Inspirational / Motivational
Embrace What You Resist
October 17, 2013,3:12 pm
Sometimes we reject our own talents. Be patient with yourself – some comic super heroes also initially rejected their unique gifts. “The Thing” comes immediately to my mind. Before “The Thing” became “The Thing”, he was part of a team on a scientific mission to outer space. During that voyage, they were all bombarded with cosmic radiation, which resulted in the super powers that made them the “Fantastic Four.” Some heroes have two identities – the one in which they look totally normal and blend in with society, and the one in which they are wearing their super hero suit. “The Thing” transformed into a grotesque, huge, stoney looking character that looked that way all the time. Over about 50 years of comic books, this character struggled with seeing the positive aspect of his abilities, because he felt ashamed by his appearance and struggled with his new identity for many comic book issues. In the movie “The Fantastic Four”, The Thing also struggles, but relatively quickly gets to the epiphany where he embraces and even chooses his appearance as “The Thing” to help his team defeat Dr. Doom. As is the way with superheroes, The Thing’s embrace of what he resisted sprung from compassion. He was in a unique position of being the only one who could help, and he put the lives of others above his own self interests. Remember the Thing, and take a look at your own motives. Something you are rejecting may be exactly what will save someone else’s life. by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
From a Liability to a Talent to a Superhero Power
,1:50 pm
Something you consider to be your liability may actually be a unique talent to be developed into a super power! How about you? What’s holding you back? What do consider to be your liabilities? Now is the time to flip the hero switch, and turn them into assets. These hidden talents get discovered through adversities, which are tests; and life is full of them! Even positive events, such as falling in love, buying a house, getting promoted, or taking on a leadership role, can be an ordeal. In the midst of an ordeal, hidden talents rise to the occasion by necessity. You do things you’ve never done before; that you didn’t even think that you could do. It may not look like a big deal to someone else looking on, but inside, you know you’ve been through a life-altering change. If you’ve heard me speak, you’d know why I thought my voice was a liability. When I was rescued from the fire, the emergency tracheotomy which saved my life also destroyed my voice. Even after years of speech therapy, just speaking clearly is a challenge. For years I avoided conversation by living a rather isolated life. I was afraid that people would think I am stupid when they listen to my voice. I felt it was a liability, and not an asset. Today, it is hard to shut me up! My voice inspires others when I speak on stage, as a radio host, or on TV. I discovered that there is much more to a “voice” than what it sounds like. “Voice” is a message, a connection, and heart. According to Statistic Brain, 74% of people have a fear of public speaking, and this certainly included me! When people with this fear see and hear do public speaking, they are inspired. They think “If Fantastic Frank can get up there with a traumatic brain injury and damaged voice – so can I !” Time, dedication, inner strength, and passion can develop your talent to a level of proficient skill and expertise. For it to be a superhero power, it must be used selflessly to help others. by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
Have your Hero seeds already been planted?
,12:10 pm
If you are doubting that you will ever have something hero-related in your life – consider the possibility that the seeds have already been planted. A foreshadowing of what is to come may have already happened, but you didn’t see it that way. Sometimes past events need time to germinate, to grow, and to blossom. For me, a foreshadowing of becoming “Fantastic Frank” happened when I was working for Eastman Kodak Co. This was about 6 or 7 years before I was trapped in a fire, when I wrote the lyrics to a song, for a project to raise funds for the United Way in Rochester, NY. The song I wrote is called “Today’s Not Gonna Be Like Yesterday.” To get ideas for the lyrics, I visited a facility for people with disabilities. At that point in my life, I hadn’t had any contact with people with disabilities Now that I have a traumatic brain injury, I am moved to tears when I recall some of the words that I had written many years ago, because I feel they were a foreshadowing of the event that was going to happen to me. The song begins with these words: Today’s not gonna to be like yesterday And I met the girl with the sunshine eyes, Little was I to know that about 6 years later, I would be the one who could no longer speak clearly. The other words that really get me are: “Today’s not going to be like yesterday, Remember, when you point your finger at someone, three fingers point back at yourself. I suggest that you revise your life, while on the look-out for moments that really struck a chord with you. Then compare that event to what you are doing now, and what you’ve become passionate about. How do they relate? What is the foreshadowing in your own life? by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
Hero Foreshadowing in Your Childhood Inspiration!
