Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

Loss of a loved one, sickness, financial hardship - all these and more have crushed and still crush people in the course of their lives. In this week’s episode, McKay employs his trademark combination of information, experience, stories, and inspiration to encourage us to rise against the tide and decide to start something good this day regardless of the circumstances. McKay breaks the ice by narrating how three-year-old Liz from a broken home changed her narrative. He goes on and stresses the importance of focusing on the positive possibilities and not the feelings of worry and anxiety in times of crisis.  He points out that bad things will always happen and encourages us to have the attitude and mentality of a victor regardless.  McKay further elaborates ways of escaping the victim mentality and the misery that comes with it, encourages us to stay true to ourselves in hard times and not to follow the herd, and also touches on social media, highlighting how harmful it can be. He concludes by motivating us to be optimistic and invites us to take time to list how we could make this time the start of something good. All in all, McKay spurs us on to strip off the worries, concern, and confusion, and stay attuned to the infinite possibilities that exist.The Finer Details of This Episode:·  The story of Liz as a three-year old in a broken home.·  The “What if” voice.·  The difference in mindset between a victim and a victor.·  An analogy between contrarian investing and remaining true to yourself.·  Acting independent of the herd.·  Anxiety as a thief of joy and positive change.·  The effect of social media on our mental health.·  Unsubscribing from negative thoughts of fear and worry.·  The effects of anxiety.·  Psychologist Andy Todd’s experiment on anxiety.·  Vietnam War Commander Jeremiah Denton’s story.·  The power of slowing down and taking pauses during speech.·  The effects of, and how to put on, optimism.Quotes:“Those with a victim mentality seem to wallow in negativity and tend to force it upon others in an attempt to find company in their misery.”“Worrying won't stop the bad stuff from happening; it just keeps you from enjoying the good.” “It's exactly during these anxiety-ridden times that we have a choice - to see ourselves as a victim or a victor.”“Someone with a victim mentality only sees the problems around them, and on the other hand, someone with a victor mentality will look within themselves to find solutions and carry on.”“You are meant to be a force for good even in confusing times.”“Action stops confusion.”“It's better to lose an eye than to let it infect the whole body. The same goes for some social media.”“Making this day the start of something good is an everyday mindset.”“You are happier when you're hopeful.”“Sometimes you have to get out of the way of yourself so that you can be yourself.”“You can always unfollow and unsubscribe from your negative thoughts and from fear and worry.”“To start something good doesn't mean that you have to do something new.”“Optimism is healthy, attractive, and contagious.”Show Links:Open Your Eyes with McKay ChristensenVietnam War Commander Jeremiah Denton

What does it mean to be compassionate? In this week’s episode, McKay employs his trademark combination of information, experience, stories, and inspiration to explore the topic of compassion and open our eyes to the success we can enjoy as we give our heart and build this all important practice into our lives. The episode begins with McKay’s illustrative stories of compassion and how compassion has brought families together under tragic circumstances. He discusses the effect of self-centeredness and the rewards that come with showing compassion, goes on to encourage us all to lose the transactional thinking and adopt the views of others, and to become a better listener as well. He also touts the benefits of picking up the habit of affirmation, showing empathy for others, and judging less. All of this brings to vivid life McKay’s overarching message here today - ‘you gotta have heart, and when you do, you have most everything’. The Finer Details of This Episode: -   Stories of compassion-   The effects of self-centeredness-   How does compassion open our eyes to a new way of living?-   The benefits of compassion-   Volunteering in orphanages in Ecuador-   Becoming a person of compassion-   The characteristics of a listener-   Are you living a transactional life?-   Cultivating the habit of affirmation-   Why you should give empathy to others-   The compassion of George Bush Quotes: “This is a call for compassion, to open your eyes, so to speak, to the life you can have as you give your heart and practice compassion. It will empower you with well-being you won't find any other way.” “We don't slow down long enough to let our heart be impacted by the lives of those around us.” “Compassionate people live longer and have healthier lives. Compassionate healthcare workers have less job burnout.” “Can you see that when you give your heart to other people, you become different?” “Something happens to your heart when you really listen.” “In any human relationship, we are constantly offering ourselves, our selfish thoughts, our wants, our needs, on an altar of sorts. And often what you get back is something far more valuable than what you give.” “Affirmative people are powerful people.” “This affirming life makes for a life of depth, and love, and beauty.” “By giving empathy, people and the world we interact with become more interesting, diverse, and dynamic. People become more than meets the eye. ” Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen    

