Category: Natural Healing

A powerful (yet simple) way to shift your energy and results over the next 30 days

How’d you like to learn a simple process that takes about 5
min’s (or even less) but gives you 6-8 hours worth of results?

Imagine compounding that every day for the next 30 days…

Now this is so simple that you’ve probably heard it (or
something like it) before…but do you realize how powerful it
is…and are you deliberately practicing it on a daily basis?

Here it is:

Choose what you’re thinking about…and what thoughts, feelings,
and images are playing in your mind…just before you fall
asleep.

Many people are letting the news or something distressing
they’ve just watched be the last thing that’s playing in their
mind before going to bed.

Others end the day with frustration or fears and burdens that
are weighing them down.

These thoughts and feelings in a way are continuing to “marinate”
and draw more of that feeling and energy to you throughout the
night.

So instead, how about deliberately practicing thinking about
something that makes you feel good – something or someone you
appreciate…that you’re thankful for…that you love.

It could be a success or a smile or a hug from earlier that day
that’s now gotten pushed out of your mind by other “tasks” and
burdens that have come to you since…or it could be the things
you love – music, biking, a sunset, or something you’re looking
forward to.

Just taking a few moments to deliberately think about something
you love and appreciate – about things that make you feel good –
things you’re thankful for – can immediately shift how you feel.

And doing this right before you fall asleep sets the “path”, in
a way, for what your subconscious will be exploring…or “marinating”
in…while you sleep.

I had a powerful experience with this practice just this weekend.
My wife and I were both a little tired and cranky at the end of a
long day apart, and actually “snapped” at each other just before
going to bed.

So when my head hit the pillow – all of a sudden I felt miserable –
my shoulder ached, I was frustrated, and I didn’t feel like I
could fall asleep.

Then I remembered this practice, and started silently offering thanks
– particularly for my family…and ultimately my wonderful wife…
and within moments, my energy totally shifted…

I had a mini (or perhaps not so “mini”) reconciliation with my wife,
and a wonderful night’s sleep awakening with a “happy feeling” even
before I remembered what I was happy about.
(And my wife was very happy, too…)

And here’s the key – moments before giving thanks, I was on a totally
different “path” headed for a miserable night…and any other option
was not even “Visible” until I actually started giving thanks…

So here’s the trick – knowing this is not enough…what can you do
right now to set an intention…or a reminder…to do this tonight…
and every night for the next 30 days?

Look forward to hearing about your own practice and results in the
comments below!

Dr. Ben

What It Takes to Be Great – Does Talent Matter?

Click on the 2-minute video intro above (you’ll see me in a fun spot), then view the article below (actually by Geoffrey Colvin from 2006 but shared with me this weekend!), and come back and leave a comment on the key questions raised that are very relevant to how you approach your life, health, or business today!

Secrets of Greatness – Is Talent Irrelevant?

Pay special attention to the example of the golfer and the bowler, and then ask yourself,
how can you apply these distinctions to your own life?

What are you wanting to be “great” in?

I recently spoke with a young man who told me his greatest dream is to “be the best
dad ever.”

Whatever you’re wanting to be great in, this article has some key insights…and raises
some key questions, that can set you further on your own path to greatness…and creating
the results you want.

Enjoy, and come back and leave your own take on:

What role does talent play?

How could “deliberate” practice, feedback, and frequent adjustment make a difference
in something you’re seeking to excel in?

What role does consistency play–and what factors have you found key to developing
long-term consistency and results?

Look forward to hearing from you, and to an intriguing discussion!

And here’s the article again:  Secrets of Greatness – Is Talent Irrelevant?

Dr.  Ben

What Are You Comparing To?

Been pondering something we do everyday, almost without
thinking, that powerfully affects how we feel about ourselves
and what we’re doing.

The neat thing is that as we become aware of this, we can
consciously use this tendency in a way that purposefully
benefits us.

Whether it’s with our health, our weight, our “productiveness”
and “success”, our parenting, our relationships, or something
else…

…I’ve found that how we feel in a given moment is often
directly impacted by what we choose to “compare to.”

Even just for ourselves—-are we comparing to what’s gone before,
and noting the progress we’ve made…or are we comparing to
what hasn’t happened yet, and feeling frustrated or overwhelmed,
or even a “failure”?

It’s interesting how our brains work.

Dan Ariely, a researcher formerly from my alma mater MIT, a
great TED speaker, and author of Predictably Irrational, has
pointed out that human beings tend to assign value only in
reference to something else.  I once heard him give the example
of Olympic medalists, asking, “Who do you think is generally
happier with their medal – silver medalists, or bronze medalists?”

