Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
McKay Christensen
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Top 10 Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
S2E47 - Are You a Bucket Filler?
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
03/13/23 • 29 min
In today’s episode, McKay shines a spotlight on the concept of being a bucket filler and how listeners can live their lives with more intention and kindness. The inspiration for the episode is rooted in a poignant story from paramedic Jamie Erickson's life, and throughout the episode, our host discusses the concept of filling others' buckets with positivity to make them feel valued and appreciated.
The episode also explores different themes that relate to the concept of bucket filling, such as the Platinum Rule, emotional bank accounts, social connection, empathy, perspective, and grief. McKay emphasizes the importance of being authentic and finding ways to fill others' buckets with things that are important to them, rather than what the filler might like. His words here today will inspire listeners to become more intentional about making a positive impact in the lives of those around them, to enhance their relationships with others by building trust and communication, and to listen intently to others in order to serve them and fill their buckets.
Episode Highlights:
- Bucket filling
- The power of empathy
- The role of perspective in navigating difficult situations
- The importance of small daily actions
- Grief and how it affects individuals differently
- The significance of resilience in overcoming adversity
- The power of community support during times of grief
- Being intentional about filling others' buckets with positivity.
- The Platinum Rule
- Emotional bank accounts
- Social connection
- Listening intently to others
Quotes:
"I want to be inspired, I want to learn, I want to improve my thinking."
"My worst nightmare as a paramedic has come true."
"Bucket filling is a way of life."
"Fill their buckets with the things that are important to them, not you."
"Just connecting, just sharing, just listening, can and does make all the difference."
"A bucket filling move may be to spend time helping them, to give of your time, to help them set appointments or practice their work skills."
"To be sincere in your connections or your bucket filling is to simply not have an agenda other than to be interested, to give, and to help."
"One must continually make deposits of honesty, kindness, unconditional love, patience, all of those essential virtues that strengthen any relationship.”
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S2E9 - Speak So People Listen
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
06/20/22 • 29 min
This week, McKay talks about how to speak so people listen. He opens up the episode with the story of Ronald Reagan’s powerful speech to D-Day veterans at Pointe du Hoc. Great speakers, McKay says, ask questions to connect with the audience and help them feel like the message is for them. To remember and map their speech, good speakers break their speech down into manageable chunks, each with important points to get across. By using chunks, speakers can teach instead of memorizing their lines verbatim. Most importantly though, McKay holds that the key to speaking so that people listen is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Then, seek to magnify your strengths. It’s your strengths that make your speaking memorable.
He goes on to note that, when we try to mimic someone else’s style by playing to their strengths instead of our own, we come off as fake. That’s why McKay says it’s so important to share personal stories; the more an audience relates to you, the more they will listen to you. McKay also shares some speech 'don’ts' - such as using too many jokes to too much focus on the speaker. He draws this episode to a close by sending a heartfelt message to his friend Austin who has recently embarked on a public speaking journey of his own and encouraging all of us to learn a bit more how to speak so people listen.
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S3E13 - Never Give Up
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
07/17/23 • 30 min
In this week’s installment of the Open Your Eyes podcast, Mckay introduces the "Never Give Up" mindset as he uncovers the depths of human strength and emphasizes the significance of staying committed to the game of life even amidst immense challenges. Throughout the episode, he shares captivating stories that will ignite in listeners a sense of determination and resilience, encouraging us all to embrace our own untapped potential.
Tales such as those of Jonathan Irons and Maya Moore, as recounted by our host here today, serve as powerful reminders that we possess the strength to overcome any adversity that comes our way. The role of mindset in navigating hurdles is thoroughly explored, as is the recognition of divine inspiration and creative spirit within ourselves. Tune in now to discover the profound impact of perseverance, the limitless possibilities that lie ahead when we choose to embrace resilience, and the rewards that await everyone who commits to never giving up.
