DREAM THINK DO | Motivation, Encouragement & Strategy

Welcome to part 3 in our series called "The gift of being fully present." It's specifically designed to help you to live more fully in the PRESENT… especially during this wildly important time of year… AND… amid… one of the wildest years of all time. And whether you've caught the first two in the series or not… I think you'll be glad you're catching this one! Oh… and I'll warn you… we're going to have some fun… but we're going to be getting real… and raw… with this one… but I think that's CRITICAL… as we're getting you real-world strategies that work! RESOURCES: PART 1 of the Give the Gift of Being Fully Present: www.mitchmatthews.com/302 PART 2 of the Give the Gift of Being Fully Present: www.mitchmatthews.com/303 An Interview with Sara Yourgrau: The 5 Non-Negotiables for YOUR Ideal Day: https://mitchmatthews.com/294/ A Fun Top 10 List of the Best "Christmas Carol" Movies: Click here. QUESTIONS TO HELP WITH THE CHRISTMAS CAROL METHOD: Sample "Past" Questions: Who are a few people from your past that you're grateful for? What's an experience from your past that you're grateful for? What's an experience from your past that… at first… you thought was really bad, but it eventually turned into something that helped you? What's an experience from your past that you now laugh about? Sample "Present" Questions: What's something you could be grateful for right now? What's something (big or small) from this season of your life that makes you smile? What's something you're grateful for… today? Sample "Future" Questions: What's something small but significant that you're looking forward to? What's something that you're really looking forward to doing in 2021? What's something (big or small) you're looking forward to over the holidays… even in 2020? Episode Minute By Minute: 0:02 Welcome to part three! 2:04 Episode starts 2:31 The Christmas Carol Method 4:37 Lessons from Ebenezer 6:45 What do you do when you are hurting? 7:30 Episode 300 woes 9:56 How Mitch used the Christmas Carol Method 12:48 What is coming up next week 14:56 How Mitch's family used the Christmas Carol Method MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: (The Transcript) So… we've been talking strategies… and in many cases… we've been asking ourselves some simple but powerful questions… to help us to LIVE in the moment… more often… so we don't miss out on the "good stuff" in life. Which brings us to today's strategy and it's something I'm calling "The Christmas Carol Method." It's something to help us stir up joy and gratitude in the here and now. GRATITUDE IN THE HERE AND NOW: So… if you've been a student of being fully present… and trying to live in the moment more often… you've heard about the power of gratitude. Plus, in the past, we've talked about how gratitude can help the brain to release things like endorphins, dopamine and serotonin. Basically these things are your body's natural antidepressants… and your body's "feel good" hormones… which makes it MUCH easier to feel a sense of peace… and it makes it easier to FOCUS too. Plus, it's just good to walk around with more of a sense of gratitude. So… obviously… tapping into gratitude is a core tool to helping us live a better life and to live in the moment more often too! BUT… you might be asking, "BUT… how do we get there? And I mean… seriously… in a year like THIS?" That IS a good question. Enter… the "Christmas Carol Method." QUICK BACKGROUND ON THE "CHRISTMAS CAROL METHOD" Okay… so you remember Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol. We've got ourEbenezer Scrooge who's living the bah-hum-bug life and goes around being grumpy all the time. Well… then he gets visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and then of Christmas Future… and they whack him the gratitude stick and help him right his ways... to reveal one of the best Christmas Goose stories of all time. Seriously… if you've ever watched one of the various versions of the movie… whether it's the one with live action one with Patrick Stewart… or the animated one with Jim Carrey… or the Muppets version with Sir Michael Caine or even "Scrooged" with Bill Murray… the pay off is when Scrooge comes to his senses and chooses to live in the present… he chooses to be generous… and he chooses to be grateful for what he has. AND he lives in a freedom that has been eluding him his whole life. It's awesome. And sooooooo powerful! Yeah… I love that story. The reason why we need it… is because one of the central ways that people suggest moving into gratitude is broken. It can be flawed. Especially for a year like 2020. What am I talking about? Well… if you look at most content written about stirring up gratitude… you will find that the person recommends asking yourself the question, What can you be grateful for… right now?" Now… that IS a good question to ask. And the person suggesting it is probably wanting you to think of something BIG or small… elaborate or simple… to help you feel grateful… in this very moment. And THAT is a good thing. In fact, I agree with it… in most cases. BUT… what about those times when you're up against it? What about those times when you've been punched in the gut… and you're hurting? I can tell you… if you're there… and someone tells you to stir up some gratitude by asking WHAT CAN YOU BE GRATEFUL FOR IN THIS MOMENT???" I know my response might be, "I'm grateful I've got TWO middle fingers to flip you off with!" Ha! Sorry… but it's true. Right? Here's some of that #realtalk I was promising. May I share a story with you from MY life to illustrate this point? Well… a few weeks ago… and I can tell you EXACTLY which week it was because it was the week that episode 300 came out. That was a major milestone for me. 5+ years of podcasting. Connecting with you guys. Growing a community of DREAM THINK DOers around the globe. And I was ready to celebrate! Well… THAT