There is power to be found in clarity - knowing who you are, where you are, and the order of your life. On today’s episode, McKay teaches listeners all about the power of clarity as well as the benefits it can bring to help you live a purposeful life. The story of Molly Seidel and how she found clarity and pursued her goal with a clear vision despite facing different struggles opens up this episode. McKay then goes on to explain what disorder really is and why clarity in such areas as exercising and even in financial matters is needed for everyday living. He also shares the story of the success of the movie Titanic and the reason why the character Rose gained clarity. The episode comes to a close with McKay encouraging everyone to put order into your life, be clear about the role model you want to be, be clear about who you are, and then watch your life change for the better. The Finer Details of This Episode: -   Molly Seidel’s story of finding clarity-   What is disorder?-   An illustration of the power of clarity-   The benefits that exercising brings-   Lessons from Titanic’s Rose-   Why you need clarity to become a role model-   Ways to bring clarity in your financial life Quotes: “Clarity gives you the power to act decisively and deal with the storms and challenges that come your way in life.” “There is power - unexpected power - found in getting clarity, getting crystal clear about who you are, where you are, and the order of your life.” “We fall into drifting in our life, and the more we tolerate drifting, the more it becomes the norm.” “When we get clear, we get healthy. When we get clear, we get capable. When we get clear, we get happier.” “You can face the pain of discipline now or the pain of regret later. And discipline now gets easier the minute it becomes a regular part of your day.” “One good role model is worth a thousand teachers.” “When you get clear about roles and what you want to model, and you order your life to do so you'll be surprised by the remarkable things that will come about as a result.” “Clarity requires a goal, a plan, and even a budget. ” “If you're going to doubt anything, doubt your doubts.” “You need the clarity of the picture of the person you are becoming and this level of clarity allows you to be bold, to try with more courage, and to do and to attempt what you might not otherwise attempt.” Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

How do some people face their fears with clarity while others struggle with theirs day to day? Fear is real and normal but we all have to face our fears and overcome them. McKay shares with us today how to overcome our fears and become who we are meant to be. McKay opens the episode with the story of how Jay Jonas and Heather Penney faced their fears during the 9/11 attacks. He explains what fear is and how understanding your fear can help you overcome it, and discusses lessons from Alex Honnold who despite his reflection fear, solo climbed the El Capitan. McKay concludes by explaining how to put on your power perception and face that fear, to feed the wolf of faith, hope, and love, and watch your courage build – excellent advice for all of us to heed. The Finer Details of This Episode: -   9/11 attacks- How Jay Jonas and Heather Penney faced their fears-   Understanding fear-   Facing your fears-   What is reflection fear?-   Overcoming your fear- lessons from Alex Honnold-   How to put on your power perception-   Feeding the wolf inside of you Quotes: “Fear is an incredible thing. It can consume your thinking and your attention, your emotions, and leaves you paralyzed.” “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction, knowing it's the worst thing that will happen to you that day” “The only way through it is through it. So let's get started.” “Sometimes there is no shortcut. There's only what needs to be done.” “The time for facing your fears will never be right, and may never be better than today.” “You have the capability to move past your own thoughts, your own reflections, your imaginations, your worries, those self-made fears that tend to paralyze and kill your progress.” “When you look in the mirror, I hope you see your unique power.” “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we're too busy living our fears.” “The brain has to experience repeated exposure to a fear in order to get over it.” “Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” “Action today will make tomorrow worthwhile.” “Courage is being fearful but doing it anyway. ” Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen 