Episode Highlights:
- Jonathan Irons' remarkable story of fighting for justice and the power of perseverance
- Maya Moore's courageous decision to advocate for Irons, taking a break from her WNBA caree
- Overcoming self-doubt and resisting the temptation to quit during challenging times
- Recognizing the divine inspiration and creative spirit within ourselve
- Finding joy and fulfillment through pursuing passions and making a positive impac
- Unveiling breakthroughs that often occur when we push past the point of wanting to give up
- Embracing change and taking calculated risks for personal and professional growth
- Settling internal disputes, facing challenges with courage, and understanding the effort required for greatness
Quotes:
"If you keep going, if you don't give up, you will find a way."
"Sometimes we get stretched to our limit to see what our limit really might be."
"The rewards are waiting for those who never give up."
"We were made to create, to build, to contribute."
"True joy is found when we embrace the spirit of perseverance and face life's challenges head-on."
"If we're going to do anything great for God and never give up on our dreams, we have to take chances."
"Settle the dispute inside you. Face your weaknesses, embrace your fears, and step up."
"Today will be hard. Tomorrow will be worse. But the day after, you will find your drive. Don't give up because it gets hard."
"We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, on the seas, in the air. We shall never surrender."
"Burn the ships named Comfort, Familiar, Bad Habit, Regret, and Guilt. Firm up your resolve to see things through."
"The inspired path has hard climbs, but it's full of rich learning and growth. Don't ever quit."
"On the other side of never giving up, you will find the new you that you've been seeking."
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S2E8 - The Best Speech of Your Life
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
06/13/22 • 33 min
What makes a speech remarkable and memorable? McKay answers this question in today’s episode as he brings to light examples of great speeches and teaches us how to improve our speaking skills. In order to connect with your audience, McKay explains that you have to focus on your audience, prime them to think in the same mindset, use stories to carry them along, and ask questions.
The episode begins with the story of Abraham’s Lincoln speech, a short speech that inspired many and continues to do so to this day. McKay explains how Lincoln makes use of repetition and constraint in his speech and how he recognized his physical surroundings and atmosphere, giving more power to his speech. Mckay gives a step-by-step approach on how to become a better speaker by connecting more fully with your audience and making your speech less about you and more about your listener.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
- Abraham Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg
- Using repetition and contrast in speeches
- How to become a better speaker
- You have to focus on your audience and connect with them
- The story behind “I Have A Dream”
- Starting your speech by priming the listeners
- The different examples of priming
- Priming with stories and jokes
- The power of asking your audience questions
Quotes:
“Great orators, when giving a speech, seek a cadence, a feeling, by their use of words.”
“Great speaking is a developed talent.”
“Too often, we don't consider the place or the audience. And so many speakers come at it from their own point of view, or make it about themselves. And this gets in the way, it prevents the listeners from fully engaging.”
“Pay attention to where you sit. Sit where you can easily make contact with the listeners. Eye contact makes all the difference. ”
“In the beginning of a presentation, you need to prime the listeners a bit so that they can follow you more intently. Priming brings the listener’s mind into your mindset and gets everyone on the same track.”
“Too often, I hear speakers tell personal stories, and they're focused on sharing the story like an overzealous friend who just returned from vacation and wants to show you their vacation pictures. And they share every single exhausting detail about themselves.”
“Priming is a useful skill in all of your speaking. And when you learn to prime well, you can elevate your effectiveness.”
Show Links:
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S2E49 - Are You Inspirable?
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
03/27/23 • 28 min
This week, McKay looks at just what it means to be inspirable and reflects upon the different ways in which people react to life experiences. Today’s episode begins with an exploration of how inflation happens both in the economy and inside ourselves. Being inflatable or “lit up” from the inside is a skill we can develop. It’s the skill of being inspirable.
Using his Business Strategy class as a metaphor for life, our host emphasizes the importance of focusing on the important things and not getting distracted by the unimportant. He shares some stories, including that of Steven Spielberg's film Hook, which highlights the importance of imagination and family in life. He encourages us all to see our lives as an adventure, to be inspired to rise to new heights, to step out of our comfort zones, and to try new things to learn and grow. As you listen in to McKay’s wise words today, you will undoubtedly find yourself empowered to take action to find inspiration and to face life's challenges with both courage and faith.
