Game: The Spirit Journey
This is a fun little game that will teach you something about yourself, perhaps something you never knew. And it's a lead-in for a future article on "The Law of Association" (a property of the unconscious mind, usually shows up in the field of Hypnosis), and eventually "Modelling" (another property of the unconscious mind, one of the foundational NLP skills). But for now - read the story, play the little game, and see what you learn about yourself... you may be surprised !
Let's begin...
Many of the ancient tribal cultures were far more connected to the world than our current society is. The world around them was not just a physical thing, but also a thing of spirit, of mystery, with man being a part of the cycle of things, both taking and also giving back to the environment. There was a great deal of respect for the world... sometimes respect of fear, sometimes gratitude for what was given. When an animal was slain for food or clothing, it was thanked with gratitude and honour for what it provided for the tribe, and it's life was taken out of necessity.
People in these tribes worked together, not just for survival, but for growth, the continuance of the tribe, and the future.
Being an adult member of the tribe is not just a matter of age, it was also a matter of certain shared experiences. When a child, male or female, would reach adulthood, the child would embark on a spirit journey. This journey would often have perils on it, challenges that were within the individual's reach yet required effort. In facing these challenges, the child would mature and gain wisdom that mere teachings could not provide.
The young adult would be given a small amount of food, a knife to use as a tool and weapon, and clothing, and then would embark on the journey. Although typically they would bring back something from a distant location as proof of the journey, the whole point of this journey was the journey, not the end goal, and the return back to the tribe, where they would be welcomed as a new person, an adult of the tribe. No longer needing protection, but making a contribution in whatever way their abilities dictated.
This journey was not simply physical... they would be open to everything the mind offered, anything in the imagination. This was called the "spirit journey", where the archtypes of the mind would come alive. Everything would be looked at with a sense of "how is this connected to everything else ?". The rains giving water, the animals being prey, or hunters, or guides. Caves being gateways to the depths of the earth. Everything had meaning. Sometimes the journey is purely in the physical realm, sometimes it is in the spirit realm....
Imagine you are there, now, and embarking on your spirit journey.
At one point, you find yourself journeying through the spirit world, drifting through a beautiful fog. The fog is your favourite colour.
Now: Write down what colour it is.... and give three words that describes that colour. Any three words.
(Go ahead and write it down before carrying on....)
You continue your journey. It seems like it will be a very long journey, and you have no idea what you will encounter, or what will happen.
While you are journeying, you are joined by your faithful animal spirit guide, your companion for your journey through both the known and unknown. It takes the form of your favourite animal.
Now: Write down what animal it is. The first one that came to mind.
Now: Write down three words to describe your faithful animal spirit guide. Just three words.
Put the paper aside for the moment, and come back to the present....
[Read past this point only after you've gone ahead with the above game]
What you have Learned About Yourself
In the first part:
The three words you used to describe the fog is how you see yourself. Your inner self-image, even if you don't feel that way on some days.
In the second part:
The three words you used to describe your animal spirit companion describes your ideal companion. It's not so much the animal you choose - but what that animal means to you, what qualities you see in it, how it makes you feel.
Disagree on the first part ? Then what's happening is you're listening more to the world's opinions of you, or measuring yourself against the standard the world is trying to have you believe in. But what you came up with is your inner self-image, the things you resonate most with. You resonate with them because they are your qualities as well, regardless if you are able to express them or not.
Disagree on the second part ? Then what's happening is you are consciously looking at what society is trying to impose on you for relationships, or expectations of others you are trying to live up to, or you are mixing it up with past relationships (good and bad). The result from the exercise is revealing what your unconscious needs for a lifelong companion, what it (and you) are really most comfortable with.
How does this game work ? It'll get explained in a future article.
Generally - it`s about how "what we think we want" and "what we really need" can be two different things.
We get to this information, which can sometimes be nearly impossible to get to any other way, by using the "Law of Association".
In a future article, I'll explain the Law of Association more fully (and that`s when I`ll explain how this game works). There is a lot of information that can come from these "Games" that you simply can't get any other way. It can also be used in a different way to not only get information, but to connect you with skills and abilities you have inside you that you may not realize you already have (that`s when it becomes `Modelling`) !
Cheers !
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
The Will and the Word Part 2 - Exercises
In Part 1, I outlined how people can train their unconscious minds to disregard their intentions, or even undermine them.
In this post, I'll outline how you can re-train your unconscious mind to work with you- to support your intentions, and your goals.
