Corey’s Story Journey: A New Epiphany
September 30, 2009
Today, in speaking with Annie and Katie on our weekly call to develop my book we dove into some new waters.
My book has started taking on the appearance of a memoir as I change through the process of putting it together. It began as a book very much about the two sides of the brain and combining art and business. But that is such safe territory for me. It’s overly comfortable.
Thankfully, as we are putting this book together, I am also in pretty intense therapy and my aggressive therapist and Annie my aggressive storytelling guide are having an exponential effect on my growth. I’m being challenged in new ways. One of the new ways revolves around growing up.
I’m a 35 year old man who has been trapped in some very old behaviors. The work I have been doing over the last few months really revolves around the process of recognizing those old behaviors, assessing where they came from and then breaking free from them to release myself from old bad habits that are inhibiting my own joy in life.
It feels like a very profound time as I redefine my relationships with my family, with my wife, with my business, with my self. As opposed to being a victim of my past, I am taking control for the first time and the impact has been tremendous. This is the hardest work I have ever done, but I am finally letting go of an imprisoned version of myself and giving birth to a much more powerful me.
How this will affect the book? I’m not sure we know yet. But we have definitely seen and felt that this is a vital piece of my story…more to come.
Annie’s note: I am very excited for Corey’s continued breakthrough into new ground. Corey has had the courage to let the story lead the way, rather than deciding where it should go. This is allowing the real life energy of the true story to come forth. We’re breaking new ground and now with our wonderful third partner Katie, who is our writer, we are developing a great structure for the book. Stay tuned!
Dating Over Fifty, It’s A Jungle Out There
September 29, 2009
I don’t mean to scare you folks but if you’re single and over fifty - IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!
I’m trying not to be paranoid about it. I’m just trying to be real. Dating is a pretty scary endeavor at this age, let’s face it. Somehow the rules have changed from when I was twenty five and no one let me know about it.
Dating at fifty feels more like buying a used car from one of those tacky car salesmen, than shopping at Tiffany’s. And though I’m not really sure what to do about it, whenever I’m in doubt about anything, I tell stories.
So here is another Raw & Real Story about the realities of dating when you’re over fifty. After reading this, you’ll either be really really happy that you’re already married or you’ll want to join a convent or the priesthood if you’re single.
Just kidding. Keep the hope folks. No matter what we must stay open to love, even if the pickin’s are very slim.
So I was having dinner the other night with my niece Devon, her boyfriend Mitchell and my former brother-in-law Jim. Jim was telling us stories about his adventures in dating or not-dating as the case may be. Jim is filing suit with his doctor for negligence in a medical case and he had to call the office to talk to the receptionist and it seems like somewhere along the way, she developed a big crush on him. 
When he finally met her in person, she happens to weigh over 300 pounds. Now I’m not trying to be a weightist here but that is well outside of the normal range. She also has several children who sound like derelicts and an ex-husband who is a former drug addict? I know it sounds like I’m being very judgemental here but I’m pretty sure you would have been thinking the exact same thing if you’d heard the story. To make matters worse, she texts him every day saying things like “Good morning, I hope you’re having a good day!”
Eeek! I wanted to say, “Run Jim run!” But then I got to thinking about my own experiences with dating and realized that mine haven’t been much better. So who am I to tell him what to do? Besides he can’t really cut off contact with her because he needs her to help him get his medical records. So what is a man to do but just receive those strange text messages and do the best with what life is sending his way? There’s no perfect situation after fifty. If he gets ready to marry her however, I will take a stand. My nieces are at stake at that point.
So what are we to do about this crazy world of dating over fifty? I don’t want to say that the pickins are slim, but they really are. Some might believe that anyone who is left unmarried at this point, has a very good reason for being single.
Part of me believes this and has actual evidence to prove it. But part of me doesn’t want to believe it because my own future is at stake. If I believe that the only cars available at this point are the used ones with damage that’s been painted over, then I’m probably not going very far down the road of life right? And if it really is true, then I might as well just head on over to the nunnery right now.
No I’m not going to do that. I’m not going to give in to fear or cynicism just because all the evidence is pointing in this direction. In fact I’m going to do exactly the opposite and line up some dates for myself right now. So here are my picks for this week. Let me know what you think. Don’t just base your choices on appearance though. Looks are deceiving and both of these men are obviously very charming and dashing. See if you can see deeper than that though. Then go ahead and vote.
Put your votes in now for my date of the week:
Will it be Date #1 the Wholesale Shoe Salesman?
Or Date #2 the Former Mr Italian Universe??
It’s a tough choice isn’t it?
But I’m going to leave the choosing up to you. You tell me who to date and why you picked him and I promise to give you the full story of our date raw and real.
Well let’s review our lessons:
- If you’re married, be grateful
- If you’re single, well….get ready.
I hope you’re enjoying the raw and real stories. This is the way life really is and since somebody ought to tell the truth, it might as well be me.
