Living Your Success (24/7)

Finding Success in Iconic Films

July 21, 2024 With Michael Kane Season 2 Episode 25

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Ever wondered how the magical world of films can unlock your path to success? Join me, Michael Kane, as I unravel how some of your favorite movies can be more than just entertainment—they can be your roadmap to personal and professional triumphs. First, we break down the importance of taking time off to recharge and why prioritizing health is the cornerstone of financial success. Discover how the inspiring stories in "Chariots of Fire" and "The Matrix" offer practical strategies for overcoming challenges. You'll learn how to watch films with a fresh perspective, finding elements that resonate with your own life and ambitions.

Curious about how teamwork and overcoming obstacles are portrayed in cinema? We dive deep into the lessons from classics like "The Wizard of Oz" and "Avatar." See how Dorothy’s journey and her companions’ quest for unique goals mirror the collaborative efforts needed in today’s workplace. The resilient Na'vi people from "Avatar" showcase the power of unity and courage in defending their home, providing a poignant lesson in resilience and collective strength. Whether it's pushing through fear or finding the right path, these films offer timeless wisdom on achieving success together.

Finally, we explore the transformative power of resilience and action, highlighted by the Avengers series, "Ghost," and "Bucket List." These stories illustrate how characters thrive through cooperation, mutual support, and overcoming betrayal. Through these cinematic journeys, you’ll gain insights on navigating personal and professional hurdles. Embrace the themes of morality, self-discovery, and the significance of meaningful relationships. Take actionable steps towards your growth and share this journey with others, spreading hope and encouragement. Join me, Michael Caine, on "Living Your Success 24-7" to turn your movie nights into masterclasses for life success.

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Speaker 1:

Hello there. This is Michael Caine, with Living your Success 24-7. Hope all of you are having a great summer, taking a little time off with the family or chilling out with me myself and I, how you doing. Yeah, time to go on vacation summer. It's a nice time to leave your regular daily grind to go out there on a cruise or plane, somewhere, ship, however you get there. Scotty beam me up, star Trek fans there, if you know what I mean. However, you get there to go somewhere and just decompress, right? That should be a podcast right there. How do you decompress? We're going to do one on going on vacation, something like that, in the future, but not today, not today.

Speaker 1:

Hope all of you doing well at getting your financial house in order, getting your body, your health in order. That's first. By the way, some people have it reversed. Can't take it with you to the grave. So get your health up, get it better, get the best, and then work on taking yourself out of survival mode into prosperity. Not just dealing with money when I say prosperity, but peace of mind How's that? And money too. Get all the money you can get, legally and morally, of course. So, anyway, what's today's topic? I don't know if you do know, but if anyone's been following me a long time on this podcast and other podcasts I'm on.

Speaker 1:

You know I like movies, films, I love films, different kinds. I'm into all kind of genres. I do like action oriented, but I also like drama, like rom-coms, comedies, you know different. You know it could be biopics, it could be documentaries, you name it. I love films. I thought about what do you think about Michael Caine? Well, I'm glad you asked me, michael Caine.

Speaker 1:

Anyway, I was thinking films can actually lead you, guide you on your way to success. Why? Because what do they do? They tell stories. They tell it could be real life, nonfiction, right, nonfiction right to make-believe fantasy, stuff like superhero stuff, stuff that typically can't happen in the scientific world, here that it shouldn't happen. Fiction is what I'm referring to, and there's action, there's detective, there's crime.

Speaker 1:

There's all kind of genres out there, and hybrids too, by the way, they mix them up. Sometimes they put three or four genres in one film, Trying to confuse you. No, they're trying to appeal to different audiences with one film without having to produce and market five separate films. They throw everything up in a bundle. So just like when you go grocery shopping, you have bread, you have milk, you have sausages, you have potato chips, biscuits, vegetables, oranges, green beans, whatever Chocolate I love me some chocolate. I love me some chocolate, chocolate, I love me some chocolate, I love me some chocolate.

Speaker 1:

But anyway, films could get you from point A to B. It can in the storytelling, in the characters that the actors play. They can speak to your mind, your heart and particular issues, situations you're dealing with, and to give you ways to move forward in your life, with your life involving other people as well and depending on the film. And so I want to chat about how can we be successful in certain areas or meet our objectives, our desires and our goals by viewing a particular film, particular film, and you can.

