Image by Pattycake words by the w0nd3r
Tuesday, 23 December 2014
Friday, 19 December 2014
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
#144 - Perfect Speed
Image by Samantha Joseph - Words by the w0nd3r
"The good news is the faster you move the more energy you have. The faster you move the more you get done and the more effective you feel. The faster you move the more experience you get and the more you learn. The faster you move, the more competent and capable you become at your work."
Brian Tracy, Eat That Frog
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
#143 - Blogging Update
Hi All
You may have noticed that I haven't been posting so much lately.
Some time back, inspired by Seth Godin, I committed to posting something every day but I have found this is not sustainable for several reasons:
1) Very few people have the time to write or read a blog-post every day
2) There are times when I need to fill the well (ie not write) and forcing the process results in some substandard stuff
3) As this is "The Age of Speed", as Vincente Posente calls it, people seek information which is quick and accessible
Therefore henceforth the w0nd3r will feature a variety of things:
1) Info at a glance - short posts with thoughts, images and/or quotations
2) Book reviews and recommendations
3) Personal stories/experiences which may be longer posts
4) Links to videos/books/sites
Much Love to You All
Dx
You may have noticed that I haven't been posting so much lately.
Some time back, inspired by Seth Godin, I committed to posting something every day but I have found this is not sustainable for several reasons:
1) Very few people have the time to write or read a blog-post every day
2) There are times when I need to fill the well (ie not write) and forcing the process results in some substandard stuff
3) As this is "The Age of Speed", as Vincente Posente calls it, people seek information which is quick and accessible
Therefore henceforth the w0nd3r will feature a variety of things:
1) Info at a glance - short posts with thoughts, images and/or quotations
2) Book reviews and recommendations
3) Personal stories/experiences which may be longer posts
4) Links to videos/books/sites
Much Love to You All
Dx
Monday, 15 December 2014
Sunday, 14 December 2014
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Saturday, 13 December 2014
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Sunday, 16 November 2014
#136 - 8 Benefits of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
This is from the book HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training Explained by James Driver
Definition
HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training, also known as Interval Training (IT) or Sprint Interval Training (SIT) consists of a set number of high intensity exercises, each immediately followed by periods of recovery. The high intensity exercises can range anywhere from between 5 or 10 seconds to 5 or 10 minutes. Likewise the periods of recovery can range in duration too.
HIIT vs CT
1) Exercise Enjoyment - for most people continuous training soon gets boring. Because with HIIT you are constantly changing the pace, it's far more interesting.
2) Weight Loss - studies show HIIT is far superior to CT
3) Exercise Duration - studies show you can lose more than TWICE the amount of body fat by performing half the amount of exercise with HIIT over CT.
4) Improved Fat Burning Capacity - studies show that with only a fractiono of the exercise duration HIIT is comparable to CT in increasing muscle fat and carbohydrate oxidative capacity. Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) - also known as the after burn effect, the elevated level of oxygen consumption of a HIIT workout continues so that your body is still burning fuel or calories several hours after the session. There is no EPOC from CT because it is not intensive enough. The duration of EPOC depends on the intensity of the work, it gradually diminishes over and up to the next 48 hours.
5) Anaerobic Threshold - HIIT exercise allows you to cross over the anaerobic threshold regularly thus training the anaerobic energy systems. The effect of this is that the body becomes able to manage more lactic acid build-up enabling you to work harder for longer without feeling that burn. This will also mean that you will no longer exhausted by your daily routine
6) Beta-Endorphin Levels - beta-endorphin is the "feel-good" chemical that gives us that euphoric feeling after a hard workout. It is released to mask the pain caused by strenuous activity such as HIIT. Beta-endorphins levels do not increase with CT unless the CT last for longer than one hour. This is why long distance runners experience "runners' high."
7) Maximal Oxygen Update / VO2 Max - a person's VO2 max is often used to derive their overall fitness. Studies show that HIIT can increase VO2 max by three times as much as CT.
8) Athletic Performance - few sports involve long periods of continuous activity, the majority involve some kind of stopping and starting motion. Therefore dealing with crippling lactic acid is of paramount importance to all athletes and if HIIT is not part of your training regime you will be at a disadvantage against any opposition that is HIIT trained.
Summary
If you're new to fitness, HIIT or even if you're a more advanced participant, you're probably wondering how HIIT is superior to CT in almost every single way.
It has to do with how we adapt and evolve. For the body to make any physiological changes, you have to place it under stress. Without placing the body under the need to change, it's not going to change.
Click here for w0nd3rful books
Definition
HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training, also known as Interval Training (IT) or Sprint Interval Training (SIT) consists of a set number of high intensity exercises, each immediately followed by periods of recovery. The high intensity exercises can range anywhere from between 5 or 10 seconds to 5 or 10 minutes. Likewise the periods of recovery can range in duration too.
