Violence on the Roads: A Lack of Humanity

 

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario for another week learning the success lessons of Elvis Presley in bettering YOUR life. Today, we’ll be talking about the importance of soul. And the way we do it will be a nice way to usher in October, month of Halloween (in fact, I love Halloween SOOO much all the posts in October will have some Halloween link, so if you’re like me and crave jack-o’-lanterns and things that go bump in the night, this is your month).

I’ve had a BBC couple weeks, with last weeks post of Dr Russell Dohner and his spirit and now this week’s post − check out this BBC video. It’s only 3 minutes, but it is a little disturbing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19734975

In it, Ginger Strand talks about her book Killer on the Road, an explanation of why the U.S.’s interstate highways are the lairs of so many killers. She feels the main reason stems from the interstate’s soullessness. To paraphrase her, she says people use the highways to get places but can’t connect with them like they can with more local roads, like Route 66 − there’s no human connection making them the perfect place to commit inhumane acts… murder.

This rang my Elvis bell. When people talk about Elvis’s singing style, they often regard him as soulful. Soul is equated with humanity and so we are able to connect with him. And, contrary to the interstate, his style is associated with peace, happiness, joy - the opposite of violence.

So, what does this mean for you? We need to aim for soul in this world of large corporations and dissociation from whom we listen to in music and deal with in business. More and more, people and society as a whole are going the way of the interstate, they accomplish a purpose but lack humanity. And the less human people feel about you and whatever your job or purpose is, the less likely they’ll use human values with you. The more mechanical, computerized, synthetic, soulless life becomes, the more mechanical, computerized, synthetic, soulless people become. And man, as a human with a soul, that’s bad news. Given the violence brought about on the interstate because of it, soullessness could bring violence into your life, and I think most of us would agree we don’t need that.

 

On the contrary, following Elvis’s approach, the traditional approach, the Route 66 approach will stimulate those feelings of peace, friendship and humanity that are being lost. Talking to your customers, attempting to honestly care about their problems, listening, doing a favour for someone you barely know all go under humanity. The more human you are, the more you get the peace humanity brings. “What you dish out you get back,” says the Universe and doing the opposite, being inhuman, will only bring more inhumanity. And when you’re going through a tough time, you need all the humanity you can get.

There’s another benefit: being human gives you an edge on all the big corporations, the big musicians, the big politicians. They all use technology to run their lives for them. They rarely see their customers, or stores, let alone meet them. When you take the time to get to know those who support you, as Elvis did, people feel they know you, you become their friend and they want to support you (watch Elvis in That’s the Way It Is during “Love Me Tender”; he jumps off the stage and starts kissing people and shaking their hands. You can’t get much more human than that − and people loved him for it).  

This world is starving of humanity. It sucks because, guess what? We’re all human. And we need humanity more than ever. When you provide it, it gives you an edge. And we all want on edge on the competition, especially when they’re 1, 000, 000% our size.

I hope this improves you day and week and I look forward to seeing you again next week for the continuation of our Halloween series!

 

Elvis’s Lessons:

Ginger Strand wrote a book called Killer on the Road about the violence on the U.S.’s interstate highways. She blames it on the soullessness of the roads. Elvis, on the other hand, had soul and coincidentally created the opposite of violence − peace. By aiming to create soul and humanity in your work by getting to know people you gain an edge corporations can’t match. They're too big to get to know all those customers, but you're not. And an edge can be the difference between success and fading away. Keep it in mind.

 

P.S. Remember to leave a comment − I’d be glad to hear from ya.

P.P.S. If you’d like to see Elvis showing humanity, here he is in a Youtube video singing “Love Me Tender” from his 1970 documentary That’s the Way It Is. Worth a watch.

