l never watch the news...ever! l've gone out of my way to avoid watching it even when l'm subjected to it at other people's homes. l'll make some excuse to leave the room.
This article by SUCCESS magazine Darren Hardy explains why & l hope it is enough to make YOU follow suit!
Is Wolf Blitzer Hurting America? by Darren Hardy
During the media tour launching The Compound Effect, CNN asked me to submit an article for their website. So, what do I have to say to CNN? Below is the article I submitted
to my PR team. Even after they begged me to neuter it, to refocus it on 24/7 news (not just CNN and not just the Wolf man), CNN still didn’t have the backbone to publish the critical commentary. So I publish it here.
(CNN-) Disaster. Crisis. Failure. Scandal. Tragic. Devastation. Danger. Emergency. Threat. Crash… just a few words spoken by Wolf Blitzer in “The Situation Room” within only a five-minute span. If you listen to The Wolf, the world is coming to an end… every five minutes. And we wonder why people feel hopeless (giving up the belief that a job even exists), fearful (pessimistic about the future) and lack confidence (market and otherwise) when you have The Wolf & Friends spreading the gospel of fear, worry, danger and anxiety in our family rooms, offices, cars and airports 24/7.
The damage these constant and repeated messages have on our consciousness and creative potential is “devastating.” (see Media Madness video)
What controls your attention controls your life.
Where your attention goes, energy flows and so goes your life. When I interviewed racecar-driving legend Mario Andretti, I asked him for the No. 1 success tip to racecar driving. His answer, “Don’t look at the wall.” He explained, “Your car goes where your eyes go.” If you are a tightrope walker, what’s the one thing you never do? Right, look down. Why? Your body will follow your eyes. Your body (your life) also follows your eyes (your attention). If you point your eyes at Constant Negative News (there’s an acronym for that), your life will also go in that direction.
Your mind is like an empty glass. It will hold anything you put into it. You put in sensational news, salacious headlines and talk show rants and you are pouring dirty water into your glass. If you’ve got dark, dismal, worrisome water in your glass, everything you create will be filtered through that muddy mess, because that’s what you’ll be thinking about. Garbage in, garbage out.
You can flush your dirty glass with clean, clear, pure water. What is clear water? Positive, inspirational and supportive input and ideas. Stories of aspiration, people who, despite challenges, are overcoming obstacles and achieving great things. Strategies of success, prosperity, health, love and joy. Ideas to create more abundance, to grow, expand and become more. But it’s a constant battle as we are surrounded by those who want to spew dirty water into our glass constantly.
Why does The Wolf do it?
The fight for your attention has never been bloodier. Once upon a time there were only a few TV channels, a few radio stations (that came in), a few major newspapers and a handful of magazines. Now there are thousands of each, plus blogs, RSS feeds, text alerts, iPad apps, satellite radio, Pandora, tweets, Facebook posts and LinkedIn notifications, ad nauseam. So to compete in this bare-knuckled blood sport The Wolf has to shock you into paying attention to him (and his advertisers) and nothing gets your attention like good old-fashioned fear.
Your mind is not designed to make you happy. Did you know that? Happiness is not its job. Its main and sole concern is survival, to keep you alive, thus it is on constant watch looking out for any danger or impending threat. The Wolf knows this. The Wolf knows your mind better than you. He can’t get your attention (or the needed Nielsen audience measurement metrics) with happy feel-good stories and reports. Positive potential, abundance and optimism don’t grab your mind by the shirt collar like danger, disaster and tragedy does.
The media is crippling our creative potential.
You get in life what you create. Expectation drives the creative process. What do you expect? You expect what you are thinking about. Your thought process, the conversation in your head, is the foundation of the results you create in life. What are you thinking about? What is influencing and directing your thoughts? The answer: whatever you’re allowing yourself to hear and see. The input you are feeding your mind is what it is processing and thinking about.
If you listen to The Wolf you will be constantly reminded of, and thinking about, the tragic unemployment rate, the volatile and uncertain stock market, the gloomy state of the economy, scandals on Wall Street, gossip and shenanigans in Washington… after the relentless coverage of the latest tsunami, hurricane, car bombing, heinous murder and other calamities. Feed your mind repeated meals of that junk food and then wonder why you don’t feel very motivated to find a job or start a new business.
You can change the world—your world.
You can rid your world of all wars, murders, crimes, scandals, gossip, corruption and international disasters. You have that much power… in the palm of your hand.
How? Hit the OFF button. Turn off your TV. Turn off your radio. Cancel your newspaper subscription.
I learned an important life philosophy long ago. Control what’s controllable. What you can’t control is the national economy. What you can control is your economy. What you can’t control is what Washington does about healthcare. What you can control is the care of your own health. What you can’t control is how the president is running the country. What you can control is how you are running your business, household and life. What you can’t control is the war in Afghanistan. What you can control is the peace and harmony in your own home. Stop paying attention to what you can’t control, or it will control you and your life.
