Episode Transcript
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Dr. James Mellon (00:00):
How do we
awaken our extraordinary
potential in our everyday lives?
From Greg Braden and just soyou know, that's Baryshnikov
Talking about extraordinarypotential I just didn't realize
I had this to follow it as wellthe extraordinary, not potential
(00:20):
.
But how do you awaken thatvoice?
How do you awaken Baryshnikov?
I remember in 1980, I wasstanding stage left at the
Metropolitan Opera House.
I was waiting to go on stage tosing, not to dance, and the act
(00:45):
before me was MikhailBaryshnikov, and before us not
before just me, before us wewere doing the quintet from West
Side Story and I was standingbefore, I was watching
Baryshnikov, I was watchingwhoever was out there doing
something and all of a sudden Ifelt this energy.
(01:06):
And then the music played and Iturned and he was about there
and he just leapt onto the stage.
But it was like someone justthrew him up into the air.
He just onto the stage.
The place went crazy and I gotto stand there watching him
dance.
(01:26):
And I remember thinking tomyself and at the time you know
I was kidding yes, kevin,yesterday we just watched the
entire season of Etoile EtoileAnybody else see it yet?
It's, oh my God, one of themost brilliant TV series I've
ever watched ever on AmazonPrime, eight episodes.
(01:47):
And we were walking the doglast night after we finished the
whole series and we were bothlike that show just inspired us
Both of us.
We wrote with the same wordinspired.
I was inspired to do greaterthings with my life and I felt
that way that day.
I was standing in the wings andI was watching Baryshnikov and
(02:10):
at that moment in my life I wasone of the top dancers on
Broadway.
I was dancing the hardest roleat that time anybody had ever
danced, which was Riff and WestSide Story.
And I'm watching that and thenthinking to myself I need to go
higher.
But you know what I didn't have?
(02:31):
I didn't have the answer to howto do it, but I had the desire.
So, greg Braden, how do weawaken our extraordinary
potential in our everyday lives?
It starts with the inspiration.
It starts with do you want to,or are you okay, just doing what
(02:51):
you're doing and getting thesame results over and over and
over and then just dullingyourself into being okay with
that, or do you want to know howto awaken that within you which
is extraordinary?
Greg Braden goes on to say thiswhen we experience for ourselves
(03:12):
or witness in another personsomething that we've once
believed to be impossible, weare freed in our beliefs to
transcend those limitations inour own lives.
When we experience forourselves or witness in another
(03:33):
person, like you just witnessedhere this morning, something
that we've once believed to beimpossible for ourselves, we are
freed in our beliefs totranscend those limitations in
our own lives.
So what limitations are goingon in you that need transcending
(03:55):
?
And where can you look to say,wait, that can happen.
I mean, I always joke with thisline, but it's a great line
I'll have what he's having, I'llhave what Baryshnikov is having
.
Back then I can tell you thatthat week because it was on a
Sunday evening and it was atribute to Leonard Bernstein and
(04:16):
that week when we went back towork, I probably danced higher,
I probably jumped better, Iprobably danced the most amazing
I'd ever danced, because I wasso inspired to go beyond the
normal performance I would give,knowing I had to give eight
shows a week.
So the real question is, whatdo we need to do to ourselves,
(04:38):
for ourselves to do that everytime, to never just fall back,
to never just drop into an easysame old, same old, but to stir
ourselves up, to force ourselvesto go beyond that.
So my question to you today iswhat's the plan?
What's the plan?
(05:00):
What's your plan?
Do you have one?
Do you have a plan for whatyou're going to do?
So Stephen Schwartz's song,colors of the Wind.
I have to be honest, I sangColors of the Wind for Dr Walker
at the Los Angeles Center andwhen I finished singing it,
george Firth, who wrote themusical Company and wrote many
other things, came up to me andsaid he had no idea who I was
(05:24):
and I sang Colors of the Wind.
And he came up to me and saidhe had no idea who I was and I
sang Colors of the Wind.
And he came up to me afterwardsand he said you know, you have
everything.
He said that was so beautiful,you have everything.
You should take a chance atgoing to Broadway.
And I thought to myself thankyou, what a great compliment,
been there, done that and I'mhere now.
(05:44):
What a great compliment.
Been there, done that and I'mhere now.
But there was a moment in thatwhere I thought to myself I
should.
What's stopping me?
What's stopping me from goingback after what is mine?
I certainly didn't sing it theway Becca sang it.
I didn't.
I sang it my way and I hopenothing stops you because that's
(06:07):
what you just did, that whatyou have to give, and that's so
special, truly.
