How many of you, as I do, oscillate between cynicism and optimism? What side does most of your thought-energy go?

It’s raining.

My legs feel a little heavy, but still lighter than last week.

I’m soaked through, but I’m wearing lycra, so the wet has turned into an insulating layer and doesn’t bother me.

The superfluous clothes I’m wearing are giving me a couple of extra pounds to carry, like I need that. Still, as my running coach/tormentor tells me “It’s good practice”.

This is my last training running before I do the Tough Mudder See here for the clip.

I’m running, cycling through my personal holy quadrants of running

Head up (it used to be bowed down)

Elbows back (it aids running efficiency and was a massive factor in improving my technique)

Breathe in (sounds like a no brainer but my default was emphasizing the outbreath only)

Lift legs/Lengthen stride (I used to move legs little as possible, obsessing about conserving energy so I could complete run).

So, I’m cycling through these, then I see it!

My Patronus.

I see a deer, magnificent and in beautiful condition.

I take it as a sign that I have hidden strength, (a belief I’ve flirted with multiple times during my life) and that the Event is going to go brilliantly and I’m going to have a great time.

I’ve chosen to believe that this sign means I’m going to have happen.

Let’s see if it works!

I leave you with a quote I say practically every day, and they are those of 1300′s Literary Uber-Nun Julian of Norwich (yes, she had a bloke’s name)…

All shall be well

And all shall be well

And all manner of things shall be well

Julian of Norwich

Memes.

“An idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture”

~ src Wikipedia (so it must be accurate, right?)

I’m wondering about how Memes are spread in children. We have all seen the recent media interest reboot in the Titanic disaster. This has come in both televised drama as well as documentaries.
As if that Celine Dion track didn’t haunt our souls enough.

But here we are amid it, and my son, yesterday came to me, somewhat excitedly and says:

“Hey Dad, we were playing Titanic today!”

“Really, what did you do?”

“Yeah, I had to save babies.”

“I had to dive down really deep and get them.” 

“Then I had to look after them and hold them in my arms like this” (mimes cradling motion in arms)

“I saved 20 babies!”

I was both intrigued and touched by my little boy’s tale. Of course, I was pleased that he was playing out the Hero archetype, bravely plumbing the ocean’s salty depths to save defenceless younglings.

I also was struck, why don’t we – as adults do more of this?

What is the spirit of play, and how does it facilitate learning?

I’m still musing, but needless to say, the connection with zero pressure (it doesn’t matter if I screw up) has somethign to do with it, along with being in a state of fun.

I’ve got nowhere with my first question though, that is, why we, as adults don’t do this, or rather it appears frowned upon, or maybe we do it less consciously as we get older.

I understand that partially it may be due to reality biting, that is, it’s unrealistic to your visualising beating your adversary with a Streetfighter II Fireball – or Ha-Do-Ken (wave-motion-fist).

Ha Do Ken!

That said, pressure-free experimentation leads to advances and progression, so if you were going to have a limitless play, whether in business or sport or some other area, what would you do and play?

How would you stand, breathe, speak and act and what would you believe?

I dare you to try it.

You never know, it might just lead to some insight that changes something you do, someone you are or someone else.

So this discomfort thing…

I keep going on about it I know.

And in spite of knowing about the payoff, the light at the end of the tunnel, there’s still the thorny issue of, well, the bloody thorns themselves.

There’s an area I’ve been paying close attention to, as of this year. It all started with a whole load of struggle, so I got my head down.

Started to make a *little* headway, then got a little cocky about my infinitesimal progress. Then went for an assessment, to be found that actually, I still has fundamental flaws in my game.

I was a little crestfallen to be honest (oddly, the creative commons listed this bovine unit as ‘crestfallen – weird.)

Crestfallen

However, what I got out of this, was some ultra-specific feedback on where I was going wrong.

Can you guess what happens next in this dreary and obvious micro-tale?

