647-439-5011
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Subject: What’s Love Got to Do with It? (DECIDE this Saturday, 8 PM)
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Well, I got dumped... As a performer in the DECIDE urban musical, that is. I was having so much fun on stage, doing what I loved, and making a difference for people. Most importantly, I loved working with Stuart Knight, the director.
How could he do this? I thought Stuart liked me and my work? I thought we were getting along very well together? The news was disappointing. Feelings of loss and hurt overwhelmed me. My heart ached. It was like being rejected by someone I loved.
But, as Tina Turner says, "What’s Love Got to Do with It?"
Stuart wasn't rejecting me or my abilities. I understood perfectly why he removed me from the cast. My artistic contributions to the show have been in the form of motivational monologues, and the point of DECIDE is to be an entertaining show without the "motivational" aspect attached to it. So those scenes had to go. We also raised the bar on professional talent -- some of our new cast members have been on Broadway in shows such as Miss Saigon and RiverDance.
When the "structures" of our relationships change, we sometimes think there's a loss of love. However, when a best-friend decides to take a job in another part of the country, is there a loss of love? Probably not. When a child moves out of their parent's home, is there a loss of love? Maybe.
If there is a strong commitment that both people hold towards the relationship, then there is no loss of love. The feeling of love is not dependent on how often we see each other, nor is it dependent on what medium we use to communicate. Sure, these factors may contribute to the ease of maintaining a loving relationship. However, the true essence of love has mostly to do with how we're being with each other when we are together.
Every time Stuart and I are together, our being is that of respect, support, play, and love. Reasons for our meetings may have changed (from cast rehearsals to strategic planning), and may continue to change over time. What remains the same is that awesome energy of love.
I love the DECIDE concept and I’m committed to taking the show all the way to Broadway -- whether I'm in it or not. So, now as a partner of KnightFlight Productions, I'd like to invite you to our Opening Night of the Brand New DECIDE Play/Party!!
Where: 721 Queen Street West (one block west of Bathurst), Toronto
When: Saturday, November 27, 2004
7:30 PM Doors Open, 8:00 PM Show Starts, 10:00 PM Party Begins
Cost: Ordinary Words Special -- $15, includes complimentary cocktail
(Use password "Ordinary" otherwise you'll pay the regular $20)
Get on the Ordinary guest list!
RSVP: info@goknightflight.com or call 416-703-9696
If opening night has sold out, remember that we're now playing EVERY Saturday!
Send a special message of love to your family and friends...
Forward this link:
http://www.ordinarywords.com/love
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34 Woodrow Ave., Toronto, Canada M4C-5S2 +1 (647) 439-5011
Knight Flight Productions and Ordinary Words Inc. do not have any current financial arrangements.
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Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004
Subject: A Special Message about Love
Have you ever asked yourself, "What is love?" What IS love? It's that mystical question humanity has been pondering for years...
This e-zine edition answers the question, "What Is Love?" with three minutes of beautiful images, soothing sounds, and heart-warming phrases.
Click http://www.ordinarywords.com/love
Share this simple message... You can also take a moment to write something personal and acknowledge the ones you love.
Love,
[)anish /|hmed
- Oprah Whinfrey
- - - - - - - - - -
"What is Love?" Flash animation is
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Sent: Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Subject: You have no choice
but others judge us mostly by our actions."
- Eric Harvey and Alexander D. Lucia: Walk the Talk
"Getting people to like you is simply
the other side of liking other people."
- Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), Minister and Books & CD's
- - - - - - - - - -
I wasn't having a good day. Let me tell you about the straw that broke the camel's back: I was in rehearsals for the Decide Show... We were watching a videotape of a previous show. I walked between the TV and VCR and tripped over the wire, almost causing the VCR to fall to the floor. Even though experience has taught me that everyone else probably didn't make anything of it, I still felt terrible.
Sometimes it's not the circumstances in the moment that have us feel bad; it's what the circumstances remind us of. I remembered one day coming home from school. It was very bright outside, so when I got indoors I couldn't see a thing (from 5% down to 0%). Accidentally, I knocked over my dad's drink and he became outraged! Another day, I had tripped over the telephone chord, dropping my lunch on the floor and causing my dad to get disconnected from an important telephone call.
Reminiscing the past, the feeling of `life just not being fair' overwhelmed me. Tears began to pour down my face. On the one hand, I didn't want anyone else in the cast to notice. Then I remembered all the times as a teenager where I was in a room of people, crying, and nobody was noticing or saying anything. My heart started to ache as I listened to the lyrics of "Can I help you stand?"
