The way it’s animated is really quite awesome. I love this video and I hope you enjoy it too!

♦  ♦  ♦

If you’re going to utilize the T.V. (the box that becomes the Electronic Income Reducer if it’s used too much) for enjoyment this week, be sure to tune into NBC starting Tuesday, July 27 at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST).

You may have a similar experience as one of the families he’s going to help break through their self-imposed limiting blocks, beliefs, and errant ways in thinking.

See the trailer here…

It can be a crazy world out there at times — a world driven by crowd-thinking, political correctness, and philosophical nonsense that is bombarding you to “fit in.”

If it’s not conservative religious groups trying to regulate and control morality, it’s human rights activists going overboard to the point of trumping common sense.

Because of time-worn social norms, meddling governmental regulations, protectionist mindsets and victim-driven thinking, it’s NOT easy to fight the peer pressure to fit into a mold that isn’t YOU.

Is the world missing the real you because you’ve been conditioned to play it safe?

That’s not something we need to expand on any more than just asking that question.

Because, here’s something you can do to find out:

LISTEN to the song, from 3 Doors Down, via the video below. Close your eyes (you really don’t need to watch the Shrek clips, as it’s not the images that really matter). Feel the energy of the words. And, when listening to the song, in a quiet place, just ask yourself:

“Is it okay that I fight to ‘be myself’, even if others don’t approve?”

Only you can really know for sure.

♦ ♦ ♦

For another version — the official Let Me Be Myself Music video — watch at YouTube

Here’s the RUB though: finances often hold 90% of the populace back:  without a solid flow of income, without understanding how to use money to grow money, without fearless cash-flow, you’re standing in quicksand.

Read our short 5-page PDF here:
“How To Shake Off Income Worries”

No we’re not fanatics of the color blue… If your browser displays the entire post below in DARK BLUE, please use FireFox to view it. The background of our blog displays WHITE in 90% of browsers.

♦  ♦  ♦

Last year, in May, we included a seemingly misfit person — someone no longer with us — on our Hidden Heroes series that so many “in crowd” thinkers (let’s call them the ‘comfort-zoned herd’) shied away from.

Why?

Simply because the intensely passionate, self-styled, preaching comedian named Bill Hicks caused them to think DIFFERENTLY.

He had depth and a sense of spirituality, without surface-level drivel and ‘feel good’ musings attached to his messages.

Our ode to Bill has already been written, via our Hidden Heroes #3 post, so we won’t continue to edify him here.

However, we do want to make sure you know that his legacy is soon to be captured by American: The Bill Hicks Story, a new and very promising-looking documentary that combines animation, footage of Hicks’ stand-up sets and remembrances by ten of the people closest to him.

Click the play arrow below to watch the short trailer:

♦  ♦ ♦

For selected interview clips from the documentary, click here…

Interesting Report: It’s about intelligence, as it relates to credit. We know a guy in Neveda (who we consider a friend now) who can, without question, clear up any confusion you may have about credit repair. Like Bill above, Jay is a no-nonsense, no-B.S. kinda guy. This report is a fascinating read…

Tony doesn’t pretend to be anybody other than who he is — brash, intensely passionate, and irreverently real — in this video:

(If you’re the kind of person who feels cuss words are the equivalent of black mold or two-day-old baby diapers — things to be avoided at all costs — don’t watch this video)

♦  ♦  ♦

After watching the video,  look into this:

Speaking of “real”, Brad Wajnman, our Managing Editor for The Wealth Vault,  has come across something unlike anything we’ve seen in quite awhile. It combines the elements of LEVERAGE through automatic purchases from customers, ASSET ACCRUAL, and WEALTH PRESERVATION; elements that anybody who’s on a path to legitimate financial freedom MUST HAVE. Learn more…

♦  ♦  ♦

If you missed the INTRODUCTION to our Hidden Heroes series, or haven’t read about Hidden Heroes #1 thru #4, click here. Otherwise, continue below to read about Hero #5…

We’ve heard from a lot of people, especially in the metaphysical community, who think it’s spiritually correct to say, “I don’t watch TV.”

