Posts Tagged ‘personal development’
Do reptiles get warm and fuzzy and fall in love? What nonsense is that? Given that you have a reptile in you, its very important to understand what that means. Yuck! Yep, it is called your “limbic system” it is the part of the brain that we inherited from our dinosaur ancestors.
Think like a reptile for a moment, what would you fear, what would you be interested in? What reaction would you have to the new thing? For now, let’s pretend reptiles only feel hunger, fear, sexual desire and of course, self-preservation.
Imagine you are still that reptile, and you see something new. How would you react? You’d probably just be afraid and move away or try and eat it.
Now step back into “you” again. How many times has your inner reptile made you react the same way? We think that being a human is just one thing. We did not evolve as one “unit”, over time many millions of parts combined to produce what we are today. Our brains are at least three major parts: the reptile brain, the mid-brain (emotions) and the higher brain (rational thought). The LEGO construction set is not just in our brains. Even our DNA in our cells, needs something called RNA to work with the rest of the body. So even the thing we think of as most representative of “us” our DNA, is in a sense foreign in our bodies since it needs RNA to communicate with the rest of the cells for it. Even our cells are made of parts that evolved from different animals or bacteria even. Our genetic ancestry is stored in a part of the cell called a mitochondria which we only get from out mothers. Don’t tell your girlfriend or wife!
Our being the sons and daughters of Eve is absolutely right. Go back through our ancestors, and a mere 6,000 generations ago we all were African from one single migration. In terms of human evolution, that’s just a blink of an eye, and we’re all really African. The genetic difference between all members of the human race is barely measurable. The chimpanzee, our nearest relative, is on 2-3% different from us.
So what’s with the evolutionary tour? Let’s look at the limbic system again, it doesn’t really know about other parts of the brain, it can’t, it only really cares about survival. It does not care or even understand being rich, happy or fulfilled. Survival. Yep, just survival.
The subconscious is where the action is though. No one really knows which part of the brain it lives in, but it really does exist and much more importantly, it is where your accumulated beliefs live. Also, the subconscious does not understand negatives or have a sense of humor and is VERY literal in its interpretation of what you feed it.
The mid-brain has a richer emotional life and is aware far more than the limbic system, but it views life through an emotional lens. There goes the idea of the brain as a super computer. The cartoon of the brain as logical is just simply not true. In fact, our thoughts often cause us to not take action, because we come up with so many reasons not to.
Want an example, when you are at a store and the attendant comes over and starts to sell to you, if you are marginally keen, what’s the most common phrase people use? I’ll ____________ it.
Notice that interesting second word? Pure intellect only there. Thought tends to lead to more thought. May I give you the phrase anyway? “I’ll think about it”.
So in the end, we usually make emotional decisions and then justify them afterwards. Just ask anyone who just bought product X over product Y. It boils down to the fact that they liked one more than the other. The features of the product did not make the decision, they were used as justifications afterwards. Our beliefs about which product was best for our desired lifestyle made the choice for us. Guess what happened next? Someone walked into the same store just after you did, and for them product Y was so obviously better than X, only a fool would by X. Is person A or B right? There are no “right” answers. Take your pick. The actions each took, were about beliefs about the products, not the actual products.
So what about our larger lives? What role does belief play there? If beliefs can prompt us to take action, they can also stop us from taking action too. Let’s pretend you have a strong belief you can’t swim, well, you weren’t born with that belief, you developed it either because of an experience of yours or someone close to you, this in turn will stop you from learning to swim, because you believe you can’t. So your belief that you can’t swim stops you from learning to swim!
Now let’s apply that to money. Scary! The dreaded “M” word. The girls like a different word with “M” that scares boys, this one drives everyone crazy: Money. There are few subjects on which there are more experts than around money. Remember how “literal” minded the subconscious is. Everyone has an opinion about how to get it, who should or should not have some and so on. Louise Hay (author of You can Heal your Life) says it’s easier to teach a course about sex than about money.
Why? Well, because money is an essential ingredient to living in the 21st century, it is the means by which we can live our large dreams and achieve the kind of freedom deep down we all believe we can have. Here’s where our beliefs pop up with a thousand and one reasons why we cannot have this kind of life. Have you heard of the phrase “filthy rich”? In that belief system, you have to be filthy to be rich. Honestly, if being rich meant being a filthy person, would you really want to be rich. Does filthy sound like something you want to be? That comes before the rich.
