Inspirational / Motivational

Using Sound to Counter Loneliness and Isolation

Want a way to put a little skip in your step? 

Listen to some happy music – it could be that simple. 

What kind of music is “happy” – well, that’s personal, and worth some experimentation on your part. Something that works for me is the song “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay.

One day I was really struck by how different I felt before and after listening to that song, and it started me on a journey of exploring sound, and its ability to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation…along with a whole host of other things, from sleeplessness to pain.

Along the way, I learned about things like “binaural beats” and the “solfeggio scale.” If you type those words into youtube, you’ll get a long list of free videos to listen to. To avoid feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information out there, just pick a video you are intuitively drawn to, and listen to it for as long as you want. Then try another. Include “oldies but goodies” that you’ve loved – one of mine is “Help Me, Rhonda”

Take a few moments, before and after listening, to notice how your body and emotions feel. Maybe you sway to the sounds, move your lips to the words, feel a vibration in your body, or even dance. 

After doing this consistently for a number of months, I’ve noticed that sound has really helped me counter feelings of isolation and loneliness, and I hope it does the same for you. 

Please feel free to forward this message!

Love

Fantastic Frank

Is Anonymous Anger Getting the Best of You?

Have you had to make any customer service inquiries recently? How did it go? Did you take the low road to Anonymous Anger, or take the high road to Compassionate Connection?

Does any of this sound at all familiar? There you are, in your day pajamas on the 3rd month of Covid-19 isolation, trying to sort through a tangle of uncertainty, and handle things that used to be so simple and straightforward – like having your bills setup on auto-pay, and knowing things were handled without having to think much about it?

Now envelopes, bills, and unpaid notices are scattered over the table in front of you, the counter, and maybe spilling over onto the floor, or unopened in piles.

Your mind wanders with your eyes, assessing the damage in front of you, not quite knowing where to start. Did you finally stop all those auto-pays that automatically generated “insufficient funds” charges every 3 days?

How about this thing over here, it’s on “pause”, right?… oh, it was on pause – now it’s time to pay up. Surely some of these papers must be money coming in – a refund perhaps? Someone repaying money you lent them?  What happened to that stimulus check money? You recall the happy day it magically popped into your bank account – but it seems to have vaporized, your balance looks meager, and tax bills are coming up soon! 

So, in a somewhat irritated, desperate, angry, depressed mood, you resolve to make your way through each item, and reach for the phone.

Your first call to a Customer Service number immediately goes to AI, and a robotic voice informs you that due to Covid-19, you cannot speak to a real person, and directs you to a website to search answers to “frequently asked questions” and automatically disconnects you. Bummer. You don’t even attempt going to the website because you know how that goes – you’ll invariably enter a search term that generates generic solutions you’ve already tried, and just leaves you stranded with no way to address your specific situation.  

So you go and pick up the next paper, realize there is no contact info, spend 20 minutes searching their website, victoriously locate a phone number, and reach for the phone again. This time the electronic AI voice leads you through a maze of menu options. You listen, and press 7 – listen again, and press 3 – listen again and press 4 – listen again and – wait! What happened? Your got disconnected! Aaaagh!

Your stomach and teeth start to clench as you mutter profanities, your dog whimpers, and you reach for the next item. You dial the phone and – wow! A human being answers! But… it’s not the right department, so you’re put on hold while they transfer you to the next person. The elation of speaking to a human instantly dissolves, and all the frustrations of the last 3 months coalesce, rearing one big ugly head that unleashes onto the friendly customer service agent who finally takes you off hold.

Normally, you’re a pretty sympathetic, kind, patient person, but for just a moment (or maybe 5 minutes) that version of you is nowhere in sight, as you rant and rave into the phone. It feels kind of good, almost euphoric, to get it all out of your system, and then, when you finally stop, you feel drained with the relief of finally letting go of a huge weight…. The only problem is, thereis an actual human being on the other end of the phone this time.

You have a fleeting sense of embarrassment, but their inability to find your account right away, followed by probing questions about your payment history, just sets you off again, and another burst of rage spews from your mouth into your phone, to the human being who has had these kind of angry calls blasted into their headset clad ears all day long.