They’re often the same people who say, “I don’t watch, listen to or read the news because it’s all just a bunch of negative stuff.”

Well, if you’re expecting negativity, guess what you get? (Yes, that’s LOA 101, so I’m not going to insult you by telling you the answer!)

However, if you’re confident enough in your own self-discipline, as Barry and I are, not only can you watch TV without getting sucked into any traps, but you can get some great learning experiences:

1. Learn to decipher fact, not only from fiction that’s presented as fiction, but from fiction that’s presented as fact.

2. Discover how layered facts make up truth.

3. Get exposed to empowering and inspirational stories or human triumph and goodwill that you never would have experienced otherwise.

One of the shows we used to watch was Donnie Deutsch’s The Big Idea on CNBC. It gave inspirational profiles of people who made it in business, just because they saw a need, figured “there has to be a better way to do this,” and made it happen.

Well, the show was put on hiatus last year, because the network figured that trying to inspire people with stories of how anyone can start a Fortune 500 business wasn’t really believable in the current economy, when many are just trying to get by. Sliding ratings made them think they were right, although it would have been nice to see a revamped version of people making it despite the economy. After all, fortunes and successes are not just lost in bad times, they’re also created.

But now Donnie’s hosting a new CNBC show — or, rather, a prime-time special, for now — called The Entrepreneurs. Unlike The Big Idea, which featured all kinds of ventures, The Entrepreneurs seems to be focusing on those with a drive to make a difference, rather than just make a buck.

One of the two stories featured on the first episode, which Barry and I watched last night (and I admit, I did so with tears in my eyes), was the tale of TOMS Shoes…

You may have heard of TOMS before, but we never had. And without knowing anything else but that the company was featured on a Donnie Deutsch show, you could reasonably be wondering why on earth we’d pick the founder to be our next Hidden Hero.

What’s so “hidden” about a shoe company, right?

What’s so “heroic” about a guy who runs that shoe company?

And, come to think of it, what’s so emotionally provocative about the whole thing that it could make me cry?

Well, the story begins back a few years, after young entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie appeared on another show we like to watch, The Amazing Race. The reason we watch that one is it shows teamwork, human emotion, strength, drive, and karma in action. You can learn a lot about yourself by watching how others compete and react to adverse situations.

Blake and his sister, Paige, competed as a team in the second season of the show, and missed out on the million-dollar prize by only four minutes.

Can you imagine being four minutes away from being a millionaire, and not getting it? Ouch! Big letdown for some people! Heck, I’m sure lots of folks would spend the rest of their lives wallowing in self-pity over that. But Blake didn’t.

Instead, he was inspired to launch his third entrepreneurial venture, teaming up with Larry Namer, co-founder of the E! Entertainment Network, and Kay Koplovitz, former CEO of the USA Network, to create a cable TV specialty channel called Reality 24/7. Approaching it like a renegade with a passion, Blake was able to raise $2 million in start-up funds from venture capitalists and other former reality TV stars… but he created such a buzz that Rupert Murdoch decided to do the idea himself, which forced Reality 24/7 out of the picture.

But wait… let’s take a step back. What were his first two businesses?

In university, he started EZ Laundry, a door-to-door service aimed at fellow college students who didn’t have time to, or didn’t want to, wash their own clothes. After growing the company to serve seven colleges in the Southwest, with 40 employees and 8 trucks, Blake sold it to his business partner.

Then he went to Nashville, and created an outdoor media company that was inspired by the huge billboards in Hollywood. He aimed it at the Music City’s top country stars, and went about selling his ad space with a rogue attitude. Like with his next project, Reality 24/7, he caught the eye of a big player in the industry; soon Clear Channel came knocking, and bought the rest of Blake’s billboards in Nashville and Dallas.

Businesses four and five were created in Los Angeles. First he teamed up with TrafficSchool.com to create DriversEdDirect, a hands-on driver training school with hip instructors and hybrid cars. To help promote that company, he created Closer Marketing Group, a marketing firm specializing in viral marketing and brand development.

And business number six… well, that brings us to TOMS.