Episode Highlights:
- How we, in large part, cause inflation ourselves
- The impact of avian flu on the egg industry
- The significant cost of bringing eggs to the store shelf
- Why some students are enriched, while others remain indifferent
- Focusing on the important things in life
- Steven Spielberg's film Hook
- Being inspired to rise to new heights and see your lives as an adventure
- Ruth’s story of summiting the peak of Cucamonga Peak
- What she learned from her experience
- The keys and fuel for being inspirable
Quotes:
"Now, I don't know if you're like me, but when I wander into the grocery store to shop nowadays, I'm shocked at the price of food."
"The largest percentage of the cost of bringing an egg to the store shelf is animal feed."
"What makes for enriching and inflating experiences in life? What can we do to let good things lift us more?"
"We can be so caught up in doing the unimportant that when the important comes along, we can't open our eyes and recognize that it's of extreme value."
"I think a lot of people today are losing their imagination because they're so self-involved with work and success and arriving at the next plateau that children and family almost become incidental."
"To anyone out there who's facing a difficult situation and suffering from physical pain or inner scars, there is real help and comfort found in Jesus."
"Sometimes the tough things God gives us are meant to inspire us, to allow us to become something more than we've been."
"In the challenge, you could learn something that will bless your life for years to come."
"Whatever you and I are going through, we can be inspired more easily when we actively read, listen, and seek to learn."
Links:
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S2E51 - The Best Within You
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
04/10/23 • 31 min
McKay’s focus today is on the power of discovering what lies within ourselves, and he begins by introducing the story of Aaron Sorkin. Armed with a passion for drama and theater from an early age, it wasn't until Aaron dared to fail that he found success. His story serves as a testament to the power of daring to fail and discovering what lies within us.
McKay also shares the stories of Eric and Laura, individuals who both faced adversity and overcame it to find success. Their stories, along with Sorkin’s, inspire us all to embrace our own journeys and discover our potential. They also teach us that, to find what lies within us, we must be resilient, determined, and willing to let go of what we cannot do, while remembering who we are and where we came from. Mckay’s words of wisdom here today, combined with these powerful narratives, empower us all to discover the very best that lies within us.
Episode Highlights:
- Open Your Eyes’ two-year anniversary
- Aaron Sorkin's story
- How the best that lies within us can lead to remarkable success
- Eric and Laura’s stories of overcoming adversity and finding success
- Embracing our journeys and discovering our potential
- The power of resilience and determination
- Letting go of what we cannot do
- Remembering who we are and where we came from
- Discovering the best that lies within you
Quotes:
"The best that lies within you is waiting to be discovered.”
"Success is not the absence of failure; it's the persistence through failure."
"Daring to fail is not about wanting to fail. It's about recognizing that failure is a possibility, and deciding to take the risk anyway."
"Believe in yourself, and the rest will fall into place."
"The most important thing to do is to get started, even if it's a small step."
"The things I cannot do, I will let go. But the things I can do, I will learn to do well."
"She continued to write, and she became a successful author, living out her passion for writing about horses and racing."
"To find what lies within you, you may need to remember who you are and where you came from."
Links:
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S2E27 - What's Your Future Worth?
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
10/24/22 • 28 min
Have you ever thought about the person you will be in the future or what your future will look like? Your future is worth your attention. Because the future you picture or imagine influences your actions today.
In this week’s episode, McKay has an important question for you: What is your future worth? To help you envision your future self, he shares an incredibly touching story about a group of mountain climbers and the hard-learned lessons that turned their lives upside down. And we can all learn so much about climbs and attempts in life from their powerful story. As McKay says, it’s not about the climb, it’s about the climber. You are in the driver’s seat of your life, so take the wheel and change direction if you want to! For more insightful tips, join McKay here today as he illuminates the power of a perspective shift and the key principles for climbing your way to the top.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
- The incredible story of mountain climbers
- Climbing back after you fall
- Working hard today for a successful tomorrow
- Principles for achieving your future worth
- Envisioning your future self
- The power of perspective
Quotes:
“In the end, Clinton is grateful for a few things - for the years he had with his wife, for his kids, and for the fact that a split second before the lightning struck, he had reclipped the belay device into an anchor in the rock and that belay kept the three climbers below him from falling off the mountain.”