HIIT vs CT
1) Exercise Enjoyment - for most people continuous training soon gets boring. Because with HIIT you are constantly changing the pace, it's far more interesting.
2) Weight Loss - studies show HIIT is far superior to CT
3) Exercise Duration - studies show you can lose more than TWICE the amount of body fat by performing half the amount of exercise with HIIT over CT.
4) Improved Fat Burning Capacity - studies show that with only a fractiono of the exercise duration HIIT is comparable to CT in increasing muscle fat and carbohydrate oxidative capacity. Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) - also known as the after burn effect, the elevated level of oxygen consumption of a HIIT workout continues so that your body is still burning fuel or calories several hours after the session. There is no EPOC from CT because it is not intensive enough. The duration of EPOC depends on the intensity of the work, it gradually diminishes over and up to the next 48 hours.
5) Anaerobic Threshold - HIIT exercise allows you to cross over the anaerobic threshold regularly thus training the anaerobic energy systems. The effect of this is that the body becomes able to manage more lactic acid build-up enabling you to work harder for longer without feeling that burn. This will also mean that you will no longer exhausted by your daily routine
6) Beta-Endorphin Levels - beta-endorphin is the "feel-good" chemical that gives us that euphoric feeling after a hard workout. It is released to mask the pain caused by strenuous activity such as HIIT. Beta-endorphins levels do not increase with CT unless the CT last for longer than one hour. This is why long distance runners experience "runners' high."
7) Maximal Oxygen Update / VO2 Max - a person's VO2 max is often used to derive their overall fitness. Studies show that HIIT can increase VO2 max by three times as much as CT.
8) Athletic Performance - few sports involve long periods of continuous activity, the majority involve some kind of stopping and starting motion. Therefore dealing with crippling lactic acid is of paramount importance to all athletes and if HIIT is not part of your training regime you will be at a disadvantage against any opposition that is HIIT trained.
Summary
If you're new to fitness, HIIT or even if you're a more advanced participant, you're probably wondering how HIIT is superior to CT in almost every single way.
It has to do with how we adapt and evolve. For the body to make any physiological changes, you have to place it under stress. Without placing the body under the need to change, it's not going to change.
Click here for w0nd3rful books
Saturday, 15 November 2014
#135 - The Definition of Success
Here are 3 definitions of success:
1) Anthony Biola, The GPS System 7 Universal Principles for Growing Personal Success:
"Success is that which:
1.You enjoy doing.
2. Honours you.
3. Promotes life & positivity."
2) Earl Nightingale, The Strangest Secret:
"Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal."
3) Mark Hernacki, The Forgotten Secret of Phenomenal Success:
The big secret - The Forgotten Secret - is this: "In order to succeed at anything, keep your word."
"If completion is the essence of success, then the essence of completion is integrity. And integrity is doing what you say you'll do. Integrity is action."
Of the three the last one resonates with me the most. As a result I make less promises now and I'm not yet able to achieve this 100% of the time, but is something I am aspiring to.
What is your definition of success?
1) Anthony Biola, The GPS System 7 Universal Principles for Growing Personal Success:
"Success is that which:
1.You enjoy doing.
2. Honours you.
3. Promotes life & positivity."
2) Earl Nightingale, The Strangest Secret:
"Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal."
3) Mark Hernacki, The Forgotten Secret of Phenomenal Success:
The big secret - The Forgotten Secret - is this: "In order to succeed at anything, keep your word."
"If completion is the essence of success, then the essence of completion is integrity. And integrity is doing what you say you'll do. Integrity is action."
Of the three the last one resonates with me the most. As a result I make less promises now and I'm not yet able to achieve this 100% of the time, but is something I am aspiring to.
What is your definition of success?
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
#133 - The Fight
"Life is a fight for territory, and the moment you give up fighting for what you want, what you don't want takes over automatically."
Les Brown
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Monday, 10 November 2014
#132 - 12 Dozen Places to Educate Yourself Online For Free
"There is nothing training cannot do. Nothing is above its reach. It can turn bad morals to good; it can destroy bad principles and recreate good ones; it can lift men to angelship."
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Free books and reading recommendationsScience and Health
Business and Money
History and World Culture
Law
Computer Science and Engineering
Mathematics
English and Communications
Foreign and Sign Languages
Multiple Subjects & Miscellaneous
Educational Mainstream Broadcast Media
Online Archives
Directories of Open Education
Business and Money
History and World Culture
Law
Computer Science and Engineering
Mathematics
English and Communications
Foreign and Sign Languages
Multiple Subjects & Miscellaneous
Educational Mainstream Broadcast Media
Online Archives
Directories of Open Education
Sunday, 9 November 2014
#131 - 50 Year Old Challenger
50 year old Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins already held two championship belts and could have played it safe and cherry-picked. Instead last night he fought one of most dangerous fighters in his division, Sergei "Krusher" Kovalev.
