How to Identify your Direction

Today's blog is inspired by the free training set up by Steven Aitchison's "Mind Alchemy". It will be pretty likely most of my blogs over the coming month will have that very same motivation. 

Completing the day 2 exercise gave me real food for thought. 

Identifying key elements of what we want to achieve and how we word that in our mind really does display the elements that can hold us back. The instructions provided on Mind Alchemy, if followed authentically really do bring some clarity. By allowing too much focus on what we want to move away from, we do not allow the creative part of our mind to search for solutions. The training I received at the weekend in coaching people very much focuses on, 


"What can you do?"
"What else can you do?"

Asking these questions in more and more creative ways allow the mind to use the creative area of the brain. We can ask these questions of ourselves. 

When running groups at work, I often find that I have creative ideas during the group that are not pre-planned. It is a skill that I realise I have been gifted with and have finally accepted. I firmly believe that everyone has this ability if they choose to tap into it. I've said this before and highly recommend it. Try doing the Honey Mumford Learning Styles questionnaire.  Doing this, I found it helped me to discover more clearly, my identity and to value that. It will give you a great insight to your learning style and will identify that you do have a creative element.

Honey Mumford. Here's a quick and easy link to one. Click here


Facing a problem....
Here is a way of approaching it.

1. Ask yourself "What can I do?" Don't worry at this stage if nothing comes to mind.
2. Take some time out for relaxation and meditation. Follow a guided meditation resource such as the following. Click here
3. Now that you be a little calmer, ask yourself again "What can I do? What else can I do?"
4. Write down your answers.
5. Do a brain training exercise such as a word puzzle, crossword, Sudoku. You might like to listen to some suitable music when doing this. I highly recommend listening to Bach if you are doing a numbers puzzle.
6. Finally, again ask yourself "What else can I do?"

When returning to ask the questions in each case, try not to focus too much on the problem. Do focus on searching for solutions. 


An example for me today is having one or two issues around finances. Some creative ideas I've had around this are to link up with a friend and go busking for a day. That is just one idea that may be possible. There are plenty of others. 


On the subject of money. I think the reason I get frustrated about it is because I've always focused on not having enough instead of being grateful for what I do have. Once accepting that, I can free up energy to move forward to greater comfort.
  
Finally, in case you haven't already seen it, here is Steve Aitchison's interview recorded yesterday talking about Mind Alchemy.

Mind Connections

Have you ever experienced moments of random thought, only for a person you are with to raise the subject of your thought as is by co-incidence? Kinda spooky isn’t it!

This often happens with people that are close, such as life partners. I often witnessed this happen with my parents. My mother would think about a random subject such as shopping for something for our home followed by my father actually thinking the same thing and suggesting it. My mother would then say “Stop stealing my thoughts” and they would both laugh at the apparent absurdity. I have very often experienced the same with my wife on frequent occasions.

This poses the question whether our thoughts alone can manifest reality and whether the power of our thoughts alone can connect with and even influence another.  I've researched some of this and sensed some of the information available as being a little bit too spooky to say the least. That is not a path I want to go down on this blog. I'm more interested in the simplicity of the concept and how it appears somewhat connected to nature.

It does not seem quite so outlandish when you consider how birds can fly in a synchronised manner. See an example, click here. It is evidence to prove that nature allows this to happen. So surely this can work for us on some level as human beings. I suspect that in reality, we do it already.

Consider this:

A sports team performs better when thousands of supporters cheer them and will them to succeed. This is the so called home advantage scenario when the team has a greater proportion of their own fans at the game.

A musician raises his/her performance level when fans show their appreciation.

The power of collective prayer in faith communities can generate miracles.

The power of meditation when this is carried out collectively in a large group of people (much the same as prayer really).

Collective positive thought can produce amazing results. On the surface, this seems magical and somewhat spooky. I’d argue that positive thought “on your own” can work when those thoughts are focused. It does of course need to be followed up by action. It appears complicated, but I think it quite simple really if we choose to accept it as so. 

There's an interesting perspective and commentary on one persons experience of collective vs individual prayer on a blog, click here.  

I had an experience similar to this subject yesterday. Whilst continuing my research of various blogs and Life Coaching, I spotted a blog referring to missionary work with the Maasi in Africa. This subject reminded me of an old friend and work colleague whom I had not seen or heard from for about 3 years. (He has spent a lot of time working with the Turkana People in Kenya.)

Something really interesting happened. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my front door and the very person I thought about was standing there. On the spur of the moment, he came to visit me! We had a long chat over a couple of pints reminiscing about our past. It was a really nice time.

I wonder whether my thought of my friend created his spur of the moment decision to visit me or whether I thought about him as a result of his decision to visit.

I sensed this encounter happened for a reason. I’m excitedly waiting and seeking to discover what that reason is.

One last item I'd like to share today which is not strictly linked to today subject is a really moving article related to wisdom. I really enjoyed reading it. I hope you do too. 

The Wisdom of the Woods