It’s time to take back control of your mind so you can take back your life. Stop letting other people influence your attitude, your hope for the future and your potential to do something great. Focus your mind and attention on what is right with the world and what’s possible for you. At the same time The Wolf is pointing out the 12 ugly, heinous, murderous and disastrous things that happened in the world today, millions of wonderful, miraculous and beautiful things happened as well. Step out of the perverted view of the world from “The Situation Room” and into the world of abundance, splendor and the unlimited positive potential that surrounds you every day. Focus your attention on ideas, information and knowledge that can help you grow, prosper, create and contribute to making a positive difference in your world… and you might just do something to change the world.
- Darren Hardy
----------------------------------------------------------------
We are fighting a Media War! And l'd like to take this space to promote to you a POSITIVE input into your lives: The- LIFE-Business
Nothing has made more of an impact in my life than this business. My
entire outlook has changed, my relationships are better & I have
since learned more about building wealth than l knew in my previous 40
years here on Earth. l can only hope you will check it out for yourself
so you, too, can 'Have FuN. Make Money. Make a Difference.' And l'd like to take this space to promote to you a POSITIVE input into your lives: The-LIFE-Business. I encourage you to explore our site and give yourself a chance to Live the Life You've Always Wanted.
Our products are loved and respected in thousands of homes,
workplaces, churches and schools across North America. LIFE is a
learning experience unlike any other – primarily housed in the form of
easy to use audio CD's and books - it takes a consistent and effective
approach to each area of life. The core program of LIFE focuses on
these 8 F's of life: Faith, Family, Friends, Freedom, Finances, Fitness, Following and Fun. Birthed by experts with proven, time-tested
results and nurtured by using a simple, kind, honest and often humorous
approach, LIFE works! Period. There is no risk to try out a better
LIFE as all of our products come with a hassle free, no questions asked
30-day money back guarantee.
- Sean
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Rally Cry by Darren Hardy
Ask me WHY l never watch the news...To find the answer to that question l would've previously told you a long boring story that may or may not have convinced you. But my previous post of an article written by SUCCESS magazine publisher, and fellow Media Warrior, Darren Hardy, tells the story better than l ever could. We at LivingForExcellence247.com are also fighting this Media War and l can't emphasize enough that we need Y0U to fight this fight along with us!
Rally Cry by Darren Hardy
I was in Manhattan to meet with the publisher who was taking the message of my book The Compound Effect to the masses. I was escorted to a conference room where shelves filled with best-sellers lined the walls. The marketing team pointed to a spot on the wall where mine would be.
Marketing staffers began the strategy discussion by saying they reached out to mainstream media and received great response: radio interviews, a few TV appearances and some online article requests. “We even got a request from CNN, wanting you to write an article for its website,” the web media publicist said. She practically giggled with glee as she said the letters C-N-N.
I laughed out loud. “You’re kidding, right?” Her startled eyes indicated she wasn’t. “Clearly they haven’t read the book,” I said. An awkward silence filled the room. “Even if they read only the introduction, they’d know they—along with all sensational news media—are my mortal enemy.” By seeing the confused faces, I knew I needed to give an explanation (and a rally cry).
“News media have become a competitive blood sport for our attention,” I said. “Their focus is on finding the half-dozen most violent, tragic, scandalous and ugly things that happened in a day and parade them morning and night. Their goal is to trigger our fear, worry, threat and distress responses so we keep tuning in.
“This barrage of negative input devastates our productive potential and creative capacity. What we see and hear is what we think about. Our thoughts become our expectations. Expectation leads to manifestation. It’s a dangerous and damaging downward spiral.”
Nearly in a lather, I concluded, “CNN, FOX and the rest are the Goliaths we fight at SUCCESS. We want to show people what’s right with the world. We spotlight those who, despite great odds and obstacles, do magnificent, wonderful and difference-making things. And most important, how all of us have the ability to do the same. Through the fog of negative, fearful and worrisome messages, SUCCESS aims to be a beacon of inspiration and instruction on how people can live an abundant, joyful and fulfilling life. That’s our mission.
“I’ll write the article,” I said defiantly. “Let’s see how fair and balanced they are by whether they publish it.” My publicist reluctantly sent my article—“Is Wolf Blitzer Hurting America?”—to CNN. Surprise, surprise, they didn’t publish it. So I did. You can see it here.
I received more comments on that post than any I’ve done—ever. It rallied the community (you!). It identified our shared philosophy that we live in a world where millions of marvelous things happen every day, and we have an unlimited potential to create a magnificent life for ourselves and our families—no matter what the Wolf howls from The Situation Room.
I share this story because:
1. It’s true and I love telling it.
2. Our current issue of SUCCESS focuses on Modern Marketing strategies, and I illustrated a potent one—storytelling.
I could have said, “Here at SUCCESS we are committed to bringing you ideas, information and knowledge that can help you grow, prosper, create and contribute to making a positive difference in your world.”
But by telling a story that exemplifies that commitment, the message becomes exponentially more memorable and powerful.
This month we want to help you better tell the story of your great product, service or cause so you, too, can positively affect the people in your world.
