How to Make the Law of Attraction Work For You

If you are reading this article, it is likely that you want to know how to make the law of attraction work for you. First things first. When it comes to creating the life that you want for yourself, there is a clear and precise blueprint that is tried and proven. When you use this blueprint, which I teach in all of my Visionetics courses, especially the Elevation & Empowerment and the 1-on-1 Coaching programs, you can be assured that if you stay the course, you will make progress, and progress is the greatest part of fulfillment.

The law of attraction does not exist in a vacuum. It is a part of a highly complex dynamic through which the seven universal laws are constantly in effect. The seven universal laws include the law of Mentalism, the law of correspondence, the law of vibration, the law of rhythm, the law of cause and effect and the law of gender. The first three laws are immutable, but the last four can be transcended by those who are able to achieve a supreme state of existence. In essence, what I do for my clients is help them to achieve this supreme state so that they can achieve their desired outcome or results consistently throughout their lives.

If you want to make the law of attraction work for you, you must first understand that it is a law, not a mystic force. What I love about the law of attraction, and the seven universal laws, is just that, they are laws — meaning that they produce the same results, under the same circumstances each and every time. So, I know when I am working with my clients that if I can get them to buy into the process, I will get the required results.

The Importance of Setting Intent

When I first speak with my clients I get them to tell me exactly what it is that they expect to gain from working with me. I want to know what is the result they are looking for. What is the outcome they desire. Without having a lucid portrait of the outcome, it is impossible to set the path to get there. One of the reasons that the law of attraction fails to work for many people is the fact that they don’t know, with any specificity, the outcome they are looking for. They are more focused on what they don’t want. The problem with focusing on what you don’t want is that you place so much emphasis on the undesired outcome, that it becomes the central focus of your entire servomechanism.

Your mind uses your brain as a tool to accomplish those things that are necessary and desired. The problem is that the mind has to be clear on what it wants, not what it doesn’t want. When you focus on what you want — achieving the outcome will automatically ensure that you don’t get what you do not desire. But, focusing on the undesired outcome works to place it front and center, and you end up getting exactly what you didn’t want.

When you set your intent, your mind, your brain, your reticular activating system and your neurological pathways begin to work in harmony to bring you those things that you place the most emphasis on. Have you ever seen a car, an outfit or some other object that you decided you just had to have, and then all of a sudden, every time you look up you see it? The truth is that the car or shirt has always been there, but not until you made it a central focus in your life, did it begin to register on your radar. This is actually the work of the reticular activating system — a biological function through a physiological mechanism located at the top of the brain stem. The RAS literally identifies those things that the conscious mind places emphasis on and translates it as a target to the subconscious mind. This servomechanism is what drives you toward certain things and away from others.

This is why setting your intent is so important. When you set your intent, it is like setting the thermostat of your brain, or the autopilot on a plane. Your brain begins to function as a servomechanism through a process known as psycho-cybernetics. When intent is set, you are on a course toward the setting. Here is where many people run into a problem. Remember, that the subconscious mind will focus on that which is most consistently entertained. It cannot differentiate between what is desired and what is not, only what is consistently entertained in a person’s thoughts. The process is also influenced by a person’s belief system. If a person does not believe that a desired result is within their grasp, it will impact the process through a number of factors, and they will, in some way, self-sabotage their efforts.

The Power of Homeostasis

It is important to understand that the law of attraction is not some magic wand that you simply wave around and get what you want. It is actually one component, in a highly complex dynamic, in which a person attracts that which they are in harmony with. A person who suffers in the areas of poor self-image, or a poor self-concept, will not be able to attract to themselves anything associated with greatness, because the servomechanism will continually point them towards behavior and habits that produce the results associated with their expectations, based on their own self-concept. In other words, you cannot become what you do not believe you have the capacity to be.

The law of attraction is about placing yourself in a position of homeostasis with those things you desire. This means that you must be vibrating on the same plane as those things you want. You can’t function at a low frequency, creating low vibrations, and expect to obtain anything that is at a higher frequency and vibration. No amount of positive affirmations and positive thinking can produce that. You get who you are.

As Tony Robbins says, “to get greater results, you must raise your standards.” When you raise your standards, you automatically raise your expectations, impacting your belief systems.

You can never attract what you, yourself, are not in direct harmony with. ~ Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D.

I outline this concept in detail in my YouTube Video, Make the Law of Attraction Work for You, and I encourage you to check out my YouTube Channel, The Visionetics Institute.

You can also watch the video below.

Learn how to create powerful paradigm shifts in your life with The Power of Paradigms: Breaking Free of Psychological Bondage!

You can get some of his more popular books at Barnes & Noble, including:

The Invisible Father: Reversing the Curse of a Fatherless Generation

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-invisible-father-rick-wallace-phd-psyd/1124699392?ean=2940011293047

Renewing Your Mind: The Dynamics of Transformation

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/renewing-your-mind-rick-wallace-phd-psyd/1124699394?ean=2940045215176

When Your House is Not a Home

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-your-house-is-not-a-home-rick-wallace-phd-psyd/1124699645?ean=2940045206877

5 Steps to Financial Freedom

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/5-remarkable-steps-to-financial-freedom-rick-wallace-phd-psyd/1126357443?ean=2940154157633

Your Mind is the Genesis of Your Destiny

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/your-mind-is-the-genesis-of-your-destiny-rick-wallace-phd-psyd/1126310353?ean=2940154149355

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April 12, 2017

3 Synergistic Forces That Produce a Breakthrough

When people come to me searching for answers and solutions in the area of achieving success, there is one question that I hear more than any other — in one form or another. People want to know where does change begin. The simple answer to that question is change begins at the moment of breakthrough. For the purpose of lucidity, allow me to explain what I mean when I say breakthrough. A breakthrough is the point in which a person experiences an epiphany in which those things that were once deemed impossible are suddenly viewed as possible.

Due to the fact that success is viewed and defined differently based on a number of variables, it is important to present a simple definition that can apply to everyone. The most simple, yet solid, definition of success that I have ever seen was rendered by Earl Nightingale. He said that success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal. In other words, when a person is committed to and moving toward a goal they deem worthy, they are successful — meaning that success is experienced prior to reaching the goal. In fact, the journey toward the goal can be as sweet as reaching the goal itself, when you have the right mindset.

Okay, now that we have an understanding of what a breakthrough is, how do we achieve one? There are three essential elements, that when combined, can immensely transform every aspect of your life. The truth is that mastering one can produce significant results, but when you align all three, they will create a synergistic force of change that cannot be denied.

All around the world, people are struggling with any combination of three issues that can result in unbearable pain when not addressed. These points of significance are our bodies, our relationships and our finances. There many of us who struggle with all three. Some people may have the blueprint for saving and building wealth, but they cannot do it to save their lives. Others have read book after book about relationships, yet they still struggle mightily in their own. The same with physical health.

So, what force can be so strong that it can thwart a proven strategy. Let me give you a hint. Tony Robbins often says that success in life is 80 percent psychology and 20 percent mechanics, and I agree with him completely. You can have all the right answers, but if your psychology, the way that you view and interpret your circumstances and situations is off, success will be unlikely. As I stated earlier, there are three dynamic forces that work synergistically to produce massive results in the life of any person, their strategy, their story and their state.

Have you ever met someone that no matter how many times you put the right strategy or answer in front of them, they could find a reason why it wouldn’t work? They will say, “that won’t work because…” They have developed the capacity to find every excuse in the book to fail. They have also developed the capacity to blame everyone except themselves for their current position. After rendering their excuses — I am not smart enough, that only works for the privileged, I don’t have the resources — they will then start to point the finger to place blame for why life is like that for them.

What these people don’t understand is that they have become victims to their own stories. One of the first things that I tell my clients is to remove the word “can’t” from their vocabulary. They are not allowed to use that word or any of its associated terms. When you use the word can’t, you are telling a story, writing a narrative as to why you can’t accomplish something, which is feeding your subconscious with a message that says you can’t. As your subconscious starts to receive and embrace this story, it will influence your behavior to align with this perceived reality.