So I never realized that StephenSchwartz's song Colors of the
Wind I'm going to have to callStephen and tell him to watch
this and to listen to what I'mabout to say and certainly to
hear you.
It's a tribute to quantumentanglement.
(06:31):
I mean, I know that's what I'mthinking these days all the time
, but it is.
That's what the entire song is.
Listen to this lyric.
We are all connected to eachother in a circle, in a hoop
that never ends.
This whole song is about notseeing color, not seeing race,
(06:54):
not seeing gender, not seeingthe differences, but feeling the
oneness of who we all are.
I'd like to think that that'sreally what yesterday was all
about that the people thatshowed up in these peaceful
protests and I don't want to usethe word protest these peaceful
demonstrations of love, showedup to say we are all connected,
(07:17):
we are all one.
Let's get back on the sameplate.
I loved what Tiffany's I thinkit was her daughter who wrote
the placard that said hate willnot make the world great again.
You cannot make the world greatthrough hate.
That's what we're teaching.
(07:38):
That's what we need to know.
The final line in that song isyou can paint with all the
colors of the wind.
So my question is are you,what's the plan?
What colors have you planned touse in creating your life?
What's the plan for the lifeyou want to create?
(08:00):
If you can paint with all thecolors of the wind, why are so
many of us living monochromaticlives which, ironically, this
morning, when I left my bedroomand walked into the kitchen,
kevin looked at me and went whatare you wearing?
(08:22):
I said what do you mean?
This is a beautiful shirt and Ilove my pants.
I had white pants on and my tanshoes.
He went you're like one bigblah color of nothing.
He said it's so monochromatic.
I said that's very funny.
I'll be talking about thattoday.
And he was like well, you candisplay it while you're at it.
And then he was like you shouldgo in the closet and pick some
(08:44):
colors out.
And then I walk into my closetand I'm like I don't have a lot
of colors.
I have a lot of beiges and myblacks, and I have beiges and I
have blacks, I have a brown thatI don't like.
Um, there was a peach there andhe was like, what about this?
I was like, yeah, I'd have toiron it.
But notice, I went and changedbecause I do have colors.
(09:08):
I don't always use them, Idon't always paint with them, I
don't always do thingsdifferently, right?
So are you monochromatic in yourapproach to life?
Now, here's the thing aboutbeing monochromatic in your
approach to life, and here's thething about being monochromatic
.
Monochromatic is actually avariety of hues and shades, so
(09:30):
we can convince ourselves we arehaving colorful, vibrant lives,
but you're really just usingbeige and all of its hues and
variations.
I know, eric, I'm trying not topoint you out for wearing all.
Stand up for one second.
So this is exactly what I.
This is how I looked when Ileft the house.
(09:51):
Even his sneakers are beige,aren't they?
Yeah, there you go.
I personally like that, but I'mnow trying to move beyond that
to all the colors of the wind,right?
So, again, I want to ask thequestion what's your plan?
Here's the title of my talktoday Mix it Up.
(10:13):
Only.
I would pick this title withthat picture and think I was
coming in here with a beigeoutfit.
But you know what?
Things don't happen by accident, they happen on purpose, and I
need to mix it up.
I give talks because I needthem.
I need different colors in mypalette, I need to do different
(10:38):
things, I need to go differentplaces, I need to be in
different states of mind inorder to create a different life
.
So I was walking through mygarden recently, just this week,
and I'm looking through mygarden and I'm noticing all the
things that I don't like aboutmy garden.
(11:00):
I'm like why would these weedsgrow here where I planted this
bush?
And I'm looking at these weedsand all, and I walk through the
whole garden and I'm noticing Idon't like this.
I should take this out.
I'd love to put something newhere.
I'm looking at the whole gardenand then I went back in the
house and then the days went byand I was like and then I
(11:25):
listened to a Jim Rohn talk andhe was basically saying how
often do you see what you wantto change and don't change it?
And I was like, ah, I just didthat.
And I walked back out into theyard and I was like none of you
are going to change until Ichange it, none of this is going
(11:49):
to change.
This garden is going to justkeep going.
So the answer then I had to sayso, what's the plan?
Nothing's happened yet, by theway.
What's the plan?
So I'm writing my talk thismorning and I was like, I know I
wanted to talk about thegetting in the garden and
pulling things out.
But here's the thing about thegarden they're going to grow
(12:11):
back, right, it's going to comeback, and then something else is
going to happen over here andsomething else is going to
happen over here.
How many times have we all goneto a workshop or heard someone
like me speak and walk out goingyes, and then, two days later,
what did he say?
Because we're not doing itanymore.
We did it once.
We got the energy, we got theexcitement, we did it and then
(12:34):
we stopped.