I feel so sad, a different life I wish I had.
Nothing seems right, no day, it's all night.
Someone help me, I'm so lonely."
What do you do in these kinds of situations? We have no choice in the circumstances that we are given -- the circumstances cannot be changed. They are the way they are. And our past is the way it is. If we want happiness, we must learn to move on. We have no choice but to continue with life, and deal with whatever life throws our way.
Oh, it's painful. It hurts. That's life. How do you deal with it? Do you talk to someone in your family? Do you cry by yourself? Hey, don't suffer through it -- pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Pain comes from the outside world and suffering usually comes from chatter or the story we make up in our minds. Suffering is dwelling on and recreating the pain. It's that negative chatter in our minds that creates the ongoing negative feelings. So how do we work on that? How do we overcome the battles with that person in our mind?
Talk about it... Get the conversation out of your mind and into the world. What is at the source of the pain? When we distinguish the pain from the suffering, we have the freedom to choose. When we accept the pain for what it is, and become open and expressive about it, the suffering becomes easier and often disappears.
Now, how do we be expressive? How do we talk about it? Ask yourself, why am I feeling so bad? What exactly is it? For me, it wasn't about breaking the VCR or looking foolish in front of my fellow cast members. It was about me displeasing my dad... It was about me not being loved... It was about me feeling inadequate and unaccepted.
There. Just by writing it down, I feel better.
You have no choice in the circumstances that are given to you. But now you are aware of your power to move beyond them, simply by sharing with a friend, being with a pet, or writing in a diary.
Can I help you, find a better way
Can I love you, can I show you
Can I make you know a better you?
Can I help you stand, can I be your fan
Can we cross the land, can we understand
Can we touch the sand, can we make a plan
Can I help you breathe again?"
- - - - - - - - - -
Simple words. Relatable stories. Powerful inspiration.
www.ordinarywords.com
- - - - - - - - - -
"...I've been to a couple of seminars where they talk about networking but it never seemed genuine or authentic. Thank you for adding the authenticity into networking. You really showed us that it doesn't have to be slimy and 'what's in it for me?' when you're networking. Thank you for putting the humanity back into it..."
- April Hoyt
- Founder of the Transfilmation Production Company
"I had the pleasure of hearing [Danish] speak at the Co-op Finale Event. [He was] awesome. [His] words reached out and touched the audience in an amazing way. The 5 Co-op students that work in my team were talking about [his] presentation for days as was I."
- Cathe Boynton
- Quality Assurance, CIBC Internet Channel
Book Danish Ahmed for your next conference or meeting:
http://www.ordinarywords.com/sprequest.html
"People like dealing with happy people,
so I increased my productivity by whistling and being happy."
- Jimmy Pattison
"Nothing is good or bad,
but thinking makes it so."
- William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Playwright
- - - - - - - - - -
Get a copy of my book, "A Dictionary of Distinctions", online at Chapters:
Click http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.asp?Catalog=Books&Item=978097313600
34 Woodrow Ave., Toronto, Canada M4C-5S2 +1 (647) 439-5011
If you like my articles and would like to get other empowering messages, send a blank e-mail to:
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Sent: Tuesday, September 7, 2004
Subject: Meaning of Life (DECIDE anniversary update; next show Sept 11)
or get busy dying."
- Tim Robbins, Shawshank Redemption (2004, Screenplay by Frank Darabont)
"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple
but only God can count how many apples are in a seed."
- Anonymous
"Why are hugs more important than money?
Because they can be more easily transmitted over instant messengers. ({)"
- Danish Ahmed
- - - - - - - - - -
(and an update on the DECIDE anniversary show)
Some people believe that I'm always a positive thinker. Well, I have "not-so-positive" thoughts just like anybody else. For example, on the date of the anniversary show, I started having disempowering thoughts. I found out that we were unable to get the megaphone I was going to use to start my introduction out on the street. That didn't matter too much, since it started to rain like crazy! We couldn't have people stand out in the rain for twenty minutes -- so the idea of a big lineup for the press didn't happen. And, I guess because of the rain, 50 people who had RSVP'd didn't show up. I felt disappointed. I don't think CityTV showed up either. Then, I forgot some of my lines during my monologues.
Trying to snap myself out of my bad state, I said to myself: "Listen, Danish... You've been dreaming about being on stage as part of a musical to a large audience for two years. You're doing it now!! Even if tonight is a complete flop, you're already living one of your greatest dreams."
