Christopher S. Penn – Marketing AI Keynote Speaker

Category: Awakening

  • With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

    “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” – Stan Lee

    If there was one takeaway that Chris Brogan and I wanted you to have from PodCamp Boston 3, it was this – you have superhero powers, and it’s time to use them.

    One of my slides in the opening remarks showed this list of superpowers that 50 or 100 years ago would have been solely in comic books or other wild fantasy stories.

    Story is told over and over again
    Can influence the minds of millions
    Has legions of allies ready to do battle
    Can be heard around the world
    Can know the thoughts of others
    Can see and hear through walls

    And of course, these mapped to our sponsors.

    mDialog, Blip.tv
    Blue Sky Factory, MarketWire
    Mzinga
    Utterz, Blubrry
    Matchmine, MarketingProfs
    ooVoo

    Think about all of the power technology gives you. Google Maps lets you walk around at ground level or from 30,000 feet over a huge chunk of the inhabited planet. Google itself gives you incredible reach, access to more knowledge in the palm of your hand or in your lap than any human being has ever had. A simple cell phone lets you talk to someone in real time on the other side of the planet.

    We forget we have these “powers” because we take them for granted. We grow up with them, and once the novelty of a new device, technology, or service wears off, we forget to explore what we can actually DO with them.

    Take a step back. Look at the technology that surrounds you as traits of a comic book superhero. If a superhero had the powers you did, what stories would be written about them? What crimes would they solve, what lives would they save with your powers?

    What if podcasting, instead of being a discussion about MP3 vs. M4A, RSS vs. Web, audio vs. video, was a discussion about how to get the best teachers in the world to every student who wanted to learn? What if social networks, instead of debating the merits and features of X platform, was a community trained in early awareness and intervention for things like teenage suicide? What parent wouldn’t encourage their kids to be a part of a social network if they knew that others were ready to lend a helping hand in troubled times?

    Troubled times are what we live in now. Community is the foundation of your true power, while technology is the bridge from power to action to accomplishment. Awaken your superhero by looking at what you’re truly capable of, then go out into the world and do.

    Where to start? Simple. Find a local non-profit, charity, cause, group, or other volunteer opportunity that has need. There’s no shortage of need today. Find a cause worth supporting, then lend your talents, powers, and insights to it. There’s just as much nobility and justice in helping search optimize the local animal shelter’s web site as there is in promoting the cure for cancer, and the lives you save are no less valuable. There’s just as much good done by doing local outreach that brings in 5 more cans of food to the local food bank as there is in broadcasting a global hunger charity drive. The person at the end of the day who gets another meal is just as grateful.

    Use your powers. Awaken your superhero.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Fridays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Fridays

    Friday is about protection. Protection, in the traditional sense, is the mental state of actively burning away all of the negative influences you’re aware of in your life. Clear your mind if your schedule permits, and grab your media library. Indulge in a short movie clip, song, or personal saying that emphasizes shielding and protecting against harm. Perhaps it’s a science fiction movie or a medieval setting in which an armored knight repels arrows, or the theme song of a superhero for whom bullets bounce off harmlessly.

    On Friday, as the week winds down, square away all your work for the week, tying up as many loose ends as you can. Reply to emails that need a reply, then archive them out of sight. If your messaging systems permit, turn on an out of office notification the moment you’re prepared to leave the office, informing those that would contact you during your weekend that you’re simply unavailable. If you work as an independent contractor, establish the expectation that if a client has needs during off hours, they should be prepared to pay a king’s ransom for your time, until your office reopens on Monday.

    Set and enforce boundaries rigorously. If you have an office phone or PDA, power it down entirely once you depart the office. Control which media you choose to allow in your life, which ways that news can arrive, as news is rarely good these days. Choose to replace mundane forms of media (thoughtless television, rambling radio, etc.) with the media that continues to inspire you, that builds inside of you a burning passion for accomplishment and meaning.

