As we continue to navigate the road to success and happiness, it is important to remember that there are people around us who can help us along the way, and who we, in turn, can help as well. If we choose to follow the Proximity Principle, we will be able to find what we're looking for in life by getting close to those who know the way. In today’s episode, McKay explains the power of proximity and that if we follow the example of excellent and successful people, we too can get and keep our lives on course.

Today, McKay explains the Proximity Principle, beginning with an example of how Blaine Gibson used the perspective of the people on the ground to help find pieces of the disappeared Flight 370, a Boeing 777. He also explains why it’s crucial to understand from the perspective of those who know things best and how success leaves clues. He highlights the importance of reading biographies of excellent people as you get in proximity with their life during that time, and demonstrates how proximity works in psychology, breaking addictions, and parenting. He then discusses how to take advantage of proximity power and use it for your good. Finally, McKay stresses the value of reading and how it will get you in proximity to a different view. In essence, if you want to impact something, get close to those who know, seek out the experts, and be proximate to them. Soon, you will think like they think and do more of what they do, and you’ll be able to do the same for others.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Blaine Gibson’s pursuit of the lost Boeing 777, Flight 370, and the ‘Gibson Effect’
• The value of proximity and understanding the issue from the perspective of those who know things best
• Getting in proximity with excellent people through reading their biographies
• How proximity drives the work of Alcoholics Anonymous
• Parallels between proximity effect and recording audio
• The use of the proximity principle in psychology
• Proximity in parenting and raising kids—McKay’s personal experience
• How to take advantage of proximity power and turn it to our good
• How reading equals proximity to the author
• McKay’s research study to determine what enabled people to change
• The Matthew Effect
• The fruits of being coachable
• 
  

Quotes:

“There is power in getting on the ground level. Proximity is power. When we understand the issue from the perspective of those who know things best, when we model their way of doing things, we eliminate the mystery of how to succeed.”

“Tony Robbins says, ‘Long ago, I realized that success leaves clues and that people who produce outstanding results do specific things to create those results. I believed that if I precisely duplicated the actions of others, I could reproduce the same quality of results that they had.’ This is an extremely powerful principle.”

“Reading biographies is different than other books. You get to see things from another’s point of view. And if you’re reading the right biography, you get close, proximate, and see things from the point of view of a person who has lived in excellent ways. You get to put their view on your window.”

“When we come closer or proximate to people we admire or who have done what we are trying to do, several things happen to us: sometimes it feels like a reproach because we are humbled when we see how far we must progress. But most often, we feel inspired that we can do better, perhaps even that our time is forthcoming.”

“Alcoholics Anonymous was not successful due to its training content or processes. These were only mild factors in the person’s ability to find lasting change. However, the chief reason the program worked was its ability to provide free, long-term, easy proximity and exposure to common therapeutic elements such as companionship, modeling of behavior, faith in a higher power, and so forth.”

“If you’re leading a team and wanting to make better progress, get proximate with those who are doing the right activities.”

“If you’re in a family and want some kids to do better, get them proximate to others who are on the right track.”

“In psychology, the proximity effect has been studied numerous times. Those people who are in close proximity to us (geographically, emotionally, or in other ways) tend to direct our perspective, behavior, and desired goals.”

“If you really want to impact something, follow Gibson’s example and get close to those who know how, seek out the experts and be proximate to them. Soon, you will think like they think and do more of what they do.”

“When my son was younger, he asked me, ‘Dad, was I adopted? I said, ‘Not yet, but we’ve placed an ad.’”

“But in all truth, living life is like running a relay race. When we’re done, we’re going to hand the baton to our children. When they’re done, they’ll hand it to their children. Every lap we run in proximity to our kids is passed on to those who come after us.”

“Sometimes, you can’t connect with someone in person. What then? Read. Immerse yourself in what you want to master, read, and you will begin to adopt the author’s voice.”

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. As the proverb says, ‘A child who reads will be an adult who thinks.’”

“Reading is dreaming with your eyes open.”

“A growing body of scientific literature shows that reading is basically an empathy workout. Helping us take the perspective of characters very different from ourselves boosts our emotional intelligence. This effect can literally be seen in your brain waves when you read.”

