PDM 021: What If You Only Had 1000 Words Left? Every Leaf Has a Story, What’s Yours?

Lucas P. Johnson: Have you ever looked at the leaves and wondered why they fall in the winter and grow back in the spring? Have you ever thought about how your life is relatively similar? This perspective will help you unlock your story. However, before we go any further, roll the intro.

Narrator: Welcome to the home of Project Dream Mastery. Here at PDM, we are challenging the status quo of what it means to follow your dreams and how to unlock the power those dreams will bring to your life. The show experience will be unscripted, authentic and transparent. So now sit back, relax and get inspired with your hosts, Lucas Johnson and Patryk Labuzek.

Lucas P. Johnson: Welcome to Episode 21 of the Project Dream Mastery show where we hope inspire you to follow your dreams, defy expectations, dream big and love deeply. My name is Lucas Johnson based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to be the first receive new episode releases. And if you're interested, this episode is available with video. So check out our website at ProjectDreamMastery.com to watch. Now, I was recently watching a movie by the title of A Thousand Words. Seriously, it was called A Thousand Words and it's on Netflix. It really provoked a great deal of thought. And when I watch movies, I don't just use them as an outlet to waste time. I use movies as a way to capture some of the thoughts that are sitting and simmering in my brain that I haven't unlocked yet. Do you do the same thing when you watch a movie? Do you think about the concepts, the ideas, the things a little bit more depth than maybe your partner or your friends or your peers? Do you think about what if something went wrong? Even though you know it's a movie, sometimes you just have to give in and just say, hey, okay, I know this is a movie.

Lucas P. Johnson: Sometimes you just like, okay, whatever, I'm going to allow this to make sense in my head just so I can kind of bring forth an idea. Do you do that? Because I don't want to feel like I'm weird, but I know I'm weird. So it's completely okay. I am a weirdo and I accept that. But I also think I know what I'm talking about here. When you take the time to really reflect, take the time to acknowledge and understand and you take the time to accept and think, you'll be prosperous and successful. So today I have a really great topic for you and I wish Paddy was here to join in. But unfortunately, Paddy is working like crazy in his real life job here. I mean he's got so many things going on and I'm grateful that we're able to get the time when we do.

Lucas P. Johnson: We both have full-time jobs and maybe one day this'll be full-time. But we're so grateful for you to be listening and so grateful to see where our audience is taking us. And we're so grateful that we're able to help you in your day-to-day life. That is our purpose. Our purpose is to help you, to help you overcome your hard times, to help you prosper in your great times. We want to grow this community. We want to grow this dream tribe to be the best it possibly can be. We want to encourage you to think about things a little bit more than others and maybe encourage others to join us on our mission and join the community, The Dream Tribe. Super excited. Okay. So today we're going to be focusing in on what if you only had a thousand words left? Every leaf has a story. What's yours? This all stemmed from this movie, A Thousand Words. It's a movie on Netflix. This movie will change your perspective, and that is essentially what we always focus on. Defy, dream, love. Perspective changes everything.

Lucas P. Johnson: When you're looking and thinking about every leaf on a tree, have you ever thought about maybe those leaves resemble a word and that tree is life? Those beautiful leaves that change colors in the fall. Each one's different. They're not all the same color. They're not all the same. That tree may be alive for a hundred years, 200 years, 300 years, five years, a year, a few months. Each tree has a unique identity. And so do you. I think it's really cool how we can take these much larger macro ideas and bring them down to the micro level. We can unpack them and reveal some of the more dire ideas and concepts. Bring them to life in your own. Bring life to those ideas that may not have received any light. Every leaf resembles a word. Every spot, everything in your life has purpose. So if you think about those leaves on that tree, and you had a thousand leaves, you had a thousand words and those words were resembled by a leaf, how would you use them? Do you truly think about every word that you speak? Would you? If you had a thousand words, would you think about them? Think about how they're used? Think about how they make people feel?

