Review by Margaux Joy DeNador – December 2012
Last year I attended the Pasadena, California "I CAN DO IT!" conference in person. This year I wasn't able to take the time to travel to Pasadena so I decided to "attend" by watching the "Live Video Stream" instead.
The really cool thing about the live video stream is that you can watch in your comfy clothes on your computer!
During the live, in-person conference, which starts on Friday and goes all day on Saturday and Sunday, you can choose four 2-hour workshops to attend.
The live video stream has a selection of talks chosen by Hay House. The good thing about that is that I saw some talks I might not have chosen if I was at the live event with more choices.
To see all of the speakers for the Pasadena 2012 I CAN DO IT! click on the link.
Every talk I watched was interesting. Some were exactly what I had wanted to hear – and some were surprises that I am glad to have experienced thanks to the live video.
Being able to see and hear the speakers on the live stream video was great. One thing I like is being able to take "screen shots" of the speakers while they are talking. To give you an idea of what it's like to see the video stream I've included few "screen shots" taken while I was watching.
I've also included some "screenshots" from the videos on the USB wristband that can be purchased if you are attending the event live or by live video stream on your computer. It is wonderful to have the USB wristband so I can re-watch my favorite videos. The USB wristband also gives me the option to listen to the audios of the speakers whose talks were not included with in live video stream.
One of the things I love about the Hay House "I CAN DO IT!" conferences is that hearing the authors talk about their books brings their books to life.
Nancy Levin reading from her poetry book
Nancy
Levin is the event director for Hay House publishing. For years we've
seen her introduce authors and speakers at the events. During the past
few events Nancy has been reading poems from her poetry book. The title
of her book is "Writing
For My Life...Reclaiming the Lost Pieces of Me: A Poetic Journey."
Hearing Nancy read her poems and talk about why she wrote them really made her book have more meaning. I loved hearing her read her poems!
Following are my thoughts about the talks I was able to watch with the Live Video Stream of the 2012 Pasadena I Can Do It! conference:
Wayne Dyer - Skye Dyer singing and Alex Woodard on guitar
FRIDAY NIGHT, October 26
7:00 P.M.-9:30 P.M.
Keynote: WAYNE DYER
Wishes Fulfilled: Master the Art of Manifesting
Dr. Wayne
Dyer talked about how to manifest your desires in this talk. As Dr. Dyer says, "Everything that now exists was once imagined. And everything that will ever exist must first be imagined." In this talk, Dr. Dyer went over ideas from his latest book "Wishes Fulfilled" which goes into detail about how you can use your imagination to find out how you would feel if your wish was a present fact. (I've written a blog review of Dr. Dyer's book "Wishes Fulfilled" so you can click on the title if you'd like to read it.)
I've
heard Dr. Dyer talk many times so for me there is usually material
I've heard before. But one of the things I enjoy about Dr. Dyer's talks
is that he always adds in new thoughts, new people, and new
ideas. There is always going to be at least a few surprises in each of his talks.
During
this talk Dr. Dyer's youngest daughter, Saje Dyer, talked to us about how
she had gotten rid of what she calls her "bumps" when she was a child.
Dr. Dyer wrote about this in one of his books but it was great to hear
the story from his daughter's memory of it. As she told us, she believed
her parents when they told her she could "talk to her bumps" (which
were all over her face) and tell them she loved them and that they could
go away. It took about four days but they all cleared up and have not
come back. Hearing Saje tell her story reminded me of the importance of what we are taught to believe can come true for us!
Another surprise was that Dr. Dyer had his daughter Skye Dyer sing a new song written by Alex Woodard who played guitar. The song was based on a letter Dr. Dyer's daughter Serena had written to him. Because Serena wasn't there, Saje read the letter to us for her. Right after that we got to hear the letter come to life as a song. Alex Woodard is a singer, songwriter, musician, and the author of a book titled "For The Sender." After hearing Dr. Dyer talk about him and his book I was glad that one of the Live Video Stream talks, on Saturday, October 27, 2012 would be by Alex Woodard.
Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson
SATURDAY, October 27
8:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
Keynote: LOUISE HAY AND CHERYL RICHARDSON
It's Never Too Late to Change
Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson are a delightful duo. They are authentic, likable, funny, and unique. Each time I've heard them speak has been an uplifting experience.