While competing in The Amazing Race, Blake got to see some incredible countries for the first time, but didn’t get a chance to experience the culture, so he wanted to go back. Always an adventurer at heart, he took what was supposed to be “just a vacation” to South America in 2006.

In Argentina, he met up with some people who were trying to raise money to get shoes for local children who couldn’t afford them. Blake tagged along, and was deeply impacted by the sight of poverty-stricken kids with cuts, scrapes and serious infections on their feet — the result of walking around the harsh landscape without any shoes.

While there, he discovered the Alpargata, a cheaply-made traditional shoe with rope soles that had been worn by farmers in Argentina for the past 100 years. The two experiences sparked an idea, and he returned to Los Angeles with 10 pairs of the shoes in his bag. He started telling people his idea, and was met with negative feedback at every step.

A UCLA professor he hired as a consultant told him he would need a million dollars to start the company and make it viable. Too bad he didn’t win that prize in The Amazing Race… but Blake didn’t care.

Fabric makers only sold cloth in 1,000-meter minimum orders, but Blake convinced one to sell him 10 meters at a time. He found one manufacturer in Argentina that believed in him enough to make a shoe inspired by the Alpargata, but with a much higher-quality construction, and that allowed him to accomplish his unique goal.

The company motto is “Make life more comfortable,” and the idea behind it is simple: for each pair of shoes he sells, Blake gives a pair to a needy child.

Yup, that’s right… one-for-one. You buy a pair of TOMS, and a kid who needs shoes gets a pair of TOMS. Now they’re running around with fashionable, comfortable shoes instead of injured bare feet.

It started as a project to put shoes on the feet of 250 kids from Argentina, but it soon grew way past that initial milestone.

After selling the first 10,000 pairs of shoes from his Venice apartment — some thanks to a shoe store that liked his mission, others due to write-ups in fashion magazines, and over 2,000 because of a single feature in the Sunday LA Times — Blake went back to Argentina with his family, friends and TOMS staff to make the first TOMS Shoe Drop of another 10,000 pairs.

People told him he was crazy. They said it could never work. They said he’d never make a profit by giving away a pair of shoes for every one sold, especially if the price was going to be reasonable.

But Blake refused to listen to the naysayers.

And it gets even better…

“Shoe Drop” doesn’t mean just dropping off shoes, as the name implies. It involves the team fitting and placing shoes, with their own hands, onto needy kids’ feet. Now, any customer who wants to help can go along and do that, too.

Watch this moving video of that first Shoe Drop:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt3BQQ6dQaQ[/youtube]

TOMS is no longer run out of Blake’s apartment. They now have a 6,000 square foot studio and close to 20 full-time employees.

But at the heart of TOMS, it’s not just your average product-exchanged-for-profit endeavor.

Blake didn’t start this business with dollar signs in his eyes. He started it because it touched his heart when he met kids who didn’t have, and desperately needed, something that he took for granted: shoes.

As he told ConversantLife.com, when asked how he moved from awareness to action, “I had an emotional connection to the children I met in Argentina in 2006. I felt a responsibility to act on it. I realized I could incorporate giving into a business and knew that it could succeed.”

But why shoes, when the majority of charities for third-world children focus on food or medical care?

Because most kids in developing countries grow up barefoot, even though walking is their primary means of transportation. They walk for miles to get water, food, shelter, and medical help. They walk while doing chores, and they walk while playing. This puts them at risk for the leading cause of disease in developing countries: soil-transmitted parasites that get into skin through open sores. Feet that don’t have shoes get more cuts and sores, and eventually risk being amputated.

Shoes allow children to walk greater distances, more safely, and therefore help them with the food, the medical care, and even education, since local schools often require students to wear shoes.

Shoes provide preventative care so those kids don’t have to get corrective care later.

Shoes give the opportunity for a quality of life they wouldn’t otherwise have.

And it’s not just third-world countries anymore. The first Shoe Drops were in countries like Argentina, Ethiopia and South Africa, but people kept asking, “What about kids in the US?” After Blake thoroughly researched the situation, Hurricane Katrina victims in four school districts got TOMS shoes last year.