The strategy is the easy part, but it means absolutely nothing if you are telling the wrong story. If the answer to your dilemma is sitting right in front of you, and you fail to take massive action to correct your problem, there can be only one reason — you have created a set of beliefs concerning this issue, and you have integrated these beliefs into a story of why the solution can’t work, will not work or only works for a certain type of person, other than yourself. This is what is known as limiting beliefs or a limiting story.

This story is so engrained in your psyche that you tell it often, but rarely recognize that you are doing it. There is one thing for certain, massive change requires massive action, and no one will apply massive action to something they do not believe will work. With these types of disempowering stories at the core of your struggles, it is almost guaranteed that you will not produce any efficacious results.

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So, how do people change after living for years with a disempowering story. It is simple, the people who make a decision that they are going to get things done decide to take a strategy that has been proven to work, and then they attach a new story to it. They change the narrative. They create a story of empowerment that says that if they commit to a goal and work through the process without quitting, they will achieve it. They tell themselves that if they can conceive something in their minds, believe it, and then pursue it, that the universe will conspire on their behalf to bring them that thing that they desire. They become determined to tell a story that says nothing good will be withheld from them.

The people who decide that they are going to make something happen, no matter what, will no longer look for excuses or reasons that their efforts will not produce what they desire. They believe that as long as they continue to invest themselves in the pursuit of their desires, they will ultimately have them.

Finally, the most important of these three forces is your “state.” State is a term I first heard used by Tony Robbins, and it refers to a person’s state of being or existence at any given moment. He used to call what I call “optimal state, ” the “peak state,” but now he refers to it as a “beautiful state.” Whether you call it optimal, peak, or beautiful, the most desired state is a state of complete harmony and equilibrium with self — physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The more a person begins to move into states of disequilibrium, the more difficult it becomes to interpret life in a positive way, making it difficult to effectively respond to the challenges and vicissitudes of life.

For example, have you ever been extremely angry at someone, and all of a sudden, everything bad that person had ever done to you comes rushing to the front of your mind? The reason that this happens is that when you enter any state of existence, your brain will switch to a thought pattern that will support that state. This happens when you get awesome news that places you in a state of joy. All of a sudden, everything seems more beautiful and tolerable. Even things that might normally annoy you will be viewed through rose colored lenses. This is the power of “state.” So, you must learn how to control your “state” if you are going to effectively change your story.

This can be challenging because many people’s stories impact their state. What I do with my Elevation & Empowerment clients is teach them how to enter “optimal state” at the beginning of the day. This is done through a process known as priming. Priming is exactly what it sounds like. It is preparing yourself to receive what you want to receive by preparing your mind and emotions to effectively interpret situations in the proper context.

I am a firm believer that the best way to enter into a peak state is to build out from a foundation of gratitude. I have found that it is absolutely impossible to be angry, worry, experience anxiety or any other negative emotion when you have a mindset that is focused on gratitude. So, I teach my clients to start each day focusing on those things that they are grateful for. I also teach them that they should not connect their gratitude or happiness to any expectations, or they will be setting themselves up for failure. Some of the most capricious people are those who live their lives through the emotions they experience based on their expectations.

When it comes to expectations, no one is perfect, so everyone will, at some point, fail to meet your expectations, including yourself. And, if your happiness, joy and peace are connected to those expectations, you will be on an emotional roller coaster.

When you reach optimal state, you will possess the right mindset to rewrite the narrative of your life. Living in “optimal state” provides positive spiritual energy that allows you to consistently function at a high frequency, achieving high vibrations that produce efficacious results — over and over again.

Of course, no one is perfect, and so you will periodically find yourself getting frustrated, angry or fearful, but you must teach yourself to recognize when you are doing this and stop it before the seed of disruption becomes an uncontrollable monster. I have a 90-second rule that I will not be pulled out of optimal state longer than 90-seconds. So, when I get hit by a curve ball, or the vicissitudes of life roll into my paradise, I give myself 90 seconds to recapture my equilibrium.

When you are able to infuse the right strategy, the right story and an optimal state, the synergistic force that you will create will make you unstoppable. Nothing good you desire will be withheld from you. This is where you will discover that life is not happening to you, it is responding to you — meaning that you are completely in control of your destiny. So, what story are you going to write? ~ Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D.

March 20, 2017May 6, 2017

When Your World Is Spinning Out of Control

If we were to be honest in our assessment of the world in its current state, we would have to admit that we are living in a time of uncertainty. Because uncertainty often breeds fear, it can manifest itself in some highly brutal ways, including social anxiety, hateful rhetoric and even a significant amount of suffering. In fact, we have reached a point in human history where social media feeds are inundated with a constant barrage of all that is wrong with the world. One of the latest uncertainties that has become the source of inquietude is the frustration associated with attempting to ascertain what is “real” news and what is not.

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While uncertainty tends to breed fear and anxiety, there is nothing productive and useful that can be derived from these emotions. In fact, the moment that we acquiesce to fear, we immediately relinquish all control over our emotions, and subsequently our lives — creating a state of existence in which there can be no growth or progress. It is paramount, in this ethereal journey of life, to maintain control of the reigns of our lives, instead of surrendering them to external forces. When we surrender to fear, we immediately take on a victim mentality in which we give our power to outside influences — taking on a mindset that life is happening to us — while sustaining a mentality of self-efficacy will lead to a stable mentality that ensures us that life can only respond to us. When we understand this, we will never become frenetic and unglued when faced with uncertainty and challenging situations.

One of the first things we must do in seizing control of our lives is to understand that there is no circumvention of the vicissitudes of life. Sudden changes and disturbances are inevitable — a natural part of the growth process. In fact, it is in these moments of turbulence and resistance that we experience our greatest growth spurts.

Actually, when we step back and evaluate the very nature of fear in our lives, at the core, it is simply the culmination of our worries and concerns about the movement of external forces in our lives. Whether I am working with clients in my Elevation & Empowerment course, 1-on-1 Coaching or consulting, I consistently reinforce the idea that we are in control of our own destinies. We write the narrative of our future every second of the day, with our thoughts, words and beliefs.

When we allow external forces to cause us to become consumed with fear, we lose our ability to engage life’s challenges in an efficacious manner. So, instead of allowing external forces to control us, we must develop a superior cognizance of the fact that we have the power to effectively manage and master our emotions — to step out of a reality of suffering to live the life that we so strongly desire. I often tell my clients that pain is inevitable, but suffering is a choice.

Although we are not always in a position to control the events that take place in our lives, we definitely have a choice as to how we will respond to them — and that makes all of the difference in the world. Regardless of the level of adversity and chaos that enters our lives, we have the power and the right to disallow it to gain control of our state of mind.

“The rule for all fear is to head straight into it. When you are sailing in a storm, you don’t let the wave hit your boat on the side, you go into the wave and ride it.” ~ Alan Watts

The ability and willingness to head straight into the storm is the difference between those of us who succumb to uncertainty and who consistently thrive in it. While it may seem that life favors some, and neglects others, the truth is that the universe can only respond to the mindset and behavior of an individual — it meets every person at the level of their expectations. Simply put, you get out of life what you demand of it — nothing more.

Take a moment to contemplate the difference between the person who views adversity as a gift and the person who perceives it as an obstacle. The same polarity exists between fear and faith. Both, fear and faith, are focused on the future — conveying something that is currently unknowable, both are experiences of life, and they are both developed from your imagination. The only difference between these two forces is that fear in the result of your imagination without direction and purpose, and faith in the imagination being used to create, with great specificity, what we want in our lives.

In moments of uncertainty, it is our responsibility to understand that uncertainty isn’t simply a feeling — it is actually a habit that we have created by our imagination — allowing us to create shifts in our reality that acknowledges the adversity and uncertainty, but chooses to disagree with it, writing a new narrative that is favorable to us.

When we are able to master faith, it allows us to let go of those things we have no control over, so that we can focus on our response, controlling the things we can make happen to effectively counter the negative reality.

Another approach to the inevitable challenges of life is to assume a constant state of gratitude. When we are in a state of gratitude, it becomes impossible to allow negative situations to dominate our thinking and responses to situations. A heart of gratitude will fuel the desire to give back, leading to a higher spiritual state, a higher frequency and vibration, guarding us against the infiltration of negative thoughts, fears and anxiety.

