I was taking a graduate level course at landmark education called the Self-Expression and Leadership Program. It's a class that meets once a week for approximately 3 months.

Before you take any classes at Landmark Education, you fill out an application and you have to say what you intend to get out the course. I had put "to have a relationship with a man where we would be partners, not dependent on each other, but supporting and nurturing each other in a relationship that would lead to marriage.

About three weeks into the course, my instructor Mary Artz, was speaking on "Going Beyond Where You Would Normally be Stopped". She asked "Who here put down that they wanted a relationship out of this course?" I held my hand up, about chest high, then looked around and saw at least twenty hands up.

Well, I then held my hand up high and proud. She asked, "How many of you see people each day and you don't speak to them? It could be the UPS guy, the person two cubicles down, or that girl down the hall could be your soul mate. Just for one week, this is your assignment, go beyond where you would normally stop, and speak to that person." Then, not like she actually said this, I heard to myself "Then you can go back to your miserable life." Mary would NEVER say this, this is just what I said to myself. I agreed, as did several others in my class, to try this for one week.

I stopped in a resturant to get lunch. My meeting that morning was a disaster, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. My mind was all over the place. As I left the resturant, a tanned gentleman held the door for me. I would have, prior to this class, just nodded my thanks, but today was different. I said, "Wow, great tan, (it was October in Washington, DC) did you just fly here from Florida?" He looked stunned, for in this area, people generally don't talk. He responded, "Well no, I usually go sailing about every day." I had completed my assisgnment, I took it further, I said "Well then you should take me sailing". Meanwhile the voice in my head screams "NOOOOOO, WHY DID YOU DO THAT!!!!!!! ARE YOU CRAZY?" And you know how you know ahead of time how someone is going to respond, you know the look, the intonation, the words? I knew he would, not only say no, but it would be, "Ha, in your dreams b...." . What actually happened is: he said, ever so gallantly," Why that would be my pleasure". This time I am the one who is looking stunned. I then gave him my business card, the voice in my head saying "You know how men are, he's never gonna call". Not only did he call, but he called that night. Three years to the date, from when I went beyond where I would normally be stopped, I married the man of my dreams. I warn people who look into taking Landmark courses. Be careful of what you ask for. You just might get it.

You can also read about Connie's breakthrough with her dad during the Landmark Forum.