,12:10 pm
You have probably not “planned” to be a superhero. In my logo, I am wearing my signature “Fantastic Frank” suit. The costume was “planned”, but being “Fantastic Frank” certainly was not! By the same token, being Fantastic Frank was foreshadowed in my youth. When you look back, your superhero nature may already have been foreshadowed in what captivated and inspired you as a child. As I share with you my own Hero’s journey, connect the dots to your own life, and uncover the hero within you. I became fascinated with super heroes when I was a little boy, and my father bought me my first comic book. It was a Super Man comic. The golden age of comics unfolded before I was born, and I slowly became aware that there were hundreds, maybe thousands of different characters that had been created over the past 20-25 years or so prior to me getting my first comic book. Because of when I was born, I fall more into the silver age of comic books, which is when the Fantastic Four, Spider man, and the other Marvel superheroes, which we are all familiar with, were created. Even as a child, what impressed me the most was that ordinary people were transformed into super heroes, through seemingly random, unexpected events. I didn’t classify the events as “traumatic” until I had my own traumatic event much later. I faithfully got every new hero comic that came out each month. They captivated me. They inspired me. They gave me hope that one day I could become a super hero and help other people. This was the first “foreshadowing” of my becoming Fantastic Frank. How about you? What captivated and inspired you as a child? Is there something about your life now that parallels that love? Do you still live based on inspiration, or has that been stomped out? What makes your heart soar the highest? These questions are a good start to unravel your superhero identity. Start here, and inquire further. by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
Turn a Traumatic Event into a Super Power
October 16, 2013,3:08 pm
The Classic Hero Storyline.In the classic storyline, heroes are created during traumatic events. My life matches this storyline, but your personal hero creation may take a different route. Super Heroes such as Superman, the Flash, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and Captain America were all endowed with Super Powers when something traumatic happened to them. Superman was ripped from his home planet of Krypton and sent to earth in a spaceship. The Fantastic Frank storyline My traumatic event was being trapped in a fire and carried out in a body bag over 30 years ago. As a result, I got a traumatic brain injury, which I overcome every day. There were times that having a traumatic brain injury felt like a “problem” – even a curse. In “AH HA Moment”, I realized that, the life-changing trauma, of getting a TBI and losing the “life” I had known, gave me the “power” to deeply touch and inspire others as a motivational speaker. My “curse” has become my “blessing.” Although not as flashy as the heroes of my youth, with this “power” of inspiring others, I have been granted my childhood wish of growing up and becoming a super hero. Your Personal Hero Storyline The fact that you are here right now, reading this message, means that your mission or your purpose on Earth has not yet been fulfilled, because you are still here.Whatever your story is, whatever challenges you have to overcome, there is something unique to you; something wonderful and powerful. I know this because this is true of everyone. It just needs to be recognized and tapped into. Celebrate life by acknowledging the super and heroic things you have been empowered to do. Give thanks for your “powers”, and use them for good. Share your Super Hero story with someone; your spouse, kids, friends… If you say you have no one, share it with me! by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
Opportunity is a Choice
October 9, 2013,5:42 pm
Trapped in a Box of “Real” Problems?Feeling trapped under the weight of just trying to keep up can make you feel trapped in a box of “real” problems. There could be slashed budgets, sparse resources, and a whole host of factors undermining your success. Sometimes it seems that everywhere you turn, there is another obstacle. Getting out of the box is heroic work.When problems are all you see, things can get pretty dark and depressing. Being a hero may seem out of reach, when in fact this is a great time to embrace the hero in you. It is in the face of adversity that your real strengths are showcased. It is heroic indeed to completely alter your perception, and break out of your “problem” box into an exciting stream of opportunities, full of possibility, growth, and light. Opportunity is a Choice.When you have a “problem” you only have one choice, which is the problem. Do not accept this. You deserve more. Face that problem head on, with all its warts, and shout “opportunity” at it. Make it a mantra, if you like – as you visualize the challenge, keep calling it an opportunity. Hint: Suspend your limiting belief that there is no solution, and get psyched that you will triumph in the challenge! by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
Flip on the Hero Switch!