The natural thought would be that silver is better than bronze,
but his research showed that the bronze medalists were generally
happier, and his reasoning was that the silver medalists looked
at the gold and felt badly that they came so close and didn’t
“make it”, whereas the bronze medalists looked at all the others
who didn’t get a medal, and were glad they got a medal at all…

So back to us and our daily lives – now that you know your brain
is constantly looking for references to “compare to” and decide
how to feel, you can choose to compare in ways that feel good…

that inspire you to move forward…

rather than ways that overwhelm you or shut you down.

How?

Begin by finding something to appreciate…something you’ve done
well, something that’s gone well…maybe right now it’s just your
own awareness or the potential for things to be different now
that you’re thinking differently.

Next, focus on progress…compare in ways that you feel good about
the progress you’re making…if there’s no outward “progress” yet,
begin by noting that your direction is different.

Perhaps the progress is simply that you’ve held a certain focus or
direction longer than before.

In fact, what direction you’re heading is so much more important
than where you are right now.  (You can read more about that here.)

In the meantime, throughout the day, ask yourself, “What am I
comparing to?” and consciously choose comparisons that inspire you
to move forward, rather than those that make you feel small or
inadequate.

Deal?

How about leaving a comment about your own comparisons and
experiences below.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Dr. Ben
P.S.  Been enjoying this music from Hayley Westenra as I write this,
and thought I’d post it directly for you here. Enjoy!

The Applause Of Heaven

This message was re-brought to my attention by a couple
of subscribers who received this by email this week, &
re-experiencing how powerful this is myself, I decided to
re-post it here…Enjoy!

****

Let’s do a quick experiment.

In a moment, I’m going to send you to watch a quick 3 minute video.

As you watch, though, and you see everyone clapping and cheering,
I want you to imagine for a moment that they’re all cheering for you.

A few years ago I read excerpts from a book by Max Lucado with
a wonderful title:

The Applause of Heaven

Today as I watched the video of Paul Potts singing below, I imagined the
feeling of people clapping and cheering for me, and I realized
how deeply the desire to be loved, accepted, and approved runs
in all of us.

For a moment I want you to experience the feeling of being
cheered, of being loved.

Whatever your circumstances, whatever your failures, whatever
you feel you’re lacking or wish were different, take a moment
now, watch the video, and enjoy the feeling of being cheered,
loved, and celebrated just for being you.

Then leave a comment about what you experience below.

To a blessed and wonderful week!

Dr. Ben

Simple Way to Dissolve “Overwhelm”

Had a coaching call with a woman on my business team recently
who was feeling overwhelmed with all the things she wanted to
address in her life–her health & fitness, her business, her
personal growth & spirituality, and ongoing demands at work.

She wanted to give everything “100%” and felt like there wasn’t
enough of her to go around.

Here’s a couple thoughts that helped her, and have also been
key for me and for others I’ve coached, and I thought I’d
share them with you here (as my daughter’s playing by my chair
and 2 of my boys are attacking each other 🙂 ).

The first is, lay “tracks” for your brain & body to run on.

If you have several areas in your life or business you’re
wanting to address, rather than trying to completely “overhaul”
them all at the same time, start by creating a “space” or
“category”, or “track” for your brain & body to run on.

What does that mean?

Let’s say you realize you want to have some time for personal
reflection or prayer or meditation each day.  

And let’s say your goal is 20-30 minutes, but right now with
all the demands on you, that seems out of reach.

How about starting with 3-5 minutes?

Think that’s too little to “do anything”?

Here’s the key:

Even a little bit in each area you’re wanting to address begins
to create a space, or lay a track & open a channel, for that
area to grow in your life.

Taking that 3-5 minutes begins to tell your brain, “We’re doing
this now.”  And “we’re now creating a space in our life for this
to be significant.”

The neat thing is as you do this consistently, a new track, or
pattern, gets laid in your brain and in your body that makes it
easier and easier to do the next time.

Plus, there’s two more key things to realize about this process…
whether you’re starting with a few minutes of personal time like
above, writing one line in a journal, or taking a few minutes to
stand up and move or go for a quick walk:

The effect of any little bit you do can be magnified & multiplied…
in other words, 100 x 0 is still 0…but as long as there’s more
than zero, it can be multiplied…

Second, what you do in those few minutes can become a catalyst
that continues beyond the actual time you spent on the activity,
and has an impact on you the rest of your day, because the track
has been laid.

And if you choose to, at some point you can expand the time you
give to that activity, but realize there’s already value even in
the few minutes you’ve started with, because you’re laying a new
track that continues to have an effect even when you’re doing
other things.

So how about it?

How about picking an area you want to lay a new track for—-
whether it’s eating a piece of fruit or vegetable for a snack,
taking 10 minutes to walk, bike, or move today, or a few minutes
to journal at the end of your day—-and celebrating the new channel
you’re opening up for good to come to you.

Enjoy!  And let me know your own experiences in the comments below…

Dr. Ben