Speaker 1:

I did a presentation originally seven years ago and I just replicated that presentation earlier this year. I was asked to speak Sometimes I am asked to speak, y'all Okay and it was about leadership, and I introduced certain films to help the attendees, the participants, to be better at their jobs, to they have whatever goals, to be business, entrepreneurial, whatever it is. I gave them a list of films and books too. Books, absolutely A lot of films come from books and vice versa Films come from books. Books come from films. So I want you to take heed and find your favorite film and we watch it for entertainment.

Speaker 1:

But this time I want you to put a different hat on. I want you to put on a hat of discovery. How can this benefit me? It could be my health. Chariots of Fire Saw that when I was 17, something like that. Oh, it came out in the 80s, right, and Chariots of Fire I won't give away what it is, but it had dealing with running and racing and it was so many it won the Academy Award, I believe too.

Speaker 1:

Chariots of Fire I can't think of the theme song, but it was triumphant. You know, like those Rocky films, it's kind of you. Just you know you just survive, you're in survival mode and then you get to this next level, this nexus that takes you into this powerful zone of success and achievement. So put that hat on when you first see the film for enjoyment not taking notes or nothing, just relaxing and then next time go over it and look at the parts that are speaking to you in your situation. There's a film for every situation. It absolutely is.

Speaker 1:

Let's start One of my favorite series. They made four films. It used to be just a trilogy. The Matrix series, that was four. Neo. I won't go in too deep into characters. My point isn't totally go deep into characters, but he was a main protagonist and pretty much the machine world, computers, and this isn't Terminator. I should put that in there too. You know what? Why not On the fly? Terminator Skynet? I'll write that down While we get off of this phone. We're going to talk. Put that in there too. You know what? Why not On the fly? Terminator SkyNet. I'll write that down when we get off of this phone. We're going to talk about the Terminator series too, but anyway, the Matrix.

Speaker 1:

They enslaved the human race. But the human race, they're living out their lives in their minds. They're growing up. They're living out their lives in their minds. They're growing up. They're having families, getting married, going on vacation, doing everything, but it's only in their minds because their physical body is locked up in these pods. So the machine world is given the illusion that humans are living out their life, which humans are really powering and providing energy for them. So the discoveries that I found in the matrix and you'll have your own, because we all look at things differently. So I'm just telling you my experience and help guiding you so you can discover your own experience, but discover who you are and meant to be. Who are you meant to be? That's what you can get out of the matrix, and they're being told what to do, what to say, how to say it, by the machine. So they're automatons. They're not independent species. They're in bondage.

Speaker 1:

Do you feel yourself in not just a literal bondage, which is being tied up, handcuffed in a cell or whatever, but in a figurative bondage, whether that's your job you're trying to get your health together or it's a sad-ass relationship that ain't going nowhere? You're just still trying to keep that sucker alive and there's no reason to. If you put your thinking cap on those kinds of things, you're cloudy and in the matrix you can uncloud. You can find ways to self-discovery, to uncloud your circumstance, your situation, where you can realize your destiny. Do you feel trapped where you're not fulfilling the obligation to yourself? Forget other people for a moment. I'm going to give you the creative license to be selfish for just a moment.

Speaker 1:

We're going to talk about you, not about so-and-so or anybody else. You Do you feel trapped and in bondage because you have a dream. When you're a kid, you had this dream to do X, y and Z. And you're still waiting to do X, y and Z. I encourage you, and we're going to talk about Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.

Speaker 1:

As far as the bucket list, that's a bucket list item. It's really beyond bucket list. Bucket list means you do it and you go to the next one on the list, but you're kind of doing that. But this one is for longevity, for life Choosing. What you're told to do is that you, you're not really choosing, you're being told what to choose. You see the irony in that I'm being told what to choose. Well, hell, you're in bondage. So we need to unplug ourselves from the world at large, from the world where others made for you. Is that deep? Is that deep the world that others made for you? Is that you? Is that yes or no?