So, the question is: how are you going to live your life moving forward? I challenge you to make a committed decision to reclaim the reigns of your emotions. Make a commitment to face fear, embrace life’s uncertainties and start to live in a constant state of self-confidence and control. Remember, the only boundaries and limitation that we cannot transcend are the ones we impose upon ourselves.

At the moment you commit to taking back the power that you have been giving to fear and uncertainty, you will develop the capacity to create change in your life, allowing you to have a massive impact on your life and the life of others. ~ Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D.

January 10, 2017

Reprogramming Your Subconscious Mind for Success

Reprogramming Your Subconscious Mind for Success ~ Mind Power Series (Second Installment)

When it comes to my personal development courses and direct one-on-one counseling, I have people approach me needing help to achieve all types of goals, including losing weight and getting fit, improving their confidence, wealth building, stop smoking, overcoming fears and more. The truth is that there are multitudinous ways that people define and interpret success in their lives, but there is only one true way of achieving it.

Renown motivational speaker and personal development expert, Earl Nightingale, defined success as follows:

“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”

I define success as the fulfillment of a predetermined goal that has worth and value beyond the scope of personal interest. Basically, if you have a passion to do something that can benefit yourself and others, and are moving along the process of accomplishing it, then you are successful. Notice, neither definition of success stipulated that a person has to earn a particular dollar amount to be considered successful. This does not mean that financial wealth should not be a high-priority goal; it simply means that success is not defined by wealth alone, but by living a specific purpose at maximum performance.

In this “Mind Power” series it is my goal to explore the power of the human mind to produce the most exceptional and phenomenal things imaginable. In the first installment, The Mind Unleashed, we examined the possibilities associated with releasing the mind from predetermined limitations based on past experiences and the opinion of others. I introduced you to the fact that the only true limitations that you have in your life are those you have accepted with your own mind.

As we move through the examination of the power of the mind, the recurring theme will become increasingly evident — the power of the human is infinite in its ability to reproduce what it can conceive through imagination, Promethean thought and creativity. What must also be understood amidst entertainment and mensuration of this idea, is when there is an existence in one extreme, there is always an equal and opposite reality. With the mind being so powerful, if it were to become inundated with negativity and doubt, it could literally lock an individual out of experiencing anything of noteworthy value in life. A negative mind, on any level, is diametrically opposed to the attitude associated with success.

The challenge here is that negativity can take root in the human mind in multitudinous ways. It can happen during the developmental years — impacting self-concept (self-image), self-esteem and self-confidence. When this happens the child will grow up bypassing opportunities that are before them, believing that they are incapable of achieving the desired result.

Another way that negativity can enter the mind is through being surrounded by negative people at any stage of life. The negative ideas, talk and energy that is emitted by people who have negative mindsets can infiltrate the subconscious mind and program it to expect nothing but failure. The consistent intake of negative information through media channels is one of the most common ways that people feed their existing negative mentality. Once a person becomes negative, they will actually become attracted to all things negative. In fact, they will attract negativity.

In this particular installment, I wish to examine the ability to reprogram the subconscious to create paradigm shifts that have the capacity to completely change how a person views and interprets events in life. As pointed out in the previous installment on mind power, the subconscious mind is immensely powerful, and it is designed to capture and process data at exceptionally high rates. Unlike the conscious mind, the subconscious mind is not as easily guarded against ambient intrusion. Any ambient data within a person’s capacity to hear will be logged by the subconscious — even when the person is unaware of it. This type of openness is why people are incessantly being warned to guard their gates (senses, especially the eyes and ears).

Negative beliefs will have a significant impact on a person’s behavior, those things they do habitually. Keep in mind, at the very essence of life, you are what you do habitually, so this is a cyclopean concept that must be understood for all who desire to develop or reprogram their mind for optimal success (Kotsos, 2016).

The subconscious mind is responsible for executing the incredibly powerful mental programs that govern almost every aspect of your life. What is more impressive is the fact that all of these programs and actions are carried out through a completely automated process. When the subconscious is not inhibited by limitations planted by negative beliefs, it has the capacity to produce every conceivable desire a person can have.

In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill constantly reveled at the capacity of the subconscious mind to convert desire and emotion into reality.

“There is nothing capricious in nature or the universe; therefore, the implanting of a desire indicates that its gratification is in the constitution of the creature who feels it (Hill, 1938).”

The constant theme surrounding the law of attraction and mind management is simply that what you think about the most is what you will produce. This is a law, meaning that there is no way around it.

Wallace D. Wattles, the author of The Science of Getting Rich, recorded it this way: “The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention (Wattles, 1910).”

Now, the wonderful news about the subconscious mind is that it can be reprogrammed. It has been nearly 60 years since Dr. Maxwell Malz developed the concept of psycho-cybernetics — a methodology used to help people harness and master the power of the subconscious mind. This concept was developed by Dr. Malz, who was a plastic surgeon, for the purpose of helping people overcome negative self-images — since then people have used this powerful tool to accomplish everything from losing weight, breaking free from smoking and even controlling pain.

To give you an idea of how successful this particular psycho-corrective process has been, since 1960, Psycho-Cybernetics has sold more than 35 million copies, meaning that you will probably find a copy of the book in your public library.

It is not necessary to be overly technical in the explanation of this method and how it works, so I will keep it simple. Cybernetics is the science of self-regulating systems. Norbert Weiner, a professor of mathematics at MIT was the first to refer to the self-regulating systems as cybernetics

The thermostat on your refrigerator and central climate control unit in your home are cybernetic systems. The system automatically makes the necessary adjustments to keep the temperature at the desired selection by constantly monitoring and detecting the slightest deviation. The auto-pilot system on jetliners are also cybernetic.

Oddly enough, the oldest form of cybernetics is the organic process that takes place in the subconscious mind.

What we now understand about the subconscious mind is that it has a goal-seeking mechanism. Malz discovered this with his plastic surgery patients. What he discovered was that corrective surgery did not always deal with the self-image issues that his patients had. In other words, making external changes without dealing with the self-image itself, rarely produced the desired result.

What Dr. Malz discovered is that the subconscious mind functioned like a cybernetic mechanism depending on a specific goal. When a “success goal” is given to the subconscious mind, it will function like a success mechanism, consistently self-correcting thoughts and behavior to align with the set goal. However, if the subconscious was given a “failure goal,” then the subconscious would become a failure mechanism, self-correcting all behavior that is diametric to the set goal of failure. For instance, if you were to give your subconscious mind the negative goal of dieting, you will fail, whereas if you give it a positive goal of body shaping, you will succeed.

Another interesting discovery by Dr. Malz was that the use of will power was absolutely worthless in the process of developing new habits. Actually, willpower is the negative method for breaking some bad habit. If you are not careful, will power will actually have the reverse effect of reinforcing the bad habit that you are attempting to break.

What Dr. Malz discovered was that the human imagination was the key to rebuilding a flawed self-image. The imagination allows for the exchanging of poor habits for more profitable ones. Imagination allows a person to implant a new self-image in the subconscious mind. Why is this important. It is important because the self-image is a person’s truth as it pertain to them. A person’s self-image will dictate their behavior, because a person’s behavior must align with their image of themselves in order to maintain sanity. Therefore, if you can change the image, you will inherently change the behavior. The moment a person begins to see themselves differently, they will change their behavior to align with that new image — and this will be done almost effortlessly.

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” ~ Anatole France

Dreaming is the preferred language of the subconscious mind. In fact, it has been proven that the most direct and efficacious modality for accessing and engaging the subconscious mind is through the use of sounds and images, which is the language of dreams — completely bypassing the “will” altogether.

Why does knowledge, in and of itself, fail to provide individuals with all that is necessary to exact change? Knowledge alone activates the conscious mind, which does not have the capacity to override an entire lifetime of conscious desires and habits that serve to create the current lifestyle that is counterproductive in reaching a particular goal. Whatever the goal, if the self-image has not adopted the identity associated with the task, the subconscious will sabotage every effort to achieve the goal.

