Personal and Leadership Development

No: 519 - May 12, 2017

	A Quick Tip
	PEACE AND CALM
	Give yourself a couple of moments of of peace and calm. While you're reading this, take a deep breath. Feel it in your nostrils, feel it in your lungs. Feel it in your chest and stomach. Pause. Listen to the sounds around you, one at a time. Pause. Enjoy the moment.

Growing up in Dublin in the 1960s, it was every child's nightmare to end up sitting on the bench seat at the front of the bus - you had your back to the engine, which made you feel sick and you were facing backwards, looking at every other passenger - or, you thought, they were all looking at you... that's why we called it the Television Seat! Well, a couple of weeks ago, having a quiet breakfast in a classy hotel, this poor guy came in for breakfast, beautifully dressed in a business suit, and was put sitting in the window for everyone else to admire... he was in the Television Seat! And, as a normal crazy person, he did not disappoint. Apparently oblivious to the fact that everyone else was facing in his direction, he proceeded to pick his choice of beverage, pick his cooked breakfast and pick his nose! If you've ever listened to my breathing meditations, you'll know that I talk about feeling the inside of the left nostril and the right nostril... brings a whole new meaning to it, doesn't it!

Now, I know straight away that, as I announce my new App, some of you will say "It's about bloody time" - and so it is (it is, to be fair, the last piece of a jigsaw that's taken over four years to put together).

Be that as it may, I am - today - announcing the launch of MYpsyberCoach... "My what?"... well, a visit to the App's website might just explain a little more - you can visit MYpsyberCoach.com here... And, as you might imagine, the App is not all about meditation - even though meditation is a key feature. There's more to mindfulness than the training... a lot more, it's called living!

USING YOUR BOX OF TRICKS

Evolutionary psychology tells us that we evolved as the pre-eminent species on the planet because of our ability to imagine situations and events other than the moment in which we find ourselves. This allowed us to plan and collaborate, to visualize outcomes that could never be apparent to an animal that only experiences the here and now. Our ability to "What If" has got us to where we are and... stopped us in our tracks.

Imagining the future requires focus in the present because it is in the present - and only in the present - that we can do what we need to do to bring our imaginings to fruition. Sadly, whilst we're very good at imagining, we're very bad at being present and it is something that we need to bring back centre stage in our lives. That is why meditation is so important. Meditation develops mindfulness and mindfulness delivers results... a direct quote from cognitive research!

The other problem with our heigthened ability to imagine is that we're very good at imagining the worst! In the modern age, our imaginings are largely invested in what we don't want to happen - you and I call it worry. And, converse to the above quote about mindfulness... worry develops stress and stress delivers illness and premature death. What made us great is killing us.

The other point about worry is, as quantum physics tells us, that it enhances the possibility that what we don't want to happen will! Universal energy responds to your input. Normally, we don't notice this because, as normal people, we input very little! But what if you "invest" lots of energy in worrying about something? How will energy in general respond? You don't have to be a physicist to figure that one out!

Our brains and minds present us with an incredible box of tricks to enable us shape our reality and experience effortless happiness and success. However, like any box of tools, you need to know how and when to use each tool - otherwise, you'll end up either hammering your thumb or cutting off a few fingers!

	DO YOU WANT TO FOCUS? DO YOU WANT TO BANISH STRESS?
	In one intensive but relaxed day, you will learn what is wrong with our normal neural "wiring" and how, as a result, our mind normally works against us. You will learn how to:
	Purposefully focus - it doesn't come naturally, we're actually "wired" to not focus Set goals in a way that energizes your subconscious into focused effortless action Make your very best decisions and solve problems with ease - your brain can do this effortlessly Banish stress - we're ordinarily "wired" to be stressed
	The Psychology of Success will take place in Dublin on Wednesday, May 10th. You can find all the details here... and read participants' testimonials here