Brian W's Blog

Be Insignificant

thinkkindness — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:57:33 +0000

“No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves.”
– Dwight Eisenhower

EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW THIS:

***You always go through a period of insignificance
before you become significant.***

97% of the world quits what they’re doing during the
‘insignificance’ phase.

Rachel Ray did her TV show for years and nobody watched.

Billy Joel played in bars for a handful of people.

Many people tell me, “Brian I want to achieve great things!” But here is my question: “Are they willing to be insignificant before they become significant?”

Truth be told, I am pursuing a career based on insignificants. I am working to inspire thousands to do small, and seemingly “insignificant” acts of kindness. These small “insignificant” acts of kindness when added up together will make one massive SIGNIFICANT difference. For example, a old used pair of shoes that are no insignificant to you. . . what are they to a child that has never owned a pair of shoes? I believe you know the answer.

Have I failed thus far in pursuit? Yes. . . but I fail forward. And I try to do it as fast as possible. I take one step at a time.

With the power of your mind, in the land of opportunity, there’s never been a better time to take something you love and turn it into something significant. Whether it be a personal goal, volunteer project or business. You are MORE powerful than you know!

Are you ready to be significantly insignificant and fail forward. AWESOME !

READY GO!

My Adversity Hero

thinkkindness — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:05:23 +0000

“My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces.” Wilma Rudolph

The human will is the most incredible thing. I believe it is the human will that keeps us going, when everyone else expects us to sit, or even quit.

I have always been fascinated by the heroes who have made unforgettable marks in world history; and illustrated distinguished triumphs over seemingly, insurmountable adversity. I can vividly recall learning about Wilma Rudolph when I was in grade school. Her life characterized: “breaking through limitations.”

Over the last couple of years, I have thought about Wilma when so-called, “limitations” presented themselves in my own life. I think of Wilma, and I am passionately reminded of the amazing power of the human will.

Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely and weighed only 4.5 pounds. Most of her childhood was spent in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee. There, she was bedridden as she battled double pneumonia, scarlet fever and polio. At six years old, she lost the use of her left leg. Subsequently, she was fitted with leg braces. Later on in life, she was often quoted as saying: “I spent most of my time trying to get them off. (I had an uncompromising resolve) to be a normal kid.” At the age of 16, when she was only a sophomore in high school, the 5′ 11″ Wilma Rudolph won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. And, in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Rudolph became “the fastest woman in the world.” She also was the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. She won the 100 and 200 meter races; and also anchored the U.S. team to victory in the 4 X 100 meter relay, breaking records along the way.

Wilma has always been a role model for me in my life, along with dozens of others, and I hope she can be one for you as well. Today, we are facing tough economic times. However, I truly believe the WILL of our community, the WILL of our family, is strong! I know we can overcome the adversity that is surrounding us, and I know we can come out of it making the world a better place.

Wilma valiantly and brilliantly removed all of her “struggles” during the course of her lifetime. Yet, the stories that arose from her struggles will live on forever! The struggles you and I face day to day seemingly make their ways into the “Best Stories” we will tell our friends at a night or to our grandchildren as they sit on lap next to a campfire. “I walked a mile uphill both ways” or for me, “I am trying to bring over 7,800 shoes to go to orphans in Kenya, inspire hundreds to walk a mile without shoes, film a documentary, and give hope to an entire city that WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” – Yes, people doubt me – this is my challenge, this is my adversity I have to overcome – but I promise, it will be a story that I will be able to tell my grandchildren with a smile on my face and big arm motions to make it sound even grander!

Wilma expected victory when just about everyone would have understood if she’d just lay down and quit. So my question to you is. . . What is your challenge, what do people expect for you to lay down and quit at – . . . This is your story – make it a good one!

7,772 Shoes For Hope Runs

thinkkindness — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:36:44 +0000

Originally the goal was 5,000 shoes to send to orphans in Kenya. Then, we decided that not only did we want to send the shoes, but be the ones to personally deliver them. Then, we decided to make it even cooler by bringing teachers and high school students with us. OH – then we also decided to film a documentary to catch the stories on tape to share with our local community.

Now – it has begun! We have collected 7,772 shoes, have organized a MASSIVE shoeless walk-a-thon, and are currently working to collect the funds needed to ship the shoes.

I realize this is a rather short blog – but I believe the below video will tell you how much energy and fun this event is going to be. . . and this is just the beginning!