Yours in story,
Annie
Featured Video – The Best Dating Advice
September 29, 2009
Now this is the kind of dating advice that I love. Leave it to a Texas football coach to give us the kind of down home advice that we all need. Enjoy!
The Power of A Good Story to Communicate Effectively
September 25, 2009
I was sitting in the airport this week waiting to get on a plane to Oklahoma, when the desk attendant made an announcement.
In a loud voice he said, “We have to move five to six people to the back of the airplane right away due to weight requirements. We need people to move or your plane is NOT going anywhere.”
Eeek! I looked around the waiting area and everybody looked frozen in place. I knew that I for one wasn’t moving because I had taken special care to get a seat upfront, but as I looked around, it looked like no one else was moving either. Hmm, wonder why no one would want to move?
It’s not that the seats in the back are that unappealing. So what would make the people in the waiting room completely unwilling to go to the counter to change their seats? But before I tell you the answer to this riddle, I’m going to tell you the second part of the story.
Minutes after the first announcement, another desk attendant got up and made a second one. She had a lovely cheery voice and she said, “Good morning everyone. We have a wonderful opportunity for you to have some more space or more leg room in the back of the plane. If you’d like a window or an aisle seat with no one near you, then come up right now and get a good seat. We have room for five or six people to make the change. Again if you’d enjoy some more space on your flight today, come see me now.”
Immediately a handful of people got up and in minutes the plane was ready to load. Hmm, what was the difference in the communication?
Could it be that the power of a good story communicates way more effectively than a chastising command? You betcha.
The first desk attendant reminded us all of our teachers in grade school, our parents, military officers or someone else stern and commanding. And what do we do when we hear that style of communication? We freeze.
The second attendant used the positive power of a good story to communicate interest and generate motivation. People jumped to attention right away because she spoke to what we all want. We all want more room, more space and more comfort. All great marketers know that you need to speak to the benefits. And she did it in a happy uplifted way. She also made a joke out of it and said, “I know I sound like Monty Hall.” And that made us all laugh.
That is the power of a good story to communicate, motivate and inspire. Her words generated internal images, that when sequenced together, moved us towards something good.
The other communication was a story as well. But it was a story that generated uncomfortable feelings and took most of us back to unhappy memories of out past. This type of communication generates breakdowns in action, not motivation.
So when you speak today, think about how you can generate a positive type of communication that moves people towards the benefits. Think of the extra leg room you can provide to those around you by speaking in story in a way that leads people to move forward.
Today, inspire positive action and effective communication through the power of a good story and then be sure to enjoy the flight!
Featured Video: Storytelling Theater
September 20, 2009
One of the ways in which we can use story to faciliate change is to complete our old stories. Ron Olsen (not sure who the heck he is) suggested that when we can complete these old stories, that we have been dragging around, then we can move onto more of our mission and our creative life. Sounds good to me!
Featured Story: Why Baby Boomers Fear Technology
September 17, 2009
Today I got a Facebook message from an old friend who wanted to tune into my Radio Show but didn’t know how to get there. She said “Annie, I’m sorry to be such a lousy techno baby boomer.” This reminded me that folks of our generation are really intimidated by technology.
For a long time I never understood why, I just thought it was my own personal failure. But then I took a Blogging Course, by Bea Fields which taught me about blogging and social media and advanced me more than ten years into the future.
The irony is that after I learned all of this new-fangled stuff, I started talking to other folks of my generation and they looked at me like, “What???” They couldn’t believe I was using Facebook, Twitter, doing a radio show and blogging regularly. Many of my friends and colleagues were still back in the dark ages, where I had been only a few months ago.
That was when I realized that it wasn’t just me who had a terror of technology, it’s all of our generation and here for the very first time is the REAL STORY of Why Baby Boomers Fear Technology.
It has to do with the fact that us Ole’ folk are simple. I don’t mean that we are simple minded, we’re not. We do have the capacity to think complex thoughts. But it’s kind of like this – when we sit down at a typewriter we say, “Ahh.” We feel comfortable because it’s the known world. It’s simple. You tap a few keys and your message comes out.
But when we sit down at a computer we feel “Arrghhh.” You tap a few keys and your message may or may not come out. It all depends on a complex series of factors which we don’t understand. Tap a few keys and all sorts of strange things happen. Then some idiot comes along and says “Hey why don’t you use Facebook or Twitter?” and you just want to go hide in a cave somewhere. Some days it all feels like too much. We wonder, can’t we just go back to the simple life that we were used to?
Remember those days when your phone didn’t have an answering machine? Ahh, the good ole’ days. The days when you did NOT have a cell phone, no pager, no computer, no email, no fax machine. Geez, where have those good days gone? Now we are required to keep up with the Y Generation who honest to goodness have computer chips built into their brains. I swear to God they do, I’m not making this up!
