Videos for the Week of March 14, 2010

video6First Video – The Ancient Ruins of Puma Punku

If you begin to think that we are the most advanced civilization that has ever been on this planet, you might want to watch the video about Puma Punku. The Ruins of this civilization in Bolivia cannot be dated nor explained. This video will create more questions and give few answers but it will challenge your thinking and you ideas of our own culture.

If you are watching this video after the week of March 14, 2010, click here to view the video.

Second Video: Self-Awareness 101 Episode 11: The Four Agreements

If you are not familiar with the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, this video is a “must watch.”  The transcript is below.

If you are watching this video after the week of March 14, 2010, click here to view the video.

http://www.yourdailylifecoach.com/four-agreements.html

Transcript:The

Several years ago I was invited to lead a book discussion group by the manager at a local Barnes and Noble’s. One of the first books that we discussed was “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. I loved being involved in that book discussion group because when you have a group of people sharing their perceptions of the same topic, you become aware of perceptions that you never would have if not for another person’s point of view.

After reading and discussing this book, I choose to take the four agreements and integrate them into my life as a tool for daily living. And I believe as I share with you the simplicity and power of these four agreements, you may yourself see how it could dramatically impact your own life, and even the world if we all applied these in our day to day interactions.

The first of the four agreements is to be impeccable with your word. When you say something, mean it. Not only with your commitment to others but with your word to yourself. So often we agree to things, or say we will do things with no real intention of following through. Whether you plan on dieting, whether you plan on exercising, when you commit to anything be impeccable with your word.

Being impeccable with your word also means being honest. As a friend of mine, Gary King shares in his program The Power Of Truth, “There is no such thing as an inconsequential lie.” When we speak, do it honestly. Being impeccable with your word is also about being totally open in what you want to share with people, not being ambiguous. Be clear, and take away the potential for misrepresenting yourself. Being impeccable with your word is knowing that communication, that level of honesty and that level of commitment to follow through on your word, is so valuable.

The second commitment is to not take things personally. Now that can be a little tough in the beginning because we’ve all had experience where someone says something to us, maybe they even yell at us. We’ve all had those experiences where someone says something that really knocks us off guard and we’re thinking, “What the heck did I do?” We can choose to take that personally, but let me turn that around and ask you, have you ever lashed out at someone when they really weren’t the person you were angry at? Something to think about.

When we stop taking things personally and realize that the issue more than likely has nothing to do with us, then we’re actually able to listen to what the other person is saying and work on healing that communication, rather than inflaming it by becoming defensive.

The third agreement is to never assume. Think about this for a moment, we never have all of the information that we need to make a correct assumption. We have one perception, and a very limited perception at that. There’s an old saying that when you assume you make a ..(@!#).. out of you and me. Our assumptions are usually way off base because we simply haven’t gotten all the facts. So instead of assuming, why not ask questions that get you the more information and help you to see the full picture? By not assuming and asking questions you can actually be involved in communication rather than confusion.

The fourth agreement is to always do your best. People who know me, know that I have a very strong aversion to the word “try”. I say that because I believe that “try” is an excuse to fail. That when you say that you will “try” you don’t really have to apply yourself to doing anything. When you say that you will “try” you’re you’ve avoided making any kind of commitment to follow through on. But when you always commit to doing your best, that’s when you begin setting a standard for yourself. You’re committing that you will give 100 percent, no matter what. You may not succeed, you may make mistakes, you may fail; but you’re going to give everything you’ve got to following through.

Now, when you tie those four agreements together it becomes a very powerful way of living your life. Take a moment and think about what kind of person you would be by applying them.

The first one, be impeccable to your word, to others and to yourself.

The second is to not take things personally. This will allow you to free yourself from the judgment of being accepted or rejected.

The third is to never assume, but actually gather the information, gather the facts.

And the fourth is to always do your best. It’s an amazing feeling to go to bed at the end of the day, knowing that you could not have done any better than what you did.

I invite you right now to journal, or make some entries into the computer and list each of the agreements.

List all four, and then next to each one ask yourself … and be honest about it, ask yourself, “Where can I improve?”

Where can you improve in regards to the commitments you make? Can you improve holding yourself accountable in those commitments? Can you improve the level of honesty in your communication?

Maybe you can think of specific relationships where you do tend to take things personally. Maybe its with your spouse, maybe its with a parent, maybe its with your boss where in your communication with them you often take things personally. Maybe by recognizing this you can distance yourself the next time it happens and say to yourself, “You know what… whatever is wrong with them more than likely… does not really have to deal with me.”

