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Tampilkan postingan dengan label Paul Carrick Brunson. Tampilkan semua postingan

Senin, 31 Oktober 2011

Dating in the 21st Century: Part1

My last relationship was two years ago. I can’t tell you the last time I met someone new or went on a date. Please don’t say “Ahhhh” because this situation called singledom is self inflicted. The truth is I haven’t felt bothered to look or make an effort, I have however been open to fineness, if fineness happens to cross my path. The only path that has shown up is  Speed Dating and the wise words of  Paul Carrick Brunson . Cleary Mr Fine, is stuck in a traffic, in hiding or is relaxing someone telepathically telling me “Your husband awaits. Patience my darling is a virtue”.  Faith is a funny old thing and because I believe in it, the latter scenario is probably true. 


The paradox however lies in the fact that singledom is harder in winter and winter people, is coming. Do not get it twisted, the same kind of standards apply all year round and do not drop for this season...I am merely just acknowledging a fact, do I get an Amen?
This is cool and sad at the same time
This week I met two guys in two very different circumstances. The first guy, who I will call Mr A to protect his identity, was introduced to me via a friend. She sold him well to me and vice versa and we met this week. Prior to the meeting we exchanged a few emails which centred on availability and location with a little humorous flair added. This was to be our first blind dates.  A situation like this involves trust, trust that the match maker got the equations of personalities correct.

When I walked into the bar, Mr A was already there waiting in the best seat in the house. As we greeted each other, it was like we were long time friends. Nerves must have taken a day off that night, because they weren’t with me. 15 minutes in and he had already clocked up 4 gold stars, the location, seating area, greeting and wine choice. Fast forward; I find intelligent men sexy, I love openness, debate and transparency. If I cannot look into a man’s eyes and see more...there is a problem. Mr A is a lovely, genuine, kind hearted soul. As he walked me to the station and we said our goodbyes, I clocked up that he accumulated at least 10 Gold stars. Do not ask me where this gold star system has come from, perhaps Super Mario overdose when I was younger has a lot to answer for. 
Anyway I view this as a nice way to focus on the good points.  Future dates who read this... I hope it doesn’t put you off.

The next day, after work I went to an event and as soon as I walked in I was drawn to Mr B,  I cannot tell you what it was but you know when your friend is talking to you and you end up acting like your listening because you cannot focus, because you are aware someone is watching you? Well that is what I was doing (Sorry Akua) In hindsight, that must have looked ridiculous, oh well. So after the event I was trying to look out for him without being bait, he was doing the same thing because we caught each other’s eye “Where have I seen you before” he mouthed. I am bad at lip reading so I had no choice but to go over and say... “Huh?”. Who does that? Of all the words, why couldn’t I have elegantly said “Sorry, what did you say?” No that’s just too easy. Clearly he had never seen my face before but that little chat up line is better than “PPPSSSSHHH PSSSSSHHHHH” “Ay what’s your name” or “HEY! However to be fair to the men that do approach me, “Hey Miss” is the usual greeting, which I love.

Anyway fast forward...I took Paul Carrick Brunson's advice and decided to give him a compliment I said “Your eyelashes are so long. Do you know I have to apply 3 coats of mascara to get what you naturally have” Can you fricking believe that? Why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut? What is wrong with me? As I looked to the floor searching for the little visible crack to try and disappear into, not before noticing how nice and clean his shoes were, his laugh and the words “Thank you” enabled me to look into his pretty eyes again without the shame. That broke the ice.

At the corner of my eye I could see Akua and Michelle signalling and mouthing words I couldn’t read. It was the repeated movement of putting a non existent phone to their ear that informed me they were egging me on to “Get his number”. They wanted to go home and intuitively new that speeding up this process was the way to do it. So as he was talking I cut over him to say... “Look, can I have your number?” Oh my God! how rude am I? There are nicer ways to ask, I don’t know what happened. I guess this is what pressure does. Men I will NEVER judge you for asking me for my number in this way AGAIN. I get it. It’s not intentional...by the majority.