This will increase your ability to manifest your intentions... in other words, it'll make goals come easier, and things will get done easier. After doing the exercises I outline (trust me, they are very easy), it'll reduce barriers inside you that may be holding you back... it becomes much easier to get things done, and also makes it seem like there's a lot more time in life for doing things.
It'll also have the net result of increased rapport with your own unconscious. And build up intrinsic self-esteem, the self-worth that is completely independent of what goes on in the external world.
The way you strengthen this quality, your "will", is very simple. Here's the starting point:
1. Do what you say, and say what you do.
2. Do things for yourself just as you would do for someone you love and truely care for.
"Do what you say, and say what you do"
This covers being honest - and direct - to others. And just as importantly - yourself !
It doesn't mean you make your life an open book for everyone, or let people walk all over you, and yes, sometimes being direct means opening yourself up to critisism, but you want your inner mind to learn that your words mean something (you can be diplomatic, though - it's very possible to be completely honest, and also diplomatic).
It's also about keeping committments to yourself and others. Notice the word "yourself"... many of us find it easier to keep committments to others, and neglect to do the same for one's own self.
The guidelines:
1. Start off small. Pick things you have to do anyway.
2. Be persistent. Always do a few of these every day.
3. Progression and creativity: Gradually create and do exercises that have increasingly more impact in your life, build up to actions that make a difference to you and others around you.
The exercises - you'll have to create them for your own life. It's easiest to show by example.
Exercise #1:
Statement: "I'm getting up at 5:30am with the alarm, first thing is shower, make bed, get everything ready I need to take to work. Then have the morning coffee."
Change from "Normal Behaviour": Well, I'm already going to get up at 5:30am. So it's no extra effort - but I'm practicing making statements, and carrying through with them. Normally I'd wander around in a daze until after the morning coffee. Or I might hit snooze on the alarm clock. Sometimes I'd have things ready the night before - but with this statement, I'd hold off and do it in the morning... in the order I stated.
Effects: The whole thing presupposes an "order". So there is the additional (long term) side effect of squeezing out procrastination, and building up an organized lifestyle. By shifting around the order of what I'm doing, stating it first and then carrying it out - I'm establishing a new pattern... training my unconscious mind that what I say I'm going to do is going to happen.
Comments: And the whole thing is "no extra effort". All I've done is made a statement of what I'm going to do, and carried it out exactly as stated. I had to do all of the above anyway - but now I'm putting it to words first, then actions. That's the key to establishing a new pattern. The next day, I may say the exact same thing. Or not - but regardless, I will follow through with my stated actions, exactly as stated.
Exercise #2:
Statement: "I will have my stuff ready for work the night before. Tommorrow morning I'll be up at 5:40am, shower before anything else is done. I'll have my coffee on the way to work, not before. I'll be out of the apartment at 6:05am, no sooner and no later."
Effects, Comments: As exercise #1, but the shift is to prevent this from being a singular new pattern formed (the above exercise) to the pattern being following through the words, so if the words change patterns change as well. It's very important to "mix things up" occasionally this way. Note the statement "out of the apartment at 6:05am, no sooner and no later.". So if you're ready to go at 6:00am... wait till 6:05am !!
Exercise #3:
Statement: Pick something you usually indulge in, and then pick a small period where you will deny it for yourself. For a smoker, this could be cigarettes. For a coffee drinker, coffee. "Between 9am and 11am, I will not have coffee. Anytime after 11am, I will have my coffee".
Effect: You are training your unconscious to follow your stated intentions... but you are also leaving room for ambiguity. "Anytime after 11am" does not mean you'll have your vice at 11am, just that it will be at that time or later.
Comment: It is very important to "not script your life". Life is improvised, there has to be space for random events, or taking advantages of opportunities. The above "Statement of words" establishes the pattern of your words meaning something, it commits you to "not have your <vice>" during that timeframe, you can indulge as opportunity presents after.
Exercise #4:
Statement: "This morning, I'll drive to work without making any side trips.". The next day - "I will drive home from work without making side trips". On some other day - "I will drive home from work, and stop at <whatever store> for <whatever item I need at home>.". Then follow through.
Effect: Three different examples, really. The first one ("without making any side trips") trains up a pattern of directness. Ie, no distractions, no getting sidetracked. The second one is much the same - but there's usually more temptation in the drive home, since we usually aren't as scheduled... so there's more "weight" to that exercise. Here's the catch : If something comes up during the day - no matter how important - you MUST carry through. Even if the moment after you get home, you have to go out again ! In the final statement, where you state you'll make that ONE stop, you are training your mind to REMEMBER stops along any journey or goal that are necessary for that journey or goal... provided you outlined them ahead of time !