It is necessary that the subconscious adopt the new image and accepts the new goal as being a part of its new self-image. At the point when the subconscious accepts the new goal as being associated with its new self-image, it will auto-correct behavior to ensure that the goal is reached. To lose weight successfully and keep it off, it will be necessary to develop and identity of a person who is passionate about fitness and highly concerned about their health. Once you educate yourself on the safest and most efficacious methods for losing weight, the subconscious will do the rest.

Basically speaking, a person must undergo a paradigmatic shift that literally changes how they view life from a particular perspective surrounding a specific desired goal. To begin the process of developing long-term generational wealth, the person must change how they view money, as well as change how they see themselves concerning money. In other words, they will need to see themselves as being wealthy before the physical wealth-building process begins.

Once a person begins to see themselves as being wealthy, they will undergo an immensely powerful metamorphosis that will change the vernacular, their spending habits, the manner in which they view entrepreneurship and more. They will stop asking for opportunities, and they will start creating them on their own accord.

Keep in mind that the subconscious mind is a cybernetic mechanism that will auto-correct behavior based on its own self-image. A person struggling with their self-image will never experience any consistent success in areas which they don’t identify with the idea and behavior behind success in that particular sphere of life. In my Visionetics Self-concept Development Program, I help people rewrite the construct of their self-image to fit the goals that they have set for their lives, or what they aspire to become.

The subconscious mind is so powerful that this approach works on absolutely everything — no exceptions. So, are you finally ready to change your life for the better? ~ Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D.

Bibliography

Hill, N. (1938). Think and Grow Rich. Meriden, CT: The Ralston Society.

Kotsos, T. (2016). Negative Beliefs, the Law of Attraction & the Law of Polarity. Mind Your Reality.

Malz, M. (2015). The New Psycho-Cybernetics (Updated and Edited). New York, NY: Pedigree Publishing (An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC).

Wattles, W. D. (1910). The Science of Getting Rich. New York: Elizabeth Towne Publishing.

October 26, 2016

The Power of Two by Eric Thomas

THE POWER OF TWO

Courtesy of Eric Thomas

The year is almost over! Will the year end with the success you envisioned, or will you find yourself stuck–spinning your wheels? Maybe you’re trying to reach your goals alone. Look, you may think it’ll feel good to tell everyone you made it to the top all by yourself, but here’s the truth, no one becomes successful alone. You need a team, more importantly, you need that ONE person who believes in you, who isn’t afraid to tell you you’re wrong and who can sharpen you. That one person who makes you better by pushing you past your perceived limitations. Who’s your #2? Go into 2017 thinking about that ONE person you need by your side to take you to the next level!!

ACTIVITY

Take out a piece of paper and create 3 columns.
Write one name at the top of each column of a person who could possibly be your accountability partner.
first question, How well do you trust this person and why?
Second question, Is this person afraid to be brutally honest with me?
Third question, what skills does this person possess that I don’t have, but need to succeed?
fourth question. can I see this person being my #2? Why?
Fifth question, do our values align? How do they align?
Sixth question, have you worked with this individual before? Can you honestly see yourself working with this person.

After you have your list begin to narrow down the things that work and don’t work. BE HONEST. the person that’s left with the most answers not crossed off might be your #2. Reach out to them and have a serious conversation. That’s it. Let’s go into 2017 ready to take on any challenge with a partner by our side. It’s your boy ET! See you next week!!

May 18, 2016

The Five Pillars of Intuition

By Azriel ReShel | Tuesday, May 10th, 2016 | Courtesy of Uplift Connect

The Five Pillars of Intuition

How to awaken and deepen your Intuition

The Five Pillars of Intuition ~ Intuition is as natural as breathing, sleeping or eating. All of us have intuition. Some of us are more open to this capacity, and connection to higher information, than others, but we can all deepen and develop our intuition with a few simple techniques and daily rituals.

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Intuition is the spark, or gateway, to higher knowing and to living a fulfilled, flowing, effortless and peaceful life. Each day we are bombarded by an avalanche of information, demands and pressures, that squash our vastness into a tiny reality. This data smog and information overload swamps our intuition. Now more than ever, we need this innate capacity to guide us. The more lost we are in the pace of modern life, the more we need this anchor.

This data smog and information overload swamps our intuition.

Our Sixth Sense

Intuition is very much a natural and inherent part of our natures. When you strip back all the learned stress behaviours, pressures, mental projections and layers of baggage, we find the radiance of our true self. This authentic nature is peaceful, blissful, and intuitive. Each one of us has this ability to know things, to sense things, to feel things, see things and hear things, beyond our conscious awareness. The origin of the word “intuition” is the Latin verb intueri, which is usually translated as to look inside or to contemplate.

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There is a growing body of research suggesting there are underlying non-conscious aspects of intuition. Among these aspects of intuition involved in intuitive perception are implicit learning, or implicit knowledge. Science is now showing that the heart is involved in the processing and decoding of intuitive information. Emotion and intuition seem to be also rooted both in the heart and the second brain in the gut. This is where the term, your gut instincts, comes from.

Each one of us has this ability to know things beyond our conscious awareness.

Intuition is like a secret, inner jetpack that helps you make quantum leaps in your life, a map that reveals the shortcuts, opens up the pathway and holds the keys to your happiness. Is this building up intuition too much? I don’t think so. Even the military is studying the secrets of intuition.

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In the wake of snap intuitive judgments in the field of combat that saved many lives, US researchers are studying the power of intuition. Sensing impending danger, deciding whether objects are missiles or airliners, or detecting bombs, are a few situations where a snap judgment needs to be made and where lives are at stake. The US navy studies, with experts in neural, cognitive and behavioural science, were attempting to discover what gives rise to our so called “sixth sense” and how they can train marines to use it. A former US navy seal has even written four books on the subject and he believes that tapping into our intuition helps us to excel at light speed. Understanding what intuition is, can help us to recognise it.

Tapping into our intuition helps us to excel at light speed.

The basics of Intuition

Intuition is an instinctual awareness. Actually, intuition is a mysterious and curious thing a little beyond description. When you are in tune with your intuition, you have an unconscious understanding and a subtle knowing, and you are able to see the bigger picture, or to see the meaning in things. It is sensory, not really a cognitive functioning. Intuition is sensing meaning in things, having an understanding of concepts and connections beyond everyday knowledge.

“Intuition is not a single way of knowing – it’s our ability to hold space for uncertainty and our willingness to trust the many ways we’ve developed knowledge and insight, including instinct, experience, faith and reason.” Brene Brown

So much of intuition is innate that often we miss it. Or we doubt it. Many years ago, I used to feel intuitive nudges and ignore them, doubting their truth. I quickly discovered these nudges were always right. I started to experience them as coming physically into me, seemingly a part of me, but beyond me.

Intuition is an instinctual awareness.

Initially, I projected intuition onto other “spiritual” people, or psychics, or masters. In projecting my intuition and psychic awareness on to other people, I lost sight of the intuitive awareness that had always been my second nature from so early on in life. After many years of using external methods for guidance, such as tarot or angel cards, pendulum etc., I recognised that the quiet wave of energy that would come over me, was my intuition.

I could feel the quality of the thoughts that popped into my head, coming from my left side, as something that was not generated from my own mind. I started to distinguish between me and my thoughts and something totally beyond my conscious awareness. It was quieter, gentler, subtler, and a highly refined energy. Truly a whisper, with a feeling of something so gracious, tender, and pure, it was unmistakably otherworldly.

Now I know this feeling instantly and follow it. It is never wrong. And it is precisely because it comes so naturally to me, that I missed it. I was looking for something more outrageous, a fanfare of guidance, a physical angel sitting on my couch. Once I accepted and trusted that intuition is as natural as breathing, my journey with intuition expanded and grew, and the whispers of intuition became a lot louder.

I could feel the quality of the thoughts that popped into my head.

The Pillars of Intuition

There are five pillars of intuition: Trust, Connection, Acceptance, Integrity and Innocence. These pillars are all interlinked and much like branches of a tree, come together as a whole to create the magic of intuition.

Intuition is a flow, it’s like falling into the music of life. Hearing the music and sharing it. Intuition is a gift of being human.

These pillars are all interlinked and much like branches of a tree.