Speaker 1:

I have to say, to some degree that was me, until I mentally, emotionally, psychologically, broke free and I'm on that path now. You know, can't go back. So stop crying and tearing up. Can't go back. You get to start today. So I'm not asking you to be irresponsible and abandon children or people or whatever. Quit your job immediately. I'm not saying that. Don't confuse what Michael Caine has to say, because Michael Caine doesn't encourage foolishness or stupidity. Be rational, and that means different things to different people. Every situation isn't the same. So watch the Matrix series, watch all four of them, starting from the first, second, third and fourth installment, and so choose your destiny. Break the shackles of bondage and domination.

Speaker 1:

Old time favorite of mine. When I do presentations or I write, I love to include the Wizard of Oz. It's a something about that movie that speaks to my soul, Speaks to me. Now let me give a capstone here. Wizard of Oz, what is it about? It was what made in 1939? So it's an oldie. It's an oldie. A group of complete strangers with different agendas somehow come together.

Speaker 1:

Dorothy, the main protagonist, right, and she starts at home. She wants to get away from home where they don't take Toto, her dog, the city or you know community, where you know if animals are seen as a threat, they could be put down or taken, put in some kind of place and whatever. So Dorothy didn't want that to happen. Little Toto ran away Somehow I won't give out the total movie, but she landed in the land of Oz, oz's Pacific City, so she was in the outskirts of it and she accidentally killed the witch of the East, I believe and her sister, the evil witch of the West, is obviously pissed off. So the witch's goal is to get the ruby slippers that Dorothy took, or was given by Glinda the Good Witch, off of the dead witch that she accidentally killed.

Speaker 1:

And so, anyway, move forward, dorothy, when she travels on a literal brick road to the land of Oz, to see the Wizard of Oz, by the way, who's all powerful? And on this road, we're all on this road, my friends. We're all on this life road, this leadership road, this prosperity road. We are on the road, you're on it, whether you like it or not. So she met I'm not going to say in any particular order, but she met the Tin man, I would say the Scarecrow first, my memory serves me, and the Scarecrow always wanted a brain, and so she encouraged him hey, if you go with me, the wizard will solve your problem too, and bless you.

Speaker 1:

Then they go and meet the tin man, who is rusted. So they hold him up. He wanted a. No, which one am I talking about? And then he wanted what did the Tin man want? I think he wanted a heart. Yes, okay. And so he was hollow. And when you hit his body, there was no beat, there was no heart. And then, as they travel on the road, they meet the cowardly lion and, as you can tell, what his issue was was lacking courage. And so he's convinced that if he joins the rest of the group, that the wizard will give him courage and then he, by definition, he could be the lion he needs to be. And so they have different reasons to sing the Wizard of Oz, and just let's translate that.

Speaker 1:

At the workplace or any social environment. But the workplace, where you may have a different classification, as your friends or coworkers or colleagues, but your mission is to realize the objectives of the organization, whether it's for-profit, nonprofit. If it's for-profit to sell so many widgets, whatever those widgets are, and to make money for the firm. That's the overall arch. But one could be an accountant, one could be a custodian, one could be a secretary, one could be a manager, one could be in marketing, advertising, sales, finance, so you could have different roles to meet, ultimately, the objective of the organization. So these strangers will become besties. By the time this movie's over, they became a team, and that's how teams are formed Different objectives, different pathways, but you come together because you have common ground, that a common ground here in the wizard of oz is to see the wizard of oz to grant me my wish, my requests.

Speaker 1:

Each request is different, but the overall arch is the same to get to the wizard of oz so he can give the things they need to get to be successful. Okay, and Dorothy wanted to go back home, of course. And so what do you learn from the Wizard of Oz? You learn perseverance. Not to give up. Don't quit. Now this evil witch is trying to kill them literally, not just stop them and prevent them, but to kill them Now to translate over into our lives.

Speaker 1:

We may not be in a situation where someone's trying to kill us, but trying to stop you. Oh yeah, there's people and they're the ones closest to you smiling at you, maybe buying your lunch, your dinner or birthday present. Whoever they are, it's people backstabbing you, frontstabbing you, whatever's stabbing you. And there's people like this that exist for each and one of us. And especially, the more you're doing the right thing, the more successful you are, the more people come after you. Again, they're not necessarily trying to hurt you physically, they're just trying to hurt you, stop you from realizing your goals and your dreams. You know why. There's different reasons. Jealousy is one of them, and they can't do it. They don't have the skill, the talent or whatever it takes what you're doing, and so they try to stop you. They're jealous. Green-eyed monster yeah, I'm not being paranoid. These are people out there for each and one of us, and the more good you do, the more successful you are or whatever you are, the more they're coming after you to tackle, to take you down.