Terms like murderous puncher may be thrown around to hype fighters but Kovalev's punching power is without question. In 2011 one of his opponents (Simakov) died of brain injuries following their fight.
Hopkins receives a lot of criticism for a number of reasons including excessive holding, low punch output and some unsportsmanlike behaviour however his fundamental skills, ring IQ and discipline can not be questioned. In facing Kovalev at a time when top fighters half his age look visibly scared at the mention of the Russian fighter's name Hopkins proved he has another intangible in abundance.
Courage.
He may have lost the 12 round fight but I think he won a moral victory last night. I'm just blown away by the fact that he still has the hunger of a young challenger at the age of 50. I do hope he retires now however and goes on to pass on his knowledge as he is a throwback to fighters of a bygone era.
Salute.
Saturday, 8 November 2014
#130 - Do YOUR Thing!
I went to the boxing gym after work yesterday. It took me a while to shake off the various elements of this week but as I continued skipping, shadow-boxing and hitting the bags the white noise in my head gradually died down as my concentration increased.
Work
The future
Relationship
Friends
Miscellaneous monkey-mind chatter
Eventually I enter that zone where nothing else exists and nothing else matters but right now. Just me and the speed-bag:
ba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
ba-da-baba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
ba-da-baba-da-ba
My vision switches from foeval to peripheral. Endorphins replace the pain of my sore muscles with a gentle wave of euphoria. No tiredness, no sense of time, just ease. Just the hypnotic rhythm of the pear-shaped bag ricocheting off the platform:
ba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
ba-da-ba
These moments of "flow" are precious. I think these are the times when we glimpse our true selves, when we connect with something bigger.
What's your thing?
When do you experience flow? Is there something that you love to do, something that captures your attention so completely that nothing else matters?
I made a new friend a few months back and while we were getting to know each other I asked her what she loved to do. She told me knitting was her thing. She said that was the thing she loved and she dreamed of a life where she could sit in a beautiful farm-house style place of her own and knit all day. When I asked her how often she knitted she realised she wasn't doing very much. I told her that I've been a lot happier since I've focused on writing and speaking and because I'm happier my energy level is higher so I in turn have more to give to others. She's now knitting a lot more and is a lot happier for it. In fact, she now has requests from other people coming in and is looking at being paid for her work. I sincerely hope she is able to make that dream of knitting all day come true one day. However, even if that doesn't happen her life is still fuller and more satisfying for her doing what she loves on a regular basis.
Sometimes things are so close to us, so obvious that we miss them. I know how much I love training and yet I sometimes allow myself to get so caught up in work, life and everything else that I don't train. I don't do the thing which probably gives me the most enjoyment. While training I enter flow states and connect with something higher. By the time I leave the gym after a session it's like I've pressed the reset button on my mind. I ALWAYS feel better on the way out. All stress is released and I feel clean, light and exhilirated.
I no longer have any interest in fighting but that's not the point, I allowed training to become an option but last night showed me that it is a necessity.
What is YOUR thing?
If you don't know what it is yet, will you experiment with different things until you find it?
And if you do know, are you doing enough of it?
And if you do know, are you doing enough of it?
The easiest place to hide something is right in front of you.
Do your thing.
Monday, 3 November 2014
#129 - What Are You Feeding Yourself?
"Input equals output."
Canibus, Interviewed by Hip Hop Connection circa '94
I vividly remember the buzz around Can-i-bus when he burst onto the rap scene back in the mid-nineties. In this particular magazine interview he was explaining that the reason his lyrical content was so different was because "I'm interested in science, technology, history...ultimately input equals output..."
It was such a simple statement. So obvious. But it was one of those lines I have never forgotten and my understanding of it has grown as I have grown.
There are a lot of different inputs in life, off the top of my head I'd say:
-family
-friends
-acquaintances
-co-workers
-television
-Internet
-radio
-music
-books
-self-talk
-conversations
-food
-drink
What other inputs can you think of?
And what do YOUR inputs look like today?
I think of our inputs as food. Unfortunately there is an awful lot of junk food around, so if our days look like this:
-wake up
-coffee
-negative self-talk
-watch the news
-read more bad news en route to unfulfilling work
-tolerating unfulfilling work
-listen to complaining co-workers at work
-moan to co-workers about work/co-workers/management/life
-eat unhealthy lunch
-do more unfulfiling work
-eat unhealthy snack: sugar/crisps/chocolate
-check email/Facebook/phone etc
-dinner
-watch crap on television (4 hours per day is UK average)
...how can our lives expand?