Trust

Intuition is such a natural part of our makeup, it is more a case of unlearning what prevents us from being intuitive, then learning how to be intuitive. One of the keys to awakening your intuition, is trust. Absolute trust in your impressions and a grounding of this trust, through taking action based on your intuitive impressions. The more you trust, and take action (before you doubt yourself), the more your intuition will grow.

Trust and take action (before you doubt yourself).

Connection

Connection to your self, especially your heart, to others and to nature, enhances your intuition. So the more you can be in solitude, get to know your inner world, the more your intuition will flower. You have the opportunity to heal any pain blocking your heart, through opening to all your feelings, especially your Inner child. Connection to yourself can also happen in another way: when the mind is distracted by something, and kept busy – for example, by ambient noise, an activity that keeps the hands busy, or low level background noise – it can often be easier to access creativity. There are several famous writers who use this technique to access a kind of stream of consciousness. Other artists use it to create music.

This “zone,” that comes when the mind is distracted is helpful with intuition. I discovered this technique with intuition, through working with oracle cards. At first the cards were the message, then the cards became the “distraction” and the message was something beyond the cards. I came to trust the inner knowing, feelings, words and visual fragments that were seemingly unrelated to the cards. As the mind focussed on the cards, something else was freed and it was like the cards became a gateway.

Connect to yourself, especially your Inner child.

Acceptance

We spend so much of life pushing away, rejecting, fighting. Battling ourselves, our past, our bodies, our beliefs, our conditioning. Then we take this inner war out into our daily life, and engage in conflicts with others. Self acceptance leads to greater trust and helps you awaken your intuitive capacity. Acceptance is about accepting all aspects of ourselves. Not just the good aspects. When we accept that we have negative character aspects, then we stop hiding them and fighting with ourselves. A daily practice of sitting still for five minutes, with your hands on the heart, and somatically connecting with your body, firstly the physical sensations, and then your thoughts, and your emotions, simply observing, without trying to change anything, will help you to develop greater acceptance.

Integrity

Being real and authentic, most of all with yourself, releases the chokehold of our ego on intuition. Integrity is doing the right thing, saying what you mean, and keeping your word, most of all to yourself. It is about being authentically you. Too often people think they need to behave a certain way in order to be wise, or “spiritual.” In fact, it is the reverse. Expressing more of what is truly within you, showing yourself, shadow and all, is the way to free yourself.

It is about being authentically you.

Innocence

When you start the journey of forming a deeper, more authentic connection with yourself, you open the doorway to innocence. Much of intuitive functioning is held in the childlike spontaneity we all have. Connecting to, and nurturing, this aspect of yourself helps to enhance intuition.

So what limits your intuition?

Fear drowns out intuition, as does anxiety and stress. Our modern western way of life limits intuition. The more we succumb to the arrogance of believing we are all powerful and all knowing, the more we constrict our intuition. Humility and Innocence open the mind.

“The need to be certain is what silences the intuitive voice. Sitting in uncertainty makes us feel anxious, vulnerable and fearful. We start looking for validation outside of us rather than trusting what comes through.” Brent Brown

Much of intuitive functioning is held in the childlike spontaneity we all have.

New research into the heart shows that our heart is a dynamic, connecting, creative intelligence. The more we release our fear of the pain dwelling in our hearts, and start to live from the wisdom of our hearts, the more intuition can grow. Howard Martin, co-author of Heart Intelligence, says that our thoughts and feelings influence the chemistry that regulates our health: “Heart Intelligence links the physical heart to the spiritual (energetic) heart. Through its extensive communication with the brain and body, the heart is intimately involved in how we think, feel, and respond to the world.” The HeartMath Institute is researching the role of the heart in processing and decoding intuitive information. This research shows what has always been known, that the heart is the centre of our instinctual and intuitive nature. It is the portal to the worlds beyond the physical.

“Everyone is one hundred percent intuitive about the things they need to know. If there are things that aren’t known, it simply reminds you what doesn’t need to be known at this time. While so many beings work diligently on developing their intuition, it is done in attempt to know more than each moment provides. No matter how crystal clear your intuition becomes, you will never see or know more than is meant to be revealed. In fact, without even working on honing the power of your intuition, you will always know exactly where to go and what to do at the moment you are meant to move. Until further instructions are revealed, intuition is not about imagining all the insights and messages you are missing. It is more so centred in the grace of ever-expanding faith to trust what already knows everything as it blossoms into being.” – Matt Kahn

April 18, 2016April 18, 2016

Do I Need Life Coaching or Therapy?

Do I Need Life Coaching or Therapy? ~ More and more people are becoming open to the idea of getting help with dealing with a number of dysfunctional issues in their life. For some, it is simple as hiring a life coach, and for the others, the issues are deep enough to require professional therapy from a qualified psychotherapist. Because life coaches and therapists share the same general group field name, “help-professional,” it can be confusing for some people to determine whether hiring a life coach will be sufficient or if they will need to work with a professional therapist.

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I offer the entire spectrum, functioning as a coach in my 1-On-1 Life Enhancement Coaching program and my Elevation and Empowerment course and I also offer psychotherapy and cognitive therapy engagement sessions. The Elevation and Empowerment course is more intense than the 1-On-1 Life Enhancement Coaching sessions, and it is meant to function as the bridge between coaching and behavioral therapy or counseling. The idea is to determine what is necessary for my clients during the first interview, and then develop a specific and unique plan that will help them address their dysfunction.

It is much easier for a person to acknowledge that they need a life coach than it is to admit that they may be in need of therapy. The truth is that while life coaching and clinical therapy share an ecumenical family name in the term “help professional,” the truth is that these two professions are more like step-siblings. Some psychologists have little respect for the field of life coaching, primarily due to the minimal requirements and training required to become a life coach, zero. While most life coaches have undergone some type of intense training course to become a coach, it is not a requirement, because the profession is not government regulated on any level.

As far as my personal assessment, I must say, in no ambiguous terms, that life coaching cannot accomplish what proven therapy techniques and modalities are capable of accomplishing, and it was never meant to. Therapy, by its very definition, deals with an illness or condition, while coaching deals with motivation, choices and behavioral adjustments. Life coaches can also be distrusting of clinical therapist, believing that we tend to over analyze and complicate matters.

The good news is that many therapists and life coaches are coming to a point where they believe that they can coexist, and even thrive, as long as there is a mutual respect between them. Because of the sometimes nebulous nature of the behavioral sciences, it can sometimes be difficult to determine where coaching ends and therapy begins, and this is still a very sensitive topic among the two professions.

So, how does a person determine if they need a coach or a therapist? Unfortunately, it is not something that is cut and dry, and there is no protocol. What I have found with my clients is that it may take a couple of sessions before I realize that a coaching client may need counseling or a counseling client may be better suited for coaching sessions. However, as a general rule, I will know after the initial consultation if there is a question or not, and when there is a question, I will not accept a client into my 1-On-1 Life Enhancement Coaching program, because it is too light to be of any real assistance in addressing the issues that must be addressed.

During the initial consultation, I am evaluating the situation to determine if there is a history of untreated trauma. I am also looking for other dysfunctional mental processes, such as the presence of cognitive biases and cognitive distortions that are present at a level that creates dysfunction. Are they simply afraid to come out of their comfort zone, or is their fear associated with a real or perceived life experience that has paralyzed their social mobility — limiting their ability to actualize their potential?

Sometimes people are simply being hindered by erroneous beliefs that minimize their own self-worth, subsequently reducing their expectations for themselves. Having emaciated expectations is highly indicative of some sort of issue with a person’s self-concept or self-image. It will depend on the origin and depth of these types of conditions when it comes to determining which would be best, counseling or coaching.

This is what I do know. Out of the thousands of people I have personally engaged, professionally, personally and casually, I have yet to meet a person who did not have gifted potential. So, when a person is not actualizing their potential, it is important to identify why. I don’t believe in consequences and superficial anecdotes. Every action is inextricably connected to its cause and attempting to address it without identifying causality will only result in frustration. While behavioral adjustments can be taught, they do not have the capacity to address the mental issues associated with what produced the erroneous behavior in the first place, subsequently leading to inexplicable relapsed behavior patterns.