week… we had an issue with some tech that helps to support the podcast. I won't go into the details… but the short version of the story is… on THAT week… the very week we were set to celebrate 300 episodes… well… that tech broke. And… as a result… we lost 80% of our subscribers. Gonzo. Gone. On alllllll platforms. Just gone. Now… we went to work to correct things and we were assured things would be corrected… but it might take a month… and when we pushed them… they admitted to saying there was a risk that the subscribers… might never come back. Yeah… that would have been really tough news ANY week… but that it hit THAT week made it especially tough. So… let's be real. I was trying to find ways to stay inspired… to stay on track… to keep it together… And I'll tell you… that if someone would have come at me with a "What are you grateful for RIGHT NOW???" I would have lost it on them. Amen? I'm sorry… but I would have. And heck… I even tried it. I had gotten hit hard… so knew I needed to get my head on straight. I needed to get it back together. But I just couldn't muster an answer to the "What could I be grateful for in this moment?" So… I leaned on this "Christmas Carol Method." I asked myself, "What's something I could be grateful for from the past?" As I asked that… I got hit with some good memories. Gradually… not immediately… but gradually they started to come. And some of those even helped me to remember sometimes when we'd been hit before… and the getting back up wound up working… and in some cases… wound up being pretty rich experiences. And as you can imagine… those memories… helped me to remember that God loves me… and that I'm never alone. They helped me to remember my family and friends… people who came alongside me in the past. It helped me to remember times when we'd gotten hit… and we got back up! And heck… sometimes those set backs wound up being set ups for some of the biggest breakthroughs! You know what I'm talking about. I needed that. So yeah… if asking yourself the "What could I be grateful for right now" question is just too hard… too tender. Try using the "Christmas Carol Method" to go back to the past to muster up some gratitude there first. I will say that once I did that… well it took a few sessions… but… once I did that… it was a lot easier to find some simple things to be grateful for in the moment. Which also helped me to feel a little better about my future too. Which… BY THE WAY… can be the last step with the Christmas Carol Method… and that's to ask yourself the question, "What are a few things I'm looking forward to in the future?" BUT… hey… one of the things we'll be talking about NEXT WEEK as we wrap up our 4 part series… is the POWER OF ANTICIPATION. So… we won't get into A LOT of thinking about the future… right now. BUT… trust me, there's a LOT of power in "intentional anticipation." But know… a strategy around asking some powerful questions about the future can really help too. So… can you see why we call it the "Christmas Carol Method?" We're pulling in memories from the past, gratitude in the present and anticipation in the future… to help you to be MORE in the moment… right now. Make sense? Now… two quick follow up stories. One… It's been almost 4 weeks since episode 300 and our kick in the ol' crotch of losing all those subscribers. It was humbling and tough… BUT these strategies… some prayer… my family… my team… AND YOU GUYS got me through it… and I'm VERY happy to announce that things are fixed and our subscribers are back!!! In fact… we had our second biggest download day in a year at the end of last week! And I can tell you that I don't wish that experience on ANYONE… but I'm soooooooo much more grateful for every one of you… now!!! Speaking of that… if you haven't subscribed… please do!!! We'd LOVE to have you… and I'll be even more grateful for you… than I've ever been!!! Two… as I was prepping for this episode… I realized that using the Christmas Carol Method has been something I've been doing… but I hadn't really shared it with my family. So… just for fun… I asked them if they'd be open to experimenting with me… and being DREAM THINK DO guinea pigs… AGAIN. (I always test stuff out on my family… Hey… anything to help YOU guys. HA!) But I walked them through the concept… The power of gratitude and finding things to be grateful for each day The realization that some days are just harder than others… so it may not be realistic… or even helpful... to try to find something to be grateful for in THIS moment… but to tip the hat to the past and to think of memories to be grateful for could help. THEN to think of something they're grateful for and maybe… just maybe… have something to look forward to (big or small). Well… we did it last night after putting up some Christmas decorations. Boxes were everywhere. Ornament packaging was all over. Old news paper from protecting stuff was strewn all over the place… but we sat and talked. Stories of old Christmases… favorite teachers who got us through tough times… tough experiences that made us tougher. Now… it wasn't as perfect as one of those Hallmark Christmas movies… but it was pretty darn close and I can say… it'll be one of my favorite memories of 2020. So, I wanted to encourage you to try out the Christmas Carol Method yourself… and invite someone else to do it with you. Just see where it takes you! And also… stay tuned for our 4th segment of this series next week! Like I said… we're going to be diving into the concept of INTENTIONAL ANTICIPATION and having some fun with exploring how LOOKING FORWARD in the right way… can help us LIVE IN THE MOMENT more too! So… hit subscribe… so you don't miss it… AND until next time… keep bringing your awesome… because the world needs more of IT! I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Comment and let me know how you use the "Christmas Carol Method!" Seriously… I can't wait to hear from you.