The customer service rep projects calm on the outside, but on the inside, their stomach churns and their nerves are shot. It’s like having to keep a smile on your face while you get punched in the gut with your hands tied behind your back, because “this call may be recorded”. They’d like to give you a piece of their mind in exchange for yours, but they bite their tongue because their performance will be judged by your customer survey and whomever listens to those recorded calls.

They try to be grateful to have a job at all, but secretly they envy the unemployed who are getting an extra $600/wk in Covid-19 stimulus. The Customer Service Rep pops a pill for migraines and eyes the clock in anticipation of their next 15-minute break.

That’s the work of “Anonymous Anger”, where we take our frustrations out on someone we can’t see, will never meet, and can’t talk back.

During Covid-19 shutdowns, tight restrictions on human interactions has made them all the more precious… even with Customer Service Reps.  So why waste them?

Here are some ways to trade in “Anonymous Anger” for “Compassionate Connecting.”

If you get into a situation of being cut off after having been on hold for a long time and/or you had a bad interaction with someone, perhaps the one you’re sheltering in place with, take a break – do not go to the next call immediately, because more than likely you will carry that negativity over into your next call.

Pause. Take deep cleansing breathes. This is one way to change your state. It gives negativity a chance to die, dissipate, or go out of your focus. Otherwise you risk amplifying anger, and we just saw where that can take you.

Then, start your next call off with a positive question and/or a statement like “I hope you are having a great day!” Say it with enthusiasm even if you are faking it, because that will set the tone for the whole ensuing conversation.

It will take the edge off both you and the person with whom you are talking to, who may already be expecting the worse from you, and bracing themselves to be yelled at.

When I start off with high energy and compassion, I usually get even more than I want in return. I had a conversation with someone the other day – it started off as a standard Customer Service call and evolved into a delightful exchange. She remarked that my positive attitude really stood out, in contrast to the typical calls she gets, and she asked me where my positive attitude came from.

I told her that I am an inspirational speaker, and that many people have given me similar feedback – that my enthusiastic and positive nature just brightened their day. I got her to chuckle at my name “Fantastic Frank,” and suggested check out my website FFHero.com.  I don’t know if she did or not, but she said she would after she got off work. So, not only can you get better service, but you may even gain a new friend who signs up on your mailing list or social media, to further enjoy connecting with you.

Another thing to do right before calling Customer Service, is to take a moment to remember that when you finally get through to a person, that they are a human being, not the company. The person on the other end is most likely NOT personally responsible for whatever your situation is. In fact, the responsible party might be you!

So, you are talking to someone who gets yelled at all day for things they are not personally responsible for – how would that feel? If you start with a little empathy, that can go a long way.

You can engage them as a partner in resolving your issue, rather than treat them like an adversary. Say something like “How are you holding up under the Covid-19 situation?” “Are you working from home? Are your kids driving you nuts?” or simply ask “How is your day going?”

Some of these calls are recorded, so they won’t be at liberty to say something like “I just spoke to a jerk who really got me down” – they may just give a standard pleasant response – which, even if they didn’t mean it, it will still set things off on a good foot, because at least you’ve acknowledged them as a human being, and not an emotionless representation of a corporation that should be yelled at.

Try it – you may be surprised what a difference Compassionate Connecting makes! Or maybe not – maybe you’re already doing your own version…and want to pass on an inspiring story. What is it? Please share – I’d love to hear from you! Write to me at Frank@FantasticFrankJohnson.com

Love
FFJ

PS – Due to Coronavirus social distancing guidlines, I am not doing public speaking at the moment. However I am available as an inspirational guest on radio, podcasts, etc.

What The World Needs Now and A Bowl of Cherries

Can’t get this song out of my head… it’s by Jackie DeShannon and it goes like this :

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.

So here’s a shout out to the heroic people on the “frontlines” of the coronavirus pandemic, from health care workers to food bank volunteers. Thank you for selflessly putting yourself at risk to serve others! You are truly inspiring and uplifting!

My way of “serving” is quite different – it is taking my part to “flatten the curve” by quarantining myself, as someone in the “at risk” population. Like many people, maybe even you, I’m spending a lot of time alone, and on the computer, and sometimes falling victim to my own fears.

