Posts tagged ‘Law of Attraction’

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May 22, 2012

Why It’s So Hard to Change

English: New Year's Day postcard mailed in 190...

Have you ever wondered why it’s so difficult to change your thinking and the behaviors that no longer serve you? How many times have you made “New Year’s resolutions” and weeks later experienced frustration, guilt and a sense of failure?

Everyone’s life consists of a blend of positive and negative programming that defines quality-of-life. You are a product of childhood encoding, education, relationships, social programming and your tapestry of life experiences. Your brain takes in and processes sensory information; it continuously interprets, filters and associates emotions and value with what you are experiencing. Your memory is your internal GPS to make sense of and navigate life.

Values, experiences, likes and dislikes, opinions, knowledge, passions and emotional trigger points make everyone different and unique. This is called neurodiversity. The vast and infinite array of neurodiversity is a challenge to understand and manage on an individual level. The challenge increases exponentially when people live, interact and work with one another.

There are three fundamental reasons why it may be difficult for you to make lasting changes in your life:

  • You may not believe it’s possible
  • You may be strengthening the very thinking and behaviors you want to change
  • You may not know how to change your internal programming

You can trust in the power of your brain to make sustainable changes in your life. Neuroplasticity is a property of your brain, allowing it to continuously grow and learn. Your brain is dynamic, not static. One hundred billion neurons are the building blocks for memory. You have infinite capacity to change and be more flexible, adaptable and resourceful.

Most people seem to focus on what they want to change rather than the outcomes they truly desire. Dwelling on what you don’t want actually strengthens the neural networks that create your outer experiences. Saying, “I am sick and tired of being broke and living from hand-to-mouth,” actually reinforces and continues the endless cycle of living in a world of scarcity rather than experiencing abundance and prosperity. Replacing what you don’t want with what you do want is a practical neuroscience way to make sustainable change possible.

Your brainpower and memory were built both consciously and unconsciously. Conscious choices may include education, associates, hobbies, interests and careers. Negative, unconscious elements may have come from childhood experiences and social brainwashing that created emotional wounds, faulty thinking, bogus information and incorrect opinions. Doesn’t it make sense that if life experiences created your current reality, you can rebuild new and more powerful programs that reward you with a better and more fulfilling life?

In conclusion, the good news is you can keep what you like in your life and change what you don’t want. Focusing on what you like and want is the key to success.  You are equipped with the most amazing mass of protoplasm in the world; your miraculous brain. It’s an inside game, and only you can play it.

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May 13, 2011

A Vision for Manifesting Success in This Century of the Brain

Success

Image by aloshbennett via Flickr

Psychology, business models and self-improvement programs have taken us to a place where the velocity of individual and organizational development seems to have slowed down. And, the number and gravity of our individual and world problems have accelerated. We may be hitting our heads on the ceiling of solutions.

Individuals are looking for powerful ways to experience greater prosperity, have fulfilling careers, improve their personal relationships and leap-frog their lives forward. Leaders in business, government, healthcare, science and all important fields are more eager and open-minded to trying new approaches to solve their problems. The thinking of the past is incapable of solving the problems they created.

People from all walks of life want a better life and a better world to live in. It’s becoming more obvious each day that our local and global problems are interconnected. We have daunting challenges involving economic stability, employment opportunities, family prosperity, a more peaceful world, environmental issues, healthy food and clean water. There seems to be a greater awareness amongst more people that we are in this together and that we all had a small role in creating the mess.

Practical neuroscience may be one of the last frontiers for human development. The Vision for the Century of the Brain is intended to inspire and guide individuals and leaders in all walks of life to use brainpower to solve problems and create a better world.

Vision for the Century of the Brain

As we enter the Century of the Brain, we see a world where women and men of good will and shared intentions come together for manifesting positive changes in their lives without hindering or harming anyone else’s dreams. We work and think smarter, not harder. We know that the power of our brains and neuroscience is the key to manifesting what we want and avoiding what we don’t want. Conscious thought and action amongst integrous people becomes a transformative power for good.

We remember that great ideas originate from individual and collective imagination. Family units, small groups, organizational teams and leaders in all field of endeavor work together to define their desired outcomes, ideate the possibilities and create action plans that manifest their pictures of success. Joining like minds amplifies the power within and we use it wisely. Fear and negative emotions are strangers here.

We know, use and trust our brains. Instinctually, we attract and join with minds that align with our highest values and intentions. Celebrating success and the success of others is a way of life. Our miraculous brains connect us with one another and the divine.

In conclusion, if you align with the intention and central ideas contained in this Vision please share it with others. Practical neuroscience may be the unrecognized solution to our individual, family, organizational and world problems. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by using the scientific principles of leveraging brainpower. I believe we will see and experience what seem to be “miracles” when we join our minds and hearts; besides, it will be a fun and rewarding experience with a big “wow factor.”

