Paradigm Shift Publishing

Archive for January, 2010

Developing abundance is something that only you, as an individual, and you alone can do. It is something that leads down the road to achieving not only physical benefits, but mental and spiritual satisfaction too. It’s all in the mind as they say. But in order for anyone to achieve this feeling and be able to develop abundance, they must first recognize their own honest needs, wants and ambitions, in order that they may pull opportunity, like minded people, and potentially beneficial circumstances, into their sphere of existence. Developing abundance takes hard work and determination, but the rewards are awesome.

How do people know when their lives lack abundance? The most common ‘give away’ is that they are deeply unhappy with some phase or other of their situation. It is often the case that people think of material possessions when they consider abundance. But the truth of the matter is that the people that have accumulated a great deal of personal wealth, but who still remain unhappy, do not experience an abundant life. It is often a sad fact of life that there are many wealthy individuals who despite their wealth have few friends, or do not even trust those that they have, and end up living under fulfilled existences.

In starting to develop abundance, then, needs to start with the way life is approached including beliefs, thinking patterns and emotional habits. If a person is willing to change the way they think (and speak) about things and to develop mature and positive emotional responses, they can turn their life around.

Everyone lives in an abundant universe but not everyone experiences that abundance equally. One of the most important steps in the process of developing abundance is to open up the channels for receiving it. Unresolved issues can block the flow of good into people’s lives. Unforgiveness, anxiety, guilt, shame, anger, and other negative attitudes and emotions can actually blind people to the good available to them and even repel positive experiences.

If we are to experience abundance, we must first confront and defeat our own demons. It is a sad fact that victims become victimized. It’s rather like a self fulfilling prophecy, whereby people expect to be badly done by. They open themselves up to wrong doing, and as a consequence, increase the chances of being wrongly done by. They always fear the worst, and very often, so, it happens. That is why one must be ready to forget the past, and past dealings, and be prepared to treat each new occurrence with a fresh and positive frame of mind, and in that way, true abundance can be achieved.

Developing abundance is in fact developing one’s self. We need to analyze the way that we think, the way that we react to events as they unfold. We need to spot the patterns that our past behavior has fallen into, and we need to be ready to change those patterns, to heal past hurts and open the door to abundance.

While changing how you think and feel will not come easily, you don’t have to do it alone. Modern therapies can help, from EFT or applied kinesiology (energy therapies) to cognitive behavior therapy; but you need to commit to doing what is required for as long as necessary to change your life. A large part of attracting abundance starts inside you.

However, developing abundance is not all about dealing with internal issues. Focussed action is also necessary. By setting goals and creating an action plan to achieve them, people can move from where they are now to where they want to be.

Developing abundance requires a combination of introspection (leading to personal change) and action. Often goal directed individuals are good at setting and achieving certain goals but they still don’t live an abundant life because they are not living in harmony with their beliefs and values. Alternatively, their beliefs and values may not engender harmony. True abundance requires a holistic approach to life.

When you learn to live abundantly, you can also help other people. You can share from your abundance and make their lives a better place. So creating an abundant life can be altruistic, too. It need not be all about you personally. But it will take some effort, work, and time to make the changes you need to make in your life to embrace abundance as it comes to you.

Custom made subliminal messages can have a positive impact on your life. By creating a unique script, you can control the circumstances affecting you. Music is incorporated in the script and you can choose many soundtracks to suit your circumstance. A person can have an album.

Messages can be cherry-picked from a wide range. The messages are powerful because they interact at the subconscious level. First, determine your needs and goals. Individuals are unique and we have unique challenges and problems. You can change your thoughts for the better. Poisonous beliefs that have been haunting you for many years can be removed. Erratic behaviours that cause you to be negative can be changed. You can be successful in every goal you undertake when you use subliminal messages.

Basically, subliminal messages are delivered step by step. First, you have what is called a ‘programming track’. As the name suggests, the track is a sound or music track that programs positive thoughts in your subconscious through meditation. A person needs to relax during this process. The programming soundtracks are delivered in four phases. The soundtracks contain both high and normal frequencies.