There are two primary sources of unhappiness: living focused on the wrong things, and living in a way not in harmony with what matters most to you. Today, McKay opens our eyes to see why we need to discover what matters most to us and how to live in harmony with our values to live a happy and purposeful life. In this episode, McKay tells the story of the integrity possessed by Tony Finau, a man who valued honesty and decided to live with his values. He goes on to discuss the reasons why many are unhappy, the importance of deciding what matters most to you, and ways to identify your governing values. As McKay makes clear here today, when you become a light, and not a judge, and write down your governing values, you become set on your way to a happier and better life. The Finer Details of This Episode: -   Tony Finau’s integrity-   The sources of unhappiness in life-   Why you have to decide what matters most-   How to live in harmony with what matters most-   Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony- the pursuit of what matters-   How do you determine what matters most to you?-   Ways to identify your governing values-   Be a light, not a judge-   Living in harmony with your chosen values-   The power of planning your day Quotes: “To be happy and to pursue a purposeful life we have to decide what matters most and then seek to live in harmony with what matters.” “A deal is a deal. A handshake is a handshake. Integrity is integrity.” “It seems like selfishness, operating without common respect, and other such things, are the trades growing in our society.” “Be yourself, but be that perfectly.” “Our daily actions are in line with what matters most to us.”  “Our purpose in life is to become the best we can be, to become a person of noble actions and virtues.” “We only have one life on this earth. I mean, I haven't heard of anyone going around for a second try, and if we aren't doing what matters most, then what in fact are we doing?” “You must take responsibility for your belief window and remove the erroneous beliefs on that window.” Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

When life deals you a tough hand and tosses you about, how do you respond? Many times we get into a cycle of rinse and repeat that stops us from thinking productively. Today, McKay opens our eyes to see the dangers of thinking in patterns and how to cause ourselves to experience major mental shifts.McKay opens the episode with the tragedy that occured in 2004, the Sumatra Earthquake which left thousands dead, two of which were Edie Fassnidge’s mother and sister. He encourages us to strengthen our mental muscles by controlling thought patterns and developing a habit of productive thinking as opposed to a GPS mindset. He rounds off the episode with questions to ask yourself which can propel a mental shift that can transform your life.The Finer Details of This Episode:The 2004 Sumatra EarthquakeThe tragic tossing Edie Fassnidge experiencedThe need for mental strength to survive the turmoils of lifeStrengthening your mental musclesHow do you find and increase mental strength?How heavy is that glass of water you are holding?Ways to control your thought patternsThe danger of thinking in patternsWhat is the GPS mindset?The productive thinking of Edwin Herbert LandMental shifts that can change your lifeQuotes:“We all get tossed about by life from time to time, and it often comes in waves, sometimes too many waves”“We've all learned how to grow stronger physically. But when was the last time you sat through a course on mental strength?”“Mentally strong people use the right tools to strengthen their mental muscles and are equipped to better deal productively with life's events.”“All of us, regardless of our circumstances, must continue to master thought control in our life.”“Productive thoughts crowd out the negative.”“When we return to destructive patterns, we turn over our life, ourselves, our thinking, to them.”“We are trying to develop mentally strong students and children who can productively live stress-free in an environment of the unknown.”“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”“When we have an end goal, without all the answers, we get productive in our thinking. And in doing so we can replace negative thought patterns that can sabotage our life.”“Many of our negative thought patterns begin and sustain themselves because we are thinking about the impact on us, on our own needs or our own mood. ”“The reason you're suffering is you're so focused on yourself.”“Is my current thinking worthy thinking?”“When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person that walked in.”Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

