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HOW TO SEE MOVIES AS INSPIRATIONAL LEARNING TOOLS - Over 1,000 Movie Tips For Dealing with Depression & Difficult Times
Tip#269: How Michael Jackson Can Inspire You – Citizen Kane
The sudden death of a living legend can trigger reactions around the world and stir up personal feelings. We have recently witnessed the passing of Michael Jackson.
Just after I wrote the previous blog tip about a low period in my life I began to feel more energized and confident again with my life purpose. I realize I was, once again, just stuck-on-pause and needed to reset my priorities in life and my career (see tip#40). The day after the TV news announced that Michael Jackson had died.
While in shock I was drawn to channel flipping for hours in the late afternoon of June 25th watching several networks devote full time coverage of Jackson's death. Stories upon stories began to unfold about the event, his special place in pop music history and his eccentric and questionable lifestyle.
Michael Jackson's life story has uncanny parallels to the classic 1941 movie Citizen Kane considered by some as the greatest American movie ever made. The film begins with the death of a fictional newspaper tycoon named Charles Foster Kane and his story unravels a series of events that mirrored Jackson's own life:
• Both reached incredible success, riches and worldwide fame at an early age.
• Both lived eccentric and controversial lives
• Both created enormous mansions that housed lavish purchases (Xanada for Kane and Neverland Ranch for Jackson).
• Both suffered from the longing of childhood pleasures they never had.
See the opening newsreel sequence on Youtube that reveals the similar stories of these two men. Click here
In the end it is the stories of these troubled souls that we can now benefit from. In Jackson's case we have his groundbreaking music and videos to keep us filled with the positive emotional energy of inspiration and nostalgia. We have his controversial lifestyle and behaviours to discuss, share and critique.
Most of all we have stories that can make us think about our own lives and how we can improve upon it.
So while the stories of Michael Jackson unfolds for the days and weeks to come listen to the messages for helping you live the life and career you want AND don't want. Realize the importance of childhood experiences and how the events of your early years form who you allow OR don't allow to become as an adult.
Tragic stories all have a silver lining. They leave us with something to ponder so we never have to go down an ill-fated path. We can each choose a brighter road and that is the ultimate gift the people that leave us leave behind.
"If I hadn't been very rich, I might have been a really great man."
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Tip#268: Keep Your Chin Up – The Color Purple
Sometimes it takes just one caring soul to help lift your broken spirits.
I was still feeling a little lost and unmotivated the day after I wrote the previous tip when I received a comment on that entry. It was from a woman in the UK whom I didn't know. She wrote how grateful she was for the post and reminded me that I was making a difference with my blog. Read comment.
Her comment helped to keep my chin up and fill my tired soul with positive emotional energy. She reminded me that my passion for movies and writing this blog mattered to people around the world. That same day I would later receive more encouraging comments from various sources and felt they were all angels reminding me that my life has value.
Synchronistically I later saw a powerful scene from the movie The Color Purple starring Whoopi Goldberg as Celie. The scene was where she helped her friend Sophie, played by Oprah Winfrey, do groceries for her master. You can see how utterly depressed and broken Sophie is and how grateful she was to Celie through her eyes.
As Sophie returns to her master's car she turns to look at Celie. Celie just smiles and quietly points to Sophie and then gestures to her chin to keep it lifted. She was simply telling Sophie to keep her chin up.
Both characters experience extreme adversities and emotional pain throughout their lives but they both make it through because of each other's strengths. Years later Sophie tells Celie that what she did that day at the grocery store reminded her that there was a God. See this scene on YouTube: click here
So remember you are never alone no matter how low you feel or how much life is pressing down on you. Keep your eyes and ears open for the hidden angels sending you messages of comfort and encouragement.
Most of all do your best to keep your chin up. That very action will telegraph to the world that you'll keep moving forward no matter what.
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Sunday, June 21, 2009
Tip#267: Live Life Right Now - Passengers
At this very moment I am sipping on a delicious vanilla bean latte letting the creamy aroma and taste fill me with positive emotional energy. I do this despite the personal turmoil and angst I've been feeling.
I acknowledge these heavy feelings and yet allow myself to feel the sunshine on my face and it's caressing warmth during the walk to and from the coffee shop this morning. I said thank you to the blowing breeze that seemed to give me a comforting hug.