In this keynote talk titled "It's Never Too Late to Change" they inspired us to make positive changes at any time in our life. Louise Hay had just had her 86th Birthday a couple of weeks before the conference. Cheryl pointed out that the last time she had seen her, Louise had long hair and she was surprised to see Louise with short hair. Louise explained that she had felt it was time for a change. Louise Hay used her hair to help us remember that "It's never too late to change." Both of these inspiring women are willing to change, they love to learn, and their intention is always to share ideas that can help the people in their audiences believe they can do it too.
This talk was based on the book Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson wrote together. The title of the book is "You Can Create An Exceptional Life." I've written a review of their book and if you'd like to know why I recommend their book, you can read my review of it by clicking on the title.
One of the things they both say is to decide how you will start your day. Louise says she starts her day by saying Thank You and saying I love you to herself in the mirror. Loving yourself and saying Thank You are two powerful ways to feel good about yourself and your life. They also reminded us that everything we think and everything we say (to ourselves or out loud) is an affirmation. By choosing to talk about things as you like them to be you are affirming these things in your life. But what many people do instead is to complain and as Louise Hay said, before you complain to her you've already been going over and over it in your mind.
One of the examples Louise Hay gave, regarding affirmations for using around your house, was to affirm that your closet always has beautiful clothes in it that you love to wear and that you feel beautiful in. She also affirms that everything she wears fits her perfectly. As she said, so many people say things like, "I never have anything to wear." and "Nothing in my closet fits me." Her suggestion is to re-phrase what you say so you are talking about what you do want. Since hearing her say that I've been affirming that I have beautiful clothes in my closet and dresser that fit me well and make me feel beautiful when I wear them. One of the things it is doing is to remind me to give away things that don't fit or just don't feel good for me to wear.
Cheryl had a fun suggestion for those who have iPhones or "smart" phones. She told us she puts affirmations as reminders so they pop up on her phone during the day. I decided to give it a try and it's fun to see things like, "Your smile lights up the world." and "You make a positive difference by being yourself." Cheryl also had one that said, "I love living with you." Wouldn't it be nice to see that pop up on your phone? What would you like to affirm?
Cheryl told us that she gets boxes of Louise Hay's calendar to give as gifts. I've given them as gifts for the past few years and I always enjoy having her page-a-day calendar of affirmations to see each day. They sell out quickly so if you want to get one for yourself and some to give as gifts, order them soon.
Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson are inspiring, encouraging, and fun. I highly recommend hearing them speak live if you can do it or at least watching them on the live video for one of the events if you can't do it in person.
Deborah King
10:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
Workshop
DEBORAH KING
Spiritual Ecstasy
Deborah
encouraged us to get in touch with our emotions with a journal or even
the computer. She said to type
or write as fast as you can to spear the ideas and thoughts. I've found this to be really helpful for me. Hearing Deborah speak also reminded me to write about what I really feel because as she says in her first book, truth heals!
12:30 P.M.- 2:30 P.M. - Lunch Break
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini
2:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.
Workshop
FABRIZIO MANCINI
The Power of Self-Healing
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini was delightful and inspiring. I enjoyed hearing his stories and became curious to read his book "The Power of Self-Healing." I liked what Dr. Fabrizio was saying and how he said it.
Dr. Fabrizio (which is what he seems to like to be called) told us the story of why he was inspired to go into medicine. Dr. Fabrizio has a passion for healing. His passion comes through when he speaks. His enthusiasm is contagious.
It was during a visit to see his Aunt and Uncle in Columbia that he was given what he calls a second chance to live. He says we are all living on borrowed time and during that visit he decided he was not going to waste his life. He wanted his life to have meaning and he decided that he would become a doctor.
You may have heard it before, but Dr. Fabrizio told us that most of our health problems are preventable. Dr. Fabrizio says that 80% are due to life style choices. Hearing that statistic really made me think about the life style choices I've made and what changes I can make.
In his book he talks about ways we can have more energy, sleep better, have more clarity, and feel more peace.
He talks about health on three planes: Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual. Each of the three contributes to living a healthy and happy life. He says that as a chiropractor he is looking at you as a well person. He touched briefly on energy medicine and about what he called "a dance with the Universe."
Trust, he says, is a key factor in healing. Trusting the provider of the treatment and trusting that your body can heal.
I was happy to hear Dr. Fabrizio say that creativity is very healing. It had always seemed that way to me. He says that art is a great healer and music can help us reconnect brain cells. From what he said, to live a healthy and happy life it is a good idea to take time for creativity, music, and art.
Another suggestion is to listen to recordings in your car - messages that uplift, inspire, encourage, and remind you to appreciate all that's going well in your life.
"You've got to trust. You've got to connect. You've got to let go of relationships that are bringing you down. Surround yourself with positive people."
