If we change one thing we change everything.
“No one gets left behind, but not everyone chooses to come with you.” -Geoff Thompson
The Cheat Sheet:
- Where do all fears exist?
- How did Geoff writing down all of his fears make a difference?
- Why Geoff forgave the man who abused him.
- Why does certainty matter so much?
- What Buckminster Fuller can teach you about success.
- And so much more…
If you knew all your fears only existed as a result of your belief in them, what would you do differently? Would you actually write down every single one of them from smallest to greatest and then face them? That’s exactly what our guest for today’s show did and it completely altered the course of his life.
Geoff Thompson, BAFTA-winning film writer and author of 40 books — including his autobiography Watch My Back — is here to talk about fear, creating your own reality, and so much more on episode 387 of The Art of Charm.
More About This Show:
Geoff Thompson comes from humble origins; he grew up in a working class family and had working class friends and loved ones for most of his adult life. By the age of 32 he was working in factory and was in a deep depression. He knew he was meant for more, but every time he tried to rise up, his fears got the best of him and he could not overcome them.
Deciding it was time to do something about this, Geoff made a list of everything he was afraid of — from his smallest to his greatest fear. And then he systematically confronted each one. On today’s episode he talks about what some of these experiences were like — including why physical violence was at the top of the list and how he overcame the naysayers who surrounded him.
When Geoff was only 11 years old, he was sexually abused by a teacher in his community. It was someone he admired and respected greatly. When no one helped him deal with the experience — not his church and not his parents — he internalized the abandonment he felt and allowed the experience to “possess” him.
The abuse he received became the reason he built himself into a fighting machine. He took away anything about himself that could be construed as attractive and made it ugly; he believed the world could not be trusted, and everything around him soon reinforced that belief. Eventually Geoff saw he had to let go of all of the story he had created in order to build a new life.
And letting go of it happened as a result of writing it down. His autobiography Watch My Back tells of his childhood including the abuse, his early adult years, and how he shifted from a working class bloke in a bad neighborhood in a bad marriage to a fulfilled, evolved, and transformed award-winning writer.
We cover so much on this show, but one of the main stories to listen to is how Geoff received his BAFTA. One of the principles he’s learned and now teaches others is to give without conditions. What you give to the world will come back to you — often not from the same place you give it, but it does come back. The story of how he wrote the film that later won a BAFTA is a perfect example of this.
You’ll also want to hear Geoff’s perspective on dealing with negative people in your life. After he published his first book his friends and loved ones were calling him pretentious and telling him not to get above himself. How he rebuilt his life and let go of naysayers is a powerful lesson, and Geoff’s wisdom will resonate with you.
Thanks to Geoff for speaking so candidly and with such grace on today’s show. Extra thanks to you for being here! We’ll see you next time on The Art of Charm.
THANKS, GEOFF THOMPSON!
Resources from this episode:
- Geoff Thompson’s website
- Watch My Back by Geoff Thompson
- Other books by Geoff Thompson
You’ll also like:
- The Art of Charm Challenge (click here or text 38470 in the US)
- The Art of Charm Bootcamps
- Best of The Art of Charm Podcast
- The Art of Charm Toolbox
- The Art of Charm Toolbox for Women
On your phone? Click here to write us a well-deserved iTunes review and help us outrank the riffraff!
