Monthly Archives: September 2012

Unleash Your Potential

Posted on by kgoodman

unleash-your-potential

I have a mantra on the wall, above my work table. It states simply “In a world where you can be anything… Be Yourself.”

 

The wisdom is profound and simple.

The wisdom is often ignored.

 

We live in a world that is constantly telling us how we should act. We are repeatedly being told what our feelings should be on matters. We live a culture where individuality is both glamorized and criticized.

 

In school we are given placement tests and aptitude tests. Year after year, repeating the process over and over again. Measuring us against each other. Measuring us against some invisible bar of “What We Should Be”. These test are designed to see if we measure up and to test our scholastic ability. The process is repeated so many times we don’t realize it’s twisting our perception of achievement.

 

These tests try to determine how we measure up in math. Or to see if we excel in language. And our reward is a high test score and accolades… Or a low test score and a feeling of failure.

 

Recently I heard this put very eloquently. The reward for taking a French class isn’t an “A”. The reward shouldn’t be high test scores. The reward should be the ability to talk to people in French. It should be the ability to connect with people that speak French and make new friends.

 

When looking at aptitude tests, I always came out with high scores in Math and Science. I was told this meant I would be an engineer. I was a fairly agreeable child, so when I was told I would become an engineer, I took them seriously. I become an engineer.

 

I never compared notes with everyone else in in my class. But looking back, I wonder what kind of career list we were working with. Did someone ever come back with a result that stated “You will be a painter.”?

 

I don’t ever recall anyone anyone mentioning that their test results showed that they would be a spiritual mystic, or even a church pastor. My results certainly never stated “You will become a yoga teacher and spiritual guide.” There was no result that stated “some day you will write a story about these tests”.

 

Wouldn’t the impact on the world be profound if we could actually guide people toward professions that could key into aptitude and passion? Wouldn’t it be amazing if people got results like “You will be a fly fishing guide.”, “You will start your own company.”, or “You are best suited to write a blog.”?

 

Instead of being told you are best suited to be a cog in the gearbox of society, we could encourage people to strive for a life of passion and fulfillment.

 

You reap what you sew. I doubt the people that create standardized tests and piece together the options on the career lists are entirely fulfilled. Do you think when they were in grade school their tests responded with “You are best suited to make more of these tests.”?

 

I would love to hear someone results come back as: “You will stand in the middle of an open field embracing the new day and people will flock to you for your wisdom and insight.” Perhaps a little too poetic, perhaps not.

 

There is no proficiency test for greatness. There is no qualification exam for passion. Nobody else can tell you what you can and can not achieve.

But you can.

 

You can talk yourself out of pretty much anything if you’re not careful. The voice in your head may be constructed from messages outside of you in the past. But it’s you now. Own it. Or better yet, disown it. Identify it. Key into where it may be holding you back. Keep what you need and release what you don’t.

 

I would argue that it is your mission in life to tap into your core essence and find out what makes you tick. Find your passions, find your abilities, your true abilities. I don’t mean math and science. I am referring to your core essence. Tap into in, reveal it, utilize it and own it.

 

Don’t let anyone, including yourself, hold you back.

 

Unleash your potential.

 

Think of it as a puzzle. You are trying to get all the pieces to fit together. Maybe you haven’t even found all the puzzle pieces yet.

 

Here are a few books to help in your search for the edge pieces:
StrengthsFinder 2.0 – This test helped identify my character strengths. The book helps unpack what it means, but it can really help to have someone unpack it with you. I know some life coaches that are excellent at this, so please contact me if you’re interested in their contact information.
The 4-Hour Workweek – This book is great at stirring up your passion to break your work pattern and find what makes you tick and builds income

Picture a 200 carrot perfectly cut diamond. Now take that beautiful 200 carrot cut diamond, gorgeous and glittering in the sunshine, and dip it into a thick gooey mud puddle. Bake it in the sun for a few days, then take a look at it. Doesn’t look like a diamond any more, does it? But you know it is. You probably guarded the diamond day and night while it was baking, because you knew there was value in there.

Every person is a 200 carrot perfectly cut diamond covered in mud. Some of us have just spent more time polishing the surface and removing the dirt. Keep polishing and get ready to shine.

You are already great. Your work is to expose how great you are.

In a world where you can be anything… Be yourself.

 

Visualization – Meditation Guide Part 5

Posted on by kgoodman

Picture yourself in a green meadow. The sun is out and there are white billowing clouds rolling gently over head. The tall trees at the edge of the meadow rustle gently in the breeze. The meadow is filled with long blades of grass that gently sway in the wind. Through the center of the meadow, winding back and forth is a small brook with water flowing over green rocks. The stream is lined with yellow daisies and golden-orange poppies. Butterflies whimsically flit about from flower to flower as the sun kisses the water splashing beams of light onto your face.

