I’ve had this theory for a long time that learning how to express yourself, especially through story, UNlocks something inside of us that spills over into other areas of our lives.
It’s something I’ve tested in multiple ways for many years and with thousands of people, especially young people.
Let me take you on a journey of evolution so you understand the origin of this work.
I put my theory into a book, Being UNapologetic, which then became my brand.
While many people love the idea of living their life UNapologetically, there is one thing that is consistently in the way. It’s what I’ve come to call (and subsequently trademarked) Comparanoia®.
I shared my lifelong work to understand and overcome this phenomenon in my TED Talk, Overcoming Comparanoia®. In that talk, I share what I believe is at the root of the issue and a very simple antidote.
Whether we like it, accept it, or care, TikTok, the media app that can be used for creating and sharing short videos has captured the attention of a generation and, in doing so, has given us the opportunity to learn what’s working and how we can adapt to better engage kids and young people.
Personally, it took me a long time to figure out what to do with this platform. Finally, I chose to be myself on it. You can follow my experimenting (from dancing, duetting, and silliness) on my TikTok account. In doing so, I learned a few things about why the app is so popular and what we, as parents and teachers, can learn to better connect with Gen Zers.
Feeling stuck? UNmovitvated? UNable to move forward or to get stuff done?
In 2017, I had the great fortune of spending 2 days with Joseph McClendon III.
In many ways, you could say he is the science and psychology behind Tony Robbins. In fact, as a neuropsychologist he has a lot to teach us all. One of the most powerful techniques he shares is the his STOP technique.
History is made by those who refuse to follow the status quo.
Rosa Parks refused to sit in the back of a bus, single handedly halting the tide of segregation. Mahatma Gandhi won Indian independence from Britain through nonviolent protest. 24-year-old Mordechai Anielewicz led the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, holding back the inevitable Nazi deportation of the Jews of Warsaw for nearly a month.
Two weeks before stepping onto the stage at TEDx Colorado Springs, former teacher Davide Di Giorgio realized there was one thing he needed to do in his talk that would drive his message home.
More importantly, he wanted to send a message to the thousands of students he had worked with over his lifetime.
On June 4th, 2011 I won the lottery. The lightning lottery.
Like a good neighbor, State Farm was there and handed me a check as I stood on the road, in front of what used to be my home, after the twenty-seven firefighters, curious reporters and onlookers left the scene.
What happened next, forever changed the way I approach life and money.