Welcome to episode 303… and specifically… part two in our brand new series called "The gift of being fully present." This series is specifically designed to help you to live more fully in the PRESENT. Because if we can fully live in the moment more often… THEN… we can soak up more of the good stuff. AND bring more of the good stuff into the world too. That means loving well... bringing excellence... and having more fun... even in 2020! It means taking action when and where we need to AND it also means resting… actually resting... and finding a sense of peace... once in a while too! I know… I know… it's a big task… especially with the goal of keeping these episodes to under 15 minutes… but I think we're up for the task. So… let's get to this! RESOURCES: PART 1 of the Give the Gift of Being Fully Present: www.mitchmatthews.com/302 2 Minutes to Confidence. mitchmatthews.com/246 MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: (The Transcript) Okay… so last week… in episode 302… we talked about WHY we want to live more in the present… more in the here and now. Plus… in that last episode… we talked about starting with a simple experiment. That was catching yourself sometimes and asking the question, What am I doing... right now? And then to take a deep breath as you do. It's a simple 2-step exercise… but I know it's been a bit of a game-changer for me. How about you? How did it go? Did you find yourself using the question to edge yourself back… ever so slightly... to the here and now? I heard from some of you. In fact, long-time Canadian DREAM THINK DOer "Cathy B" let me know that when she was feeling on the verge of distraction and overwhelm… she used the exercise. One specific example she offered was… when it helped her to feel grateful for an email she'd just received from her daughter. It was a simple email… but it was about something Cathy's been dreaming about and working on for a while. She said the exercise of just pausing… and taking a deep breath… and coming back the moment… during such a simple thing as reading an email… The question… and the deep breath… helped her to truly take in that moment and appreciate the email… and the effort that her daughter took to write it. She said it really warmed her heart… and made that moment even more special. She didn't miss it. How cool is that? Let me know how it went for you! I want to hear from you. Okay… well… with THIS episode, I also promised to do three things: Get you some brain science Help you to beat the "distraction habit" AND… give you a new question to experiment with SOME BRAIN SCIENCE TO LIVE MORE IN THE PRESENT: Okay… so you guys know I'm fascinated with the brain. I was a solid C+ science student in high school and college… but since then… I've just fallen in love with studying how our brain works… and how… if we understand those things… we can do things to dream bigger… think better and do more of what we were put on the planet to do. Well… the brain is wonderfully and beautifully made… and there are soooooo many aspects to it… that we could talk for YEARS on all the different facets and aspects that are happening in our math cans as we're working on living in the moment more… BUT since we're keeping things short and I want to get right to something that's going to help you immediately… I want to really key in on TWO main areas of the brain. THE TWO PARTS WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY ARE: The basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. Now… if you're a big fan of talking about the brain… give me a fist pump in the air and say… "I'm all in." BUT if you're not… hang with me because we're going to explain things in a way where it will help you to be more present… AND you'll be able to impress your friends at your next Zoom dinner party! First… we'll talk about the basal ganglia. It's what I call the brain's "Project Manager." It's the part of our brain that is constantly looking for patterns… systems… subconscious checklists… and you guessed it… habits. It's primary job is to try to figure out ways of doing things… so the brain doesn't have to work as much. Just like a good project manager, it loves to tell the rest of the brain, "Hey… relax… just do your thing. I've got this!" For example… the basal ganglia is the part of your brain that allows you to hop in your car and drive to the store… BUT when you pull into the store's parking lot… you catch yourself thinking, "Wow. I remember leaving my driveway… but I couldn't tell you one other thing about that drive!" I bet you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about… but here's something you can do for fun… to really experience the full power of YOUR basal ganglia. Here's an experiment. If you want to mess with your basal ganglia… if you want to "prove" to yourself that it's there… When you go to do your bedtime routine tonight… brush your teeth with the opposite hand you normally use. Seriously… your BG will try to wrestle you to the ground because it's saying, "BUT WAIT… THAT'S NOT HOW WE DO THINGS!!!" Or… as you drive to the store next time… take a street you NEVER take. Yes… it might add a total of 2 minutes to the trip… but do it. YOUR inner-project manager will revolt… BUT this kind of exercise is REALLY good for you so you can feel your Basal Ganglia in action. But this type of experiment is also really good because it REALLY helps to wake up the second part of the brain we're going to talk about next. And THAT is the PREFRONTAL CORTEX. The Brain's PFC is the brain's BIG BOSS. It's designed to override a lot of the systems in the brain. BUT like a good boss… in order to work it's magic… it has to be engaged. The basal ganglia is constantly looking for ways to say to the boss, "Don't worry about a thing! I've got a system for that." Or… "Work on other stuff, I've got a process for that." Don't get me wrong… the basal ganglia doesn't have bad intentions. It's just looking for systems to make life easier. HOWEVER… it's just NOT always a good judge over whether those systems work. Enter the "distraction habit." Think about it. As you've probably seen in documentaries like "The Social Dilemma" or TED talks about how things like social media… or even… email can make our brains explode with dopamine and serotonin because of the sense of feedback… variety… and novelty. Now, we're not going to get into whether all of that is inherently good or bad… in THIS episode… but when you think about the little bit that we've talked about already… you can imagine that if the basal ganglia has figured out that IF we start to feel anxious, overwhelmed and / or uncomfortable… which is kind of the 2020 trifecta… it makes sense that the basal ganglia would say, "Don't worry about it! I've got something that will make things better." And then move you to a "distraction habit." Because… it's learned… when we move into the "distraction habit" of grabbing your phone… your brain receives a burst of dopamine and serotonin. And just like how you get lost in thought on your drive to the store… and you wind up driving into that parking lot thinking, "How the heck did I get HERE???" The same thing can happen when we grab our phone or hop on our computer to just check social for a second… Maybe you've had the same experience where you've just found your phone in your hand… and your thumb is scrolling… and you find yourself saying, "I don't even remember taking this thing out of my pocket." Or… "How long have I been doing this?" I won't say who… but someone recently totally confessed that they thought they had a toilet ring permanently tattooed to their butt… because they'd gotten so caught up in social… while "taking a break," they spent an hour in the bathroom… and could barely walk when they went to stand up. I know… nasty. LOL. BUT maybe you can identify! So here's the thing. The basal ganglia is neither good nor bad inherently… BUT it is a creature of habit. Actually, it's a CREATOR of habit. So we need to be intentional about the habits we're walking out. The good news is that the prefrontal cortex can TOTALLY override the basal ganglia… and one of the best ways to do that is through a good question. Because a question engages the Prefrontal Cortex… it brings it into the mix. It steps in and says, "Wait… what are we doing? And… just as importantly... WHY are we doing it? Makes sense… right? And that's exactly why we experimented with our first question last week! And why we're going to introduce a NEW question this week. So… our question for this week is: "What do I want to do right now... intentionally?" Oh… You can still take that deep breath after asking it… and that's good! But with this question… I want you to take an action that helps your body to get on board. Move in some way. Snap your fingers. Clap your hands. Raise a fist pump in the air. Take some action… big or small. If you've ever heard Tony Robbins talk about this kind of movement… you could say that this kind of thing would allow to have a "STATE CHANGE." By the way… if you want to learn more about this and the science behind how THIS type of thing works… check out episode 246 called "2 minutes to confidence. mitchmatthews.com/246 It will make a difference. Okay… so let's recap. So here's the specific experiment for this week. If you feel distracted or you want to feel more in the moment: Ask the question. "What do I want to do right now... intentionally?" That's right. Engage the prefrontal cortex. Ask yourself what YOU ACTUALLY want to be doing. Last quick example: I'll say I used this just this past weekend. I had a lot of stuff I could be working on… and I was starting to go there as I was at the dinner table with my family. I started to drift to all the stuff I COULD be doing or I SHOULD be doing… but I asked the question, "What do I want to do right now... intentionally?" And it brought me back to an amazing conversation about how The Madolorian is one of the best… if not the best TV show of all time. Priceless. Loved it. I didn't miss the moment… and I'm soooo grateful. And that's what I want for YOU too… THIS WEEK!!! It's like that awesome quote from Jim Elliot… "Wherever you are, be ALL there." Try it out. And just see what it does for you. It may not be easy. Heck… your basal ganglia may resist it at first. BUT… as you do it… your basal ganglia will start to come around and start to set up NEW patterns and sequences. So being IN the moment… and being more present… becomes your NEW go-to habit too! Give it a try and let me know how it goes. EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE 0:02 Welcome to part two 2:45 Part one recap 5:38 How Brain Science affects you being present 7:07 Exercises for your basal ganglia 12:40 How movement actually helps you stay resent 14:48 Be all there I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Let me know how the experiments are going for YOU! Leave a comment about something that's worked for you or let me know where and how you've experimented with the questions. I can't wait to hear from YOU!!! Until next time… keep bringing your awesome!!!