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January 10, 2011

4 Simple Steps to Make New Year Resolutions Stick

New Year's Eve 2010 - Times Square, NYC - 1...

Image by asterix611 via Flickr

What’s your “batting average” in accomplishing your resolutions? If you’re like most people, you make resolutions thoughtfully and with very sincere intentions. You undoubtedly have an inner faith that you can achieve what you want in life. These goals may involve breaking a habit, improving a relationship, getting a better job, eliminating debt, saving money, losing weight or changing something unpleasant in your life. Do you know the reasons why most people fail in achieving their resolutions? More importantly, do you know the key steps to make your resolutions stick and become reality? Using the power of your brain and your trusted advisors is the key to manifesting your New Year resolutions.

The major reasons why most people fail to accomplish their resolutions are:

  • Instead of clearly picturing their desired outcomes, many focus on what they do not want. This is why so many people continue to get the same old results, even with the best of intentions to experience something different.
  • Many people don’t know how to build new neural pathways that attract and create the object of their resolutions.
  • Most people get distracted and discouraged after a week or more without experiencing progress.

Here are four simple and powerful neuroscience steps for manifesting your resolutions:

1. Believe It’s Possible. Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich) said, in his landmark 1937 book, that “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” He was so right. Your brain creates your reality and how you experience, react and respond to the world. It’s an inside game. Modern neuroscience has proven that leveraging your brain power is the key to manifesting your desired reality. The first step in making resolutions become real is to know and believe in the power of your brain.

2. Name It. Be extremely specific about what you want as desired outcomes. If your resolution involves debt reduction and saving money, then state the dollar amounts, dates, creditors to be paid, where savings will be invested and other specifics. Be sure to describe the interim and end-point events in detail, so there is no shadow-of- doubt when your resolution has been actualized. Walk away from all thinking regarding what you do not want, because this activity strengthens the neural pathway memory banks that helped create the situation you want to change. This step must be accomplished with clarity of mind and positive specificity.

3. Make it Real. This 3-part step is often ignored. Visualize in your “minds eye” and record in visual media (e.g. computer, sketch pad, mind map, scrap book) the following:

  • Your desired outcomes from Step 2. These are the facts, figures and specifics.
  • What do you want to experience in your “feeling world?” The stronger the emotions, the more likely your brain will engage enthusiastically with the process of finding solutions, working the plan and staying motivated. How do you see yourself feeling: relieved, happy, load off-your-back, lighter, free, clearer mind, able to move forward with life, more energy, less stress? Also, think about what you will be able to say about yourself after achieving this resolution. What will the people close to you see and say?
  • How will you achieve your resolution? Record your key ideas only. It’s not necessary to make a detailed plan because the above steps will engage your unconscious brain to get into gear, keep you motivated and achieve what you have conceived. Also, think about a couple of trusted advisors who have the knowledge and competencies to help you achieve your resolution. Ask these people to help you and offer to help them with their resolutions.

4. Trust the Process and Celebrate Success. The above steps are all you need to do. You have successfully programmed what you want to achieve and the benefits (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual). These constitute the “outcomes.” You have also “primed the pump” with initial implementation ideas. As you experience progress, even ideas and inspirations of what to do, celebrate success and the magnificence of your brain. Remember to thank your trusted advisors for their help and to keep them updated on your progress.

In conclusion, practical neuroscience is the key to manifesting what you want and avoiding what you don’t want. Be boldly audacious in visualizing what you want. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between shooting for the barn steeple or the stars. It also doesn’t know the difference between inner or outer world experiences. Because outer experiences originate from the “inner world,” doesn’t it make sense to create your world from where true creation occurs? The power of your brain is a powerful force that is 100% under your direct control. Joining like minds with trusted advisors amplifies the power.

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January 6, 2011

The Secret to Succeeding with “The Secret”

Visionboard manifesting abundance the secret t...

Image by GuideEbook via Flickr

The foundational principles of The Secret and The Law of Attraction are compelling and powerful, yet many are unable to activate these powerful principles in their lives. Why is this?  The answer may lie in understanding the relationship between philosophical software and biological hardware.

In an IT analogy, The Secret and The Law of Attraction (the philosophy) represent very complex software, and neuroscience is the hardware that this software runs on. Neuroscience is how your brain was wired from birth and it is literally the hardware with which you run philosophical programs, such as The Secret.

If you are having a hard time achieving success with The Secret, you may need to understand the current wiring of your own hardware and learn how to use it to run a more complex program such as this. Safe and practical neuroscience practices to manifest the life you desire are available to anyone interested in making positive life changes. When you know how to leverage your brainpower, you can take control of life rather than passively experiencing it.