Where does your online time take you? Have you noticed what I’ve noticed – that in the midst of this global trauma, and despite the possibility of spiraling down a path of negativity, that the links you follow somehow end up on extremely positive messaging? Could this be “God” or the “Universe” interfering to save us from despair?

Have you had an experience like this one? I found myself watching a lot of free movies. I spent two hours watching something I would have considered a waste of time – when I noticed a hidden gem at the very end.

The soundtrack was playing the song “Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries”, which didn’t even match up with what the documentary was about. I felt drawn to look up lyrics, which turned out to be by George Gershwin:

People are queer, they’re always crowing, scrambling and rushing about;
Why don’t they stop someday, address themselves this way?
Why are we here? Where are we going? It’s time that we found out.
We’re not here to stay; we’re on a short holiday.

Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don’t take it serious; life’s so mysterious.
You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can’t take your dough when you go, go, go.
So keep repeating it’s the berries,
The strongest oak must fall,
The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned
So how can you lose what you’ve never owned?
Life is just a bowl of cherries,
So live and laugh at it all.

What is your reaction to these lyrics? Do you resonate with the opening questions of “Why are we here? Where are we going? It’s time that we found out.”? Are you offended by the suggestion to “live and laugh at it all” at a time like this?

Do you feel inspired to find each moment precious, with the same potential “cherry” sweetness as any other? Or does knowing a bowl can only hold a limited number of cherries make you anxious there may not be many left in yours?

Why are people so scared to get Covid-19? It’s because death has become their first or main fear, and while the fear of death should be within everyone, it should not paralyze us. It should allow this sobering reality to make us more open and loving and forgiving…and take time to make amends and a whole bunch of other healing stuff!

How do you feel about all of this? What is your experience…your heart-breaks and break-throughs? I would love to hear from you! Please write to me at Frank@FantasticFrankJohnson.com

Love
FFJ

PS – Due to Coronavirus social distancing guidlines, I am not doing public speaking at the moment. However I am available as an inspirational guest on radio, podcasts, etc.

Moving Forward Within The Coronavirus Paradigm Shift

Today is March 31, 2020, and the Coronavirus impact in the United States, where I live, is underway. The world-wide Covid-19 news changes exponentially, forcing us to respond to a new reality every few minutes.  Your reaction may be to hoard toilet paper, ignore social distancing, something in between, or something more extreme. 

It all comes down to who you are in each new moment. ”You” may have different degrees or levels of understanding. Your awareness may fluctuate up, down, and sideways, as different aspects of your life dissolve around you. 

One positive thing that this crisis helps us see, in stark terms, is the reality of the “butterfly effect”; that we are indeed all connected as a human species. We are all alive in the same world, we all love and experience loss, and a choice you make can impact someone on the other side of the globe. 

My feeling is that this event has now become a new paradigm of our collective consciousness. It is akin to a loss of innocence. Since our awareness has been raised to a new level, we can never go back to what was. The best thing to do is move forward with the understanding that uncertainty is the only thing that can be counted on for the moment. 

When one accepts a new level of uncertainty it then becomes the new norm… this surrender to a new reality allows us to move on into a new landscape with more grace. 

This attitude is what has helped me thrive as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor for over 41 years, and it may help you, too. At first, I did everything I could to go “back to normal.” 

I was in denial, and tried to get back the life I had before the accident, such as going back to my old job. However, a paradigm shift had occurred, and all efforts to recreate the past were inevitably frustrated. It is only when I accepted my new reality, the new “norm” that comes with having a TBI, that I was free to move forward, and even experience hope, happiness, and gratitude. 

Of course, I still experience the full range of emotions as anyone else, but again, it comes down to who I am in each moment. Do I allow myself to be carried away on the emotional roller coaster, or do I focus on something else? 

I admit, sometimes I get into a rage. But it passes. Who am I in another moment? Well, I may write a letter like this one, something to reach out to others, and hopefully inspire, or even just connect with you so you know you are not alone!