P.P.P.S. If this post interests you, so might these other FREE Graceland Ontario posts ;

• What Can You Learn from an 87 Year Old Doctor and a Dead Rock Star?
• Elvis, Sir Isaac Brock and the Success Constant (Or The 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812 Special)
• Cool Down! 
• Failing is Not a Reason to Give Up 
• High Expectations

What Can You Learn from an 87 Year Old Doctor and a Dead Rock Star?

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!!!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location in researching the success lessons of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll so you can implement them into YOUR OWN life! Today, we’re returning to that classic topic of enjoying your job.

Check out this BBC video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19289230

In it, the BBC meet Dr Russell Dohner, a practicing doctor of medicine in Rushville, Illinois who’s 87 years old − he’s been running his practice for 57 years and has no intention of retiring. Furthermore, he still charges $5 a visit, the same price he charged 30 years ago.

When asked about his price, he says he never felt doctoring was for money anyways, only healing, so maintaining his $5 charge doesn’t surprise him. Locally, he’s a hero for doing what he has for so long. A patient at the end says the doctor’s secret is his spirit and the doc says as long as he’s living he intends to be doing what he loves most.

This brought me into Elvis mode. I mean, Elvis loved his job, too. He was in the army for a bit and then in the movies but he always came back to singing. Some people say he lost his mood in his later years − perhaps for the rock ‘n’ roll songs, but the gospel songs and ballads were more powerful than ever. Listen to “Hurt” from 1976 if you don’t believe me. Man, Elvis had passion when he wanted to.

So, Elvis loved his job, Doctor Dohner does, but how many do? How many would be willing to work for the rest of their lives? To enjoy their work so much they wouldn’t want to retire even when they have the opportunity? Plenty of people I know would. Maybe even you would.

Like the patient said when he described Doctor Dohner’s spirit, or when people describe Elvis’s soul in music, these individuals enjoy their work so much they act like superheroes. It’s kinda like Batman; he’s only human like the rest of us, but he’s still able to tackle supervillains because of his superhuman mindset, his love of maintaining justice (and his Batmobile, but that’s another story).

And when people work their jobs like superheroes, they become heroes, like Elvis or Dr. Dohner. People look at these others and are inspired. They ask, “How can they be so amazing?” The answer’s simple.

They love their job.

And the added respect they get, plus achievement within their work, makes the extra work they put in over others worth the pain.

So, now you’re hopefully convinced of the importance of loving your job (which hopefully you already recognised before), let’s talk about getting that way.

So, of course the best way to find a job you love is to find your passion. We all have something we’re good at, something we’d do even if we weren’t paid for it. For some, it’s music, for others it’s writing, for others it’s video games. When you know what you love, it’s easy to work at it. In fact, it’s not even work, just paid play.

That said, it might require a career change which you might not be able to make if you have a wife (or husband), house, car and kids. It’s scary jumping out of a safe job for that (though, having your dream job might be worth it). Anyways, you can still do your dream job on the side. Some people play gigs with a local band on top of what they do at the office because they love playing but don’t have the guts to throw away their day job and live on Mac and Cheese while they tour. Others sell stuff at Trunk sales and shows around the country on top of being factory workers and janitors. Fitting in your passion alongside your regular job can make coping with your existing job much more bearable. And heck, if it becomes profitable enough, you might even be able to drop your regular job and take your passion, Mac and Cheese free.

So, what happens if you cannot leave your present employment? Maybe your Dad works there still, maybe your family’s always worked there, maybe you’re in a contract, or maybe they’ll just send a hitman after you if you put in your resignation. Ok, I get it (though again, if you do get the chance, I’m backing you all the way if you decide to change). You can still find the fun in your job. It’s not always easy, like trying to enjoy broccoli (which is just a metaphor I thought you might agree with − I personally love broccoli…) For me, when I get to know my co-workers, joking about with them and the like, the job breezes by. It’s like the job becomes background noise compared to the good times you’re having with your mates. Another strategy is being competitive, like trying to overtake people on a track. When you try to get things done faster and better than before, it moves your concentration away from the present situation. Also, you can aim to get that feeling of accomplishment, so you can say “WHOO!!! I JUST RANG MY 1000^th CALL TODAY! I’M A ROCKSTARRRR!!!!” when you’re finished. You can even try to feel like you’re doing something useful. Saying to yourself, “just because I work at McDonald’s doesn’t mean I don’t have a serious job. Most of the people in this country eat here AT LEAST once a week and I’m fulfilling a useful purpose in society for being the guy who makes that dinner happen − like the guys at a pit stop who keep the Formula One racer rolling”.

