Today I wanted to take a moment to talk about life potential and "limiting beliefs." Limiting beliefs are those little voices in the back of your head that say "you can't do this, you don't deserve it" or "you are not good enough." I just wanted to tell you that despite what people tell you and despite what your little voices tell you, that you CAN achieve and DO just about anything you put your mind to.

This is the stuff that makes me tick. I love being motivated and happy in life. I love that challenge as it IS a challenge to maintain and nurture. Is it just in my nature to be a happy energetic guy who sees that life has infinite potential? BOOM! No, it's a conscious decision to wake up every day with the thought that today will be a GREAT day and that I'm happy to be alive. I'm getting a bit personal here, but this is my core and this is what I want to share today.

You see, there will be people in your life who are like anchors to the bottom of the ocean and it is important to NEVER believe their hurtful words or actions. And, if possible, it is important to evaluate the destruction that person may be causing to your life and your potential. In order to do this you have to build yourself to be stronger. Here are some things I've found helpful in doing this:

1. Realize when this is happening
2. Know why it is happening
3. Surround yourself with better people

Realizing when this is happening:
To realize when this is happening is the key. But first you have to know why this is happening.

Know why someone would do this to you:
When someone tries to hurt you they may do this because they feel threatened and they don't want to see you succeed. They may not know this consciously but people would rather see you "stay where you are" than to see you grow and become something better. If they are someone who is close to you, they may do this out of "love" because they don't want to "lose" you as you move onwards and upwards in life. It challenges their comfort level.

Surround yourself with better people:
I have a pop up window that comes up every Monday morning with a few quotes. This helps me start my work week on the right foot. Among the quotes is one from one of my great life mentors (I'll talk more about this in the future) which says, "Your life is a direct reflection of the expectations of your peer group." Basically this means the people you hang out with is who you will become like. If you hang out with people who do not believe in their capabilities be careful as you will find yourself dropping back from your full potential. In contrast if you hang out with other people who know where they are going and know they WILL get there then you will elevate to the next level of your potential.

In life I find this lesson to be so important. It's tough as in one point in my life I used to sabotage my potential because I was afraid of losing friends or of what other people may think of me. Nowadays I care little about what people think of me and know it is more about being true to myself and being who I am. I pass this on as I hope you never have to be limited in your life or feel limited of your potential. Most anything in life is achievable, you first have to believe in your own ability and never doubt it. #3 will help support and strengthen this trait inside of you and it will become second nature in time.

[Thanks to BIM for the cool photo]

Labels: Bobby Beck

GOONIES!!! Okay, this is a trip I have been talking about doing for years. Anyone who knows me knows that this is my favorite movie! I flew up to Portland where we met up with Jeff and Sally Riley and then the adventure began! I can honestly say this trip was freaking AWESOME!!! It was so fantastic visiting the sites and being in the "Goonies" land. It was surreal! It felt great to be a big kid.

When the movie first came out in 1985 i was 11 years old and my mom and I sat in the theatre and watched it two times in a row back to back! I love my mom! She's awesome!!! This film is very special to me and I'm happy to say that even after all this time the film still holds up! How do I know... well I watched it the night we got in to Portland! WOOT!!!

We arrived in beautiful Astoria, Oregon Saturday April 12th! Wow, what a fantastic town. Astoria is also where they filmed a lot of the movie "Short Circuit," "Free Willy," and "Kindergarden Cop." The weather was fantastic and the air was so fresh. There was definitely "movie magic" in the air. Here we are in front of the Jail House in Astoria where the Fertelli's break out of at the beginning of the movie. The paint has changed but it was so MEGA cool to see.

The Goonies house (Brand and Mikey's House) is really there! It was so crazy amazing to be standing right in front of it. Data's house is right next door where he slides across in the movie into the front door of this house. Man, I'm just so jazzed about it even as I type this.

Yes, of course we had to do "The Truffle Shuffle" in front of the Goonies house just like in the movie. This is an image from a movie of us doing the dance. WOo hoo!!!

We stayed in Cannon Beach about 30 minutes south from Astoria; which is home of the famous "Haystack Rock." This is the rock that Mickey lines up with the Light House the Rock and the Fertelli's Restaurant. The Light house and Rock are there but the Restaurant was a set in the movie. Seeing the rock was magical. No joke, it felt so 3D in the best of ways. (Notice my cool T-shirt; which I got in Astoria the day before, woo hoo!!!!)

My hotel was right in front of Haystack Rock! It was so cool. That night we watched the movie again with commentary with all the actors grown up talking about what it was like filming the movie and it was so cool seeing the film again having been to so many of the spots!

There are so many photos and stories to tell from the trip but I wanted to post a little something because this trip was just AMAZING! This trip was all about being in touch with our inner kid! It feels so nice to be in touch with this aspect of life as "anything is possible" and there are no limitations. As we grow up life inherently becomes more complicated but I do my best to remember to always be in touch with the kid in me. We're all just big kids when we grow up and I never want to lose touch with that side of me. I hope you enjoy this little entry and I hope it inspires you in some crazy way!

Labels: Bobby Beck, Films

Shawn Kelly hosted the super DUPER Animation Mentor tips and tricks webinar this evening! Here are a few snaps from the event. In true Shawn Kelly form, it was full of great energy and enthusiasm! If you were able to attend the Webinar we hope you enjoyed it and hope it served as a "sneak peek" into the world ofAnimation Mentor ! Whoo hoo!!!!

Labels: Animation Mentor, Animation Resources, Webinar

This month we're happy to have Mike Belzer as our featured mentor for the 11 Second Club eCritique! Mike is a fantastic animator who has a wealth of knowledge to pass on! He's been with Animation Mentor from the beginning and is a huge believer in passing his knowledge. This critique is a great expression of this knowledge transfer! We hope you enjoy!

Click here to view the eCritique

Labels: Animation Mentor, Animation Mentor mentors, Animation Resources

Ollie Johnston passed away today. He leaves us with a legacy to look up to and be inspired by for the rest of our lives and our children's lives to come. Ollie's work is among the best, or THE best, depending on who you talk to. His work has always been a huge inspiration to me and will always be.

If you haven't seen the movie Frank and Ollie, I highly recommend checking it out. When Frank passed away I watched it and it was a big reminder of why I wanted to be an animator in the first place.

Click here to read more info

Labels: Animation Resources, Bobby Beck