As Dr. Fabrizio says, I truly believe that the Hay House authors want us to walk out saying "I can do it this time because I am ready for that change. I love myself more than I did before. I'm worth it!"
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini is a great example of an author who is excited to share what he's learned and what is working in his life. I am going to check out his book and I look forward to hearing him talk in person.
Afternoon Keynotes:
Alex Woodard
5:00 P.M.-5:30 P.M.
ALEX WOODARD
For The Sender
Alex Woodard is the author of a book titled "For The Sender." Alex was feeling sad about having to let go of his best friend of 15 years, a Labrador named Kona, when he recieved a letter that would change his life.
What started out as the desire to write a song based on this letter turned into a book and album package about real-life letters and now features Grammy-winning artists and a live show that has inspired thousands of people in its first few months.
The woman who started all of this is a woman named Emily. During the talk Alex showed a video during a visit to Emily to perform the songs live for her.
Emily told Alex, in her letter to him, that she felt his songs were pieces of himself and she wanted to give him a piece of herself in return. Emily has written a letter to her soul mate every Autumn - ever since he passed away. The letter from Emily to her soul mate was beautifully written and I can see why it inspired Alex to write her a song.
I am curious to read the book "For The Sender" and I would also love to hear the album that comes with it!
Dr. Brian Weiss
5:30 P.M.-7:00 P.M.
DR. BRIAN WEISS
Many Lives, Many Masters: Finding New Levels of Healing
Dr. Brian Weiss is the author of "Many Lives, Many Masters: Finding New Levels of Healing." I've heard great things about Dr. Weiss for many years but had not heard him speak before. I was curious to find out what it he had to say.
Dr. Weiss does "past life therapy" and he has a waiting list of over 10,000 people!!
During this 2-hour workshop, Dr. Weiss had us close our eyes and listen as he did a guided meditation. I was amazed that the 30 minutes felt like only about 10 minutes. It felt really good. I felt both relaxed and inspired after it.
Dr. Weiss asked us to write a few notes about what we had seen, felt, and heard while he was talking. I wrote: Warm, golden light. Love, Joy, Mom. Teaching - Susie Smart doll. Water - Ranch (irrigation streams). Silent Night & Joy to the World. I am Love, Light, Joy. I am a teacher. I am a Mom. I am Golden Light.
What does it mean? I don't know but I know that I feel good when I read the words I felt inspired to write after coming out of the guided meditation!
I enjoyed "attending" the workshop by Live Video Stream and it made me curious to attend a live event with Dr. Weiss.
7:00 P.M.- 8:30 P.M. - Dinner Break
Doreen Virtue and Michael
8:30 P.M.-10:00 P.M.
Evening Keynote: DOREEN VIRTUE
Healing Help and Guidance from Your Angels
Doreen Virtue is beautiful and inspiring. She always reminds me of an Angel. During this talk, which I "attended" by Live Video Stream, she had her fiancee Michael playing keyboards and also joining in to answer some of the questions.
Later in the talk, Doreen also had her son, Charles Virtue, talk with us about signs from Angels - "Signs From Above." Charles lives in LA and he says that "signs from above" can come in the form of a sign along the highway, a movie, or a song. The "sign" can help you know if you are on the right path. He also said that Angels teach us to take responsibility for our thoughts. Like his Mom, Charles teaches Angel Therapy.
Angel Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue & Radleigh Valentine
Doreen also had Radleigh Valentine with her to talk about their new Tarot card deck that is "100 percent gentle, safe, and trustworthy." They said that all of the words in the deck as well as the artwork by Steve A. Roberts, are positive and beautiful, while still retaining the magical effectiveness of traditional tarot. I am not experienced with tarot but I have to say that the cards they showed us - on a large screen behind them - were beautiful and inspiring. I am curious to see the new card deck and would like to get one.
Doreen Virtue is inspiring, uplifting, and gentle. She has an aura of love, light, and peacefulness about her. I've now been to a couple of Doreen's live talks and two as "Live Stream Video" and each time I've felt inspired, uplifted, and glad to have heard her talk.
Kriss Carr
SUNDAY, October 28
8:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
Keynote: KRIS CARR
From Illness to Activist
Kriss Carr is a "crazy, sexy, cancer survivor" who teaches an anti-inflammatory way of eating - and living. Kriss was 31 years old when she was told she had cancer.
Kriss had been an actress, dancer, and a bar tender in a blues bar in New York. She told us that she knew she was destined for something big - but she had no idea what it would be that she was supposed to do. Before the wake-up call from the Universe, she had been looking for ways to numb out, looking for love in her life with alcohol, recreational drugs, and men. She'd been "spinning out of control" and had felt quite uncomfortable in her own skin.