Lucas P. Johnson: Would you give people the time of day? Would you allow those things to affect you? You have a lot of seconds in a day and think it's something like 86,400. And I may be off. I haven't done math in a while, but something like that. You have 86,400 seconds in a day. Are you going to let 10 seconds ruin the rest of those 18,390? Oh my gosh, my math is so off. 86,390 seconds left. Are you going to let those affect the rest of this? Wow, I need to work on my math. But point being said here is are you going to let those 10 seconds affect the rest of your day? Are you going to let those people affect the rest of your life? If you only have a thousand words left, how would you use them? What would you think about? What would you give weight? Words are just like leaves that blow off a tree. How do you show your love?

Lucas P. Johnson: I personally like to say, I love you. But when was the last time that you went in and took your partner, when I say partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, and so forth. When was the last time you went home and just treated them for no reason? I really love this idea of that when you're married, even after 30, 40 years. And my parents have been together for 35 years. Somehow still together. But 35 years is a long time. And the one thing I've learned from seeing their marriage and seeing other's marriage is that when you come home randomly and you treat your wife or husband as if they were your boyfriend or girlfriend again, taking them out on dates, surprising them, catering to their feelings and asking how their day was, how your marriage comes together, stays together, how your relationships grow and prosper.

Lucas P. Johnson: If you put all these things in a pot, in a bucket, you put your thousand words in a bucket, how would you use them? How would they define you? Those leaves that blow off a tree. Think about yourself. Imagine yourself with a thousand leaves on your body. And every time that you spoke, you lost one. When you show your love for someone, are you showing it with words? Are you showing it physically? There's all kinds of love languages out there. I believe that showing people that you love them starts with communication. And the reason why I believe that is I've seen it firsthand. How communication can steer a relationship, a marriage or friendship. And people say actions speak louder than words. But truly, how can that as actions have weight if you didn't communicate something first?

Lucas P. Johnson: Our actions are only as good as the way we communicate to make them happen, to make them a reality. You can't make those actions a reality without saying something, I guess you could just go do it. But whenever it happens, how are you going to speak that? Just like this painting behind me is a a painting of a giraffe. Now this took someone a lot of time. A lot of time, precious time to paint. But if you're watching this on the video podcast, on the video side of this, you can see the detail. You can see the perfection. And I am a big fan of all different sorts of animals. But I want to say that when someone puts all this detail into something, you can see their emotions, you can see it in their actions. But it communicates itself. So I'm not saying that there isn't a thousand words.

Lucas P. Johnson: Whenever those people say a picture has a thousand words or something like that. Yeah. You can see a thousand words. You can think about what was going through her head as she painted that. It's a portrait. I mean there's so many things in our life that we don't give weight to. But whenever you start to really focus in on those thousand words, you start to give weight to the things that truly matter. And recently, I just got a puppy. His name's Ollie. He is a golden retriever. He's 11 weeks old as of today or as of yesterday. And he is something that I did spontaneously. And I'll come back. I'll come back to what we're talking about here. But I truly didn't want a dog. I didn't want a puppy. I did at one point and I'd go back and forth.

Lucas P. Johnson: But I was sitting there and my parents, my mom specifically was going to get a dog because the one that's at the family home recently traveled with my brother and my brother moved on down to Miami, Florida. And I've three other brothers. So he's one of the three. And he took his dog with him. So he ended up taking his puppy with him. And my mom all of a sudden felt like she was lost without that puppy. She'd love on the dog when she'd come home and the dog was so excited to see her. It was part of her life. That dog showed her how he felt. That dog was loving and caring. And even though he couldn't speak, he showed. He spoke in his own way because obviously dogs can't speak. At least I don't think they can. I mean I would love if they could because there's a lot of things they'd probably say. But honestly here, it's really great sometimes to have a companion or someone or something that doesn't talk back but can show you how they love.