I hope this post will improve your day and week and I look forward to seeing you soon in the future!

Elvis’s Lessons:

Doctor Russell Dohner is an 87 year old doctor with a 57 year old practice. His deal? He loves his job so much he’s still going all these years later − and he never wants to stop! Like Elvis, he has a passion for his job so huge it is his life. And like Elvis, he’s now become a hero (albeit a more local one). When you love your job to bits, too, it gives you the opportunity to be a hero as well. Plus, you don’t feel like your working at all. When you find your passion, fit your dream job in on the side of your day job or find the fun in your work, you’re giving yourself the chance to improve your life AND do better at your job. Three cheers for Dr. Dohner! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!! Hip Hip Hooray!!!

P.S. If you appreciate this post, remember to put a comment below or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com. I’d love to hear what you’re got to say.

P.P.S. If you’d like to hear Elvis singing Hurt, that passionate work from 1976, here’s a Youtube video with it.

If you like this post, you may also like these:

• The Time Trap
• Have a Job You Love (or "Don't Do a 'Normal' Job"!)
• Getting Into It
• Doing All You Can
• Be Really Good At Something
• He Who Does Not Sympathize, Loses...

 

Elvis meets Cary Grant: It's all About Who You Associate With

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for learning the success lessons of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll so they can improve your life. Today we’ll be talking about great stars flowing together and what this means about your friends. It’s a new take on an old subject.

I was watching my copy of That’s the Way it Is, Elvis’s 1970 concert documentary, the other day. A couple times during it we see the King talking with another king, Cary Grant, one of the most legendary actors to walk through Hollywood’s gates. Not long after I saw an old Grant classic from 1951, People Will Talk, where he plays a Doctor who falls in love with a patient. And boy is Grant good. So good he won an honorary Oscar also in 1970, years after his retirement, for the full body of his screen-work.

So, I began to wonder, “Could it be mere coincidence that one of history’s greatest actors was with one of history’s greatest singers in the same film?” I mean, Elvis and Grant even look similar.

Well, to a degree. I’m sure Elvis’s manager, the Colonel, did all he could to get Grant in Elvis’s Return-to-Stage movie. But still, the meeting of the two greats reminded me of something I read long ago…

It said you could determine a person’s income pretty reliably from the mean average of that person’s five closest friends. You add up their incomes, divide them by five and there you go. In short, if you associate with the rich, you’ll be rich. You associate with the poor, you’ll be poor. And though money is the basis of that hypothesis, I would figure success and fame follow the same metre. When you walk on the same level as famous people you feel similar to how they feel, you’ll act like your famous and, with your new confidence, you’ll earn the fame you never had before. Grant and Elvis being so close together (along with others, like Sammy Davis Jr.) further confirms it.

The principal is those you mingle with will elevate or suppress you, inspire or knock you down, slim you up or fatten you out. Like the old story of crabs in a bucket, when one tries to escape, the others pull them back again to their level. People do the same. They get jealous when others do things they can’t and they retaliate with spite. The difference is they can also pull you out of the bucket when you’re the only one in it. It all depends who your friends are.

