Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - When You Believe

Saturday's Motivational Video - Attitude is Everything

Keith Harrell recently passed away. He left a legacy. Rest in Peace Keith......

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 8

"Change your habitual questions and change your destiny."

-- Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 7

"There are not unreasonable people, only unresourceful states."

-- Tony Robbins

In general this is true of most people and most situations but I would differ and say there are indeed unreasonable people in the world as well but most of the time we don't have to deal with them as individuals.....

John Duffy

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 6

"We always have a choice."

-- Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 5

"If I can't, I must; and if I must, I will."

-- Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 4

"It's not what happens, it's what I do that makes the difference."

-- Tony Robbins

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video # 2 -Ode to Billy Joe

Thanks Henry Fayson Jr.

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video # 1 - Bonnie Raitt

Saturday's Motivational Video - Five Emotional Cancers

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 3

" We will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure."

-- Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 2

"What we link to pain and what we link to pleasure determines our destiny."

-- Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 1

"People are bigger than anything that can happen to them."

-- Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Dreams

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Langston Hughes

Thought For the Day - What Are You Made Of?

"Whatever is inside you is what comes out when pressure is applied. When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out, not apple juice. A lot of people are under pressure right now and we are seeing what is really inside them. It's not always a pretty sight yet shows us who they genuinely are."

-- Larry Winget

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video - # 2 - Puff Daddy/Faith Evans/112 - I'll Be Missing You

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Do You Remember

Saturday's Motivational Video - Most Inspirational Fisherman

Thought for the Day - Never Too Old

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

-- C.S. Lewis

Thought For the Day - Work Half a Day

"I jokingly tell people you can be successful in this business by working half the day. Any 12 hours you choose. But the truth is you have to work long hours, and you have to make personal choices and compromises."

-- Kenneth Cole

Same as the film business....

Thought for the Day -Smile Because it Happened

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

-- Dr Seuss

Thought for the Day - Experiencing Poverty or Achieving Wealth?

"Walking by the WSU bookstore, I saw a kid reading a textbook: "Experiencing Poverty." Shouldn't he be reading "Achieving Wealth"?"

-- Chris Widener

John Duffy's Personal Ramblings - "Waiting For Superman"

Just saw a depressing yet hopeful, poignant, powerful and emotionally moving Documentary "Waiting For Superman". It hits the nail on the head and exposes the reason for the failure of the public education system.

The film resonated with me personally as I dropped out of Catholic high school at the age of 15 in the South Bronx. I attempted to attend public school but the public high school in my area was Morris High School which was a drop out mill and was overrun with heroin dealers. I chose to work instead of waste my time failing in that environment. I never regret making that decision.

Geoffrey Canada the leader of the Harlem Children Zone also spoke about how he was lucky to not attend Morris High School or he would never have achieved what he did in his life. He went on the graduate from Harvard and create one of the most effective charter school in the country.

I agree with the analysis of what is the main cause of the problem and that is the teacher's unions who are stuck in the past with a 1930's paradigm that places the interest of the union and teachers even incompetent ones above those of the children.

I remember an experience I had many years later when I received a substitute teaches certificate and taught for a few days at a school in the Bronx. The regular teacher greeted me by telling me "Not to waste my time trying to teach anything but just keep order". Well I didn't listen to them and for three days I brought my passion and excitement for writing to these elementary children and i fired them up and they were competing to read their class compositions. Now that's just one personal anecdotal experiences but it confirmed what I saw happening in the public schools in the Bronx.

From the movie and from what I've read about some of the successful charter schools across the country the forces for reforming the school system are growing and there are some real heroes portrayed in the film including the charter school movement represented by Kipp, Green Dot, Harlem Children Zone and individuals like Geoffrey Canada, Bill Strickland, Michelle Rhee and many more

I can't recommend this movie enough. You must see it.......

John Duffy

http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/?gclid=CM7L8_f5taQCFQEBiQodK37rzQ

Thought For the Day - Where Are You Going?

"Others can't get excited about where you're going if you have zero clue of where you're going."

-- Robin Sharma

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Jon Secada- Just another day

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video's # 1 - Jon Secada - I'm Free

Saturday's Motivational Video - Why immigrants become Millionaires

Thought for the Day - Sajeonogi

“Knocked down four times, rising up five.” in Korean “Sajeonogi,”

A Korean peasant woman Ms. Cha seems to have given new meaning to this favorite Korean saying. She tried 960 times to pass the driver's test in Korea before she passed. (Tenacity at it's best).

On her wall where she hung black-and-white photographs of her and her late husband as a young couple and a watch that had stopped ticking, she also had posted a handwritten — and misspelled — sign that read, “Never give up!”.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/world/asia/04driver.html?_r=1&ref=homepage&src=me&pagewanted=all

Thought For the Day - Personal Responsibility

"One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it's remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver's license."

-P.J. O'Rourke

Thought for the Day - Time Flies

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot"

-.—Michael Althsuler

Thought for the Day - Happy or Miserable. Your Choice

"We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same."

- - Carlos Castaneda

Thought For The Day - Time to Fly

"Successful people leap and grow their wings on the way down!"

--Les Brown

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Remember When

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Unwritten

Saturday's Motivational Video - Eric Thomas

Thought for the Day - Don't Try Do!

"Try not. DO. Or Do Not. There is no try."

--Yoda

Thought for the Day - It's How You Make People Feel

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

--Maya Angelou

Thought For the Day - It's About the Journey

"What you get by reaching your destination is not nearly as important as what you became during the journey."

Thought for the Day - Make Someone Feel Important

"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, Make Me Feel Important. Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.”

--Mary Kay Ash

Thought for the Day - Decide!!!!!

‎"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want"

-- Ben Stein

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - My Way

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - That's Life

Saturday's Motivational Video - 5 Extraordinaries

Thought For the Day - Be a Conversationalist

"A gossip talks to you about others. A bore talks to you about himself. A brilliant conversationalist talks to you about yourself. "

--W King

Thought for the Day - Deliver More Than You Promise

"Leaders who win respect... deliver more than they promise, not promise more than they can deliver."

- -Mark A Clement

Thought For The Day - Leaders Do

"Critics talk. Leaders do."

-- Robin Sharma

Thought For The Day - Life Is About Becoming

" Leadership (and life) is not an exercise in getting but in becoming."

-- Robin Sharma

Thought For The Day - There's Greatness in You

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

... Les Brown

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Remember Who We Are

9/11 - Never Forget - 9 Years Ago

Sept 11, 2001, My city New York and my country America was attacked. I took it personal as I believe many of us did. It changed me profoundly forever. I came back to New York City from Los Angeles where I live today and visited Ground Zero that December and I felt the incredible loss and pain but also saw the strength and resilience of Americans and especially my fellow New Yorkers. Hard to believe it has been nine years ago......

There were a total of 2,977 deaths. The victims were distributed as follows: 246 on the four planes (from which there were no survivors), 2,606 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon.

More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks on the World Trade Center

I personally will never forget and hope we always remember....

I have made it a habit to attend a commemoration event on Sept 11 every year since 2002.

And to be clear on this 9/11 I must say it. I have no animosity towards any race or religion and how I lived and live my life is a reflection of that but like most New Yorkers and Americans I am opposed to the Ground Zero Islamic Center/Mosque.

And the time is way overdue to Build the 9/11 Memorial and Rebuild the WTC.....

Tribute to all the victims of 9/11

Thought For the Day - Inspire People with Your Actions

"Whether you pursue your GREATNESS today, next week, or in 10 years is totally up to YOU. Do NOT attribute your lack of action to something or someone outside of yourself. YOU make it happen. So GET BUSY!"

-- Les Brown

John Duffy's Personal Ramblings - "Life's Biggest Debt"

The question posed isn't "Should you repay the debt but how do you repay the debt?'. That was the opening of a speech last nigh at my local Toastmaster's group.

The speaker was a visitor, a young man from Toastmaster's in Saudi Arabia. He went on to tell a story and touch everyone's hearts speaking about the debt we owe our parents. He talked about how our parents and parents give us life and then give us their life. He spoke about wrestling with understanding the debt we owe our parents and how do we repay it.

He shared a personal tale of discovering his young son had Asperger's Syndrome and doing everything in his power to allow his son to communicate and finally making a breakthrough. He told us how he discovered the answer to his opening question when his son was able to communicate and told him one night, "Daddy I love you." He discovered in that moment that parents need to know that their children are safe and that you appreciate what they have given you.

He ended with a call of action to reach out that night and tell your parents you are safe and you love them.

He brought a deeper message of how we are all the same all over the world and we want the same things. A powerful message of appreciation of our parents and love from a young Toastmaster from Saudi Arabia.

John Duffy

Thought For The Day - Life is a Gift

‎"Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more."

-~ Anthony Robbins

Thought For The Day - Making the Impossible Happen

"Leadership is the art of making the impossible the inevitable."

-- robin Sharma

Thought For the Day - Flexibility Is Necessary

"Flexibility in a time of great change is a vital quality of leadership."

-- Brian Tracy

Thought for the Day - Playing the Hand Dealt You

"t's worth reminding you that just because Fate doesn't deal you the right cards, it doesn't mean you should give up. It just means you have to PLAY the cards you get to their MAXIMUM potential.{"

-- Les Brown

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Stillness of Heart

Thanks Sharon

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Calling All Angels

John Duffy's Personal Ramblings - "You Got to Work"

"Life is a daring adventure or it is nothing".

-- Helen Keller

Looking back on my life I have been very creative in finding a way to survive. I was always looking for a better way and a way to improve myself. I was clearly working hard for the money.

I got my first job as a grocery clerk/delivery boy when I was fourteen years old. I quit high school a year later . It seemed like the best option at the time.

I would go on to hold many, many jobs in my life as I tried to craft a life. Here are many of the jobs I've held in a somewhat chronological order:

Grocery Store Clerk
Paint Factory Worker
Truck Driver
Cab Driver
Shipping Clerk
Telemarketer
Oral History Interviewer
Postal Worker - Mail Handler
Substitute Teacher
Research Interviewer
Youth Organizer
Community Organizer
Aerobics Instructor
Health Club Salesman
Arson Prevention Organizer
Actor
Commercial Acting Instructor
Mortgage Loan Agent
Counselor - Runaways
Mental Health Counselor
Production Mager- Rap Video Co.
Director's Rep
Motivational l Sales Rep
Line Producer
Producer


I'm still moving forward, still exploring new possibilities and opportunities and I believe my best days are still ahead of me......

Saturday's Motivational Video - Overcoming Obstacles

Thought for the Day - Time is Precious

"Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back."

-Harvey Mackay

Thought for the Day - You Have to Be

"You have to be before you can do, and you have to do before you can have."

--Zig Ziglar

Thought For the Day - Don't Be Someone's Option

‎"Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option”

--Alexia Melocchi

Thought For the Day - Cheer the Doer and the Achievers

‎"It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever - the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it."
~ Vince Lombardi
Thanks Jason c. Allen

Thought For the Day - Are You Feeling Lucky?

"The harder I work, the luckier I get"

--Arnold Palmer

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Only The Strong Survive

Another song from my youth. The Philly sound....

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Coney Island Baby

Songs from my youth....

Saturday's Motivational Video - Success Principles

Thought For the Day - Do You Have Passion

"The Greeks didn't write obituaries. When a man died, they asked only one question: Did he have passion? "

- John Cusak in the movie Serendipity

Thought For the Day - Dare or Not to Dare

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself."

-- Soren Kierkegaard

Thought For the Day - Our Resilience Makes Us Strong

"No one's life is a smooth sail; we all come into stormy weather. But it's this adversity -- and more specifically, our resilience -- that makes us strong and successful."

-- Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - The Courage to Continue

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

~ -Churchill

Thought For the Day - Share your stories

“There are a thousand thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up a pen to write.”

~ William Makepeace Thackeray

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Breath

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Feels So Good

Saturday's Motivational Video - Never Ever Give Up in Life

Thought For the Day - You Haven't Exhausted All Possibilities

"When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this. You haven't."