Everything is a matter of perspective. The seats of the fifty people who didn't come were utilized by the many who did (but hadn't RSVP'd). We ended up having about 200 people in total -- all willing to stand in the rain to see our show. John Terauds from the Toronto Star noticed this and actually stated so in his article published August 30. And nobody noticed that I messed up on my lines. Hey, I'm a professional speaker. My improvisation skills also allowed me to add some extra drama to my closing monologue.
When I was a teenager, I would attend parties and feel so isolated. I would sit in the corner or stand around hoping someone would approach me and want to talk to me. After the anniversary show, it took me about an hour to get from backstage to the bar to get myself a drink. I felt like a celebrity! Everyone wanted to chat with me.
It was an awesome show, the best yet, as some have shared. I lasted until 7 AM. Now my dream is to take the DECIDE Show all the way to Broadway. It's very exciting!
So, stuff happens. Disempowering thoughts come into our minds. It's all human. Nothing in life has any meaning -- anything can be seen as positive or negative. The question is, what meaning do we pull from our circumstances? Nothing in life has any meaning, EXCEPT for the meaning that WE give it.
I'm getting that becoming an overnight success takes years of preparation. I'm learning everyday to be a little bit more patient. I'm embracing the motto that success is a journey, not a destination.
What an awesome journey it is! I'm not sure how long it's going to take for us to get to Broadway. I can promise you that it's going to be an incredible ride. Come, experience it with us...
Our Next Show:
Saturday, September 11, 9:30 PM
Saturday, September 18, 9:30 PM
Where: 66 Portland Street (east of Bathurst, south of King), Toronto
Cost: Ordinary Words Special -- $10
Details: http://www.ordinarywords.com/decide.html
RSVP: mailto:info@goknightflight.com or call 416-703-9696
"Don't ask `What is the meaning of my life?'
-- ask `What meaning will I make of my life?'"
- Victor Frankl, Author (1905-1997)
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Songs of empowerment, The Toronto Star - August 30, 2004
Knight gives flight, 24 Hours Magazine - May 11, 2004
"The more we accept things,
the less significant they become."
- Danish Ahmed
"If you judge people,
you have no time to love them."
- Mother Teresa
"We confuse our memories
with who we are..."
- Will Ferguson, "Happiness" (2002)
- - - - - - - - - -
Get a copy of my book, "A Dictionary of Distinctions", online at Chapters:
Click http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.asp?Catalog=Books&Item=978097313600
34 Woodrow Ave., Toronto, Canada M4C-5S2 +1 (647) 439-5011
Simple words. Relatable stories. Powerful inspiration.
http://www.ordinarywords.com
If you like my articles and would like to get other empowering messages, send a blank e-mail to:
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Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Subject: Transform Your Life /// August 14 is the next DECIDE Show
so other people won't know we want to do them."
- The Village (2004, Written & Directed by M. Night Shyamalan)
"Your view of the world is limited
by your speaking and listening."
- Dr. Paul Turro, Landmark Wisdom Course Leader
- - - - - - - - - -
by Danish Ahmed
Have you ever heard the phrases, "if you want love, give love" or "if you want joy, give joy?" Is it true? Does it work?
It's difficult to quantify love or joy. However, there are other things that we can measure. Here's an example that relates this concept to networking:
One of my good friends was going to a professional development seminar. He's also a person who's launching a new career and looking for networking opportunities. I told him that "networking events" are actually not the best place to network. Other events, that don't advertise themselves at networking events, are better. I said to him, "You're going to meet certain kinds of people at this seminar. You can develop relationships that live beyond the length of the seminar. This is a group of people that are great for you to connect with."
I realized then that if I become an outstanding networker myself, I can only reach so many people. However, if I give networking skills or can teach the people in my network how to become better networkers, then my network increases exponentially! So really, the quality of my network is as good as my ability to teach my network how to network. Does that make sense? I help friends become more conscious of, and appreciate their circle of influence.
Bottom line, "if you want to be a great networker, give networking skills away to others."
Now, just because this idea works with networking, it doesn't mean that it works with love or joy. No, we can't prove that to be true, because love and joy aren't easily measurable. Dr. Paul Turro from my Landmark Wisdom Course says, "I don't know what's true. I know what's useful." And from my experience, it is useful to believe that "if you want love, give love" and "if you want joy, give joy."
Living this philosophy will not only help us develop as individuals, it will have an impact on the people we know. We may talk to people in our neighborhoods; we may talk to people in our companies. We may associate with people in various clubs or charities. We may socialize with people when we participate in sports or recreational activities. Our influence doesn't just rub off on the people we converse with; it rubs off on all the "communities" we are connected to.
