| "This is a multi-part article submission with excerpts | | | | our evening relaxation at home before we go to bed, |
| directly from my book Life: The Seven Moments that | | | | all this so we can get up and do it all over again. Most |
| really matter. Enjoy. - Christian Blake." | | | | people will never escape the daytime work |
| Preface | | | | environment. As you will read later in this book, work |
| During the summer of 2000, I began an | | | | is an excellent source of nourishment for the human |
| eighteen-month, in-depth study of the highest | | | | spirit. But what do we do with our time after work? |
| grossing blockbusters produced during the 90's. My | | | | Television |
| goal was to comprehend what compels people to | | | | When we get home from work, most of us plop |
| spend their money at the box office. Why? Because | | | | down on the couch and turn on the television to |
| as a screenwriter, I wanted a piece of that billion | | | | watch actors live a simulated life that is more |
| dollar industry. And what better way to learn how to | | | | enriching than our own. We follow these television |
| write a screenplay than by studying successful | | | | dramas, comedies, and mysteries because they are |
| movies. | | | | feeding our human spirit better than we are feeding |
| I was certain that every great film had underlying | | | | ourselves. We live through television. What is inside |
| mechanics at play and I was determined to be the | | | | these television shows that appeals to us? What is |
| first to discover them. I wanted to know to what, | | | | missing in our own lives? |
| specifically, the audience responded. After eighteen | | | | Sports |
| months of dedicated movie watching, I found the | | | | We attach ourselves to great athletes. We admire |
| answers. | | | | them. We cheer for them. We follow their careers |
| My commitment to film study was pretty intense at | | | | and debate over who is the better competitor. We |
| that time. I worked only two or three days a week | | | | watch these superstars compete all season long, and |
| which was enough to pay my rent, pay the utilities, | | | | then we get excited over "the big game" when the |
| and buy a few groceries. The rest of my time, I | | | | best players battle against each other for the |
| watched movies. Sometimes five a day. I watched | | | | championship title. What are they doing that compels |
| several over a hundred times each. While I watched | | | | us to watch? What can we do to satisfy this need |
| these films, I would dictate every action and every | | | | of ours by changing the things we do every day? |
| bit of dialogue from each character. I would later | | | | Video Games |
| review these notes and try to decipher why was this | | | | The video game craze is stronger than ever. |
| movie a success? Why was this one a hit and that | | | | According to The Entertainment Software |
| other one a dud? Eventually I did discover what | | | | Association, the average game player spends 23.4 |
| makes a great movie great, and what I learned also | | | | hours a week playing video games. That's a lot of |
| applied to life. | | | | time spent in front of the computer or television. For |
| There are seven moments in life that matter the | | | | the rest of Americans that don't, it's very hard to |
| most to us. Once you understand these seven | | | | understand why kids (and adults) devote so much of |
| moments and actively appreciate them when they | | | | their life to video games. |
| occur, you will instantly elevate your enjoyment of | | | | Watching television programs, playing video games, |
| life. These moments have always been right in front | | | | or following an athlete's career are perfect examples |
| of us, yet nobody has ever brought them to our | | | | of neglecting our own human spirit. We are no longer |
| attention. | | | | actively participating in our own lives and have |
| You don't need money to live a fulfilling life. In fact, | | | | become spectators of other people living a simulated |
| you don't need a job. You don't need a wife, a | | | | life. We are satisfying our needs by watching |
| husband, or a family. You don't even need a car. A | | | | someone else live the moments that human nature |
| fulfilling life has nothing to do with these things. | | | | requires us to experience. I have not had cable |
| I imagine some of you are doubting me already...but | | | | television for over five years. I have no need for it. |
| I'll prove it. Have you ever experienced a day where | | | | If I need the news, I get it from the internet; or I |
| you finally came home and slumped into a recliner at | | | | buy a newspaper. My life is filled with the seven |
| the end of a long, busy day and thought to yourself, | | | | moments that I generate in real life, rather than |
| "Wow....what a great day!"? Then you went to bed | | | | watching someone else live the seven moments on a |
| entirely content and "maxed out" from the day's | | | | television show. |
| events? Everyone has felt that way at one time or | | | | If indeed we are asleep and neglecting our own |
| another, yet not everyone has the same | | | | personal involvement in life, how can we get back on |
| possessions. You felt great because of what you | | | | track? How can we start experiencing life instead of |
| experienced over the course of the day, not | | | | watching someone else live? |
| because of what you own, your status symbol, or | | | | By sharing what I have learned, I am positive that |
| how much money you earned. The experiences | | | | you will be able to increase your daily enjoyment of |
| themselves gave you that sense of contentment. | | | | life by making new choices throughout your day. You |
| The seven moments are easy to comprehend. At | | | | can immediately start generating these moments |
| first you might not believe how easy it is to use | | | | within your own life. At the same time, you can |
| them to enhance your daily life. Over time, however, | | | | decrease the amount of time you spend watching |
| you will prove to yourself that these moments are | | | | someone else live. Believe me, life is far more |
| occurring every single day. You are already | | | | interesting when you experience the seven moments |
| experiencing them...everyone is. All I'm going to do is | | | | firsthand. |
| show you how to recognize them. Expose them. | | | | Read this book. Put its principles into action. I promise |
| Once you realize what they are, you will inevitably | | | | you it will be a painless experience. It doesn't matter |
| realize how powerful they are, all seven of them; and | | | | who you are, where you live, or how much money |
| then you can immediately improve the quality of your | | | | you have. You can be broke. You can be homeless. |
| life. | | | | You can be a bored gazillionaire. You can be stuck in |
| Sedated | | | | a dead-end job working 40 hours a week with debt |
| I've been sedated for a large portion of my life. If | | | | over your head and no hope for financial freedom |
| you're an American, chances are high that you are | | | | for another forty years. Awakening your human spirit |
| too. In fact, I'd liken us Americans to zombies. The | | | | and feeling alive again can happen in the next few |
| walking American dead. Our human spirit has been | | | | hours. This book will show you how. Start now, and |
| lulled to sleep. We seek external visual nourishment | | | | start living again. |
| for our human spirit rather than experiencing it | | | | The next part of this article series is titled, How To |
| firsthand for ourselves. | | | | Improve Your Quality of Life by using the Seven |
| The vast majority of us go to work every day. We | | | | Moments - Moment #1. |
| have our morning routines, our lunch time rituals, and | | | | |