What is Coaching?

I see coaching as a partnering or mentoring dynamic in which a coach will identify the potential in an individual, while working with them to unleash that potential. Coaching techniques are creative and provoking, inspiring the individual to ignite their potential. While coaching may allow the coach to identify more serious cognitive issues, it is not the most effective medium through which to deal with these issues.

An effectively trained coach will be trained to listen and observe to detect the strengths and weaknesses of their client, so that they can develop a highly specific program to accentuate the strengths while developing and strengthening areas of weakness. This is a performance-based relationship, designed to help the person maximize their potential.

What is Therapy?

Therapy is more of a relationship between the healer and the wounded. Much in the same way as the coach, the therapist has been trained to observe and listen, but they have also been educated in order to understand the mental and cognitive processes associated with human behavior. They are trained to recognize the presence of untreated trauma and mental disorders, and they are properly trained in the multitudinous techniques that can be used to treat the condition.

When it comes to determining whether coaching or counseling is best for you, it is best to meet with a professional to be evaluated. This is for certain. If you are dealing with unaddressed trauma, the presence of cognitive biases and cognitive distortions, as well as any other mental disorder or emotional condition, you should seek professional counseling, because any attempts to change behavior without addressing the thought processes the caused it will only lead to frustration.

If you are looking to actualize your potential, while learning how to live life at the level of your design and potential, I would love to work with you through either my 1-On-1 Life Enhancement Coaching or my Elevation and Empowerment course. If you are struggling with deeper issues that need to be addressed, and you are looking to heal, you can also email me at info@rickwallacephd.link. Remember, you are valuable, and as long as you are breathing, your life still has purpose. Don’t live another day separated from your purpose and potential. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace, Ph.D.

April 17, 2016April 17, 2016

Using Mindfulness to Rewire the Brain

Using Mindfulness to Rewire the Brain

By Paul Tingen on Thursday April 7th, 2016 | Courtesy of Mindfullnessbel.org

Using Mindfulness to Rewire the Brain

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Using Mindfulness to Rewire the Brain ~ Around twenty-five years ago, neuroscience went through a dramatic change in perspective that had profound implications for mindfulness practitioners, and that can greatly deepen our understanding of our practice and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. To be able to describe neuroscience’s big discovery, first some basic facts: the brain is astoundingly complex, typically containing some 100 billion nerve cells called neurons. Each neuron is capable of making thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of connections with other neurons using chemicals called neurotransmitters that transmit electrical signals along complex cellular pathways. “Thoughts, memories, emotions—all emerge from the electrochemical interactions of neurons,” writes Nicholas Carr in his book, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains.¹

How our Minds can be Trained to Make Life Easier

“Thoughts, memories, emotions—all emerge from the electrochemical interactions of neutrons.”

Cells that Fire Together Wire Together

Until the 1980s, conventional wisdom in neuroscience held that the brain developed during childhood until it reached a fixed form that remained the same during adulthood. This belief in the brain’s static cellular circuitry gave rise to a very limited view of human consciousness, a “neurological nihilism,” in which consciousness was seen as no more than the byproduct of these fixed pathways. With the emergence of the computer, the analogy was made that the hardware of the brain determined and limited the software (our feelings and our thoughts).

However, due to pioneering research in the 1980s, most famously by Professor Michael Merzenich,² this orthodoxy was turned on its head. Since then it has become widely accepted that the brain constantly rewires itself in response to changes in our feelings, thoughts, experiences, and the way we use our body. This phenomenon is referred to as the plasticity of the brain. In computer language, the software and the hardware inter-are: the software can shape the hardware, just as much as the other way around. Neuroscience today is governed by what is known as Hebb’s rule: “Cells that fire together wire together.” The brain gets less plastic as we grow older, but the capacity for rewiring remains.

The brain gets less plastic as we grow older, but the capacity for rewiring remains.

The Power of Positive Thinking

The idea of neuroplasticity has given new hope to people with physical, emotional, and mental impairments that had hitherto been regarded as unchangeable. Conversely, just as it is possible for the software to change the hardware for the better, it can also change the hardware for the worse. Moreover, in Carr’s words, “plastic does not mean elastic.” Neural pathways become entrenched, and the more entrenched they become, the more they resist the process of rewiring. The older, entrenched pathways are paths of least resistance amongst which neurons like to communicate with each other, propelling us to keep repeating similar feelings, thoughts, and actions. Every time we use a particular pathway, it increases the likelihood that we will do it again.

Says Carr, “The more a sufferer concentrates on his symptoms, the deeper those symptoms are etched into his neural circuits. In the worst cases, the mind essentially trains itself to be sick.” In short, whenever we’re stuck in habitual suffering, we’re not just wasting our life energy and time, we’re actively entrenching this suffering in our neurological pathways, making it more likely that we’ll suffer in the same way again. Suffering is not a free ride.

Every time we use a particular pathway, it increases the likelihood that we will do it again.

Rewiring for Well-being

There are many parallels between these theories of neuroscience and Thay’s teachings. The essence of our Buddhist practice is to use mindfulness to develop singularity of thought (concentration/samadhi), which can help us to get out of habitual thinking and feeling and help us to stop triggering our habitual neural pathways of suffering. Mindfulness, in effect, allows us to consciously rewire our brain for improved well-being.

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Mindfulness is intentional and based on our free will. Free will can be applied in many ways. An athlete or musician will construct neural pathways in his or her brain through endless deliberate practice. However, the practice of an athlete or musician will rarely be self-aware, and while it may push pathways of suffering out of sight, it won’t transform them. Mindfulness may be the only state of mind that is wholly deliberate and wholly self-aware, and that is able to embrace other states of mind, transform them, and foster well-being, thereby allowing us to consciously rewire our brain.

The way we use the mantra, “This is a happy moment,” is a good example. We train the brain to create and deepen a neural pathway of well-being that might not otherwise be there. Conversely, if we focus on the negative, we keep firing and strengthening the neural pathways associated with our suffering. We know that certain ways of expressing our suffering can make us feel lighter and freer, while others appear to deepen it. One main reason for the difference between “rehearsing” suffering and transforming it lies in whether we embrace our suffering with mindfulness or not. Another factor is whether we look at our suffering with Right View; wrong views trigger the very thoughts that cause and entrench our suffering. If we don’t embrace suffering with mindfulness and with Right View, we will almost inevitably be caught in habitual suffering. But if we embrace our suffering with Right View and mindfulness, and stop the thoughts that trigger it, we can transform the energy of our suffering so that it becomes available for our well-being. The light of mindfulness cooks the raw potatoes, so they become a joy to eat.

Thay has always disagreed with a widespread view in Western society that we can get rid of unpleasant feelings, particularly anger, simply through expressing them. He often warns against the danger of rehearsing these feelings. Neuroplasticity shows us that repeatedly firing off our neurological pathways indeed risks strengthening those very pathways. And so, again contrary to a lot of Western thinking, Thay has long recommended that people who come to Plum Village don’t immediately start digging into their suffering, but instead begin with watering their seeds of well-being. Once we are stable and our sense of well-being is strong enough, we can look at our suffering again and have a chance to transform it, rather than risk being overwhelmed by it.

Our Sun of Mindfulness

To describe these processes more clearly, I would like to build on Thay’s analogy of our practice as that of a gardener. A gardener transforms compost (the mud) into flowers (the lotus). A skillful gardener knows how to create a pleasant garden with lots of flowers and just enough compost to feed them. Being a skillful gardener of our own inner garden is our spiritual work of self-love. To offer another analogy: neural pathways can be described as a collection of gullies, brooks, canals, and canyons; our feelings and thoughts can be considered the water in them. Mindfulness has often been described as a light, and in this case we could extend the analogy by describing mindfulness as the sun.

And so, it rains and a rivulet forms: the first arrow has hit and we suffer. The Buddha’s teachings tell us this is unavoidable; life will fire us arrows. Suffering is inevitable. But if we don’t handle this arrow correctly, if we add other arrows to it with wrong thinking, the rivulet turns into a stream, a river, and eventually a flood of suffering. The one neural connection has turned into a pathway and is likely to join with other similar pathways, and all of them may be deepened. As these neural pathways are strengthened, so are the corresponding mental formations, and they will be more difficult to transform. And once this gully or canal or canyon has formed, new rain will be drawn to it, deepening these pathways still further.

