Some people are great at making decisions. It’s like it’s in their DNA. I, unfortunately, wasn’t born with any of that DNA — not even a shred :-). I remember going to a Mexican restaurant in Oklahoma with my grandparents when I was about 7 years old and being asked to choose something to eat from the menu. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the task. “Do I get a taco, or a tostada?” I thought. “… but wait, I love taco salads, or I could get a burrito… or maybe a taco anda burrito…” Even making a simple decision about what to eat for lunch was very stressful for me.
That was a long time ago, but through the years it hasn’t really gotten much easier. To this day it’s still challenging for me to order off a restaurant menu. When I’m faced with choices that I view as being “even bigger” though, it can take weeks or even months to make a final decision.
Two weeks ago, my 1997 Mazda Miata overheated and started running really rough. I pulled over and saw water streaming out of the engine and right there I decided I was going to drop the car off at the first auto repair shop I came to: “Dad and Me Auto”. I dropped the keys and my phone number in their mail slot and took the bus home. I got a call the next day from Eugene, the shop owner, with the news: “You’ve got a busted head gasket and maybe a cracked head. It will cost at least $1,100.” Unsure of what to do, I decided to sleep on it.
That same day I started asking everyone who knows anything about cars their opinion. Each time I thought I had made a final decision about what to do, something else I hadn’t thought of would come up and change my mind. I created cost estimate estimate spreadsheets, meditated on it, prayed about it and finally, today, I decided to act on it. I jumped on the bus and headed back over to “Dad and Me,” determined to pay for the diagnostic work on my car and to take it to my friend’s mechanic who quoted me $2,600 to install a used engine. Was I completely convinced that this was the best decision? Not really, but I was completely convinced that it was time to do something.
And then I was hit with another curve ball. When I arrived at the shop and told Eugene what I had decided to do, he offered me an even better deal: $2,500 to install a brand-new engine! My intuition had always told me that Eugene was a good guy, and so, my decision was final.
I can’t wait to be cruising to the beach with the top down in my ‘new’ car! This whole situation has been really enlightening. The next time I’m confronted with a “really big” decision I’m going to try to remember:
Consider all the options; know there are more. No matter what the circumstances, there are always, always, always, always possibilities that we will never consider. As unlikely as it may seem, the options really are always limitless.
Open up; communicate.
Rather than confronting the situation head-on, I avoided certain phone calls and delayed returning others while I gave myself more time to decide. Two weeks could have been shortened to two days if I had been open to communication from the start.
Don’t try to “figure it all out.” In the end, the best solution to my problem was something I had never even considered — and that’s how it usually is.
Do something…
… even if you’re not 100% convinced that it’s the “right” something. A moment or two of reflection is always appropriate, but then, it’s time to move. I got on the bus.
As for my problem with ordering at restaurants, I still don’t have a solution for that, but if you have any suggestions, I’m all ears!
Back before it was known around the world, while checking my gmail one day I saw a Google ad for a new documentary called “The Secret.” At first glance I was intrigued and as soon as I got the chance I purchased and watched the film online. Like so many others, I immediately identified with its message and wanted to share it with everyone possible, including Oprah Winfrey.
In September of 2006 I sent an email to the producers of Oprah’s show through Oprah.com introducing them to “The Secret” and urging them to check it out and do a show about it. After a little searching I saw a posting on a message board where a group of people were using the “Law of Attraction” to manifest an appearance of “The Secret” on Oprah.
Months and months went by without any word or reply from anyone at Oprah.com until one day I heard the news. An entire show about “The Secret” was set to air on Oprah on February 8th, 2007.
For years I’ve often wondered if my email to Oprah had any effect on the outcome of this story. Energetically, I have no doubt that everyone’s emails, thoughts, visualizations and affirmations absolutely had everything to do with this show being produced. However, just today, while searching for something unrelated on Google, I discovered the true catalyst to this manifestation at SuzanneWhang.com — and it’s inspiring! Enjoy!
BREAKING NEWS, 2/5/07!
I’ve got an amazing story to tell you, but the first thing you should know is to tape or Tivo “Oprah” this Thursday, February 8th!
Here’s the cliff notes version of my story:
1) I watched an amazing film called “The Secret,” which is a documentary about the Law of Attraction in quantum physics. I loved it so much, that I spent $3,000 on 100 copies of the DVD to distribute to my family and friends. On October 19th, I also sent the DVD to Oprah Winfrey along with a passionate letter about the film. (If you haven’t seen it or have no idea what I’m talking about, go to www.thesecret.tv to learn more.)
2) On December 4th, Libby Moore, Oprah’s chief executive, called me to tell me that she got my package. She had just seen the film over the weekend and loved it so much, she had to call me. She said she never ever calls people who send mail to Oprah because of the sheer volume of mail that Oprah receives every day. She also said that I’m the first person to send Oprah “The Secret,” and that Oprah hadn’t seen the film yet. She said they were leaving for South Africa for 6 weeks, and she would bring the DVD along and make sure that Oprah watched it.
3) Just over six weeks later, I found out that Oprah was going to be taping a show all about “The Secret” on January 31st. Wow! I called Libby Moore and left messages for her, asking to come and be in the audience for that show. As of January 29th I hadn’t heard back from her, so I booked a flight and a hotel in Chicago for the next day, with total faith that there would be a seat in the audience with my name on it. (I found out later that Oprah gets 6,000 requests per day for audience tickets.)
4) Not only did I get a 2nd row center seat in the audience, I also ended up having dinner with all the panelists from “The Secret” the night before the taping! The show was amazing, and then there was a taping of “Oprah After The Show” for the Oxygen network. During the after-show taping, I got to tell Oprah my whole story, and she confirmed that I was the first person to send her “The Secret”! I also got to have my photo taken with Oprah on stage after the taping was over!