How about “money is the root of all evil”? That’s another good one. Bad is one thing, but evil is a whole different thing altogether. Bad attitude is not really nasty, it just upsetting conventional social customs, especially those of the majority. Evil is a conscious and deliberate causing of harm to others for no purpose. Just reading that probably gives you the willies. Imagine your reptile brain reacting to that one! Yup, that’s got “danger” written all over it, don’t you think?
It is our deepest, hidden beliefs that are guiding our lives. We are not even aware of these beliefs most of the time. But these beliefs guide us like a laser bomb to its target. What are we targeting though, happiness or misery? Depends on your beliefs about you, money, relationships and all the rest. If you are interested in changing those beliefs for more productive ones, The Science of Getting Rich is about wealth in more than just financial terms. You can also check out The Power of Simplicity.
You see, our reptile brain is alive and well, so are all the other parts of us. In our emotions, in our feelings, our thoughts and above all in our subconscious beliefs. With all this cast of characters, will the play of your life be a box office success or a flop?
As we chuck out the junk in our lives, we experience spiritual growth. Given that spirit is perfect already, we’ll leave that one to another post.
The ability to think positively is a vital element of personal growth. But, I have to admit. There are times when thinking positively seems like a monumental task. However, positive thinking seems to occur so much more easily and naturally when you're happy. Here are 5 ways you can achieve instant happiness when you need that boost of positivity
1. Create a “happiness” playlist
Research has shown that music has the ability to change a person's mood and has been used in therapy for many years. Research has shown that different types of beats, melodies and rhythms can affect the brain in many ways — effectively impacting a person’s mood and stress levels. Since upbeat music has been clinically proven to have a positive effect on mood, create a playlist of your favorite upbeat tunes, load up your iPod and get into the happy groove whenever and wherever you want!
2. Laugh.
Laughter has been shown to increase endorphin activity in your bodies, which directly result in a heightened sense of overall well-being. In addition to that, laughter has energizing powers and has positive benefits for your immune system. Maintain your sense of humor and go out there and have a good, deep, laugh.
3. Express gratitude
It's not difficult to slip into general dissatisfation when you start comparing with other people. In fact, it is through helping others who are in need that you are reminded about how much you really have. Make it a daily effort to express your gratitude — this can effectively change your perception of what you have or don’t have, immediately uplifting your mood and increasing your happiness.
4. Perform a random act of kindness
Few people realize this, but altruism typically enhances your emotional well being. By doing something nice for someone else, you unwittingly spread happiness that eventually reflects off the person and heads right back to you. Smiles and hapiness are particularly contagious, and even more so when shared.
5. Meditate
Most of us associate meditation with stress management or as a relaxation tool. What most people fail to recognize is that the deeper relaxation that is achieved by meditation can induce higher levels of happiness. Search up a meditation technique to try and feel deep joy wash over you in mere minutes!
Personal growth is not always effortless. But when you’re happy, it sure seems as if it is. So keep a smile on your face, and your mood right up there with the blue skies with these 5 techniques and sail through your journey of personal growth!
What is your life purpose? Are you, like so many people, so busy that you barely even care? But ignoring purpose can negatively impact your wellness. You can get more Words of Wisdom here.
There are only Three Great Games Of Adulthood. Only 3. And one of the great games of adulthood is Significance. Each of us as adults has to figure out how to live a life that matters to ourselves and others. How to live a life that has meaning. How to look good to ourselves and others.
You can have a million dollars in the bank. You can have a loving spouse. And, if you aren’t winning at the Great Game of Significance, you will often feel empty inside, or that your life is meaningless, or what’s the point.
Then you may drink or do drugs to anesthetize that feeling. The pain of meaninglessness is Life’s way of saying you need to focus on purpose and worth and living from a different place. Pain is a teacher. Pain usually suggests change. So when we feel the pain of emptiness, like we are just going through the motions, this is nature saying pay attention to richness, pay attention to meaningfulness, pay attention to purpose. You can get more Self Improvement Ideas here.
enerally, people are trained to think that life is about money and relationship. Fame and fortune. But these are just two of the three great games. Valuable, but incomplete. You can’t ignore significance and paying attention to what will give your life meaning.
When we are losing at Significance, Life let’s us know. We feel things like boredom and a sense that something’s missing from our lives. We may question the meaning of it all. Buying more toys or going to another cocktail party may start to seem worthless. This is Life saying pay attention to what gives you meaning and satisfaction.
What, then, is your purpose? What gives your life a sense of meaning and value? Well, we each must find our own answers, and thinking about it, spending some time on these questions, can pay off big over the long term. Two areas to look are a) finding and following your passions in life and b) giving back and being of service.