What do you do when something does not go as planned? What’s the way forward? McKay provides the simple answer to this - pivot to what’s next. So many people get frustrated when things go wrong and forget that, as McKay demonstrates today, asking and doing what’s next is the path of happiness. He starts the episode with the story of Karen McWatters who lost her leg and a close friend in the Boston Marathon bombings. Despite the adversities Karen encountered, she asked herself ‘What next?’, and went on to find opportunities even in the face of despair. McKay then talks about the power of asking ‘What’s next?’, how it can propel us to move forward, and the importance of developing the habit of ‘What’s next?’, as well as ways to develop this habit. The episode rounds off with McKay drawing lessons from the life of Rachel Ray who went on to start a new path by focusing on what’s next. There is great power to be found in posing and answering this simple question - listen in today to hear how it can change your life. The Finer Details of This Episode: -   The devastating event that made  Karen McWatters go on her quest of ‘What’s next?’-   Finding what’s next in horrible circumstances-   The power of  ‘Yes, and?’ - lessons from improv-   Why you need to master the habit of ‘What’s next?’-   What is prospective psychology?-   How to think prospectively and why you should-   Harvard University’s study results on happiness in life-   Why the habit of ‘What’s next?’ is important for a happy life - the story of Bill Graham-   Ways to develop the habit of ‘What’s next?’-   Removing the ticks in your life-   Starting another path - lessons from Rachel Ray’s life Quotes: “Her attitude of ‘What's next?’ changed everything.” “’Yes’ is awareness and acceptance and appreciation. It means ‘I'm listening’…and is saying ‘What's next?’. It is fueling you with agency and autonomy and action, and is taking a clear step forward to add to whatever you've received.” “There's tremendous power in developing the habit of ‘What’s next?’” “Prospective psychology is the practice of creating an image in your mind of your possible future.” “The habit of ‘What's next?’ helps us to be happy.” “Over time, researchers observed it's not the bad things that happen to us that determine our happiness, but what we choose to do with those things that matter.” “Don't let yourself get dragged down into other people's complaints.” “Even though you might not like the situation you're in, you can choose to accept it, and once you learn to accept what it is and then focus on what you can control in the future, you win. Remember, the only thing that matters is your response.” “You can't change others, you can't change the past, you can only change your response.” Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

This week, McKay explores the power of positive affect with listeners. In recent times, unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of negativity and criticism, and seeing this, McKay today brings to us ways to create a positive affect in our lives and demonstrates why this is of utmost importance. The movie Field of Dreams was born out of the positive affect of Kevin Costner - it was his influence that got the movie produced. McKay advises us all to, like Costner, create a positive affect, and he then delves into how you can go about doing this, emphasizing the importance of words to create the world we want to see. He also looks at focusing on the positive because each day you decide to focus on the positive rather than the negative, you take a step further in creating a positive affect for your life. We can all have an impact in both our own lives and the lives of others by pushing back on the negativity and criticism so prevalent in society today, and McKay shows us all how to do just that in this highly instructive and inspiring episode. The Finer Details of This Episode: -   The story behind the movie, Field of Dreams-   The positive affect of Kevin Costner-   How do you create a positive affect?-   What is the constructionist principle?-   The immense power of words - lessons from the wise Rabbi Heschel-   Using positive words to create action- lessons from Officer Kevin Briggs-   How words impact your children-   The positive principle-   Focusing on the positive Quotes: “We can choose to see the best in others and circumstances - we can choose to see the potential rather than the negative - and when we see the best in others and things and circumstances, those things change, we create a positive affect.” “Words create worlds.” “Unfortunately, it seems that negativity, judgment, and criticism are creating a world of divisiveness and differences and delusion.” “We can use words to create a different and a better world.” “Choose the positive before the negative.” “Our words - the ones we speak, reread, hear - construct the light and reality of our life.” “Each day you and I have a choice in what words we use with those around us. We can be constructing something positive and appreciative or something else.” “Positive or appreciative thinking and mindset create a positive core to us and to any endeavor we're involved in.” “Each day, we have the choice to see things from a positive angle or not. ”  Show Links:Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