It’s impossible for the conscious mind to read raw subliminal messages. However, studies have shown that a person can detect subliminal messages via the eardrum, but they must be interpreted into a language that is understood by the brain. Thus, they can reach the subconscious directly.

Basically, subliminal messages are goals and desires that are re-interpreted as high frequency or normal frequencies sound.

The second track used in subliminal messages is known as the activator. The activator triggers the subconscious programming of subliminal messages.

The activator track contains messages in the form of goals and affirmations. The tracks contain a range of frequencies from high to normal. The music used in activator tracks is different from the programming track. While the music for the programming track is meditative, the music for the activator track is carefully mastered.

Neuro Linguistic Programming can be introduced in the two forms of messages. This programming helps the person to behave properly.

Using Wisdom in Life Coaching

The concept of wisdom is as old as human civilization. It implies that the greatest challenge that each of us faces is ourselves. Sophia is the Greek word for wisdom, and in mythology was personified as a goddess. Wisdom was also personified as a woman in the Judeo-Christian tradition in the book of Proverbs. Wisdom is a stream that flows through every culture. It reconciles our innermost thoughts and strivings with the social and physical realities in which we live. Wisdom is a concept of which every person has an intuitive grasp, but which almost everyone has difficulty explaining clearly and concisely.

Meanwhile, through the social sciences, we have identified behaviors that seem to consistently lead to success, both at work and in one’s personal life. We call these behaviors competencies. Competencies have now proliferated to such a bewildering extent that the simple yet profound concept of wisdom again seems reassuringly appealing. The SOPPHIA model organizes the plethora of competencies into 7 Dimensions of Wisdom, and provides a framework that facilitates coaching and self-development efforts. 

What the acronym SOPPHIA represents

Each letter in the acronym SOPPHIA stand for one of the 7 Dimensions of Wisdom. Here are the seven with a brief description of each:

•         Self: competencies related to self-awareness and self-management

•         Others: competencies for understanding others and managing relationships, including issues of ethics and justice

•         Purpose: competencies related to commitment to a vision of excellence and to producing results

•         Presence and management of time: the ability to be effectively present and to manage time

•         Health: competencies related to healthy practices, such as work/life balance

•         Innovation : the ability to use creativity to produce value and wealth    

•         Assurance beyond reason (faith): the ability to endure and persevere when it may seem reasonable to give up 

Wisdom begins with Self

The concept of emotional intelligence has been demonstrated to explain more of the success of leaders than mental intelligence. The most well established model is the one by Daniel Goleman, which includes both self-awareness and self-management. To grow in wisdom requires both awareness on one’s emotions and self-discipline.

Wisdom includes relating effectively with Others

The second part of Goleman’s emotional intelligence concept is how one relates to others. This also has two components: understanding other people’s feelings and motivations, and being able to effectively manage relationships. One can therefore say that emotional intelligence makes up two of the seven dimensions of wisdom.

Wisdom involves Purpose

Positive Psychology has demonstrated scientifically that happiness derives more from engagement in purposeful activity and being of service to others, than from pleasure in and of itself. Pleasure is the icing on the cake, rather than being the substance of happiness. Purpose involves the commitment and motivation to produce excellence, and in its highest form excellence for the benefit of others, or something larger than oneself. If wisdom begins with self-reflection, then it is purpose that move self-reflection beyond self-absorption to give a life authentic meaning and direction.

Wisdom requires being Present 

Our problem with time is not solved by what we usually call time management, but by the discipline of being present. When we are present, our minds and spirits are ordered according to our purpose. Therefore, even though a hundred things press upon us with urgency, we are at peace in that storm, and our priorities are clear.

Time management tools are helpful: schedules, checklists, reminders and priority rankings. But using these mechanical aids is the easy part. The challenge is to be present and to be ordered in mind, spirit and purpose. When we are present, we realize that there is nothing that we have to accomplish except to get out of our own way. When we let go of the debris of emotional pushes and pulls (regret, longing, anxiety, desperation), our actions emerge from the positive energy of the life force that is in us.