These young chickadees literally have computers glued to their hands. That is how they were born. It’s not only easy for them to navigate technology, it’s impossible for them not to. They don’t know how to cross the street without a GPS system and God forbid they should lose their cell phone. That’s the equivalent of a lobotomy for our generation. The honest story is that they were born with a chip in their brains that makes life appear as one gigantic computer. Everything is easy for them.
So don’t feel bad Ole’ folk. We’re doing pretty good for our generation. In fact if you’re even reading this blog post then you’re not just doing good, you’re doing GREAT! Give yourself credit today for all of the techno-savvy stuff that you have embraced. You have a phone right? And you were able to make your way onto the internet correct?
Ok, that’s enough for now. It’s probably time for you to rest. This techno stuff is tiring. It’s time for our afternoon nap.
Video of the Week: Climb Every Mountain
September 16, 2009
Ah, this beautiful song always makes me teary. Reminds me to keep on trudging even when the mountain gets steep. Let this beautiful song inspire you today.
Corey’s Story Journey: The Radio Show
September 13, 2009
From Corey: Yesterday, I was interviewed on Annie Hart’s radio show and wow – did we fly. Annie and I discussed the creative process we have undergone, highlighting the emotional roller coaster of creation, dealing with the uncomfortable aspects, using creative thinking to overcome obstacles, remaining flexible but committed and more.
Immediate feedback we received was that listeners enjoyed our energy and my business expertise combined with listener Erin Cohen’s perfect phrasing of “Annie’s ability to comfortably encourage you to free your soul.” Annie has an uncanny ability to do so! Next time we’ll need 60 minutes for sure!
Brian also shared, “It was excellent! I appreciate your transparency and authenticity. You and Annie have a special bond, and it’s awesome to hear that.”
From Annie: It was a wonderful show! Corey spoke loud and clear about the challenges of the creative process when you’re trying to open up the stories that are raw and real inside of you. I love working with Corey Blake and I’m very much looking forward to his story coming out fully and shining in the world.
Stay tuned. I’m going to have him back on the show again in the future.
My Story Raw & Real – We Can’t Avoid Life
September 11, 2009
So here’s the lesson coming in loud and clear – We can’t avoid life!
It’s easy to hide, it’s easy to stay in our shell and it’s easy to make other people the source of our problems, but they are not. I’m saying this because part of my old shell has just been cracked open and it was really painful.
It always is, but that doesn’t mean anything is wrong. That is the part that is hardest to understand about these moments.
People have asked me a few times, “Did you see it coming?” It meaning the end of my relationship. That’s an interesting question. Hmm, did I see IT coming? Possibly. But how do you really know what is coming? That’s the hard part.
The hard part was that I was actually trying to avoid this exact pain. I was trying to avoid the pain of getting connected to someone again and then have them leave. I was trying to avoid that because I’ve experienced it many times before and I have some idea that I shouldn’t experience it again.
Note that I say ‘idea’ that I shouldn’t experience it. This means that we really don’t understand life at all. How do I know what I’m meant to experience? I don’t. So did I see it coming? Yes I’ve always seen it coming. But the real question is – Was I meant to avoid it? Was I meant to step out of the way? Or is this exactly what life was meant to bring me? Exactly this and nothing different.
I was cracked open and now what do you see? You see an open egg. That’s exactly the point. Life wanted to open me, but because we are wired to avoid pain, we don’t open easily or willingly, so life needs to crack us open.
Mother nature herself is creator and destroyer. But here’s the beauty – I am alive. And now what you see inside of me is raw and real, just like the soft inside of the egg. I am alive and doing really well. I wouldn’t change a thing about what happened. I needed to learn something and experience something. My prayer every day is that I learn whatever it is and then I take it out to help others.
I have dedicated an entire week to writing these stories raw and real. I hope you’ll stay with me on the journey and I hope that they touch and inspire you. Please feel free to comment on the blog.
Yours in story,
Annie
Corey’s Story Adventure – Team Hard at Work
September 10, 2009
Today I got my ass kicked. Annie took on more of the directorial role and pushed me to dive into some new areas. We explored my producer side and where it was really born – which was in the world of catering of all things! My work at Universal Studios Theme Park was a launching pad for leading people and inspiring them to bring their best to the game.
We also explored more about Elevation 9000 films, the film company I led back in early 2000. I had the wonderful and joyous experience of describing all the members of our company – there were 9 of us, such bright and shining personalities.
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Fro, the Egyptian Stoner
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Brad, my big bear sidekick who looked like he should be a country music star
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Christina, the beautiful no holds bar Texas tornado
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Cambria, the part time nurse who could act up a storm when she got rolling, but never quite had the confidence in herself
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John, the older, wiser business owner of the group. Chris, the religious conservative Hawaiian who was a teacher at the school we all went to
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Lisa, the woman I desperately loved against my better judgment
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Ward, we called him The KID
This was my family for a year and half. What a gift to revisit what I loved about each of them. What a shame that we crumbled to pieces. Life, like the storytelling process, is a roller coaster ride!
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