The Most Trivial Part of Thinking is Thinking

I have been a business consultant and life coach for many years. It is through my experiences in helping countless people increase their professional and personal effectiveness that I have come to realize the key to real success comes down to not what we are doing but how we are doing it.

Most often, what hinders success and holds people back is not related to any specific action that they may or may not be doing, but rather to the general methods they use and the way they are doing things. I decided to write this blog to highlight the emphasis most people place on cognitive thinking while overlooking or giving little heed to other less known modes of thought.

Cognitive thought is our logical thinking mind. For most of us this is the basis of our conscious reality and defines our success as a species. For this reason it should not be underestimated. But if you consider cognitive thinking in evolutionary terms, it is a relative newcomer to our minds.

Because the other processes of the mind and modes of thinking are so much part of us,we tend to take them for granted and underestimate their impact on our daily lives.

The mental process becomes far more effective when mental patterns are blended together to support each other. Thinking does not operate in a vacuum, and for most of us there really is no way to focus on just one thing. Even now, as you read this blog, how many other thoughts and ideas are running through your head?

The more synergy you can develop in your thinking, the more effective it becomes. The more effective your thinking, the better chance you have to use it to make desired changes in your life. In order to develop control in this area you need to develop a basic understanding of the science of how the mind works. The study of the mind on both an empirical and experiential level has defined the character of my life.

Please share your thoughts and experience with me.

The Quality of Thinking?

What is it that really governs the decision you make? What is it that determines what direction your life takes? Most of us believe it is largely determined by our conscious mind.

In overcoming dyslexia and studying the mind for most of my life I have discovered the mental patterns that govern our thinking and our direction in life reside at a more fundamental level.

Success in life comes about from consistently doing the right things. Doing the right things comes from having the right ideas. The right ideas spring out of the Quality of Your Thinking. By quality I do not just mean how well you think but rather the nature of that thinking. This includes elements like the clarity of your thinking; your level of personal balance; your level of motivation; your ability to consistently make things happen;

Most of our lives are spent interacting with current the situations in our environment. Although this gets us by, quite often our development as people changes little. What I have discovered in helping people make changes in their life is that the same issues reoccur through different variations. Appreciable and lasting change only comes about when they begin to change their basic tendencies or the way that they think.


Think about it for a few minutes what are the elements that really determined your direction in life?

What is Centering?

Centering in it's simplest form, is being closer to your sense of self. Centering is what the word suggests; a way of finding yourself within the confusion of your surroundings. Here is another way to contemplate it:

Centering is finding your point of reference on the map of life. By separating yourself from the influences in your environment, you get in touch with your true essence. This may sound a little esoteric right now, but in time and with practice , it's implications and applications can become very pragmatic.

Now here is an interactive question: What is most real? The past, present or future? Give your comments and we will discuss them on the next posting.

Dealing with Second Hand Stress

Stress contributors come largely from the environment around you. You know – the guy fidgeting around your workspace every now and then, waiting for the changes to his system…Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just make that guy go away? Well, I can’t do much to help you get rid of him… but I can give you some skills that will help you put him out of your mind.



There is a Buddhist proverb that says: The best way to manage the mind is to let thoughts flow through you like water.

This is easier said than done, particularly after experiencing abrasive dialogue.
In this respect, the same element that makes us so successful as a species works against us. We remember things

For most of us, thoughts do not rush away with the passing moment. We can, however, develop tools to send away those thoughts and feelings that may not be too useful to us.

“But I already tried putting it out of my mind,” you say. “It just keeps coming back.”

Yes, it is not easy to will away stress. No matter how many times you listen to that DVD and repeat the affirmations of being calm, it does not seem to stick.

The other voice in your head keeps on saying, “That is just a DVD – the cause of my worry is real.”

The solution:
Use the abilities of your mind, in the correct way. Cognitive thinking is very effective, but it is pretty far removed from the lower levels of thinking that influence our physiology. The stress response is largely governed by lower levels of thinking. For many of us, these lower level modes of thought are autonomous and intangible.

There are, however, many ways of influencing and controlling these lower level modes of thought. The exciting thing is, you don’t have to be a Mind Master or Guru to do it.

In our first article, we taught you a breathing skill that will quickly change your mental state to one of calm. Breathing is a very powerful skill for letting go of thought patterns that are not helpful. With continued practice, this skill becomes so effective that it will quickly dispel even the most tenacious worry.

So how will this help me to deal with the guy fidgeting around my workspace, or the woman with the incessant mildly cynical comments? You may not be able to get rid of the people… but you most certainly can let go of what they have just dumped on you.


The next time someone unloads on you, or the accumulated tension of the situation wears you down, try combining the breathing skill with a new technique:



Skill:
As soon as the exchange is over (or you can’t seem to let go of an issue), go to the restroom. This technique will be most effective if it is done immediately after the exchange, because the influences will have less time to sink into you.

Run some water in the sink and wash your hands.

As you wash your hands, do the “SMF Centered Breathing Skill.” (Go here if you missed the first article.)

As you wash your hands, visualize the stressful exchange being washed away with the water, like dirt.

Pay particular attention to the emotion and tension the exchange has brought up; let go of these feelings as the water runs.

Wash you face as well, if you like. Turn off the water. As you dry your hands, visualize being filled with calm feelings

Science:
Are you just psyching yourself up?

Perhaps… Controlling your emotional states is, to a large degree, reinforcing the correct thoughts. In the end, the technique will work if you take it seriously and apply yourself to the process. I recommend that you spend some time later in the day, assessing the stressful exchange.


Evaluate whether you should confront the person about their delivery at some later point in time. If something bothers you enough to cause stress, it is usually worth putting some finality to the incident.


Stress is caused by influences of the environment. However, stress persists and is reinforced by the actions of the mind and body. Most of the mental processes that allow stress to linger and be reinforced are the lower level physiological processes, such as the rhythm of your breathing.


What is the best remedy towards reducing stressful thoughts?


Taking quick and direct action to counteract them… Continued practice in doing this not only alleviates the stress, but develops your ability to gain control over future incidents. The more you apply mental control, the more mental control is enhanced.


If you are interested in discovering more about what I call the Selfmastery™ System or Putting Power Into Your Actions™ follow this link .

For more information on increasing concentration and and stress relief visit www.Selfmastery.com. To enhance organizational excellence in your business visit www.StrongOrganizations.com. Balance.point Strategic Services/Self Mastery Foundation Inc. provides organizational excellence consulting services, including health and wellness programs.