Last week, my husband and I watched some of Tony Robbins's “Breakthrough” shows on Hulu. (These shows are no longer available on Hulu, but you can search and find many of them on Youtube.) At one time, the site said the shows would be removed on September 4, but it looks like they've changed their minds. (Lucky for you!) Each of the six episodes is about 40 minutes long, and well worth every minute.
In the segments, Robbins leads guests through some various exercises designed to take them from despair to hope in 30 days. In each case, Robbins guides them through seven steps that I think can be used in our everyday lives to overcome challenges and achieve our maximum potential in life. Here are the seven steps Robbins leads people through on the show. (I am paraphrasing some of the things Robbins discussed in the shows.)
- Change Your Environment. The first thing Robbins does is fly guests to his private retreat on Fiji. The idea is that genuine breakthrough is always preceded by some kind of change of scenery that provides a chance to address issues in a new way.While it would be nice if we could all escape to Fiji, in truth, the fact that we cannot should not be an excuse. Anyone can change their environment, even if it's a local hotel or a day at the spa. Recently, my business partner husband and I changed the environment in which we work. We noticed significant changes in ourselves and our business almost immediately.
- Face The Real Issues. The next step is to peel the onion to uncover the real issues. In one case, a former professional basketball player (pictured) blamed his former coach for ruining his career. The real issues, which had little to do with the coach, were brought to light in a dramatic meeting between the coach and the player, with Robbins serving as a facilitator. It was a great scene, and I enjoyed seeing genuine healing take place.
- Embrace Your Power. In moving from despair to breakthrough, eventually, confidence and a feeling of power begin to emerge. Little by little, if you are committed and working hard to move toward a better quality of life, small steps will lead to a chance to embrace your power.
- Change Your Perspective. No amount of power and confidence can bring lasting change unless they are accompanied by a shift in perspective. Power and confidence can be temporary and fleeting, so a mindset shift is necessary to use these feelings to produce tangible results. This is done in the mind first, says Robbins, and then in the body.
- Own Your Truth. Once your perspective begins to change, you can begin to once again take full responsibility for your life and the things you have done to make it what it is. Unless you are willing to take full responsibility for your life, and how your decisions and actions have shaped it, you'll never experience lasting breakthrough.
- Let Go Of The Past. Robbins says that, when we feel cheated or abused, we write a sort of victim script in our heads. If we buy fully into it, the script becomes a constant excuse to resist growth. If you can acknowledge the past without holding onto it, your chances of breakthrough significantly increase.
- Design A Compelling Future. This is where the fun begins; where you begin to create your future — even design it — to your own specifications. If you've taken the first six steps, in fact, there's nothing left to do in this final step except to create the life you love.
I watched each of the shows, but if you don't have time to catch them all, my suggestions are to watch Episode 1 with Frank and Kristen, and Episode 3 with Juaquin (the basketball player) and Kim Hawkins. (These shows are no longer available on Hulu, but you can search and find many of them on Youtube.) I teared up more than once. I was inspired and encouraged. If all of television was this productive, I think the world would be a better place.
Hulu is hosting some interesting reviews and discussions about each episode at the site, so check them out if you get a chance. You can also engage at NBC's site (though I hate to link to them since they were dumb enough to cancel this show …)
You can learn more about Tony Robbins at his website.
Question: What do you think of Robbins's advice? If you watched any of the shows, what did you learn? Do you have a favorite episode?