The Most Important Thing

thinkkindness — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:59:18 +0000

“Getting together is a beginning; staying together is a step forward; working together is a success.” –Henry Ford

A few years ago, during the Para-Olympics help in Seattle, nine participants, all mentally retarded or physically challenged, had aligned themselves for the 100 meter hurdles.

Although at the given signal they didn’t start exactly at that moment, nor orderly, they were determined to finish the race and thus win.

All they had to do in order to win the race was to finish it.

All managed to finish it, except for a young athlete that fell over the runway passage of the first hedge. Because of the pain and of the sorrow, he began to cry. The others hearing his cry came back for him. They slowed down and eventually they stopped.

In that day an unprecedented situation occurred, eight out of the nine athletes returned in order to help the ninth athlete, which was in need of assistance. A girl with the down syndrome came up to the wounded to give him a kiss and to encourage him: “Do not worry, the pain will go away.”

Wow!

Although that day the world record was not beaten from any point of view, but the race was finished by all nice athletes which past the finish line together, holding each other with their arms.

The whole stadium stood up and cheered them for several minutes. They were even more enthusiastic in the presence of such a wonderful gesture then when a record was beaten.

Why was this possible?

Because we all know well, that basically, the most important thing in this life is not so much winning by yourself, but helping others to win as well, even if you have to slow down and maybe turn back to help others.

With Kindness,

Brian Williams

www.ThinkKindness.org

“I AM PROUD OF YOU!”

thinkkindness — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:13:23 +0000

I AM PROUD OF YOU!

How does it feel when your father, mother, significant other, or anyone special in your life says these 5 words to you!

See how powerfully this simple sentence affects you? The same is true for others, so why not use it more often? One of the greatest gifts you can give people is to show appreciation, to compliment them and to tell them what they did was great. That is an important way to give support, which often is all they need to keep them on the path they have chosen. But it only works if you honestly mean what you say.

Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I may not forget you.
- William Arthur

We all appreciate to be told that what we are doing is good. Why not give it to others freely? All we have to do is think more about the other person than about ourselves. But be careful. What I am talking about is genuine appreciation – not that empty smile accompanied by empty words. Dishonesty is detected immediately. Compliments must be genuine or they are better left unsaid.

That is all for you now – back to work.

Brian

The Best Way to Survive. . . Wait I mean Thrive

thinkkindness — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 02:26:53 +0000

Imagine what it must be like to be shipped like cargo along with your whole family to a place, the only purpose of which is to kill people. Imagine struggling to stay alive physically and spiritually in that setting, not knowing what has happened to the rest of your family, but believing that they were exterminated in gas chambers or ovens. This was the common experience of people referred to as holocaust survivors.

One survivor was Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist who emerged from the experience with extraordinary insights valuable to all of us. In “Man’s Search for Meaning” he says, “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked throughout the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” “Every prisoner had a moral choice to make,” he says, “to surrender one’s inner self to the Nazis, or to find the meaning in one’s life that would give one the strength to go on.”

The lessons we can learn are that no matter how bad our troubles are, especially in today’s economy, we can survive them if we choose to survive. And the best way to survive – rather, the best way to thrive – is to find meaning in every moment of existence, every memory and every possibility for our future.

Remember, character counts!

With Kindness,

Brian Williams

www.ThinkKindness.org

Rant And Rave

thinkkindness — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:34:30 +0000

We get boxed in, in our thinking, I mean. We get to thinking that our life IS life. That this is all there is –or, if not that kind of thinking, then just the narrowing, narrowing, shrinking of our beliefs, what we see and experience, what we are exposed to. It comes down to a few sets of walls, a drive to and from places we know, the same faces, the same TV shows or music and radio station and everything the same and comfortable and familiar.

And the people we interact with; “How are you? I’m fine, thank you! Boy it’s starting to get cold, isn’ t it!” And it’s all so much busy talk, most of it.

And I love all of that, really, but sometimes, a little every day, ideally, I want to hear someone brilliant, someone brave and heroic. I want to talk with someone doing something impossible –I want to see someone in action who has vision and zest and almost insane focus on…something positive and powerful. I want to see some gal climbing up in a tree to save it, bucking authority, doing the weird and unthinkable. I want to See M.L. King at the podium there in Washington, shouting out “I have a dream!” I want think about that woman in Africa, the first environmentalist who won the Nobel Peace Prize for teaching village women how to plant trees. I want to see Rosa’s jailhouse photo, I need to see that little black girl walking to school in Little Rock with all of those crazy bastards spitting and shouting at her –I want to be moved by that spirit, that moment of history and courage. I want think about Nick Ut and his Pulitzer winning photograph of that little girl running up the road burning from the napalm some plane dropped over her village. Wake me up!