Speaker 1:

That'll be a whole nother podcast. I want to do that on my other podcast. We're a little more aggressive on that other podcast and so the format is different. But there's people trying to take you out and you know what they're evil, absolute evil. To have good you have to have what Evil bad folks to the bone. So you can't overcome them, overcome whatever obstacles. Now you need to identify the path you should be on, because if you're not on the right path, that could be a problem and we all. And it's okay to jump from pathway to pathway, as long as you're moving in direction to get the path that you should be on, that's okay. You don't want to stay on the pathway that you shouldn't be on. So overcoming obstacles is a takeaway here and translating that into strength as an individual as well as a team. You're going to push through fear, not by defeating fear, but by performing courageously through the fear. You can still be shaking your boots, but you're doing the action that you take. Okay, just do it, do it.

Speaker 1:

Let's talk about two movies I really love and big two movies that I guess, with Titanic or the top, would make the top three, but Avatar 1 and 2. We're talking about the planet of Pandora and the native indigenous. They're called the Navi, and the human beings on earth are trying to. They're illegally mining what's called unoptanium from the Pandarian people. They didn't ask them. They're just illegally encroached on their planet, stripping their planet of this valuable mineral, and they tried to please or appease the navi with some stupid stuff. But navi are just peaceful people. They want to be left alone, and their fauna in florida? They just want to leave us alone, don't be on our planet. They don't have guns. They have bows and arrows and swords or staffs. They don't have the firepower of the US military, which ultimately attempted to destroy them and killed many, arguably thousands, of the Na'vi.

Speaker 1:

They're included in that four or five different villages or tribes, if you will, of the Na'vi people, who don't necessarily get along or work together, but they came to get united to defeat humans so typical of human beings to try to overpower and overtake people that are physically helpless, militarily or technologically inferior. Physically, the number of people what? I don't know how tall they are 10, 12, 13 feet, and um, they're blue and they're they're. They're just, um, they're. They just want to be left alone to raise their families. And they're being attacked and slaughtered by the human race encroaching on their planet illegally.

Speaker 1:

And does this remind you of this country and other countries that had slavery, put people in bondage and killed people in Africa for the slave trade? I won't mention all the countries who participated in the slave trade. You should know them, and it kind of pisses me off when I think about it what they did to the indigenous people in the various lands in which they are, especially this country. So it's unfortunate. Um, so it's unfortunate, but you see this play out with the Navi on Pandora and Avatar one and two. So what's the application here? There's, they get more than hope and they knew they couldn't do it alone, so they had to come together.

Speaker 1:

So it's called teamwork, partnership against people who want to steal, kill and destroy and conquer, and creating a whole lot of obstacles you didn't originally plan on. Doesn't that sound like your life with stuff? You didn't plan on that Boom, some other problem happened. When you were still dealing with another problem, then another one happened and you say how can I continue? You can be strong, my friends, be strong, being where you are and I'm, you know bad challenges. Well, I had different challenges, not at the same level, but, um, that was detrimental to our survival. So your goal is you may have to be successful, partner up in team with someone else and it's no shame in that game, right, but you got to keep your eyes and ears open and, better yet, judge people on what they do over what they say. What they say and do should be the same, similar, it's the same, shouldn't be any discrepancies. So Avatar 1 and 2 show you, show you how you can survive when you have to be in survival mode, what it takes Then it moves you into thriving and just everything's going well, and then winning, succeeding. So it's a migration of, of, uh, you know different stages of your life. So what else?