“No one ever rises to low expectations. Set your expectations high. There are people around you who can help you. Align yourself with people you can learn from, people who want more out of life, people who are stretching and searching and seeking some higher ground in life.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

If there is anything that the past couple years have highlighted throughout the world, it is the critical role that connection – sincere human connection – plays in our lives. We are all so significantly impacted by these connections as they allow us to see the world in ways we may never see it otherwise. In today's episode, McKay explores the power of human connection, revealing its importance to both your health and your happiness.

He starts off by discussing a research study that showed the relationship between high blood cholesterol and heart health. Mckay goes on to cite studies which demonstrated that when we feel connection in our life, we are healthier, others proving that loneliness increases the risk of death more than obesity and causes chronic health problems. He urges us to start connecting, shares practical tips for making connections, and mentions that a few high-quality friends are better than dozens of friends. Our host also delves into just how much motives matter, how we have to be sincere in making connections, and sums up by elaborating on the role of social connection in protecting against depression or symptoms of depression. In essence, what McKay proves beyond a shadow of a doubt here today is that strong relationships and positive connections are key factors to living a happier and healthier life.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• What studies show about the relationship between high blood cholesterol and heart health
• Kelly Harding's survey on the impact of hand holding and hugging
• The importance of social connection
• The effects of lack of connection, loneliness, and emotional isolation
• A study showing the relationship between dementia and social connection
• Findings from studies by Dr. Vivek Murthy, Dr. Julianne Holt Linstead, Dr. Jeffrey Hall, 3 Wishes program, and others about loneliness and connection.
• How to connect better
• The value of motives, sincerity, and purpose in connections
• The concept of writing in reverse
• The role of social connection in protecting us against depression or symptoms of depression.
• 
  

Quotes:

"Author Kelly Harding says that a sense of connection impacts health in significant ways. She says, 'The sense of connection from touch is more than emotional. It's also physiological. Holding hands, for example, lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol.'"

"When we feel connection in our life, we're healthier. We can be the best version of ourselves. In your life and mine, connection matters."

"In a meta-analysis that looked at the health of over 4 million people, obesity increased the risk of early death by 30%, but loneliness increased the risk by 50%."

"The people who were most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80."

"Positive connections with others is a powerful way to live a happier and healthier life."

"When you interact with others, there is social contagion. That means if those you connect with are healthier, exercise and eat better, you're also more apt to exercise and eat better."

"To open our eyes to bigger and better ways of living to improve our health and happiness, we need to become better at connecting - connecting with our community, with our team, our family, and ourselves."

"There's a natural tendency to withdraw instead of approaching others when we're lonely. We're embarrassed by our loneliness, and that keeps us from connecting."

"If you're currently building a business or leading a team or a family, or going about life and other important endeavors, put in the power of connecting to what you do. It will bring an element of richness and service and fulfillment and joy to your life and the lives of others."

"Mother Teresa said, 'If we have no peace, it's because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.'"

"Fewer high-quality friendships are more beneficial than having dozens of friends."

"Simon Sinek said, 'People don't buy what you do. They buy why you do what you do.' In short, our motives matter. Genuine motives trump tactics every time."

"When you're genuinely interested in another person and you are seeking to be interested before being interesting, you'll likely succeed in the connection."

"My experience is that when we connect in sincerity, we find connections we might not otherwise find."

"Smiling actually changes our own feeling, helping us feel better, and it's contagious, helping the other person feel better as well."

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

A powerful way of opening your eyes to your potential is to step back to see how you’ve been prepared.  Today, McKay helps us understand that when we change our belief window to “I am prepared, I am ready for just a moment as this,” we can seize the opportunity and act with confidence.  It’s time to have faith and engage in a reappraisal of your life and your preparation, and that is precisely what our host helps you do in this week’s inspiring episode.

McKay discusses the preparedness of the scientists whose research proved efficient in the face of the pandemic. Their preparation ahead of the pandemic allowed the vaccines to become a reality in a short time. He then goes on to share further stories and insights regarding preparedness and the value it holds for us. Throughout today's episode, McKay challenges you to believe in your experience, build your confidence, have strong faith, and remember that 'the truth is you are prepared, and, when you are prepared, you can work miracles.'

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• The preparedness that was needed for the COVID-19 vaccine to become a reality
• Having a prepared view
• What influences our perception?
• Building your confidence
• The rule of reappraisal
• You are prepared for miracles to come

Quotes:

“Sometimes in life, we tend to bring too little too late to the party.”