As of August, 2009, TOMS has given over 150,000 pairs of shoes to kids in need, in more than 15 countries, and those numbers continue to grow.

And that’s why, sitting on the couch with Barry last night and watching the story of TOMS, created by Blake Mycoskie for all the right reasons, I had tears running down my face.

Full disclosure: it doesn’t take a lot to make me cry. I cry at movies and TV shows all the time, both for the sad parts, and the triumphant parts. This, again, was a mixture of both: tears of sadness for the kids with no shoes, as I imagined our one-year-old son using his new-found walking skills to stagger barefoot over rough, rocky ground; and tears of joy for what Blake was doing with TOMS.

But… I’m hoping this story might move you, even if you don’t have water-works flowing as freely as mine.

So who’s Tom?

There is no Tom. The brand name “TOMS” references that these are “shoes for TOMORROW.”

Expanding on what Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons used to say, “I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today,” this takes things to the next level of social conscience with the concept of, “I’ll gladly give a child shoes on Tuesday when you buy a pair today.” (Okay, it takes a few months between each Shoe Drop, but you get the picture!)

While now I would still consider TOMS to be a hidden gem (hence Blake being eligible as a Hidden Hero), I think that with the help of the media — including shows like The Entrepreneurs, and maybe even our humble little blog here — the word could get out in a much bigger way, helping many more kids, and snowballing every year.

If you still think that TV and other media are bad, and not worth your time, consider this:

Without TV, newspapers and magazines covering Blake’s story, and celebrity endorsements from actors and musicians, TOMS would never have sold the number of shoes they have to this day. As a result, there never would have been so many kids who had formerly been running around with cracked and bleeding feet, now able to wear comfortable shoes for the first time in their life.

The headline could be, Mass Media Helps Hero Save Children’s Feet.

And that wouldn’t be a stretch, or any amount of hype, at all.

To help Blake’s mission, purchase your own pair of TOMS at TOMSshoes.com. Heck, if you’re a fashionista, shoe lover, or just want to lend a… um, foot… buy several pairs in different colors! They have an affiliate program, but we didn’t sign up, because we don’t want to take away any of their profit… we want TOMS to be able to continue to help kids for decades to come.

Want to help even more? Host a Style Your Sole party, and you could put shoes on the feet of 25 or more kids, while you have fun with friends and showcase everyone’s creativity. We’ll call that Shoes Without Limits…

And if you want to volunteer to help with Shoe Drops, visit FriendsOfTOMS.org.

Your Partner in the Quest For
Living a Life Without Limits,

It can be a crazy world out there at times — a world driven by crowd-thinking, political correctness,  and philosophical nonsense that is bombarding you to “fit in.”

If it’s not conservative religious groups trying to regulate and control morality, it’s human rights activists going overboard to the point of trumping common sense.

Because of time-worn social norms, meddling governmental regulations, protectionist mindsets and victim-driven thinking, it’s NOT easy to fight the peer pressure to fit into a mold that isn’t YOU.

Is the world missing the real you because you’ve been conditioned to play it safe?

That’s not something we need to expand on any more than just asking that question.

Because, here’s something you can do to find out:

LISTEN to the song, from 3 Doors Down, via the video below. Close your eyes (you really don’t need to watch the Shrek clips, as it’s not the images that really matter). Feel the energy of the words. And, when listening to the song, in a quiet place, just ask yourself:

“Is it okay that I fight to ‘be myself’, even if others don’t approve?”

Only you can really know for sure.

♦  ♦  ♦

For another version — the official Let Me Be Myself Music video — watch at YouTube

Let us know what you think about today’s post or, at least, how
you’ve personally conquered being yourself…. by commenting below:

Every day at approximately the same time, Konan eats his lunch in his high chair. While I feed him at the edge of the kitchen, Barry is busy working away in his office, which takes up a good portion of where our Den, which is right next to our dining room.

So, obviously, we’re only about 20 feet away.

And since Konan really likes music while he eats — he’ll bop his head from side to side and drum on his table tray to make sure we know it — Barry plays him music from Yahoo’s Adult Alternative music station (hey, come on, ya think it has to be nursery rhymes and lullabies all the time?)

