Here’s another classic Bobby McFerrin video.
This time beatbox. Shame the quality is not so good – but so worth watching .. and the expressions in the audience are almost as entertaining as he is!
You may remember Bobby McFerrin’s song ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ .. but did you know about his other music? He’s here with Richard Bona (known as the African Sting), improvising songs from ‘Beyond Words’ – a great Bobby McFerrin album.
If you like this – check out youtube for more .. or wait and every week or so, I’ll post them here.
Clever, uplifting, funny, melodic .. ‘worth playing all the way through!
The youtube description says it all ;
‘Live in Montreal. Beautiful and truly free improvisation between genius Bobby Mcferrin and Richard Bona. This sounds like angels playing with sound. Enjoy.’
I love it!
(As an aside, I read somewhere that Richard Bona, as a boy, in West Camaroon, made himself his first guitar – using bicycle brake cables for the strings!)
I missed the train this morning.
OK – I’ll be honest, I didn’t really run for it. In fact I slowed down yards from the station whilst weighing up in my mind whether I wanted to run the last few yards as the train pulled in, or rather slow down, in which case I’d have time to take in the beautiful sunrise. My legs listened to my heart – my brain didn’t really have a say in the matter.
As you can see, the sunrise won my heart.
The next train still got me to work on time.
For once,
I chose what was important, rather than what was ‘urgent’.
It left me with a good feeling all day.
On my training workshops, I often ask for a ‘willing volunteer’ to come to the front to be a subject, for when I demonstrate a new procedure or technique.
‘Steven’ (not his real name) was just such a volunteer. Before we start the actual demonstration, I always first ask the subject on a scale of 0-10 how they feel having put themselves forward, and what issue they would like to work with. If they are feeling uncomfortable being on ‘the hot seat’ I work with that first – and so it was with Steven.
P: “So how are you being up here with me Steven .. in front of everyone, and not knowing what’s to come?”
S: “I’m ok I suppose!” (looking anything but)
P: “Are you sure?”
S: “Well ok, actually I’m not happy – not happy at all!” (or words to that effect).
P: “Oh, okay .. and do you want to say what its about, or if you like give it a cryptic title, and tell us where you are emotionally on a scale of 0-10, 10 being the most intense?”
S: “Football. I’m really [cheesed off] as I should be at the stadium watching football! And I’m probably an ’8′! Its Saturday and I shouldn’t be here!”
After a couple of minutes with the process, and Stevens’ rating had reduced to 2.
P: “Okay, so now you’re down to a 2 or so, are you ready to start on the other issue?”
S: “There’s nothing else. That was it. I’m okay now!”
Once the stress of missing Saturday football was cleared, Steven was able to enjoy the rest of the course – and even came on another workshop weekend (though thinking about it, this second one was out of football season!). It really seemed to be the case that his biggest ‘issue’ to work with at that time was that he was missing football.
Occasionally, I regret that I’m not a sports fanatic. At school, I did anything to avoid team games – much to the relief I’m sure of my sport mad friends. I considered myself ‘physically dyslexic’ – and I really was! (now there’s a limiting belief if there ever was one!)
At school, music was my passion – playing it, and listening. I had no time for sport – except I always somehow managed time for regular pub games of snooker including taking a quick sneaky diversion, into The Punchbowl, in Abingdon during the Wednesday afternoon cross country running practices! Thinking back, I and my friends must have looked a strange sight playing pub snooker in our school running gear!
But now, many years later – when I sometimes hear people talk about their Tuesday evening five a side, or going to the stadium to support their club – and how nothing can get in the way of them attending .. well, I’m a little envious as I know its about much more than the football.
Its about the joining in, the social side, the team effort, the connection, and participation in a group which is of so much benefit. And of course there are many ways other than football where this happens.
- Just like when I played jazz trombone in our trad jazz band on the lawn at The Unicorn Theatre barbeque .. among my best memories, ‘ still gives me a tingle!
.. which reminds me. I’ve recently taken up clarinet!
‘anyone want a clarinet or keyboard player in their band?!
The point is joining in is good for us, and science agrees.
Join in, its good for you! – so says Professor Alex Haslam of the University of Exeter, at the recent British Festival of Science.
‘Just came across this on-line article in the Daily Mail – about that old chestnut - the role of money in happiness.
An interesting read – and it happens to refer to Robert Holden’s recent short workshop, The Real More. (See recent posts about Robert Holden’s happiness work)
I’ve just heard mention on the radio that the WHO – World Health Organisation predicts that within the next 20 years, depression will be THE TOP MAJOR health problem in the world economically, socially, and of course personally.
And yet, most developing countries spend less than 2% of their budgets on mental health care.
So here’s a sunflower to cheer us all up!
Mmm – but seriously, its just as well for the emerging field of positive psychology, and the likes of Martin Seligman, Robert Holden (see my recent post), Gerald Jampolsky,
.. oh, and me and you too!!
And it just so happens that today is the UK publication date for Robert Holden’s new book .. Be Happy, for which I have high expectations – being a bit of a fan for his work.
I’m very happy (what else?!) to recommend the work (books, trainings, tapes) of Robert Holden – who in my experience certainly seems to know more than most of ‘the experts’ about success and happiness!
I was lucky enough to attend his famous 8 week ‘Be Happy Now’ training a few years back – and learned so much. I continue to use his approaches and philosophy in my life and work. I see now, that Robert has also just launched an online version of the same course.
There’s plenty of info about this at www.behappy.net
From Alternatives – ‘Robert Holden, Ph.D., is the Director of The Happiness Project and Success Intelligence. His innovative work on happiness and success has been featured on Oprah and Good Morning America, and also in two major BBC TV documentaries. Robert is the author of several books including his latest Be Happy. Listen to Robert talk about the six paradigms of success and how to be truly happy.’
This free mp3 download, courtesy of ‘Alternatives’ at St James, Piccadilly – often a source of much inspiration, is well worth a listen. I did just that on my commute to London .. let me know what you think!
You can download the mp3 file here ..
When I talk with inner-city teachers about the frustration of the education system – or, seemingly against all odds .. the wonder and excitement of a child discovering their previously hidden creativity .. the conversation includes Sir Ken Robinson.
He makes so many good points on this video. Taking just one for anyone who cares about our children’s development, and who believes that the function of school AND parenting is to help a child discover their individual passion – and their capacity for contributing (rather than talking only about their’potential which only emphasises that they’re ‘not there yet’!) .. this is a must see video!
You may well learn nothing new from watching this short video, but you’ll certainly be inspired to take a fresh look at the whole area of learning and personal development – apart from which Ken Robinson has a wonderfully silly sense of humour!
Enjoy!
The results for last weeks’ Dr Richard Wiseman’s happiness survey are in. 26,000 people took part.
Interestingly his team at Hertfordshire University, UK said that 65 % of those recalling a specific happy moment from the day before, (however small) had a boost in happiness, compared to only half of those who just thought about the day’s events.
They further revealed that an act of kindness led to a 9% boost in happiness, while being grateful for an aspect of life led to an 8% rise.
Making an effort to smile and hold it made people 6% happier.
More details are here http://tinyurl.com/o623m4, and here http://www.scienceofhappiness.co.uk/
Of course, to re-call an event is quite different to just thinking about it! To fully re-call, its best to re-present it to yourself through your five senses – as if you were back in the event itself. We can anytime bring up a mind movie - and see, hear, feel, taste, and smell as if we were there again – fully associated into it. Imagine you are the director of your own movie (which of course you are – along with being the star actor, the producer, stage hand, make-up, technician, etc!) As producer, you are able to change the settings for sight, hearing, feeling, etc. With a little experimentation, you will find your own best settings. This is great to practice for enhancing positive memories.
For negative memories, though – its best to dissociate (step out of/see as an observer/see yourself) .. to give yourself some objective distance. Often, but not always moving the image ‘over there’ to the top left quadrant of your visual field will reduce any intensity for negative emotions. And there are many other things you can do to ‘unhook’ unhelpful emotions.
If you’re interested in knowing more – and there’s plenty more to know – I recommend you do some research on ‘nlp submodlities’!
.. and in a little while, I will post a wonderful way to catch and make great use of these little ‘tonic’ moments we have during life!
Phil
This work by www.philreed.co.uk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.
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