Short Sharp Shock #2

When it comes to personal development I’ve always believed that there’s one thing that will have way much more of an impact on how your life turns out than the things you do.

The things you don’t do.

 

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Oh – sorry for the recent silence. Things are developing in some exciting ways and I’ve been somewhat distracted.  All will be revealed…

Quick Question No. 4

Remember – these Quick Questions are never rhetorical!

How much money do you want to be earning by December 31st 2010?

 

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Another Meditation. And Why Not?

To wrap up this week, we’re going to combine the two meditations from earlier to form a solid foundation not only for many of the exercises we have coming up, but also for your own future wellbeing. Reduced stress levels, better sleep, better equipped to deal with tough situations… the benefits of being able to relax, focus, or meditate are very many.

One last thing, I’ve banged the instructions out for these meditations pretty quickly – that doesn’t mean you should zip through the meditations as fast. I got these posts out in order to well equip you for what’s to come. It’s imperative that you take your time and really explore the meditations. Get into the routine of practicing them, set aside time to do so. Think of it as some time off from your everyday life. I dare say you’ve earned it! Feel free to enjoy the exercises, look forward to doing them, and start looking forward to the many cool things you’re going to be able to do once you’ve mastered these techniques. So, here we go…

This exercise is basically practicing the Progressive Relaxation Meditation along with the Eagle Meditation. Instead of observing the outside world, however, you need to observe your inner world – the thoughts that come and go, the feelings… Once you’ve relaxed using the tense/release method from the Progressive Relaxation technique, quiet the mind. Any thoughts that arise, just allow them to come – observe them without judgement – and let them fade without judgement. As with the Eagle Meditation where you “soar over the landscape” and witness the goings on, just “witness” the thoughts that come and go. There are no “bad” thoughts, or “good” thoughts.

As soon as the thought has passed, return to a quiet state of mind. Don’t resist the thoughts as they arrive – what you resist, persists, right?

As you get better at this meditation you’ll find your mind stays quiet for longer, thoughts don’t arise as often and don’t linger as long.

Once again, take your time with these meditations. You shouldn’t get to this technique until you’re ready to actually get something out of it. This is a significant step in gaining control of your mind, your urges and emotions – and from there being able to make empowered decisions about your responses to the world around you.

Cut corners, and you won’t get the results you want. Oh, and you’re missing out on some great fun!

See you next week…

 

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Quick Question #3

Here’s a question that’s not asked enough:

Think about the things you want to achieve, the goals you want to score, the dreams you want to make real. They could be big or small, trivial or major. Even if you haven’t been following the advice given in previous issues of Full Contact Living, or having a go at the exercises (And why not?!).

Think of all those things you want in life. For a moment, put aside questions of logistics, possibilities and the like. Focus on your motivations, on the kind of person you are as an individual, and ask yourself:

Why the hell shouldn’t you have them?

Sometimes the smallest questions instigate the biggest shifts. Whatever you want, you deserve it. I don’t know you, but I know this one fact: You deserve to be happy. You deserve the things you want, just because you want them and because you’ll make the world a better place once you’ve achieved them.

After all, you can’t save a drowning man until you’re in the lifeboat yourself.

Just to be clear, the question isn’t a rhetorical one. You need to answer it.

 

See you tomorrow. It’s going to be a big one!

 

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Goals You Can Believe In

Setting goals is one of the most important things you can do in your life, but you need to do it right. Your goals are more than just a list, but that said, a list is a good place to start – again if you do it right.

A little while ago, I briefly talked about certain guru advising to list as many goals as you can – 101 in one method – no matter how long it takes, and how you can easily end up with a list thats all filler with very little thriller. My premise is pretty simple: If it takes me 15 minutes and a lot of chin rubbing, pacing and head scratching to conjure up a goal… Do I really want it? I mean really?

If your goals aren’t compelling, if they don’t make you excited and cause you to lose sleep, and you can’t barely write fast enough to get your goal from brain to pen to paper… Is it really a worthwhile goal? Will you maintain your motivation and interest in it when the times get tough?

So here’s my method. Very simple, very fun, and gets even better with a little practice. Oh, and at the end of it you’ll know you’ve got a list of real goals that you really want and need.

Imagine that one day you find a genie – how is up to you – and as the smoke clears the genie’s sonorous voice fills the room: “I am your genie and your wish is my command. Any wish you choose to make will be granted. Nothing you wish for will be refused. Anything your heart desires, from the mundane to the fantastic, from the essential to the fanciful, is yours for the asking. You may wish for anything, you may make as many wishes as you can.”

As your mind races with the possibilities, the genie raises a blue finger “But know this!” He continues “I am a very busy genie. I have no time for procrastination or dilly-dallying. You can wish for anything, you can make as many wishes as you can, but you have but 30 seconds to make your wishes from the click of my fingers. Once this time is expired, I will grant your wishes and disappear. Think well, but think quickly. Be sure to ask for only that which you desire most of all, for you will never see me again.”

3… 2… 1… Click.

Imagine that happening. What would you ask for? I imagine you’d start with the obvious things first, like a cup of tea (Milk and two). But as the results came in and the genie proved his power – proved that you can indeed have your hearts desire – your wishes would get more and more ambitious as you made all your lifelong dreams come true. I bet that by the end of the 30 seconds you’d still be shouting things out as quick as you could, and you’d still have a few things to wish for as the genie disappeared with a wiggle of the nose and a puff of blue smoke.

I’m sure you can imagine the excitement as you race to wish for everything that would make a huge improvement in your life, and in the lives of those around you. From 2 inches off your waist to £2 million in your bank, from a university degree to a scholarship in your name for under privileged teens… If you had one chance – and a small one at that – you know that every wish would be straight from your heart. No filler.

So grab a pen and paper, or just shout it out if you’d prefer, and imagine this is your one chance. This is great fun, but also very important. So no crossing out, no changing your mind – you say it, you got it. And you have just 30 seconds to do it.

3… 2… 1… Click.

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