Ask yourself where are some situations where you can stop assuming and get more proactive in gaining the information you need to make communication more fruitful and less combative.

And ask yourself, where can you honestly raise your standards on doing your best, rather than just trying?

I look forward to hearing how you apply what we’ve shared in this episode. I look forward to your feedback and I definitely look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Have a great day.

Videos for the Week of February 14, 2010

video1The first video is just for fun – and amazement.

Just in case you haven’t seen this yet……..

To those of you who consider yourself “Florida folks” have you ever seen this?  These bottlenose dolphins are so smart – what a way to fish!   And you thought that bears knew how to fish.  You ain’t seen anything until you watch this.  I also think it is great that someone was able to capture this on film.

A pod of bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Florida have developed a remarkable hunting strategy in order to catch fish. Another awesome thing about this technique is that only one female in the pod can create this ring, and it’s always counterclockwise. If you are reading this after the week of February 14, click the link below to view the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ50PYMXDCQ

The Second Video continues with our series of Self Awareness 101

Episode 7: The Two Most Powerful Words You Will Ever Say

If you are reading this after the week of February 14, click the link below to view the video:

http://www.yourdailylifecoach.com/powerful-words.html

Transcript:
Today, we’re going to explore, the two most powerful words you will ever say. “I AM.”
Over the years I have learned a lot of things that have dramatically changed my life. And one of the things that fascinated me, was when I learned that the most powerful statement that someone can make, the two most powerful words in human behavior, psychology and in metaphysics are “I am.”

When you say “I am”, followed by any statement, and you add certainty to it, it becomes your reality… in many cases, your identity. When you combine these two powerful words with emotion, everything around you moves to support that statement.

I’ll give you an example. I’ve shared before that I drank from the time I was 13 to the time I was 24 and I drank heavily. I avoided any responsibility for years. I had a very strong Identity that defined me. For years I thought, “I am being punished”. Because of that Identity, I took all the terrible things that were happening to me and placed the blame on God, The Universe and others because I believed everything that happened to me was happening because I was being punished. And there finally came a point, based on many experiences that opened me to new possibilities, that I created a new Identity. A point came where I had to say with certainty, “I am an alcoholic.” And when I said those words, things shifted, and on an unconscious level, I no longer was able to make excuses for why I was drinking. I now had the identity of being and “alcoholic”. By making the statement that I was an alcoholic, everything I knew on an unconscious level came up to support me in that statement.

Now, let me explain conscious and unconscious for a moment. Your conscious mind acts as a filter. It filters things through your beliefs, through your rules, through your values. Your unconscious just absorbs everything like a sponge. Your unconscious is called to action by your conscious mind based on how you direct your focus.

For me, identifying myself as an alcoholic, and doing it with certainty, it called on my unconscious to bring up all these references and resources that said, “Okay, if you’re an alcoholic, here are the ways that you act. Here are the things alcoholics do”

By acknowledging these things, it gave me a starting point, to begin correcting my life. By announcing “I am an alcoholic”, I was no longer denying my involvement in how I’d messed up my life. In that moment, I had to accept responsibility and accountability. So I started taking actions that supported me in becoming a recovering alcoholic. The identity changed from, “I am an alcoholic” to “I’m recovering. I am no longer drinking.” With this shift of “I am” and adding the certainty to the new statement, my unconscious started pulling different references and resources to support this new Identity.

Every time you put something after the two most powerful words ” I am” and you say it with certainty, your unconscious will accept that as your Identity and do things, millions of things, within nanoseconds to support you in that moment. Now, although saying “I am an alcoholic” was a great step for me in adapting a new Identity and helping me create new choices for myself, it also later on became something that limited me. As I got farther into my development, I started recognizing that I reached something like a glass ceiling. Even though I was working diligently on myself, I wasn’t growing the way that I wanted to grow. And what I discovered was I was having trouble progressing because I continued to identify myself as an alcoholic. So even though I was working hard on my personal and spiritual development, each time I Identified myself as an alcoholic, my unconscious mind was supporting me in that Identity by pulling up all of these references that said, “Okay if you’re an alcoholic, you need to act, think and be like this.” So when I reached a certain point, an Identity that used to serve me, no longer did and began to limit me.

As I began to more deeply understand the power of “I am” and “Identity”, through studying human behavior and psychology, I decided that I needed to stop identifying myself as an “alcoholic”. Now, I want to be very clear at this point. I believe that I needed to identify myself as an alcoholic, early on, to accept responsibility and to begin taking the steps toward recovery. I do not believe that I would have stopped the self-destructive path I was on if I had not claimed that Identity. And I got to a point, in my growth where I needed to change my identity to continue to grow.

