A New Birth of Freedom

Maximilian Hodder - Hollywood, CaliforniaAs heard on The Bob Edwards Show, July 3, 2009To state clearly and honestly one’s beliefs in a few hundred words is a large order in any man’s language, particularly so if one has been a victim of a number of very personal tragedies.Ever since my adolescent mind began to comprehend the complexities of our daily life, I looked upon a human being as a personification of that great unknown with a very specific mission on earth to fulfill. I looked for perfection, for love, and understanding. I believe in human being.

Then one day from the world of a carefree, happy life of a young, up

-and-coming writer/director in prewar Poland, I was thrown into the Nazis’ and, later, communists’ world of hatred, tyranny, murder, and destruction. Human being ceased to be what I believed it was destined for, and I became the raw material for a soap factory—an implement in a five-year plan, or a guinea pig in a biological laboratory. I lost my country and my family, and my belief in human being was crushed mercilessly. I became bitter and cynical.

Then came the third and, to me perhaps, the most significant period of my life so far, here in America. From the moment the immigration officer at LaGuardia Airport shook my hand and wished me good luck, I again began to see the sunnier side of life. I have made true friends and they have proven themselves when I needed them most. Food and clothing for victims of floods, a group of GIs adopting an orphan and sending him to school, neighbors building a new home for a victim of fire, Community Chest, Cancer Fund, Salvation Army, Alcoholics Anonymous, and a thousand other such acts or associations, all voluntary, collective or individual, left an indelible mark on me. It gave me a new lease on life. I again believe in mankind.

I now remember not only the days when people were chased from houses of worship with guns, but also those poor Russians who traded for food their most treasured possessions, but kept the holy icons. I now think not only of those who killed, but also of the kind Russian peasants who met our convoy to Siberia and, in spite of guys who chased them away, tried to share with us corned beef, a piece of bread, perhaps their last one. I also think of those gun-starved wretches who, after years of unendurable exploitation in forced labor camps, still had enough humanness left in them to sing or even joke occasionally.

I now, again, believe there is more good than evil; more of those who create, or wish to create, than those who destroy; more of those who love than those who hate. I firmly believe in an inalienable right of the individual to live the life of his choice, his right to work or rest, smile or cry, succeed or fail, pray or play.

The great Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz said, “The nectar of life is sweet only when shared with others.” I therefore also believe that it is my duty to contribute, in whatever way I can, to the present struggle to bring hope to those still oppressed, so that, as a great American once said, “They also may, under God, have a new birth of freedom.”

Director Maximilian Hodder worked in the movie industries of Eastern Europe. While serving in the Polish Army during World War II, he was captured by the Soviets but managed to escape and went on to join the Royal Air Force. Hodder came to the United States in 1949 to work in Hollywood.

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Do It Instead of Read About It!

Step into any bookstore and you can find 10,000 self-help books. I myself was overwhelmed with all that was available. Over the last 40 years, I have picked up countless books to study on one of the multiple self-help subjects available (many listed on profile page). In doing so, I began to see a constant thread that ran through them all. So I have decided to create a one stop site that not only touches on the reasons these practices are good for you, but one that lets you do it and not just read about it.

Finding Life’s Purpose. (Part II see Part I “Confidence Game“)

Genius (Or Life’s Purpose)
comes easily and profoundly, without needing to expend a lot of energy. Some people are geniuses at math or music; but there are many other types of genius as well. There are genius mothers, genius teachers, genius listeners, and genius independent thinkers.

Finding your life’s purpose or genius.
Make a list of the things you do for fun, or that you really enjoy. Include in the list the parts of your job that you really like, the things you volunteer for, sports, the arts, reading, etc.

Imagine you are a billionaire
with no worries about money, how would you choose to spend your time? Add those things to the list.

List your passions
the things that you love to do, or would do simply for the pleasure they bring you.

Write down
the names of people that you admire, and why you admire them. Name as many as you can think of.

Look at the list
and know that what you appreciate about others is also in you. You are attracted to these qualities, because they speak to you, and they speak to you because, they are a part of your same path. Adopt these admirations of others as a way for you to live “Out Loud!”

Listing your actions
Make a list of the things you do naturally without even thinking about it. (You may want to ask others for feedback, as it is common for them to see talents in us that we do not see in ourselves) Such natural talents may be an eye for detail, a great sense of humor, a nurturing side, the ability to focus intently, or being playful. Consider also, the things you've done that have gotten you into trouble--oftentimes if you turn them around and look at the positive aspects of it you’ll find genius. Think about it, Sometime what others have called destructive really shows unbridled creativeness. Through this process, you will find a gem of a natural talent that you previously had not appreciated)

Read your notes
over and watch as they slowly reveal themselves, showing your true genius. We are meant to use our genius in the service of our Life’s Purpose. Look at your Passions, Actions, and Genius lists, and spend 10 minutes each day for the next 3 days thinking about how you could use your genius in your life’s purpose. Start to write down random ideas that come to mind. (You must write them down!)