“Perception is strongly affected by what we've experienced in the past, and our expectations of what we might experience in the future.”

“The great thing about a prepared view is that it removes doubt.”

“Don't ever doubt that things have been ordered and prepared for you.”

“Now I believe if we could see things as they really are, we would see that we have more going for us than we usually think. We have help and preparation and ability and support. Don't doubt your preparation.”

“When you feel discouraged and doubt, don't focus on what you have ahead of you. Instead, look back on what you've already accomplished.”

“When we're grateful for what we have for our preparation, it helps us focus on keeping our confidence and keeping our positivity about us.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

Live Above The Line

This week, McKay shares some more sage advice for all listeners: no matter what life throws at you, when you choose to 'live above the line', nothing can keep you from becoming who you were meant to be. On so many occasions we are faced with tough times where we have to refuse to be mediocre and take charge – we need to cross above the line with faith and strength – and today McKay provides examples and guidance that demonstrate how to achieve just that.

He starts this important discussion with the story of Debbie who rescued her friend despite the danger they were faced with. He then goes on to answer the defining question of what you need to live above the line, highlighting that, when you believe in yourself and believe in what you speak, it becomes easy to understand exactly what you want and can achieve. You become empowered to move from below that line which is filled with excuse making, fear and negative emotions and become who you were meant to be. As you listen in today, your eyes will be opened to the power of seeking to be great and how life will reward you accordingly in response.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Debbie's story
• Wendy Wallace’s courageous decision to live above the line
• What it means to live above the line
• What do you need to live above the line?
• The story of Jake Olson
• Speaking boldly about what you know
• There is more above the line
• How Althea Gibson lived above the line
• The Hedgehog concept

Quotes:

“We face many lions in life - times when we must stand up and fight, times in which we have to be tough, times in which you stand, draw a line in the sand, and say, ‘I will live on this side of the line.’ ”

“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

“Strength of any kind, faith of any kind, courage of any kind matters. I call this living above the line.”

“Below the line is excuse making, fear, lack of clarity, doubt, an attitude of helplessness. Below the line is where life presses upon you and this depression can be a heavy burden.”

“Above the line, we're strong, we believe, we have faith that our goals, our hopes, our dreams can and will happen.”

“When people or teams find themselves thinking and living below the line, you hear lots of blaming, you see a lot of procrastination, and experience lots of mental and emotional fatigue as people go about living their life.”

“There is a line drawn in the way we choose to live our life. ”

“When you live above the line, I don't know why, but you feel good about yourself.”

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

“You will become who you really want to become.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

This week, as we journey together through this exciting time of year, filled with the positivity that goals and aspirations can provide, McKay proclaims his optimism for 2022. He also delves into the concept of the big rocks in your life – how to find them and what to do once they are found. It’s so important to put these big rocks first in our lives, and today, our host tells us all exactly how to do that.

McKay starts the episode by sharing an interesting story about asteroids, and then linking the concept of big rocks to our lives. He discusses the Big Rocks concept as popularized by Stephen Covey and the impact of finding the big rocks in our lives. He explains how we can find those big rocks by following the 80-20 rule and focusing on the one thing that makes everything else easier or unnecessary. When you find those big rocks, McKay tells you to deal with them right away, overcome distraction, stop overanalyzing and overthinking, and then watch as your life becomes filled with success and clarity.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   An insight into asteroids

-   Are you focusing on the tiny rocks of life?

-   The big rocks concept

-   The difficult task of finding the big rocks

-   How Steve Young’s life was impacted after he found his big rocks

-   The 80-20 rule

-   Do that one thing right away

-   Overcoming distraction

-   Why overthinking and overanalyzing can rob you of your focus

Quotes:

“We often approach our life, our business, and our goals without focusing on the big rocks, without focusing on the most important and leveraged activities.”

“If you look at people who reach their goals or build a prospering business, you find most of those people have become skilled at concentrating on the big rocks.”

“We only have so much emotional and mental capacity, we only have so much time in our day, and we can only fit so many things in our life.”

“If you've set a bunch of New Year's goals and not decided on your one thing, you'll likely struggle.”

“Most of our progress comes from only a few key things. Success does not necessarily come from doing more things.”

“Things which matter most must not be at the mercy of things which matter least.”

“What one thing can you do that, by doing it excellently, everything else will be easier or unnecessary.”