Lucas P. Johnson: So going back and thinking about what I said previously is communication starts somewhere. You can't have actions without communication. That dog's a prime example. And the dog that I've added to my circle, to my life has brought so much happiness and joy. He can't speak, but he can show. So your thousand words can be shown in so many ways, so many unique ways. Show your love. There are three things that cannot be long hidden. And this is from Buddha. There are three things that cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Lucas P. Johnson: The sun is going to be there. The moon it's always going to be there. It's not going anywhere. And if it goes anywhere, we're probably going too. The sun, the moon, night and day. And the truth. One thing that you'll learn, and if you haven't, it's coming. I'm a firm believer that there should not be secrets unless it's something that really needs to be kept hidden from someone else. But I'm a firm believer that the truth will always get out. The truth will always find a way out no matter how much you want to hide it, no matter how much you are trying to keep it from the world. It will find a way out. It may take a hundred years, but that truth will come out and it will have consequences. It will have an impact. It will change the way people and things, people are affected and how things are affected.

Lucas P. Johnson: So why just not be truthful? Why not put it out there? This is all stemming from A Thousand Words, the movie on Netflix. These are the things that we need to think about. Whenever we're watching things on TV and in movies, think about those things that truly inspire you, that make you think. Write them down. Use the Project Dream Mastery journal. The Dream Mastery Journal which is coming out here soon. Pre-order now. The page should be available. Check it out and write your thoughts down. You know, answer the prompts. Go through the sections, the modules. Take time to really think because you don't do enough of it. You really don't. You don't take enough time to think about all of the things that you're doing right and all the things you're doing wrong. Heck, you don't think about the big concepts, the major concepts that are just sitting there. Like why is a giraffe's neck so long? It's just throwing that out there. Why is the body so disproportionate? It's all perspective. They need to get those leaves. See how it's all coming together? They need to get those leaves. In their case, they eat them.

Lucas P. Johnson: I feel like sometimes in life we use words that don't necessarily need to be there. Filler words. The things we say about other people behind their back. The things we do to stir the pot. There's a lot of words we bring that are kind of eaten, eaten by the giraffe. Are you going to let the giraffe eat those words if you only have a thousand left? Because sometimes you just need to shut up. I'll be direct. You just need to shut up and let actions speak.

Lucas P. Johnson: What you send out in the world often comes back to you. I find this all too true. I'm really, really big on providing positive messaging and motivation to my friends in my circle. You'll see me on Facebook, Instagram and so forth really pushing that. And I'm sure that in your life, you'll find that positivity outweighs negativity and it allows people to come to you more easily. What you push out in the world will have consequences no matter whether it's good or bad. You're always going to affect someone's life. Even though people say they don't read it, they do. They don't watch it, they do. I'm sure that there's folks right now that are watching my podcast which I wish Patrick was on that are saying, wow, this is shit. This sucks. That's fine. I'm a weirdo. I accept it. I also know that I've been through a lot of things. I've overcome a lot of things. I've done a lot of things and I'm proud of them. I'm grateful. Are you grateful? Have you thought about the things that you've done, the accomplishments that you have? Are you a straight A student in high school? Did you graduate with a 4.0 in college?

Lucas P. Johnson: Did you not go to college, drop out of high school and found your way to making six, seven figures? Or hell, not even doing that. Living out in the countryside, enjoying every second life has to offer. Or working a nine to five whether it be minimal wage or just find a way to make ends meet. What are you doing? What are you doing to enjoy your life? It's all about happiness. Family is the great gift we are given. I've spent the last few months here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a lot of this time has been more so for me. I told my folks that I was coming home for a few weeks to celebrate with the family, you know, everyone did the whole quarantine, 14-day thing. Everyone's keeping safe. I have a lot of older family. And we were trying to bring people together that were really going through a tough time, that were facing the bits of, I would say, I personally believe that there's some people that are facing things in their life that, you know, they don't want to talk about. But it's nice to bring people together that help you think things through and bring up your mood, get some pep in your step.