After several months now I finally recognize I've been in a process of unearthing. I've been very focused on 2 factors: researching the subconscious AND decluttering my space. They are both extremely interconnected and will explain more about each as I progress on this new emotional journey. I already started with tip#262: Learn To Let Go.
A lot of heavy emotions are being stirred up as I clear my space of over 2 decades of piled-up business paperwork, old magazines, personal documents, etc. Thankfully I have friends like my "money guru" who is reminding me to ENJOY this process of clearing. He reminded me to stay in the moment and FEEL GOOD about letting go. I must stay in the present as I shred reminders of my old life.
Synchronicity has been highly active during this current process of letting go and I was compelled to see the movie Passengers starring Anne Hathaway. The story is about a grief counselor working with a group of plane-crash survivors. One man is oddly in a state of joy about his life-changing ordeal.
He later explains that this traumatic experience helped him re-evaluate priorities in his life. He realized his job was meaningless and pursues activities that he always wanted to do. Throughout the movie other wonderful messages about living life to the fullest unfold towards a powerful, paradigm-shaking conclusion.
In the end the lesson is to focus on fully living your life right now. Enjoy being in the moment even though there are unpleasant events or situations weighing you down. Acknowledge your heavy thoughts and feelings and then do something uplifting to move through them.
You can do this by not holding yourself back in your life and just treat yourself to something that will fill you with positive emotional energy. Treat yourself to a favourite coffee or tea. Enjoy a delicious meal.
Feel how good the sun or breeze feels upon your skin. Spend quality time with good friends and family. Savoring each moment of your life is the fuel that will automatically help you move forward.
© Emmanuel Lopez 2009
Posted by Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman at 9:36 AM 3 comments:
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tip#266: You Are Surrounded by Illusions – The Illusionist
Illusion: The condition of being deceived by a false perception or belief.
Right now something is shaking up my life that is hard to articulate but am compelled to share it. For over a year I've felt like my back has been up against a wall with my life and financial challenges. I'm being pushed into seeing the world in a different light.
What I am realizing is that my thoughts truly become things. My thoughts, whether positive or negative, are creating my experiences. I've been in an amazing form of life training to reprogram my mindset for indestructible optimism.
What keeps me moving forward are these constant reminders that I AM in control of my world. All my problems I see are just an illusion. One of these reminders comes from one of my favourite daily inspirations emailed to me from Tut.com. It said:
"It's supposed to be easy. Everything is supposed to be easy. Everything is easy. You live in a dream world. You're surrounded by illusions. And the illusions change when you change your thinking! Tell yourself it's easy. Tell yourself often. Make it a mantra. Eat, sleep, and breathe it. And your life shall be transformed."
One movie that inspires looking past illusions happens to be called The Illusionist. The film stars Edward Norton as a turn-of-the-last-century magician called Eisenheim in love with a woman named Sophie played by Jessica Biel. This magician is all about creating illusions that appear to be real.
What is inspiring about the film is that by the end you realize you've been watching an illusion within the story. You’ll want to see it again to see where the deceptions began. (See movie trailer)
This idea is a mirror for your own life. Somewhere along the way you were told something or imagined something that is suppose to be real when in fact it is not. You were programmed to see the world in a specific way. There comes a time when this perception must end in order for you to move forward in your life.
So if you feel stuck or your back up against a wall see it as a message from the universe to view your world in a different light. See it as a chance to cut through the illusions of the pain and problems that appear to be real in front of you.
This is your chance to build an optimistic mindset that allows you to see the gifts and opportunities within adversity. You just need to see with new eyes and new thoughts. Remember your thoughts become things.
INVITE MOTIVATORMAN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION!
For more info on keynotes and seminars:
© Emmanuel Lopez 2009
Posted by Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman at 9:10 AM No comments:
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Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tip#265: Everything You Do Matters - The Butterfly Effect
"It has been said something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world. - Chaos Theory"
Every action and non-action you take affects your path in life AND the lives of others around you. The same can happen in your workplace. Your freedom to choose has a lot of power behind it. Everything you do matters.
I love parallel universe stories and alternate reality "what if" movies. When you stop and think about the decisions you make in your life it will boggle the mind thinking of the multitude of causes and affects that unfold.
The Butterfly Effect 2004
The movie The Butterfly Effect explores the benefits and consequences of making small changes in the past and it's affect on the present and future. In this dark and thought-provoking story Ashton Kutcher plays Evan who has the mental ability to go back into his past.