Yet isn't this the status quo? It's harder to do things that stretch ourselves, harder to seek out something mind-expanding that is worth watching then watch something mediocre on tv, Sky or Netflix, harder to find something healthy to eat or learn about nutrition than eat a ton of meat and carbs. It's harder to exercise rather than fester on the couch or to spend the weekend on a course that challenges us rather than just relaxing and having fun. It's harder to find our purpose and be true it than complain about our lives and take zero action.
"So what if it's hard? If it's hard, make it ok that it's hard."
Les Brown
I challenge you to look at your inputs:
Who are you hanging out with?
What are you watching?
Who are you listening to?
What are you reading?
What are you eating?
What environments are you spending most of your time in?
We can all learn and grow - what are you feeding yourself?
Friday, 24 October 2014
#128 - "So What Are You Gonna Do?"
It focuses on solutions, it looks forward, it puts whoever you are speaking to in the driving seat by giving them the responsibility.
There are some people who just want to talk your ear off, the "volunteer victims" as Les Brown calls them who incessantly complain about their problems until you can feel the life-force draining from your body. I don't think enabling this behaviour is helpful to the complainer or the listener. Interestingly I find with a true die-hard complainer this simple question is like kryptonite to Superman. It often stops the conversation dead in its tracks or sends it in a different direction because the complainer has no intention of doing anything other than complain.
On the other hand if the person is open to finding a solution...
#127 - Can 5 Minutes A Day Change Your Life?
I'm tempted to just end the post there :)
At the end of #97 - 5 Minutes a Day to Change Your Life I said I was going to visualise for 5 minutes every day for 21 days. The challenge was to focus on visualising intently with the strong feelings of accomplishing a goal.
Well, not only did I complete this 21-Day Challenge I managed to recruit 5 other Imagineers to join me on this noble quest. Shout out to the 21-Day Challenge Crew...
It was an amazing experience and what follows are some of my own learnings and successes. I'm listing things which seemed out of the ordinary:
Challenges
-limited beliefs: am I visualising what I want or what I think is possible? Do I deserve to have the things I want? This feels great and good things are happening, part of me feels uncomfortable with creating things so easily.
-self-sabotage: mind tried to procrastinate on visualising; mind tried to change goal of visualisation repeatedly or complicate things by bringing more than one goal into visualisation
Successes
-multiple job opportunities, several "out of nowhere"
-multiple speaking offers
-winning money and finding money
-first paid speaking gig (I actually offered to do it for free but author insisted)
-joined Professional Speakers Association
-feeling of greater control of myself and my life
Learnings-I need to have one major challenge/goal to focus on at a time
-we can influence events based on our thoughts, feeling and expectations
-time is subjective/relative
-our minds really are on auto-pilot 95% of the time
-the imagination has an intelligence of its own
-visualisation + action is powerful
Many of us found that visualising brought to the surface the "blocks" - the fears and limited beliefs preventing us from becoming who we really are. This wasn't comfortable or easy to face but it showed us what needed to be worked on.
We all experienced some magic and for a few of us I can honestly say it was life-changing.
I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in personal development, the mind or gaining a deeper understanding of themselves.
The next 21 Day Challenge (C#2) will run from Saturday 25th Oct - 14th Nov and 7 of us are taking part.
Do you accept the challenge?
It's only 5 minutes a day...
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
#126 - You Already Know
Larry Winget
As I mentioned in #122 - Coaching Academy Free Training, I spent the weekend on a coaching course. It has had a huge and lasting effect on the way I communicate. As a former heavyweight champion of unsolicited advice it is amazing to be able to just listen and be a mirror so that people can see clearly. What it took me a long time to realise is that when you give unsolicited advice you are indirectly saying that you know better than the person you are advising.
"I know how to live your life better than you do", is a pretty bold statement and potentially a disrespectful one, even if it's true.
Listening from a coaching perspective without injecting your story, opinions or experiences has many benefits:
1. You understand the other person and their situation better because your focus is on them
2. The other person gets to hear themselves clearly - often this is enough for them to find their own answers [See: your girlfriend/wife/mother/female friends etc]
3. You show respect to the other person, they feel truly heard - this is rare
4. You are focused on a solution - What would you like to have happen? What's next?
5. You help the other person to find their own answers, empowering them to be independent. What are you going to do?
6. You do not carry other people's burdens - let's face it, a problem shared is often a problem doubled
7. By focusing on moving forward you challenge people to grow rather than following them round in circles as they moan and complain or recycle the past
I can only imagine the number of relationships, personal and professional, that could be saved if we all learned some listening and coaching skills.
Earlier today my girlfriend was very upset about something (thankfully not me this time). She was feeling very frustrated but I stopped myself from offering advice or my opinion and just asked her a few focused questions. These questions led her to thinking about what she could do and a few minutes later she took action. Thirty minutes later she'd spoken to someone that could help her and because she knew she had done her best she was able to let go of the situation and move on with her day.