Now Kriss seems to feel very comfortable in her own skin. She comes across as authentic and likable - funny and unique - all great traits for a speaker. She talked about how we can choose to pay attention to what we are eating, drinking, and thinking. She also reminded us that stress lowers our immune system.
Kriss said to really listen to our body and then asked us, what do you hear? She gave examples of what your body might be saying to you: "I'm ready for a change. I'm hungry. I want to feel good. I want more rest. Have some fun!! Help me, nourish me. I would love to be a priority in your life." What does your body say to you? What does your body need to feel vibrant and fully alive?
Kriss has a new book out titled "Crazy Sexy Kitchen" which is what she was talking about during this workshop. I don't have it yet but I am curious to see it. Feeling healthy, vibrant, and full of life is how I want to feel. How about you?
Geneen Roth
10:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M
Workshop
GENEEN ROTH
Women, Food, and God: A Transformational Path
Geneen Roth started by having us take a breath and check in. She wanted us to feel our feet, ankles, the earth - to arrive where we were. She wanted us to notice our breathing. What I found was that when she had us do this it did make me more aware of where I was and how my breathing can make me feel. Taking long, slow, deep breaths made me feel in the moment and more relaxed. Taking shallow, small breaths makes me feel disconnected from life and from the present moment.
Next Geneen told us a little bit about her story in regards to food. She told us that in her late 20s she was so tired of dieting that she felt she would rather die than either keep dieting or be fat. WOW.
Geneen also told us that at one point she had managed to get her weight down to 80-82 lbs. But then she went off the diet and began to binge. Within two months she had doubled her weight!! Hearing her story made me realize that our choices of what to eat and how much we eat can make a huge difference.
When you change the way you look at things they can change. In order to change beliefs that are causing us to gain weight we need to know what we believe so we can question whether it is helping us or hurting us.
Geneen asked the audience to get in pairs to talk about why they were there. When she asked that I was not able to "pair up" with anyone because I was watching the live video of the workshop. I liked the part where Geneen talked with members of the audience who were willing to tell her why they were there. One woman said she was all or nothing - black or white and that she wants to be comfortable. Another woman said she was feeling exhausted and was ready to stop trying to find out what is wrong with her.
What Geneen pointed out to them was that "what's possible together" is much more than we can create on our own. Having the support of a group can make the difference when you are trying to shift how you think, how you feel, and how you behave.
I found it interesting that Geneen said that happiness and joy can seem too threatening to some people. Then she asked, "Who wouldn't like you if you were too happy, too successful, too joyful?" Hearing her ask that made me realize that sometimes we will try to keep ourselves from being different than the people we know. It made me realize that having the support of a group would help you feel better about making progress.
What we say to ourselves was another area she covered. She asked the audience to write 10 things they had said to themselves that day. Listen to a couple of the answers:
"I can't believe you _______!"
"When are you going to give up?"
She told us that if you want to change you must be aware of this voice and how you feel. The exercise was to make us aware of what we say to ourselves so we can begin to say things that help us feel good, feel encouraged, and notice what is going right in our life.
Another exercise she did was to give the audience members a "cup of food" and she had each person take out one item at a time, look at it, smell it, taste it, and take time to eat it. Since I was watching on the video I didn't have the food but I imagined myself doing what she was having them do. It made us more aware of the taste, the texture, the feel of eating the food. It gave people a chance to think about how good it really did, or did not taste. As she said, when you pay attention something different happens.
What I felt was that the workshop did cause me to eat more slowly, to notice more of how things taste and notice that tiny bites can have a lot of flavor. It seems to me that attending a workshop with Geneen Roth could be helpful in shifting how you think about food, how you think about yourself, and how you behave when eating. I am glad to have "attended" this workshop by live video stream.
12:30 P.M. - 2:30 P.M. - Lunch Break
Debbie Ford
2:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.
Workshop
DEBBIE FORD
Courage: Overcoming Fear & Igniting Self-Confidence
Debbie Ford began by asking if we were great procrastinators. Because I was "attending" by live video stream I could not see how many hands went up but my guess is quite a few.
To go beyond our wildest dreams Debbie says it takes giving up excuses and it takes knowing it's not going to get better without you taking actions. She said when we feel like fear is running our life we have to have faith. She says we can embrace our fear, love our fear, and that fear can be good and that healthy fear can help keep us safe. Toxic fear, she says, is what keeps us from taking action, prevents us from taking risks, and it keeps us from our own magnificence.