The primary tool for becoming present that we have developed over the course of human history is meditation or contemplation. There are forms of it in every culture, but the common features that have been revealed by research are to focus on breathing, to repeat word(s) or other sound(s) that are simple and repetitive, and to ignore and let go of thoughts and emotions that arise. It may involve sitting still silently, chanting, using prayer beads, or dancing among other forms. This activity induces a physiological relaxation response that affects both our bodies and our brain waves. This response is identical regardless of the content (religious or otherwise) of the sound or phrase on which we are concentrating. The content should be consistent with the values and beliefs of the individual.

Wisdom supports Health and balance

Human beings are not so different from plants in terms of needing a balance of inputs to support optimum development. Our inputs however, are both material and non-material. Health begins with awareness of both our material and non-material needs and developing a lifestyle built around healthy behaviors. 

Wisdom makes Innovation out of creativity 

Innovation begins with creativity and continues with stewardship, the optimal management of resources. Creativity becomes innovation when it is connected with people’s needs, and with the institutional machinery to produce goods or services that meet those needs; and also to generate value and wealth. Stewardship requires innovation to maintain and increase wealth or resources. Without innovation, resources are depleted. Good stewardship requires making generally profitable decisions about investment of resources into potential innovations. Every organization and person does this; for better or worse.

 Wisdom provides Assurance beyond reason 

Assurance or faith is the ability to remain resilient and to endure in the face of challenges; when it might seem reasonable to give up. This involves being able to enter into a meditative or prayerful state and to induce the relaxation response under situations of great stress. This has been shown scientifically to increase a person’s chances of avoiding certain illnesses or of recovering more successfully from them, for example.

Life Coaching and Self-development Using SOPPHIA

Coaching can be done within an organization, as a program for improvement of leadership and other competencies; using individual or group coaching formats, and either face-to-face or virtually (telephone or web meeting). Coaching can also be done as an individual’s initiative for self-improvement. Regardless of these variations, the first step is assessment. If you don’t know where you are and your destination, you are unlikely to get there.

Within an organization, assessments can be done using whatever tools have been selected for performance management and development: such as a 360 degree assessment. An individual acting on his/her own initiative can use good-quality free online assessments such are from www. authentichappiness.org. In either case, it is important to build on strengths rather than focusing on fixing weaknesses. Ask “What am I good at and what do I love to do?” Organizations should also be interested in how their employees answer this question, because that is the key to getting them engaged and motivated. And since employee engagement is directly related to customer satisfaction and profits, this fits with business strategy.

Out of the assessment should come clarification of one’s purpose (and organizational goals) and the beginnings of a plan for leveraging one’s strengths to create sustainable and successful performance; and a successful life at work as well as in the personal sphere. This initial sense of direction is what moves the coaching process forward.

Whether in group or individual format, it is essential that ground rules for the sessions be agreed upon, as well as expectations for practice activities between sessions; and the expected number of sessions, and their frequency. Behavioral change only occurs and becomes habitual with practice. It is also important to have the participant(s) describe at the end of each session, what worked well and what can be improved. This installs a continuous improvement mechanism into the coaching process.

Within the coaching sessions, the coach using uses SOPPHIA (The 7 Dimensions of wisdom) to help the participant to map the competencies and skills needed for personal and business success; aligning those with both personal and work priorities. In coaching sessions, the coach models effective ways of encouraging reflection and providing feedback. In a group coaching format, participants benefit additionally by the practice they get in coaching their peers.

After the agreed upon coaching sessions are completed, there should be an assessment of their impact. Within a business context, one can examine post-coaching customer satisfaction and employee engagement scores compare to pre-coaching baselines. For individually initiated coaching, the participant can again take the online assessments and compare where she/he is now compared to at the beginning. This can be done in the last session, and the participant(s) can leave with closure, and some ideas on the next steps they could take on their own to sustain behavioral change.

Fulfillment is a life-long pursuit for the individual, as is excellent performance for the organization. Both involve continuing new levels of growth and development and overcoming challenges. Competency-based coaching using SOPPHIA (The 7 Dimensions of Wisdom) provides a structure, tool, and a personal guide to help an individual or an organization on the path toward success.