Understand that we can change our identity at any point. Most people don’t even realize how they create identities for themselves and change them. People walk around all day long, making excuses and complaining saying, “I am lazy.” Or, “I’m a procrastinator.” They say things like, “I’m just fat, you know, that’s the way it is.” But the thing is, when we say those things with certainty, our unconscious mind does everything it needs to do to support us in that statement.

So what I invite you to do is to become aware of how you label yourself.

Now I’ve had people come to me and say, “You know Will, I’ve been taught to do incantations and affirmations that say, I am thin, I am a non smoker, I am these things I want to be, and it never works.” The challenge is that you’re saying these things on a conscious level and you’re filtering it, meaning that you’re not doing it with certainty. So you may be saying the words, “I am thin”, but you lack any sense of certainty, so the very next moment your conscious brain is saying, with certainty, “No I’m not. I am fat!”

So how can we address this when we are attempting to make a change? Begin with small adjustments. Begin making the statement, “I am taking steps to become thin.” Or, “I am deciding to make a change now and become healthier.” Find a statement that you can believe in, and adopt it as your Identity. Then as you progress, change the statement as you gain more certainty in your new Identity.

The things that get us into trouble and that we take for granted are the simple statements. We make a mistake and say, “I am a failure.” And we say it with completely certainty based on the mistake we made without even thinking about it. Many times we even joke about it and say it repeatedly. The more times you tell yourself something using powerful words like these, the more certain you become in it being true . When it you gain that certainty, it becomes your truth, it becomes your Identity.

So what I want you to invite you to do is for the next ten days, become hypersensitive to the powerful words, “I am ” and what you say after them.
Keep track, how many times do you say, “I am ____”, something that empowers you or how many times are you saying “I am _____”, something that is disempowering or tearing you down. Become aware. Awareness is the key. Then start changing how you address yourself. This is a very extensive subject, we’re not going to be able to cover all of it right here and right now. But a great start and what I want you to do at this moment is simply become aware of how you’re identifying yourself. A small change in your Identity can make a major shift in your reality.

I look forward to connecting with you again soon.

Take Care.

Videos for the week of January 24, 2010

video5The First Video: A unique collection of happiness quotes from http://OnlineMotivator.info . This is a very simple and very beautiful collection of quotes and wonderful pictures. It is just to enjoy.

The Second Video: A Self-Awareness Exercise From A Course In Miracles by Willard Barth

Transcript

Today we’re going to take a look at a lesson from “A Course in Miracles ” and the lesson is, “The only meaning that anything has, is the meaning that WE give it.”
As I became more self-aware, one of the fascinating things I learned about human behavior and psychology, and one of the greatest gifts that ended up giving me a freedom I never before imagined, is that we are the ones that attach meaning to the experiences in our lives. More specifically, it’s not what happens to us, but it’s how we view it, how we perceive it and ultimately, the meaning we attach to it. We’re going to explore this topic today, and if you feel inspired to get into the subject at length, I suggest reading the book A Course In Miracles.
As an example, some of you are aware from other episodes that I lost my leg when I was eight years old to bone cancer. Being a young child and having a very limited perception of the world, I attached a very specific meaning to that experience. The meaning was partially self-generated, but as is often the case, it was majorly influenced by other people’s “meaning”. I was influenced by the beliefs and perceptions that other people had so it wasn’t even my meaning that I attached to the experience.
The meaning that I attached to losing my leg was that I was being punished. Based on the religion that I grew up in as well as the community that I grew up in, that was sort of the answer a child was given. When bad things happened to people, they were being punished. Attaching that meaning to losing my leg affected and directed every aspect of my life for years. I abandoned the spiritual beliefs that I had been brought up with, I actually rebelled against them. I turned to alcohol. I turned to drugs. Along with the meaning I attached of being punished, I also thatched a meaning that I was not worthy of any of the good things in life. Based on this meaning, I embarked on a very self destructive path for many years.
I came to a point when I was 24, much later in life, where I was offered this amazing concept that said, “You know Willard, you are able to look at any experience, and you are able to make it mean what you want it to mean. You can “choose” what it means to you.” They said, “Why not choose what’s going to best serve you in that situation?” Initially, it was a hard concept for me to accept. But when I did look back at the experience, I looked and saw there were other options, other possibilities, rather than perceiving it as being punished… there was a possibility that there was another meaning. At the first, the opportunity of a new possibility was intriguing. One of the first possibilities I explored was that maybe losing my leg was about leading me on a path that would give me experiences, that I never would had otherwise .
And if there was one possibility, then there surely could be others. I asked, “What could another meaning be?” Another possible meaning was… maybe this was for me to teach. Maybe it was for me to be able to stop other people from following the same path I had taken. All of a sudden, I came up with tons of possibilities of what that one experience could mean. Everything that happens in your life, you ultimately choose what meaning you want to attach to it. Why not choose the one that serves you best? There is no “right or wrong” meaning. Only right or wrong based on whether it serves you.
Take a look right now, at some area of your life where you have attached meaning to something that is not serving you. Maybe something that you’ve attached a meaning to, that doesn’t support you and who you choose to be. Then ask yourself, what would another possibility be? What else could this mean? How could I look at this experience in a different way? All it takes is a small shift, and it can dramatically… dramatically change your life. Again we choose the meaning that we attach and it’s up to you.
I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Take Care.

