The other night, Lisa and I were flipping through the channels on the television, and of all places, we ended up on MTV.
Definitely not the typical station that a couple of 40+ year-olds spend time viewing.
But on this particular night, we couldn’t click away.
They were airing a show called “If You Knew Me” that depicts an educational program for teens called Challenge Day.
The people who host the Challenge Day program travel across the country, offering it in various schools.
As we watched, I immediately remembered a few years back, when our daughter Kaitlynn told us about it.
She told Lisa and I about it after attending the program at her own school.
And though I listened as Kaitlynn told us all about the experience, it was difficult for me to relate.
Why?
Because this is the kind of thing that you have to experience for yourself.
After watching the video, you know what I’m talking about.
And the same is true for what I do.
When I write emails or blog posts and talk with people like yourself about things like:
Getting paid REALLY well for doing what you love.
Being in complete control of your time.
Enjoying every minute of every day.
When I write about these things, people have a hard time relating.
Because they aren’t able to experience it for themselves.
But…
When they participate on one of my phone seminars, it’s a whole different story. Because now they’re able to hear the inflexion in my voice as I share incredibly personal stories.
And as they listen, they’re able to experience what it’s like to have this kind of life.
Because I’m able to communicate and connect with them on a deep emotional level.
Similar to what goes on in the Challenge Days.
And let me tell you, that’s some POWERFUL stuff.
Wouldn’t it be great if more people made an effort to connect, the way these kids connected in this video.
What kind of difference do you think that would make in this world?
Dedicated to your success,
Kevin Thompson
“The Automatic Income Coach”
Wow! what an opportunity for all those involved. What insight for those that put the program together. It will make a difference in their lives. Isn’t that what this life is about, making connections that matter?
When people just take time to think about others and consider that they have their own lives, challenges, disappointments and joys, we treat them differently. This is a great example of what I’m trying to do in my book for families. These people are making a difference in the lives of a generation that desperately needs to come out of itself and see others as unique and wonderful individuals.
Hi Kevin,
More schools should be doing this Challenge Day, it is really good to get kids or teens out of their comfort zone, but they need some trust in their newfound friends and I believe this school had the right idea.
Sharing feelings is one of the best ways to do this, it makes people relate to each other in a good way and can better understand that we are all people with some form of problem. We all have skeletons in the closet and they need to be aired out from time to time, this is a great way to do that!
These teens have right now a definite advantage in connecting and understanding peoples problems and will fair better in the world than others who have not had advantages of this nature. Just my feeling!
Kevin
Wonderful story…..thank you for making it available. I wish this experience could be available to the inner city kids in Chicago. They are killing each other with guns over drugs and turf. It would be a story that someone could write a book about.
Wayne Olson
Chicago suburbs
DEAR KEVIN
I CAN RELATE AND KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE LIKE MY FAMILY MOVED HERE TO UTAH BACK IN THE FORTYS EVEN ONE OF THE TEACHERS WAS PREJUDICE MY FAMILY CAME FROM EUROPE IN THE 1800 AND WE ARE NOT DARK COMPLEXION AS A MATTER OF FACT MY HAIR WAS WHITE WHEN I WAS BORN AND FOUR OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WERE BLOND AND BLUE EYED
“GOD SAID” LOVE THEY NEIGHBOR AS THEY SELF
MARY MARTINEZ
To know people whom you interact with, almost everyday, is essential to everyone’s welfare. I would say that almost all of us put a certain facade or to cover something to make us look admirable or desirable. Putting all these barriers aside and reveal your real self will make others understand your apparent actions and make them more understanding, tolerant and even kinder, thus minimize or even eliminate toxic environment. With harmony and unity among each other, we can enjoy our lives with happiness, joy and prosperity.
I guess my connection is bad, the video I watched was……. People of an “Victim State” wallowing in their victim hood. I was fat so I lived on diet pills, EVERYONE except me is prejudice, etc. The only one interviewed that really deserved pity and compassion is the poor girl that lost her Father.
I thought this was going to be people facing their demons, stepping out of their comfort zone…Achieving…. whether it’s the fat girl that runs an 5 minute mile, the dorky, wimpy guy getting a date for the first time or an underprivileged kid starting an unique after school business that will pay him way more than an job while he attends College.
Any of that would be life affirming and news worthy. YES I understand completely well what the clip is supposed to be about to anyone “Out in Touchy Feelie land” And no, I wasn’t loved enough as an child and Yes I was an outcast like the losers on the video, then I GREW up and grew “a SET”. John MFN McGraw
What an incredible waste of time. So he was a fat kid and used diet pills… so her father died…she was picked on in middle school. That’s too bad.
Getting in touch with our feelings is one thing, this mass catharsis is completely pointless. It’s called life. You just deal with it, suck it up and drive on.
Well, Kev, you asked what we thought of John’s post. While what he wrote in his post actually compelled me to watch the video (I couldn’t watch it earlier on my iPad ’cause it’s Flash), after watching it, I’m surprised at his response.
What those kids were describing were challenges in their lives that they HAD over come. They were personal challenges that, when shared, allowed others to see them as a real person rather than simply as a human being who floats across your perception occasionally. One of the greatest challenges of our time–with instant access, easy travel, and widespread disillusion–is that we lose the perspective of others as human.
…and that seems to be what “Challenge Day” delivers.
Deep hurt often causes one to lash out at others who are making a change…
I think you have a great point. I was excited that they found a way for the people to step outside of themselves and begin talking to each other and recognize that everyone has problems, challenges, etc. That’s the first step of recognition. Unfortunately that is where it seemed to stop. Now they seem to all be stuck in the poor me soup. Now where are the role models and empowerment to step out of victimhood and into self empowerment and achievement. That would be amazing!
Hey Kevin
we need at least one person in our life who believes in us,
when we got it We can bring a happy ending to any story when
we choose to do so.
Nice to see that some people care ..
Most people as I see it and many do , that no one gives a rats a** about anyone else.
If you have a problem , you think someone cares??
Very few mostly your close relatives and maybe some friends –everyone is caught up in their very busy stressful lives and don’t have time for anyone elses worries, cares or help that someone else needs..
The things we experience in our life are neither good or bad (yes, some more painful than others). What do you do with the information? That is the question. My childhood challenges are clearly some of the very core things that direct my desires as an adult. How those traumas can define our lifes course is directly related to what we do with the information.
Being vulnerable is never comfortable….
It seems to me that this is a good example of the 12 blind men giving their impressions after an initial interaction with an elephant — feel the tail and describe elephant as a rope, feel the side and describe it as a wall etc. etc. We saw only a tiny fraction of the experience the students had that day so reactions are potentialy distorted. We take this tiny bit of information, put it into the context of our own personal life experience to date and come up with conclusions that vary greatly. If a person has had the opportunity to experience a workshop similar to what these students were experiencing their reaction would be quite different from one who has not been in an environment that encouraged this type of interaction.
I am sure that if I had the opportunity to interact directly with John in a more extensive and direct manner I could understand and appreciate his point of view. So far I only have a tiny snapshot which does not give me much to go on.
I think he has a point to a point. People need to take responsibility for themselves. However there needs to be compassion and caring for others and try to understand them.
Hey, I’m on Perry Marshall’s email list. He sent one today that is an politically incorrect masterpiece but an little more put together than my last comment and it needs to be shared. Click this link (permission granted by Mr. Marshall himself) http://www.perrymarshall.com/for-against [may have to copy and paste in your browser]
Dear Kevin,
I rarely watch TV hence, I am ignorant of this program, but after watching the clip, I realize that almost everyone can relate and understand someone after a really good communication…with someone sharing and the other listening.