Speaker 1:

I love the avengers, um, movies, and they had individual movies on each superhero not each one, but a lot, many of them and they had individual movies on each superhero not each one, but a lot, many of them and the ensemble where they work and protect earth as a team. And avengers is, you know, the hulk, iron man, thor, black widow, captain america, hawkeye and other, and other ones too, um, that are supportive to that. Other superheroes, you know, like Black Panther, ant-man and Wasp and others Love Black Panther, wow. And they all were well coordinated, they all rehearsed, practiced, they all saw and realized, identified with their own strength and the skill and talent of their comrades, where they played off each other and compensated for each other's abilities or lack of team, showed strength, resilience, leadership, uh, which you can in your business, in your company, to succeed, to not just impress people but be the best you can be barred from the military army, okay entrepreneurship, ambition as an employee and to put you in a position of power in your head that you're a powerful person, that you are worth it. You are worthy. Same thing.

Speaker 1:

I could be dismissed beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the DC Justice League. I know they're playing catch up, but grew up on Superman, wonder Woman, batman Flash and we have the cyborg and aquaman same principles ensemble, the conflicts they. They fight with each other quite physically too. Now, I don't encourage physical violence, but one superhero, other superhero. They got a command respect, willing to put up their fists and duke it out if they have to, and and so watch the Justice League. I'm not trying to tell you to watch these and critique them, for oh how entertaining or realistic to the comic book they are, but to get to retrieve those elements where it can help guide you through your situation. And there's a lot of subplots and sub-stories and introductions of minor characters, major characters, friends, frenemies, enemies, destroyers, and angelic folks too, fairies, fantasies. So I'd encourage you to watch a whole plethora of DC and Marvel films, which Marvel now is, you know, disney at this point.

Speaker 1:

Other film that I really liked which was sad though, but I love this actor who passed away many years ago the movie Ghost, with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore were the leads, and Whoopi Goldberg was just out of sight in that one, just funny and just well-made. And you know, unfortunately Patrick Swayze's character unexpectedly died out of nowhere, and it was out of betrayal from a friend. Does that sound like it happened to you? Were you ever betrayed by a friend? Someone called you a friend, a pal, besties, and they screwed you out of money, relationship or something, and so it talks about betrayal. So I would watch that one to see how do you get out of this thing where you know you've been betrayed, how do you not be scarred forever. So food for thought.

Speaker 1:

So I would watch that movie and it takes you through, you know, shows you criminals in the office space, the work environment, as well as these people's personal lives of the protagonists and the encroachers, the enemy, or in this case the severe frenemy, who was really just a villain, and the good news is spoiler alert he went to hell, him and his criminal buddy, who actually killed the main, the protagonist's character. They end up literally being taken by demons to hell. So you know. So this not to make this a religious show, but the folks out there that think that's doing good things, they know they're not doing good. The folks out there that think that's doing good things, they know they're not doing good. And the ones that already passed away, you know, especially the ones that did a whole lot of heinous things over the centuries. I won't name all of them or any of them. But you know, heaven and hell could be a real thing. So some people believe hell is here and to some extent that may be true. So, because as long as you have people, you have people good, bad and ugly.

Speaker 1:

Unfortunately, bucket list with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Jack Nicholson played Edward Cole, a rich billionaire. Right, the bottom line is they're going to die, so they're complete strangers. They meet in a hospital bed. In fact he owns Jack Nicholson's character. Edward Cole owns a hospital, he's a billionaire and he gave orders that only two people in the room, two people, not one person. You got to have at least two. And so he ends up in a room, morgan Freeman. He says I want my own room. No, per your orders, everyone gets to have two people in a room. So anyway, they get to know each other and they make this quest to do everything on their bucket list and they pretty much accomplish it and they don't know who's going to die first or die second. But it's a good movie.

Speaker 1:

So it talks about the reality is life isn't forever and it's an encourager to just don't have stuff on the list and don't do it. Have a literal list and knock it off and do it. Save your money, invest your money. Don't do stupid stuff with your money. That'll give you time to save and actually do the stuff. I did stupid. I done a whole lot of stupid. I'm still recovering from stupid. So the point is stop doing stupid so you can have money to enjoy your life Okay, and rig your life to where you can afford it. I won't be so crass and impersonal and attack people's lifestyles, but what's the point of living if you can't live? And I thought about it. It took years for me to do that and understand and to implement, but I'm doing it now, a lot older. So I'm encouraging you, my listeners that are in their younger years don't wait until your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s to start living and correct any wrongs that you have. That doesn't make sense. What you're doing from an economic standpoint or relational, but you be the bearer and the judge of your own life. I'm just giving you the warning signal out here.