Yesterday during this time, a song came on that not only caused Konan to clap, drum his tray and “sing” along with me, but it gave me reason to pause and think, too.

The lyrics were a great reminder about how we should just let the petty stuff roll off our backs, and focus on the good in any relationship.

That’s not to say that we should ignore or repress the “downs” on the roller coaster ride of life, and only focus on the “ups”… it means that when the “downs” get us down, we can remember the “ups” to help us understand the amazing gift that we have, and that another up is coming, just a little bit further along the track.

Yeah, I know, you might be thinking, “Yes, Heather, I get that: always look on the bright side of life!”

But that’s not exactly the point. That, again, would be repressing the “dark” side of life.

– Cont’d –

The thing is, you can’t ride the roller coaster WITHOUT going down as well as up. We’ve talked about this many times: the yin and yang that keeps life in perfect balance.

And that’s why, when Barry found this video that goes with the song we heard, it made it even more perfect.

See, the imagery shows both sides of the coin, and that’s the best way to honor a healthy, ever-growing relationship.

Having a relationship that’s “happy,” we realize, doesn’t mean all walks in the park, and smelling the roses, as nice as those things are.

After all, how can we know how amazing those moments are without experiencing the opposite from time to time?

We would end up in a boring, stale relationship with no passion or excitement one way or the other. Trust me, I know… before Barry, I was there for many years.

So if you’re in a relationship — or want to be — watch this video, alone or with your partner, to honor the connection you have:

♦  ♦  ♦

But even though highs and lows are to be expected, there are still tweaks and improvements you can make to ensure that the highs are the best experiences of your lives, and the lows aren’t so devastating that they take the focus off what you have together.

Susie and Otto Collins are married partners who have been through very trying times in other marriages, and found their soulmates in each other.

They also discovered that soulmates can have issues, too.

And unlike many relationship teachers, they don’t sugar-coat reality and look at the world through rose-colored glasses. They have a grounded way of approaching life and love, and they balance physical and metaphysical techniques to make sure you get results.

Barry and I have both individually interviewed them, and had private conversations with them. They’ve always impressed us with what they do, and we can vouch for their approach, teachings, passion about making a difference, and ability to over-deliver with high-quality, informative content about all aspects of relationships.

Whatever your relationship challenges are — and if you’re in a relationship, chances are you have some challenges — Otto and Susie can help.

Take yours to the next level by tackling your biggest stumbling blocks here…

For today, however, we’re just trying to open your heart.

So, let us know how you FEEL, by commenting below, about this video:

♦ ♦ ♦

Improve Your Health and Wellbeing With ONE CD

]]> http://www.lwlworldwide.com/blog/the-love-now-music-video/feed/ 17 http://www.lwlworldwide.com/blog/meet-a-boy-named-milo/ http://www.lwlworldwide.com/blog/meet-a-boy-named-milo/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:45:29 +0000 Barry & Heather http://www.lwlworldwide.com/blog/?p=1116 Hey, cool… technology at its most interactive and personal.

A shout out to Harris Fellman (aka Santa Sal’s Cousin) for passing this video on.

By the way, if you’re the least bit curious about HOW to create profit-pulling QUALITY content through the power of conversation, don’t miss the Interviewing Unwrapped “Live” Simulcast with Harris and Heather on June 8th, 8pm EDT.

You can sign up here

* * *

Life is part of a continual process of exploration with not just ourselves, but with “others” too.

And when you strip away all the fluff, hyperbole, and timid behind-the-computer communication, you’re only left with fresh, candid, uncensored conversation.

That basis is the root for nearly everything we do !

LEARN MORE….

Does personal development cause you to stunt your own growth?

Does looking at the big picture cause you to shut your eyes?

Yes, these questions might sound somewhat facetious. But hey, we all need to look at the world with a bit of humor sometimes to figure out the sense in it, as ironic as that might seem.

People laugh at comedy because it reveals some part of truth. Some comedy reveals truth more than others.