“Life is not about finding yourself or unearthing some hidden talent, as much as it is creating yourself. And the way you create yourself is finding the big rocks in your life.”

“Things we just automatically do without thinking or effort free up our minds and confidence and other things needed for the day.”

“Distraction robs you of your maximum performance, your inspiration and being at your very best.”

“If you've identified the one thing you need to do to reach your goals, don't wait. Be fully energized by your focus.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

As we find ourselves facing a new year in 2022, we are once again given the gift of a new day where we can leave the past behind and reimagine ourselves and our lives for the better. We are so blessed with all the possibilities that this new year holds for us, and sometimes it can help at these times to zoom out and gain a broader or different view of our place in the world. Today, McKay shares some proven strategies for life and enlightens us on how to create some that can propel us into becoming the best version of ourselves in the new year and beyond.

He begins the conversation by discussing the importance of having a clear destination in life and why you should create strategies that work by setting yourself apart and starting something new using the Blue Ocean Strategy. Our host then goes on to discuss why you need to form strategic alliances that can help build you and also to do everything with purpose and have a clear understanding of yourself and your talents. Listen in to McKay’s wise words today, learn to forge a strategy for your life, and watch yourself grow into the success you’re destined to be.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   Walking in circles

-   The importance of having a clear destination

-   Change your perspective - lessons from Southwest Airlines and Netflix

-   Innovative strategies you can employ

-   Where do innovative strategies come from?

-   The Blue Ocean Strategy

-   The power of strategic alliances

-   Doing things on purpose

-   Why do you need a clear self-understanding?

Quotes:

“Often in life, it feels like we're in the desert or dense forest of life's overgrowth - job, kids, bills, needs, and a host of other objects sometimes block our view of where we need to go.”

“Will you do the things the way they've always been done? Or will you use an innovative strategy for success?”

“Innovative strategies are game-changing strategies.”

“What blue ocean is waiting for you in your life?”

“Successful strategies often involve strategic alliances.”

“Don't let your lack of skills or tools or courage keep you from your aspirations.”

“Activity or goals without purpose is simply a drain on your energy in life.”

“In your strategy for life, think about how you might connect and learn from the people closest to you.”

“We must win the private victory before we can win the public victory.”

“Each year, we go about setting resolutions to change behavior, without really getting to know ourselves, and as a result, we end up changing very little.”

Show Links:

Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

What do successful presidential candidates, businesspeople, and military generals all have in common? The answer is that none of them go into a campaign without a strategy, without understanding their ultimate goals and the internal and external factors that influence their chances of success. In this week’s episode, McKay discusses how having a fully developed and articulated strategy is key in finding success in all areas of your life, and offers sage advice on how to design your own strategy. 

First up is a discussion of political strategy and how Biden and Trump utilized it in their 2020 presidential campaigns. McKay points out that while Biden’s strategy worked better, the point is that, just as no presidential candidate would ever enter a campaign without a strategy, we can’t win at life without one either. Instead, using a series of examples including IKEA, the Disney Corporation, and Frank Sinatra, he demonstrates how having a fully developed, properly articulated strategy is key to achieving success. He also introduces SWOT analysis as a tool for examining your personal strengths and weaknesses to reveal your strategic focus. Finally, McKay encourages everybody to approach 2022 in a strategic manner, which will bring new energy and new success as we head into a new year.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-        The core of every political campaign.

-   Winning at life.

-   Comparing goals and tactics with strategies.

-   The stories of IKEA, Frank Sinatra, Walt Disney, and Tata Motors.

-   The steps in creating a life strategy.

-   The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis.

Quotes:

“Our perspective directs our actions, and my hope is that after listening to this podcast, you have a new perspective of yourself, the possibilities in your life, and how you can find your way forward.”

“I’ve spoken to groups about having a strategy for life dozens of times, and each time I asked the question, ‘Do you have a written strategy for life?’ I usually get about 10% of the audience who raises their hand.”

“A strategy is a dynamic collection of interwoven tactics that enable you to reach and sustain advantage in life.”

“You too can create huge advantages in your life if you’re living based on a strategy, versus just letting life come to you however it comes to you.”

“In business, people buy you long before they buy your product. So what strategy have you put in place to make you more attractive? A strategy to improve you would make all the difference.”

