Tag Archives: Safety

Listen to Your Amazing Brain

Sometimes when you come across something new, some of us can have a tendency to compare it to things that you imagine that it is similar to, even though you haven’t decided to spend a lot of time investigating this. Neuro- scientists believe that because of the way the brain categorizes things fairly quickly, sometimes we put things into categories that they don’t really belong to. They tell us that this unconscious behavior is a leftover from evolution, and that while it served us well for hundreds and thousands of years it can give us trouble in modern society.

There is much disagreement on how “blank” of a slate we start out in life. There are the scientists that believe we are completely blank, and everything is culturally programmed into us. Then there are those that believe we start out with some kind of a filing system already in place, but it is completely empty. So that when we grow and move through life and experience new things, this pre-formatted filing system is filled up.

Whether we start completely blank, or start with a pre formatted filing system, most agree that we end up with some kind of system where we have categories our minds that things we experience gets put into. One of the fascinating aspects of this is that most of the time, our pre conscious processor takes the external stimulation, and decides on what category it belongs to (whatever it is!) before we are even consciously aware of what is going on. This is where those uncomfortable emotions come from when they seemingly come out of nowhere. Our brain sees something in the outside world, and decides it belongs in a category of danger or trauma, and that touches of a cascade of emotions. This is what people mean sometimes when they say they are “blindsided.”

For example, lets say you used to be in a relationship with somebody. It was going really well, and then suddenly it ended, to much emotional pain. That was years ago. You’ve completely forgotten about it (or so you think!) and you’re out walking around. You see somebody that doesn’t even remind you of them, so you don’t consciously think of them, but they happen to have the same kind of poodle that your ex had. The important thing to remember is you don’t realize any of this consciously. Your pre conscious processor sees the person, their clothes, and the poodle, and it searches your memory for similar items. It comes up with the poodle, and the corresponding feelings that the poodle unconsciously reminds you of. It’s important to keep in mind that the actual memories don’t necessarily come up, but the transient emotions do. So all of a sudden you’ll be feeling kind of icky for no good reason.

The brain is amazing this way. Sometimes stray thoughts will pop up out of nowhere, thoughts you haven’t had in many years. And although you realize you are thinking those old thoughts, you can’t put your finger on what triggered them. Your brain is always sorting through everything that comes in through your five senses, and comparing it to everything that’s ever happened to you, to decide where to put the information in your brain, and whether or not to bring it to your conscious awareness. It does this in a fraction of a second. So when you have those stray thoughts, something you saw, heard, smelled, or physically felt or tasted somehow reminded of you of some aspect of it. And our incredibly fast and incredibly smart brain has decided that there is some reason it’s given you the memory.

So what do you do? What do you do when you are eating chocolate ice cream and suddenly you have a childhood memory that has nothing whatsoever to do with ice cream? Simply accept the memory, and ask yourself if you have any unfinished business regarding that memory. Do you need to forgive somebody? Do you need to release some emotion so you can get on with your life? Do you need to remember to do something? Sometimes those memories are a warning of something that is coming up that you need to be careful about.

Once I was having a recurring memory of Magic Johnson when he pulled his hamstrings in the NBA finals several years ago. I had no idea why, but it flashed in my mind a few times over the course of several days. Later that week, I was in a situation where running outside was an appropriate behavior. When the time came for me to run, I took off sprinting. Within a few strides, I felt a sharp pull in my hamstring.

Had I been paying attention, I would have realized that my brain was looking into the future (I already knew I would be in the running situation) and warning me to stretch, or be careful, or go slow. Because I ignored the warning, I suffered the consequences.

The brain is a wonderful tool designed by our creator, or millions of years of evolution, or Mother Nature, whichever you choose to believe. Scientists are only beginning to understand how it operates. But that doesn’t mean you can use those seemingly random thoughts you get from time to time. You brain is trying to tell you something. See what happens when you listen to your own wisdom.

The I-Have-No-Clue Method of Increasing Wisdom and Happiness

One of the best ways to find a good place to eat is ask local people. I’ve found more really good restaurants by asking locals and ignoring guidebooks and restaurant review guides than anything else. There are some interesting reasons why this is so. One of the main thoughts is to consider why the person is reviewing the particular restaurant. Some restaurant reviewers are concerned solely with reporting the quality of the food and the service as accurately as possible. Others seem to want to promote their own article writing skills, or their own culinary expertise. Of course, if that kind of thing is important to you, eating in a restaurant that has been compared with many other well-known and famous restaurants, then by all means. And I mean that sincerely, without any sarcasm.

My favorite kind of food is cheap and good. I am not a big fan of ambiance, or presentation, or the view from my table. I’m not even that concerned with the cleanliness of the restaurant. Some of my all time favorite meals have been eaten for less than a few dollars from street vendors of questionable sanitation.
Tacos in Mexico, Grilled chicken in Thailand, who knows what in Taiwan. It’s all cheap, and it’s all good.

I guess the difference is asking somebody who really knows, versus asking somebody who wants to pretend that they know, or is afraid of admitting that they don’t know. Sometimes one is a cover up for the other, and vice versa. Here in Japan it is considered socially rude to say, “I don’t know” to a customer. I learned that the hard way when I went looking for a specific map. I went to three bookstores before I realized that they didn’t have the map I was looking for. But because of social rules and constraints, they could only tell me to try and search in another bookstore, even though in hindsight I suspect that they knew I wasn’t going to find what I was looking for.

Sometimes it’s hard to admit that you don’t know. Maybe it’s because when we were kids and you did something wrong, and your parents would say, “Why did you do that!” When our best response was “I don’t know,” we got into more trouble. Maybe because every time in school when teacher asked us a question, and we said “I don’t know, ” we felt foolish and the teacher gave us a dirty look. (Or maybe this only happened to me!)

Whatever the reason, as adults it can be really hard for us to say, “I don’t know,” when somebody asks us a direct question. I was talking to this guy the other day, and he was telling me about his two neighbors that were talking once, and he overheard one of them explaining what his uncle told him when he was a kid:

An admission of not knowing is the starting point for all knowledge. When you allow yourself to admit to somebody, or even yourself, that you have no clue, that opens up space in your brain for more information and experience. When you pretend you know, and you really don’t, you are actually closing yourself to from these things.

Which is I guess why a lot of business management and sales books advise to answer with “I don’t know but I’ll find out,” and then to actually go and find out, and report back to the person in a timely manner. That will show you are honest, resourceful, and dependable, AND they will have the answer to their question. For many people though, this can be hard to do, as it sometimes feels dangerous to the ego. The secret of the ego is that most of the things that it is scared of are actually the opposite of what will really make you happy. When your ego thinks it is keeping you safe, it is actually keeping you from experiencing more success. But you don’t know that until you take a tiny leap of faith. I guess that’s why so many people live the way they do, behind the protective wall of imagined comfort.

But you’re not like that, right? Because you are reading this, and because you’ve had those experiences in your life, you can naturally take that tiny step beyond imaginary fear and experience life the way it was meant to be experienced. One of the greatest things about stepping beyond the imagined limits of the ego is that because so few people are willing to do that, you will be seen as some kind of super human demi-god. Or at least most people will look up to you. Which, paradoxically, will get you all those things you thought you were preserving, but didn’t really have, behind that protective wall of ego safety.

Third Chakra

Move through life with power. Consider the opinions and judgements of others while maintaining the complete freedom to disregard them at will. Spin your mind in new and directions for incredibly insightful creativity. Have a supreme autonomy of will to resist even the strongest of temptations.

All this can be yours when you accept the power of the Third Chakra. The Third Chakra, known in some circles as manipura, is centered just below the sternum at the solar plexus. The color is yellow. The Third Chakra is responsible for mainting emotional stability, individuality, and creativity. And because you are naturally capable of being able to tap this source, you can begin to imagine the power that will come when manipura is your ally. Ask yourself the following questions before you begin your meditation. Keep in mind that you don’t need to find answers right away, simply because you are able to honestly ask these questions of yourself and to remain open to answers in whatever form, you will receive benefit.

Who are you?
Who are you before you ask this?
Before you were born, who were you?
Who are you that answers this question?
What if?
How can project safety and calm the emotions of others simply by being near?
What else is there?
Are you?

Breath deeply, in, out. In. Out. Imagine a small ball of bright yellow light emerge just where your stomach meets your ribs. Slowly. In. Out. Breath in the source emotional energy with your inhale, and as you hold it for a brief moment, allow it to charge the yellow ball. As you exhale slowly, allow the yellow ball to slightly increase in size. Slowly. In. Out.  Repeat this process until the yellow ball is surrounding you.  Protecting you. Keeping you safe and separate. Your own thoughts. Your own beliefs. Your emotions obeying your wishes. Sit inside this ball for seven long, slow breaths. That’s right. In. Out. Allow the yellow ball to slowly shrink down, until it returns into your solar plexus.

How does that feel now, knowing that you have such incredible power and safety and strenth,  Just below your heart, ready for you whenever you need it? When you walk through the world now, what will people see in you that is different? What will people see in you that they are now naturally drawn to because of your subtle yet powerful increase in strength? How many ways can you think of to connect with them?

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Powerfully Use Dreams to Avoid Danger

Have you seen that movie where this guy was about to drive across a crowded bridge, and then right at the last minute, got a wierd feeling and decided against it? Unfortunately for the people on the bridge, it collapsed. But becuase the main character was able to listen to his intuition, he was saved. Have you ever had a feeling, that something was going to happen, and sure enough, it happened?  Wonder why it comes sometimes, and doesn’t come other times? Your intuition is like a muscle. If you don’t exercise it, it will become weak. Unfortunately most people haven’t been taught how to use your intuition so you can use it to protect yourself from bad things in the future.

The best way is to listen to your dreams. If you haven’t read my article on remembering your dreams, or the follow up article on using them to easily release unwanted emotions, you might want to head over and check them out whenever you find the time.

The second kind of dream (after the release dream) is the warning dream. This dream is alerting you to possible danger in the future. Now there are two ways you can look at this. One is metaphysical, and one is based purely on science and biology. Both seem to make sense, so you can choose whichever one you feel most comfortable with.

The metaphysical explanation is that we all are connected to a Superconscious, and It (or She or He) knows all that ever was and ever will be. Many call this God, some call it Infinite Intelligence. When we dream, our minds somehow merge with this and are able to collect information that may help us.

The physical biological explanation can be just as valid. The brain is a fantastic supercomputer whose operational methods are still barely understood by science. As you move through life, your brain is remembering everything you come across. And while you sleep, your brain looks forward, based on your plans and your previous history, and then alerts you (or tries) to any dangers that might come up.

A personal example is something that happened to me last year. I kept having images of Magic Johnson pulling his hamstring during the Lakers-Pistons championship game. I didn’t pay much attention, and a week later I was playing with some kids. Of course, I pulled my hamstring. Now whether that was a superconcious message or my brilliant neurology looking ahead and warning me (I already knew I would be playing with that specific group of kids,) the message was clear: Stretch before you run, and be careful. Of course when I see kids, I immediately get really excited, and I seem to forget about being an adult. I’m sure you know what that’s like, right? All you want to do is play and have fun? Of course I would have had a lot more fun had I listened to my dreams.

The simple way to do this, is after you’ve become proficient at being able to remember your dreams, and you are spending a couple extra minutes checking to see if you can release unwanted emotions, is to pay attention to any images that you don’t understand. Look for actions or events that you don’t remember, or situations that you can’t recall. And keep those in mind for the next few days, and pay close attention to things in your daily life that cause you to remember those images.

Once you easily begin to remember and pay attention to your dreams, they can serve you as a valuable guide in your daily life, not only making sure that you stay clear of danger,  but as you’ve already learned, to release stress and anxiety as well.

Be sure to check back often, because I will be posting more articles on dreams and other immediately helpful topics than you can use to improve your life. And because like many others, you probably like to help people, you can decide to share this site with your friends.

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Root Chakra

Naturally and powerfully develop unshakeable self esteem. Generate the ability to quickly and easily manifest material abundance.  Perpetuate a rock solid sense of self while maintaining a healthy respect for the choices and decisions of others. Create and maintain a supportive set of beliefs  that allow you to easily design and live the life you want. Sound good? It all becomes possible as you realize the power that resides in you Root Chakra.

As mentioned before, the Root Chakra is responsible for security, material survival, and issues of self. Before you begin a meditationon the Root Chakra, it helps to ask yourself some powerful questions related to these issues.

What issues do you have concerning safety? How do you feel when you know, really know, that you are completely safe?  When you feel that safety, where in your body do you feel it? Some feel a warm feeling in their chest, others feel a tingling around the scalp. Whatever you feel,  is perfect.

What concerns do you have regarding safety?  Do you occasionally feel anxiety with respect to personal safety? What situations can sometimes cause these feelings? If you were to go to sleep tonight, and a miracle happened that would make these problems vanish, how would you know? What would you see when you woke up that would let you know that all those old feelings of anxiety were gone? What you you hear that would confirm that you are indeed perfectly safe? What feelings would you feel? Where would they be in your body? Your chest, stomach, throat? Anything is fine.

What do you believe about yourself? What do you believe is possible? What would you like to believe about yourself? What would you like to believe is possible? What do you believe is natural for you to do? What would you like to believe is natural for you to do? If you have a role model, real or imaginary, what do they believe is possible? What would happen if you were to borrow their beliefs? Would you keep them if you liked them?

Take these self affirming beliefs, and these feelings of safety. It’s ok if you can’t feel them as being overwhelmingly strong.  Now hold those feelings, however they are, and imagine a bright red color. As you sit there, feeling those feelings, and imagining those positive beliefs swirling around your mind, in just that way, that’s right, for you, imagine that bright red color. Like the color of fresh cool apple. Or a bright fire engine. Or the color of a red valentines day heart you used to get in elementary school. Take a slow deep breath, and hold it for a moment. As you hold it, imagine a bright red ball of light glowing at the base of your spine. As you exhale, imagine the bright red ball of light expand just a little bit, and as it expands, it fills up with those feelings of safety and those self affirming beliefs.

Take several long, slow breaths like this. Breath in. Hold it. Expand that sphere of red color. As that red sphere, whose center is the base of your spine, expands, it naturally fills with stronger and stonger feelings of safety and self affirming and empowering beliefs. Breath in, hold it, breath out slowly. Sit with that sphere until it is completely surrounding you. Feel its presence. Feel it’s power.  When it gets just big enough to surround you completely, keep its size the same for seven really long, really slow breaths. In, hold, out. After seven breaths, slowly allow it to shrink back down until it disappears back into the base of your spine, so you can carry it with you wherever you go.

How does that feel now to be able to carry that powerful ball of safety and positive beliefs around with you wherever you go?

Please be sure to check back often, as I will update this site daily. And be sure to tell your friends, so they too, can begin to realize their power,  just like you are easily able to realize yours.

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