But the weeds are growing back.
It's all going to grow backbecause life is a journey that
continues to evolve.
You are a journey thatcontinues to evolve and if
you're not going to pull out theweeds, you're going to live
with the weeds and that's goingto be the life you live.
(12:56):
So this week.
So what's the plan?
I keep.
I wrote this a thousand timesin my talk today.
What's the plan?
Well, my plan this week is,every single morning, to go out
in the yard and do at least onething that I want to change in
my yard.
I'm using my yard as a metaphorfor myself, bless you.
(13:17):
So what's your plan?
What's the plan?
To change the environment ofyour life, because the
environment of your life has adirect impact to the way you
receive it.
Can I tell you what I feel whenI walk out there and I see all
these, these, these weeds, and Isee some things that I don't
like.
It does not impact me in a goodway.
(13:38):
I go into a negative space.
I go into a place of, like God,these gardeners.
What are they doing?
The gardeners are not paid todo my gardening.
Ironically, the gardeners arepaid to keep it neat.
They'd be very happy if I wentand pulled all the weeds out and
just left them lay there.
(13:58):
They would clean all of that up.
That's what the universe does.
Pull the weed, the universewill clean it up.
Do what's necessary to do inyour life and the universe will
provide.
That's what it's there to doand it doesn't cost $200 a month
.
It is time for all of us to mixit up.
(14:23):
We got to do things differentlyif we want different results.
So part of the jim rohn talk I Iread look at this don't let
your learning lead to knowledge,let your learning lead to
action.
And I picked this slide for avery specific reason.
How many people do you thinkhave written movies?
(14:45):
Lots, almost everybody I meethas a movie they'd love me to
read that they wrote.
Right, everybody writes movies.
Everybody's writing movies.
How many people get to themoment where they have to click
that clicker and say action?
How many people make to themoment where they have to click
that clicker and say action?
How many people make theirmovies?
I don't care how many movies ofyour life you have in your head
(15:10):
.
If you are not saying actionand then going, it's just a dead
piece of paper.
It's doing nothing.
Don't let your learning lead toknowledge.
What I love about our center, itis an educational center.
We are all about teaching thisscience.
(15:30):
But you know what I'm done?
Just teaching.
I've done all the teaching Ineed to do in my lifetime.
I have taught now for 25 years.
Some years I taught four orfive classes a week and I loved
it and I love teaching.
But you know what I really wantto do now.
I want to experience what I'vetaught.
(15:52):
I want to actually make senseout of it experientially, which
is why this next class is goingto be half experiential.
So I want the knowledge, but Iwant the experience of the
knowledge, not just theknowledge.
So don't let your learning leadto knowledge, let it lead to
action, manifesting.
(16:15):
So this is our month manifest.
You will manifest tomorrow whatyou put into action today.
You will manifest tomorrow whatyou put into action today.
You will manifest tomorrow whatyou put in action today.
And that means if you putnothing into action today, you
will manifest that tomorrow.
(16:36):
You want to know why lives arenot changing, why you're not
perhaps getting what it is youwant out of this thing called
life, because you're not doingwhat is necessary to do.
And the brain knows that.
The brain, all of the neuronsand electrons that are wired
(16:57):
into your brain and all of theemotions that are in your heart,
all the feelings in your heart,know who you are.
It all knows what you're about.
It's operating on your beliefs,on your AEPs.
It's operating on everythingyou've done up to this point.
So if you're not willing to mixit up.
It's not willing to mix it up.
Your brain isn't going tosuddenly come along and go.
(17:19):
Let's do this because we'regetting into a rut.
No, isn't going to suddenlycome along and go.
Let's do this because we'regetting into a rut.
No, it loves the rut.
It's comfortable in the rut.
Right, your heart, it'scomfortable where it is.
How many of you realize that youhave a problem with change?
Good, okay, so you have aproblem with change.
(17:41):
You know what that means.
You're in a rut, your heart isin a rut.
Your heart is just same old,same old.
We're safe here, we'recomfortable here, yeah, but
we're not really happy here.
That's okay.
But you don't have to change.
At least you can just stay notthat happy.
There's so much happiness inthe world.
There's so much joy in theworld.
I have to tell you somethingfunny.
(18:06):
After we got back from our walklast night, kevin didn't see
this, thank God.
I'm sure he would have yelledat me.
I went outside and did thisgigantic jeté.
I landed well, Nothing got hurt, but I did this giant jeté so I
could see it in the window ofour house.
(18:26):
I looked.
I didn't look like Baryshnikov,but you know he didn't.
He wasn't 70 when he made thatpicture, although that's an
excuse, isn't it?
Yeah?