The above exercises are good "samples", outlining the various scenarios - I will give more advanced exercises later in a follow-up to this article. Creating exercises similiar to the above that apply to your life (more than just four - the four given were just to illustrate that it's easy to do, and the different types), and following through with them, will gradually strengthen your ability to "make things happen". You may even get comments from others on your "self-discipline" or "strength of will". Effects will ripple out to other areas of your life - but for now, just do the above.
There is one VERY IMPORTANT POINT : Shifting Priorities. Sooner or later, there will be times that something happens where you have to "break your word". Keep these times to zero. Because then you are training "exceptions", which defeats the whole point of the above. Whatever causes you to "break your word" will become part of the pattern, so choose consciously "Is this an exception that is permissible?". Then next time work that into your statements. ("I will go straight home from work once I finish work for the day. The only exception is if my child calls and needs a ride home.").
"Do things for yourself just as you would do for someone you love and truely care for"
It feels nice to look after someone we love, be it by giving them time, or helping them out with something. We feel we've added to the person's life, and feel happier ourselves for it. But how often to we take the time, or make the effort, to do something for one's own self that is an act of love ? Not materialistic - but something of value.
Buying someone something nice is an act of materialism. That's ok, but for our purposes, we need to switch to "valuable yet not materialistic". What we want to do has more to deal with "effort".
Exercise:
Look around the house for simple little things you can do NOW that will make your life easier LATER. For example - sorting out the mail/bills/budget so you don't have to worry about it later. Pick one. Just one.
Statement: Then say "I'm going to do this <pick date and time to start, perhaps number of hours you'll spend on it - whatever fits best>. I'm doing this because it will make my life easier later, one less thing to have to do in the future, because I'm worth the effort.". The carry through with it. For this sort of exercise, it is VERY important to do it !!!
Effect: Besides it actually making your life easier, and strengthening the "will", it will start building up (or rebuilding, or strengthening) intrinsic self-esteem, self-worth. This will ripple out to many areas of your life over time. And make it easy to spot someone trying to take advantage of you, and resist their manipulations (it won't make you immune - but it will defeat manipulation attempts that are based on selling you something "for you to feel worthwhile"... you'll have a sense of self-worth, and be able to see through these attempts).
Troubleshooting, and Additional Tips
I'm throwing this in as an afterthought.
1. "I've made my statements, but have problems carrying through with them."
Solution: Go smaller. If you're a smoker, and say you're going to quit - that HUGE. Pick really small things, and work up to the big things. That's good common sense. Yes - it is possible to build up the will to the point where you can say "No more smoking. I can go without, and any side effects will not bother me at all, I can ignore them". But that'll take time. Start off small with the things you need to do anyway, then add more gradually.
2. "Is it possible for this to backfire ?"
Unfortunately, yes... that's how the will gets broken down in the first place. Saying things, and not carrying through. In the second exercise, this is particularly dangerous since it sends a message to your unconscious that you "aren't worth it". So it's really good to start small. Build up over time. If you stumble, go back to things a bit easier, and continue to work upwards.
3. MAKE LISTS !
Often, when we forget things - this is self-sabotage. It's an expression of the pattern we "accidentally" installed. So, for some of these exercises - make up a list. Then go through them and check them off as you do it. This will prevent the previously installed pattern, the one of "not following through with the will", from manifesting through "bad memory". Eventually, you will not need lists anymore. (And you can add "I will follow through this list" to your statements as well, use the pattern to strengthen the new pattern of "strong will").
4. Leave space for "random events" and "opportunities".
Remember life is improvised, not scripted. You don't want to make a list of everything you will be doing for the day, and then make up exercises for them, you just want a few things each day. It's the "meaningful events" you want to set the patterns for. Conversely - you may want to say "I will go out to the bookstore - and look for an opportunity to change someone's bad day to a good day". This is "leaving a space for something eventful to happen, if opporunity permits". This is a more advanced exercise that really warrents it's own article. The real point I'm making is to leave space to enjoy randomness in life. Don't box yourself into a static life.
5. Keep a Journal
This isn't really necessary - but it is a nice to have to look back on later. It's a re-affirmation that you did it, that you can do it. And if you falter someday and need to start again - it's proof that when you put your mind to it, you can and will do it.
The most important thing : Be persistant. Keep at it.
Hope these exercises will lead folks to a better future, one where they can dream up good things - and then make them come true !
In this post, I'll outline how you can re-train your unconscious mind to work with you- to support your intentions, and your goals.