I’ve got to see the difference between right thought and wrong energy and be reminded of the greatness, the courage, the potential in each of us to inspire rightness, art, beauty, and love –even in the face of evil.

It’s not that I don’t love the simplicity of a little girl laughing in the store, like I saw tonight. The courage of a working mom supporting her children –I’m touched by those things too. But when the mind starts to go numb from the push to sell, sell, sell and buy, buy, buy –and I’m watching a 20 year old beating another 20 year old into submission, and the girls are parading thru the ring —and when I start to forget what my “business” really is…that’s when I need a fix of vision, or history…I need a shot in the arm reminder from someone who operates in another realm. Sometimes I get sucked into the drama and pettiness and quest for acquisition…

I get a little boxed in…so I open my portfolio of Ansel Adams or I crack Marquez’ Life in the Time of Cholera or listen to Ava Maria or take off my shoes and stand in the grass…lest I forget what is most important in the world.

It’s very, very good for us to have some friends to look to –to remind us we can be and do and take on more…and if not MORE, then more meaning, purpose, intent, and mission. It’s just as hard, just as much effort, but the return is, I think, so much richer. Be aware of who you hang with –and their impact on your awareness and thinking.

Use The “F” Word

thinkkindness — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:22:52 +0000

There was a mother inside of the grocery store the other day, and while in line, she was complaining about everything. About the length of the line, the volume of the music, the cashier was too slow, the weather. . . and I looked down at her daughter, who seemed to be about 4 years old, the look on her face said – “Mom please just be happy.”

Her look made me smile and made my day happier – maybe not her moms, but mine. As I was driving in my car, I was wondering why people are so “Negative” “Judgemental”. . . my thinking processed answered both of those questions.

To the negative part:

I think people need to start using the “F” Word. . . FAITH. You see, our society has made us creatures of habit to look through glasses of negative thinking. Negative thinking can be synonymous with “Problem Thinking”. No matter what the situation, you will always find the problem or the bad in any environment. Rather than dwelling on the negative though – let’s jump to the solution

What is Positive Thinking?

Simple – it’s “Good Thinking”. You have faith that no matter what happens, good will always prevail. And what is the key ingredient to make “Good” prevail. . . YOU!

If I asked you to go to a party and look for all the “negative”. You will see the person leaning against the wall feeling alone, the girl that is mad at her boyfriend. . .HECK you might even think the music sucks. But, if I asked you to find all the good. . . you will notice people dancing, having fun, talking, smiling. . . you see. . .what you look for – is what you notice. If you want to find negative – you’ll damn well see it. But what’s more fun, seeing all the bad or the good?

The first step in thinking positive is to SEE THE WORLD AS IT IS. No judgments. No biases (as much as possible.) Yes that is right, as it is. Both bad and good. HOWEVER. . .

With that in mind, the next step is to: SEE THE WORLD 5X BETTER THAN IT REALLY IS. You see with this, you are creating a vision, a goal, and you must have faith that you can get there. MLK had a vision, Lincoln had a vision, Obama has a vision – and there is no doubt in his mind that he will achieve his vision. And his mission is to get us to join him on achieving his vision – being positive, and CHANGE will prevail.

Most negative people find the problems. Positive people find the solutions to those problems to meet and achieve the vision they have in their mind. This pertains to business, careers, and even relationships. You see, if you look at your relationship with a negative mindset. . .YES YOU WILL FIND PROBLEMS! All relationships have problems, positive people find the solutions to those problems because they have faith that their vision and dreams for that relationship will prevail – NO MATTER WHAT.

Now – what is faith? I asked that question to a class of 5th graders one day and a student replied, “Faith is like air – you can’t see it, but you know it is there.” WOW! Yes, you may not be able to see the end goal, the prevailing vision, the outcome, but you know that a good one is there. . . so keep breathing, be persistent, never give up, take the extra step, YOU WILL SUCCEED. Have Faith.

STOP BEING JUDGMENTAL

The lady in the grocery store was making comments about the cashier. She wasn’t fast enough, she talked to much. . . etc etc.

Most people are quick to make judgments – we all do! So, this is my solution. Don’t be judgmental, be curious. I was at a dinner party and there was a lady that was dressed like she was going to the oscars. Everyone said she was stuck up, snooty, negative, and judgmental (even though they just made judgments). Rather than judge her, I was curious of why she was like this. I sat down next to her and just started asking rather bold questions – but I got to the root of her problem.
You see, she was hurting so much inside, that this was her avenue to vent. She places herself above everyone to make her feel good.

