Hello, everyone! This is Tonya Dawn Recla, your Super Power Expert and I’m very excited to have on the show with us today, a unique man, you’re going to love this. As with a lot of our guests, there’s a nice juxtaposition of worlds. You know we are the bridge builders and Donald Allen Williams has a fascinating story about recovery, about moving beyond, about questioning realities and he’s really good at sharing that from so many different vantage points and so the work that he does in the world is unique in that it really gets at how we developed theories in the mind and everything else in his. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and so that’s some of that rooted founded energy, but I’m going to allow him to share some of his story with you. Because again it’s important for us to recognize that most people who do this work in the world, you know like we tell people all of our superpowers start off as challenges and so most of us have kind of a tragedy to triumph type story and he’s no exception. So please join me in welcoming to the show. Donald Allen Williams thanks for joining us.
Thanks for having me. I appreciate Tonya.
Absolutely! Well let’s jump right in because we’re going to be talking about the five steps of personal development, five areas of personal development if you will and so that’s what we’re going to kind of focus on the show today but before we do that, let’s ask you our pivotal question, what are your superpowers?
Connect with people through empathy.
The willing ability to be humble, to be able to have self-understanding that allows me to then have empathy for others and have the internal or external communication that is with integrity.
Wow! That’s a mouthful, that is amazing and that really lies at the heart of being able to touch people’s lives, right, being able to really get into their world view and assist. Correct?
Correct. It’s not about me it’s about them.
Very cool! So how did you get involved with all this?
Well basically like you said, everyone has their story and at the age of 10 I broke my neck; I was playing tag in the house, my parents were out and my older brother was watching as me and my younger brother and I did a running somersault on a couch that I actually broke my neck and at that point no one knew that and I was completely paralyzed there. And there was a whole story that revolves around it, depends on how deep you want to get into it, but over the next 24 hours all adults seemed to fail me because they thought I was making this up and the doctors in their infinite wisdom thought well they had it all figured out so it had to be me until they were able to get out of their own way and say, “Hey he cracked the C1” which is the vertebrae next to the brain stem and he should have died and let alone I recovered in six months. And at that time no one was really listening to anything I was saying so I recognized that I was going to be on that journey for a while until I felt it was right to sort of make the shift to bringing my insights into the world if that makes sense.
Absolutely! And were you in a conscious awareness during that time?
At the time that it happened I thought I was a ghost.
Yeah. So like I heard all kinds of questions when you break your neck did it hurt? Well you become a quadriplegic; you don’t feel anything at the time that it initially happened I thought I was a ghost or that I died myself. It wasn’t until like a couple seconds later that I realized, “Wow this is like really happening”. And I was never screaming and yelling like out of control, in the back of my consciousness I would say the main concept was you’re responsible for this, like it or not you don’t care how the answer’s going to come to you. You just got to focus on your why and be patient and watch.
Wow! Do you feel like that was your own knowledge or like that was coming from outside of yourself or the voice of God?
No. That was my only insight. The big shocker was by the age, by that time of 10 years old right, so I have a little bit of human society in me from you know what my parents with their various friends and what schooling has taught me. And it was like a big lake shock growing like, “Oh wow!” Just about everything I was told from their perspective is either really different or completely backwards. And it’s set up to make them feel safe but that’s not really what’s going on. And I recognize that the world, the way we’re taught is outside in, meaning we allow the outside world to define us. And I was seeing that the outside world was failing me so I had to automatically step into a reverse of that and say I want to go from an inside out perspective. I’m going to let my thoughts define this and I’m not going to get caught up in whatever someone else gets all worried about or their thing. I’m going to take this one step at a time and just view this as a conscious observer of myself and see really what’s going on here.
Why do you think you had the ability to do that?