This will increase your ability to manifest your intentions... in other words, it'll make goals come easier, and things will get done easier. After doing the exercises I outline (trust me, they are very easy), it'll reduce barriers inside you that may be holding you back... it becomes much easier to get things done, and also makes it seem like there's a lot more time in life for doing things.
It'll also have the net result of increased rapport with your own unconscious. And build up intrinsic self-esteem, the self-worth that is completely independent of what goes on in the external world.
The way you strengthen this quality, your "will", is very simple. Here's the starting point:
1. Do what you say, and say what you do.
2. Do things for yourself just as you would do for someone you love and truely care for.
"Do what you say, and say what you do"
This covers being honest - and direct - to others. And just as importantly - yourself !
It doesn't mean you make your life an open book for everyone, or let people walk all over you, and yes, sometimes being direct means opening yourself up to critisism, but you want your inner mind to learn that your words mean something (you can be diplomatic, though - it's very possible to be completely honest, and also diplomatic).
It's also about keeping committments to yourself and others. Notice the word "yourself"... many of us find it easier to keep committments to others, and neglect to do the same for one's own self.
The guidelines:
1. Start off small. Pick things you have to do anyway.
2. Be persistent. Always do a few of these every day.
3. Progression and creativity: Gradually create and do exercises that have increasingly more impact in your life, build up to actions that make a difference to you and others around you.
The exercises - you'll have to create them for your own life. It's easiest to show by example.
Exercise #1:
Statement: "I'm getting up at 5:30am with the alarm, first thing is shower, make bed, get everything ready I need to take to work. Then have the morning coffee."
Change from "Normal Behaviour": Well, I'm already going to get up at 5:30am. So it's no extra effort - but I'm practicing making statements, and carrying through with them. Normally I'd wander around in a daze until after the morning coffee. Or I might hit snooze on the alarm clock. Sometimes I'd have things ready the night before - but with this statement, I'd hold off and do it in the morning... in the order I stated.
Effects: The whole thing presupposes an "order". So there is the additional (long term) side effect of squeezing out procrastination, and building up an organized lifestyle. By shifting around the order of what I'm doing, stating it first and then carrying it out - I'm establishing a new pattern... training my unconscious mind that what I say I'm going to do is going to happen.
Comments: And the whole thing is "no extra effort". All I've done is made a statement of what I'm going to do, and carried it out exactly as stated. I had to do all of the above anyway - but now I'm putting it to words first, then actions. That's the key to establishing a new pattern. The next day, I may say the exact same thing. Or not - but regardless, I will follow through with my stated actions, exactly as stated.
Exercise #2:
Statement: "I will have my stuff ready for work the night before. Tommorrow morning I'll be up at 5:40am, shower before anything else is done. I'll have my coffee on the way to work, not before. I'll be out of the apartment at 6:05am, no sooner and no later."
Effects, Comments: As exercise #1, but the shift is to prevent this from being a singular new pattern formed (the above exercise) to the pattern being following through the words, so if the words change patterns change as well. It's very important to "mix things up" occasionally this way. Note the statement "out of the apartment at 6:05am, no sooner and no later.". So if you're ready to go at 6:00am... wait till 6:05am !!
Exercise #3:
Statement: Pick something you usually indulge in, and then pick a small period where you will deny it for yourself. For a smoker, this could be cigarettes. For a coffee drinker, coffee. "Between 9am and 11am, I will not have coffee. Anytime after 11am, I will have my coffee".
Effect: You are training your unconscious to follow your stated intentions... but you are also leaving room for ambiguity. "Anytime after 11am" does not mean you'll have your vice at 11am, just that it will be at that time or later.
Comment: It is very important to "not script your life". Life is improvised, there has to be space for random events, or taking advantages of opportunities. The above "Statement of words" establishes the pattern of your words meaning something, it commits you to "not have your <vice>" during that timeframe, you can indulge as opportunity presents after.
Exercise #4:
Statement: "This morning, I'll drive to work without making any side trips.". The next day - "I will drive home from work without making side trips". On some other day - "I will drive home from work, and stop at <whatever store> for <whatever item I need at home>.". Then follow through.
Effect: Three different examples, really. The first one ("without making any side trips") trains up a pattern of directness. Ie, no distractions, no getting sidetracked. The second one is much the same - but there's usually more temptation in the drive home, since we usually aren't as scheduled... so there's more "weight" to that exercise. Here's the catch : If something comes up during the day - no matter how important - you MUST carry through. Even if the moment after you get home, you have to go out again ! In the final statement, where you state you'll make that ONE stop, you are training your mind to REMEMBER stops along any journey or goal that are necessary for that journey or goal... provided you outlined them ahead of time !
