Negative Bias
Over the years I have worked hard on my own internal struggles, at times wondering if I am going to make it through. For whatever reason, I was also gifted at the same time a curious mind that reminded me "not to believe everything I think or feel".
Being able to witness and question one's own temporary insanity is a very interesting journey to say the least, but perhaps there was a reason for it. I believe considering my work and efforts over the past 10 years or so leaning towards neuroscience and mental health that perhaps I was being groomed for the job, after all, if you have never walked in another person's shoes all you can do is empathize and speculate, but you will never understand the struggle fully.
There are a few major realizations that occurred as I dug into the world of negativity bias and emotional evolution and there were some very profound details that came to life for me. The biggest one was how our minds made sense of the world around us, how we determined what wa...
Artificial Intelligence
Okay, I am not talking about robots or flying cars or any futuristic type of machinery, but what I am talking about is the new world we live in. A while ago I wrote an article titled “Asleep at the Potters Wheel”, in an attempt to create an awareness of the new world we find ourselves in and how much more self-aware we must become to thrive and, yes, even survive. I think the meaning was hidden by my attempt in creative wordplay, so let me be a bit more direct.
For thousands of years, we have lived in an environment that required physical effort to get through the day, from walking everywhere as a necessary form of locomotion, to working with our hands to grow our food, build our shelters and just about everything in our day required our physical effort. This external stressor, we used to call living, helped shaped our body due to the efforts required to live day-to-day. We were physically stronger, our bones and muscles denser, organs functioned better, and many of the lifestyl
...The Emotional Iceberg
Falling Short of the Mark
It's our thoughts that count
One of the things that I became fascinated by is the world of "epigenetics (which means "above genetics") mainly as it suggests that we are not victims of our heritage if that being sickly, overweight for example. We do have the ability to "turn on and turn off" genes in our body through lifestyle modifications which can help us stave off many health risks that have been a part of our family's history.
I have recently enrolled in several new courses, one on medical neuroscience and the most recent one on Ho'oponopono, which is a traditional Hawaiian healing method. The main premise of the healing method is that almost all of our problems that we encounter are because of how we "hold the memory" of things in our minds.
For example...
My unspoken judgment of somebody with weight issues helps keep them trapped in that issue
My unspoken judgment of somebody with an addiction issue helps keep them trapped in that addiction.
My upspoken judgment of somebody's homeless condition helps
...Do we really want the truth??
I got up early this morning at 5:00 am to start my day with a series of rituals like meditation, reading, and prayer. This ritual, in theory, is supposed to help me start my day and align my intentions with that of the divine, or so goes the theory. What it does do for me in the conscious realm is to get to me to think about life in a very particular way, more contemplative and curious about possibility and also to shine a light on where I am hiding from the truth.
This morning I was reading a chapter in “Anatomy of the Spirit”, written by Carolyn Myss, and a sentence leapt out at me that asked the very uncomfortable question “are you hiding inside your practices”? The actual statement was “I want guidance, but don’t give me any bad news”, and what she was referring to was the tendency of using practices like exercise, meditation or prayer as a tool to reduce the burden of stress we may be feeling…but never to really want to answer to our problems as it may demand too heavy a price.
...Embracing the Personal Development Journey with David Gilks
Today on the show we're talking with David Gilks about the journey of personal development. This episode is really a plea to do something with your personal development learning. We've taken all sorts of courses and listened to our mentors tell us over and over what we need to do but nothing happens if we do nothing. David is also a fitness coach and brings that sensibility to his I Am Project and his upcoming TedX talk. David is a great guest and deserves all of your attention!
Connecting the Brain and Body for Optimal Fitness
Though I discuss topics that mainly are about our mental and emotional health, the common denominator in our search for "betterment" whether it be emotional or physical is our brain.
One of the biggest missing parts in our quest for better muscular definition and strength is the connection to our nervous system. We often focus all of our efforts on "toning muscle" when we really should be training the brain which controls the shape and tone of our muscles (and everything else)
I enjoyed talking to the GymWits crew about this topic on their Podcast.
Listen here https://open.spotify.com/
The Other Side of the Coin
An interesting idea came to me this morning as I read the book “The Big Leap”. The author spoke of anxiety showing up on the heels of a good or positive event or thought and he wanted to explore why that was. What he had realized that he had an “upper limit” to what his unconscious psychology would allow him to believe.
So when things were going good there was an emotional thermostat that was triggered and sent him messages that he was in an area of belief that conflicted the hidden messages in his unconscious mind.
Part of the trick was to quickly realize what was happening and to look underneath the surface of that negative emotion and to see what positive emotion was trying to come through.
Next, check in to see where the emerging positive emotion is showing up in your body, and settle into that new feeling for a few minutes.
As that good feeling emerges pay attention to the story that comes with it, and allow yourself to appreciate with gratitude what is coming up for you...
Author
David Gilks
Mindset Expert
David Gilks is a well-respected mindset coach, poet, successful entrepreneur, awarded competitive natural bodybuilder, chartered herbalist and MEDP (medical exercise program director). He holds advanced training in Neurolinguistics and is the founder of the I AM Project. For more than two decades, he has taught clients from numerous backgrounds all over the world how to gain true mastery in all aspects of their life.
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