said: “Thank you. I appreciate the beauty, power, and life giving energy you provide.” I put it on the bottle that I carry with me at all times; because of the challenges that we face and my effort to make a difference, I have not used a “single use” disposable water bottle in 5 years. I have even learned that at airport security they do not care about the bottle, they care about the liquid inside it.

At the ICF conference you commented that you returned back stage to get your single use water bottle that still had water in it. I almost ran up on stage to offer you an even better solution, but I did not want to alarm you or interrupt your presentation (if I had it to do over again, I would have run up there…next time). The better solution is bringing your own bottle!

There are some serious questions these days about the healthfulness of plastic bottles (even sturdy ones intended for multiple uses), so I offer the new paradigm, a metal bottle. I hope that you use it. That is my powerful request of you.

My hope is at your next presentation, instead of talking about the disposable bottle, you can tell the story about the coach from Oregon who sent you a bottle to use and you continually challenging your self to be the change we so desperately need.

With deep respect and gratitude for your work and you. By the way, I feel called to action and am on board. My work is with young people, and I am collecting the leaders of the future who will help us get out of this mess.

Playing Huge.
Morgan Rich

www.playhugecoaching.com
Author of the forthcoming book Launch Your Life: 5 secretes to knowing what you want in your teens, college years, and early career