Without this new perspective that allowed me to look at her and remember: "the answers are inside you, you already know", that whole process could have taken hours or even days. Instead the shift from "helplessness" to positive action took just a few minutes.
It was like magic.
Stay tuned, I'll be sharing some coaching tools as my knowledge grows.
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
#125 - Why Bother?
I got a temporary contract a little while back and when I came in on the first day I said good morning to the woman seated next to me. She glared at me as though I'd complimented her moustache and grunted "morning" under her breath. The next day she came in and again I said "good morning" and again she replied "morning", this time without even looking at me. On the third day she walked in and actually positioned herself with her back to me and immediately started a conversation with someone else almost as though she was trying to escape my friendliness. No dice - she still got a "good morning" when she sat down five minutes later and I got another grunt.
At first I was blown away by her rudeness but then I reminded myself that we're all doing what we know to do. I don't know her, I don't know her story. What I do know is that I'm not going to waste energy holding on to some negative feeling towards someone I don't even know and I'm not going to become less than who I am. I continued saying good morning to her every day and good night when I was leaving even though sometimes she ignored me.
During the second week she walked in one morning and said "Good morning" to me, one of the other women in the office nearly fell off her chair - visibly shocked, she caught my eye and raised her eyebrows.
I don't suppose the angry woman's character is going to change any time soon. She was still breathtakingly rude to me on numerous occasions but I began to find her behaviour, which was clearly a mask, quite amusing after a while.
"Hard outside, soft inside.
Soft outside, hard inside."
Chinese Proverb
There was a time when if I held a door open for someone and they didn't say thank you it was a problem. There was also a time where if anyone was rude to me I would have a knee-jerk reaction to it.
Now I understand that this is usually not personal. I'm not that important :)
The reason I still hold open doors and I still try to be polite is probably the same reason I write this blog.
Why bother?
Because it's the right thing to do.
#123 - Take Another Step!
Yesterday while having a "Power Talk" with one of my friends she spoke about advancing confidently in the direction of your dreams reminding me of the classic Thoreau quote:
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
Henry David Thoreau
She was right "what's the next step?" is such a powerful question.
If we look at something we want to achieve in its totality it might seem so huge that we procrastinate. For example I am writing a book, but whenever I think about it in its entirety "a book" it seems like such a massive undertaking. But what is the next step? Simply opening a word document, going to a folder and double-clicking on an icon. That is doable.
What do you want? What is the next step towards it?
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
Henry David Thoreau
She was right "what's the next step?" is such a powerful question.
If we look at something we want to achieve in its totality it might seem so huge that we procrastinate. For example I am writing a book, but whenever I think about it in its entirety "a book" it seems like such a massive undertaking. But what is the next step? Simply opening a word document, going to a folder and double-clicking on an icon. That is doable.
What do you want? What is the next step towards it?
Monday, 20 October 2014
#122 - Coaching Academy - Free Certificate Training
I spent this weekend at a free training from the Coaching Academy. A fellow member of my Toastmasters club recommended it so I thought I'd check it out. It was a fantastic experience. Another friend of mine explained that it was an elaborate sales pitch but I was actually amazed at how much value I gained from the weekend and personally I didn't feel like they leaned on the sales element that much.
Coaching as I understand it is the process of helping someone clarify a goal and get their quicker than they would by themselves using their resources.
It taught me so much about communication. When we speak to people it is so easy to give advice or suggestions or attempt to relate what they are saying to our own experiences. But as soon as we inject our 'story' we dilute what they are saying. Coaching shows you how to be a clear mirror so that the person can really see themselves and then access their own answers. The biggest lesson I got from the weekend is how much unsolicited advice I have given up until this point - for those of you who know me I promise I will work on that.
I love how coaching empowers a person instead of directing them, making them, talking down to them or making them dependent. I have always been fascinated by personal development, always believed that we have incredible potential within us so this weekend was like the best kind of confirmation. Cooler still you can apply the tools to yourself too.
Clear, efficient, goal-focused, I think EVERYONE could benefit from having a coach.
Halfway through the first morning I started thinking about how I could use the tools in my relationship, my friendships and now I think it will be part of my work. These are skills that I think could benefit anyone interested in personal development or being a more effective communicator. Managers, teachers, trainers, parents and therapists (to name a few) could all really benefit.
Free Two-Day certificate trainings run throughout the year, check their website for more details.
Thanks to the Coaching Academy for an awesome weekend.
Click here for Coaching Academy website
Click here for Harvard Business Review Article - You Can't Be a Great Manager If You're Not a Good Coach
Sunday, 19 October 2014
#121 - How Do You Enjoy a Rollercoaster?
