13. Whatever You Accomplish, It Will Never Be Enough w/ John Raatz (Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment)

What is your relationship to fear? Is there a way to overcome fear to help you make better decisions? How do you know what to say yes to, or no to, in a WORLD full of distractions and demands? John Raatz is one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met. We first connected in 2010, through his organization, The Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment, (also known as GATE). I was immediately enrolled by John’s massive vision to ignite the spirit of transformational story-telling in mainstream Hollywood. You know, bring back to story-telling what it’s been for thousands of years – not a way to make money, but a way to diffuse wisdom throughout the community, so that we may live well. Alongside legions of others who were likewise enraptured by John’s vision and passion, I helped John produce these marathon GATE events attended by a diverse world of celebrities, artists, hollywood execs, renowned spiritual teachers, and thought leaders. Those events were famous – or perhaps infamous – for running into the wee hours of the morning, the stage was like a clown car overrun by John’s rolodex of visionary artists, celebrities, entertainers, and storytellers. People like Eckhart Tolle, Jim Carrey, Melissa Etheridge, Marianne Williamson, Annie Lennox and so many others … they were all there, in the audience, and on stage, talking beautiful possibilities for humanity … Truly, those days working with John, and GATE, are among my favorite memories of my years in Los Angeles. Seriously, John is an extraordinary man … he has had his tireless creative hands on just about every project in the transformational entertainment universe, from the mind-bending movie “Mindwalk” which blew my young mind in 1990, to “What the Bleep do We Know” which blew my slightly older mind – and millions of other minds – in 2004, to Eckhart Tolle’s “Power of Now,” which John helped make an international best-seller … and which always blows my ageless mind in the present moment … If you were to scroll through John’s CV, you would surely discover that you too have been inspired at some point in your life by something John was involved with. Today, among still countless endeavors, John is the advisor to actor Jim Carrey. I’m genuinely a big fan of John as a man. In addition to kind and humble, he is a fascinating study in the potential of the human spirit to dream up possibilities AND then take action to make them reality. Alright … Let’s dive … SHOW NOTES 9:51 ~ A significant early experience in John’s life 12:16 ~ How early exposure to spiritual literature infiltrated John’s work 15:22 ~ John’s relationship with fear 21:48 ~ How John’s relationship with his father shaped his life 27:42 ~ Disappointment and failure within John’s spiritual practice 31:36 ~ Evolution of love in intimate relationships 32:59 ~ The most important insight around creating a truly fulfilling intimate relationship 33:57 ~ The difference between listening and hearing 39:16 ~ How life is made richer through friendships with men 44:51 ~ The biggest challenge facing men today 48:57 ~ “5 KEY TAKEWAYS” FINALE 49:37 ~ KEY INSIGHT: Understanding that the world is as we are 50:57 ~ KEY MAN TO LEARN FROM: Eckhart Tolle 52:13 ~ KEY RESOURCE (most impactful, inspiring book, movie, podcast): “ If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit” by Brenda Ueland (Book) “The Gift” by Lewis Hyde (Book) 53:47 ~ KEY INVESTMENT (the best thing you spent money on, under $10,000): Spending money on his wife, Yoko 55:33 ~ KEY PRACTICE (7-day challenge to the men listening): Meditation The true practice of gratitude OTHER LINKS AND RESOURCES Search online for “John Raatz” to find John Raatz! His website www.JohnRaatz.com is not yet ready.