Basically because I think it is kind of weird. My last name is Williams, right and it’s like the Will I Am. I just have this within me that says, “You know what, I’m going to make this work and I’m not going to force it”. But I know there is an answer and I’m not going to get caught up with someone who says you know it’s you know like, “You can or you can’t”. There’s like an interesting perspective that you know maybe your audience have heard or hasn’t heard you know the simple question of, is “Can” positive. Most people would say yes. Is “Can’t” negative and the answer is “Can’t” isn’t negative it’s positive and the reason why is because you’re positive that you can and so you do and if you’re positive that you can’t then you don’t. And I was positive that I can and then see that I could I recognize there are going to be challenges and within sight, I’ve learned to articulate that basically whether it’s a blessing or a curse there’s always an upside to a downside of downside to an upside. Everything in life is a challenge. And so like when you have a child right. The upside is so it’s a happy little child then you can you know put the child in a stroller or go down a park. But you like the downside is having to take care of their diapers or whatever, right. It’s just it’s implied, it’s just what it is, right. So it’s a blessing there’s a child but there’s stuff you don’t want to have to do that’s associated with the child right. And so recognizing that there’s always got to be effort that you put into anything that you do. I recognize well the upside is I will recover from this. The downside is I have no idea how I’m going to do it. It’s going to be heck an adventure. And all these adults were supposed to be the ones helping me are failing me and they want to put me in rooms of cameras.
So let’s talk a little bit about because you said that you know the outside world kind of failed you in the adults kind of failed you. What do you attribute that awareness to or as your perspective on that changed since you come to awareness?
Well one of the things that I’m a HUGE for is basically one of the underlying reasons why I do things is as human society has no concept of its compounded ignorance. And when I say that I say that lovingly because genuinely most people have a good intention why they passed on or direct people to do something. But they don’t recognize that someone told them to do it and that person that told them someone told them so they don’t really question it. They don’t think about it they just think that because someone told it to them it’s got to be the way it is and then they don’t like the way their life turns out. But they’re living their life through someone else’s direction and not on their own power. It’s very subtle but it’s a slight shift in the way you perceive it and that’s where I was recognize as well that’s there.
That’s the thing, very cool. Well we’ve been talking to Donald Allen Williams about five areas of personal development when we come back from our quick break, we’re going to talk really dive into like what are those five areas and what can you do to start really exercising those muscles you know really getting those developed in a way that helps you to shift your life. So wait one second and we’ll be right back. Awesome! We’re back and you’ve been listening to Superpower up Podcast, we’re talking with Donald Allen Williams about five areas of personal development. And Donald you have some unique perspective on the five senses and how that connects with the kind of growth and development can you share that with the listeners?
My body basically went through a computer crash.
Yeah well basically I recognize when I lost my sense of feeling which is when you’re totally mobilized like how it was, all my other senses were there and even though I could feel my body I still had feelings and I could feel that on my chest somewhere. OK I can feel something that’s disconnected from me but still there is a grander thing going on here and I was really much focused in on like what I need to get through this. But I started recognizing there’s sort of a matrix of the way this is all. So there are five senses and I’m going to say there’s five was or like programs, right. Because my body when I broke my neck basically went through a computer crash, all the programs were dead so that when I finally got reconnected I had to reboot the program. So even though I knew how to walk because I already walked before, I had to re-teach myself the program and in understanding that, I recognized if we put it in like with the background of my mechanical engineering type you know science ways there are these laws and then there’s like the concepts that govern these laws as we relate to them. We are talking also about like our own personal five needs as it relates to that and so here’s the way I would help people focus in on this. The number one thing that you have to pay attention to is “In Tension” because the majority of your body is feeling and to feel anything you have to be in tension. Recognize what I said to be alive you have to be “In Tension”.
And I want to jump in there really quickly are you talking about feeling as in emotions or feeling like sensing?