He said yes and asked “Do you want the number or bb pin?” I am not used to choice. There has never been choice before. My brain said both and my mouth said pin. So I ended up with the latter, I kicked myself  but then decided to see what conversing in this way would be like, since this appears to be the preferred method by teenagers and young adults.

I wasn’t really waiting for a bus, but look two came at once.

BB exchanged and the pinging began. Morning, lunch, afternoon and night, I was smiling throughout the day due to the questions and flirting. It was different in a nice way but very distracting. We decided to meet this weekend. I had a chilled Saturday and was looking forward to the evening. We decided on the time but not place as he didn’t like my restaurant suggestion (bloody cheek).
Anyway I was adding new apps to my phone and a password. Everything was great until I logged back in and my phone was telling me my password was incorrect, even though it was correct. Fourth attempt and STRIKE...my phone wiped everything. EVERYTHING. I last backed up early October so I managed to sync everything again, everything except his bb pin!
My phone didnt even say this. It just went straight for the wipe
Oh well. I clearly didn't catch that bus very well.
So I can conclude that 21st century dating has its pro’s and cons. Recommendations are the way forward. I am not saying I want anyone to arrange a marriage for me, but I now see the value in the essence of suggesting potential partners. Friends with single men...send in your suggestions, this is an underrated experience. This way also had a courting vibe about it which was respectful and cute. Two people in the same situation open to the possibilities. I would definitely recommend this.

Had my friends not rushed me, I think I would have waited a little longer to see if he would have asked me for mine details, before asking. However I have no problem with being forward. I quite liked it. The BB way of doing things has its benefits, i.e. I am not getting charged, we are in a recession don’t you know (joke) though it felt alien and lazy. I like to hear the voice at the other end of a phone and where are the boundaries? You wouldn’t call or email someone that many times in a day, so why is this okay on BB? There are different rules and I’m not sure what they are or even if I want to know. I may ask my brother to educate me anyway (Never thought I would say that). Both ways of interacting were interesting but the lesson that stands out the most is...

Never relay on digital devices. Before technology ruled the world asking for their full name and  phone number was a basic requirement. Oh how times have changed. 

So as I finish this sentence I am  left wondering if Mr B has sent a few messages that have been delivered but not received. Will he know to re-add me again? or is he wondering why none of his messages are getting read? Did he even send anymore messages? If not the whole point of me wondering is a pointless act.

I will update you if Mr B finds me again! Ohhh the suspense eh? Ha Ha. The trials and tribulations of dating!


Related Posts:
1. Dating in the s1st Century: Part2
2.The Big Conversations: Review
3.Catch Me Cupid: Review

Senin, 19 September 2011

The Big Conversation Event - Review

As you all know I attended The Big Conversations this weekend, hosted by match making coach Paul Carrick Brunson. I didn’t think it was possible but ladies, ladies, ladies, ladies... he is better in the flesh. Yes he is handsome but he is also charming, funny, humble, intelligent and engaging. He also has a magnificent Aura that is hard to describe though I will say it is on light worker proportions.  Some of you will get what I mean here and others won’t, which is ok, I will clarify at a later date. So in simple terms “He is all that and some”.
He stepped out on the stage and we all gushed without apology before paying full attention. “I didn’t come to tell you what to do, I came to share what I do” and he did just that through an experiential  match making session. He said "There is a 4 per cent chance that we have commonality with random people we meet" and his job is to raise that to 50 per cent by identifying our values, personality and level of attraction to the person. This is important in conjunction with our personality typographies which fall into the categories of analyst, supporter, promoter and controller. After he broke each one down, he asked us all to stand up and one by one we dropped like flies as he asked questions based on our values. I sat down after “Is Christianity important to you” I believe in God but I’m spiritual and there is a difference, so I had to sit my butt down and pray that I hadn't missed out on the prize of meeting Paul Carrick Brunson’s secret identical twin brother. What? Don’t judge me, if you were there too you would have been having the same fearful thoughts. 

