How the Mind Works

The mind is both my speciality and my curiosity. Nothing is more fascinating nor more powerful than the mind and how we use it to direct our lives and experiences. I continue to learn about it and share what I am learning in concepts and strategies that provide a more conscious and effective way of using the mind to make changes, improve performances, or heal our bodies. Currently, I am studying the newest research the effects of thought on cellular activity and especially the elasticity or capacity of the brain to change. More on that later. For now, I wanted to share my final Mind Tips newsletter message about how the mind works.

_________________

After years of research, teaching and conversations, I have concluded there are three basics the mind always uses. Knowing how your mind works provides clues to why and how you are having your current experiences and how you can change your experiences in the future. Consider any challenge or problem you are facing, find what your mind is doing below and you will know how to use your mind to get a solution or resolution by either reversing what the mind is doing or using the same concept in a more effective way.

• A thought is a possibility with a repeated thought a probability, and a continuously felt and focused thought an inevitability. Thoughts matter. Think about what is wanted or not wanted and you will get.

• The mind cannot be controlled nor ignored. It is the center of operation for our feelings, behaviors, and choices. It can be taught, changed, and made a partner but only if you know what it is doing and what you want it to do.

• The mind relies on perception and the interpretations that follow to affirm or defend the mind’s reality and truth. Change the interpretations (beliefs, meanings, fears) and change automatically follows.

These are the three mind basics that are constant and consistent each day for each of us. How are they directing your experiences and how can you use them to expand or redirect those experiences?

Avoiding Failure is Avoiding Success

I am currently writing material and strategies for what I call the New Success Paradigm. This positive approach to success is effective and makes experiencing personal potential so much easier. I will be sharing the concepts and strategies here in different ways as I finish up the complete presentation. To get started here is an introduction to the difference between failure and success that I believe gives an idea of where I am going with this new paradigm.

________________________________________________________

When we look at success and failure as opposites, we usually end up seeking success and avoiding failure. The result is we experience neither, as the powerful avoidance of failure can prevent taking risks and even paralyze our efforts to increase success. If we weren’t avoiding failure, success would be easier and more attainable.

Imagine a line with two end points and a number of points in between the end points. On one end is failure or what would I call limited success. On the other end is absolute success or the maximum use of capabilities. The points in between are all the possible results you can obtain from practicing and using skills, executing strategies, or taking risks. All experiences, performances, and applied efforts are also points along this line. These points represent different levels of success - none are failures.

The truth about failure is that the only way you can fail is not to participate or learn. The only way you cannot experience more success is to avoid effort and experiences leading to success. Technically then, you cannot fail. Doing something is not failure, only more or less successful than what you did before.

When the meaning of your actions and efforts are viewed as points along a continuum of success, you can take chances. Learn what does not work, and focus on what will work. Then your success increases with every action, effort, and improvement. Evaluate each experience with a question,”What will move me to the next point of success?” By answering this question and taking another action, failure will not be a possibility so avoiding it unnecessary as success and more success awaits you.

Should You Try Harder?

Trying harder is your natural response when skills, strategies, or situations are not working as you want or expect. Other people, wanting to help, may tell you to increase your intensity, give more effort, or try harder and it will get better. All of these imply that you need to do more; you just need to try harder to get success. Unfortunately, that is the opposite of what you need to do!

Trying harder increases your stress responses, raises your anxiety, and hurries your mind. You get caught up in the emotions, especially fear and anger, as you become distracted by what isn’t working. As a result, you make more errors, focus on what won’t work and raise your frustration. Continue trying harder and you will find yourself in a spiral of increasing negative results, as your mind and body get totally out of sync, interfering with what you want to do.

When a skill, strategy or situation is difficult or not happening as you expected, slow down and divert your focus elsewhere. Take a couple of deep breaths, retie your shoes, or move on to a different skill or situation; all can shift your focus quickly and immediately. By interrupting the emotional and physical states that were interfering with your performance, you allow your mind and body to find the appropriate speed and intensity or different approach needed for success.

The key to success in any situation is to provide the appropriate energy and intensity needed to get the job done efficiently. Pushing and increasing your intensity or trying harder will not change the nature of the task, only your responses to it – for the worst. By approaching the task or situation in a different state, you give yourself a chance to comfortably and confidently respond. The more you apply this approach, the more you will learn the best effort and intensity for you to succeed at anything, especially the most frustrating things

Pages

Categories

Archives

Meta

How the Mind Works

Avoiding Failure is Avoiding Success

Should You Try Harder?