Speaker 1:

Meet Joe Black. That was a good movie. I think it was a long movie with Brad Pitt in his early days and Anthony Hopkins or I should say Sir Anthony Hopkins, anthony Hopkins player his character is going to die. He was visited by Brad Pitt's character, which is Joe Black. Joe, and he says, well, okay, I'll give you a few more days to live so you could carry out your business and deal stuff with your family and whatever you need to do.

Speaker 1:

And Joe wanted to know more about the human race. He wanted to know about it so much he fell in love with, uh, uh, the billionaire's daughter. I don't know if that's possible uh, death, and you know, angel of death falling in love, or maybe a big stretch there. But anyway, he gave him some more time to live and, uh, that means what we can do Now. We may not get more time by the angel of death to live longer, that may not be in the cards, but I do know.

Speaker 1:

The point is it's an extension of what I was just talking about on the bucket list Live, live, do what you need to do while you can do it and, no excuses, make plans for it. So, meet Joe Black means oh man, I got an itinerary, I got this list of stuff I need to do. I need to do it. You may come short because we don't know when we're going to die, we don't know when we're going to be incapacitated, so, while you're still able and available to do what you Start doing it and do what you can, whatever your situation. May not be able to get all 50 items now On your bucket list or your objective list or your New Year's resolution, but Do what you can. And, lastly, there's so many movies and films. Perhaps we should do a series on this.

Speaker 1:

I don't know, do what you can and, lastly, there's so many movies and films. Perhaps we should do a series on this. I don't know, but Top Gun stands out. That was one of the biggest movies, pete Maverick Mitchell played by Tom Cruise, and the last one, the sequel, that 30 years later. Right, you have to mention Val Kilmer. He was one of my favorite actors for so many years and this movie tested your morale and tested who you are, or who you think you are, as a person, and also between the first installment of Top Gun and the second, over years, as you know, there's been major technological achievements, so that does play out too, and they're on a mission, sort of like Mission Impossible, and to show that a group of people that don't necessarily like each other can come together as a group and find a common ground. Find a common ground to get together to achieve something greater than themselves. So, and also, it's confronting the past, dealing with the past and showing it up so you can move forward in the future. Dealing with the past and showing it up so you can move forward in the future.

Speaker 1:

So these are things we can apply in our own lives not to be stuck on what we did wrong, why we screwed up. Oh, I'm a loser. Life will never get better. I'll be stuck where I'm at. You need to have hope, my friends, but you need to take action, steps to generate that realistic hope. Hope without doing any action is stupid. It's just not going to happen. You got to do stuff. So I encourage you, do it, do it. Do it until you're satisfied. Whatever it is Okay.

Speaker 1:

So anyway, I had to say that Anyway. So Top Gun, one of the most biggest films up there billion dollar category. So I encourage you to see that film and all the other films we mentioned and all the other ones that are coming out. What is that one that's coming out now? Fly Me to the Moon, scarlett Johansson, and that seems like a good one too. There's a lot of ones. Godzilla I can go on and on. I like the Jumanji movies too. I would encourage you to see those. A lot of lessons in all of these films.

Speaker 1:

So, my friends, it's been a good time. I had a good time with you. We got something out of this. But motivate. Just don't be waiting for other people to motivate you. You got enough stuff, you know enough stuff to motivate yourself. You just need to do step one, step two, three and do it and get off that butt right, get off the booty.

Speaker 1:

So, anyway, I encourage you to go on Amazon or my website and buy my book and Amazon has the book there. And buy my book and Amazon has the book there paperback and also the electronic e-book version as well. It's a hardcover version. You want a hardcover, but the paperback is quite affordable. Encourage you, so motivational to help motivate you, give you stories and other tidbits that hopefully will help you in various elements of your life. So don't want to do a hard sell with that, but I just encourage you. It's an extension of me and this podcast. So I encourage you and please share this podcast with other people families, friends and strangers if you have to, co-workers, associates and it's meant to uplift you, to give you hope, to give you guidance, to be your coach okay, informal coach, but I wish all of you well and have a continued happy summer. This is Michael Kane, with Living your Success 24-7, over and out. Adios.

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