I'm Mitch Matthews and this episode is kicking off a 4 part series called, "The gift of being fully present." These will be four short episodes… all under 15 minutes… specifically designed to help you to live more fully in the PRESENT during this holiday season. It is so important… especially THIS year. I mean… seriously… with 2020… it would be soooooo easy to be caught up in the past… of visions of what could have been. And with all the potential questions about the future… we could get buried in the worries and anxiousness of what could be around the corner for 2021 and beyond! But as you know… if you're a DREAM THINK DOER… I believe that although this year has been a wild ride… I believe the people who are INTENTIONAL with their thoughts… as well as their habits and their resulting actions… we can even make a year like 2020… an amazing year! More importantly… if we do this right… we can fully live in the moment and soak up incredible experiences over this holiday season. That means loving well, bringing excellence, having fun, taking action as well as resting and finding a sense of peace… even amid all the craziness of this year! Plus… I think if we get our thought life right… we can make 2021 our best year yet… no matter what kind of curve balls get thrown our way. I know… it's a tall order… especially with the goal of keeping each episode under 15 minutes… but we're going to do it… AND we're going to have some fun as we do this thing too. So let's get to this! EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: But let's talk about being present… fully present. Being fully IN THE MOMENT. We know this is important. Heck… this is something that's been written about... talked about… and encouraged for centuries! Here are some examples: "Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present, which seldom happens to us." - Jean de La Bruyère "Live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find eternity in each moment." - Henry David Thoreau "There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live." - Dalai Lama "Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more." - Mother Teresa Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7 "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand." "Wherever you are, be all there." -Jim Elliot So… yes… being fully present has been talked about for a very long time… and that makes sense… right? Because when we're able to achieve it… life is richer. We've all had those moments of being FULLY PRESENT. Maybe it was intentional. Maybe it was the result of really working hard to be IN THE MOMENT… and you were able to have this amazing conversation with a friend. Or maybe it was because of an event. Maybe it was a vacation… or a tough life experience… and you found yourself caught up in the jaw dropping beauty of a sunrise… or the simple beauty of changing leaves on a tree. Or… a holiday… when you had one of those moments that you cherish… not because it was Hallmark Christmas Movie perfect… but because it was messy… and unorganized… but you were able to connect with someone and it was something you'll never forget. But it's those moments that can be amazing! Now… in our NEXT episode, we're going to cover some quick brain science to talk about two competing components of your brain that are fighting FOR and AGAINST you living in the moment… and more importantly… we'll learn a specific strategy for winning that battle. BUT for this episode… I'm going to give you a question. This simple question has been a game-changer for me as of late. The question is… "What am I doing… right now?" Okay… okay… I'm guessing that might feel a little underwhelming… but stick with me. Here's a story… to help set up the question. A few months ago… I was walking down some stairs and I almost tripped and fell. Not because there was something on the stairs. Not because there was a puddle of water that I slipped on… Not because someone pushed me. Nope. I almost fell… because I was walking down the stairs AND checking my email on my phone. Yeah… at the same time. Now… I'm grateful to say I didn't get hurt and luckily no one was around to see it happen. But that was a serious wake-up call. I had a problem. I mean… I'm busy and my schedule is full… but somehow I'd convinced myself that checking my email was as important as walking down a flight of stairs. Hello? In what world does that make sense? And hey… we're all about being real here… so I'm guessing you know exactly what I'm talking about. Whether it's checking email while on a staircase, or… checking texts while you're in a meeting… or… checking your social media feed in the weirdest places like the bathroom or in the kitchen when you're with your family or friends. This isn't new… and, I'm not saying that email is bad… or texting is bad… or social media is bad… in and of itself. BUT when it pulls us away from what we WANT and… or… what we NEED to be doing… it's something we need to get intentional about. So... with this episode… I just wanted to get you this question to experiment with. The question is… "What am I doing… right now?" I've started to use this to just draw me back to the moment. I started with my phone. Yeah… I started with those moments where I was tempted to grab my phone… or heck… when I was just getting started with this process… I would just find my phone in my hand… not even remembering I'd grabbed it. That's when I would stop and ask myself, "What am I doing… right now?" That simple question helps you to bring your thoughts back… and to intentionally choose to overcome something we'll call the "Distraction Habit." By the way, we'll talk more about that "Distraction Habit" in the next episode too! So get ready. But for now… just experiment. Let's get specific. Here's the experiment. STEP 1: When you catch yourself reaching for your phone STEP 2: ASK THE QUESTION: "What am I doing… right now?" STEP 3: THEN… follow up a simple deep breath in… and a deep breath out. Let's see what happens with using that simple little question to bring you back to your present moment. The goal is not necessarily massive change… but the goal is to start to be intentional about grabbing a hold of specific moments in time. Moments that might have been lost otherwise. "What am I doing… right now?" Ask it. Breath. And just see where it takes you. I can't wait to hear from you. EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE 0:02 What to expect this month 1:51 Let's get our thought life right 3:45 Mitch's favorite quotes regarding this topic 4:39 Mitch's favorite verse regarding this topic 7:40 The question of the day 9:30 Experiencing the gift of being present 11:44 A tool to bring you back to the moment I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Let me know how the experiment goes. Hit me up on social media… or leave a comment below. Let me know what happens as you start to catch yourself and ask that simple but powerful question. Oh… and since we're diving into this subject of the GIFT OF BEING FULLY PRESENT all month… comment and let me know some of your favorite strategies for being fully present and in the moment too! If I use your idea… I'll be sure to give you a shout out in the episode! Lastly, be sure to invite your friends and family to join us for the series. Let's share the love and help more people to live in the moment too! I can't wait to see where this takes us!