Our parents may have told us not to hang around bad kids, even though they knew we were a good kid. They wanted us to hang around other good kids. That's one of the premises of the Wisdom Course, that we are a product of the people with whom we hang around -- unless we're consciously choosing to impact our communities.
So, if the life you now have isn't what you want, then hang around different people. Hang around people that you respect, that you admire, and that you want to be like. If you're living a life you love, and you want it to be even better, then start giving your life to others by sharing -- it will cause transformation in the lives of the people with whom you hang around. Make a difference in the world, any day, anytime, with anyone. And, make a difference in your life, all at the same time.
"Laughter is the closest distance between two people."
- Victor Borge, Humorist (1909-2000)
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A New Party Experience
Every show is different. Every party is happening! That's because the show helps everyone bring down the barriers that keep us from meeting people and having open conversations. The Decide Show creates the perfect space for a party that simply rocks!
It's a hit! I'm proud to be a part of an outstanding cast. Television host, Jill Hewlett says, "What a gift it was for me to attend such an outstanding event... [It was a] tremendously impactful experience. Thank-you for all that you do to make the world a better place by giving life more meaning."
Next Show: Saturday, August 14, 9:30 PM
Ordinary Words Half Price Discount: $10
Details: http://www.ordinarywords.com/decide.html
RSVP: mailto:info@goknightflight.com or call 416.703.9696
Pictures: http://www.goknightflight.com/decide/archive/index.php
"The chief function of the city is to convert power into form,
energy into culture, dead matter into the living symbols of art,
biological reproduction into social creativity."
- Lewis Mumford (1895-1990)
"Once you DECIDE your life is worth living,
life becomes a paradise."
- Danish Ahmed
- - - - - - - - - -
Get a copy of my book, "A Dictionary of Distinctions", online at Chapters:
Click http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.asp?Catalog=Books&Item=978097313600
34 Woodrow Ave., Toronto, Canada M4C-5S2 +1 (647) 439-5011
Simple words. Relatable stories. Powerful inspiration.
http://www.ordinarywords.com
Be a part of the community - Send a blank e-mail to:
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Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2004
Subject: There is no time..... The Next Decide Show: Saturday Night
View this newsletter in HTML:
http://www.ordinarywords.com/ezine2004-2.html#time
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so we have an excuse not to be alive today."
- Rachel Griffiths, Six Feet Under, HBO Television Series
"What is it to be alive? It is to be present... Aliveness brings with it wonder, excitement, and awe. When we are truly being present, truly experiencing the moment, we cannot but be in awe."
- Steve Rogers & Danish Ahmed
Time... doesn't really exist.
Boredom... can be a gift.
What do you want?
When the time is gone, you'll wish you had it.
Think big.
You're much more than you're experiencing.
Do now what you wish you would have done,
looking back on now.
Escape regret.
It doesn't matter whether we live only once,
or we live many lives.
What matters is now.
Not now, like this instant.
Now.
Like the present.
We're so fixed to time, we think of now as a moment.
Now is not a moment.
Now is the way it is.
Now is what we have.
Now is who we are.
There is no time.
There is only now.
- - - - - - - - - -
imagination's present interpretation of a selective past."
- Steve Rogers
"The key is to see outside of our present moment. The trick is we can't see outside of our present. We must delegate that task to an outside spectator."
- Danish Ahmed & Steve Rogers
What Did You DECIDE?
I was in the show!! I had three parts and it was amazing. Everyone loved the show... It was a packed audience with standing room, and we still had to turn some people away (Don't worry, just RSVP to reserve your spot for the next show). The after-party went until 4 a.m. and people shared how they connected with other really intriguing individuals.
I'm going to be in the next show as well. So, the "ordinary" discount will still apply. :) I look forward to seeing you and chatting with you at the party!
Next Show: Saturday, July 31 -- 9:30 PM Doors Open
Ordinary Words Half Price Special -- $10, includes complimentary drink
Details: http://www.ordinarywords.com/decide.html
RSVP: mailto:info@goknightflight.com or call 416.703.9696
Pictures: http://www.goknightflight.com/decide/archive/index.php
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- Steve Rogers
"Don't ask `What is the meaning of my life?'
-- ask `What meaning will I make of my life?'"
- Victor Frankl, Author (1905-1997)
(c) Copyright Ordinary Words Inc., 2000-2004. All rights reserved.
34 Woodrow Ave., Toronto, Canada M4C-5S2 +1 (647) 439-5011
Simple words. Relatable stories. Powerful inspiration.
http://www.ordinarywords.com
Be a part of the community - Send a blank e-mail to:
mailto:join-distinctions@mh.databack.com
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