Gladiator
I'm about 15 years old and I'm at a small fairground with my older brother (who is 23 at the time), his girlfriend and her daughter. They all decide to get on a rollercoaster and my stomach turns at the thought but I join them in the queue. I don't like the idea of being on this rusty looking contraption. I like being in control, I don't think I'd ever been on a rollercoaster at the time. As we get close to boarding I look over my shoulder to see my brother is now outside the perimeter. He's looking at me through the fence, recognising the fear in my face and laughing wickedly with a glint in his eye. My 15 year-old brain quickly jumps to a few conclusions:
1. My big brother is a *&$£!
2. If my big brother is scared then I should be terrified
Unfortunately, instead of following my gut feeling and leaving the queue I stayed. Why? Because I'm a boy of course. How could I admit I was scared when this woman and her daughter (who was much younger than me) were so at ease. The fact my older brother was scared didn't seem to figure in my decision, this was a clear case of what some textbooks refer to as 'emotional reasoning'.
Needless to say it was a horrific experience, the longest 5 minutes of my existence. The fear intensified as the rollercoaster slowly began its ascent and when it dropped...my stomach fell somewhere outside of my body. I fought that ride every inch of the way, hating the lack of control, stomach clenched and face grimacing most of the way. When I finally got out I promised I'd never get in another rollercoaster again. Ever.
Fast-forward 6 years and I'm at Alton Towers with some friends. I've lived a little life, tackled a few fears and I decide that since I'm at a theme park anyway I'm going to face that fear of rollercoasters. While queueing up for the ride I tell myself I'm going to just let go and ride the adrenaline - it was an intuitive thing not something I'd really thought about. As the long, slow ascent begins I'm talking to the rollercoaster under my breath telling it that it's nothing, psyching myself up like a boxer before a fight. This time when it drops I take a deep breath and a second after all the high-pitched screams begin all around me a low guttural roar spontaneously issues from the pit of my stomach like a warrior running into battle. Fear, adrenaline, defiance and God-only-knows-what-else all rolled into one long:
"AAAAAAAAAAAARRGGHHHHHHH!!!"
...and I let go.
I spent the rest of the ride smiling enjoying every second urging the machine to go faster. The fear that once crippled me was now a wave of pure excitement for me to ride.
"Fear is just excitement without the breath."
Dr Gay Hendricks PhD, The Big Leap
This principle, this transformation of adrenaline into energy or 'fear into fuel' is something I have got better at over the years but when I trace that pattern back I think this was the first time I consciously made that mind-body connection.
So, if we go back to the original question I can give you my answer...
How do you enjoy a rollercoaster?
Let go.
What's yours?
Friday, 17 October 2014
#120 - "LISTEN" is an anagram of "SILENT"
I was talking about the power of listening today and a friend said: "the words listen and silent contain the same letters..."
Carlos Castaneda
Thursday, 16 October 2014
#119 - In This Corner - Trainers
Boxing is not as hard as it looks...it's a lot harder.
The Sweet Science is a much maligned and much misunderstood sport. Only after training in it for a certain period of time did I begin to start appreciating the skill and discipline it required, or the artistry of it.
While the most popular fighters get the spotlight it is the trainers who are the keepers of the knowledge and too often do not get their just due. Here is some footage of a few of my favourite trainers doing padwork:
The Sweet Science is a much maligned and much misunderstood sport. Only after training in it for a certain period of time did I begin to start appreciating the skill and discipline it required, or the artistry of it.
While the most popular fighters get the spotlight it is the trainers who are the keepers of the knowledge and too often do not get their just due. Here is some footage of a few of my favourite trainers doing padwork:
Danny Fielder, UK
Roger Mayweather, USA
Franklin Sarfo, UK
Kenny Weldon, USA
#118 - Repetition Repetition Repetition
"Repetition is the fundamental rhythm of all progress, the cadence of the Universe. It's the chuff-chuff of the locomotive explosions that generate power in the automobile engine, the surging of the water against the turbine blades that generates electrical power. It's the tap-tap of the hammer that drives the nail into place....It's the tap tap of the same conscious thought that causes it to be impressed upon your subconscious mind and on the subconscious minds of others."
Claude M Bristol, The Magic of Believing
Claude M Bristol, The Magic of Believing
#117 - Meditation no.1
"...cultivate listening as a way of being, not something you do every now and then when you remember to."
"This takes humility and control of the ego."
"This takes humility and control of the ego."
#116 - You Asked For It!
I was doing some temporary work recently and arrived early one morning to catch this classic office conversation between two world-weary employees:
Lady 1: (heavy sigh) "Ah...well at least we're still breathing."
Lady 2: "Yes, we can't ask for much more than that can we?"
Me:(thinking) "Really??? Wow!"
I shared this story with a few friends who laughed, one said: "Yeah, some people don't ask for much more than breathing in and out."
How about you, what have you been asking for?
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
#115 - 4 Ways To Get Lucky!
Well, it turns out that whether you believe you are lucky or unlucky or indeed neutral the chances are you are probably right. In The Luck Factor psychologist Richard Wiseman (professor of Public Understanding of Psychology at University of Hertfordshire) reveals the results of his research into lucky and unlucky people and finds that our luck whether good or bad is created by our beliefs, our expectations and behaviours.
He highlights the 4 principles of good luck he ascertained from his research. Have a look and see how you match up:
1. Lucky people maximise opportunities: i) have a strong network, ii) a relaxed attitude iii) try new experiences
2. Lucky people listen to their lucky hunches i) follow intuition ii) boost intuition through meditating, clearing your mind, relaxation exercises etc
3. Lucky people expect good fortune: i) expect good luck to continue in future ii) attempt even if chances are slim & persevere despite failure iii) expect their interactions with others to be lucky and successful
4. Lucky people turn bad luck into good luck: i) see positive side of negative ii) see bad luck as temporary and don't dwell on it
Finally after you have answered tests to ascertain how lucky you are right now he provides some actions for you take over a one month period to improve your luck. Those that took part in the test for the book had an average 40% improvement in their good luck.
The differences between the lucky and unlucky people he interviews is stunning. At one extreme you have people who almost seem cursed: multiple car accidents, relationship disasters and health problems. At the other end of the scale you have lottery winners, people who have enjoyed every job they've had and those that have learned to be happy even in the face of great challenges.
The Luck Factor is a quick and easy read and I highly recommend it.
Click here for The Luck Factor on Amazon UK / Amazon US
Monday, 13 October 2014
#114 - Healthy Selfishness
Perhaps thanks to the religious beliefs that influenced my upbringing I grew up putting other people first. I learned the hard way that this isn't the wisest gameplan. It's a beautiful thing to give to others but without giving to ourselves first we can end up depleted, resentful and sick.
The word selfishness has negative connotations but I think a certain level of selfishness is both healthy and necessary. This kind of selfishness, the selfishness of respecting and valuing yourself and what you want, the selfishness that doesn't hurt others I call healthy selfishness.
Friday, 10 October 2014
#113 - Deep Knowledge vs Broad Knowledge
I love reading. In fact, now that audiobooks and Kindle allow me to carry two small libraries with me I finish 2-3 books each week. Reading like this however, holds the inherent risk of acquiring a superficial knowledge of many things, being a 'jack of all trades and master of none'.
I once a heard a story about how Manly P Hall, having being granted admittance to the special library under the British Museum, realised he could never read all those arcane texts in one lifetime and fell to his knees weeping. I feel a bit like that dude :) there's no possible way I can even scratch the surface of all the things I want to learn and I'm slowly beginning to accept this. Recently a friend of mine told me I'm a guide and that really resonated with me - sometimes I can see a pathway for someone or connect them with information or someone else that will help them on their journey. I think perhaps I studied many seemingly disparate fields so that I could build a map, a broad knowledge if you will.
At the same time I recognise the need to have a deep knowledge in the areas where I specialise. Therefore as I said in the previous post I am now revisiting many of my books, starting again and enjoying a deeper understanding of them this time.
What is your area of expertise? What do you have a deep knowledge of? Or what would you enjoy studying deeply? It might not require reading lots of books, but I'm sure you know what it does take.
Most people are dabblers but right now the world is crying out for experts...
Why not you?
"There's never enough time to do everything. There's always enough time to do the right thing."
Larry Winget
I once a heard a story about how Manly P Hall, having being granted admittance to the special library under the British Museum, realised he could never read all those arcane texts in one lifetime and fell to his knees weeping. I feel a bit like that dude :) there's no possible way I can even scratch the surface of all the things I want to learn and I'm slowly beginning to accept this. Recently a friend of mine told me I'm a guide and that really resonated with me - sometimes I can see a pathway for someone or connect them with information or someone else that will help them on their journey. I think perhaps I studied many seemingly disparate fields so that I could build a map, a broad knowledge if you will.
At the same time I recognise the need to have a deep knowledge in the areas where I specialise. Therefore as I said in the previous post I am now revisiting many of my books, starting again and enjoying a deeper understanding of them this time.
What is your area of expertise? What do you have a deep knowledge of? Or what would you enjoy studying deeply? It might not require reading lots of books, but I'm sure you know what it does take.
Most people are dabblers but right now the world is crying out for experts...
Why not you?
"There's never enough time to do everything. There's always enough time to do the right thing."
Larry Winget
#112 - Starting Again
I haven't boxed regularly for a few months now and I'm getting the itch to go back to training. I know my timing will be a little off, I know training will hurt and sparring will be frustrating because I won't have the stamina to do more than a few good rounds. I hate the idea of going backwards but the idea of letting this skill fade into nothing is unacceptable.