I’m going to say that there’s a reason why we kind of mix the two. What I’m saying is that our physical sensation meres the importance of the other as an internal system and that we have to create a relationship between them and understand that we are more or less the vehicle drivers to a body or we’re kind of the energy that controls that for lack of better way of saying. And so when I’m saying “In Tension” is we understand stress and to be in stress we have tension on us so you know when you have a good time you feel good because relative to that you weren’t feeling so good because you were stressed, right. You reduce the stress but you’re still are “In Tension” to be alive. Well our bodies as far as that’s how it works, so our emotions their “In Tension” to because what they’re there to do is to tell us what’s really going on with us being that driver and what we’re trying to do. So the first form of “In Tension” is what is it that you’re geared for, what’s this about? What’s the experience that we’re really here for? And that’s some of the biggest picture there. And the next step it goes into service, right. If you do look at any tree or plant or bush or whatever, it doesn’t think of what it is it just knows it’s that’s its “Intention” it is this thing and it serves by doing what it does. We as humans we have a choice and so our first option relative to what it is as a concept for being the best you can is pay attention to your choices. You always have a choice and you’re not even not making choice as a choice. And a lot of times you think you don’t have choices but if you can step back far enough and see the choices that you’re making you can recognize how you’ve actually been part of the tension that you don’t want and that you can change that “Intention” to fit what it is you’re trying to do. Makes sense?
Got it and so with regard to the senses what would the concept of Choice in Tension, Where would you put that with the five senses?
OK so we’re talking about the human body sensation of feeling right. So anything that has to do with tactile connection anything we have to do with that we call with the body’s feeling in the environment that’s our intention.
So we’re combining choice and intention with the tactile or touch sense correct?
Correct. And then the next one which I already sort of said and it’s funny because I want everybody to think of their hand and if there’s five fingers in the hand and each one of those fingers works independently but when put together you have a functioning device. And that’s kind of how these things work. You can’t really have one without the other because your fingers are attached to your hand but yet they work independently. So the next that we’re going to talk about is our sense of taste, and our sense of taste is associated with service because the things that we eat serve us, they keep us alive, right. And our sense of taste we’ll often use this in our language is the taste of the moment and it’s really about the way we choose to value our choice and other people’s choices and how we’re going to serve. And there’s really only one or two choices you either serve yourself and that takes the viewpoint of a child or you have service to others which is how do we uplift everybody, I’m an adult here, I’m going to do my part and take responsibility and that’s people ask the question like, well there are a lot of people who try to help other people and they don’t really look what they do in their life and the key here is you can’t be at self, right, you can’t serve others and be caught up in self-service in one but you can’t serve others if you can’t take care of yourself. So self-service yet to be self-supporting before you can serve others.
Yeah and I want to jump in real quickly and talk about because one of the things that I want to make sure that we get to, and so we’ve covered two of the senses of the five I’m not sure we have time to get all five but I want to make sure that we can offer the listeners, what can they do like so let’s take taste for example, what can they do to really increase their personal development with regard to that particular ability?
OK so taste comes in with your ability to have perception, ok and the way that you view the experience, the way that you pay attention to how things taste in your mouth, you don’t like the taste of it and it’s as simple as you like or don’t like something, right. And it’s the ability to pay attention to the nuance of the experience that you have. Don’t look at this; I want this out of it. Pay attention to what is being presented to you and look at life sort of like an extra essential detective. Everything is being, everything you really need and to take you where you want to give it to you if you’re willing to see the bigger picture and see what you’re being provided to you at the moment.
So how does that, because I know a lot of times we didn’t quite get the question you know, how did you kind of marry up going in the flow or surrendering with creating and manifesting and so earlier you talked about choice and intention and setting your intention you know, you didn’t use that verbiage but really making sure you are clear with regard to what your choices are, and then at what advice do you have for people? They kind of get caught up in that conundrum of you know, I have intention but then I’m also supposed to just perceive and accept like how do you reconcile those two?