Today, McKay brings to us an important topic - starting your impossible. Recognizing that we all have to face what appears to be the absolutely unachievable from time to time, McKay shares with listeners, using real world examples, how to start and keep doing the impossible. He begins the episode describing the accomplishments of the Wright brothers, who, through the challenges associated with air travel, were able to do the impossible. McKay also speaks about finding inspiration as the path to success just like the Wright brothers did, the impact of walking with giants, and why social learning is effective for doing the impossible. He rounds off the episode with a story about some wives who showed immense courage and encourages us to forge our own courage by building our optimism so we can start our own impossible. The Finer Details of This Episode: -   The impossible challenges that came with air flight in the past-   How the Wright brothers dared the impossible-   Otto Lilienthal’s impact on the Wright brothers’ success-   Why you need an inspiration to start the impossible-   Why do Alcoholics Anonymous have high success rates?-   John Woolman’s mission-   Walking with giants-   The reason why social learning works-   The power of faith in doing the impossible-   The castle of the loyal wives-   Gathering courage for the impossible-   Keeping your optimism for courage Quotes: “We all have the impossible from time to time - a change needs to happen, but it seems impossible.”  “You need a connection with other people where you can find inspiration.” “The people with which you surround yourself have a huge impact on how you see yourself, your challenges, and your ability to face those challenges.” “When you learn from others, and you learn from ongoing interaction with others, you store those memories with emotion, and, as a result, they're more powerfully recalled and used.” “I believe that the moment you let faith into your life, you will see more power and peace enter into your life. You worry less, you trust more.” “There is power in faith. Faith is an enabling power. ” “Open your eyes to the fact that you can do what you set out to do.” “Courage is the mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger or hardship. It implies firmness of mind and will in the face of extreme difficulty.” “The truth is that whenever you're facing the impossible at its deepest, most fundamental level, it requires courage.” “We must fix our minds on the fact that we can do the impossible, and we have to decide in advance that it is worth it.” “Find your courage.” Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

This week, McKay discusses the role of luck in your life and how you can become lucky. Recognizing that there are, indeed, qualities that lucky people possess, McKay shares his wisdom with real-life examples on how to become lucky people. McKay opens up the show with a story about his great-great-great-grandmother, Maren Peterson, who, in spite of being told her daughter, Anna Christina, was dead, got lucky and found her alive. However, was it really luck? McKay teaches that lucky people are people of action, who are open to new opportunities. He also explores the four primary skills lucky people have - they maximize chance opportunities, follow their hunches, expect good fortune and turn their misfortune into good luck. McKay finishes off by sharing some ways you can reframe your past and your thinking, and start your new, luckier life. Take this opportunity today to open your eyes to the qualities found in people who are lucky, and learn how you can become one as well. The Finer Details of This Episode: -   Anna Christina’s story-   Interesting results from Dr. Richard Wiseman’s research on lucky people-   Qualities lucky people possess-   4 primary skills that turn unlucky people into lucky people-   How to maximize chance opportunities-   The story of SUE the T. Rex - the result of following a hunch-   What is counterfactual thinking?-   Lessons from Billy Joel’s life-   3 ways to reframe your past Quotes:  “What causes some people to be lucky and others not?” “Being lucky or being in the right place at the right time has everything to do with being in the right state of mind.” “By venturing out, you improve your opportunities for success.” “Quite often we don't see opportunities because we're too focused on looking for something else, and, as a result, we pass by those opportunities. ” “Are there opportunities in the people you meet, the friends you have, what you read today, or other encounters that come your way, that you miss because you're not open?” “Lucky people have a strong sense of intuition and, most importantly, they follow that intuition much more frequently than unlucky people.”“Because lucky people see stars, they  constantly expect stars in their future.” “Choosing the positive side empowers me to deal with my pain more productively.” “If you have problems in life, don't assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life's purpose.” “We can change our lives by substituting new habits for old, and we can mold our character and future by better thoughts and nobler actions.” “Too many of us don't value where we're starting.” Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen