Wednesday 3 October 2012

Connect the Mind to Love

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Click to go back to the main menu for Mickie Kent's Love Your Mind, Body and Soul Series

“When we look at science, it seems hard to refute the power of the brain. But the mind is a conductor between the body and what we term as the "soul" - that part of us that has feelings and thinks about things. We need all three working together to harness our true potential. If you can believe, then you can achieve.”
— Mickie Kent

The mind is a truly amazing tool. Experts say anything that you want to have, do, or be, your mind can make happen. I'll always remember how Scottish singer Susan Boyle came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent in 2009. How people quick to judge her for her appearance, before she shattered their prejudices with the power of her voice.

Boyle's life journey reminds us of the depth of human possibility and that it's never too late for our dreams to come true. It reminds us, too, of how easy it is to be judgemental and, while it’s cliché to say, how often we "judge a book by its cover". And the more often we do that, the more it signals a closed mind.

Things for s healthy mind
A healthy mind is one that is never closed to new ideas. Some experts call this the "always a student" mental attitude, where an individual is always seeking knowledge. Once you think you know it all, your mind shuts down to different perspectives. You're locked in a box, unable to think outside of it, and you lose your edge. It's always beneficial to be open-minded and eager to learn.

A real expert in self-improvement knows that the pursuit of knowledge is a life long journey. Confucius teaches that although you can't be friends with everyone, you can and should learn from everyone, be it a crook or a saint. Every life is a story filled with lessons ripe for the picking.

This is why the best life coaches never think of themselves as a guru. The "guru" mentality runs the risk of believing you're superior and that you can't learn from others. I feel uncomfortable with that kind of thinking; it's like saying, "I'm a million times better than you". But to be the teacher, you have to live the teaching - especially in the pursuit of self-mastery.

Read more about money-making gurus.

One of the rules I live by states, "Everything that happens to me - good and bad - is my personal responsibility. I blame no one but myself. These are the choices I've made - this is the life I'm living. I will accept the consequences of my actions." This may sound as though I'm being tough on myself, but it's only when you believe that you control your mind, that you can control your life.

Most people find it hard to believe that their brain functions can actually dictate how successful they are; it is such kind of thoughts and attitudes that hinder people achieving success in their lives. It's very important for any individual to know the importance their minds have in any activity they carry out in their lives.

There is a theory that the brain is the central commanding post of any human activity (although others dispute this believing it is more like a conductor or receiver as I mention further down); an individual brain's capacity and development dictates how well an individual carries out issues relating to life. People who have mental disorders find it hard to affect details of certain activities without supervision or guide. It is important for individuals to maintain sound lifestyles since they dictate the brain development acts.

There are quite a number of mental health therapies available to people who may have some difficulties in their brain functions. These mental health therapists aid individuals to think in specific ways in order to achieve desired mental cures. Patients visiting such mental therapist are encouraged to access basic information on how their brains work to affect different functions in their bodies.

It's very important to understand that the brain functions are synchronised with the body and soul and that the body and soul reacts to each activity that takes effect in the brain. People who know have slight insights about the functions of the brain get fast recuperation process from diseases than those who know nothing about the functions of the brain.

Have a healthy attitude

Research has it that a knowledgeable sick individual is able to influence positive affirmation in order to affect cure in their body; a mind that's hopeful can never be stopped until what's envisioned is achieved. There are quite a number of books written on how an individual can attain cure by affecting positive thoughts in their minds, such information are quite helpful to an individual who may be interested in attaining mental cure acts.

Bounce back with affirmations.

Reading non-fiction books or articles is very effective as the mind responds well to information it easily relates to. It's very important to an individual who may be interested in affecting self-development acts to note that results do not happen overnight and that one needs to be consistent and resilient to what they believe is possible. Anyone who gets into therapy without a resilient attitude comes out quite disappointed at the end of the day.

Preparing before getting into any mental therapy sessions in case of self-development acts is very important for it determines how first and individual attains the desired result. Taking each day as a step and means of attaining the desired achievement becomes the main source of strength to anyone who may be interested in affecting universal laws in attaining health therapies.

Experts in this area warn that effective mind body healing is a methodical step-by-step process - it requires training to understand all the fundamentals of mind empowerment. Only then does it become second nature to use your mind to influence physical healing. Once you master it (and anyone can) mind empowerment is thought to give you the capacity to heal any form of illness or ailment.

Award-winning oncologist Dr. O. Carl Simonton, founder of the Simonton Research Institute and a pioneer in the use of imagery therapy for cancer, was trained with a scientific approach to mind control concepts. Simonton understands that our minds hold a vast reservoir of power to create perfect health. And the key to this free, unlimited power of our minds to heal our bodies is knowing exactly how to use (and heal) the mind-body-soul connection at the same time. It's sometimes by some as psychosomatic wellness.

For the more practical of us out there, harnessing the power of the mind in this way is really another way to say that your attitude will affect your health and fitness, and thus changing your attitude may be the deciding factor in whether you achieve your health and fitness goals, or even how healthy you are. People who believe their health and fitness are determined by fate or genes are more likely to be unhealthy, according to a study by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.

Researchers looked at 7000 participants and their decisions to eat well, exercise, drink moderately, and avoid tobacco—based products on their personality types. The research showed a direct link between the type of personality a person has and a healthy lifestyle. The study claims that individuals with an internal locus of control (those who believe that what happens in life mainly stems from their own actions) are more likely to eat well and exercise regularly.

And even if the brain isn't the command post, it's true that how the well the brain functions will often dictate how the mind operates; if one has good brain functions then positive thoughts will always be produced in the mind, production of positive thoughts is the essence of any success an individual may achieve in their lives. However, some believe that as powerful as the mind is, humans for the most part greatly under use it.

Is your brain really necessary?

Remarkable research conducted at the University of Sheffield by the late neurology professor, Dr. John Lorber looked at the importance of the brain. When Sheffield's campus doctor was treating one of the mathematics students for a minor ailment, he noticed that the student's head was a little larger than normal. The doctor referred the student to professor Lorber for further examination. The student in question was academically bright, had a reported IQ of 126 and was expected to graduate. When he was examined by CAT-scan, however, Lorber discovered that he had virtually no brain at all.

Instead of two hemispheres filling the cranial cavity, some 4.5 centimetres deep, the student had less than 1 millimetre of cerebral tissue covering the top of his spinal column. The student was suffering from hydrocephalus, the condition in which the cerebrospinal fluid, instead of circulating around the brain and entering the bloodstream, becomes dammed up inside. Normally, the condition is fatal in the first months of childhood. Even where an individual survives he or she is usually seriously handicapped. Somehow, the Sheffield student had lived a perfectly normal life and went on to gain an honours degree in mathematics.

This case is by no means as rare as it seems. In 1970, a New Yorker died at the age of 35. He had left school with no academic achievements, but had worked at manual jobs such as building janitor, and was a popular figure in his neighbourhood. Tenants of the building where he worked described him as passing the days performing his routine chores, such as tending the boiler, and reading the tabloid newspapers. When an autopsy was performed to determine the cause of his premature death he, too, was found to have practically no brain at all.

There are also cases in nature where creatures have no brains, for example starfish. So, how do they know how and when to move without one? Well, echinoderms have a rather complex nervous system, the beginnings of a primitive "brain", but lack a true centralized brain. All echinoderms have a nerve plexus (a network of interlacing nerves), which lies within as well as below the skin. Although the echinoderms do not have many well-defined sensory inputs, they are sensitive to touch, light, temperature, orientation, and the status of water around them. The tube feet, spines, and pedicellariae found on starfish are sensitive to touch, while eye-spots on the ends of the rays are light-sensitive.

Of course humans are more complex than starfish, but there are also known cases in medical science, where people have survived after having large parts of their brains surgically removed. The operation is known as a hemispherectomy, in which half of a person's brain is removed. It's usually only ever done on very young patients, because their brains are still plastic enough (capable of adapting to various conditions) that the remaining half will take on the functions of the half that was removed. It's usually done when a baby is having seizures, and removing the part of the brain where seizures occur is the only solution.

Similarly, Professor Lorber identified several hundred people with very small cerebral hemispheres but who appeared to be normal intelligent individuals. Some of them he described as having "no detectable brain", yet they scored up to 120 on IQ tests. No-one knows how people with "no detectable brain" are able to function at all, let alone to graduate in mathematics, but there are a couple theories. One idea is that there is such a high level of redundancy of function in the normal brain that what little remains is able to learn to deputise for the missing hemispheres.

Another similar suggestion is the old idea that we only use a small percentage of our brains anyway - perhaps as little as 10 percent. We've all heard of the myths and theories that state we only use about 10% of our brain's capacity. Supposedly there are even studies to suggest that we don't even use that much. These cite a figure closer to 1%, and even lower. Some have equated it to living in a small, cramped closet in one of the many bedrooms that you have in large mansion.

Is the 10% brain a myth?

The trouble with these ideas is that more recent research seems to contradict them. The functions of the brain have been mapped comprehensively and although there is some redundancy there is also a high degree of specialisation - the motor area and the visual cortex being highly specific for instance. Similarly, the idea that we "only use 10% of our brain" is said to be a misunderstanding dating from research in the 1930s in which the functions of large areas of the cortex could not be determined and were dubbed "silent", when in fact they are linked with important functions like speech and abstract thinking.

The other interesting thing about Lorber's findings is that they remind us of the mystery of memory. At first it was thought that memory would have some physical substrate in the brain, like the memory chips in a computer. But extensive investigation of the brain has turned up the surprising fact that memory is not located in any one area or in a specific substrate. As one eminent neurologist put it, "memory is everywhere in the brain and nowhere". Some believe our memories are connected through the cells in our brains and energy fields around our heads.

What is general consensus, however, is that memories termed as "flashbulb memories" are not precise, detailed and persistent as once thought. We all have memories that feel as vivid and accurate as a snapshot, usually of some shocking, dramatic event - the assassination of President Kennedy, the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, the attacks of September the 11, 2001. People remember exactly where they were, what they were doing, who they were with, what they saw or heard. But several clever experiments have tested people's memory immediately after a tragedy and again several months or years later.

The test subjects tend to be confident that their memories are accurate and say the flashbulb memories are more vivid than other memories. Vivid they may be, but the memories decay over time just as other memories do. People forget important details and add incorrect ones, with no awareness that they're recreating a muddled scene in their minds rather than calling up a perfect, photographic reproduction.

If our memories lend a pattern to our lives, they also condemn us to repeat the past - especially when they concern traumatic events. We struggle to rid ourselves of the traces that are left in us by painful episodes in our lives; but these buried images never go away, only shift their shapes. With traumatic events, images of what has been seen can remain in the mind, many of them too painful to be allowed into full awareness.

But even if they can't be directly accessed by the individual, these memories continue to be active and return again and again through the channel of dreams, or other channels - such as creativity. Notwithstanding the limitations of general human recall, if unresolved they can keep coming back to us.

One myth memories are mired in is the one where an impact with the head can cause amnesia. Next to babies switched at birth, this is a favourite trope of soap operas: Someone is in a tragic accident and wakes up in the hospital unable to recognise loved ones or remember his or her own name or history. (The only cure for this form of amnesia, of course, is another knock on the head.)

In the real world, there are two main forms of amnesia: anterograde (the inability to form new memories) and retrograde (the inability to recall past events). Science's most famous amnesia patient, H.M., was unable to remember anything that happened after a 1953 surgery that removed most of his hippocampus. He remembered earlier events, however, and was able to learn new skills and vocabulary, showing that encoding "episodic" memories of new experiences relies on different brain regions than other types of learning and memory do. Retrograde amnesia can be caused by Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury (especially those in sports), thiamine deficiency or other insults. But a brain injury doesn't selectively impair autobiographical memory - much less bring it back.

But if the brain is not a mechanism for classifying and storing experiences and analysing them to enable us to live our lives, then what on earth is the brain for? And where is the seat of human intelligence? Where is the mind?

The brain as a conductor

One of the few biologists to propose a radically novel approach to these questions is Dr Rupert Sheldrake. In his book A New Science of Life, Sheldrake rejected the idea that the brain is a warehouse for memories and suggested it is more like a radio receiver for tuning into the past. Memory is not a recording process in which a medium is altered to store records, but a journey that the mind makes into the past via the process of morphic resonance. Such a "radio" receiver would require far fewer and less complex structures than a warehouse capable of storing and retrieving a lifetime of data.

Thus the theory goes that the brain is a conductor, and by extension some argue that memories can be transferred to actual physical objects and these residual memories may even be triggered by ordinary people. There's a lot of neuroscience now raising the question, "Is all the intelligence in the human body in the brain?" and experts are claiming they're finding out that, no, it's not like that. The body has intelligence itself, and humans are much more of an organic creature in that way.

Scientists have discovered that the stomach has a mini-brain of its own, suggesting that "gut feeling" is not just a euphemism. Tension in the abdomen speaks volumes about how you truly feel about something, beyond all arguments and rationales, and research shows the gut and heart can even affect our mood - re-opening the debate about the heart. Is it just a blood pump, or the seat of emotion? Were the poets right after all? Scientific principles in the field of neuro-cardiology reveal the startling discovery that the heart has an actual brain that tells the other brain in your head what to do - and causes the release of a cascade of over 1,400 hormones and biochemical changes in our body.

Does the heart have a brain?
Experts say science and the research shows that when we are feeling great - there is harmony between the two brains, and "coherence" is experienced, which is a state of optimal functioning - mentally, emotionally and physically. We then experience a high degree of focus, flow, creativity and balance. Athletes call it peak performance. Artists call it the flow state - where our nervous, immune and hormonal systems are in-synch. I describe it as a syngenesis of mind, body and soul. This theory would suggest then, that the brain as a physical organ is not a control tower that does everything, and the mind as we know it is like memory - "everywhere and nowhere".

An additional myth being dispelled is that as we get older, we immediately assume that it's all downhill after 40 (or 50 or 60 or 70). It's true some cognitive skills do decline as you get older. Children are better at learning new languages than adults (and never play a game of concentration against a 10-year-old unless you're prepared to be humiliated). Young adults are faster than older adults to judge whether two objects are the same or different; they can more easily memorise a list of random words, and they are faster to count backward by sevens.

But plenty of mental skills improve with age. Vocabulary, for instance - older people know more words and understand subtle linguistic distinctions. Given a biographical sketch of a stranger, they're better judges of character. They score higher on tests of social wisdom, such as how to settle a conflict. And people get better and better over time at regulating their own emotions and finding meaning in their lives.

But if this is the case, why aren't we using more of our brains and minds? There are a few that believe its because we just don't realise how much we are capable of. We have all the tools needed to accomplish almost any goal we set for ourselves right now and at whatever age. Although mainstream scientific thought refutes such theories on a under-used brain, in this context it's because most people don't know that the rest of the mansion exists, and so unfortunately live in a cramped little closet - and this limits our choices and options to improve ourselves.

By definition, we can't know what's going on in our subconscious and some believe that means you're controlled by whatever is stored in the dark recesses of your mind. Most of the time, you're basically a puppet - driven by forces from deep inside you, that you don't understand or know about. But it's believed once you realise that you have this incredible potential already in you, the next step is to use simple but powerful techniques to help your subconscious mind transform your potential into reality.

Ways to use your mind

Fortunately, experts tell us there are ways to get your conscious and subconscious mind to work together effortlessly. Such mind techniques have been around for many years, but few people know of them and even fewer still actually perform them.

Some say you can influence others using the subconscious mind‏. Using the power of the subconscious mind, you will find it easier to influence people, make friends, and solve problems. It all boils down to the way you program your mind to work.

The five techniques below show that programming your mind can have many benefits. With practice, you will find it a unconscious habit that you portray or pull off when interacting with others. So, here are the five ways to help you beat the competition and stay one step ahead.

  1. Develop rapport: When you establish similarities with someone, you will help their subconscious mind to feel as though there is a certain rapport with you. This can be done quite easily through the mirror technique; speaking at the same speed they use, or copying their expressions and body positions in a subtle manner will help them feel more comfortable when interacting with you.

    Over time and with adequate training, you will find that your own subconscious mind will remember to constantly mirror in a non-obtrusive way, and you will be able to build up rapport easily.

  2. Trust your intuition: It has been said that chess Grandmasters are able to beat even the most advanced chess computers because they are able to rely on their intuition. This is not just a feeling, but a hunch that is developed based on past experiences that will allow you to analyse what would be the next best move. Your intuition is based on skills and knowledge, so learn to encourage and trust in your intuition.
  3. Dispel myths about making friends: Some experts say it's not true that liking or disliking someone is a random and uncontrollable event. In fact, it's easy to make someone like you as the emotions associated with liking someone is controlled by the mind. If you understand and accept this, you will find it easier to put into place the little techniques that will help you move ahead by making the right connections at the right place.
  4. Appeal to what they need: Often in looking for friends or confidants, people search for someone who is similar to themselves and yet has something else that they would like to achieve. For example, professionals gravitate towards people who are equally skilled in the same field, but who have great knowledge in another field as well, or who are able to display greater leadership potential. Thus, you would do well to identify the traits that most people would like to achieve and actively display it, such as having self confidence.
  5. Position yourself: Look at yourself critically in the mirror, or survey a group of close friends. Ask them how they would describe you in a few words. Is this how you want to be seen by others? If not, take active steps now to change the way you position yourself.

    If you are able to correctly position yourself at work, you will find it easier to gain the attention of your boss, or get a step up from the competition for that next promotion!

Subconscious mind power is our greatest gift

The power of the subconscious
The potency of the subconscious mind has become a hot subject in the world of personal achievement for over a hundred years now, but experts say that it is only in relatively recent years that we're seeing proof on a scientific level, including quantum physics, about how the use of our subconscious mind power has a greater influence over how we attract situations into our lives.

Some believe the role the subconscious plays in limiting one's success, in motivating their buying patterns, in establishing their beliefs - in literally every aspect of one's life - cannot be understated. They say the evidence is in: the subconscious instructs the conscious what to do, what to say, when to act and more and it does so as much as 60 seconds before the conscious mind responds. The mind is very much like a large container that you can fill with anything you want, but then the quality of that input becomes its programming. I liken this to the old computer programmers GIGO meaning Garbage In Garbage Out.

Most of us desire to change something. We want to improve our lives in some way. Change is the theme of the day everywhere. Astrologers are also claiming there is a new level of energy, a higher sense of enthusiasm and as awareness, and as a result, some deeper divides. This can bring up passion on both sides of the aisle.

Pundits for both sides of a argument, but what isn't in dispute is that ultimately everything comes down to one word - change. Change is what the world needs, and change is what our energies celebrate, so we need to embrace it. Our time now is a time of change, but change is what most people resist when you get right down to it.

Change is actually attenuated by a fear of the unknown, but I always say fear can chase you, but it won't face you. Rather than running away from your fears and making them grow, turn and face them - and watch them disappear.

Change begins in the mind. Real change is not possible until there is agreement between the subconscious and the conscious mind. Claiming your right to succeed consciously may well be later undermined by unconscious/subconscious beliefs, motives and mechanisms. Experts claim that over the past 30 years they have repeatedly verified a simple hypothesis. In order to truly change - you must change your mind.

Think for a moment, what would you like to change? If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? What would you change that is changeable? Would you like more energy and enjoy feeling and looking much younger? Would you like a greater sense of inner peace? Would you benefit from a better memory or an enhanced learning ability? Would you like to improve or attract a relationship in your life? Would you like to find the perfect employment? Would you like to change your body image or end some addiction? Or how about becoming fitter and/or more athletic? Again, what would you change?

Which then leads to another important question - how do you change?

Does a thought weigh anything?

“Your fears can chase you, but they won't face you.”
— Mickie Kent

It's said that the shortest path to getting everything you want in life is by finding information that explains how the universe works. And one of the greatest secrets to all of the most important things in life is that, to see how the universe works in our lives, we can focus on our very own brain. It's believed that increased success, all forms of wealth and health can all be experienced by knowing how to fully understand and put to use the power of our thoughts.

I have often contemplated what examples I could use to communicate the power of a single thought to my readers. Our brains have been labelled as the three pound universe (the mass of an adult human brain) and in many ways is totally appropriate. But if our brains only weigh three pounds and we have literally millions and millions of thoughts stored somewhere, what does a thought weigh?

That might seem like a nonsensical question, but let's look at it more closely. It has been estimated that we think some 60,000 thoughts every day. In addition to our thoughts, we handle tens of thousands of bits of information as a result only of external stimuli. Others have approximated the amount of negative information each of us process to be representative of at least 90% of the stimuli we process. Indeed, some go so far as to say that for many, the vast majority of their inner thoughts are also negative.

Now if you think of our three pound universe in that way, then how much does all of the negativity weigh? Perhaps the true weight loss regime we should all endeavour to maintain is the one that's aimed at changing our thought patterns to align them with our true selves. Changing all of the "don't" and "you can't" and "you'll never succeed at that", etc., thoughts into ones that reflect our true human potential. In other words, every self-limiting, self-imposed notion that proscribes what we will try and how well we will do at it. This is the kind of weight loss that applies to most of us. As we move on towards more enlightened times, increasing numbers of people have become aware of the power of the subconscious mind and how it is linked to our personal journeys.

Some believe our subconscious mind is running the show backstage to our lives. The theory goes that every thought that runs through your mind is responsible for everything that happens in your life and your body. Every effect you see in your physical world has a specific cause which has its origin in your mental world. That's why you have to be really aware and careful of what you think. Thoughts are like a tape that always plays in your mind. What you experience depends on what you play. In order to change anything in your life. you need to change the tape first.

Studies have shown that every single thought we have is ingrained into our cells and into our DNA. Over time negative thought patterns can manifest in physical illness. It's even suggested that because these thoughts are in our DNA, any disease or illness that manifests in us can be passed on to future generations. Thus changing your thought patterns to positive ones can improve your emotional, spiritual, mental and physical states. It's about gaining total control over your life; creating your life on purpose, and not living by accident.

It is often stated that the most significant element which gives power to individuals is the gift of free will. Primarily human beings have the option of totally reinventing their own subconscious conditioning according to the things they choose to think about on a constant basis, and this is the key, as our lives are moulded by our most dominant thoughts. We've all heard the saying "you are what you eat", likewise "you become what you think about".

Read about the power of thoughts.

Now you may say - if everything is because of thoughts - why don't we feel it to be that way? Why do we feel at times that we're not lucky, that sometimes other people have a lot of control over our lives, that someone is cheating us? Why doesn't life appear to be fair - if it was all so simple - with whatever you think, happening?

Experts say this is because we are not aware of our thoughts. We do not know what we think all day. If we only knew, then we would realise that our life is a bad state because we are thinking "my life is so bad" all day. Thus we are told not to assume that we know our thoughts. Observe them. And then if you change them gradually, you will automatically create any circumstance you want by changing them.

Click here to rewire your mindset for success!

For example, take out a notebook, and for half an hour write down anything you are thinking. If you are thinking, "I want to scratch my arm", write that down, too. After the half hour is up, look at your thoughts. These are YOUR thoughts. They are practical evidence of what you are thinking. You might be surprised and say, "Did I think this?"

Now list out the dominant 4-5 thoughts out of these thoughts you wrote in the half hour. Next to each of these thoughts write down what you truly want to feel. If they don't match up, then you're not using the power of your subconscious to benefit you. Say you want to be better at managing your finances, if most of your thoughts are dominated by how "bad" you are at budgeting your money - well you can guess the rest.

Thus next time you think those thoughts again, try to be aware and correct them with new thoughts. This thought-writing exercise is pretty effort consuming, but try it at least once. You may be surprised by the thought patterns you detect.

More mind cures

There are various other thought experiments recommended by experts that you can try to gain mastery over your thoughts and, in doing so, gain control of your life. Some concepts have essentially been around for thousands of years, but have been repackaged for a modern audience to help us get at your own conscious beliefs.

The most direct way to consciously alter your beliefs successfully is to have a series of talks with yourself. Write down your beliefs - invisible beliefs are simply those of which you are fully aware but prefer to ignore, because they represent areas of strife which you have not been willing to handle thus far. The other way would be to work backward from your emotions to your beliefs. Both approaches require honesty with yourself, the second involves you using your emotions as an aid to help you get to the problematic mindset.

Subsequent to pinpointing those thoughts, there are various ways of altering a belief. Experts suggest generating the emotion opposite to the one that arises from the belief you want to change, and turn your imagination in the opposite direction. Thus you consciously assure yourself that the unsatisfactory belief is not an aspect of your reality.

If you have not as yet completely examined your beliefs, now is the time. Get out the notepad, search your emotions. See where the trail takes you. For example, an overweight person might say, "I will think of myself at my ideal weight", but they still overeat. In their mind's eye, they still see themselves as overweight. So they examine their beliefs further.

They may find that they believe they are not worthy, and hence should not look attractive. They discover that they are having these thoughts a lot during the day without even realising it. Or that they've been programmed from childhood to equate health with physical weight and they subconsciously think it's dangerous to be slim. Or they may find that they feel and believe that they are so vulnerable that they need the weight so people will think twice before they shove them around.

In all cases, once the individual is aware of them, their point of power is in the present. They hold beliefs that they can alter at any time. Another "mind cure" experts have recommended will take a little bit of time and effort to set up, but the exercise will only require 5 minutes a day after that.

Are you having trouble mustering up the confidence that you can reach your health and fitness (and any other) goals? Try visualising your goals as affirmations. Identify your goals and write an affirmation for each one, remembering the rules for writing affirmations:

  • Start with "I am" to bring it into the present tense
  • Make a positive statement
  • Use an action verb
  • Keep the statement brief and concise
  • Include a feeling word
  • Make affirmations for yourself, not others

Start by getting a notepad, index cards, or make some blank images using a photo editing programme on your computer. Then write on each card or add text to each blank image at the very top to identify all the areas of your life that need your focus and attention, or list them in your notepad. These could be personal growth, health and fitness, self-improvement, love and relationships, or something more specific.

Next, write a statement of purpose for EACH area. A statement of purpose simply defines what you'd like to achieve or "how" you want to live in each particular area. For instance, your index card labelled "Career, Hobbies, or Passion" might reads something like this:

I [YOUR NAME] use my natural gifts to create content and products that reach hundreds of people locally and thousands of people across the globe with a long term fat loss solution that solves their problems and helps them improve every area of their lives.

Writing your affirmations makes them more real and clarifies them. You can also say these affirmations aloud, with feeling, at least once a day for at least the next thirty days. Once again, make a point to write them in the present tense like it's ALREADY happening. This is very important because it programs your mind to believe this is "how" it is right now, which means you're much more likely to follow through and live out what you've just read.

When you've done that, block off just five minutes a day with no interruptions and read through your cards, or the list in your notepad, or make the images rotates on a timed image scroll, while you visualise them already achieved. The experts suggest that if you perform this exercise five to seven days a week achieve more, feel more of a sense of worth in your life, and get a lot more done.

It will also aid you in becoming more positive about yourself. Did you ever have an opportunity that you didn't go for because you didn't feel like you could do it? Do you sometimes feel like you cannot ask for what you truly want or say no because you fear being rejected? Do you feel like no matter how good you do things you're still not good enough or happy on the inside? These thoughts and feelings are not uncommon in today's society.

Remember, your mind is like a garden. If all you do is plant seeds of interruptions (when you interrupt others you're really only interrupting yourself), negative news, and media overload on a daily basis your garden (mind) will grow a bunch of poisonous weeds. And weeds, as we know, spread.

Now, we're not here to avoid reality; because you can avoid reality, but you can't avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. History will show how in 2012 we heard a lot of disconcerting talk in the media about recessions, crises, economic downturn, and other things that are wrong in the world that are supposed to make our lives difficult, but the times we live in are really days of incredible opportunity. It's an amazing time to be alive. We ARE here to take up our place in life, and grow a strong shield against external factors; but we also need to fill the mind with good stuff to keep the energy of shields at maximum.

Read why you shouldn't avoid reality.

Similar to the emergence for the judicious use of most of the things that affect our health, balance is the key here. It's all about finding the right balance between a modern lifestyle and what's right for you. Naturally, if your shield levels are too low, this ends up carrying over into other areas of your life in a negative way so you (and your loved ones) end up suffering. But if you plant seeds of positive thoughts, read your cards and visualise, experts say our garden will grow a bunch of healthy fruit in every area of your life, and you'll achieve more than you ever thought was possible.

Love is the true balancer in life.

However, experts do warn that this whole process could also stir up a lot of emotion as you work through your negative thoughts to replace them with more serving ones. You just have to program your mind for success and "believe" you can do it. Anything the mind can see, it can achieve. If you struggle with ideas on what to write just ask yourself these questions:

  • What are my gifts and my passions in life?
  • What do I really want to do?
  • What are my unique talents, gifts, and abilities?
  • What kind of lifestyle do I want?
  • What do I want to learn?
  • Who do I want to spend my time with?
  • What kind of physical condition do I want to be in?
  • How do I want to be remembered?
  • What do I want to be known for?
  • Where do I want to be spiritually and financially?
  • What's most important to me?
  • What contributions do I want to make?
  • What kind of role model do I want to be for my loved ones?
  • What legacy do I want to leave?

Your questions will be unique to you, but be bound by common interests we all share. These might also include:

  • How have you become who you are today?
  • What is it that you visualise yourself to be?
  • What do you want the final chapter of your life story to read like (as an endpoint that drives you to organise yourself in the present)?

When you are ready to truly answer these questions, it shows a degree of resilience that most people find hard to achieve. And this allows you to become invulnerable in the face of any circumstances.

Fulfil your potential

Any individual in any walk of life can become the best possible version of themselves. Some of us are gifted with natural talents, but if one builds on attitude, then there are only two things that matter: doing active good and having the willingness to be of value. Studies in anthropology have shown that humans are not only a socially driven species, but that we also thrive with delivering a personal touch to others.

It never boils down to merely what your talents are in the final analysis. Skills can be taught, but a helping attitude is difficult to instil in those who don't have it. If you don't have the attitude that seeks and strives to be unyielding in doing active good and willingly serving, then you don't have what it takes to become consciousness to the sacredness of live - and thus to its power which lies in our subconscious.

And it is not only doing good that activates our awareness. All things come together when you are passionate. Everything we do as humans originates from a feeling. Some experts will emphasise that no matter what anyone tells you, we are not derived from logic. Is it logical to love someone? So the question determining the power of your subconscious really is, "How much of a helping and giving person can you allow yourself to become?"

When you are searching and seeking, you will find what you are looking for. You have to allow what you are and wish to become effervesce to the surface. It literally should bubble over. All things come together when you are passionate. Passion clarifies and crystallises your mission in life. It also energises your life.

Passion allows you to digest and endure your experiences with resilience, using them for your benefit, selecting out what you truly need to galvanise the right attitude from within at all times. It becomes your second nature. Nothing can hurt you. Nothing can take that understanding away from you. In fact, every circumstance in the field of experience becomes your tool in finding inspiration toward what makes you passionate.

Discover your passions.

It's all about your resilience, your attitude, and your passion. Experts are constantly telling us that if we remember nothing at all, remember simply to become passionate. Remember to do what you simply must. It's that simple. Doing active good originates from your true passion. And that is what will make all the difference in the world for you.

This will not only bring out the best in you, it will connect to you the best and brightest and most positive people to surround yourself with for support and inspiration, whom you will inspire in turn. Don't you think that would make a huge impact on your life and your outlook? Playing up a level in life this way nit only raises your awareness levels, it links you to a stronger support group, and makes you strive to be a better person.

Going after your passion is not an impossible pipe dream. Experts say that what we love, and the will of the universe (God, nature or whatever you call that energy greater than, but within ourselves) for us is one and the same. We're all here for greatness, but we have to be "in" our integrity by doing the things we love. The most successful people are those living their top passions.

Passion is your best guide.

Uncovering and defining your passion will make you happy. When you're happy then you're overflowing with abundance. Then you're able to give value - to yourself, to others, to life. When you're in this vibration, in this mode your cup keeps filling so you feel you have to share. From abundance comes abundance, and abundance remains. You have to first have, in order to give.

Whenever faced with a choice or an opportunity, choose in favour of your passion you have clearly identified, and choosing things consistent with that. In other words, say yes to your own self-love. Many of us might not understand what the real concept self-love means, because we are so far away from it. It's not about being selfish, it's about uncovering your true self, allowing your light to shine. The more we all shine, the less darker the world becomes. We can't save the world, if we can hardly save ourselves. If we don't have self-love - if we can't love our own company - then how can we reasonably expect others to?

When we are in touch with our passion we have more energy, enthusiasm and creativity. In a business context "passion sells". Wouldn't you rather do business with people who enjoy what they are doing rather than someone who is just doing a job? Passion and productivity go hand in hand. Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and heart-focused effort. When you live from the heart, your habits of failure easily shift to habits of success. Happy people make happy employees and happy employees go the extra mile, producing greater results. This is how businesses turn passion into profit.

Experts recommend to do what matters and has meaning for you and the rest will follow. But do it with passion and it may become easier to accomplish. A visionary leader articulates their vision with clarity so people understand what it is, and with passion so others want to join them.

Passion is contagious. It can help you sell your ideas or products to others. Passion inspires people to do great things, to go beyond normal limits and to soar to new heights. Passion is the fire in your belly. It is when you are compelled to action.

Passion is the juice that will help you move mountains to accomplish your dreams and goals, personally and professionally. But experts are quick to highlight that passion without a plan can be wasted energy; but used to move your dreams forward, it is dynamite. Passion is a time management tool, too, because when you are doing what you love, it often gets done faster. The secret to a joyful life is to schedule more things into your everyday life that have heart and meaning for you.

So, how can we become more passionate, or start exploring what we feel passionate about? take the passion test below. Find your passion and bring it to your life. Here's how:

  • Use passion as the barometer to say no thank you when you have a choice. Clear away some clutter and make room for your dreams.
  • Go on a passion quest - take a period of time a day, week, month (you don't have to put the rest of your life on hold) to discover exactly what is it you are passionate about.
  • Think of three times in your life when you were truly feeling passionate. Find a common thread. Were you learning, teaching, risk taking, helping others, and having fun, problem solving? What was it that you were passionate about in all three memories?

Answering these questions will uncover more than you could ever imagine. Once you begin doing this you are going to produce the identical subconscious conditioning which has made other individuals prosperous. It really is just a matter of time before your actions and habits begin providing outcomes which are consistent with that thought process.

Experts point out that your primary task is to use your subconscious mind power to reprogram yourself for prosperity, because it isn't the method of principles that is applied which makes someone financially successful, healthy or successful within their relationships - it's actually about the individual applying the principles.

Which person is you?

Going back to Professor Lorber's research for a moment, I want to ask (what might seem like) the second nonsensical question of this article - but bear with me. The question is: If you can live with half a brain, what if I were to take two empty skulls, take one half of your brain and put it into one body, and the other half of your brain into another body - which person would be you?

You are you. You are conscious. You are aware of what is happening (to a greater or lesser degree) to you from the (limited or open) perspective of yourself. Think of it this way: If you just stare at something and feel what it feels like to be you, doesn't it feel like you're this thing inside a body looking out through the eyeballs? And nobody else on Earth will see the world from that position.

This awareness of your own experiences - the awareness that you're having your own thoughts - makes up what we call consciousness. But if your brain was split into two, and placed into two different people would both of them be new people who were conscious? Well one of the best places to start in defining consciousness to understand it, is to begin with things that have no conscious. For example a user sensitive application on your computer may respond to your movements or commands, but that's because it's been programmed to do so - it does not have a sense of itself; it doesn't feel anything.

It doesn't have its own inner life. It's just a programme that responds automatically to a user's inputs. Humans are not like that; I feel things, I have a sense of self, I have intentions. However, how do we know that you are like me? This is actually a philosophical problem known as the "Problem of Other Minds", and it's a very important question.

It asks whether something that may look and act like us, but has no feelings and doesn't "know" it's having it's own thoughts and simply responds automatically like a robot in the appropriate way, can exist. What is amazing about this question is that science doesn't have an answer, and it's unclear whether science will ever have an answer - let alone an approach to finding that answer.

Science does not as yet know all that happens to us after life leaves our bodies, either, but we cannot say with certainty that there is no explanation. All we've come up with are more impossible questions about identity, questions that are so befuddling that the best you can do with them is answer them yourself according to what you believe. In this respect, some believe we are looking at more than a human journey, and that there is a universal source with individual plans for each and every one of us.