“I've come to learn this very important lesson about climbs and about attempts in life. It's not about the mountain. It's not about the lightning. It's not about the decisions or miscalculations or choices or circumstances. And it's not about who to blame. It's not, despite what Miley Cyrus thinks, about the climb. It is about the climber.”
“Is the person you're hoping to become worth the effort you are making today?”
“Here's the truth. The value of a future goal is the present change that it makes in you today.”
“He said that when you live in poverty and squalor, you picture your future and put on that image. So you see yourself as the person you will become, not the person you are today, because the person you are today is too poor and too pitiful to identify with. It is the future that you become. It's imagining that future that is yet to come that gives you hope.”
“The climb gives you perspective.”
“My experience had been that when you move deliberately in the direction, you feel inspired to act. The confirmation of your decision will come, or you'll be inspired to know that you're on the wrong path. But sometimes you have to be on the path and walk forward a bit before you get that perspective and understanding.”
“What's your future worth? It's worth the hard things you have to do today. It's worth the sacrifices you are making. It's worth the work to overcome your habits, and it's worth the climb.”
Links:
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S3E01 - One Word That Can Change Your Life
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
04/24/23 • 29 min
The power of one word and how it can change your life is the overriding theme of today's episode. As McKay asserts, we can all get stuck in negative thought patterns in our lives, but by finding one word or thing upon which to focus, we can change our perspective and move forward. Throughout the episode, he recounts several examples of how this practice has helped individuals improve their lives.
The stories of Steve Young, Michaela Schifrin, Bob Mankoff, and an infirm man at Bethesda all combine to demonstrate how committing to a single word or phrase can provide direction, focus, and motivation during challenging times. As you will hear today, whether it’s thriving in your role, overcoming self-doubt and anxiety, implementing the power of persistence and self-discovery, or rising above excuses and taking action towards your goals, finding your one word can truly make a formidable difference in your life.
Episode Highlights:
- The practice of focusing on one word or one thing
- How it can ignite an amazing sense of purpose and energy
- What you should do with your one word
- Assimilating your resolution to become a part of you
- Some stories that illustrate the power of focusing on one word or thing
- Having a sense of direction, focus, and motivation during challenging times
- Persisting and learning from our failures
- Holding onto excuses and remaining stuck
- Accepting help and making changes
Quotes:
"It's easy in life to get a bit off track."
"The practice of focusing on one word or one thing isn't new. But new or not, it has power to bring a fresh sense of feeling and purpose to your life."
"Whatever it is, you can see how a word can change your life."
"What one thing could you do that by doing it well, everything else would be easier or unnecessary?"
"But when you find your one thing, your one word or two words... it has a magnetic-like pull to help you get your mind straight and your spirit lit to who you can be."
"The point is this: it was the one word 'funny' and the realization that he was truly funny that turned Bob to do what was necessary to learn, to discover, and to grow and become one of the greatest cartoonists of our day."
"We're all a bit infirm and need God's and each other's help to step away from our excuses."
"Your best days are not behind you, but in front of you, if you can lock onto what you need to learn in this season of your life."
"Use these next few days and weeks to find your one word that can help you rise."
Links:
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S3E48 - There's a Lot Right With You
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
03/18/24 • 30 min
In today’s episode of the Open Your Eyes podcast, McKay offers a number of suggestions, gleaned from both his own and others’ experiences over the years, that can help us all seize the moment and live our best life. Noting that transformative lessons can be learned from unexpected sources, our host explores how simple yet profound wisdom can guide listeners towards personal growth and fulfillment.
Throughout the episode, McKay draws inspiration from the remarkable journey of Joel Osteen, highlighting the importance of authenticity and resilience in pursuing aspirations. Through Osteen's experiences, McKay underscores the significance of immediate action in seizing opportunities and fostering meaningful connections. He also reflects upon the power of responsiveness, agility, humility, and generosity in shaping both personal and professional success. Sharing real-world examples and insightful commentary, our host demonstrates how these traits can transform interactions, decisions, and overall outlook on life. As we all embark on this enlightening journey together, McKay encourages us to open our eyes to new possibilities and embrace humility and generosity along the path toward becoming that person whose character may very well end up influencing others.