Dr. Bernard Brookes is a Principal Coach with SOPPHIA Life Coaching (www.sopphia.com). He was formerly a Professor and Leadership Coach in the Graduate School of Management & Technology at University of Maryland, University College.

An area that most people overlook, the subconscious mind is full of benefits for you as a person. It may involve finding a new job, getting a new home, making more money or just being happy, but on many occasions individuals don’t believe it’s possible. What we have to remember is that our actions start from the mind, even though on some occasions they come from the subconscious area.

For example, if you wish to change the channel on the TV, you think about it and then you do so. But, have you ever noticed you picked up the remote and quickly changed a channel without ever once thinking about why you did what you did? If so, have you ever stopped to think about your actions? More than likely, you did not because the action was a subconscious one. Without knowing it you were using subconscious mind power!

Let’s consider how you might get to the place where you are changing the television subconsciously. Consider the fact that a commercial that you don’t like came on, and you were irritated enough that your subconscious brain decided to take over. It’s true that the power of your subconscious mind has a real effect on the way that we act and what we do. Consider the kind of training that you have given yourself!

Through the proper harnessing of the power of the subconscious mind, an individual can truly live out his or her true potential.

There are positive things that lurk in our subconscious, and in that, you are going to find that your subconscious is a great tool that you can use to support yourself. Some people think that this is too difficult for them, but the truth of the matter is that you are looking at something that just about anyone could do. When you want to guide your subconscious, you are looking at something that can be accomplished through a series of simple processes. Consider how you can take a brief look at some of the ways that are you going to be able to get good results.

When you want to tap into the strength of your subconscious, you’ll find that you are going to need to work on the power of affirmation. When you look at affirmation, you are reminding yourself that there are positive things to think about and that you are capable.

Do you have a task facing you that you are not interested in doing or that actually makes you nervous and afraid? You might feel a deeply tired and exhausted feeling coming over you when you think about it; it can really sap out your energy and leave you feeling drained! What you can also do instead, however is that you can take on a mental response to a seemingly boorish task. You will use the power of your mind to overcome this attitude and to find a better way to think about it.

When you want to make sure that you are going to be getting the right kind of work done, consider reminding yourself of the great rewards that you are going to get. On the other hand, you may also simply reaffirm to yourself that you are the best person for the task and that you are simply just plain awesome!

Affirmations also help you to change a habit such as stopping smoking or stopping yourself from overeating or drinking. Scientific studies have shown that the constant repetition of affirmations, either spoken or written down, taps into the power of your subconscious mind and changes your behaviour.

There are other means one can use to harness the power of the subconscious mind. Post hypnotic suggestion is a common method that is often used. This process can be done by using a qualified hypnotherapist but self hypnosis is also an option by listening to pre-recorded hypnosis audios.

Since hypnotherapy is something that only few people do, you may want to try brainwave synchronization therapy or binaural beats to train your subconscious mind. These allow you to tap into a different arena that involves headphones and listening to different frequencies. Something similar to these is the CDs some people purchase to help them sleep. They usually involve ocean waves, crickets chirping, or something along those lines.

Did you know that some things are telling us that we can take this further? Buddhist monks, for example, have such heightened control over their subconscious that they can perform feats that look practically supernatural.

By using the power of our subconscious mind, we can actually manipulate matter on a subatomic level and all of the events around us. This has been explained in films and books such as ‘The Secret’ which explains the law of attraction. This shows that it is not only theoretically possible, but is in fact a physical law which allows you to manifest whatever you want out of life just by successfully communicating with your subconscious mind.

Though it sounds hard to believe, you’ll find that quantum physics is doing a lot to prove what ancient religions are talking about. All of this supernatural or psychic power can be explained using some very logical, scientific means.

In the end our subconscious mind is far more advanced then we ever thought possible. If you are looking for a positive change in your life, then you shouldn’t overlook the manipulation process of your subconscious mind. It will leave you with a better way of live and new opportunities to choose from in the near future.

We are all familiar and so very aware of the needs of our physical health. Somehow we have managed to overlook what it takes to maintain or achieve emotional health.