http://www.yourdailylifecoach.com/course-in-miracles.html

Videos for the Week of January 4, 2010

video1You may think that this week’s videos take you from the ridiculous to the sublime. From esoteric predictions to a scholarly presentation about emotional intelligence.

The First Video was sent to me by a dear friend and I found it so interesting I thought I’d share it with  you. You may think it’s a bit “out there”the but pay attention to what they say, anyway and watch to see if their predictions unfold as the year progresses.  You Tube description states that this is “a sneak-preview of life’s coming attractions for the “mighty” year of 2010. Courtesy of our friends from the Unknown.”

All quotes are from the December 2009 edition of The Sedona Journal.

The track is called, “Amazing” and the band is “One Eskimo”.

If you are reading this after the week of January 3, click below for the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3zJm98UXzQ

The Second Video comes from Google University to us.  An interestign discussion about IQ and Emotional Intelligence. This is worth watching to the end. If you don’t have the highest intelligence, the top grades, etc. don’t worry. IQ is NOT the success predictors many people think it is. Daniel Goleman

In this video Daniel Goleman discusses his book “Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships” as a part of the Authors@Google series. For more from Daniel Goleman, visit http://www.morethansound.net. This event took place on August 3, 2007 at Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA.

If you don’t have time to watch the whole video, try to watch the last 20 minutes. You will be glad you did.

If you are reading this after the week of January 3, click below for the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hoo_dIOP8k

Videos to end one year and begin another

videoI know I don’t have to tell you that Thursday is the first day of 2010. Can you believe it?  So this week’s videos are about ending one year and beginning another.

The first video is a “Happy New Year 2010 Video Poem ecard”

Are you yearning for a great New Year? You are not alone. Share this video poem about the New Year with someone you love. Lets get the word out together.

If you are watching this video after the week it is posted in the column on the  right, click the like below to view it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdADZqjDGuc

The second video is a New Resolution Song.

We HAVE to start the new  year with some humor. If there’s no laughter, well . . . it will be a very sad year if there is no laughter.  The  lyrics are below. If you’re tired of all the talk about New Year’s Resolutions, THIS IS FOR YOU. It’s not too late to start your 2010 out right.

If you decide to keep one resolution, make it this: Resolve to get our new album here: http://tinyurl.com/2arfy6

Follow us on Twitter to never miss new material!
Rhett: http://www.twitter.com/rhettmc
Link: http://www.twitter.com/linklamont

Lyrics

working out, losing weight
maybe using tanning spray
becoming more attractive in general

reading more, watching less
learning all the rules for chess
becoming somewhat smarter in general
eating fish, not fingernails
volunteer to save the whales
becoming a better guy in general
saving more, spending less
yes I will wax my chest
dating more girls in general

But not this year. No this year is different!
As different as a gazelle.
Yes, a gazelle from a deer.
(They’re actually not that different.)
After all these failed resolutions.
My future is clear, the future is near!
Just forget those resolutions you
know that you are never gonna do
and adopt a more realistical view
by committing to things that come easily to you
like eat at least one value meal a week
or put the correct shoes on the correct feet
just “Raise the bar to walk effortlessly underneath!”

Chorus2:
Just face the fact you’ve always thought
those resolutions don’t mean squat
Settle in to a comfortable spot
embrace all the things you know you are not.
Hit the snooze, roll over, then repeat
Make large purchases, then lose the receipts
just “Raise the bar to walk effortlessly underneath!”

If you are watching this video after the week it is posted in the column on the  right, click the like below to view it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eOu-jVuuxo

Videos for the Week of December 13, 2009

video32Here we are in the middle of December – Hanukkah is presently being celebrated and Christmas is less than two weeks away. Some people are beginning to look a little frazzled around the edges and have more to do ahead of them than they can manage. So it’s time for some humor. I love these two videos because they’re different – and I think they’re very funny. I hope you do as well.