Evan tries to make changes in his childhood that would improve or save the lives of friends and loved ones suffering in the present. But each change he makes at pivotal points in his young life creates more problems when he returns to the present time.
The irony of these alternate timelines in the story is that the movie itself has 4 different endings. There is a different ending depending on where you saw the film around the world or if you’ve seen the director's cut.
NOTE: I highly suggest you see the film first BEFORE seeing the YouTube links below. And let me know which ending you prefer.
1) See: Original ending 1
2) See: Alternate ending 2
3) See: Alternate ending 3
4) See: Alternate ending 4 Director’s Cut
Let this movie and it's alternate endings inspire and remind you how unique and powerful your choices can be. Everything you do has a ripple affect to your future and others around you in the workplace and your personal life. Remember that whatever you choose will always have benefits and consequences.
And learn to take responsibility for all your actions and non-actions. Do your best to be accountable for everything you say and do. The courage you have in doing this will ultimately fill you with confidence for the life you create for yourself.
More about alternate endings:
Tip#143: You Can Choose Alternate Endings - 3 Movie Tips
© Emmanuel Lopez 2009
Posted by Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman at 7:57 AM 2 comments:
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tip#264: 5 Empowering Lessons - Star Trek 2009
A pop culture phenomenon can stand the test of time because of the strong values they embody. The Star Trek franchise is one of these and many people around the world achieved careers inspired by the original TV show. See tip#60, Favourite TV Shows Inspires Careers.
I also wrote about how visionary the show was for demonstrating a synergistic work environment among the crew of the USS Enterprise. This is a great inspiration for improving any organization's workplace. See tip#150.
My excitement for the new Star Trek movie applies to multiple levels of motivating messages and pure cinematic entertainment. Here are 5 empowering lessons.
As I wrote in tip#255, a young James T. Kirk inspires to bring out the leadership qualities within you. He doesn't believe in the no-win scenario. That mindset can help increase your confidence, perseverance and for taking action.
2) Balance Heart and Mind
Spock learns to balance his emotions with his logical mind because he is half Vulcan and half human. This is a powerful metaphor and mirror for you to do the same. Mastering your thoughts and feelings leads to affective problem solving and a satisfying life.
The crew of the USS Enterprise is a great role model for teamwork and team spirit. The crew shows a wide diversity of age, cultural diversity and skill sets.
They can inspire the workplace for demonstrating tolerance, respect and synergistic achievements.
Thanks to creator Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek always represented an optimistic future for mankind. In his future the people of Earth learned to live together eliminating war and poverty. The focus was about personal development and exploring new worlds and new civilizations. This vision allows you to visualize an optimistic future and something to look forward to.
5) Positive Emotional Energy
This movie is filled with exciting audio/visual stimuli and falls into the category of a great popcorn movie experience. It fills you with positive emotional energy even if you are not a fan of Star Trek. And if you are a fan then the power of nostalgia can energize your thoughts and feelings even higher.
So remember that your favourite movies can help energize your spirit. They are much more than just entertainment. If you look carefully there are lessons and messages in these films that can help you get unstuck in your life, career or workplace.
INVITE MOTIVATORMAN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION!
For more info on keynotes and seminars:
© Emmanuel Lopez 2009
Posted by Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman at 10:24 AM 2 comments:
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Sunday, June 07, 2009
Tip#263: What Is The Secret To Life? – Last Holiday
Unexpected change and crisis are not pleasant experiences. But how you react to it can actually feel good once you develop the mindset for staying and feeling positive.
I recently wrote in tip#260 how the month of May had an unusually high number of business opportunities that fell through. This continued through into the first week of June. These situations could easily cause anyone stress, worry or fear. But what got me through was my optimistic mindset for staying absolutely confident.
How I accomplished that was to believe more opportunities were coming and to keep enjoying life. That kept my positive emotional energy flowing. I did things I loved like read my favourite magazines, eat foods I loved, see exciting movies and have great conversations with supportive friends and colleagues. I kept my bucket filled with a buffet of positive energy. (more about filling your bucket in tip#150)
There is a movie that celebrates the secret to living life called Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah as Georgia Bird. In the story Georgia is diagnosed with a terminal disease and decides to spend all her savings living out her passions and dreams.