So, um, the jeté looked greatand I thought to myself I need
to go back to ballet class.
I'd like to go back to balletclass and dance.
And you know what?
(18:46):
The first thing that camethrough my mind was You're 70
years old, I know right.
Mind was You're 70 years old, Iknow right.
Isn't that freaking annoying?
It is, but that's how the brainworks.
It's even going to.
That brain is even telling meI'm protecting you.
My heart's saying I'mprotecting you From what A life.
(19:08):
You're protecting me from whatDoing what I really love to do,
I have to tell you, kevin,asking me to do Sissy Boy again,
10 years after I did it, I didnot feel anything different
doing it this last time, exceptI felt better.
I had just as much energy.
I threw myself all over theplace.
I was like I could do thisagain, but I didn't think I
(19:32):
could.
He just kind of forced theissue and so I did it.
There's still so much in mybrain and in my heart that is
still the leftover reruns of amovie that I will never produce,
but I got a lot of movies thatI want to produce.
So how do you know when youreally want something?
(19:52):
Well, here's the answer If youreally want something, you'll
find a way.
If you don't, you'll find anexcuse.
Pretty simple, right.
How many excuses do you allhave rolling around in your
heads of things, of reasons whyyou can't do what you think you
can do?
And that means anything.
(20:12):
And I know that that gets alittle strange, you know.
But I want to ask you what'sdriving you?
What's driving you forward?
Is it your passion for whatyou're doing?
Or is it your excuses?
Because you know excuses candrive.
So what's your plan?
What is your plan?
(20:33):
You have to have a planTomorrow night.
Whoever has signed up for theclass by tomorrow night will be
on a call with me tomorrow andwe're going to start putting
that plan into place.
So what's your plan?
You have to have one, or elseyour life is just like a feather
in the wind and it will gowherever the environment takes
(20:56):
it.
If a big wind comes along, likeDoug talked about, something
big and emotional comes along.
If you are not in coherencebetween your brain and your
heart, it will take you.
If something sad comes along,it will take you, but when you
know who you are and when youhave a plan and when you're
willing to mix it up, dodifferent things, get up at a
(21:20):
different time, dance aroundyour yard garden, whatever it is
.
We're going bowling soon again.
Love bowling, but I don't go.
Last time I went bowling, I wasbowling with Tiffany.
Were you there, eric?
You were there.
Yeah, when was that?
Like a year and a half ago?
And I love to bowl, so whydon't I bowl?
(21:43):
What do you love to do thatyou're not doing?
It's about mixing it up.
You've got to change.
You have to be willing tochange.
If you want change in your life, if you want things to be
different, you have to do thingsdifferently.
You have to know who you areand do things differently.
So take a deep breath.
(22:04):
I want you to bring up in yourmind something that you've been
avoiding, something that you'vereally wanted to do in your life
, and you've been avoidingsomething that you've really
wanted to do in your life andyou've been avoiding.
It could be some major trip.
You've always wanted to go tothis place and you never have.
I can tell you, if you don'tmake a plan to go, you're not
(22:25):
going to get there.
So what is it?
What is it that you know isyours to do?
What is it that you really wantto do?
And are you willing?
Are you absolutely willing todo what's necessary for that to
take place, and leave theexcuses by the side of the road?
(22:50):
And leave the excuses by theside of the road.
Trust me, when you leave forwhatever that journey is, those
excuses will be far, far farbehind you.
All it takes is that momentwhere you step into what it is
you want to do.
That day, when I stood on theside of the stage and watched
(23:11):
Baryshnikov dance, right afterhe finished, I got to run on
stage and the whole audience,thousands of people, were
screaming because there was theBroadway cast of West Side Story
, and we're all on stage.
And I remember standing in theMetropolitan Opera House my
second time because I had done ashow with Carol Burnett and
(23:33):
Beverly Sills, like five yearsbefore that, and I'm standing
there and I'm hearing thescreaming and then the music
started for the quintet andthere was a moment and I was
thinking about this last nightit makes me very emotional there
was a moment when the only onesinging at that moment was me,
(23:55):
the entire MetropolitanOrchestra, everybody else on
stage, but it was me, because Ihad a whole section that was my
solo.
Now, looking back, I am soproud of that 25-year-old that
somehow didn't seem to notice orwas not really very plused by
(24:15):
the fact that I was standing inthe middle of the Metropolitan
Opera House singing.
Now, 50 years later sorry, 45years later such pride for that
person.
But I need him again.
I need that person who canstand there and not notice that
(24:39):
it's something special.
It's actually something natural.
So I invite you all to find outwhat's natural for you, mix it
up and do it Namaste.