“When you look at the external conditions in your life, you may have to make some modifications to your strategy. Perhaps your chosen career isn’t working, your daily schedule doesn’t allow you to do what matters, or you don’t like the group of friends you’ve inherited, and so forth. It will require some changes. And that’s the value of an external analysis.”

“One of the interesting things about COVID-19 has been watching how the changing external conditions in our life have caused so many people to adopt new strategies for life. People have reevaluated where they live, they’ve changed careers or started their own business. In short, external factors matter.”

“Once you’ve considered a few of these factors and completed your analysis, next, you need to start trying on a few strategies. Just like clothes shopping at the department store, you try something on and see how it looks and feels and evaluate it before buying into it.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

​​It's the holiday season, a season of joy and giving.  And during this giving season it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of things and get weary in the difficulties that life seems to send our way.  We may want to be a giver but raising kids, building a business, providing a living and all other demands on our life, can rob us of the ability to give. And while it may seem counterintuitive, the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you. If you are emotionally unhealthy, you can’t give your time and inspiration to others.  If you are mentally unhealthy, it’s almost impossible to have the strength to persevere, lead and give. If you’re spiritually unhealthy, you can’t inspire, uplift or be the example you want to be.

In this episode, McKay tells the story of Philip Stern, a photographer and book editor. Stern gifted the US servicemen and women in World War II by editing, compiling, and resizing hundreds of popular books to fit into the pockets of military uniforms.  During this inspired time of Stern’s life, he would write the famous story of The Greatest Gift.  It would eventually become the award-winning film It’s A Wonderful Life. Taking Philip Stern's example, McKay elaborates on how we impact the world in unique ways with our choices, and asserts that one gift, our lives, and the choices we make, can bless others for years to come. He shows how selfishness and the pursuit of bringing more to ourselves halt this impact, and draws lessons from the 1987 Jessica Morales rescue story.  McKay then asserts that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you, and shares a life experience when his renewed Mustang got stolen from his garage and relates it to the choice to be healthy. Listen in today as McKay shares lessons learned from both fiction and real life that open our eyes to the ways in which doing good and making healthy choices can lead to a healthier and happier life.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Philip Stern’s gift to US World War II servicemen and women
• A lesson to be grateful for life
• The award-winning film It's a Wonderful Life
• How one gift and your life can bless others for years to come
• The effect of selfishness and the pursuit of bringing more to ourselves
• The Morales Family story
• The greatest gift you could give yourself – a healthy you
• The reintroduction of the Mustang of the 1960s
• How you begin to make choices that lead to a healthier you
• The 2003 movie Freaky Friday, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan
• How our frame of reference determines our health
• Gym owner and workout Coach Marc Zalmanoff
•  Lessons from the movie Gladiator
• Lessons from the story of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss

Quotes:

"Our life is a gift. It is both the greatest gift we've been given and the greatest gift we have to give."

"Raising kids and building a business and providing a living and all the other demands on our life can rob you of any ability or desire to give."

"The greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you."

"When we're always looking for the right person or the next job or more money or whatever we think is going to bring us happiness, we lose sight of what is right in front of us."

"Good choices are not perfect choices."

"We often just say ‘no’ to good things because we don't have the time or resources to do everything."

"Choose what makes you healthier, not what's easier."

"If you're striving for a happier, healthier life, you may have to walk away from the habits and behaviors causing discontent."

"We get to choose our frame of reference."

"What we do in life echoes in eternity."

"If choices ripple in the long term of our lives, then remember to choose wisely."

"We mistakenly assume that each choice we make and each action we take is only affecting that particular moment or circumstance."

"Choices have consequences."

"Do not get tired of doing the right thing."

"We make choices and choices make history."

"God has given you this life to make good choices that will echo in eternity."

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

We all have gaps. Gaps in our awareness of others’ feelings, in how we communicate or don’t communicate, or in the many ways we don’t measure up particularly in dealing with people. Our emotional intelligence allows us to navigate through life and difficult times and, as such, the topic of emotional intelligence is one of great importance. McKay enlightens us on the subject today and how we can bridge the gaps many of us tend to have in our emotional lives.

