The Tao of Hollywood – Success Clues From the Movies
From time to time I am asked what makes a ‘spiritual’ movie? I would love to hear from anyone who can offer an answer. Until then I hope this will do. For all of us learning to generate magical lives, do movies reveal a clue?
If the primary reason we are here in the first place is to remember who we are; to ourselves, to each other, to the whole She-bang, then maybe it is our destiny, I hope, to understand and achieve success. To learn to consciously create it. So I am always alert for tips.
Here then, some clues to enlightenment I found in the dark. Read more
The Tao of Hollywood – The Secret of Subtext
To an actor or director, subtext is a word for all the unspoken thoughts, feelings and motivations a performer brings to her role. Subtext is always unspoken, yet it is the most eloquent aspect of an actor’s performance coloring every speech and action. But subtext is not to be found in the script. It comes from the actor’s unique interpretation of the story, mined from personal memory, life experience, and imagination. That is why the same script or play can be performed again and again by different actors and still remain fresh.
A musician calls his fiancee from a tour date on the road. “I love you” he declares to her. Does he say it with his full attention, or with one eye on online poker? Is he planning a date downstairs in the bar? Is he wanting to flirt with her, provoke her, or rush her off the phone? The same words can be said with an infinite variety of intentions.
The subtext always expresses our deeper motivations, the ‘under the table’ and subconscious intentions that truly run our lives. This is the level of communication we sense when we are ‘reading between the lines’.
Just as the characters in a movie know very little about the underlying intentions that drive them, we don’t generally start out aware of the power of our own subtexts in our lives, sometimes turning to personal growth or spirituality to seek understanding.
We soon learn by experience that even small changes to our inner lives changes our life stories as well.
Inscribed on a small bronze sculpture of a writer’s pencil that sits on my table are the words of Jean Renoir, the great French movie director and son of Pierre Auguste. ‘One only ever makes one film in his life’ said Renoir. I believe that is as true in life as it is in movie-making. It is a reference to the power of subtext.
Without the ability to discover and change our personal beliefs, feelings and conditioned thinking, we repeat and respond to every experience life offers us from the same set of intentions. Nothing ever changes. Fortunately one of the gifts of the spiritual journey is the power to become ever more conscious.
Here is some technique I practice.
Pay attention to what you are feeling. Listen to your thoughts, and beliefs. Notice if what you are thinking is original with you, or part of conventional wisdom and hand-me-down thinking. Even though I was raised in a small village in Northern Quebec, both my parents loved and admired the American President Kennedy. No surprise that at ten years old I was already identifying as a proud Democrat, never mind that I knew nothing of politics, and, oh, yeah, we were all Canadians. That’s a hand-me-down choice.
Hollywood producer and life success trainer Barnet Bain has earned a reputation for celebrating the human spirit in films including The Celestine Prophecy, What Dreams May Come, Jesus, Homeless to Harvard. Upcoming productions are Richard Bach’s Illusions and Milton’s Secret by Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman. Barnet’s latest, The Lost and Found Family is now available at your local video store. To inquire about inviting Barnet to speak at your next event, contact The Tao of Hollywood at (323) 656-8829.
Tao of Hollywood – All the World is a Stage
By Barnet Bain
I hope you had a beautiful holiday season celebrating the past and future, and connecting with loved ones.
You might have noticed a lot more stress in the world, and maybe also a few more challenges for each of us to handle personally. By now you know there is a shift happening. We are at a crossroads moving from one ‘operating system’ of reality to another more expansive one.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily…life is but a dream.
Imagine that you’re experiencing a night dream. You are walking on the sidewalk of a busy street after a heavy rain. Suddenly a bus comes along. The bus slams into a pothole sending a cold sheet of mud and water flying your way. How are you feeling? You are drenched to the bone, filthy and cold. Maybe you were rushing to an appointment. You might even believe the blankety-blank bus driver soaked you on purpose. That’s when the alarm goes off and you wake up in your bed.
From this awakened perspective you say with relief that it was just a dream. But let’s look a little further. What do we know now?
YOU were the dreamer who dreamed the story. YOU were the unfortunate character who got soaked. YOU dreamed the bus driver. The streets are YOU. The bus is YOU. The pot hole and puddle, all YOU as well.
You were the director of the dream. You wrote the script and played all the parts. You chose to stage the story one way, and not another.
From the limited perspective of the walker who got soaked, life is one thing. From the more expanded perspective of the awakened dreamer it is something else. We create it all.
The most important key to reducing the stress begins with accepting that we each write the script of our lives completely. We always have.
To explore this idea a little deeper, WRITE OUT two or three areas of success, or joy in your life worthy of celebration. For example, maybe you have created a beautiful and intimate relationship with a soul-mate, or achieved a promotion at work or won a Golden Globe!