I used to write comedy for a hobby (meaning that I only occasionally got paid for it, so it couldn’t rightly be called a business) and I still laugh at one sketch that I helped write about a technically-incompetent psychiatrist.  My main contribution was that she called the @ sign a “curly A”, which I often giggle at when I spell out an email address or Twitter reply.

But some of the people we run into during our online business ventures — specifically customers who can’t figure out how to download or open digital products, despite the “common knowledge factor”, complete instructions and click-of-a-mouse access to customer service — just wouldn’t find that funny.

Why?

Because it hits a little too close to home!

So how does this all affect you — and what does it have to do with your personal growth potential?

Read on to find out…

====== Continued =======

Comedy needs to hit close to home — but not TOO close — in order for a particular audience member to be able to laugh at it.

You need to be able to say, “Oh, my god, I’ve done that!” or “Oh yeah, I know someone like that!” to see the humor.

But if it’s something that you’re over-sensitive about, or something that makes you see a personal attack — or an attack on your values — then you’re more likely to shut down than pay attention.

The same thing happens with personal development, because comedy is really just a funny way at looking at the dumb things we do, and personal development is really just a serious way of looking at the dumb things we do (and then attempt to find a solution to that stupidity).

We just happen to feel that it’s possible to mix the two — i.e. putting some humor into personal growth teachings, just as comedians put some personal growth into comedy — for the best all-round results.

Sometimes that humor is a little dry. Sometimes it’s a little sarcastic. Sometimes it’s slap-stick. But we use humor to lighten the message nonetheless.

Funny enough (pun intended), some of our readers get really angry at our poking fun at something.

As an example, the last blog post elicited this comment (which we didn’t approve because it was so off-base):

“grow up!!..dont bash the president for being a man of the people!!…Dont disguise yourself as teaching self development if you wont respect all persons views!!…i didnt hear these responses when president Bush made huge mistakes that ultimately helped this country be in the predicament that we find ourselves!….Respect our President and teach views which will heal All!!!”

Interesting, isn’t it, that this person and a few select others chose to see “President bashing” when the post was about thinking for yourself, taking accountability for your actions, and not getting caught up in “entitlement thinking”?  We put the word “Obama” (once) and the word “bailout” (once) together, to signify a FACT, and holy craaaaap, people’s “how dare you do that?!” antennas pop out of their heads faster than you can say: social welfare.

Sorry, but too many people fall into that trap with or without the possibility of a “bailout” (read: “cop out”) that’s perceived as coming from any given random Presidential figure-head.

One of our favorite mentors — Dr. John F. Demartini, who was featured in The Secret but had much of his powerful teachings end up on the editing-room floor — would have something to say about all this. I’ve personally interviewed him twice, attended two of his live seminars, watched a couple of his DVDs and read several of his books; and together, Barry and I have gotten even more a-ha moments after watching him speak again.

Basically, Dr. D. says that what we do, and what we notice around us, is always rooted in our value systems.

If you love dogs, you’ll notice the dog show taking place at the school as you drive by. If not, you’ll likely miss it. If you have a baby, you’ll notice the sale happening at the local baby boutique. If you don’t, you won’t. If you love investing, you’ll notice the stock market trends. If you don’t, you won’t.

And if you feel some special pride (or HOPE) in a particular celebrity or politician, you’ll notice every little passing reference to them, and perceive bashing whether it exists or not (we talked about this when the chimp cartoon came out, we’re talking about it in reference to the last blog post, and I’m sure we’ll talk about it again in the future).

Basically, the ONLY “negative” (meaning unsupportive, since “negative” is just about one of the most uncreative subjective word you can throw out on someone or something… sorta like calling somebody “nice”… ah, yeah, so tell me more about that person?) comments we received about the latest post were those who wanted to “bash us for bashing Obama” (like we would ever bash a puppet; the way Geppetto pulls the strings is never Pinocchio’s fault).

And those people said nothing about the inspirational video clips we supplied to you. They are focused on politics as one of their main value systems, and as a result they notice only the small political references, even while threatening, “don’t make this into a political blog, or I’ll unsubscribe!”