So, the point is watch who you associate with. Your friends can also be your enemies when they don’t have the same success mindset you crave. Without knowing it, they’ll drag you down. When your friends are achievers, they’ll pull you up, too. Maybe it was only a coincidence Cary Grant and Elvis ended up in the same movie. But it’s no coincidence how − they performed at a high level and they got there (and stayed there) because of the people they associated with on a day-to-day basis. There’s no way they could have won otherwise, with their best friends beating them down − neither can you.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Elvis and Grant were in That’s the Way it Is because of an achievement mindset. They maintained this from their friends. In like, for you to keep this positive mindset, you need positive-minded friends, too. Otherwise, your friends will undermine your attempts to be successful. Looks like your parents were right − you do need to watch who you hangout with.

P.S. Remember to leave a comment - I'd love to hear what you think.

P.P.S. If you're interested in seeing Cary Grant picking up that 1970 honorary he won, here's a Youtube clip of him receiving it.

P.P.P.S. If this post interests you, so might these ones:

• Make Good Friends
• Elvis and the Photographer: A Story of Gratitude
• The July 4th Special (Or July 1st for Us Canadians)
• The Respectful Parting: Firing With the Future in Mind
• They're Exceptional - And YOU Can Be, Too!
• Service Pays Dividends
  

Bruno Mars Learnt from Elvis... Why Wouldn't You?

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen…

Welcome back to another week at Graceland Ontario where we show you the lessons that made Elvis successful and fit them into your life. This week we’re going to talk about Elvis’s influence and how it’s no sin to use it for your benefit.

Check out this link:

http://www.elvis.com/news/detail.aspx?id=5575

It’s about modern pop star Bruno Mars. Mars has topped the charts a few times in recent years and won a Grammy, yet when he was four years old he was known as the world’s youngest Elvis Impersonator.

When Mars was young, he used Elvis’s image to boost his own (though he probably didn’t realise it then). When he got older, he did his own original material but still used what he learnt from Elvis to improve his act.

Mars at a young age, consciously or not, learnt that mixing his talent with Elvis’s legend and style were explosive. Even now, he uses the same formila to capture this generation of youth’s attention as Elvis did back in the 50’s.

As Mars shows, there’s no shame in learning from your idols to improve your act, whether it be in show biz, politics or the corporate world. Sure, you need to be safe in your own skin to be successful but if using the legend of a dead guy helps you do it, then use it.

You see, a lot of people get worried when they start using the legends of great men (or women) like Elvis to fine-tone their skills. They’re scared they’ll lose their personal identity and turn into a copy-cat.

But, as in Bruno Mars’s case, learning from the best does not mean you turn into them… It took Mars years to cement his own musical reputation. And even then, it required his own unique style. Take a look at some of his stuff − you can see the 50’s/60’s influence, but you wouldn’t say he’s solely copying Elvis.

And besides, most modern musicians copy Elvis to a degree whether they like it or not, he’s so imbedded in our culture.

No, Mars has a unique style, but he used Elvis to help get him there. And YOU can, too.

Copying Elvis’s confidence, his charm, his energy − whatever you need − will give you a basis to build foundations of your own (as Mars did in his music career). It turns into a question of “What would Elvis do in this situation?” From that basis, you can let the dead singer’s spirit lead you to accomplishment in whatever field you want.

Mars did it to help him get to a modern crowd of pop-enthusiasts; you can do it to help get whatever you like, too.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Bruno Mars, a modern singer-songwriter, Grammy winner and teen sensation, got his career basis as the world’s youngest Elvis impersonator when he was four. Mars used Elvis’s legend to help his career, and so can you. By asking yourself, “what would Elvis do in this situation?” you can change your perspective and use what Elvis had (confidence, energy, humility, etc…) as basis to improve yourself in that area. It worked for Mars, and he’s rich and famous now. It can work for you, too.

P.S. Any comments or questions regarding this post? Write me a note in the comment box below or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com and I'll reply to you faster than Usain Bolt can run the 100m... well, maybe not that fast.

P.P.S. If you'd like to see Bruno Mars singing his number one hit single, "Just the Way You Are", here's a link to the music video on Youtube.