The above exercises are good "samples", outlining the various scenarios - I will give more advanced exercises later in a follow-up to this article. Creating exercises similiar to the above that apply to your life (more than just four - the four given were just to illustrate that it's easy to do, and the different types), and following through with them, will gradually strengthen your ability to "make things happen". You may even get comments from others on your "self-discipline" or "strength of will". Effects will ripple out to other areas of your life - but for now, just do the above.
There is one VERY IMPORTANT POINT : Shifting Priorities. Sooner or later, there will be times that something happens where you have to "break your word". Keep these times to zero. Because then you are training "exceptions", which defeats the whole point of the above. Whatever causes you to "break your word" will become part of the pattern, so choose consciously "Is this an exception that is permissible?". Then next time work that into your statements. ("I will go straight home from work once I finish work for the day. The only exception is if my child calls and needs a ride home.").
"Do things for yourself just as you would do for someone you love and truely care for"
It feels nice to look after someone we love, be it by giving them time, or helping them out with something. We feel we've added to the person's life, and feel happier ourselves for it. But how often to we take the time, or make the effort, to do something for one's own self that is an act of love ? Not materialistic - but something of value.
Buying someone something nice is an act of materialism. That's ok, but for our purposes, we need to switch to "valuable yet not materialistic". What we want to do has more to deal with "effort".
Exercise:
Look around the house for simple little things you can do NOW that will make your life easier LATER. For example - sorting out the mail/bills/budget so you don't have to worry about it later. Pick one. Just one.
Statement: Then say "I'm going to do this <pick date and time to start, perhaps number of hours you'll spend on it - whatever fits best>. I'm doing this because it will make my life easier later, one less thing to have to do in the future, because I'm worth the effort.". The carry through with it. For this sort of exercise, it is VERY important to do it !!!
Effect: Besides it actually making your life easier, and strengthening the "will", it will start building up (or rebuilding, or strengthening) intrinsic self-esteem, self-worth. This will ripple out to many areas of your life over time. And make it easy to spot someone trying to take advantage of you, and resist their manipulations (it won't make you immune - but it will defeat manipulation attempts that are based on selling you something "for you to feel worthwhile"... you'll have a sense of self-worth, and be able to see through these attempts).
Troubleshooting, and Additional Tips
I'm throwing this in as an afterthought.
1. "I've made my statements, but have problems carrying through with them."
Solution: Go smaller. If you're a smoker, and say you're going to quit - that HUGE. Pick really small things, and work up to the big things. That's good common sense. Yes - it is possible to build up the will to the point where you can say "No more smoking. I can go without, and any side effects will not bother me at all, I can ignore them". But that'll take time. Start off small with the things you need to do anyway, then add more gradually.
2. "Is it possible for this to backfire ?"
Unfortunately, yes... that's how the will gets broken down in the first place. Saying things, and not carrying through. In the second exercise, this is particularly dangerous since it sends a message to your unconscious that you "aren't worth it". So it's really good to start small. Build up over time. If you stumble, go back to things a bit easier, and continue to work upwards.
3. MAKE LISTS !
Often, when we forget things - this is self-sabotage. It's an expression of the pattern we "accidentally" installed. So, for some of these exercises - make up a list. Then go through them and check them off as you do it. This will prevent the previously installed pattern, the one of "not following through with the will", from manifesting through "bad memory". Eventually, you will not need lists anymore. (And you can add "I will follow through this list" to your statements as well, use the pattern to strengthen the new pattern of "strong will").
4. Leave space for "random events" and "opportunities".
Remember life is improvised, not scripted. You don't want to make a list of everything you will be doing for the day, and then make up exercises for them, you just want a few things each day. It's the "meaningful events" you want to set the patterns for. Conversely - you may want to say "I will go out to the bookstore - and look for an opportunity to change someone's bad day to a good day". This is "leaving a space for something eventful to happen, if opporunity permits". This is a more advanced exercise that really warrents it's own article. The real point I'm making is to leave space to enjoy randomness in life. Don't box yourself into a static life.
5. Keep a Journal
This isn't really necessary - but it is a nice to have to look back on later. It's a re-affirmation that you did it, that you can do it. And if you falter someday and need to start again - it's proof that when you put your mind to it, you can and will do it.
The most important thing : Be persistant. Keep at it.
Hope these exercises will lead folks to a better future, one where they can dream up good things - and then make them come true !
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