She flies to a grand hotel in Europe and treats herself to fine dining, pampers herself daily in a spa and does base jumping for the first time. Despite her personal crisis she indulged in activities she had deprived herself from experiencing. Georgia discovers that these activities made her feel truly alive and confident. Her character is a wonderful example of a woman determined to be courageous and improve the quality of her life!
• Having a Vision
• Following a Passion
• Persistence & Perseverance
The dining scenes are also tantalizing and delicious looking! While others were ordering dishes with dietary substitutions Georgia was ordering every dish exactly as they were meant to be served. This attracts the attention of the chef, played by Gerard Depardieu, and they become fast friends. He later shares this comment with her:
"You and I, we know the secret to life. It's butter."
This is a beautiful metaphor for living joyfully and I believe the secret to life is doing what you love with people you love. Though also remember that too much of anything, like butter, is not good for anyone. What is important is that you live life consciously of whatever makes you feel good and do it in moderation. This also keeps your positive emotional energy flowing in challenging times.
Be more aware of your favourite foods and personal interests that excite you. Make plans for trying new activities you've only been dreaming about. Be open to meeting new people that encourage and support who you truly are.
Hopefully you never have to face a life crisis to start doing things you've been depriving yourself of doing. Be inspired to expand your buffet of choices in activities that make you feel good. That will give you the strength and confidence to face whatever life unexpectedly brings you.
INVITE MOTIVATORMAN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION!
For more info on keynotes and seminars:
© Emmanuel Lopez 2009
Posted by Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman at 9:59 AM 1 comment:
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Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Tip#262: Learn To Let Go, Part 1 - Up
Letting go of anything in your life can be a challenge. It is also an important step in making room for new, exciting adventures and desires to come into your life.
I often write that in order to move forward you've got to let go of things in your life that have been with you a long time. Recently I wrote in tip#252 about how shredding old business paperwork had made room for more exciting opportunities to come into my career in the form of my new column for Zoomer Magazine.
Here are 4 key areas for letting go:
• Physical items e.g. old clothes, collectibles
• Relationships holding you back
• Old habits of thinking no longer serving you
• Memories keeping you in the past
The animated movie Up celebrates the courageous act of letting go. This entertaining and touching adventure is about a 78 year old widower named Carl who fulfills a lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. He ties thousands of balloons to his house and magically lifts off into the skies.
Despite his age and physical limitations he begins to truly live again with the aid of a young stowaway named Russell. Through the obstacles they face Carl begins to see that his house and its contents had become anchors preventing his spirit from moving forward in life.
Carl realizes that he was meant to have more adventures in his life beyond the joy he had with his beloved wife. And though she had passed away Carl courageously takes action to let go of all the anchors keeping him trapped in the past.
It's Up To You
So take a look at the 4 key areas for letting go. Identify the ones that are keeping you locked in the past. Which ones are preventing you from attaining your dreams and goals?
Know that letting go starts with your mindset. Ask yourself why you are holding onto these things. Have they become dead weight? If so then do your best to let it go. Give yourself a deadline. Find a friend or ally that will help kick your butt into action!
All your dreams, goals and adventures are waiting to come into your life. Recognize that it is up to you to make room for them to enter.
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
More Tips For Letting Go:
Tip#557: Learn To Let Go, Part 2 - Ted
Tip#588: Learn To Let Go, Part 3 - The Time Machine
Tip#42: Know What To Keep & What To 'Cast Away'
Tip#166: How To Say Goodbye - Meet Joe Black
Tip#191: Tear Down Old Ways of Thinking - Dark City
Tip#220: Move Forward By Letting Go – Lawrence of Arabia
Tip#252: Shredding Your Old Life – As Good As It Gets
INVITE MOTIVATORMAN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION!
For more info on keynotes and seminars:
© Emmanuel Lopez 2009
Posted by Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman at 9:19 AM 2 comments:
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Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman
Emmanuel Lopez aka Motivatorman is an award-winning Illustrator, Movie Blogger, Author and Motivational Speaker providing lived-experience SELF-CARE tips and SELF MOTIVATION strategies for inspiring INDESTRUCTIBLE OPTIMISM in the face of depression and difficult times. He has been featured in The NEW YORK TIMES, The WASHINGTON POST, The GLOBE & MAIL and CBC Radio. Speaker Clients: TD Canada Trust, Investors Group, The Art Institute of Boston and Royal Ontario Museum. WEBSITE: www.EmmanuelLopez.com