Isn’t it amazing that the human brain is the only known living organism capable of analyzing itself, solving problems, making decisions and accomplishing nearly anything imaginable? The really good news is that you can build a better life regardless of your age and situation. Your 100 billion neurons are the building blocks for creating the neural pathways that attract what you get in life. The sensory information you take in from people you associate with, your work environment, music, TV and activities you engage in all contribute to creating your life experiences. Think about what you’re exposed to, what you think about and your life choices. What goes in is projected out onto the screen of life.

The following neuroscience principles and practices for manifesting are in alignment with The Secret and preceding works and schools of thought by authors Napoleon Hill, William Atkinson and Wallace Wattles.

1.      Your brain creates your reality and how you experience, react and respond to the world. If you don’t like what you are experiencing, change your thinking. If you like what you are getting, keep doing the same things. Just don’t expect new outcomes from old thinking.

2.      “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve.” Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich)

3.      Your ego often perceives danger from the outer environment. Overacting, judging and emotionalizing situations limits use of your higher brain and removes you from the “driver’s seat.” This approach doesn’t lead to a peaceful and stress free life. Visualize putting your emotions into a “neutral gear” and merely observing them rather than letting them take hold. Negative emotions are monumental impediments to manifesting your dreams because they strengthen the perceived experience and cloud your ability to think clearly and respond intelligently. This process works equally well when you associate positive emotions with desired positive outcomes.

4.      Stored memories are neural networks of past experiences, values and learning. This “software” acts as a giant copy machine continuing to attract and project experiences from programmed information. This means that we tend to be unconsciously guided by past experiences, rather than being in the present moment. This condition limits our ability to process information in the now because we are taking positions and making judgments based on past experiences. This severely restricts our power to create new outcomes and better experiences.

5.      While you can’t erase prior memory, you can use your brain’s “operating system” to create new neural pathways that become your navigation system for what you truly want to experience in life. The process is the same as how you built your past memories. The difference, this time, is that you are consciously building new pathways rather than being at the mercy of what other people have told you, false assumptions, bad choices, errors in thinking and faulty learning.

6.      Think about what you truly want to experience in life. Visualize and picture it in your mind’s-eye and capture it with pictures, images, art, symbols and words. Associate with people and situations that role model and support what you want. Attaching strong emotions to your goals and aspirations make the neural pathways stronger and more powerful.

7.      Be boldly audacious in visualizing, thinking about, and acting out what you want. “Fake it until you make it.” Your brain doesn’t know the difference between shooting for the barn steeple or the stars. It also doesn’t know the difference between inner or outer world experiences. Since outer experiences originate from the “inner world,” doesn’t it make sense to create your world from where true creation occurs?

8.      Building and strengthening neural pathways is a lifelong process. It’s never too late to begin. You are the captain of your life. Your brain is your navigation system. Your body is the ship.

In conclusion, experiencing life from your ego is a limiting experience because you are using your animal instincts and emotions rather than your full brain potential. When emotions set in, realize they are brain reactions to programmed thoughts. The feelings are not real; they just seem to be because you experience bodily sensations. Simple awareness of these facts tends to evaporate feelings, permitting you to move into the present moment with clear thinking.

Know, use and trust your brain to create and experience the life of your dreams. There is no secret, mystery or required special rite. Practical neuroscience is the key to manifesting what you want and avoiding what you don’t want. This gift is available to any and everyone interested in making positive life changes. The power of your brain is a powerful force that is 100% under your direct control. Joining like minds amplifies the power. Use it wisely and for good purposes.

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November 23, 2010

5 Reasons We’re Thankful For Our Miraculous Brains

For nearly two decades, Deanna Phelps (my life partner and co-creator of brain-based human development products) and I have been bringing neuroscience-based solutions to business world problems like employee engagement, productivity, communication effectiveness, sales success, risk management, team development and organizational learning. In 2010, we launched our 18-year-old dream to bring practical neuroscience into the lives of the general public. Practical neuroscience for better daily living touches virtually all aspects of life with special emphasis on relationships, performance excellence, careers, personal growth and the “stress-distress-disease connection.”

Working with brain-based human development technology is a humbling and rewarding experience. We compiled the following reasons why we’re thankful for our miraculous brains, thinking our reasons may help you leap-frog forward in creating a better life with less stress.

1. The human brain is totally unique. Our ability to join “minds” (brains) may be the most powerful force on earth. We are grateful for this potential and hold the thought that more people will combine their brainpower to make good and positive changes in their lives and the world in which we live. We are thankful that people can combine their knowledge, life experiences and brain strengths with one another. Our brains are exquisitely designed for full-spectrum relationships, thus amplifying the infinite potential of human experience.