McKay starts with the story of the Golden Gate Bridge which was built despite the many apparent impossibilities and how this bridge has become a great landmark in the city of San Francisco. He likens us to this bridge - when we decide to improve our emotional intelligence, we bridge gaps that we have in our lives. Our host also discusses the impact of negative emotions and avoiding the ‘me-monster’ that neglects the views of others, and identifies some ways to strengthen our emotional quotient - bridge gaps by seeing the views of others, and show genuine interest in things that interest them. McKay finishes up by sharing his message for us all to harness the power of time, use the NIB rule - Notice, Importance, and Belonging, and watch how strength comes into our lives as a result.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   Creating landmark moments in your life; lessons from the Golden Gate bridge

-   Recognize that you have a gap

-   Why does your emotional quotient matter?

-   The impact of negative emotions

-   How do you avoid difficult emotions?

-   Ways to strengthen your EQ and bridge your gaps

-   Walk in the shoes of others

-   Harness the power of time

-   The NIB rule

Quotes:

“There's something about us or what we're doing that needs to be overcome, and this isn't easy.”

“It's our shortfalls that are at the heart of our gaps in life. And here's the thing, bridging the gaps in our life is possible.”

“It is critical to remember that we all have gaps, we all fall short, and sometimes we need to step up and do what we think isn't possible.”

“When we overcome and become more of who we can and should be, we find landmark moments in our life.”

“A ‘me-monster’ is someone so self-absorbed that no one else matters. Someone who thinks and makes decisions out of their mood or need or perspective.”

“It's easy in life to get so focused on ourselves, that we don't see the major things going on around us, and this makes us blind to the gaps that exist in our life and with people.”

“EQ is the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. It is the ability to understand things from the view of other people, empathize with others, and overcome challenges in dealing with people and defuse conflict.”

“Success in school is 75% IQ, and 25% EQ. In life, it's exactly the opposite.”

“Every time we strengthen our emotional intelligence, we bridge a little more of the gap.”

“When you can step into another person's view with ease, and empathize with their way of thinking, and do that with a variety of people, you don't get stressed or upset or thrown off course in life because you understand others.”

“As we learn to catch our emotional reactions before we act them out, we become more self-aware and more emotionally mature.”

“EQ comes alive when you're able to become aware of the full extent of your emotions, whether positive or negative.”

“I've learned that, over time, things tend to be less important than I thought they were at the moment.”

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

 The force of hope is a potent one that has the power to brighten our lives and bring happiness. No matter how isolated or stuck in your business or life you may feel, it is so very important to hold on to hope and allow it to influence the decisions you make. It is a key ingredient in helping you to live the life you want to live, and in this week’s episode, McKay explores the propensity to hope, demonstrating just how powerful it can be even in the bleakest of situations.

Trapped in a sinking cave for two weeks, 12 young boys and their coach held onto the hope that they would survive without food and sufficient air. This moving story acts as our opener in this episode as McKay correlates it to situations we face in life. The propensity to hope is having a behavior or pattern that results in a habit of holding on to hope. Today, Mckay discusses what hope encompasses and how it can be defined, and also delves into how to find hope when all seems lost. The episode comes to a close with McKay encouraging us to always choose hope because when we let hope make our decisions, we discover a better and happier way of living.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   Having hope in a bleak situation- the story of the Wild Boars of Thailand

-   Understanding what propensity means

-   Hope in Pandora’s box

-   What does hope encompass?

-   How to stop thinking about the ‘nevers’

-   How do you find hope when you are down and discouraged?

-   A story of hope told in a painting

-   The choice of hope

-   The benefits of holding on to hope

-   Ways to acquire the trait of being hopeful

-   Hope as a force multiplier

Quotes:

“We all get buried, stuck from time to time, whether by our own poor judgment or by factors completely beyond our control.”

“We had each other and we had hope.”

“We all face storms and darkness and are lost in isolation from time to time. Sometimes we lose, fail, regress and it's in those times that we're unsure whether we can, in fact, do what we're being asked to do.”

“Hope is a passion for what is possible. When things around you say give up, hope always remains.”

“The definition of propensity is an established pattern, behavior, or an attraction to a thing.”

“Are you a person of hope? What's your propensity?”

“When we have hope, we have more than we think.”

“Don't give in to your depravations, live up to your expectations.”

“You weren't placed here to peek into your future, but to open the door wide and walk through with confidence.”

“Hope is the belief that circumstances will get better. It's not a wish for things to get better, it's the actual belief, the knowledge that it will happen.”

“Remember, you can't make someone else's choices, and you shouldn't let them make yours.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen