Saturday's Motivational Video - John O"Leary Inspirational Story

Thought For the Day - Expect Trouble

‎"Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me".

-- Ann Landers

Thought For the Day - Written Goals

"People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people
without them could ever imagine."

— Brian Tracy

Thought For the Day - Holiday Wishes

"May you have all that you want, and more than you need."

--Chiao Kee

Thought For the Day - Strain Your Potential

"I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."

— Og Mandino:

Thought For the Day - Shine Like a Rainbow

"I went and stood on a mountain
and I had a little talk with the sky and it showed me a rainbow
and it said...
You got to shine like that rainbow for everyone to see....

I got to shine like a rainbow for everyone to see"

--- Sonny Rhodes Blues Legend - Smithville Texas

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - I Won't Let Go

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - In Your Time

Saturday's Motivational Video - Secrets of Succcess TED

Thought For the Day - Be Extraordinary

‎"Overcome the notion that you must be regular. It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary"

-- Uta Hagen

Thought For the Day - Wish for More Skills

"Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom. "

- Earl Shoaf

Thought For the Day - Don't Dabble

"One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular."

--Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Do What You Can Do

‎"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

-- John Wooden

Thought for the Day - Life is a Journey

"Life is not a trip; it's a journey. And the difference between the two is this: a trip is predictable, a journey is not."

-- Tony Robbins

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Money Grabber

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Fields of Gold

Saturday's Motivational Video - Pyramid of Success

Thought For the Day - Walk Boldly Through Obstacles

"Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them."

—Orison Swett Marden

Thought For the Day - Surround Yourself with Friends Who Have Your Back

‎"Surround yourself with people you can trust to take your worst days to the grave, and your best days to the streets.
People who are brutally honest with your best interests at heart.

People who will tell you the things that you don't want to hear & show you the things you don't want to see.

And make sure these people always start with love, not schemes, with curiosity, not judgement.

Choose well."

--Peter S. Parker

Thought For the Day - Join a Crowd with High Standards

"Don't join an easy crowd. You won't grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform and achieve are high."

-- Peter S. Parker

Thought For the Day - Are You Listening?

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening. Most people never listen"

-- Ernest Hemingway

I learned listening in a few unique ways. I studied the Meisner technique of acting where we would do the "Repetition Game", an exercise where you would have to listen and repeat what was said over and over until you could then change it . The exercise taught me active listening. I also perfected listening when I was conducting oral history interviews.

John Duffy

Thought For the Day - Something is Waiting to Be Known

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

-~ Dr. Carl Sagan

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video # 2 - Stairway to Heaven

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video # 1 -Shine

Saturday's Motivational Video -5 Keys to Thrive

Today I have a link to a Tony Robbins video 5 Keys to Thrive

http://training.tonyrobbins.com/378/5-keys-to-thrive/

Thought For the Day - Be Yourself

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

—Oscar Wilde

Thought For the Day - Be Extraordinary

"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man."

--Elbert Hubbard

Thought For the Day - What Do You Want Most?

"Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most."

—Unknown Author

Thought For the Day - Don't Take It for Granted

"When you take things for granted, the things you are granted, get taken."

-- Phil Hennessey

Thought For the Day - Transformational Relationship

"The trick here is to "go deep" with friendships - not wide. That means spending more time building transformational, not transactional relationships."

--Beth Douglas Silcox

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Foreigner

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # ! - Simply Red

Saturday's Motivational Video - Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins

Thought For the Day - Give Before Get

"I believe you become more valuable to the world if you can help link and connect people. But where so many people miss out is in their willingness to do favors for people upfront."

--Tony Jeary

Thought For the Day - Experience

‎"Experience is what you get while looking for something else."

--Federico Fellini

Thought For the Day - Relationships Are the Road Map to Success

"The new road map to success is built on relationships. If you pay it forward and give more than you're, you're destined for great things."

--Eddie Armstrong

Thought For the Day - I am the Voice

Now, I am the Voice.
I will Lead, Not follow
I will Believe, Not Doubt.
I will Create, Not destroy.
I am a Force for Good.
I am a Leader.

Defy the Odds

Set a New Standard.

Step Up!

Step Up!!

Step Up!!!

-- Tony Robbins

Happy Birthday JD

Today I celebrate my birthday. it's funny how when I was younger I would get depressed on my birthday and eventually I turned it into my one and only Designated Depression Day and finally I decided I didn't need to be depressed for even one day and let that go. Now I see it my birthday more as a Designated Gratitude Day. A day when I can focus on all I am grateful for.

So today I celebrate all I am grateful for and it is a very very long list. Thank you to my family, especially my new Irish family, friends and all those who have touched my life over the years and gave me the gift of your friendship, love, humor, company and contributed to who I am today. It's been a long and interesting journey. You're in my memory and my heart. Thank you.

I planned on celebrating by creating a special magic moment that included a helicopter flight to Catalina Island, doing a zipline above the island, spending the day with my family and returning by boat. Life instead put me in Texas working on a film so I celebrate here with my film family and postpone my Catalina experience until next year when I get back to LA.

It doesn't get better than this......

I believe my best years are still ahead of me and I look forward to achieving more, contributing more and living an even more fulfilling life.....

So a toast..... Slainte



I share this day with all my family and friends and say Thank you

John Duffy

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Move on Up

Another blast from my youth....

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Across 110th St

Music from my youth in the Bronx....

Saturday's Motivational Video - Leadership

Thought For the Day - Never Look Down on Anyone

"Never look down on someone unless your helping them up."

-- Unknown

Veteran's Day - Thank You

‎"The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it
is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of
war."
- Douglas MacArthur

Thank you to all our Veterans

Thought For the Day -You Become What You Think

‎"You become what you think about."

--Earl Nightingale

Or what you focus on.....

Thought For the Day - Make a Way

‎"We will either find the way, or make one"

--Hannibal

Thought For the Day - What Are You Grateful For?

"What are you grateful for today?"

Thought For the Day - Who Are Your Here For?

"You're not here for everyone.You're here for someone!"

-- Unknown

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - The Times They Are Changing

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Bob Dylan - Things Have Changed

Saturday's Motivational Video - TED and Social Media

Thought for the Day - JD's Quotes # 6 - It's All About Choices

"It’s all about Choices. You always have choices, make the right ones."

-- John Duffy

Thought for the Day - JD's Quotes # 5 - Be a Leader

"Be A Leader. Step Up. Life needs more leaders not followers."

-- John Duffy

Thought for the Day - JD's Quotes # 4 Never Quit

"Never Quit. - Promise yourself you will never give up."

-- John Duffy

Thought for the Day - JD's Quotes # 3 - Get in the Game

"Take Action and then takes some more. Get in the game."

-- John Duffy

Thought for the Day - JD's Quotes # 2 -Daily Improvement

"Daily Improvement (DI) - Decide – Resolve – Act.

Everyday do just 1 more thing to improve. "

What if you improved 1 thing every day?

-- John Duffy

American Dreamers

American Dreamers tells the story of how everyday heroes transformed their lives and are making a tangible difference in the world. It's a classic tale of ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things…

In these economically challenging times we need to celebrate the American Dream and declare that America’s best days are still ahead of us……

American Dreamers is a documentary / series project.

PLEASE SUPPORT & KEEP THE AMERICAN DREAM ALIVE!!!

JOIN FACEBOOK GROUP: AMERICAN DREAMERS

VISIT AMERICAN DREAMERS WEBSITE: http://planetkor.com/AD/

There are those, I know, who will say that the liberation of humanity, the freedom of man and mind, is nothing but a dream. They are right. It is the American dream.
-~Archibald MacLeish

Sunday's Eclectic Music Video # 2 - Black Water

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 1 - Every Breath You Take

Saturday's Motivational Video - The Value of Time

Thought for the Day - JD's Quotes # 1 - Solutions, Solutions. Solutions

Okay time to share my personal quotes and philosophy....

"Solutions, Solutions, Solutions. Okay, I heard the problem now what’s the solution? There’s always a way and an answer.
My job and your job is to find it."

--John Duffy

Thought for the Day - Share Vision

"The best leaders don't give orders-they share visions."

--Robin Sharma

Thought For the Day - Now

There is no better time than now. The time to live is now. The time to dream is now. The time to imagine and forget the past is now. The time to shine is now. The time to bleed, sweat, and determine for yourself the things you want most is now.

~ Anonymous

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 10

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."

~ Confucious

Thought For the Day - Beliefs of a Leader # 9

"The past is not your future"

-- Tony Robbins

Sunday's Eclectic Music Videos # 2 - Heaven Was Needing a Hero

Remember 9/11

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