Good emotional health makes one feel as if they are at one with their emotions and behaviour. Recognizing the signs of emotional well-being is an important step in knowing whether you are on the right emotional path or if you require a guiding hand.

Signs of Good Emotional Health

* A sense of purpose
* A desire to live life to the fullest
* An ability to have and maintain relationships with friends and family.
* A sense of general contentment
* Good self-confidence
* An  ability to balance work, family and recreation
* The skills to handle life’s ups and downs

At some period in people’s lives challenges arise that can create emotional turmoil. Emotional stress is part of living – we all have it. There are times however, when the balance and our ability to handle transitions throw us off course.  A sense of being overwhelmed, tired, lost and disinterested seems to take over.

Reaching out for the assistance of a trained counsellor is important at these times. Because they are trained to help people tackle these issues, profesional psychological counsellors can be of enormous assistance.

Interview and meet with a counsellor to get a feel for “the right fit”. Enquire about what methods they employ to help clients overcome struggles. There are many different psychological methods of treatment such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, that help you to be in tuned with your thoughts and feelings giving you control of how  you handle them. This can be a very empowering tool.

Remember that good emotional health does not mean the absence of hard times it is more about the resilience and skills which enable you to handle them. Build upon your strength by caring for yourself as a whole person, one who has both physical and emotional needs. Physical and emotional, the other two parts, and interdependent, so what works for one is good for the other as well.

Maintaining Emotional Health

Eating healthily and exercising helps promote both physical and mental health.
Make time to spend with people who you enjoy and enrich your life.

Take some down time and relax

Do not be afraid to ask or seek out help if you need it. Allow yourself to experience and feel emotions. Burying them will never work in the long run.

Emotional Health is something to be understood and nurtured; with good emotional health, life will hold endless possibilities and paths. Just as you would seek a professional if your physical health was not up to par, do the same for your emotional health. The right counsellor will get you back on track and give you an objective listener to speak with and that is something we could all use in our lives.

The power of your subconscious mind is vast and capable of a lot more than you think it is. Every action you take originates in your mind whether you’re conscious of it or not. It is a major force in creative endeavors and in life shaping events.

Many of us move through our day on auto-pilot. We complete tasks by rote without even thinking about why we’re doing those things. Those actions are sub-conscious actions. A basic example of subconscious mind power at work is wondering what’s on TV. You think about it and then reach for the remote. This is a conscious action. But have you ever just switched channels without even thinking about it? This is a sub-conscious reaction.

Your sub-conscious mind acts and reacts according to the stimulus it receives, whether you recognize it or not. This can mean that negative or upsetting images on the TV can have an effect on your sub-conscious thoughts in the same way as those negative comments you tell yourself when you feel doubt have the same effect. This is the power of your subconscious mind.
It is only through utilization of their full potential that people learn to let go of the material wants and needs of the world and focus on their true potential as human beings. Don’t be afraid of the subconscious mind; it’s a reservoir of untapped potential. Thinking it only contains negative outcomes is an example of negativity breeding negativity.

There are positive things that lurk in our subconscious as well, and in that, you are going to find that your subconscious is a great tool that you can use to support yourself. Some people think that this is too difficult for them, but the truth of the matter is that you are looking at something that just about anyone could do. When you want to guide your subconscious, you are looking at something that can be accomplished through a series of simple processes. Consider how you can take a brief look at some of the ways that are you going to be able to get good results.

The easiest way to get your subconscious working to bring about positive changes in your life is using affirmations. Affirmations are a direct reminder of positive aspects of life, repeated to help you achieve a desired result.

Sometimes, you need to be a bit more proactive; when faced with a task you’re putting off, affirm to yourself the positive benefits of completing the task. Remind yourself that you can do it, and think about all the things you can do when it’s done. People who mark their calendars counting down to a holiday are one example of this.

As with anything else in life, the key is to focus on the benefits. While it may seem selfish in some ways, you should use this to focus on what’s good for you. Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you’re a work in progress and note the improvements you’ve made, and focus on the improvements and goals you want to achieve. This will cause your task to resolve itself with the minimum interruptions and distractions.