Fourteen people were left standing and we soon learnt that they met the values and personality typography of Yemi, a single guy that Paul had spoken to earlier.
Each standing girl had to enter the stage and honestly say yes or no to the question “Are you attracted to Yemi?” nothing more, nothing less just a straight answer. The first lady found this difficult and she struggled turning him down, but the second had no problem “Yes” was her clear answer and a firmer YES came from Yemi. Ladies and gentleman there you have it...Godfather Paul’s work was done.  There is a science to a perfect match which was clearly demonstrated. For years we have all been content with Cilla Black and Paddy McGuiness from Take Me Out.

   "No likey, no lighty"
I will not hear a bad word said about either, but on a serious note Paul Carrick Brunson's technique is what we need. The key to a successful relationship stems beyond attraction. Yes attraction is a major part of the initial encounter however beyond that someone’s belief system, values and whether they resonate with yours are the core foundations to a strong relationship.

The Black Family was tackled next through newspaper headlines.


We all knew these headlines were not true, due to percentages and other factors embellished or hidden in the grander scheme of things. However I am intrigued by the level of damage this has caused on an unconscious level.  This of course is immeasurable, however words are powerful as is the influx of the same type of (mis-) information. As a result we have all been conditioned to believe that we are what they say we are. It takes awareness and conciousness to know that we are so much more.  Again the question “what do mainstream media gain from doing this?”  springs to mind and the answer for me lies within my David Starkey article Ying and Yang .

Paul ended the session by giving some tips for solutions.They were as follows..
"Nothing just happens"
Write 10 things you want to stop
Write 10 things you plan to do.

"Upgrade your source of information. 93 per cent of information is gossip, upgrade you intake"

"Everyone needs to have a mentor"

"Say hi, smile, interact, touch. Compliment a man, make his day."


"Work on your self-love by doing exercises"

30 days every night sit/stand in front of the mirror naked. Look at every part. 
say (Insert you name)"_________I love you".

Think about  5 things you did over 24 hours
what did you do?
what could you have done better?
What did you learn from it?


We have been on Earth for yonks, you would have thought we would have this thing called communication with self and Other locked down by now but we haven't. I'm not sure if it’s a western world  thing or a whole world thing, but somewhere down the line we lost connection with ourselves to such an extent that we looked to others to "complete us rather than compliment us" (Roger Ajogbe).This is why self-love is so important, once you have it you will not need to seek validation from others. Do the homework, find YOU and honour your power. 

The panel discussion with  Charlene White (ITV News Presenter) Angie Le Mar (Producer/Director/Actor Comedian) O-T Fagbenle (Director/Musician Award Winning Actor), Simone Bresi-Ando (PR Expert & Founder of I’mPOSSIBLE) Tobi Okeowo (Lawyer and Motivational Speaker) Roger Ajogbe (Journalist and Social Commentator), Chrissa Amuah (Cultural Media Expert) Uche Chukwu (Journalist and Online Media Publisher) and Lanre Iroche(Editor of Outflow and Relationship Journalist) was informative, insightful and heated as most debates are, with the right level of audience interaction. 
Music was provided by the beautiful, talented and funny Obenewa whose music was the perfect accompaniment to this event. Check her music out here http://www.obenewa.com/
As a whole The Big Conversations event was beautiful, inspiring and informative  in ways I have expressed above, but also (warning I am about to get sentimental) Paul Carrick Brunson proves to me that what I am looking for exists and is not just a figure of my over demanding imagination. I aim to have what he and his wife have and I am not ashamed to say it.  I applaud them both.... 
I cannot end this review without mentioning that Ivy Munro have done a fabulous job. The women behind this is Tayo Arewa and she probably will not appreciate me exposing her, but I have too. Ivy Munro magazine and company was created in honour of her formidable Nan. What Tayo achieved is inspirational and the lesson that I was reminded of again (you never stop learning eh!) is that the power of self-belief should never be underestimated nor people's ability, will and want to help in manifesting your creation. 