Now feel the fear
of not doing anything about it! It's normal and natural to feel scared when stepping into your life purpose. Fear is really just excitement that we misread as certain defeat. Instead of holding your breath with fear, keep breathing and take the next step. If it's worth doing, you're probably going to feel a little scared about doing it. Just think of the fear as the energy you need to take the next step.

Now the BIGGEST RISK.
Take a risk. Make a meeting with a trusted friend or employer, and talk to them about what you have been thinking of. Truth is, if you’ve been reading this blog through to here, it means you have some secret hidden idea or dream for your life. Now is the time to start the process of action. If you’re scared about how to communicate your idea then write it down first, read it over and digest it then tell someone about it. If you feel uncomfortable with telling someone, you personal know then feel free to write me about it and let us work together on it. Email us at thewayyoushouldlive@gmail.com

A Confidence Scheme.

A Confidence Scheme.
By Stephen James

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” William Shakespeare

Some may think that confidence is the opposite of humility. People sometimes even equate confidence with arrogance. That is a mistake. Rather than being the opposite of confidence, we need to understand that humility is an entirely separate issue.

The truly confident person is one that can fully embrace and celebrate their strengths and talents, and yet never forgets their humanity. They can admit mistakes and failings and yet never feel like a failure. It’s true, your failures do make you stronger. Nothing you endeavor in is ever worthless. You always walk away with more knowledge, being more prepared to attempt and succeed in the next endeavourer.

A person must live in gratitude for the abilities they have been given and never fail to see the giftedness in others. Never be jealous of others talents but willing to learn from what other’s talents can teach us. Understanding that within ourselves we too have a inner genius that must be in continuous development.

We must always be learning, always trying and never, never give up. These elements make up true and lasting confidence.

Living with confidence because you’re a genius!You’ve heard it said “Necessity is the mother of invention” Well I say “Creativity is the mother of invention”. I define genius as finding your very own inner creative menes. That’s right, menes, our bodies are built with genes, that is what makes each of us as physical individuals. Our menes are the parts that make up our personality. Just as each of us have physical genius: or physical abilities such as balance, flexibility, reflexes, strength, movement, all equaling our physical capabilities. Our menes are the parts that make up our personal genius that we are mentally capable of.

It’s not just about your tested mental IQ. To find the sum of your menes or genius takes the wiliness to commit to the search of your genius, testing and looking for its limits and abilities just as we do with our bodies. It doesn’t just come to you like a bolt of lighting, sure some find their physical genius early like the ability to play pro baseball while others get to publicly display their mental genius like the famous genius of Einstein or Leonardo. Just because you’ve not been on television or someone hasn’t written a book about you does not mean you’re not a genius! Most genius is un-published! It can be found in the everyday of living. It’s found in the little bits of brilliance of our daily living and it can be developed into adding value to everyone else’s daily living! There is no test created for your personal genius. You have to write it yourself!

Everyone has their own inner genius for which they are superior at doing. We all have a genius within our own nitch. Think about this! If you where stranded on a desert island and living in a cave and one night you heard something rustling around in the bushes outside. Who would you really want to be there in the cave with you? Einstein!? What would he do? Confuse the creature with his theory of gravity. No! you want someone with the genius of bravery or the genius of survival or the genius of mimicking the scary sounds of a shell being racked into a sawed off shotgun.

You should be committed! It all starts in the doing. One step at a time, one foot before the other. Committed to the long walk.

Here are the first steps! Takes approximately 20 minutes.

1) If you liked what you have read here or want to learn more, commit to a day and time for continuing to stopping by this site and reading what’s going on.

2) Think about 10 things you like to do. Count them out on your fingers.

3) Write a personal resume. Not a work resume but a resume of your life. Write down the things that you like to do: fishing, reading books, watching movies, painting, organizing your sock drawer, talking to people. List everything you like to do.

4) List the education you have: classes that you liked taking, books you have read, life experiences, places that you have traveled to, things that people have taught you.

5) List jobs that you have done, not just paying jobs: Pick out the parts of the job you liked best or feel you did best at.

6) When you’re finished just set it aside for the night. The next day look for the pattern of things that you really like doing or felt good doing. Be proud in seeing the things you like to do and look how those are the things you always seem to see though to completion.

7) On a big piece of paper draw a large inverted triangle: with the point at the bottom, the widest area at the top. Write out words or short sentences representing the thing you like to do or are good at within the triangle.

8) Now start thinking about the list and watch as you melt the overall list into just a couple of short sentences that can be written underneath the point at the bottom of the triangle. Those sentences are what you should be doing. Don’t be inhibited with coming to a conclusion that it doesn’t look to be rational. Don’t look at “what you should be doing” as needing to be practical. Don’t see the outcome as not having any monetary reward. Just look at it for what it is.

9) Next time we get together we will discuss how to make what you like to do into a money making reality.

10) I acknowledge I do not have the genius of grammar, spelling or in the written word but I am better at it than I used to be and will be better at it as I continue to work this menes’ muscle. Thanks for your genius of understanding my inadequacies.

Yours, Stephen James