Dr. Donny is an incredibly interesting person. In fact, he defies a simple title or label. For example, he's a doctor of clinical psychology and he practiced as a clinical psychologist and taught for over a decade. Then he packed up and pursued a dream. He moved to LA with no connections but his passion for story and his fascination with the human journey led him to his current career as both an Emmy-award winning producer and director as well as a poet. As a producer, he's worked on unscripted television, including CNN's United Shades of America, TV One's R&B Divas, ABC's The Bachelor and his current project is Season 2 of Apple TV's series simply called "Dear…" AND as a POET… Donny has been a staple of the poetry and spoken word communities over the past two decades. In fact, his new poetry collection called, "Boy" was recently published and is available wherever books are sold! It's an amazing conversation and I think you're going to love it. RESOURCES: Website: donnyjacksonpoetry.com/ His book: donnyjacksonpoetry.com/boy/ Facebook:www.facebook.com/donnyjacksonpoetry Instagram:www.instagram.com/doctordonny Poetry Album: donnyjackson.hearnow.com Dr. Donny is currently the Show Runner for Apple TV's "Dear…" Click Here to watch. MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:54 Meet Dr. Donny 4:00 Dr. Donny's least favorite question 9:32 Breaking down a big goal into small steps 14:18 Dr. Donny's first job 18:58 How to sit down and have a great writing session 22:48 How Donny keep the creativity flowing 29:52 Giving yourself challenges 32:57 Dr. Donny's advice for someone with a dream 37:24 Mitch's biggest takeaways WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!: So… what did YOU think? I'd love to hear from you. What's something that stood out to you from Donny's perspective and stories? What struck you about his approach to life… and more specifically… his approach to his dream of living in LA? Comment and let me know. I can't wait to hear from YOU! www.mitchmatthews.com/301

Welcome to episode 300 of DREAM THINK DO! This is going to be a little like a party. We're going to reminisce, tell some stories and celebrate. BUT I also want to get you some specific strategies we haven't covered on any DREAM THINK DO episode before. (Because it wouldn't be a DTD… if we didn't get you something you could start to use immediately… right?) A conversation... you and me. Some stories. Some brand new strategies. This is going to be fun... so let's get to this! RESOURCES: EPISODES MITCH REFERS TO: Punch Worry in the Face with Mitch: www.mitchmatthews.com/002 Special Effects Artist: Howard Berger: www.mitchmatthews.com/074 www.mitchmatthews.com/184 Actor and Director: J Lee www.mitchmatthews.com/228 Author and Speaker: Antonio Neves www.mitchmatthews.com/004 Mitch's "The 5 C's of an Effective Mastermind" www.mitchmatthews.com/120 Social Media Expert: Drew McLellan www.mitchmatthews.com/112 Speaker and Author: Adam Carroll www.mitchmatthews.com/106 www.mitchmatthews.com/037 ADAM'S TEDx TALK: www.mitchmatthews.com/300 MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: Thanks SO much for the emails and the messages. I sooooo appreciate you guys! I had planned to incorporate them into the show, but as I started to "DREAM" and "THINK" about the show… I started to reimagine it and the way it would go. So... it took a different direction. Just know that I'll be getting back to each of you that sent emails and messages personally to say THANK YOU!!! DREAM: 300 EPISODES Our average length of the show is 40 minutes. So, over the years... that's about 12,000 of interviews, deep dives, stories, strategies and fun! About 200 hours. About 5 years. Lot's of ups and downs, but as we'll discuss in the episode, I've learned to: "Begin. Hold loosely. Experiment. Cherish the FUN surprises as you go!" THINK: SPECIFIC STRATEGY: LOVE, FEAR, the BIBLE and the BRAIN: I mention the scripture from 1 John 4:18a "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear." We also talk about a specific strategy from Kyle Cease' book... "The Illusion of Money." It's something that is designed to help you to get comfortable with the unknown (and some of the things that scare you) and realize the opportunity within them. Here's Kyle talking about the strategy: www.mitchmatthews.com/300 So it's using the phrase "___________ and I love that." to explore the present moment. ESPECIALLY if you're experiencing fear in that present moment. So… you can use it in some different ways. In the episode, I apply it to my Jeep Wrangler… as well as THIS episode. A Quick Caveat: If you're in an abusive relationship or if you're hurting yourself... THIS is not the strategy to use. Instead… get help. Reach out to me and my team… or to someone close to you that you trust. But seriously… get some help! But for everyone else!!! Try it! DO: THE POWER OF EXPERIMENTING It's not going to surprise you that we're talking about the importance of EXPERIMENTING. It's one of my favorite topics. TWO QUICK IDEAS: IDEA ONE: DON'T WAIT FOR PERFECTION "Don't wait until you can hit all