The First Video – “The Christmas Can-Can”
is from Straight No Chaser’s brand-new album, “Christmas Cheers” plus a special message. This video was filmed in New York City and is part of the upcoming PBS Special Live In New York: Holiday

Visit http://sncmusic.com/pbsspecial/ for more information about when the full hour-long program is airing in your city! http://sncmusic.com/christmascheers/ to order a copy of the record now Edition.

If you didn’t view this video during the week it was posted, click below to view it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqonjZ1hMnI

The Second Video – Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

Hallelujah Chorus performed by the Mute Monks. The youth of Pine Castle United Methodist Church performed the Hallelujah Chorus on Christmas Eve in a most unique way.

If you didn’t view this video during the week it was posted, click below to view it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU

Videos for the Week of November 29, 2009

b951The videos this week are outstanding.

The first video is Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? at a T.E.D. conference.

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes — including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts.

If you are reading this after the video is no longer in the right column, click the link below to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY”

The second video is an oldie but definitely a “goodie.”  Solid Potato Salad – The Ross Sisters (1944)

Never underestimate a woman who can get both legs behind her head and wrap her feet around her face. (HINT: Watch past the first 45 seconds or so. Whoah!)

Solid Potato Salad? No, it’s not what you get when you leave the deli container out of the fridge too long. It’s a 1940s term for…something (I have no idea what. ) In this classic footage from the movie “Broadway Rhythm” (1944), the Ross sisters, Aggie, Maggie and Elmira, sing and move in ways that don’t look humanly possible. Yoga anyone? Movie buffs will recognize the tune as one of the background instrumentals from “The Godfather.”

It starts out looking like another kitschy 40′s tune, but give it a minute. Things get wild! Now if I can just figure out what apples have to do with potato salad…
If you are reading this after the video is no longer in the right column, click the link below to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mVpGmoES3w

Videos for the Week of November 8, 2009 – The Boy With the Incredible Brain, Pts. 4 & 5

b86By Irene Conlan -

This weeks videos are the last two segments of the story of Daniel Paul Tammet  – the boy with the incredible brain. He finishes his game of 21 and leaves Las Vegas for California for testing at San Diego Center for Brain Studies.  He talks about the shapes he sees that represent numbers and they have him work with Pi. On the last video you will see him go to Iceland where he conducts a news conference in their language – a language he learned in one week. Watch as he meets the real “Rain Man” who inspired the movie in which Dustin Hoffman played the savant, Raymond Babbit. These videos are exciting explorations of what we all may be capable of.

If you are watching these after they are no longer in the right column, click on the links below:

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqLzoiVzEY8

Part 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMz3gjl9x-M

Videos for the week of October 25

b1391First  Video - Earl Nightengale was the voice in the early 1950s of Sky King the hero of a radio adventure series, and was a WGN radio show host from 1950 to 1956. Author of the Strangest Secret, which economist Terry Savage has called “…One of the great motivational books of all time”   In 1985, Nightingale was inducted into The Association of National Broadcasters, Radio Hall of Fame.  During his lifetime, Nightingale wrote and recorded over 7,000 radio programs, 250 audio programs as well as television programs and videos.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Nightingale

This video is Show #228 of the 1970′s Earl Nightingale TV Show Our Changing World

If you want to watch the video after it’s week in the right column, click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfbYnYvaTDE

2nd Video: LAUGH OF THE WEEK - Headlines from the Jay Leno Show
I always thought this was the funniest part of his show and these are Jay Leno’s favorites over the last 16 years of the Tonight Show. They range from just really funny to a bit on the ragged edge. I hope they make you laugh.

If you want to watch the video after it’s week in the right column, click here:

http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/video/clips/best-of-headlines/1135821/?__cid=thefilter

Videos for the Week of September 20, 2009

b862What is Optimism? -

Dr. Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Positive Psychology Center, and founder of the field of positive psychology, answers questions for users of happiness website happier.com. In this exclusive online video, expert Marty Seligman answers the questions: What is optimism? What is the difference between optimism and pessimism? What is the role of explanatory style?
If you are reading this after the week of 9/20/09 click below for the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6mQnJxEqsI

Just for Fun –
Terry Fator was ready to give up trying to make it as a ventriloquist when he won an audition on America’s Got Talent. He won First Place and went on to sign a $50M contract for a five year run at the Mirage in Las Vegas. Another success story. In this video Terry Fator and Kermit the Frog perform James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend”. Outstanding Ventriloquist and Impressionist performance.

If you are reading this after the week of 9/20/09 click below for the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eztcCT9e_jI