KEY NOTE: If reading our stuff, which we wholeheartedly KNOW ahead of time will trip some people’s triggers (i.e. ruffle some feathers), offends your sensibilities, then just do it — just “unsubscribe”. Don’t throw some cheap warning our way about it. Our LWL brand has never been about “glorifying and ‘pedestal-izing’ fundamental LOA-thinking” and our motto has never been: “Life 100% Filtered For Your Protection.”  We’re here to explore, to discover, to debate, to engage, to compel critical thinking, and to encourage you to SEE life with your EYES wide open.  The last thing we care about is keeping people on our list who feel a Life Without Limits means “you should filter what you say, regardless of how you see it, research it, or know it to be, because people have feelings.”

Hmmm, last time we checked, there are about 10,000 other communities out there who will fill you up with niceties and motivators from the same grade-school self-help primer. Life involves more than analyzing yourself to death, or discussing the merits of gratitude, or constantly trying to hone your meditation and intuitive skills. Self-exploration, when done with the right approach and in the right context, is a MUST; yet, while Barry and I shake our heads because we even have to mention this (it’s obvious, but NOT to some of our readers), we’ll REPEAT it again: Life’s about politics, economics / wealth, travel, business, marketing, health, family, relationships and more, and we’ll continue to provide commentary and products that sync up with a well-rounded view of living.

Those who place value in thinking for themselves and standing up for what they believe in saw the beauty in the video clips instead, and chose to comment on that.

Essentially, even though Dr. D. doesn’t come out and say this verbatim, people’s personal realities are greatly influenced by the misinterpretation of what’s going on around them based on their own values, agendas, and skewed perceptions.

So let’s bring this back to comedy.

Some people may have gotten angry about Jon Stewart’s recent bit on The Daily Show, where he took a stab at CNBC and their reporter, Rick Santelli, who had backed out of an agreement to appear on the show.

Here’s the video, in case you haven’t seen it yet; watching it before we go on will give you the best perspective on the discussion to follow.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoVYE4aVugY[/youtube]

The video you just watched caused a lot of people to take notice, and post it on websites across the nation — it was funny, it was relevant, and it was spot-on.

“You’re just bitter because he canceled on you!” Santelli’s supporters cried. “You’re bizarrely obsessed with him,” said Santelli’s own people.

So they, like many people who want to explore personal development but not actually do anything about the weaknesses and blocks they find, are avoiding personal accountability and seeking to blame.

We call that “victimitis-thinking”.

Sure, stand up for yourself if someone wrongly accuses you of something and you can make a case for the truth. But never simply run away and cry, “That’s not fair!”

The bottom line is that the research done by The Daily Show was better than the research done, on an ongoing basis, by CNBC.

The Daily Show, produced as a comedy and supposedly just a spoof of journalistic shows, showed better-quality journalism than CNBC, which is produced and presented as factual news.

Now THAT’S funny!

CNBC is, based off the evidence shown by Stewart, a great example of “journalism-lite” masquerading as serious business news, the same way some spiritual growth teachers are “love and light” masquerading as serious personal development.

There’s nothing wrong with talking about “love” and “light” in the sense that they are basically the same thing, and form the essence of the energy that makes up us, and everything around us.

But using “love and light” as a catch-phrase to mean, “I’m enlightened and you can be too, if you just follow what I say,” can be extremely misleading, if not downright dangerous.

See, we know far too many teachers who say, “love and light,” or “Namaste,” or “many blessings,” and yet they are not practicing what they preach. They teach how to have a healthy relationship as they go through a divorce, or they write a book about attracting wealth when they’re flat broke or owe three years’ worth of back taxes.

They think that by putting up a false image of who they are, they can hide from the truth.

If discovered, they justify this by saying it’s important to teach what you need to know, not what you already know.

And they think that by presenting themselves as not only “enlightened” but as “nice”, they can escape the critics.

But fakers can never escape criticism, no matter what their public image is; someone will always ferret them out.

Jon Stewart did it with CNBC, and we’ve done it with personal development mentors, speakers and authors. We’ve also done it with political figures; if they don’t walk the talk, they need to stop talking.