home runs. Focus on hitting singles and doubles consistently. Get on base. Time and after time. Learn the game. Grow. Have fun. And… in time... the home runs will come too! It applies to winning baseball teams AND to pursuing your dreams!" IDEA TWO: SHARE YOUR DREAM Include a "PS" in your emails letting people know about one of your dreams or goals. EXAMPLE: NAME, PS - One of my dreams is to ___________. If you know someone who could help me with this pursuit in a big or small way, please let me know. I would really appreciate it! So it's using the phrase "___________ and I love that." to explore the present moment. ESPECIALLY if you're experiencing fear in that present moment. So… you can use it in some different ways. In the episode, I apply it to my Jeep Wrangler… as well as THIS episode. A Quick Caveat: If you're in an abusive relationship or if you're hurting yourself... THIS is not the strategy to use. Instead… get help. Reach out to me and my team… or to someone close to you that you trust. But seriously… get some help! But for everyone else!!! Try it! DO: THE POWER OF EXPERIMENTING It's not going to surprise you that we're talking about the importance of EXPERIMENTING. It's one of my favorite topics. TWO QUICK IDEAS: IDEA ONE: DON'T WAIT FOR PERFECTION "Don't wait until you can hit all home runs. Focus on hitting singles and doubles consistently. Get on base. Time and after time. Learn the game. Grow. Have fun. And… in time... the home runs will come too! It applies to winning baseball teams AND to pursuing your dreams!" IDEA TWO: SHARE YOUR DREAM Include a "PS" in your emails letting people know about one of your dreams or goals. EXAMPLE: NAME, PS - One of my dreams is to ___________. If you know someone who could help me with this pursuit in a big or small way, please let me know. I would really appreciate it! SHOW NOTES: MINUTE BY MINUTE 0:02 What do expect today 3:03 The origins of Dream, think, do. 8:20 You have permission to dream 15:16 Setbacks into setups 19:41 Thinking back through the gifts that have come along the way 26:33 Getting our thinking straight 32:05 Love really can overtake the fear 40:17 It's amazing what hope can do in the mind 42:48 Doing and permission to experiment 46:34 Go after the singles and doubles consistently 49:33 The power of sharing your dreams 56:11 Mitch's final thoughts I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Now's the time I want to hear from YOU! Leave a comment and let me know a favorite memory from a DREAM THINK DO episode. Or let me know how you might use the "_____________ and I love it" strategy. Or share what your new "PS" is going to be. I can't wait to hear from YOU!!!

Kara Goldin is my guest today. As many of you know, Kara is the CEO and founder of HINT Water. She’s also the author of a bestselling brand new book called, “Undaunted – Overcoming Doubts and Doubters.â€Â In the book… she tells the story of how she defied the odds and her own fears to start and build HINT, which is the fastest-growing flavored water brand in America. By the way, she didn’t have elite credentials. She didn’t have insider knowledge. She didn’t have high-level connections in the industry. Oh… and by the way… as she was starting HINT was pregnant with her 4th kid. Surprise!!! But… as you’ll hear… whenever she faced an obstacle, she wouldn’t give up… she kept moving forward… she was undaunted. And that’s what she wants for you too! It’s an amazing story… and I can’t wait to dive into it. RESOURCES: Kara’s Book: Undaunted Click here Hint Water: www.drinkhint.com Kara’s Website: karagoldin.com/undaunted Kara on Instagram: www.instagram.com/karagoldin MORE ABOUT KARA GOLDIN AND THE EPISODE: Before we get to the interview, I want to give you just a little more background on Kara: Fast Company named her to their “Most Creative People in Business†List Fortune put her on their “Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs†List The Huffington Post listed her as one of six major disruptors in business… alongside Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. Previously, Kara was Vice President of Shopping and E-commerce Partnerships at AOL, where she helped lead the growth of its startup shopping business to a $1B enterprise. She has appeared on the TODAY show, CNBC-TV, Fox Business, Bloomberg TV, ABC News, and Extra TV. FAVORITE QUOTES: “Don't think about what you can’t do. Figure out what you can do. Then do it to the best of your ability.â€Â – Kara Goldin “In business… a no is a maybe… and maybe is a yes.†– Kara Goldin MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 3:25 Meet Kara 5:31 Why Kara’s book is important now 11:00 How Kara’s journey started 17:00 When Kara met her husband 19:42 Think outside of your industry 27:10 Success can be dangerous 30:02 When Kara decided to solve a problem 33:36 How to connect with Kara 34:24 Mitch’s biggest takeaways WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: What did you think? What’s something that stood out to you from what Kara said? Hit me up. Drop a comment and let me know. I can’t wait to hear from YOU!