There is a belief in Western culture that we have to go through our suffering (the dark night of the soul), but from the perspective of neuroplasticity and our practice, we cannot transform our suffering from inside our suffering. We cannot affect the course of a canal while being caught in the stream. We cannot dissolve neural pathways while firing them simultaneously. There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way. We have to step out of the stream and shine our sun of mindfulness on it. Only with the healthy parts of ourselves can we heal our afflictions.

When we’re suffering, streams (or storms) of thoughts and feelings run through us; and when we manage to breathe and become mindful, these streams calm down to a gentle trickle. As the water slows down, as the storm abates to a gentle breeze, the neurons stop firing together, and we no longer strengthen our neural pathway of suffering. The suffering, the neural pathway, may still be there, but it is no longer a danger to us. It is like the mother embracing her angry child: she holds him firmly, so he can do no damage, and also lovingly, so he can come back to his true self. At that point, the water can mingle with the earth and turn into mud, or it can evaporate in the light of the sun of our mindfulness and fall down as rain (our tears) somewhere else in our garden. In both cases, the water will help grow flowers rather than deepen the pathway of suffering.

When we consider this analogy, it’s easy to see why Thay so often stresses that we should not judge or suppress our suffering. In seeing our suffering as water flowing through a canal, we realize that we need that water to tend our garden. If handled unskillfully, the water can deepen the groove of our suffering; if we know how to practice, we can use it to grow flowers in our garden. The analogy can be extended yet further. Sometimes our suffering has become frozen, hidden, inaccessible: we may have become bitter or repressed our feelings. One can’t grow flowers with ice, so we have to first melt our frozen feelings.

Mindfulness practice in general, and sitting meditation in particular, are ways of strengthening the power of the sun of our mindfulness, or the power of our concentration (samadhi). But sometimes, if our sun of mindfulness isn’t strong enough to transform our suffering, we need the compassionate and mindful presence of another person. As the water starts to flow, we cry, and we begin to disarm and transform our suffering with our collective mindfulness. This is one of several reasons why practicing in a Sangha is so important. Neuroscience offers an additional reason, emanating from its research of a particular class of neurons called mirror neurons, which are triggered when we observe the actions and/or feelings of others, and which then fire in corresponding ways. Neuroscientists have argued that mirror neurons make empathy possible; and even simply being in the company of other practitioners will trigger mirror neurons that strengthen our own practice.

What Thay calls our store consciousness can be seen as the network of neural pathways in our brain, much of it inherited from our ancestors, with each seed corresponding to a neural pathway. Intense feelings, addictions, and many of the noxious things we consume in our society can strengthen our neural pathways of suffering (hence the importance of the Fifth Mindfulness Training). By contrast, the calming nature of our entire practice makes it easier to rewire our brain. There are no magic formulas or strategies; the crucial point is that we need to be very mindful, at all times, of whether we’re transforming our suffering or merely rehearsing it.

Living lightly offers more freedom and clarity to practitioners and also makes it possible to turn neutral feelings into pleasant ones—in other words, to turn neutral and often forgotten neural pathways into pathways that trigger well-being. It is, so to speak, far easier to cultivate flowers in the gently rolling hills of Plum Village than in the steep crags of the Grand Canyon.

1) All quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the book The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr (New York: Norton, 2010), which has been credited with giving one of the best descriptions of the concept of neuroplasticity available. The thesis of Carr’s book is that extensive use of the Internet rewires our brains to make it more difficult for us to handle deep thoughts and extended narratives. Some of Carr’s sources on neuroplasticity are:

* Pascual-Leone, A. Amedi, F. Fregni, and L.B. Merabet, “The Plastic Human Brain Cortex,” Annual Review of Neuroscience, 28 (2005).
* Michael Greenberg, “Just Remember This,” New York Review of Books, December 4, 2008.
* Norman Doidge, The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Science (New York: Penguin, 2007).
* Jeffrey Schwartz and Sharon Begley, The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force (Harper-Perrenial, 2002).

2) Carr, pages 24-26.

Paul “Ramon” Tingen, True Harmony of Loving Kindness, is an anglicised Dutchman who now lives in France, near Plum Village. Paul writes for music technology magazines and is the author of a book about the electric music of Miles Davis entitled Miles Beyond. Paul has recorded one CD, May the Road Rise to Meet You, and is currently recording a second album titled Metamorphosis. He ordained as an OI member in 1997. His website is www.tingen.org.

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April 16, 2016

Improve your Brain Power with Neuroplasticity

By Jacob Devaney | Monday, April 11th, 2016

Improve your Brain Power

Learn How to Adapt Your Brain to Life’s Changes

Improve your Brain Power with Neuroplasticity ~ Yes, you can teach an old brain new tricks! Neuroplasticity is a fancy term that describes this phenomena, but you may be wondering why this is important. Most people enjoy the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, but increasingly, everywhere you look, the world is changing at an unprecedented pace. It is never pleasant to see or be around people who clutch for control and remain rigid when the winds of change blow. Here are some interesting facts about what science is learning about our brain’s ability to adapt and evolve at any age.

A thin, tall grass grows around a tall, strong tree that has a thick trunk and giant branches. When heavy winds come, the thin grasses flex and bend effortlessly and remain standing in the morning. The tree will lose many limbs and possibly blow over and become uprooted. -Zen Proverb

It is never pleasant to see or be around people who clutch for control and remain rigid when the winds of change blow.

What is Neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity is defined as the brain’s ability to adapt, re-wire, and re-organize by creating new neural pathways. Neurons (nerve cells) can compensate as needed, either through consciously creating new habits, or in the case of injury and disease. This means that our environment and life’s circumstances literally change the structure of our brains!

Brain reorganization takes place by mechanisms such as “axonal sprouting” in which undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect neurons whose links were injured or severed. Undamaged axons can also sprout nerve endings and connect with other undamaged nerve cells, forming new neural pathways to accomplish a needed function.

For example, if one hemisphere of the brain is damaged, the intact hemisphere may take over some of its functions. The brain compensates for damage in effect by reorganizing and forming new connections between intact neurons. In order to reconnect, the neurons need to be stimulated through activity. –Medicine.net

Our environment and life’s circumstances literally change the structure of our brains.

What this means for You

This understanding is very hopeful for people dealing with trauma and unexpected injuries, but it is also great news for those of us feeling the pressure of changing times. Normally people prefer to assert their will on external circumstances to keep routines in place which don’t challenge us to step outside of our comfort zone. Unfortunately, life often changes beyond our control, and the ability to flow with these changes has to do with our ability to adapt mentally and emotionally. Some people may be naturally good at doing this, but the overwhelming evidence from research tells us that this skill can also be learned.

Another example of neuroplasticity has been found in London taxi drivers. A cab driver’s hippocampus — the part of the brain that holds spatial representation capacity — is measurably larger than that of a bus driver. By driving the same route every day, the bus drivers don’t need to exercise this part of the brain as much. The cabbies, on the other hand, rely on it constantly for navigation. – the Big Think

This is one of many documented instances of how our brains have the ability to adapt and thrive within whatever environment we subject it to. There’s a very popular book by Norman Doidge, MD called The Brain that Changes Itself which has a huge collection of case histories detailing the phenomena of neuroplasticity. One fascinating aspect of this research tells us that the same forces which allow our brains to evolve and adapt can also keep us stuck.

The hippocampus part of the brain is measurably larger in a cab driver than in a bus driver.

Change, Adapt, and Grow

‘Neurons that fire together, wire together.’ This means that the more we repeat certain actions, or re-play particular emotional states, etc., the greater likelihood that these patterns will become entrenched (for better or for worse). For example, if you reach for a cigarette or unhealthy food every time you are sad, you may become stuck in this unconscious habitual pattern. It can happen to positive habits like doing yoga every morning , but also the healthiest thing for our brains is diversity. Yep, if you are a creature of habit this is your invite to spice things up!