October 3, 2013,6:26 pm
Your HeroesFind the hero in you, and you find the heroes in your life. Who are the heroes from your youth? Now that you’ve “grown up,” who are your heroes? How do you feel while remembering them? Inspired? Motivated? Uplifted?How long did it take you to start feeling that way? – It was just in an instant, wasn’t it? The moment we remember our heroes, it is like flipping on a light switch, and we are inspired. If you are part of a team, family, or group the lacks inspiration: Flip on the hero switch! The hero in youPeople are inspired by heroes, and everyone has a hero within them. When you embrace your own superhero qualities, you will start to see hero traits in those around you. The more you focus on this, the more you will see. Peoplw will be inspired by you, and you by them. If you are not yet sure what your super power is, start by demonstrating these superhero “traits.” As you live them, more will be revealed. Superhero Trait #1 – Showing UpBy reading this, you have already demonstrated one very important characteristic of a superhero – you showed up! Ever notice that superheroes have an uncanny ability to arrive in the nick of time to prevent disaster or save a person’s life? Many of the most magical moments in life are possible simply because you are present. Superhero Trait #2 – Be Fully EngagedNow that you’ve shown up, the next superhero trait to demonstrate is to be fully engaged in life, in every moment. After all, Super Man wouldn’t show up, and then fail to catch Lois Lane as she is plummeting from a tall building! By fully participating in life, in everything you do, you magnify the possibilities to help other. Stay alert and open to newly emerging super powers, so that you can notice what resonates with you as you embark on your hero’s journey. It is different for each person. Superhero Trait #3 – Harness Your Unique PowerAs you get in touch with your unique power, you are obliged to harness that power to help others. You impact people’s quality of life and work every single day. Service to mankind is a superhero trait of the highest order. Pay it forward, and help the people in your life find the heroes within themselves. When this happens – you will have a totally different work experience than you are having right now. by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
How do you “show up” in life?
September 4, 2013,6:08 pm
What I’ve noticed about myself and my friends, is that The Way You Do Anything Is The Way You Do Everything! When you are in touch with your passion, you become full to overflowing with a kind an exuberance that affects everything in your life. It uplifts others as well. When you are in that kind of state, you feel ALIVE! Everyone knows what this feels like, but few live in that space on a regular basis. Start making a conscious effort to notice your emotional state through the day, and what moods characterize you the most. For example, when you are at some sort of gathering, be it a work meeting, a social group, a class, etc…. Do you tend to daydream and get sleepy / uninterested? Or do you participate with a lot of energy? Do you tend to be late, on-time, or early? Do you interact with others and get to know them, or stay quiet and isolated in the midst of people? We all have different personalities. We are all unique. Whatever our characteristics are, we tend to bring that same characteristic into everything we do. There isn’t a “right” or a “wrong” way to be. However, if what you do is causing you some kind of suffering, such as loneliness, isolation, or conflicts, then notice what you are doing. See that it affects everything in your life, and make some adjustments as needed. by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
How do you “show up” in life?Assume It Is True
August 30, 2013,12:31 pm
When you start a new venture, assume you will be the “Greatest”, even the “World’s Greatest”. Don’t just say the words – feel it in your bones and know it is true. The bigger your vision, the bigger your actions become to meet the vision.
The point is: He assumed it to be true before it was true, and it came true. How about you? What do you assume about whatever you involved in – be it writing, speaking, parenting, running a business, performing, being an athlete, or anything else? If you’ve just “never thought about it,” be aware that, unconsciously, you HAVE been assuming something – what is it? Take time to notice casual remarks you make to yourself and others, such as “Wow – I did a great job! I’m really good at this!!” Or the opposite: “I can’t get anything right. I’ll never be any good.” Getting to the point where you can SAY “I am the Greatest” and BELIEVE it may take a while, but really this kind of shift can happen in an instant. By getting in touch with what you feel your mission in life is, and tapping into your passion, you become empowered to cut through limiting beliefs that hold you back. by Fantastic Frank Johnson PS – Do you need an Inspirational Speaker? Check out my site and get in touch to see if I have your dates available http://www.fantasticfrankjohnson.com/speaker/ |
A great example of this is Stan Lee, co-creator of Marvel Comics including the Fantastic Four and Spider Man. With issue 4, The Fantastic Four became “The Greatest Comic Magazine in the World!!”. On the cover of the previous issue, number 3, Stan changed the slogan on the banner to “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!”. This became a fixture on the issue covers into the 1990’s, and on numerous covers in the 2000’s.Not Urgent But Important
August 2, 2013,4:46 pm
What have you been focusing on today? How do you spend your time? Former US President Eisenhower is quoted as saying Why is this concept so important? Because unless you spend your life focusing on things that are NOT URGENT but IMPORTANT, your life is doomed to be one of mediocrity.
In the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” DR. Stephen Covey broke this concept into 4 zones in which people spend their time: Zone 1 URGENT and IMPORTANT – such as a crisis According to Covey, most people tend to spend their time in ZONE 4 – Not Urgent and Not Important! This is a set up for a MEDIOCRE life! The most SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE spend the largest percentage of their time I hope that this has inspired you to pick something you have been putting off from ZONE 3 and do it now.
Fantastic Frank Johnson P.S. Book Fantastic Frank as a speaker for your event, radio, or TV segment by emailing |