Affirmations are also used to change bad habits such as overeating or smoking. These affirmations tap directly into your subconscious mind and reprogram that auto-pilot response to more positive behaviors.

There are lots of other ways that you can use the subconscious mind as well. Using a post hypnotic suggestion is one great tool to use. You can work with a certified hypnotherapist or you might want to take a look at doing sessions of self hypnosis that are available on pre-recorded hypnosis audio files as well.

Biowave synchronization is another new technique coming out. Based off of studies of Tibetan monks, it uses drum beats at slightly different frequencies to synchronize the halves of the brain, and requires noise cancelling headphones to get the best benefit out of. Like Tibetan meditation drums in a properly structured room, it puts the subjects into a deep meditative state and lets the conscious self communicate with the subconscious mind. Buddhist monks take the concept of psychic convergence between the subconscious and conscious mind to new heights. They’ve been known to levitate, turn invisible and withstand extremes of temperature that mere men cannot.

Did you know that some things are telling us that we can take this further? Buddhist monks, for example, have such heightened control over their subconscious that they can perform feats that look practically supernatural.

Some are taking advances in quantum physics and correlating them to the teachings of ancient religions, and finding that they match up very well. We live in a world that gets stranger the more we look into it, and not all sources of wisdom wear robes or lab coats. .

Quantum physicists are just recently learning that many ancient civilizations already understood their own ability to influence their concept of reality by learning to control their own subconscious power.

The power within your subconscious mind is much bigger than the majority of people understand. Learning to tap into and harness this power positively can seriously open your eyes to the amazing new life that awaits you.

The power of the mind has paved the way to success for so many people. Throughout the history, people have achieved happiness and lucrative businesses and careers with their strong motivation and solid personal conviction, which are incidental elements of the power of the mind.

Have you ever considered looking into developing your own mind power? If you haven’t, then you really should because it can take you a very long way in relation to achieving your goals and conquering your dreams. Understand that the power of the mind is truly astonishing!

The good thing about developing the power of mind is that you don’t have to sit around and wait on what you want to happen because it will come to you. Just by imagining that your life is everything you already dream you want it to be, all things that you desire can be yours. No, this is not magic, but merely the awesome power of positive thinking. Basically, what you think and imagine is what will come to pass in your life.

Perhaps all your thoughts is crowded with how you wanted you life to be, the career that you wanted to pursue and the happiness you need to make your life complete. However, all good things in life revolve around positive things that require positive energies. To achieve positive energies, you need to practice visualization techniques and positive affirmations.

Meditation is the key to honing your mind power. Meditate at least 30 minutes a day in which you can go back to your visualizations and positive affirmations. Take time to practice these techniques to come close to the life you have dreamed of.

Maintaining a journal is helpful to someone who is working out his mind power. This allows him to keep track of his goals as well as his progress so far. This should work great to people who wanted to lose weight. Believe that you can be thin and that you are thin, this will make that reality not so hard to achieve.

Meditation opens the doors for the subconscious to understand the power of the mind. With the help of self-hypnosis techniques, you can meditate and explore more of your mind power.

Positive affirmations have been a classic solution to lack of motivation. Lack of motivation means lack of commitment to make your ideal life and ideal self impossible to happen. If you wanted to see positive changes in your life, you have to commit to such changes and be motivated to keep those positive changes happen in your life.

If you are having a difficult time with it, meditate on it. Use positive affirmations such as ‘I am a very motivated person and I can do anything’, ‘I am focused and full of energy’, and ‘I am very ambitious and will be able to obtain everything that I desire’. Say these things aloud, to yourself, and say them when you are meditating.

Do these affirmations over and over until you believe in yourself that you are motivated, focused and well able to make your ambitious goals in life happen.

The power of the mind is very strong no matter what situation you are in. Think about your life the way it is now. Why are you having such bad luck? It’s most likely because of your negative thinking and views on life.

You see, positive attracts positive and negative attracts negative. The power of the mind can be both negative and positive. Only you know what you want. It’s all about how you see yourself and your life. The power to change is up to you. All you have to do is put your mind to good use and make your dreams come to life.