The lady in the store – you never know – she maybe on the brink of being laid off, her house could be in foreclosure, she may have a new grandchild that came into the world and every thought is of seeing him for the first time. . . . YOU NEVER KNOW!

So rather than be judgmental and looking at people with a negative mindset. . . be curious.

Try this:

Try to not have ONE negative thought for 7 days. That is right, not one! If one comes into your mind, instantly change it to be positive. This doesn’t mean that you have to overlook the bad, but you find the solutions. If you are having a bad day, “I am stressed, but I am going to go work out to help alleviate some of the tension.”

Now here is the challenge, if you are into this at day 6 and you have a negative day,. . . START OVER! You see, as you do this, you will start to infect people. Those around you will see you glow, they will be curious what “Wonder Drug” you are on – negativity is contagious. . . so is positivity.

That’s all for now.

With Kindness,

Brian Williams
Youth Motivational Speaker

Website: www.ThinkKindness.org

President’s Day – Volunteer – Think Kindness

thinkkindness — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:02:16 +0000

Not so many years ago, in a place relatively nearby, a young newly elected President urged us to ask not what our country could do for us but rather what we could do for our country. This single phrase set off a storm of service throughout our country. The Peace Corps, Vista and more all provided avenues of service for the thousands of young people who answered President Kennedy’s call. Many of us answered our young President’s call and we began to transform our community into one of co-operation and helpfulness.

Two years later, in a place separated much more by attitudes than by miles, another young man told us about having a dream. His was a dream of equality, where we are judged not by the color of our skin but by the content of our character. Dr. Martin Luther King had come to the capital to call us to action, to exhort us to create a society of peace and justice. Over the years many of us answered his call and the world has changed because we changed. The world harbors fewer institutionalized examples of segregation and discrimination. Yet slavery still exists.

People still die for the color of their skin, the belief in a God, or because of the fortune of their birth.

And now almost 50 years later, another young man is about to give a speech in the same city that hosted the other two. His election is a triumph, his presidency a beacon of hope for many people around the world. If America can answer the call, make good on her promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all, then perhaps the rest of the world can answer the call as well. Elected on a platform of change, his speech on Tuesday will herald a call to begin the transformation anew. To become everything we know it is possible to become.

On Monday, we are gifted with a holiday that commemorates Dr. King’s birthday. And many of us will sleep in, take the extra day to get some household chores done, and maybe even get out and do something especially eventful. I would propose that we take this day and make it something very special. Make it a day of service, a day where we each get out and do something in our community. Maybe your community has homeless who need help with housing or food. Maybe your community has people who need a connection to their human-ness, by virtue of their age or their poor decisions. Get out to the prisons and jails, get to the Senior Centers, to the missions, to the projects, find a place you can put your heart to work in service of your fellow man. A place where your dream of change can be realized.

These projects are not hard to find. Every community has needs. Every place has works that need to be done. Pick your passion and follow through. This Monday we will start our Community Garden Project. This project consists of turning a very large backyard into a space that can be shared by members of the community to help feed themselves quality fresh produce over the summer. It will teach children (and adults) the value of sowing so they may reap the rewards later. And how each of us are interconnected, from seed to plant to harvest, from child to adult, from garden to plate. Join me, if you wish, in the garden here. Or join me in the garden that connects us all, the one where service is mastery and the greatest joy is in serving.

And no matter what President-elect Obama says on Tuesday, trust that real peace, real change, real hope starts in your heart first and in transforming myself I transform the world.

With Kindness,

Brian Williams

A Glass of Water – Think Positive

thinkkindness — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:51:14 +0000

Get a glass of water and hold it out in front of you. Doing so fro a minute is no problem, doing so for an horu is going to make your arm very sore. But if you hold it for a day, you’re going to have to use your other arm to call of an ambulance. The weight of the water does not change, but try telling that to the person holding it.

Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts.
- The Buddha

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones,
you’ll start having positive results.
- Willie Nelson

Isn’t it the same with negative thoughts? Let’s say someone has insulted you. Playing the hurt over and over in your head and doing nothing about it makes it all the more hurtful, right? Wrong! The insult remains the same. Negative thoughts are like the glass of water. The longer you hold on to them, the heavier they will get.

A posse ad esse,

Brian