2. The brain is the only known organism capable of analyzing itself and weighs about a whopping 3 pounds. Whether you’re Albert Einstein or Joe Schmo, your brain boasts roughly 100 billion neurons. It’s not how many neurons you have, but how you use them. You can change and reinvent yourself and the world you live in each and every day by what you choose to think about and engage with. We are all creators of our experiences by virtue of our miraculous brains. For this truth, we are particularly thankful.

3. The brain is naturally curious and has infinite capacity to learn and grow. The greater the challenge, the stronger our brains become. It’s like exercising muscles. We can keep our current abilities polished by using them; established neuronal networks stay strong and fire, like spark plugs, on demand. We can also step outside our comfort zones and build new abilities. Repetition and persistent focus expand our neuronal networks like building a giant root system in a redwood forest. The strength and the stability of the redwood forest is the interconnecting root system. This is a good analogy for joining minds.

4. We are all smarter than we think, despite society’s labels for intelligence. Howard Gardner, Harvard psychologist, has shown you have multiple intelligences and particular learning talents that are uniquely yours. He has identified nine intelligences or ways of expressing your intelligence. They are: Auditory (word smart), Visual (picture smart), Kinesthetic (body smart), Sequential-Mathematical (number and reasoning smart), Musical (music smart), Intrapersonal (self smart), Interpersonal (people smart), Naturalist (nature smart), and Spiritual (consciousness smart).  The question is not “How smart are you?” but “How are you smart? We think the list is much larger and complex than it seems and for this, too, we are thankful.

5. Dr. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, said, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” This 1937 landmark book contained all the basic principles of manifesting through brainpower well before The Secret and The Law of Attraction became popular. You can trust your brain to learn, solve problems, make decisions and perform with excellence. The power of joining like minds with trusted advisors for noble purposes creates greatness with a multiplying effect. This is like the majestic redwood forests mentioned earlier.

In conclusion, we hope these grateful thoughts spark your brain’s natural curiosity to learn more about itself and how it’s possible to live the life of your dreams.

Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

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August 25, 2010

College Survival Guide: Avoiding Academic Meltdown

College students

Image via Wikipedia

First in a series on College Student Survival…

I’m wondering if you will relate to this story of my experiences at the University of Florida. Maybe my painful lessons will help you avoid academic meltdown. It’s a miracle that I can share a happy ending.

In high school, I was interested in science, physics, geometry and how things worked. I’m a hands-on guy with an active imagination. Ergo, my high school counselor and parents said I should be an engineer. While my high school GPA was B+, my self-confidence and learning skills were shaky.

My primary focus as I began my academic journey was on exploring newly found freedom and getting away from my parents. Joining a fraternity and being on the freshman tennis team was a wonderful way of life except for the academic thing. Grades were sub-par. I had a difficult time in lecture classes and struggled with homework involving logic and accuracy. My saving grace was courses involving hands-on skills and big concepts without details and accuracy. Most of my fraternity brothers were making good grades and setting their sights on a career. I felt stupid and lost.

I voluntarily enlisted in the Navy two semesters from a possible, but not likely, graduation. Academic probation and failing grades in thermodynamics and advanced differential equations made the decision easy. It took three days in Memphis boot camp to figure out what went wrong and what I really wanted. You probably already know. I was highly successful making friends and taking on fraternity leadership roles because this was what I wanted. Yes, the law of attraction really works. It hit me like a freight train that what I really wanted was a career, great job, family and self-respect. Was it too late to reverse the trend?

I focused my thoughts on how to get back to the U of F and talk the Dean into giving me a second chance. Guess what happened? My officers shortened my active enlistment. The Dean of Engineering accepted me back. He listened when I told him about my preference for hands-on, visual and self-directed learning and customized my final courses. The bottom-line is that I made the Deans List two consecutive semesters and graduated with my degree in Electrical Engineering.

What do you really want your college experiences and outcomes to be? Make them real through visualization, “dream boards” and talking about them with others. You increase the probability of achieving your desired outcome when your emotions are positive and strong. It’s like putting yourself on GPS navigation. Be careful of what you think about and really want because you are likely to get it. As I said, the law of attraction really works.

The other lesson I learned is that teaching styles are often different than your learning style. I am still a kinesthetic and visual learner who prefers right brain, open ended thinking. This is why I had such a hard time in lectures and courses involving logic, detail and accuracy. Today I know how to adapt to any learning situation or topic. Neuroscience really works to help you live the life of your dreams. Deanna and I have made the secret available to you on www.brainpathways.net.

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