Visualization is a powerful technique. This can be used to bring yourself to a calm place. It can even be used to prompt your subconscious into a dialog with you. I will close with a visualization technique used for this latter process.

Visualization can be done in several ways. As with most techniques, you can’t really do them wrong, but you will find ways that work and ways that don’t. Some may be good with words and be able to craft an image in their heads. Others may require no dialog at all and simply piece the vision together wordlessly. And still others may find an outward source most useful.

For those seeking an outside source there are resources available that can help. Visually oriented people may find simply looking through a picture book with inspirational images gives their mind enough to work with and they can close their eyes and picture themselves in the image. There are also meditation groups that offer guided visualization. I have been in yoga classes that ended with a visualization that was very effective. Be sure to ask your yoga teacher before class if this is something they would be willing to do.

Higher wisdom Visualization

Follow the directions after reading through once or twice. It’s hard to read once you’ve closed your eyes. This is also a good meditation to do in a group where a leader reads the instructions and the rest of the group goes through the process.

Steps

Close your eyes
Picture a small sphere of white light entering your body through the crown of your head.
Visualize the sphere running down your back to the base of your spine and then back the top.
Slow move the sphere through this path 2 or 3 times. At the end rest the sphere over your heart.
As you breath deeply and fulling in and out, picture the sphere expanding with your inhales
till your entire body is surrounded with this white light sphere.
This sphere is your vehicle,
Trusting your instincts allow the sphere to transport you to a safe place.
You are surrounded by Love.
At this point you will be in a safe place of your minds choosing.
Exit your vehicle and walk through the new surroundings.
Take a few minutes to experience this world.
Off to the side you see a circle of elders, they are here to assist you.
Approach the elders and follow your instincts.
You can engage in dialog. Embrace silence. Or ask a simple question.
Take a few minutes to allow this to happen.
Slowly walk back to your sphere of light, enter and gently return to your starting point.
Slowly open your eyes and rest absorbing the moment

I have found it helpful to journal about this experience or dialog if in a group setting to help process the outcome.

I am always open to hearing about your experiences if you want to share, please feel free to email me.

Namaste,

Kevin

Mantra Mindfulness – Guide Part 4

Posted on by kgoodman

mantra   [mahn-truh]

noun

1. Hinduism . a word or formula, as from the Veda, chanted or sung as an incantation or prayer.
2. An often repeated word, formula, or phrase.

Shift your mind back for a moment now, to when you were first learning how to drive. I personally remember happily driving down the road, and then something off to the side would catch my eye. I’d look over for just a moment and then look back at the road. Often, to my horror, I would find that my eyes had lead my hands and the car was now off angle headed towards the side of the road instead of straight down the road as I’d intended. I’d make a course correction back to the road and continue on my way.

Often in our lives we are heading down the road towards our goal and we get distracted by something off to the side. Sometimes we are not even aware we have changed direction, or thinking, but we are headed towards the side of the road and unaware that we’ve changed course. In this way a mantra is a tool used as we’re navigating our path down the road. The mantra can act as a reminder for where we are going and help correct our coarse.

The mantras we surround ourselves with are powerful. In many ways they are both a guide and indicator, sending our thoughts in a specific direction and indicating where we are likely to go. Pause for a moment and think about a typical day for yourself. Over the course of the day are there any phrases that seem to repeat themselves? Coming from computer software I was surrounded by mantras and catch phrases that guided our thinking. “Work smarter not harder”, “Look for our synergies”, “It is, what it is”. Sometimes these were useful, and sometimes they were a form of release, but they connected with a larger thought or idea and when used in the appropriate context would connect with a state of mind and help shift us back to our goal. This is the power of the mantra. And this is why we should choose our mantras carefully.

As you can see, thinking about your own mantras and phrases that float in your head, they are both indicative of your thought processes as well as directional guides for your thinking. This gives them a great deal of power. And yet, many mantras that we use have come across our path unintentionally and stuck to us. With the power of these mantras it is a very good idea to apply discernment and awareness. So now that we understand the tone they are applying to our day we can in turn shift our focus to the mantras that empower and have a positive impact.

Choosing a mantra

Choosing a mantra is important. There is no set length content or format. I personally have an “I am …” phrase that I repeat the reminds me of my core essence and purpose here on this planet. But I also have many other mantra’s. When I’m paying my bills I find it helpful to remind myself that “I am abundant”. When I am trying to meditate and move into a more spiritual plane, my mantra is simply “Ohm”. Find something that reflects who you are and the kind of thinking you want to foster in yourself. You can start simple “I am positive”, “My world is at peace” or even “I Rock!”. Have fun with it and find something that resonates with you as both a message you need to hear and one you can believe in.

Using your mantra

Now that you have mantra, put it into practice. A simple way to start with your mantra is incorporating it into a quick 5 minute meditation. You can begin with chanting your mantra 5 times to shift your thinking. Then connect into your breath with 5 deep inhales and exhales (done slowly with pauses between). Then end the meditation with 5 more repeats of your mantra. I would suggest you say your mantra aloud in your most powerful voice. Give the mantra power. But it can be okay to think loudly too, especially if you’re doing this at work. Sit up straight, breath deeply, and own it.