For those that didn't get to attend this time round I'm sure he will be back soon as London loved Paul and Paul loved London!

Notes:
This review is mentioned by Paul Carrick-Brunson in his Essence online column :-)
http://www.essence.com/2011/09/19/modern-day-matchmaker-what-not-to-do-if-youre-looking-for-love/


© Lisa Bent 2011

Selasa, 06 September 2011

The Big Conversations Event

After my stint at speed dating (see Catch Me Cupid review ), I have decided the next step is to attend...'The BIG CONVERSATIONS' with Paul Carrick Brunson. Have you seen his picture? Yep you can see I didn't need much convincing. Anyway he is married and of course I am ever the professional, so I am attending as I am interested in what he has to say on the topics of Love, Dating, Social Interaction, Sex, the value of Marriage (or lack of) and what Men and Women REALLY want. This event may shed some light on this million dollar question.

Paul Carrick Brunson is affectionately referred to as the real life Hitch, he, through his company Onedegreefrom.me provides a one to one tailor made service to his clients who primarily are ambitious, cultured, and professional men and women of colour who are money rich and time poor. His self-development program formulated by Brunson himself, combines his observations of the client with his knowledge and understanding of life-coaching, psychotherapy and counselling. It is this that sold the event to me. I love new insights into the dynamics of relationships and what effects they may have on individuals and others through the insight of theoretical approaches. I kid you not when I say I am excited.

Paul’s grown to become a highly influential and respected male voice in a largely female dominated industry. Outside of his personal clients, his 27,000+ active Twitter and Facebook followers are in constant dialogue with him. Never before has a relationship coach been able to penetrate and affect a 25 – 37 year old, male and female demographic to this extent.


This event is brought to you by Ivy Munro, a London based media company comprising of an online magazine covering Music, Culture and Entertainment, whose focus is to push new and relatively unknown individuals to the forefront extending beyond the virtual realm. This event is the first of its kind in the UK (due to its scale). If  you were already thinking of ways to capture Paul's expressions and bottle them in neat little bottles, think again, “Paul’s not here to fix our problems, but rather incite an impactful discussion and will us to re-evaluate our values which will hopefully lead us take action as individuals and cause a change within our immediate environment”. We are all individuals with unique experiences, reference points and so much more, as a result this event will resonate with us in different ways.

Involved in the discussion will be a diverse set of people who work in the media industry both in front and behind. On the panel will be Charlene White (ITV News Presenter) Angie Le Mar (Producer/Director/Actor/Comedian) O-T Fagbenle (Director/Musician Award Winning Actor) Nolan Weeks (Poet, Model Producer, Director), Simone Bresi-Ando (PR Expert & Founder of I’mPOSSIBLE) Tobi Okeowo (Lawyer and Motivational Speaker) Roger Ajogbe (Journalist and Social Commentator), Chrissa Amuah (Cultural Media Expert) Uche Chukwu (Journalist and Online Media Publisher) Lanre Iroche (Editor of Outflow and Relationship Journalist) and hosted by Reuben Christian (co-founder of http://www.individualism.co.uk/).

You have seen the topics for discussion which will be heated, insightful, informative and entertaining, so book your tickets now before they sell out. I will be reviewing this event so look out for the review.

THE BIG CONVERSATION (CONFERENCE DETAIL)
Date: 17th Sept 2011
Time: from 1pm-5pm
Venue: The Clapham Grand

AFTER-PARTY NETWORKING
Straight after the conference at the Clapham Grand, Paul Carrick Brunson
will host a networking After-Party at The BFI Southbank Centre (Benugo
Lounge) from 8pm - 1am

Full online details can also be found here: http://bit.ly/pp1068

The event is sponsored by