Episode Highlights:
- Joel Osteen's journey and how it underscores the significance of authenticity in leadership and self-development
- Immediate action as a catalyst for productivity and effective decision-making
- Prioritizing meaningful connections to foster stronger relationships and collaborative opportunities
- The resilience and belief in oneself required to overcoming self-doubt, as exemplified in Osteen's journey
- How adversity offers opportunities for growth and discovering one's purpose in life
- How transformative wisdom shapes perspectives and guides personal growth and development
- Embracing change and learning from experiences as proactive steps towards growth
- How embracing responsiveness and humility foster agility, empathy, and collective success
Quotes:
"Don't use your energy to worry. Use your energy to believe."
"You need to associate with people who inspire you, people that challenge you to rise higher, people that make you better."
"You will never change what you tolerate."
"Words do create worlds."
"Just because we're in a stressful situation doesn't mean that we have to get stressed out."
"The life in front of you is far more important than the life behind you."
"When you're dealing with people, this habit of acting immediately says that you're important to me."
"You know, being responsive is a powerful thing in person and in this digital age in which we live."
"Change freezes their action and they spend more mental energy talking about and worrying about the change than moving forward."
"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."
"The law of prosperity is generosity. If you want more, give more."
Links:
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S2E10 - What Makes You Happy?
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen
06/27/22 • 30 min
On today's episode, McKay explores the concept of happiness, including where to find it, and how to hold on to it. To intoduce this rather expansive topic, he opens up the show by reviewing Elizabeth Smart's story - her brutal experience getting kidnapped and raped, and her journey toward happiness. McKay says that, while it's true that happiness is partially dependent upon circumstance, we can also attribute a large portion of our happiness to dedication, the people who raised us, and those with whom we surround ourselves.
He goes on to introduce more conditions for happiness, noting that, when we have admirable intentions and goals in our lives, for example, we find more daily satisfaction. Even the love we share and receive plays a large role in how content we are. McKay draws this highly positive podcast episode to a close by reminding the audience to find joy in the little things, and by offering this invaluable advice: “Stay poised in tough situations—good will prevail. Exercise. Serve. Have Faith. Be humble and watch.... You will be happy.”
The Finer Details of This Episode:
- Elizabeth Smart’s journey
- Happiness dependent on circumstances
- Set happiness
- Taylor Swift’s NYU speech
- The value of intention
- Love and happiness
- Darren’s happy landing
- Focusing on the little things
Quotes:
"As the days passed, she started to realize that this may be her new way of life.”
“He has taken 9 months of your life that you will never get back, but the best punishment you could ever give him is to be happy.”
“Happiness is a choice.”
“Married people report a slightly higher happiness level than single people. In research, 25 percent of married people and 21 percent of single people say they are very happy. In short, circumstances such as wealth or marital status only impact our happiness in small ways.”
“We get more from our parents than eye color and facial features. We may get a large set of our happiness from them or from others. How we grew up or who we have interacted with throughout our life, does dictate our level of happiness.”
“People with aspirations have higher energy levels, stronger immune systems, stronger mental health and feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem.”
“I agree with the researchers. I believe happy people see the best, even in the toughest situations. They are empowered with poise and optimism.”
“Remember, that only 10 percent of happiness depends on circumstances. Fifty percent is heritable. So be a person who sees, talks about and shares the good in life. You can pass on the habit of happiness to others and be a blessing to them.”
“Focusing on the small things in life that bring you joy.”
Links:
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FAQ
How many episodes does Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen have?
Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen currently has 210 episodes available.
What topics does Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen cover?
The podcast is about Management, Podcasts, Self-Improvement, Education and Business.
What is the most popular episode on Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen?
The episode title 'S2E27 - What's Your Future Worth?' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen?
The average episode length on Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen is 30 minutes.
How often are episodes of Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen released?
Episodes of Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen?
The first episode of Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen was released on May 2, 2021.
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