Tweet

Get Inspired: Silence Your Cell Phone

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Article Overview: We're blessed to be able to spend some of the winter in our second home in California, and here, it's time for the Palm Springs Film Festival. There are few indoor activities as fun as watching movies (I didn't say there were none), and we often think of early January as "cinema season." And for those seeking inspiration, the movie theater may be just the place....

Get Inspired: Silence Your Cell Phone

Watch Out For Rants, But Movies Can Really Inspire We're blessed to be able to spend some of the winter in our second home in California, and here, it's time for the Palm Springs Film Festival. There are few indoor activities as fun as watching movies (I didn't say there were none), and we often think of early January as "cinema season." And for those seeking inspiration, the movie theater may be just the place.

These days, it's a sad fact (to my way of thinking) that the terms "Hollywood" and "liberal" are often mentioned almost synonymously; certainly, the entertainment industry - from the TV in every home to the big screen at the theater - has been overrun by people who insist on embedding left-leaning messages in almost every show we watch. They pepper "Avatar" with global-warming alarmism... They use the bad guys in "The Sum Of All Fears" to continue pushing the popular myth that "Naziism" is "right-wing"... they teach young adults to expect a roommate-based society (and economy), even as professionals, in "Just Go With It." So you have to balance your mental diet (with things like books and internet research) to ensure your values are strong enough to look past the embedded propaganda. But if you can do that, thanks to the eternal human love for a good story (and the commercial demand that love creates), you can still find great inspiration at the movie house.

Even in the most blatantly-liberal movies, you can find something to appreciate. Who doesn't love the amazing effects in "Avatar?" "The Sum Of All Fears" is a gripping roller-coaster-ride of tension and action, and the love stories in "Just Go With It" (as well as some of the performances) can lift your spirits. The fact is, there's an Entrepreneur and a Victim inside each of us, as I've said and written many times... and you'll be dominated by whichever side of your nature you feed most. In every movie, your inner Victim will find nourishment (if you let it)... but so will your inner Entrepreneur.

We saw two movies yesterday that both offered a feast of inspiration for my inner Entrepreneur. Because such a feast is out there, available for the ("How much? Really?" ) price of a theater admission, I certainly recommend looking for inspiration at the movies. My clients, many of whom are striving to become more inspirational as leaders, could take a good lesson from many of the stories you'll find on the big screen.

I loved the inspiring story in "We Bought A Zoo." Matt Damon plays a widower and father of two, and his family needs a new start. As the story suggests, they buy a zoo, and Damon's character has to learn what all business owners have to learn: how to perservere with courage when times are tough. The movie is mostly about the relationships; it's almost an afterthought that Damon's character, a guy who's always been a newspaper writer, has suddenly made the huge decision to own a business. But since that's a major part of the wonderful story, it can't be hidden or deleted, and it's there for the nourishment of your inner Entrepreneur.

And "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" is a wonderful example of teamwork. I won't spoil it for you, but the themes of courage and risk-taking are huge in that flick, and your inner Entrepreneur will love it. Be advised, this one's a LOT more violent than "Zoo," as you'd expect... but it's a good movie wherein you can find inspiration.

So get to the theater this winter, and don't leave until you find something inspiring. Talk to your date or buddy about the themes you saw, and how they affected you. It's an election year, and a lot of what you'll see in the real-world of infotainment will depress you, and seek to draw out your inner Victim. You need all the inspiration you can get, even if it costs you twelve bucks a ticket and forces you to turn off that dang cell phone for a couple hours.

Related Articles
  Mobile Manners – Cell Phone Etiquette Tips From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  Mobile Call Forwarding
  Ten Tips for Cell Phone Courtesy
  TAKING THE POWER BACK
  Sales Training Ideas on Mobile Cell Phone Use
  Who Invented the Cell Phone
  Saving Money on your Monthly Bills
  Are Cell Phone Insurance Plans Worth It?
  Why I No Longer Have a Cell Phone
  Shut Up, Put Up, and Get Some Quiet Back
  The Top 3 Tips before you purchase your cell phone headset
  Decline of Landline Phones
  The role of kids in their first cell phone purchase decision making process
  No Shoes - No Wi-Fi – No Cell service
  “ Increased, Irritating, Invasive, Inconsiderate, Insensitive, Interruptions of Cell Phones and Their Users”
  A Bit About SMS Messaging
  Cell Phone Etiquette
  Cell Phones And Answering Services
  After you ask for the business..... SHUT UP!
  Your Company's Overlooked Representative

Article Tags: entrepreneurship, health wealth and happiness, inspirational leadership, personal responsibility



Related Forum Posts
How do i answer the phone? - I learned this technique from a successful businessman who earns over a million dollars a year. He just uses his name like this... Phone rings... " This is Dwayne..." It kind of throws people off who have a preplanned script and gets right into it. Phone rings... " This is Dwayne..." No Hello, no good morning/afternoon/evening Phone rings... "This is Dwayne..."
Re: Can you read body language and convert it into a sale? - I can definitely read their mood by how they speak on the phone. You can usually also tell by the way they respond to the things you are saying. Phone sales aren't as easy as when you see them in person, but I still believe their tone can tell a lot.
Re: Making Money in 2010 - What's Next? - Mobile contents will sell more this year. Cell phones are now replacing our laptops and PC. You can do virtually all thing you do on your pc on your cell phone now or smart phone.
Re: America's 9 Most Stolen Products - Hey Evan, I'm pretty surprised by some of the items on the list. Cell phones and small electronic gadgets are the normal items to get stolen in my area that I hear about. Food, especially meat and stuff, seems odd, but the reasons are understandable as Michelle pointed out. Meat is rather expensive these days, and I'm sure many have a hard time affording the meat they would really like to have. Those excuses are hilarious.
Re: Can you read body language and convert it into a sale? - [quote="mbrand2222":3738chdj]I can definitely read their mood by how they speak on the phone. You can usually also tell by the way they respond to the things you are saying. Phone sales aren't as easy as when you see them in person, but I still believe their tone can tell a lot.[/quote:3738chdj] Hi Mary, Would you have a specific example you could share with us on how you cab turn an unfriendly tone (from a client) into a positive one or even a sale?


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

How To Be A Management Legend

Selling On Ebay The Good The Bad And The Ugly

Hypotheticals, Scenarios and Foresight

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.