Short Helpful Videos!

@GlenM I look forward to the updated videos! 

I personally thought the current one was great since we've been working on "The Way of the River" concept for a while now. 

To everyone sharing feedback - it may be a good idea to indicate whether you are familiar with the course on 7 Cups or whether this concept was very new for you! 

@GlenM

Hey there Glen. I hope you are doing well. First of all there is absolutely no need to be awkward about this. We are a community here and we are helping each other and thst includes you. I would be more than happy to help with this one. 

Altought I do not know if my opinion is helpful I will say it as its already asked. 

So, I listened to the whole video and personally it was kinda tiring to be so long. I had 1 or 2 segments I loved and helped me but to be honest the whole video was insightful and helpful and you csnnot just cut off things from it because if the whole community answers you you will see that everyone found something different helpful. There is no 1 answer for what you are asking. The best thing for me to be done is to take those segments and cut them into shorter videos. 

For example you have the Part 1: Introduction named on the video. You could take that part and cut it down to segments a,b,c etc. That way you will make sure to have it all inside and make it more accessible and fun to watch and not tiring as this 22 minutes video is a bit tiring.

Plus one more thing I would recommend is to ask questions for the comments on each segment you Will post (if you do it my way). 

I would love to explain again if it wasn't understandable. Don't feel awkward we are here to help you out as well and give back to you for this app.

Let me know if this was helpfull or not. Take care ✨️🤎

@GlenM

Hi Glen! 😊 ❤️

I think it's pretty nifty that you would create the video as well as the post in an effort to ask for constructive feedback. In and of itself, you are setting a good example for us all that it's okay (and even good) to ask for feedback, that it helps us all to learn and grow and should be seen as something good and not scary.

It takes a great deal of strength to open oneself up to said feedback and to be vulnerable in that way. I like how you admit that it feels a bit awkward, however, it's worth it to you because it's for the greater good of us all. 

I just so happen to have seen the vid pretty soon after you posted as it came through via my algorithms. I upvoted however, the upvote didn't "stick" and I wouldn't know why that is. 

While I enjoy the content, I like that you have already come to the conclusion that it could be even better if it were broken up into smaller, bite size pieces.....segments. I could not agree with you more. With how the world operates currently, people want fast and easy. Everything is at their finger tips for quick answers, quick food, quick connections, etc. Some aren't able to focus for long amounts of time, are easily distracted, get bored for whatever reasons even if the content may not be boring. Who doesn't love a youtube "short"? 

Personally, I enjoy humor. That is the biggest difference between me here on the platform and how it is that I am in the real world. Humor doesn't translate as well via text, I understand what type of platform this is and also, one has to "know their audience". Much is missing here on 7 cups that would help humor to be be an effective tool to bring levity to some situations, bonding, understanding, keeping the focus/attention/entertainment and a highly effective tool for learning and memory. 

For vids, humor could be highly effective as we get to see and hear you. The meaning and good intentions would be more easily apparent. 

Maybe considering "The Muppets" as a concept? Meaning....you are there to teach and enlighten however, having "props" or even one "mascot" as your sidekick that asks you questions during, could be a whole bunch of fun. It breaks it up a bit. Other "characters" ask you questions as you move through. You can thank them......"great question (enter characters name here). I think I can answer that for you. What I meant was kind of like....". And then the "character gets to respond to you.  

The character gets to misunderstand you and you explain or understand you completely and let you know why and how that is. Character says "hey Glen, I need to ax you a question" and you just see a little plastic prop ax pop up poking you in the arm. Team work makes the dream work 😊 and maybe if one of your kids or your wife is super hilarious, they can sit with you, you get to be the "straight man" and they get to the "funny man" (vis a vi props, characters, different voices, signage, etc). 

Little pre written signs rise up from under the desk, someone throws confetti, get the old school "that was easy" button from staples, etc. Lots and lots of fun stuff you could incorporate. The "cut sign" for movie sets when you make a mistake but you keep it in there, lol 😊 Bicycle horn, editing with lots of fun sounds? Shark on a stick prop, dinosaur on a stick prop. Maybe they could ask questions too. Maybe the shark could be naughty, undermine you so you have to expand on the concept?

Humor isn't for everyone, I get it. Would be kind of neat if you decided to do a trial run on a segment, record it, have fun and see how it goes. If it doesn't feel right to load it, then it doesn't. Just....simply an idea from Lil Gizzie that just does little Gizzie stuff.

*high fives* 😊 and *hugs* ❤️

@GlenM

Thank you so much for sharing this Glen. I really appreciate the time, care, and thought you've put into creating this series. The river metaphor is beautiful because it provides a gentle way to think about life's challenges without making them feel overwhelming.