Our brains are like muscles. Learning new things helps to slow age-related mental decline and even improves overall brain function, plus it tends to invigorate, inspire, and create positive self-esteem. Sensory and motor cortices improve when we exercise our bodies, since the brain/body connection is central to balanced health. There are other interesting discoveries like that memorization exercises help the auditory memory, and handwriting can strengthen motor capacities, while adding speed and fluency to reading. Any improvement in one area of cognition seems to enhance other faculties and bring about positive changes in other areas!

Any improvement in one area of cognition seems to enhance other faculties.

It can be as simple as taking a different route home, or getting lost and finding something you have never seen before. Get creative, and you will continue to get more creative… Maybe challenge your tastebuds to try some new spices, or try a new yoga class. Wherever you are in life from stuck/rigid, to flowing/flexible your brain will appreciate the opportunity to impress you with it’s ability to change, adapt, and grow. Evolution is a participatory sport, and it is best appreciated fully conscious. You have the ability to create new pathways, all you need to do is teach the old dog some new tricks!

April 13, 2016March 26, 2017

5 Reasons Why People Fail to Succeed in Life

5 Reasons Why People Fail to Succeed in Life ~ When people come to me for advice on how to be successful in life, whether it is in business, relationships, spiritual growth, developing a healthier lifestyle, or any of a number of other things that they desire to be successful at, they are almost always surprised at my initial statement. From an experiential perspective, I have learned that most people have not even defined what success means to them. Their idea of success is immensely nebulous and ambiguous. So, my first response is to get them to determine what success means to them, something that is absolutely necessary to the process of becoming successful. If you don’t have a clear vision of what you are attempting to obtain, it will be impossible to measure your progress, and if you cannot measure your progress, you cannot make the necessary adjustments as you move forward — leading to capricious and counterproductive behavior.

Most people tend to define success based on basic and archaic concepts, primarily focusing on the number of zeros behind the prefix numbers that express the balance in their bank account. Now, while building wealth should be a priority, in and of itself, it does not define success, at least not to me. In fact, the attainment of wealth, without a clear vision, can be highly detrimental. Success should be judged based on purpose, and purpose is determined by design. When you observe the design of something that design is indicative of the purpose of the thing you are observing. True, authentic success is the fulfillment of your design. Some people are immensely charismatic, making them great influencers of those in their periphery, while others are exceptionally creative, allowing them to develop solutions to common and unique enigmas. When your idea of success is associated with your purpose, you will not have to worry about wealth as much, it will automatically pursue you.

5 Reasons Why People Fail to Succeed in Life

Once we move past understanding the concept of success, which will still vary with each person, there are some common inhibitors that often stand in the way of people living life at the level of their design. Following are what I consider to be the top five inhibiting factors as it pertains to success.

You Don’t Believe

We live in a culture that is designed to shrink the visions and dreams of the masses, in order to develop them into non-thinkers, who can be easily trained (mis-educated) and plugged in where they are needed within the corporate power structure. Most people become happy with the minimal accolades they receive from employers in the way of raises and promotions; however, very few believe they have the ability to pursue anything beyond what they have been told they are capable of doing. They simply don’t believe they are capable of achieving anything beyond what they are already doing.

The human brain is a powerful predictive and problem solving organic system, that functions based on multitudinous feedback mechanisms. The most power feedback mechanism is the “input” mechanism. Basically, whatever enters the subconscious will initiate the analysis-evaluation-action process, which ultimately will result in a final outcome. Here is what is important to understand, when your input is predominantly replete with stimuli that negatively impacts your belief in yourself to accomplish a specific task, it will deplete your desire and passion to approach that task, creating a deficit right from the start. Simply put, it is irrational to expect a successful outcome when you haven’t been successful at convincing yourself that success is possible. You must change your thinking.

You Have Allowed Others to Write Your Narrative

This inhibiting factor is highly apposite to deciphering the difficulty in achieving authentic success. Again, we live in a culture in which we are constantly being conditioned to fit into certain molds that usually benefit others more than ourselves. One of the most pernicious paradigms that pervades our culture is the “know your place/position in the world construct,” which suggests that there is this box that you fit in, and getting out of this box is absolutely unacceptable and offensive. People who display a certain level of confidence are often considered arrogant, and they are ostracized. The more docile and acquiescent a person is, the more accepted they are by others. Because of this dynamic, many people function through the proclivity to allow others to write their narrative — being more concerned with earning the approbation of others than fulfilling their own destiny.

The concept and philosophy of knowing your position in this world is transcended in its pestilential potential by the those who actually make it their business to thrust this idea upon others, and then enforce it with shaming, intimidation and scare tactics. As long as a person is consumed with the concern of what others expect of them, they will find it to be a Herculean task to achieve any level of long-term, authentic success.

One of the most pernicious phrases, when it comes to killing the aspirations of another, is the term, “Be realistic.” I absolutely will not allow that term to be used around me — it is limiting, choking the very life out of vivid and colorful dreams.

Overwhelmed with Fear

Fear can be paralyzing in life. People refuse to enjoy the outdoors because of fear. People avoid investing because of fear. People are risk adverse when it comes to relationships because of the fear of failing, so they end up settling, or remaining single. Some people fear failure, or what others will think.

Many times people will be consumed by fear, but not clearly understand what they are feeling. The first step is to identify what you are feeling as fear. Once you become aware of the presence of fear, you will need to determine what is causing the fear. What are you afraid of. Be very specific in analyzing the fear. Determining what is causing the fear will help you determine the best modality for addressing it with efficacy. There are a number of different methods for overcoming fear, including the Sedona Method, The Now method (focusing only on the moment in which you currently reside, recognizing that you are fully equipped for everything that you will face), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), and more.

You Believe that You Have Hit Your Ceiling

This is a common inhibiting factor that stifles success. The truth is that the only ceiling that exists is the one that you personally acknowledge. While others will definitely suggest the presence of a ceiling, they are most likely speaking from their perspective and belief. It is only when you personally acknowledge the ceiling that it becomes real. Never allow someone who has already given up on their dreams to talk you out of yours.

Confused about What Steps to Take

Often, people will have an idea of what they desire to do, but they will not have a clue as to the first step they will need to take to get things started. If this state of mind exists for too long, it will culminate into procrastination. Make a habit of taking action. While a great deal of gravity is given to knowing when to be still, very little consideration is given to the fact that success is a dynamic, requiring constant attention and responsiveness. Write down your vision, conceptualize ideas of what your success will look like, and as you visualize success, make you sure that you visualize yourself in the vision. See yourself succeeding.

As far as not knowing what step to take first, you live in the information age, and there is a wealth of information at your fingertips. Additionally, there are service providers that specialize in product and service conceptualization.

There are a number of other reasons why people fail to succeed. If you are a person who is struggling with achieving success in your life, I will be more than happy to work with you through one of a number of programs, coaching and counseling sessions, in order to help you identify what is holding you back. Success is not something that is achieved through passiveness, it is seized and possessed through an aggressive state of mind. ~ Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D.

How to Make the Law of Attraction Work For You

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When Your World Is Spinning Out of Control

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Bibliography

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Courtesy of Eric Thomas

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The Five Pillars of Intuition

By Azriel ReShel | Tuesday, May 10th, 2016 | Courtesy of Uplift Connect

The Five Pillars of Intuition

How to awaken and deepen your Intuition

Our Sixth Sense

The basics of Intuition

The Pillars of Intuition

Trust

Connection

Acceptance

Integrity

Innocence

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Do I Need Life Coaching or Therapy?

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Using Mindfulness to Rewire the Brain

By Paul Tingen on Thursday April 7th, 2016 | Courtesy of Mindfullnessbel.org

Using Mindfulness to Rewire the Brain

How our Minds can be Trained to Make Life Easier

Cells that Fire Together Wire Together

The Power of Positive Thinking

Rewiring for Well-being

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Improve your Brain Power with Neuroplasticity

By Jacob Devaney | Monday, April 11th, 2016

Improve your Brain Power

Learn How to Adapt Your Brain to Life’s Changes

What is Neuroplasticity?

What this means for You

Change, Adapt, and Grow

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5 Reasons Why People Fail to Succeed in Life

5 Reasons Why People Fail to Succeed in Life

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