fear

What does it mean to follow one’s dreams of creative fulfillment? It can be a challenging and frustrating experience, especially when one’s efforts don’t readily bear fruit. But, when events come together to bring about the realization of those goals, the rewards are tremendously satisfying, especially when the results take pleasantly unexpected forms. Such are the outcomes chronicled in the uplifting new documentary, “Presenting Princess Shaw,” now available in theaters specializing in independent cinema and on video on demand.

When life seems to be falling apart, it helps to have something to latch onto to stay afloat. But whatever one reaches for, no matter how satisfying it may be, could lead to even bigger and better things, and much of it unexpected. Such is the case for an Irish teen seeking to find himself during deteriorating circumstances in the charming new musical romantic comedy, “Sing Street.”

Ever since Eddie Edwards was a child (Tom Costello Jr.), he desperately wanted to be an Olympic athlete, despite health challenges and the nonstop criticism of naysayers, including his own father (Keith Allen). But Eddie was not deterred by these obstacles; he was determined to see his dream realized, especially when his health improved as a teen (Jack Costello). He tried his hand at many sports, though not with much success, prompting even more ridicule from virtually everyone except his mother (Jo Hartley). He seemed reconciled to spend his life working as a plasterer like his dad – that is, until he discovered winter sports.

In the spirit of how the U.S. typically goes after what it needs these days, Moore took it upon himself to lead his army of one and “invade” a number of countries that have employed good ideas in their societies, all with the intent of stealing those notions and bringing them back home to the Land of the Free. The results of those efforts are now chronicled in the director’s latest documentary.

In 1936, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler (Adrian Zwicker), leader of the notorious Third Reich, sought to use his country’s hosting of the Berlin Olympic Games as a platform for propagandizing the Nazi ideology and the rise of the Aryan race. Through a carefully constructed plan orchestrated by Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels (Barnaby Metschurat), and documented cinematically by his hand-picked filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl (Carice van Houten), the Führer wanted the event to showcase the glories of fascist society and the qualities he believed constituted human perfection.

  Step Into Your Power Practical Tools to Remove Fear   Pam Butler welcomes Kerissa Kuis, life coach, inspirational speaker and author for a conversation on how to Step Into…

In 1947, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was one of the most acclaimed and best paid scribes in Hollywood, having achieved success with the scripts for such films as “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” (1944) and the Oscar-nominated “Kitty Foyle” (1940).

In 2005, decorated New Jersey police detective Lt. Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) was living the good life. Her career was going well, she had just moved into a beautiful new home and she was enjoying her relationship with the love of her life, Stacie (Ellen Page), with whom she had formally established a domestic partnership under the state’s recently enacted law governing such arrangements. There were some trade-offs, such as Laurel’s belief in the need to keep her lifestyle secret for career advancement purposes, but, on balance, everything seemed to be going well. That all changed one day, though, when a nagging pain thought to be a pulled muscle turned out to be something far more serious – Stage IV lung cancer.

At the age of 81, many of us might be content to settle in and get comfortable for the remaining days of our lives. But not Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren). Despite her advancing age, she embarked on one of the most arduous, yet satisfying, undertakings of her life.

“The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2015). Cast: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie, Diana Hardcastle, Dev Patel, Richard Gere, David Strathairn, Tina Desai,…

I regularly write about greatness – about discovering our unique abilities and finding ways to use them to make a difference in life and work. But just because we know what makes us great – we know our talents, strengths and passions – doesn’t mean we can put them in action. What stops us from being who we really are and living life the way we want? Fear.

Our routines own most of us. We have the same schedule, shop in the same places, eat at the same places, vacation in the same places – we even drive to work the same way. What would happen if we changed something – if we just broke free and wandered to try something new – anything?

What if instead of moving through life afraid of so many things, we actually looked at life as an adventure – one that changes each day and gives us the ability to direct how it goes? What if we could stop checking out, living small and limiting our dreams because we are afraid?

We can spend our time struggling, in vain, to make others into what we want them to be, or we can see the inherent flaw in thinking this way, and — rather than trying to change others to suit our needs — see through the false idea that someone else is responsible for our fulfillment.

I welcome change and love the growth that comes with it

The fear of not risking change is worse than the fear of change itself. So take a deep breath, smile, and jump in at the deep end!

Best-selling author Guy Finley says that to be consciously afraid means that you know you are frightened, but at the same time you know that these very fears, as real as they may seem, are not you.

Here’s the question Oriah Mountain Dreamer is holding in her life: How do we go through what feels like unbearable pain (loss, grief, sadness, fear, terror) without closing or disconnecting from our hearts?

does enlightenment mean the end of all neurosis, or is it possible to be awake and aware while also having some measure of hang-ups?