Lucas P. Johnson: But I came back here for four weeks. That was the goal. Obviously, I've been here for a lot longer and I'm grateful for it. Over the last few months, I've had the opportunity to do some traveling safely. I have went and actually been back to Charlotte a few times. So I'm not saying I'm not there. I am still going back and forth, just not as actively. And the best part about it is being able to see, being able to finally see the people that matter most. Seeing the people in your life who matter most, taking the time for you, for that mental health check, that wellness check. It's 2020. It's soon to be 2021. It's okay to have a mental health day. Hell, I took two weeks off and it was the best time of my life.

Lucas P. Johnson: I opened up my heart to possibilities, my brain to thoughts and it was absolutely amazing. So what are you doing to open yourself up to possibilities? To thoughts, to people? What are you doing to invest in your family? And your family could just be your dog or your cat or your donkey or maybe you got some more exotic animals. But what are you doing to invest in that? Family is a great gift we're given. We don't have to like our family, but no matter what, we're going to love them. Blood or not blood, that's not how family works. It's a great gift. And they're always going to have your back. It's funny because I've heard stories about people saying, oh, my family doesn't love me. Things aren't going right in my family. I believe that. And I feel for you and I am there for you. I support you. I'm there for you every step of the way. But the one thing I can never believe that someone doesn't love you that is your family. There's always going to be an insy little bit, a teeny bit. There's always going to be that thought and that's even going for all right, the person may have gave you up for adoption.

Lucas P. Johnson: That doesn't mean they didn't love you. We're not going to go, we're not going to focus too much on that right now. But I want you to know that there's always going to be that little bit of love. And hell, that love might be so much more. If you give it a chance to blossom and your thousand words and you use them, it's all heart. You're one of a kind and one person that has made such an impact on me is Roman Atwood. And I'll say that in every episode is his line. You're one of a kind. It means so much because you are. Smile. Smile more. You're one of a kind.

Lucas P. Johnson: He used his words wisely. He used his words to help people, to inspire people, to motivate people. What are you doing with your thousand words? Will it be the last time you see that person? Each moment is a gift so be present with those that you surround yourself with. You never know what will be your last. You never know when that person that's your love, your joy, your happiness, your person may not be there. You never know when today might be the last. That's why you wake up every single morning and say, today is a great day to have a great day. I say that every morning and the best part is I don't have to be surrounded by family. I look at the mirror and say to myself. Today is going to be a great day. Today is a great day to have a great day. This goes, a shout out to Ben, by the way, man. If it wasn't for you, that quote would never be said every single day in my life. Today is a great day to have a great day. You know it. I know it. Go something with it. It could be your last. So spend your time wisely.

Lucas P. Johnson: When you have that person that you love leave the house. Do you ever think about your words and how they may impact their life? What if the last thing you said to that person was something negative? That could scar you for life. We are not given. We are not given the day, the time, the moment, the how or the why of how we are going to go out. People can predict it. People can give you an estimate. People can give you a how and a why. Predict it. But we cannot give a definite, at least not yet. And that's how it should be. We should never live our life in fear of dying, but live your life giving the words meaning to those that you love because you only have a thousand. Think about it that way. What do you put out in the world? What are you putting out in the world? Do you say I forgive you? Those are the three words, I forgive you. Very, very powerful words. In the next episode, we're going to be talking about tailgating. Obviously, it's not in the practical sense, but think about that for next week's episode.

Lucas P. Johnson: You need to find the truth about yourself. And one of the quotes they say in A Thousand Words is you need to find the truth about yourself. It's quite simple, Jack. You need to get quiet, not just with your mouth, with your mind. And in that quiet, you will hear the truth. Do you have any other unresolved relationships in your life? You need to find the truth about yourself. It's quite simple, Jack. You need to get quiet, not just with your mouth, with your mind. In that quiet, you will hear the truth. Do you have any other unresolved relationships in your life? Powerful, right?