I'll humble myself and try to approach it with beginner's mind, see if I can pick up anything new this time around. I'm doing the same things with some of the better books I've read and really enjoying them.
Which leads me to the next post: #113 - Deep Knowledge vs Broad Knowledge
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
#111 - The Owl & The Pussycat by Edward Lear
I've been reading a bit...well technically listening to a bit of poetry thanks to the awesomeness of audiobooks; really enjoying the creativity and fun of nonsense rhyme - because of this poem the word 'runcible' was actually added to the English language.
The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,
What a beautiful Pussy you are."
Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing.
O let us be married, too long we have tarried;
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?"
Said the Piggy, "I will"
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,
What a beautiful Pussy you are."
Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing.
O let us be married, too long we have tarried;
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?"
Said the Piggy, "I will"
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
#110 - Dreams Part 1: Dreamcatchers
I dedicate this post to all those with me on the 21-Day Challenge - much love and respect :)
"I've got dreams, yeah dreams...to remember."
Buddy Miles, Dreams
"I've got dreams, yeah dreams...to remember."
Buddy Miles, Dreams
A few weeks ago I started writing my dreams down first thing in the morning. By having the intention to remember them the night before it helped me to recall them after I woke up. Initially they seemed quite chaotic and random but then the day after I posted #97 , inspired by Mike Dooley's story in Infinite Possibilities I set myself a 21-Day Challenge to visualise for 5 minutes every night before I fell asleep. (I managed to recruit a few people to join me on this challenge too!)
My dreams changed immediately, they not only became more positive but something else happened too, they started connecting to things that would happen later. For example where I was at 10 Downing Street talking to Margaret Thatcher which made no sense to me. However the next day after spending some time in Chelsea/Pimlico with my girlfriend just as we were leaving the area I saw "The Margaret Thatcher Infirmary". Small coincidence right? I also had a dream where someone I used to teach boxing wanted to work with me again, in a subsequent conversation he confirmed that he did actually want to train with me again and had been meaning to ask. This is not something we'd discussed, in fact we hadn't spoken about boxing for ages - I contacted him to ask if he'd be up for the 21-Day Challenge. The highlight of the dream spookiness however was last week Saturday when I had a dream connected to a friend of a friend - "L". I couldn't see her in the dream but I could sense her and I had the feeling that we were collaborating on a creative project of some kind. I woke up from this dream on Sunday morning and fell asleep returning to it again - I couldn't tell if it was music, poetry, something to do with my blog perhaps...it was like when you see a person and you can't quite remember the name, like it's just on the edge of your memory.
D: "Hey L, how's it going?"
L: "That's weird, I called you back but your phone didn't ring it just went straight to your voice."
D: "OK, well it rang this end....hey this might sound a bit strange but I had a dream about you last night."
L: "Was I slim and lovely?"
D(smiling)"I don't know I couldn't see you. I just kind of...sensed you and I had the feeling that we were collaborating on some sort of creative project."
L:"Didn't you get my messsage?"
D: "No."
L: "I sent you a message on What'sApp"
D: "No I didn't get that."
L: "Hmmm..."
D: "What?"
L: "I was contacting you because my cousin is having a book launch next Sunday and we need a speaker."
D:(The hairs on the back of my neck stand up): "What's the book about?"
L: "It's called Patterns of Daydreams"
I look to my right at the dream diary laying on the couch beside me.
I spoke to L's cousin that day, met him for a drink the next day and the next Sunday was helping host his book launch, an amazing event where I met some really wonderful people. I left there walking on air (just as I visualised I would).
The icing on the cake as far as dreams is that my intuition told me to not over-prepare, to keep it more natural so I didn't practise as much as usual which was a little out of my comfort zone. In fact, the ideas for what I did and said at the event on Sunday actually came from a dream I had the night before. I dreamt I was both hosting the event and practising the material simultaneously on the audience. The scene kept repeating itself like a movie shoot where you get multiple takes as I tried different things. When I woke up I wrote the ideas down and took the two things from the dream which felt right.
They worked in the dream, and they worked on the night.
The lines between the dream-world and this one continue to blur, each one creating the other and I am beginning to gain more control over both. It's an exciting time.
I have learnt two key things from these experiences:
1) The things you are thinking about and feeling in the last few minutes before you fall asleep have a huge effect on your sleep, your dreams and how your day goes tomorrow
2) I think we do our dreams a disservice if we dismiss them as nonsensical or meaningless.
It seems strange to me that so little attention is given to sleep and dreaming considering it constitutes one-third of our existence. There are some people who say they don't have dreams, but actually we ALL have dreams, it's just that very few of us wake up to remember our dreams.
“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
― T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph
Do you remember your dreams?
I posted this song with a previous post but it fits so well...I had to do it again
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