-– Thomas Edison

Thought For the Day - Rise Above the Challenges

"Despite all the adversity... We still rise above all the challenges"

Thought For the Day - Circumstances Reveal

"Circumstances don't make a man, they reveal him."

What are your circumstance revealing about you?

John Duffy's Personal Ramblings - Taking Up the Pen... Cont...

Yesterday I sat in Starbucks rereading "Writing Life Stories" for the 3rd time and writing in my journal. I observed this guy enter and this is what I wrote as I watched him....

Men and Cellphones

"He throws his book down to reserve a comfortable chair and reaches for the bathroom door. It is occupied. He immediately takes out his Blackberry and looks at it to fill the moment before the door opens. He has nothing new on it and he knew that before he took it out so he puts it back and waits for the door to open. The door opens and he immediately takes out his Blackberry again with one one hand while reaching for the open door with the other and enters the bathroom while looking down at his Blackberry. There still isn't anything new on it......"

John Duffy

Thought For the Day - Guarantees

"There are no guarantees in life. If you're looking for a guarantee buy an electrical appliance."

Thanks Pattie Villanueva

John Duffy's Personal Ramblings - Coincidence or a Message

Yesterday when i was leaving my friends pool party I saw a license plate frame that said " Winners Find a Way", today as I was getting my tires replaced a guy walked by with a t-shirt that said "I'm Resolute" and then I went in to Starbucks and a guy sat in front of me and opened his computer and the screen saver was " Dream Big" and a Eagle. The saying under it was " Your attitude not your aptitude will determine your altitude" -- Zig Ziglar.

Okay all these positive message could be coincidental or just a reflection that those are the messages I uphold in my life so I am aware of them or maybe a little message from the universe to step up even more and keep moving in the direction I am headed boldly. Or maybe all of the above but I will choose to take the most empowering explanation and run with that..... Boldly of course....'

John Duffy

Thought For the Day - Personal Initiative

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them,
what they could and should do for themselves.

-- Reverend William John Henry Boetcker

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Another Brick in the Wall

A contemporary take on Pink Floyd. A call for freedom...

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - New York State Of Mind

John Duffy's Personal Ramblings - Take Up the Pen

There are a thousand thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up a pen to write.”

=~ William Makepeace Thackeray

I come back from my trip to Ireland inspired to take up the pen and continue writing my memoir and get busy on a screenplay that has been waiting to come out for a long time.

I was further fired up by my conversation with author James Hayes and both his philosophy and discipline of writing.

I also just checked out a blog by the author of " A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" and I like how he uses his blog to create his next book. I may borrow that technique as well.

So I begin to read memoirs again and I begin to write. There are stories to be be told and stories to be lived......

John Duffy

Saturday's Motivational Video - Inspirational Story

Thought For the Day - Too Determined to be Defeated

A friend posted this and I echo the sentiments...
Thanks Pattie

Thought For the Day - Life is a Daring Adventure

" “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.”."

-- Helen Keller

Yes it is and I just returned from another daring adventure to Ireland. I will share in the coming days....

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video's # 2 - Film ireland

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos #1 - Danny Boy

My last day in ireland so I post a couple of final Irish songs....

Saturday's Motivation Video

Thought For the Day - Take the Chance - Become a Rose

It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
.....

Lies the seed that with the sun’s love,
In the spring, becomes a rose.

The Rose

Thought For the Day - Leaders Serve

" Remember that a leaders job is to serve.My motto is "Help Other People Every Day' (HOPE)."

--Sam Duncan

Thought For the Day - Cut the Puppet Strings

"Cut the puppet strings. Don't let circumstances control your thinking."

-- John Assaraf

Thought For the Day - Leadership

Leaders start b by getting "the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats... and then they figure out where to drive it."

--Jim Collins - "Good to Great"

Thought For the Day - Cleaning the Pool

"Are you cleaning the pool or pissing in the pool?"

--Unknown

How are you showing up in the your life and in the world?

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video's # 2 - U2

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - One

I'm still travelling in Ireland so here is some U2