This belief adds another dimension to using the power of the subconscious mind, which adherents say is even more awe-inspiring and amazing than simply mastery over your own life.

The universal connection

In relation to the power of the subconscious mind and our connection to the universe, over the past hundred years physicists have found that we are located within an enormous energy field and that also everything comprises of energy. The appearance which something is in (solid, liquid or matter) depends on the vibrational condition of this energy.

This has given rise to new therapies; energy psychology is a relatively new set of techniques that combine Eastern approaches to the mind and body with Western psychology and psychotherapy ideas. Practitioners of several forms of energy psychotherapy claim that tapping acupuncture points while thinking about an anxiety-producing event can cure anxiety and phobias. This stimulation is theorised to somehow normalise the body's energy channels and fields.

Although first experimented with in the 1980s, it's too early to know whether energy psychotherapy will really prove to be an effective technique. It could be that the techniques work; but that they work for reasons that have nothing to do with the human energy field. However, it illustrates that different kinds of "energy work" are becoming more popular among holistic health practitioners; and it's true that we do not yet understand much about the energy fields that surround the human body.

The intriguing thing about this is that when you utilise the power of the subconscious mind to alter your own conditioning, it's thought this starts the process of establishing a different form of vibration on your body. If the different kind of vibration is in sync with the energy of precisely what you really want, you will end up drawn to the things that you desire.

The theory goes that you are going to see them more regularly and you will be presented with flashes of inspiration from your subconscious mind, which will enable you to take the appropriate action that will attract these things to you. Recently, this way of thinking has become more mainstream and is more commonly known as the "law of attraction" or manifestation - but it is nothing new. Indeed, its proponents state that this is "a secret" that has been used by great thinkers and successful leaders throughout human history.

The law of attraction claims that the things that you possess in your life are caused by your current subconscious programming developing a vibration inside you that automatically attracts the things that you desire. One thing is certain here, and that is the practical aspect - learning to understand and harness your subconscious mind power is vitally important in achieving anything in your life. When you are in control of your own life, and you couple this with inspired action, then your desires can come to pass in your physical reality.

However, as you've probably noticed, just about every money-making guru and their brother appears to be talking about the "Law of Attraction", the "Laws of the Universe", and "Laws of Success" these days. So with all this advice being available on so many different alleged "Laws", how come so many people are still struggling to see any results from all the efforts they've been putting in?

One reason provided by experts has already been given - that your belief system could be so strongly programmed to a negative disposition, that no amount of visualising will help manifest your life. Experts put forward two major reasons for this.

The first is that the focus of the mind through concentration is the starting point of any manifestation. A strong intent is required to manifest. If your mind is wandering from place to place and you cannot concentrate for long periods of time, experts say you have a weak intent which is stopping your manifestation from happening.

To change this and manifest more, you need to increase your concentration and focus every single day. This means living in the moment, having only relevant thoughts and never letting your mind wander from place to place. Learn to grow your intent every day and reap the rewards.

The second is that you need to be in "the zone" to manifest. Experts in this field explain it as a super conscious state of mind where the subconscious and conscious minds are acting in total unison and harmony. You have perhaps been in this state before where everything seems to go quickly and smoothly. To manifest, you must learn to get into this state as much as possible. If you are not manifesting, experts believe it's very likely that you have not accessed "the zone" enough times.

It is thought that these two methods can turn your life around, but if the law of attraction doesn't seem to work for you and you're looking to see things in a new light, then another reason is that sadly there's a lot of incorrect and misleading information out there. The key to unlocking your power is within you, because it is about you aligning yourself with your authentic "flow" in life, and to see you establish a deep and genuine connection to your life's gifts, passion, and purpose. No principle will work unless the first principle is the individual. YOU make it work, not some money-making guru's system.

And once you realise that, you'll start to manifest everything you so deeply and truly desire; you'll see that life will come to your aid in making all your goals and desires a reality. All you need is a clear understanding that you have to go beyond the superficial systems laid down by money-making gurus for payment - however small the sum is.

The reality is that the only person who can present you with a real and comprehensive blueprint for manifestation in a different way that can really help you get the results you want is YOU. You become successful, wealthy and healthy first in your mind, and then it comes to pass in your physical reality. This means what happens to you next is ultimately up to you. No one can know you, better than YOU. Philosophy tells us that no scientist can; our bodies can still baffle modern medicine.

It's when you programme your mind and body to the flow of your soul, that you bring meaning to your life, and guidance to your control. That's when you're ready to really discover the deep, penetrating questions that truly matter to you. And using the results from your passion test, explore how you can bring more of this quality to your life and to the life of those you love.

How can you make your life more fun, educational or adventurous? Bring more of what you love into your everyday life. Proactively inspire others around you to do the same. Encourage people to bring their passion for fun, creativity, helping others or trying new things into their life more often.

Grow your mind and grow with its increasing awareness. Grow beside your loved ones; connect with your mind, connect it with love. Use this connection as a link up between your body and thoughts and emotions (your soul) and ignite your passions into visualisations, with a concentrated vibrational force that the universe will pick up and respond.

Then give something of value back into the world, share your passion with others. Increase your self-growth by inspiring people to dream big. Demonstrate the potential we all have in us with the right encouragement and mindset; because when this happens, everyone wins.

Yours in love,

Mickie Kent

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