Obviously, there is much more to this whole issue of purpose and meaning. But playing the Great Game of Significance is a great way to add to your satisfaction in life over the years to come. So make sure you spend some time regularly focusing on what gives your life significance! You can get more Self Help Insights here.
You know you can do something if you put your mind to it. But do you truly know what that saying even means? How do you ‘put your mind to it’? Sometimes just thinking too hard can give you a headache. You experience creative blocks, you come up with blanks at the most crucial times, when you need to come up with a winning idea, you throw your hands up in frustration and curse who ever had come up with the saying. But wait. What if I told you there is a way you can train to use your mind for specific purposes, that you can shape your mind however you want – use your mind powers to get what you want.
Imagine the scenario: You have to cram for an exam that’s barely 24 hours away. Your books are piled higher than Mount Vesuvius and look about ready to topple onto you. Stress makes your heart beat to the rhythm of funeral dirge. You sweat profusely, despair sets in and you see your whole education and money spent flash before your eyes. Images of sleeping in the gutters and begging on the streets for a living come to mind and suddenly your body warns you of an impending overload and system crash.
Does that sound remotely familiar? Every one of us, unless of course you are a swami constantly meditating under a tree, has had experiences of some sort in relation to emotional stress and breakdown. The mind shuts down and you are operating on reserve adrenaline. You don’t have to succumb to such states; use your mind to power your desires.
The brain gives out electromagnetic waves in set patterns (usually in specific frequency ranges) and science has recognised that each wave pattern opens up a specific state for the body. Like those who have expert control over deep meditation sometimes can go into alpha and theta states – states which are extremely good for learning and reprogramming of the sub conscious.
The one thing that is hindering us from achieving the states we need to get what we desire is our subconscious mind. It is simply a lackey of the conscious mind that both does what it is told and reacts to situations based on a ‘prerecorded’ response to a particular event that happened in the past, as a self preservation instinct. Without getting too technical, there is a whole slew of information about why the subconscious does this – but all you need to know is that you have to reprogram it.
Reprogramming your brain to various states now has become extremely easy with the amount of dedication and technology that has been driving this area of personal development. From the traditional to the scientific, you can use the power of your brain and command it to produce a specific brainwave entrainment associated with learning, intelligence, creativity or even one to get you out of a cycle of depression.
The things you can achieve with brainwave entrainment are limitless and all you need is some time to research and a belief in yourself. The benefits are priceless when compared to just reading a self-help book or listening to some uplifting CD. Change your life now – because you can.
I’m sure that at some point of your life you might have felt depressed Does the world you live in seem washed out, grey and colorless? What you need is a healthy dose of positive thinking, but the thing is, not many of us can just conjure it out of thin air. We need guidance and whole lot of help to use the power of the mind to brighten our life and achieve new goals.
The human subconscious is the determinant, which will decide where anyone will be in life. It affects everything about their psyche, from behaviour to mindsets – which means it determines everything about you and me. The difference between a successful individual and one who seems to be caught in the cycle of failures is their mental state. We determine the perception of our own reality, and creativity, ingenuity and intelligence all come from the power of positive thinking.
The issue here is our conscious and subconscious mind working together. The conscious mind filters our experiences down to the subconscious, which then drives the emotional vehicle within our body. Breaking those preconceived notions and steering the subconscious out of this roadmap to failure is difficult – especially when we are contending with years of built up repression and bad attitudes.
Smile more, feel healthy and get that extra jump in your step. We need to reach down into the subconscious, deep within the recesses of our cerebrum and change it for the better. The only way to do this is to achieve a transcendental state of meditation – a state in which the brain operates in something we call alpha waves, and reprogram the mind. Yes, reprogramming the mind is entirely possible – as well as inducing creativity, intelligence, acumen and even creating happiness!
The technology in this area of self improvement is thoroughly involved and highly invested in. As the world falls deeper into the pits of depression, as bad news takes centrestage within the world’s news bulletins, and as the credit crunch overwhelms us – we need every bit of help in this area. And there are no limits to the kinds of methods that can be utilised to unlock the power of your mind. From magnetic wave technology, yoga, different forms of meditation, flotation tanks and even using sculpted sounds and Binaural beats to invoke brainwave entrainment – there are so many ways you can achieve personal success.
Why wait? Some of these methods are simply instructional while others cost a meager investment of an audio CD. There has never been anything that is so cost-effective; a small investment of money to improve your life, on your terms, on your time. That is power reserved only for mythological creatures, and it is a reality in today’s world using today’s technology. Log on and do some research, you will be amazed at the amount of people who have already benefited from these treatments and you should – no must add yourself to that list.