Lucas P. Johnson: You need to give weight to the things that matter and the truth will forever come out. Get serious about you, what you say and how you say it because 2021 is going to be real. If you haven't seen all the social media ads and everything that's been going on with election stuff and politics, and oh my goodness, all of that stuff out there, we can't just live a positive life anymore without all that other crap. We have to deal with it. We have to put it in buckets and we have to figure out a way to overcome. 2021, a lot of words that can be spoken. A lot of things are going to happen just like the last 50, 60 years. So taking a look at how the leaves are falling. They are gone. They're not there. Those leaves aren't coming back for a while. You get a thousand leaves Who knows? That tree might die. But leaves fall. New ones grow back. Think about this. When a leaf falls to the ground, it gives room for the new. When a leaf falls to the ground, it gives room for the new. What does this mean to you?

Lucas P. Johnson: We all have leaves. We all have stories. Don't let fear, anxiety, depression, anger, scars, relationships hold you back from greatness. Let your story be shown. Let your person be known. Today is going to be a great day. It's a great day to have a great day. Let your thousand words be used for good and let your thousand words be used for you. Show the people you love that you love them. It's never too late. Or maybe it is. But give weight, give time, give love and watch how your words shape the future. Watch how your words shape others. You don't need to move a thousand miles away to start a new life. A new one can be grown right where you are. So reevaluate your life and make shit happen.

Lucas P. Johnson: With that said, here is your homework for this week. Go watch the Thousand Words movie on Netflix and see what takeaways you get from it. Truly a powerful movie. Everything that we covered today, besides for the way that my brain thinks and bringing things to life in a different light, all of these concepts came from A Thousand Words movie on Netflix, all of these ideas stem from that movie all because taking the time to think. So I want you to watch that. Truly, truly take the time to think about some of the concepts that are brought up and write them down. Use a notebook, the Dream Mastery Notebook. Take a look. It'll be in the show notes below.

Lucas P. Johnson: I also want you to write a thousand-word paper to someone you love or to yourself. And think about how you would best use a thousand words. Remember every word has purpose. Now you do not have to do this. I'm just encouraging you to open up and give way for something new. If you don't want to write, maybe do a video. Video's super powerful. Would hold you accountable. But also, you have the paper copy for a reason. So feel free to write it, use it, throw it away. There's a great book out there. I think it's called Burn It or I don't know, you basically write, you answer all these questions. It talks about your present, your past. It talks about your future. So the three kind of states. And once you complete the notebook, you're supposed to burn it after reading.

Lucas P. Johnson: So you go through and you write it all down and you read it and then you're supposed to burn it. I'll also put that in the show notes below if you want to check it out. That's a really great book. It's not really a book. It's more of a journal too. So I would check that out. It's really helpful for people that are trying to figure out what's kind of stemming from their past, where they want to see their future but also what's going on in their present to kind of build a new future. So check it out. It's really, really great. It really helped me overcome some of my areas of my life.

Lucas P. Johnson: So with that said, our show is completely listener supported. So please consider supporting us by checking out our Patreon membership community where you can become one of our elite supporters and gain exclusive access to early releases, live streams and Q&A. We have a few different tiers available with some pretty sweet perks. So make sure to check them out and consider supporting the show. Go to ProjectDreamMastery.com and click the red button that says Patreon to learn more. If you have not already, please, please, please, please make sure to review the show, subscribe, like and share so that we can reach more amazing listeners like you. All of our shows are available in both audio, video and written form. So make sure to check out our website to access the full experience. Also, you can become part of The Dream Tribe by clicking on subscribe now on ProjectDreamMastery.com and you will be added to our community. Again, thank you so much for joining us today. We look forward to seeing you on the next episode to come. We'll talk to you soon.