Next ask yourself, “What would someone have to believe or feel about herself in order to dream this success?”
Then write down two or three areas of failure or disappointment, and ask yourself the same question.
Read full interview with Barnet Bain.
Additional insights and stories from Barnet Bain:
Hollywood producer Barnet Bain has earned a reputation for celebrating the human spirit in films including The Celestine Prophecy, What Dreams May Come, Jesus, Homeless to Harvard. Upcoming productions are Richard Bach’s Illusions and Milton’s Secret by Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman. Barnet’s latest, The Lost and Found Family is now available at your local video store. To inquire about inviting Barnet to speak at your next event, contact The Tao of Hollywood at (323) 656-8829.
Tao of Hollywood–Drama
By Barnet Bain
I’m so happy to be writing this for you today, the first appearance of “The Tao of Hollywood” on Find Bliss. And what better way to start the New Year than by talking about spirituality, a topic that I love to discuss more than anything in the world. Along the way I’ll be looking forward to sharing some of my own journey with you, in addition to many of the incredible tools and resources I’ve gathered along the way.
Drama. What is drama anyway? In the language of entertainment, drama is conflict. It’s what happens when one character’s set of hot-button adrenaline charged themes, beliefs or values comes into direct opposition with somebody else’s tightly held and equally charged themes, beliefs or agendas.
The primary ‘player’ in dramas, the one with a vested position to protect is usually the ego. The ego always tries to protect its noble opinion of itself, its position as ‘opinionator in chief.’
I’ve been wondering why we tend to remember big dramas more often than the pleasant stories, and I think this is just as true in life as it is in the movies. Pleasant stories get a bad rap in our world. How often do we hear the words ‘chick flick’, or ‘soft’, or ‘lifetime weepie’ used as a form of put down? It’s code for unmanly entertainment. In fact, we can easily become addicted to our drama. Conflict dumps cortisol, adrenaline, and God knows what else into the blood stream.
So why do we tend to obsess on drama, focusing relatively less attention on the flowing, pleasant experiences of life, those devoid of rife and conflict? If this question rings true for you, and it’s a situation you’d like to change, here is a helpful technique.
WRITE OUT one or two dramas from your past. Look for the distressing stuff, things you find yourself remembering obsessively over and over again even though the incident itself may be water long under the bridge. Maybe there’s a theme that’s tended to repeat itself with other players in other situations over the years. For example I once had an old business relationship that came to an end after a lot of drama. Years later I was still reviewing it over and over in my thoughts. At last I understood I was hooked on the ego rush of righteousness and nobility.
The next step is to write down an inventory of your pleasant experiences. You may find yourself recalling memories you’d almost forgotten. Take note of how it feels to remember them.
Finally each time you catch yourself replaying or caught up in drama, remember to make a conscious choice to revisit and respect the pleasant, beautiful experiences of your life.
Hollywood producer Barnet Bain has earned a reputation for celebrating the human spirit in films including The Celestine Prophecy, What Dreams May Come, Jesus, Homeless to Harvard. Upcoming productions are Richard Bach’s Illusions and Milton’s Secret by Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman. Barnet’s latest, The Lost and Found Family is now available at your local video store.
To inquire about inviting Barnet to speak at your next event, contact The Tao of Hollywood at (323) 656-8829.
Meditation: Self Awareness and Mindfulness
In her book, “Why am I Eating This? 7 Steps to Retrain your Mind about Food,” author Sandy Robertson teaches us how to approach food in a new way. Part of the process is practicing meditation and positive self-talk. We’ve pulled this meditation on self-awarenes and mindfulness for you. Enjoy!
“Take a breath. Take another breath. From a quiet space, try to imagine that you have everything you need: all is perfect in your life. There is a need to push, to cajole, to struggle, to manipulate, to want. From this perfect place, imagine there is a sumptuous buffet in front of you. Everything you can imagine is there: all types, varieties, shapes, and sizes of the best food on earth, emitting delectable aromas. You are given a plate. People will serve you. How much will you choose? How much food do you really want, when you have everything you need, on all levels? You have enough to nourish your body right now. You don’t need to worry about the next meal because you know you will be provided for; see yourself taking just enough, but not too much food. Feel the feeling of satisfaction knowing that you have all the nourishment you need.”
Meditation: Self Talk
In her book, “Why am I Eating This? 7 Steps to Retrain your Mind about Food,” author Sandy Robertson teaches us how to approach food in a new way. Part of the process is practicing meditation. We’ve pulled this meditation on gratitude for you. Enjoy!
“Breathe in and breathe out; breathe in and breathe out. Take in your surroundings and feel at peace. Feel a sense of calmness and security, knowing that you have what it takes to manage your self talk, moment by moment. See yourself taking the time to pause and contemplate and to say positive, affirming statements to yourself when you are making choices around food. Know that by remembering to congratulate yourself on your successes, one step at a time, you are building a foundation for further success, enhancing your self-confidence and self-esteem.”