So I will roll out the five if it make sense so five counts, ok, Choice Perception then it is how you are involved with the, “I’m giving up distraction, sorry”. You have choice and you have perception and then you have your ability to really see the purpose of the moment, right, where people have a distinction is that you have to be able to perceive is this what’s really going on here. Don’t always make it about you, make it about how this is a bigger picture forever and you’re just a part of it. And you get to get what you want but there’s a phrase because you have to be part of the play that makes that happen for everybody. And you have to be willing to apply what you know, you don’t just like throw everything you know out everything you know out to say, “OK we’re to do this” you have to say, “OK this is what I’ve learned” And then you have to be willing to judge it and question things like what do I know really works and what does I think is right.
Well and so with regard to that, are there like a couple of actionable steps, so with the taste in particular, you know that you were talking about perception here. So one of the things I’m getting from you is just really being in that state of awareness of kind of feeling if you like challenging yourself to look beyond what’s obvious or what you think is obvious in the situation. Is that a good way to kind of encapsulate that?
Correct, because actually the fifth for me is awareness.
Perfect!
You have to have the awareness in it and being able to kind of, in my book I refer to it, the name of my book was, Instruction Manual.
And where’s that available?
It’s available on Amazon.
Awesome! We’ll make sure that we have a link there.
I suggest to people that there’s a simple way of kind of looking at the way to handle a moment and I call it you know because I have seizure back home and call it the double A the double R, R squared A squared is the ability to at first you have to recognize what’s going on. A lot of people are kind of like in a neutral or they’re like a living dream state. They have to snap themselves out of it. Pay attention to it for what’s really going on and that takes a little bit practice. When you have an experience like I had, you’re forced to recognize this is really a way to be. When we look at animals they’re always working on recognizing what’s happening the moment their instincts are lightning quick were ours we don’t. And the next thing after recognize is you have to be to relate and you say, “OK what is going on with me and what’s going on with the bigger picture” and being able to understand that. And then and then take the next one was the aim and you say, “Now how why simulate this?” And people get caught up in a lot of things with what’s positive and negative, and those are actually electrical or chemical terms. What you want to look at is in terms of what’s beneficial or non-beneficial and how can you simulate something that is beneficial to you in the present for your purposes because your purpose is always in the moment. Yes you have this larger thing you want but if you’re not taking care of what’s happening to you now you’re never going to get to that point.
Right, I need to jump in here real quick because we are running out of time so if you’re interested in the Five Steps like he’s talking about, where’s the best place that we can send people to get more information about those, Donald?
My website is geton2it.com. And my books are there along with other things I have available at Amazon itself.
Perfect! Awesome and then is that where you would talk about maybe offering some listeners or a couple of offers for our listeners are you interested in that?
Yes. First everything goes to the website and they give their name and their e-mail address and hit submit. You’ll see exactly where this is when you get on the home page. I will send you a link that allows you to have a two page PDF that you can download it off on How to be Un-rejected. So if you’re worried about being rejected or how you get over that problem. If for someone who wants to invest a little bit more of themselves or willing to do what it takes to take more responsibility. If you buying the book and basically send me proof that you bought it, right. Send me an e-mail and send me your proof of purchase type. I will send you what will be like the cover of a $40 link to an online video that has 20 segments that teaches people basic concepts that they may not recognize as valuable but the way that I present them, you see a bigger picture on how it can really change their lives by picking out a couple of these things.
Perfect! Awesome that’s very generous of you. Thank you for sharing that with our listeners.
I appreciate it.
Thanks for coming on the show and sharing some of your insight. I think that you know it’s just amazing what you’ve been enjoyed and what you’re experiencing and the insight that you bring to the table because of that glimpse from a space that a lot of us never get to experience and so I honor you in the work that you’re doing world.
I appreciate being given the opportunity to have this moment with you and your listeners. And we just want to help everybody out.
You know what I think that’s a great way to look at things. Thank you so much and to all of you out there as always we appreciate your loyalty and until next time go out uncover your superpowers and change the world. Take care everyone.
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