- Darren Hardy
------------------------------------------------
The greatest product/service I can tell you about is The- LIFE-Business Nothing has made more of an impact in my life than this business. My entire outlook has changed, my relationships are better & I have since learned more about building wealth than l knew in my previous 40 years here on Earth. l can only hope you will check it out for yourself so you, too, can 'Have FuN. Make Money. Make a Difference.'
We are fighting a Media War! And l'd like to take this space to promote to you a POSITIVE input into your lives: The-LIFE-Business. I encourage you to explore our site and give yourself a chance to Live the Life You've Always Wanted. Our products are loved and respected in thousands of homes, workplaces, churches and schools across North America. LIFE is a learning experience unlike any other – primarily housed in the form of easy to use audio CD's and books - it takes a consistent and effective approach to each area of life. The core program of LIFE focuses on these 8 F's of life: Faith, Family, Friends, Freedom, Finances, Fitness, Following and Fun. Birthed by experts with proven, time-tested results and nurtured by using a simple, kind, honest and often humorous approach, LIFE works! Period. There is no risk to try out a better LIFE as all of our products come with a hassle free, no questions asked 30-day money back guarantee.
- Sean
Rally Cry by Darren Hardy
I was in Manhattan to meet with the publisher who was taking the message of my book The Compound Effect to the masses. I was escorted to a conference room where shelves filled with best-sellers lined the walls. The marketing team pointed to a spot on the wall where mine would be.
Marketing staffers began the strategy discussion by saying they reached out to mainstream media and received great response: radio interviews, a few TV appearances and some online article requests. “We even got a request from CNN, wanting you to write an article for its website,” the web media publicist said. She practically giggled with glee as she said the letters C-N-N.
I laughed out loud. “You’re kidding, right?” Her startled eyes indicated she wasn’t. “Clearly they haven’t read the book,” I said. An awkward silence filled the room. “Even if they read only the introduction, they’d know they—along with all sensational news media—are my mortal enemy.” By seeing the confused faces, I knew I needed to give an explanation (and a rally cry).
“News media have become a competitive blood sport for our attention,” I said. “Their focus is on finding the half-dozen most violent, tragic, scandalous and ugly things that happened in a day and parade them morning and night. Their goal is to trigger our fear, worry, threat and distress responses so we keep tuning in.
“This barrage of negative input devastates our productive potential and creative capacity. What we see and hear is what we think about. Our thoughts become our expectations. Expectation leads to manifestation. It’s a dangerous and damaging downward spiral.”
Nearly in a lather, I concluded, “CNN, FOX and the rest are the Goliaths we fight at SUCCESS. We want to show people what’s right with the world. We spotlight those who, despite great odds and obstacles, do magnificent, wonderful and difference-making things. And most important, how all of us have the ability to do the same. Through the fog of negative, fearful and worrisome messages, SUCCESS aims to be a beacon of inspiration and instruction on how people can live an abundant, joyful and fulfilling life. That’s our mission.
“I’ll write the article,” I said defiantly. “Let’s see how fair and balanced they are by whether they publish it.” My publicist reluctantly sent my article—“Is Wolf Blitzer Hurting America?”—to CNN. Surprise, surprise, they didn’t publish it. So I did. You can see it here.
I received more comments on that post than any I’ve done—ever. It rallied the community (you!). It identified our shared philosophy that we live in a world where millions of marvelous things happen every day, and we have an unlimited potential to create a magnificent life for ourselves and our families—no matter what the Wolf howls from The Situation Room.
I share this story because:
1. It’s true and I love telling it.
2. Our current issue of SUCCESS focuses on Modern Marketing strategies, and I illustrated a potent one—storytelling.
I could have said, “Here at SUCCESS we are committed to bringing you ideas, information and knowledge that can help you grow, prosper, create and contribute to making a positive difference in your world.”
But by telling a story that exemplifies that commitment, the message becomes exponentially more memorable and powerful.
This month we want to help you better tell the story of your great product, service or cause so you, too, can positively affect the people in your world.
- Darren Hardy
------------------------------------------------
The greatest product/service I can tell you about is The- LIFE-Business Nothing has made more of an impact in my life than this business. My entire outlook has changed, my relationships are better & I have since learned more about building wealth than l knew in my previous 40 years here on Earth. l can only hope you will check it out for yourself so you, too, can 'Have FuN. Make Money. Make a Difference.'
We are fighting a Media War! And l'd like to take this space to promote to you a POSITIVE input into your lives: The-LIFE-Business. I encourage you to explore our site and give yourself a chance to Live the Life You've Always Wanted. Our products are loved and respected in thousands of homes, workplaces, churches and schools across North America. LIFE is a learning experience unlike any other – primarily housed in the form of easy to use audio CD's and books - it takes a consistent and effective approach to each area of life. The core program of LIFE focuses on these 8 F's of life: Faith, Family, Friends, Freedom, Finances, Fitness, Following and Fun. Birthed by experts with proven, time-tested results and nurtured by using a simple, kind, honest and often humorous approach, LIFE works! Period. There is no risk to try out a better LIFE as all of our products come with a hassle free, no questions asked 30-day money back guarantee.
- Sean
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