We will experience great disruptions in our lives, some heartbreaking and some inspiring. The form in which Covid-19 impacts us is changing daily. Both good and bad opportunities will emerge.

There are always risks involved when one makes a decision. We cannot see the future. 20/20 vision only comes when we look back on our lives in hindsight. We can usually see that we may have made some wrong or poor choices – please practice putting more emphasis on giving yourself credit for the successful ones you have made.

Remember that inaction, or not making a choice, is a way of making a choice… to not act. This is fine if you are doing so intentionally, but another thing when done because you are frozen with fear, which you may regret down the road.

Do your best to weigh every option that you can, and decide what to do and/or not do, but make a decision and once it’s made you have to burn the bridges and move forward. Be always grateful and thankful for every bit of kindness and help that is offered to you. And we will get through this, together.

 MUCH LOVE AND INSPIRATION

FFJ

PS – Due to Coronavirus social distancing guidlines, I am not doing public speaking at the moment. However I am available as an inspirational guest on radio, podcasts, etc.

You Don’t Have to Have a Big Story – Just a Big Heart!

Fantastic Frank JohnsonHoliday blues got you down? Each year I go through my own version of holiday stress, and I found humor and inspiration in the least likely of places – obituaries!

Some people even write their own obituaries, such as Sonia Todd, who wrote:

“I don’t like the timeline format because, let’s face it, I never really accomplished anything of note….

I also didn’t want a bunch of my friends sitting around writing a glowing report of me which we all know would be filled with fish tales, half-truths, impossible scenarios, and out-right-honest-to-goodness-lies…

The truth, or my version of it, is this: I just tried to do the best I could. Sometimes I succeeded, most of the time I failed, but I tried…

If you think of me, and would like to do something in honor of my memory do this:
-Volunteer at a school, church, or library
-Write a letter to someone and tell them how they have had a positive impact on your life
-If you smoke – quit
-If you drink and drive—stop
-Turn off the electronics and take a kid out for ice cream and talk to them about their hopes and dreams
-Forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it
-Stop at all lemonade-stands run by kids and brag about their product
-Make someone smile today if it is in your power to do so”

To read the full obituary – Click Here

So, if you’re struggling with holiday stress, consider following Sonia’s suggestions. By opening our hearts, we can let the light shine, and make the season sparkle!

 

Magical Start Gone Sour? These Winston Churchill Quotes will Keep You Going!

winston-churchill Fantastic Frank JohnsonDid you ever notice that the universe sends a sort of “freebie” gift when you start something new?

  • Clients at your door before you open business…
  • Honeymoon experience with new love interest…
  • Hit a home run your first time trading stocks…
  • New job and already promoted…
  • Win the lottery with your first ticket…
  • You get big bucks out of no where for your first speaking engagement

What happens next? You know the drill:

  • Your business goes bust after a boom…
  • Your new love turns out to be everyone else’s too…
  • Investments turn to loosing streak..
  • Promotion means longer hours and more stress, which tests your marriage…
  • One year later you have less money than before you won the lottery…
  • Instead of getting paid, you are the now one paying to get on stage…

This is a common phenomena. Don’t loose hope. There are always tests when you shoot for the moon!

For inspiration, let’s turn to the life of Winston Churchill, which you can investigate further at this link: http://www.historyinanhour.com/2013/01/24/churchill-school-education/

Did you know that Churchill nearly died of double pneumonia when he was a child?

That at 18 years old a terrible accident, including a ruptured kidney, required over a year to recover from, and nearly took his life?

Or that he had to apply three times before getting accepted to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst?

One of the most deeply inspiring speeches I know of is Winston Churchill’s “Never Give In” speech, which is often misquoted. For a full account, go to this link: http://www.winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1941-1945-war-leader/103-never-give-in

He gave the speech 10 months into World War II, on October 29, 1941, to his alma mater, the Harrow school. The two parts that hit me the hardest are these:

 “I am addressing myself to the School – surely from this period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

and

“Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days; these are great days – the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race.”