Dre Baldwin is my guest. His story and his approach to life will inspire you! In high school, he wanted to play basketball… but he barely made the cut. He committed himself to learning, growing, and adapting. In just 5 years, Dre went from the end of the bench and no game time… to a contract to play professional basketball. THEN, during his 9-year career as a professional player… Dre pioneered new genres of personal branding and entrepreneurship. And… thanks to all his hard work on and off the court… Dre’s online content has been viewed over 73 million times and he’s appeared in national campaigns with Nike, Finish Line, Wendy's, and Gatorade… just to name a few. It takes a TON of energy to do what Dre does daily. So we’re going to talk about what it takes to gain and maintain UNSTOPPABLE energy… even in 2020! I’m excited to have him on. So let’s get to this! RESOURCES: Dre’s FREE GIFT: MirrorOfMotivation.com Dre's Instagram: www.instagram.com/drebaldwin Dre’s website: dreallday.com MORE ABOUT DRE AND THE DRE BALDWIN EPISODE: Dre’s been busy cranking out content to help people WORK ON THEIR GAME on and off the court. Let’s run the numbers… so you know what I’m talking about here: In 2005… he started blogging. In 2006… he started publishing videos on this little known website called “YouTube.â€Â (Heard of it?) Since then… he’s published over 7,000 videos to 130,000+ subscribers… and get this… his content has been viewed over 73 million times to date. In 2016, he launched his DAILY “Work On Your Game†Podcast. Since then… he’s published over 1,500 episodes and has had more than 3 million downloads. Impressive right?  Well… we’re not done.  Let’s throw in some more numbers. Dre has given 4 TED Talks on Discipline, Confidence, Mental Toughness & Personal Initiative. He’s authored 27 books. And as I mentioned earlier, thanks to all this work… he’s appeared in national campaigns with Nike, Finish Line, Wendy's, and Gatorade… just to name a few. Obviously… it takes a LOT of energy to put out this level of content on a consistent basis. So, I talk with Dre about his specific strategies for gaining and maintaining UNSTOPPABLE energy… even in 2020! MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:21 Are you a coach? Check this out! 2:40 Meet Dre 4:53 How Dre went "all-in" on his dream 13:44 3 reasons Dre decided to be a content creator 19:02 What helps Dre stay energized 21:02 The discipline of getting the job done 23:33 The importance of positive self-talk 25:28 Dre’s set of commitments 29:30 How the awareness of life and death affects your performance 31:40 Dre’s advice for you 38:00 Mitch’s biggest takeaway LET’S HEAR FROM YOU! What do YOU think? I want to hear from YOU! What’s something that struck you about Dre’s story and outlook? Leave a comment and let me know. I can’t wait to hear from YOU!

Stu Massengill is a speaker and podcaster. He’s helping Millennial and Gen Z high achievers to communicate and connect at new levels. Surprisingly, he started his career as a shy kid whose biggest fear was public speaking. But after pushing himself to speak more… he slowly fell in love with it. And he started to build a network that changed everything. Since then, Stu has been on stages around the country. Speaking to anywhere from 10 to 10,000… where he talks about the importance of improved communication and exceptional networking skills. As you’ll hear in the conversation, Stu Massengill has some powerful and practical strategies for connecting with people and growing your network… EVEN in a pandemic. I think you’re going to love it… so let’s get to it! RESOURCES: Stu’s Podcast: www.stumassengill.com/findingdirection Stu’s Website: www.stumassengill.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/stumassengill MORE ABOUT THE STU MASSENGILL EPISODE: Hello and welcome to episode 297 of DREAM THINK DO.  Today… we’re talking about a wildly important subject… but it’s one that you might not have been thinking about for a while. And that is: networking and meeting new people. That’s right… Networking and connecting even during a pandemic! As you well know… growing your network of amazing people is critical. In fact, friend and frequent Dream Think Do guest, Bob Burg (mitchmatthews.com/268/) is known for saying: “The single greatest "people skill" is a highly developed & authentic interest in the *other* person.†Author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,†Robert Kiyosaki says, “The richest people in the world look for and build networks,  everyone else looks for work. Marinate on that for a minute.†Successful CEO Sallie L. Krawcheck says, “Networking is the No. 1 unwritten rule of success in business.â€Â Plus, like we’ve talked about in previous episodes of DREAM THINK DO… the best time to build your network is when you don’t need it. That’s so you can lean on it… especially when life throws you a curveball… and you need some help! So yes… networking is critical… building relationships is essential. HOWEVER… we need to talk about the elephant in the room. #suckitcovid.  TRUTH: It’s harder to network and connect right now. TRUTH: But just because it’s tougher to do… doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing it! And heck… if you are doing it now… that’s just one more thing you can be doing to set yourself apart!!! Our guest, Stu Massengill is a speaker and podcaster who’s helping the world… especially our younger generations… to network and connect. It may or may not surprise you… but he started out as a shy kid whose biggest fear was public speaking and meeting new people.  But after pushing through his fears and learning some of the strategies we’re talking about, he slowly fell in love with both. And these strategies allowed him to build a network that changed everything. He started to meet his heroes. People like Action Sports Moguls Rob and Bryianna Dyrdeck, Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White, and Best Selling Author and international speaker, Tony Robbins. Heck, his relationship with Tony grew and so now they’re friends and Stu gets to speak on stage with Tony at events around the country.  Plus, all of this inspired him to launch his own podcast called “Finding Direction,†which helps millennials and Gen Zers to find direction. And that is how we connected… because Stu Massengill invited me to be on his show. We had sooooo much fun… I wanted to turn the mics around to get more of HIS story… and share his insights and strategies with YOU!   But that’s what good connecting and networking does… right? It builds relationships and it inspires people to help each other out… and share the good stuff. So let’s get to the specifics. MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 2:41 Introducing Stu Massengill 4:18 Stu discusses overcoming shyness 7:25 Strategies to employ for great networking 12:38 Using F.O.R.M and finding common ground with others 13:43 2 ways to start a conversation 16:08 Getting out of your own way 19:46 Loose ties vs strong ties 22:10 Adding value to your relationships 23:40 The importance of "loose tie" relationships 24:43 Final thoughts 27:54 Mitch’s biggest takeaways I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! What did you think? What’s a strategy you’re going to use? More importantly… join in the conversation. Do you think it’s important to still be networking and growing new and deeper relationships during this pandemic? If so… what’s one of YOUR favorite strategies to be using right now? If not, let us know why. I can’t wait to hear from YOU! Leave a comment below and let’s TALK!

Katy Kvalvik is our guest. A few years ago… two consecutive accidents caused Katy to sustain multiple life-altering injuries that forced her to relearn almost everything… including how to walk. As you can imagine, that experience of intentionally needing to put her mind and body back together inspired her to embark on an international journey to learn holistic mind, body, and spirit wellness. Today, Katy has dedicated her life to sharing everything that she’s learned to empower others in their own wellness journeys… as well as finding peace no matter what… whether that’s in the living room or the board room. We’ve got lots to dig into… so let’s get to this. RESOURCES: Katy’s website: KatyKvalvik.com More on Katy’s Approach to Powerful (and peaceful) Listening: katykvalvik.com Katy Kvalvik’s Instagram: instagram.com Katy Kvalvik’s Facebook: facebook.com/HarmonyMethod MORE ABOUT THE KATY KVALVIK EPISODE: In the episode, we dig into powerful and specific strategies to help you achieve a sense of peace and presence… no matter the situation. (Yeah… even in 2020!) One of the surprising but powerful concepts Katy brings up is the importance of effective listening. Which makes sense… right? Better listening = better relationships… which helps bring a sense of peace. Also, effective listening can = being more present. So, although I’d not really thought about it… but listening is a key strategy when it comes to having a sense of peace and being fully present.  Here’s a bit more of what we talked about: Four Stages of Listening: Stage 0: This is when no listening is happening. Only speaking. Everyone’s talking but no one is listening. Ever been there? #nopeace Stage 1: Subjective Listening This is the stage where 95% of conversations happen. We take in information subjectively and only hear it through our own experiences. Stage 2: Listening but Not in the Present Moment In this stage, some listening is happening, but we’re distracted. We’re not really WITH the person who’s talking. And as you know… this can totally create a disconnect and can even induce a sense of anxiety or anxiousness.  Stage 3: Objective Active Listening This is where the listener is completely focused on the other person. This is a great stage for problem-solving because you’re looking at the facts of what is being said. Stage 4: Intuitive Listening This is the highest stage of listening. It happens when the listener is really honing in and connecting to the real message of the conversation. The listener is paying FULL attention to the words as well as the body language, tone of voice, energy level, etc. As you can imagine, true intuitive listening is listening between the lines. MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:55 When everything changed for Katy 4:45 Being internally committed to healing 6:40 What Katy has learned during the pandemic 7:47 How to get clarity 8:37 Breathing and meditation 11:31 How to be a better listener 13:44 How breathing and listening are connected 15:02 Strategy to help with resilience 17:02 Get in contact with Katy 28:57 Mitch's biggest takeaway I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! What did you think of what Katy had to say? What’s something you’re going to experiment with based on the convo? I want to hear from YOU! Leave a comment below and let me know.

Chad Williams is our guest. Chad is a former U.S. Navy SEAL. Now he’s a speaker and a best-selling author. Days before Chad was to report to military duty, he turned on a television and was greeted with the horrifying images of his friend and mentor, US Navy SEAL Scott Helvenston, being brutally murdered in a premeditated ambush on the roads of Fallujah. This would have convinced most people to bail, but instead, it inspired him to double down on his dream of becoming a NAVY Seal too. So Chad followed in Scott’s footsteps and completed the US military’s most difficult and grueling training to become a Navy SEAL. He was one of only 13 from a class of 173 to make it straight through to graduation. After that… Chad served his country on SEAL Teams One and Seven… completing tours of duty in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq. We’ll learn how his NAVY Seal training now helps him as he leads others, how he lives his life, AND how he THRIVES even in a year like 2020! Let’s get to this! RESOURCES: Chad’s Website: www.navysealchadwilliams.com Chad’s Signed Book: Click here. Chad’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/sealofgod MORE ABOUT THE CHAD WILLIAMS EPISODE: After completing his 6 years of service as a NAVY Seal, Chad went on to author the best-selling book SEAL of God. Today, Chad has spoken at fortune 500 companies… as well as hundreds of faith-based events around the country. He also contributes no holds barred… expert analysis related to military affairs and subjects of leadership and perseverance for major news networks… like FOX and CNN.  Chad has… and continues… to live a DREAM THINK DO life and I’m so excited and honored to get to have this conversation with him. PLUS… I wanted your input on the questions I should ask… and you guys sent in suggestions like crazy… so I can’t wait to get to ask some of YOUR questions too. So we’ll also go after the following questions submitted by YOU! Questions like: MENTAL TOUGHNESS: “What kind of techniques or mental thought patterns he learned to switch from being overwhelmed by circumstances to being able to focus on doing the things that he could control?†– Julie and Dan TEAMS AND DREAMS: “There’s a lot of focus on self-motivation and self-perseverance in striving to achieve our DREAM. We all know SEALS are a Team, and building a team is part of success, so how do we keep our team motivated when we’re so busy doing what we need to do?† – Jeffrey Jorgenson EVERYDAY LIFE: “What’s a take-away from your time as a Navy Seal that you apply to your life every day?†– Stephanie CHAD’S FAVORITE QUOTE (which he nails in the interview): “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.â€Â – Theodore Roosevelt MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 2:56 Meet Chad 6:07 Chad's journey to becoming a Navy Seal 18:50 Chad’s first day of Seal training 21:56 Your DNA does not determine your destiny 25:50 One of the most impactful sentences Chad has ever heard 30:32 How to switch from being overwhelmed to in control 34:25 How to keep your team motivated while still accomplishing tasks 38:23 Chad’s favorite Theodore Roosevelt quote 41:28 Mitch’s biggest takeaways LET’S HEAR FROM YOU! Okay, so what did YOU think of what Chad Williams had to say? Which stories resonated? What phrases and mantras got you thinking? What clicked for you? What didn’t? What’s going to be something you try/apply as a result? Let me know. Leave a comment below. I can’t wait to hear from YOU!