Another tip is to find a tool that will remind you of your mantra throughout the day. Write it on your hand (nontoxic writing tools please). Or tie a string around your finger. Or find a tool that will work with your mobile device.

You have the power to guide your path. Use your mantra to make a positive impact on yourself and the results will ripple out to the world around you. Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Namaste,

Kevin

A Day Without Technology

Posted on by kgoodman

a-day-without-technology-bw-trim

On Friday night I decided to make good on an idea that had been circling around in my mind for a few months. Turn off everything and leave it off till sunset the next day.

I grew up with the practice of Sabbath, so this wasn’t completely foreign to me. But I hadn’t practiced in quite a while.

The evolution of my tech addiction started simply enough. First there were desktop computers of course, I loved them and wanted to take them everywhere with me. But they were stuck to my desk and plugged into the wall.

Then came the laptop. An improvement to be sure, but still quite limited. Short battery life. Limited power. And heavy, oh so very heavy. My first laptop was for work and they called it a broad-axe. It was about the size of a giant axe blade of war, and about twice as heavy. At least it didn’t have a giant handle sticking out of the side.

Next came the cell phone. They’d been around for years by the time I got my first. My first cell phone was practical. It made phone calls. It had a rudimentary web browser that was capable of displaying text and was a complete waste of time to use. It was a phone and mobile message taker.

Phones began to evolved.

Laptops got faster and lighter.

Soon phones were full scale web browsers and you could get all your email on them. You never had to be out of touch… From anyone. Always on.

Now our phones are full blown portable person computers, game systems, social communication platforms and … oh yeah, I guess they still make phone calls.

And we have come to feel they are an extension of us. They are part of our lives and we are accessible through every moment of our lives.

I’m still curious what the impact will be on the current generation. They won’t know a time when they aren’t always available, always connected, always on.

I know the impact on me has been powerful and subtle. I don’t even know the full impact. Technology is a fundamental part of my world.

So how would I react to turning everything off?

What would happen if I just went dark for a day?

As challenging as the idea of turning them all off for a day was, I thought it would be good for me.

So Friday night I turned off my iphone, I turned off my ipad, I powered down my laptop, I hid my TV remotes. I took a deep breath, and I went to bed.

The next morning, I told my wife about my plan. She was very hesitant at first, she liked the idea, but the repercussions of being out of contact with her online mother’s community was daunting. I highlighted that this was something I was doing and that she didn’t need to do it. She had a few concerns about her own participation in the experience. After mentally coming to grips with the idea, she decided to join me in my experiment.

As I showered that morning my brain kept popping up things I needed to check on the internet. Things that immediately needed my attention. Then I remembered I wasn’t doing that today.

At one point I realized that in that last 5 minutes there were no less than 4 times I could easily looking back and see I’d been thinking about “checking on” something. So the idea occurred to me that I should keep a tally of how many times I actually thought about my phone. I realized that I could download an app to help me keep track… Then I laughed quietly at my brain and tried to move on.

I was amazed at how challenging this was. I wasn’t used to observing how many impulses I have to check my phone over the course of just a few minutes. All of this turmoil from a simple act made me feel that I should write notes about my experience while it was occurring.

I then lamented that I couldn’t write notes because I didn’t have my computer turned on and I couldn’t use my phone. I thought about turning on the computer, “just for a minute” to write notes, but knew that would break the spirit of my experiment.

During this inner dialog I remembered something, something ancient from my childhood, it was also called “writing” and it involved a pencil and paper. Hooray, problem solved!

As the afternoon wore on, I found the need to check my phone lessen. I did have an undertone of unease to my mental state. I realized that this was coming from a feeling that “Someone, somewhere, must need me.” If only I turned on my phone I would find out.

I kept looking forward to sundown like a man holding his breath under water waiting to surface.

Early afternoon involved a nice nap sitting in my reading chair. Also I pulled out a physical book and did some reading into it’s pages. Two activities that would probably have been interrupted or not have occurred at all had I been “plugged in”.

When sundown did finally come, I enjoyed checking my email and seeing if I’d missed anything that I needed to know. But I was able to approach the experience in a calm fashion as opposed to feeling like a man gasping for air.

Interesting, the internet did not miss me. It didn’t even care that I was gone for 24 hours. In fact all those people that I thought were trying to contact me didn’t even notice I was gone. The only lingering side effects left over from the experience is this story and the calm that it created within me.

No damage done by my day without tech.

Overall I would highly recommend this experiment to everyone.

I was very disturbed by how many tell tale signs of addiction showed up over the course of the day. A computer seems like such simple tool, but it is tapped into more neural pathways than we care to admit.

Namaste,

Kevin