Debbie asked us, "How many of you are bored or boring?" Then she asked us to say, with her, "I'm hot! I'm sexy! I'm delicious!" Then she went on to tell a story about one of her assistants who was wearing "man clothes" when she first starting working for Debbie. The woman's mom had told her, years ago, that she would never be pretty. Debbie helped her shift her belief by buying her clothes, shoes, and a new haircut.
Debbie asked the audience, "What actions keep you small?" Some of the answers I heard were: Drinking, procrastinating, not making decisions, negative self-talk, people-pleasing, over-working, not growing, too much TV, and doubting. How many of us can say none of those things are keeping us small? It does take courage to admit the truth to yourself and then begin to make decisions and take actions to be who you want to be – who you know in your heart you can be.
Debbie said that many people fear that if they don't stay small their friends and family members won't love them or would feel jealous. It is sad to think people would feel that way but I've seen it happen myself. Once family and friends get used to you being "bigger" than you've been before it can work out well. But because feeling loved and accepted is so important it can prevent some people from even attempting to grow.
I loved that Debbie Ford told us that she always has a coach because she's lazy and she needs people around her to keep her growing. I've found it to be true as well that having a coach can keep you moving forward and help you feel inspired to keep going and growing. As Debbie said, "Coaching yourself will keep you where you've been." As a Life Coach, I agree with Debbie. If you want to grow it really helps to have a coach!
Debbie asked us to commit to the following. I hope you'll commit to it by writing it with your name in it. I've done it and seeing it written with my name in it does inspire me.
I, _______________, commit to living my most courageous life.
I will stop letting my past define who I am.
I will honor my authentic self.
I will listen to the voice of my most courageous self.
I will each moment choose choices that leave me feeling strong.
As Debbie Ford said, our time on the planet is running out. Decide to go for it. Allow people to know you. Be who you are even if that means you need to let go of some people you know because they want you to stay the same. It seems to me that having the courage to be yourself is the only way to truly be happy.
In summary, I am glad to have "attended" Debbie Ford's workshop with the live video feed.
Bruce Lipton
5:00 P.M.-6:30 P.M.
Closing Keynote: BRUCE H. LIPTON
The Science of Personal and Global Transformation
Bruce H. Lipton, PhD. is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. He is also known for groundbreaking stem-cell research at Stanford University. I had heard Bruce speak about "The Biology of Belief" and also heard him speak about what he calls "The Honeymoon Effect" last year at the Pasadena I CAN DO IT!
One of the things I loved about watching by live video was that I could take "screen shots" of some of the slides. Dr. Lipton shows many PowerPoint slides during his talks. He also speaks very quickly because he has so much he wants to tell us. I found that hearing him speak again helped me understand more of what he had said the previous times I've heard him speak. I am glad to also have the video of his talk on the USB wristband so I can re-watch and pause it while I consider what he is saying.
I've included "screen shots" of three of his slides, below.
I find it interesting to hear that when we get too busy our mind is "wandering" and we don't have control so the subconscious mind takes over. In order to use the conscious part of our mind we must be in our present moment and paying attention. Dr. Lipton says our conscious mind is not time bound – it can think about the past or jump ahead to think about the future. When we are thinking about times other than the present moment our subconscious mind takes over. In this subconscious part of our mind can be all sorts of habitual ways of responding that may not get us the results we want. I found what he was saying to be of great importance in understanding why we respond as we do.
Luckily, Dr. Lipton says it is possible to "re-write" our subconscious beliefs so they are really your own choices instead of whatever your mind recorded while you were growing up. I am really curious to read Dr. Lipton's new book, "The Honeymoon Effect" which is due to be released in May 2013.
In conclusion, I must say that I enjoyed "attending" the 2012 Pasadena "I CAN DO IT!" by watching the Live Video Stream. This way of "attending" allows people who can't attend in person to experience live feed of the conference. My first choice would be to attend the conference in person because it gives you a chance to meet the authors, talk to them, and feel a greater connection with them. It's also fun meeting people from all over the world at the live events. If you can go in person, I highly recommend you do it!
If you can't attend in person I highly recommend watching the Live Video Stream on your computer. I also recommend purchasing the USB wristband so you can hear the audios of the speakers and re-watch your favorite authors's videos on your computer!
Click on this link if you would like information – speakers, locations, dates, and links for the "I CAN DO IT!" conferences in 2013.
As these speakers remind us, we can choose to stop saying the words "I can't" and replace them with the words "I CAN DO IT!"
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