If I were someone outside of 7 Cups looking for support, I think shorter videos would be incredibly helpful. The chapters that stood out to me the most were "The Problem Is the Path," "Releasing Past Weight... Forgiveness & Triggers," "The Experiencing Self vs. the Observing Self," and "Antifragile – Strengthened by Chaos." I think each of these topics is strong enough to stand on its own and could reach people searching for help with those specific struggles.

One small suggestion would be to make each short video feel complete rather than simply a clip from the longer talk. A brief introduction, one key takeaway, and one gentle reflection question at the end could make each video feel personal and easy to connect with.

What I appreciated most is that the video doesn't rush people or promise quick solutions. It creates space to reflect, which I think is something many people truly need. Thank you for being willing to share your work so openly and invite feedback. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series continues to grow.

So, I watched/listened to your video once. Here is some feedback. 

For Ayesha, I am familiar with the course on 7 Cups so the concept wasn’t new for me.

I agree the 22 minutes is super long for the generally short attention span of our people these days.

Slide attributions are important to me, and possibly to you as well, as a for-profit entity which may be concerned with lawsuits. 

I liked the concept: optimize the ups; endure the downs.

That’s to say, if “enduring” does not include staying in a domestic violence situation, or “enduring” conditions that are inhumane/unreasonable like sexual abuse/poverty if there is a way out. Of course, I center myself and my experiences. I’m pretty sure people experiencing sexual abuse, for example, should not be told to “endure” what they are going through. Instead, escape routes. But that’s just me and trauma.

Pain + Reflection can indeed  (lead towards) progress, but not if you are dead.

Escape routes are vital, as is self-defense.

The statement on one of the slides: “There are not a lot of happy billionaires,” is trite, considering most people watching/reading this video are not going to be billionaires. After all, there are only a handful of billionaires, and why should I feel any sympathy for them? I don’t care if the billionaires are happy or not. They have chosen to accumulate obscene amounts of wealth that they have the choice to re-distribute at any whim. If the video were up to me, I would cut that line entirely.

The “cloud” and “sky” scenario, to me, sound a lot like a textbook definition of dissociation. Of course, this is how many people who are traumatized have coped. Of course, 7 Cups is not new to this dissociation idea, the first dissociation being between Members and Listeners, a false dissociation, since one doesn’t require any more qualifications than another, besides 20 minutes or so of training.

The statements on “someone” or “an event” “hits you” sounds pretty traumatizing to me, triggering to anyone who has been a victim of abuse. “Just accepting” this kind of abuse is not something I believe counselors would recommend. In fact, wishing death on an abuser, or some restorative justice like a nice long prison term in a highly secure facility, allowing that anger and possibility for justice, seems quite a bit more of a healthy reaction.

“No man is an island” can be attributed to John Donne (at least I knew that attribution.)

Key insights:

1.   You really like kayaking. (I don’t.)

2.   Your presentation centers yourself and your experience as a well-off, privileged white man, relatively speaking mentally stable, in America today. It might be useful to your “reach” to de-center your experience a bit and look at what you are saying from a lens of colorful, marginalized, discriminated against, disabled, less powerful, perhaps even trapped within circumstances person who might not have all that privilege, with a sprinkle of mental illness making that person even more marginalized and abused by societal forces beyond their control might say about coping. 

3.   At the very end, the word “soon” is cut off “soo-“

Perhaps could be remedied when re-recorded or when doing the shorter segments.

4.   I enjoyed the graphic you had in the Way of the River series (I believe you said Ayesha helped you with it), with all the different elements one encounters as one goes down that metaphorical river. To me, that graphic absolutely is something that should be at the core of anything you present.

You asked for honest feedback in my own words, so there it is.

I don't mind longer videos if I want to explore something in depth, but I agree here shorter would help both because of the purpose and because this actually contained a lot of different metaphors.

I really liked the clear captions, I didn't notice any straying from what was said which I find distracting when I see it in other videos. There were times they cut off some of the visuals although most of the time it wasn't bad but a few places where I wish things were up just a bit.

There was often a lot of written text and what was being said while connected in terms of concept was fairly different. Ie. One wasn't just paraphrasing the other. I don't want text being read word for word, but the large amount of text differing from what was being said lowered my overall comprehension as I ended up trying to follow both simultaneously. 

The use of the word crisis made me cringe. Some of the safety related roles I had here definitely play into that response. Earlier years I'm fairly certain I've brought up how crisis can be much more broad than the crisis policy definition but admins decided to stick with that definition. Considering its been the policy for years now I do think it's something we should avoid using on 7cups as the broader sense - unless the wording of the policy changes. 

I'm familiar with the way of the river but haven't read all the details.

The idea that seemed the most helpful to me was the idea of toggling between observing self and experiencing self. It's similar to things that have been presented before here (and also immediately after in this video). To me it's a more realistic approach in mindset when going through a difficult time.

Overall the video presented multiple ideas well!