    Review your past week in your mind as you prepare to end your work week. You’ve focused on a fresh start, correct actions, communications, and thoughts, and expressed a willingness to blockade negativity from your life. Now you’re prepared to head into the weekend, into your private time, fresh and energized, knowing that your private time is truly yours and you’re protected from yourself and others who would influence you to outcomes that are not in your best interests.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Thursdays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Thursdays

    Thursday is about mental focus. Correct thought, in the traditional sense, means thinking clearly, unimpeded by runaway distractions of every kind. Clear your mind if your schedule permits, and grab your media library. Indulge in a short movie clip, song, or personal saying that emphasizes clarity of thought. Perhaps you have a detective hero who always sees the solution ahead, or maybe there’s a movie clip that epitomizes insight, an a-ha moment that never fails to inspire you.

    On Thursday, look for things in your life that focused thought can solve. Is there a particularly difficult problem that demands your focus? Is there an issue on your mind that requires diamond-like clarity of vision and thought? Work to create a situation for yourself in which you think best.

    At a bare minimum, go dark. Turn off phones, instant messengers, email and calendar reminders, close your door, or even leave your office. If you think best while moving, take the time to go for a walk, to get away from the distractions and diversions of your regular places. Head to a quiet coffee shop or a calming park bench. Bring with you a paper notepad and pen to jot down your thoughts as you have them.

    Take time throughout the day and night to shield your mind from distracting influences. Leave the television off for the day, shut off your phone when you arrive home, and avoid pointless agitation from things like news programs. Instead, use the day and evening to fill your mind with useful mental materials. Read a thought-provoking book, or go out to dinner and drinks with a friend you always enjoy rigorous, healthy discussion with.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Wednesdays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Wednesdays

    Wednesday is about communication. Correct communication, in the traditional sense, means speaking with purpose. Clear your mind if your schedule permits, and grab your media library. Indulge in a short movie clip, song, or personal saying that emphasizes ways of communicating effectively, powerfully, and helpfully. Maybe it’s a romantic clip from a favorite movie or a moving speech from an orator. Perhaps it’s part of an audio book or a memorable sermon from your religious service. Pick a communication example that shows communication that makes a difference, that inspires and helps.

    On Wednesday, look for things in your life that effective communication can make better. Are there a few emails in your inbox that have been waiting for replies? Hit Reply and boldly solve the problem. Is there a friend or family member you keep meaning to call? Pick up the phone! Is there a meeting you’ve been less than enthusiastic about attending? Go, and go with the intent of contributing as much as possible to it.

    Speak willfully and powerful on Wednesday to make the world just a little bit better. Leave a truthful but kind comment on someone’s blog. Write a letter to a political figure promoting a positive change you wish to see become reality in the world. Consider mentoring someone in your workplace or community, helping them become better.

    Guard your speech as well. Look for opportunities to reduce the negative things you say and write, and slowly whittle those out of your vocabulary.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Tuesdays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Tuesdays

    Tuesday is all about action. Correct action, in the traditional sense, means doing things with purpose. Clear your mind if your schedule permits, and grab your media library. Indulge in a short movie clip, song, or personal saying that emphasizes decisive action and reaching out to help someone in need, perhaps your favorite action hero saving the day.

    On Tuesday, look for things in your life you can take immediate, effective action on that will improve the quality of your life and help those around you. Is there a chore around the house you’ve been putting off? Get it done! Do you have a task that’s just been idling in your mental queue? Accomplish it! Eliminate the hesitation that holds you back from accomplishment by getting in the habit of doing.

    Take willful action on Tuesday to make the world just a little bit better. This is easier than it sounds. Look for a piece of litter and trash it. Find a bottle to recycle. Take a single can of a non-perishable food and leave it at a shelter or food back on your way home from work. Even a little, simple action like this, done consistently, can make the world a better place and help you sleep a little better at night.

    Look at your life and look for opportunities to reduce pointless idleness. Is there a habit you have that consumes time without benefit? Aim to eliminate it!