So, if your honeymoon with the universe seems over, I hope these quotes will help you take heart and persist.

by Fantastic Frank Johnson

Author of “From Flawed to Fantastic

PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available inspirational speaker Fantastic Frank Johnson

 

Knowledge Is Power When You Take Action – VOTE!

trump-clinton“Without knowledge action is useless, and knowledge without action is futile.” – Abu Bakr

The other day, I had a lengthy discussion about the upcoming US Presidential Election with a good friend, only to find out that he does not vote!

Please  – Get Out and VOTE! – with this caveat: be informed, and consider the source of your information!

Even if you think the system is “rigged”, by not even showing up to vote, you are abdicating your democratic right – a right which is yours because other people in our nation’s history lost their lives earning it for you.

In 2014 Afghans had the same voter turnout – 58% – as Americans did in 2012…The difference being that Afghan voters were plagued with suicide bombers and threats that their finger would be cut off. Is American complacency leading to the end of democracy?

Don’t think your one tiny vote will make a difference in a country of about 219 million eligible voters? Just recall the 2000 election in which a mere 537 votes in Florida clinched the presidency for George Bush.

And as I write this, the electoral college map is changing day by day as countdown fever ramps up. You can even color your own version of the electoral college map. 

In this particular election especially, many people feel that voting is like rolling the dice…. some people are even betting real money. I am not encouraging you to do so – just pointing it out as a sign of our times.

by Fantastic Frank Johnson

Author of “From Flawed to Fantastic

PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available inspirational speaker Fantastic Frank Johnson

 

 

 

Fantastic Frank Interviews Scott Gallmeyer About His Groundbreaking New Natural Treatment, the HOPE Formula

Could miraculous healing results in a dog lead to next breakthrough in TBI treatment? Scott Gallmeyer is a material scientist who created the HOPE formula to save the life of his beloved dog, Missy in 2012 – and succeeded! Made of all natural ingredients, the HOPE formula has had positive results treating dementia in Scott’s family members, and has the potential to treat TBI as well. To get the full scoop, listen to Scott Gallmeyer’s invterview on the Flawed to Fantastic Radio Show.

Below are before/after videos of Missy!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

by Fantastic Frank Johnson

Author of “From Flawed to Fantastic

PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available inspirational speaker Fantastic Frank Johnson

What Every Moment of YOUR Life Has To Do With Jayne Mansfield

Jayne MansfieldThere are great figures who have left world renowned “legacies.” Maybe you will be one of them. Or maybe that doesn’t matter to you.

The thing is, whether you want to leave a legacy or not – you invariably do, because, with every breath, you send a ripple effect through the universe.

You may not even know what your legacy is, until after your death. Take Janyne Mansfield, for example – you may know her has a buxom blond bombshell of Hollywood – but did you know that the way she died inspired a law which requires a semi truck to have a “Mansfield Bar”? This bar saves people from being killed the way Jayne Mansfield was, by preventing cars from running under semi trucks.

Your life is made of countless choices, and you don’t know yet which ones are going to really stick. That’s why it’s so important to embrace your “hero within” and live every single moment conscious that it has to count, because it could be your last. Even if it’s not your last, you have no way of knowing what life-or-death impact a seemingly innocuous choice will make.

by Fantastic Frank Johnson
Author of “From Flawed to Fantastic

PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available inspirational speaker Fantastic Frank Johnson

 

9/11 – Today’s Not Gonna Be Like Yesterday – Treasure This Moment

 

In what ways were you effected by the 9/11 attacks? It was a traumatic event of such magnitude that a massive number of people – an entire nation – experienced it as a pivotal moment in their life – everyone remembers, in vivid detail, exactly what they were doing when they heard the news.

A line was drawn in the sand that day, and no “tomorrow” was going to be like “yesterday.” That’s why I want to share a song with you today, the 15th anniversary of 9/11, that I wrote 41 years ago called “Today’s Not Gonna Be Like Yesterday.”  It foreshadowed my traumatic brain injury, which occurred 36 years ago, and I think can serve all people as a reminder that we have no idea when, or how, a dramatic life-changing event will occur.

So let’s all treasure this moment. And this one. And this. Open your heart, and love.

by Fantastic Frank Johnson
Author of “From Flawed to Fantastic

PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available inspirational speaker Fantastic Frank Johnson

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