With a background in nursing, wellness and fitness, Sandy Robertson, RN, MSN has been launching behavior change programs in corporate and hospital settings for over twenty-five years. She has counseled hundreds of individuals and conducted weight loss classes for thousands. Her extensive professional experience has revealed that losing weight is significantly impacted by the psychology of eating.
Caring For Your Creativity
I once had a big, life-changing idea that was as bright as a butterfly.
Within days, I felt its wings sag, the momentum drop. What happened?
Negative feedback.
I am finding it important to match the feedback I need with the right
person. There are well meaning people everywhere that can crush a delicate,
new thought without realizing the damage they are doing. If you are like me,
at the beginning phases of creativity it’s best to seek out only the
gentlest witnesses.
About my bright idea? I’m back on track starting this month, I promise.
Do you treat your good ideas like the fragile and beautiful creatures they
are?
This Bliss Tip provided by Jean Franzblau
It’s About Time
My clients often share their challenges with their busy lives, not getting enough done, not having enough time, arriving late to appointments and feeling frustrated in the process.
Albert Einstein’s Relatively Theory demonstrates that our relationship to time is subjective. I am sure that you have experienced a fun party or vacation that seemed to fly by, or sitting in grid-lock traffic that seemed to last forever. So if time is subjective, that gives us a wonderful opportunity to shift our relationship with it.
In the same way you have relationships with people in your life, you also have a relationship with time. While this relationship is inside your subjective experience, it is a relationship nonetheless. Cultivating it as you would other relationships, can be transformational. Ask yourself if this relationship needs attention. Do you and Time get along? Do you have fun? Does Time support you? Do you argue? Are you in conflict? Is there something you want from Time that you are not getting? Consider your relationship with Time. If it’s a relationship you’d like to improve consider the following invitation…
Practice:
1. Get together and re-connect with Time this week. Invite time to sit down for a heart-to-heart conversation. This is best done taking some private time, perhaps over lunch or a latte (in a private place). Sit down and invite Time to sit across from you (have an empty seat available).
2. Welcome Time, as you would any other friend and let him know how you’re feeling. Share, ask questions, etc.
3. When it feels right, switch to the other chair and allow Time to respond to your questions and comments.
4. I encourage both of you to be authentic (this is so important). As you know with your other relationships, authentic expression is an effective way to communicate and resolve conflict. Ask yourself if there is an opportunity to be even more authentic in your conversation, and adjust accordingly.
5. Let Time really know how you feel, what you need or want, etc. And listen to what Time has to say. Really listen. Go back and forth, from chair to chair continuing the dialogue.
6. Take your ‘time’ and do your best to work things out and come to a healthier resolution of how you want to be together. Discuss the kind of relationship you want to have and ask Time to support you in that.
7. If the two of you aren’t able to come to a supportive, healthier way to interact, then simply agree to meet again to continue the conversation.
8. Journal about your experience, particularly the insights, outcome or new actions to take.
In days and weeks after the conversation notice if anything has shifted. Continue to engage with Time in a healthy way, re-connecting, talking, sharing your needs, listening to his, etc. Go for a walk with Time, let him ride shot-gun on your way to work. Treat him to a latte or write him a letter. Allow your relationship to continue to cultivate.
Dr. Cindy Lou Golin is a Life Coach with over 15 years of experience in the field of personal growth, offering an eclectic and expansive repertoire of personal growth techniques. In addition to working with clients over the phone, she has private practices in both L.A. and Miami Beach. She has a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology, Master’s degrees in Counseling Psychology and Spiritual Psychology, as well as graduate certificates in Clinical Psychology, Creative Expression, Soul-Centered Leadership, and Spiritual Guidance. In addition to Life Coaching, Dr. Golin facilitates workshops and corporate trainings, teaches graduate school courses, is a business coach, certified Fire Walk instructor and is founder of Reel Discovery, a program that teaches and facilitates the process of movie-going as a personal growth practice. For more information visit www.cindylougolin.com
Heartfelt Dreams and Desires as an Avenue to Personal Development
Some of us may have learned that desires can be unhealthy or distracting, and many of us may have experienced the upsets of becoming too attached. Some of us may have even learned that attachment is unhealthy. And while there is wisdom in being unattached, there is also wisdom in our innate tendency to attach or desire. I want to suggest that when we really feel into and uncover our heartfelt dreams and desires they can lead us down a path to personal and spiritual development. You can use your desires to pick up the pace on the road to enlightenment.
Whether your deepest heartfelt dream is for a red-convertible or greater inner-peace, you can leverage the energy of that desire to propel your evolution. Read more
A Healthy Serving of Gratitude: 3 Recipes to Nourish Your Soul