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Mondays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Mondays

    Monday is the traditional start of the work week. It’s a great day to reboot, a great day to start fresh. If your schedule permits it, start off each Monday with a brief meditation session. Bear in mind meditation doesn’t need to be sitting on a mountaintop, chanting. A meditation session can be anything that wholly focuses your mind. Pick a favorite song, sit up straight, close your eyes, and sing along. (obviously, a positive, inspiring song is the best choice for this)

    Once you’ve cleared and focused your mind, take a few actions to reboot. If there’s a short movie clip, song, or personal saying you associate most with a fresh start, make sure you indulge in it. You’re taking a fresh start to the week, free of everything that happened the previous week.

    Turn off all your messaging systems – phones, instant messenger, services like Twitter, etc. Head into your inbox. Archive ruthlessly anything that’s left over from the previous week that doesn’t require immediate action. Use a system like Merlin Mann’s Inbox Zero first thing in the morning to prioritize and systematize communications you’ve received. Fire up your calendar, book any appointments and meetings you need to book for the week ahead and set your reminders.

    Take your fresh start point of view to all the work you face that day. If you’ve got a problem you need to solve, consider starting anew, or at least starting over the part that’s troubling you. Perhaps grab a coworker or friend and collaboratively brainstorm about the problem, as two heads often think better than one.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences

    There’s a lot of chaos and negativity in the world; a quick glance at the evening news is practically enough to send anyone to the psychiatrist. Negative energy, negative thinking, can sap you of your energy and torpedo your motivation. There is, however, a proven five step method for reducing the influence of negative energy on you. Note that it won’t necessarily change the sources of negativity, but the method will reduce its impact on you, its ability to take your focus off the things that matter most. In this series, we’ll explore the method and how you can make it work for you.

    The method is derived from the teachings of Stephen K. Hayes, a master instructor of ninjutsu and founder of the To-Shin Do system of self-protection. For more information, be sure to visit his site.

    To use this method, try to focus on one part for each day of the week for a little while – use Step 1 on Mondays, Step 2 on Tuesdays, etc. until being able to perform each step is second nature. Once you can do each step successfully, begin to integrate all 5 steps every day.

    Day 1 will begin on Monday!

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  • Counting down to 2008

    Counting down to 2008

    Christmas has come and gone and now we approach probably my favorite holiday of the holiday season – New Year’s Day. I love that for many people on the Gregorian calendar, it’s a perceived fresh start, a way to reboot, a way to mentally delineate between what was and what could be.

    Some things to consider over the next week:

    1. Review 2007 from a perspective of accomplishment. It’s always good and fun to review the year past and make note of accomplishments, as well as ways in which things might have gone better. You’ll have your fair share of both, but it’s perfectly okay to pat yourself on the back for momentum achieved.

    2. Review 2007 from a perspective of education. What did you learn this year? How did you grow? What things, ideas, and people helped you to transform this year?

    3. Start thinking about 2008. What goals do you want to achieve? How will you measure them? What things might stand in your way of achieving those goals, and how will you sidestep or transform those opposing forces into allies?

    4. Start energizing for resolution. My teacher’s teacher, Stephen K. Hayes often says that a goal not written down is merely a wish. The word resolution is part of resolute – to be firm, unshakeable, unwavering in the face of all the things that would stand against you, that would work to diminish you. As you contemplate what you will be resolute about in the New Year, find an emotional anchor you can tie it to. Write down your goal, and then as you hold the paper, wooden plank, or other instrument of written commitment, find one emotional meaning in your goal.

    For example, if your goal is to improve your health and you’re a parent, think of the joy on your child’s face as you’re able to run and play with them outside without tiring, or take them on that mountain hike they’d always dreamed about. Imagine the sheer joy of seeing and breathing new experiences that come from a body that obeys effortlessly your mind’s desires.

    For each positive energizing vision, contemplate the wrathful, negative as well so you’re inspired to push away from the negative and pull yourself towards the positive. In the same example, imagine the look on your child’s face at your early funeral because you neglected your health.

    Grim, yes, but nothing is as powerful as our human desires to avoid pain and embrace pleasure. Habits we form can only be changed if the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change, and by emotionally “charging” yourself up, you’ll give your goals the energy boost they need.

    Get ready to reboot.

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