As for “nice”, well, Dr. D. points out the truth we all know deep down; that one single action can be interpreted as “nice” by one person and “mean” or “demented” or downright “wacky” by another. “Nice” is subjective, just as “positive” and “negative” are; and, like beauty, they are only and always based on the beholder’s value system.

And the perfection in this life comes in the perfect balance; for every yin you have a yang; for every up there’s a down, for every back there’s a front, and for every hater there’s a liker; and that never, ever changes, no matter how often you say, “We’re all connected,” because there is duality within the non-duality, and vice-versa (the opposites can’t exist without each other, so they are intimately connected). Perfection!

Back to the “journalism-lite”:

I got my start as an interviewer in current affairs TV programming, which included a little bit of entertainment, a little bit of politics, a little bit of local events, a little bit of this-and-that.

I’ve been accused more than once of asking questions that were too “hard” or “tough” in entertainment, personal and business development interviews, like there’s an unspoken need to pander to the expert or celebrity and not ask them about their own personal conviction and congruency.

That, my friends, does not serve the audience, who are always the most important party in any given piece of media (whether by “media” we’re talking TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, book or internet).

I once got turned down for a follow-up interview that had already been agreed upon by the head of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (the Canadian equivalent of the organization that puts on the Oscars) because she said that the questions I was asking the nominees and winners at her awards show were “too hard”.

That means that instead of gushing, “Who are you wearing?” like all the other reporters, I was asking things like, “What does it take to be a success in this industry?”

Oooh, I made them formulate some thoughts rather than simply spouting off unimportant drivel. How dare I!!

And that unimportant drivel, that pandering gushing, is what CNBC is serving up, masqueraded as important hard-hitting business news.

But thought-provoking and revealing conversation is what has always driven me.

Life is part of a continual process of exploration, not just with ourselves, but with “others” too.

And when you strip away all the fluff, hyperbole, and timid behind-the-computer communication, you’re only left with fresh, candid, uncensored conversation.

That basis is the root for nearly everything we do — and that’s because secrets are discovered, ideas are created, thoughts are provoked, and answers are revealed during the course of asking the right questions of the right people.

So whether you’re talking interview, candid discussion, or formal consultation, the art of conversation is what sows the seeds that the greatest a-ha moments spring from.

Barry and I continue with that quest together, when we research, write and interview both the celebrities and hidden gems that can honestly teach us all how to live a Life Without Limits.

So I feel a certain kinship with Jon Stewart, as if he’s like the comedy-world equivalent of us: investigating congruency, tearing down myths, turning icons upside down, and coming out with jaw-dropping facts at the end of it all.

Is it “mean” when he does it? No, it’s all in the spirit of comedy… and the revelation of truth.

Is it “mean” when we do it? No, it’s all in the spirit of substantive personal development… and the revelation of truth.

So, to finish this up: I challenge you to take off your blinders, unplug your ears, and uncover your mouth (oh, wait we already threw those three little monkeys under the bus a few blog posts prior! … but, BEFORE you see, listen, and speak,  give yourself the benefit of the doubt by THINKING first.

If the above hits home for you (if  “the truth hurts”), then it was supposed to!

We welcome, adore, and cherish your commentary back to us. Again, as I said above, interactive (as much as you can get by commenting below) communication and expression RULES.

But passionate introspection about what we (and others) say and/or write can fuel that expression with intelligence, creativity, and on-target, topic-at-hand responses, NOT reactions.

Or, as Lif Strand, one of our community members, put it:

“Here’s a simple way (in my opinion) to separate who understood the point of Barry & Heather’s email, and who didn’t.

Those who got defensive and those who pointed blame didn’t get it. Those who got it know that individuality is about taking responsibility for one’s own actions, and acting from Source and center, not from reaction to the outside.”

Rick Santelli, in the story of this post (way, way above), REACTED (i.e. no thinking involved FIRST)!

Jon Stewart RESPONDED (i.e. thinking involved FIRST)!

If you’re going to join in our discussions, we definitely prefer the latter!

Your Partner in the Quest For
Living a Life Without Limits,

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