5) Several months ago I scotch taped a photo of myself next to a photo of Oprah and put it in my magical creation box (one of the techniques of consciously using the Law of Attraction), and now I’m going to have an actual photo to replace it!
6) To me, this story is evidence of the power of the Law of Attraction. I’m so glad that I sent this film to Oprah! Television is the most powerful medium in the world, Oprah is the most powerful person on television, and The Secret is the most powerful DVD I’ve seen. It’s so exciting to me that the consciousness of this entire planet is going to raise exponentially on February 8th!!!
7) I have never in my life booked a flight and a hotel across the country with absolutely no invitation in place. But I was absolutely sure that there would be a seat in the audience with my name on it. I had unshakeable faith in that. My intention was pure and clear. I knew what a momentous occasion it was going to be, and I had to be there for it!
8) One of the quotes from “The Secret” is, “When you have inspired thought, you have to trust it and act on it.” That’s what my whole story with Oprah has been!”
Wake UP!TV is in search of the hottest undiscovered talent in Los Angeles for a unique opportunity - the chance to share their gift with an audience of millions of viewers and inspire people around the world to explore their passion for the performing arts.
Our Mission
Wake UP!TV is a producer of content specifically designed to inspire people to think outside the box and focus on what brings them joy. This opportunity is specifically intended to:
entertain and inspire audiences to explore their passion for the performing arts and
provide a low-cost, high-quality service to help artists promote and market their talent.
Our Audience and Reach
The potential number of views for a performance on Wake UP!TVexceeds 7 million total views.
Wake UP! TV Performances will be viewable LIVE on the day of taping via the wakeupTV.com web portal where it will also be archived in high quality and promoted virally via Wake UP!TV’s social networks.
Stickam.com We’ve partnered with Stickam.com to feature all LIVE performances on their community homepage during the day of taping. LIVE tapings can easily exceed 60,000 total web views.
Charter Cable CH 32 Performances will all be aired on Television as part of the daily program line-up of Charter Cable Channel 32 in Pasadena, CA.
Transit TV Finally, pending final network approval, performances may air for one-week on Transit TV to over 1.2 million riders per day on the LA Metro system.
What to Expect
Performers will be given a call time and upon arrival provided with the services of a professional makeup artist for TV. Just prior to taping approximately 10 minutes will be allotted for setup and sound check. Four camera operators will capture footage which will be mixed in real-time by our director and technical director from the control room. The host of Wake UP!TV, Ryan Ray will introduce and briefly interview performers on the set in front of a very small LIVE studio audience. Performances must be less than 5 minutes in length. Within 30 days of the shoot each performer will receive a master DVD of their appearance for non-commercial use.
Important Dates and Disclosures
To be eligible applicants must be available for taping on Saturday, July 10, 2010 for a 2-hour block of time between the hours of 10am and 3pm. A release form must be signed giving the producers full rights to all recorded material. Any musical accompaniments or tracks must be the original work of the artist or be accompanied by a written copyright release. Those applicants accepted for appearance on Wake UP!TV will be contacted with further instructions and asked to submit a non-refundable, one-time administrative fee of $39.95 to secure their appearance.No other fees or monies will be solicited at any time.
To Apply
For immediate consideration please forward the following to info@wakeupTV.com:
your name and, if part of a group, the names of ALL the people in your group,
any instruments that will be played,
the details about any special setup required,
your email and contact phone number and
a recent headshot and other supporting media (mp3 demos, etc.) or links (youTube, personal website, etc.).
Materials will be reviewed and applicants will only be contacted if there is an interest. The deadline for all submissions is Midnight (12:00am) PSTThursday, July 1, 2010.
We sincerely appreciate your interest in Wake UP! TV and look forward to reviewing your submission!
We’re designing brand new openings and theme music for Wake UP! TV and Radio and we want your help! Listen to the four choices of theme music and then choose your favorite. The winning choice will be first heard on June 2nd during the 11am broadcast of Wake UP! Radio — our first show in the new studio!
Here in Vietnam where the average annual salary is 11.32 million Dong, or 600 USD, even $1 can go a long way. Needless to say, A LOT of bargaining is to be expected just about anywhere money changes hands. I used to really struggle with this part of traveling but over the years I’ve learned to tolerate and even appreciate the bargaining process. Now I find myself negotiating for everything from hotel accommodation to even “fixed” prices on a restaurant menu! I’ve learned to approach it as a sort of game. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?!
Here I’ve listed some of the best, and worst, deals I’ve negotiated this week (converted to appx. USD for ease of reading).
One Night’s Hotel Stay, w/ private bathroom
Asking Price: $9.50
Final Price: $5.30
One Day Motor Scooter Rental, helmet included
Asking Price: $4.12
Final Price: $2.20
One Small Pineapple, peeled & quartered
Asking Price: $2.12
Final Price: $0.79 (w/ 1 free banana included!)
One Hour, 25km Bus Ride
Asking Price: $2.60
Final Price: $0.53
Spring Rolls on Restaurant Menu
Asking Price: $1.32
Final Price: $1.06
wasn’t born with any of that DNA — not even a shred :-). I remember going to a Mexican restaurant in Oklahoma with my grandparents when I was about 7 years old and being asked to choose something to eat from the menu. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the task. “Do I get a taco, or a tostada?” I thought. “… but wait, I love taco salads, or I could get a burrito… or maybe a taco anda burrito…” Even making a simple decision about what to eat for lunch was very stressful for me.
We’re designing brand new openings and theme music for Wake UP! TV and Radio and we want your help! Listen to the four choices of theme music and then choose your favorite. The winning choice will be first heard on June 2nd during the 11am broadcast of Wake UP! Radio — our first show in the new studio!