That’s right, I started to focus on those areas, (like a boss!) and then lo! Have started  - only started mind you, to iron out those problems.

And it feels good.

Here’s a video of someone making progress of a different nature. Having Hypnotized a wild Crow once, I can relate to this.

Credo.

Here’s the thing.
This year I’ve offered up to the dark gods of discomfort (and man they’re dark).
Now, I’ve been progressing pretty well, had a whole bunch of discomfort, and I realised some way in that I was actually focus on the discomfort, as opposed to the rewards that are being and sown and reaped from the hardship.

I was thinking “OK, I’m in discomfort ugh… need to do more discomfort, ugh..”
But I’d forgotten the big WHY.
Like I say to people I work with, staying connected to the PURPOSE you’re doing something, will aid you in getting you through the crappy time.
*Caveat* This doesn’t mean it’ll be any easier, but it means your propensity to deal with challenge is greater.

That is all.

Credo!

So, this year, begrudgingly I’ve decided is all about discomfort.

By this I mean the kind of discomfort that results in personal growth.

Last year, generally speaking I ticked over and ‘grew’ organically in both personal and professional ways. While this is of course, natural, it was pretty hands off.

As a result I did well, but not brilliantly.

So I’ve mapped out a few areas – all of which I *won’t* be sharing with you….

Here’s why.

So, I’m going to break all blogging ‘rules’ and NOT ask you what your goals are.

I don’t want to know, because I want you to *get* them, instead of getting a few more hits.

And something I can tell you about my secretive goals is that I *WILL* be using Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy to attain them.

That is all.

Here’s what I wrote on Facebook last night. For myself as much as (if not more than) others.

I really hope that you get what you deserve, nothing more nothing less.
If you deserve ‘happyness’, Find it.
If you deserve anguish, relax, it’ll almost certainly find you.
This is where it gets complicated…
If you think you deserve nothing/misery/bad luck and/or that’s what you’ve gotten uptil now, congratulations – you’re probably getting what you planned for.
If you’re tired of the same old shit and are prepared to BE and DO different (albeit with help) then you know what you must do.
If you don’t know what or how to do that, contact me privately. I promise nothing but to try my best.

In short, continue to bring to mind (or at least do it fairly frequently) what you’re going to do with your remaining heartbeats –  because you better believe they are finite.

And this symbol below means Zombie in Chinese.

See the connection.

Credo.

Pretend

Pretend I’m not just talking about fighting.

Let’s say, just pretend I’m talking about Life. or business or whatever you want really. Maybe it’ll work, maybe it won’t.

So for the second time in my life, and this year, I was lucky enough to train with a real Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Master, and

one of the very few wearers of a Red and Black belt (think Black Belt to the tenth power).

So this is what he said in the lesson…

Even when you’re in a bad position, say, on your back, be doing stuff that is east to maintain for you but that will put the opponent off his flow – breaking his posture, allowing him to not be able to exploit the more dominant position he’s holding.

Best not to be in that position however. As with many things, a strong and balanced starting position, one that is well grounded and not top heavy is going to work well. That as well as a good degree of control and clear mindedness too.

He also told us that at any time, when going for a move, whatever it is, have about 3-4 contingency moves, potential directions you can move in, depending on the resistance. He said to see those things in your mind, have them mentally at hand so you can access and apply them when needed.

I thought that was interesting.

That is all.

In BJJ class this week, my teacher – Professor Walder explained how it is important to set up what you’re doing.

Getting in a position when facing resistance that gives you options, that is, if he pulls you in you can resist, if he pushes you away you can resist. Sometimes being non committal gives you the room you need to think and make a better informed decision.

Don’t rush, regardless of what others think do or say, make your play when it is right not when you’r urged to.

If time is running out, you take the best action you can when you can.
Drive forward slowly and surely and when you feel resistance (and more often you will) check to see if the application of further pressure will get a better result.

If you find it won’t, attack in a different direction. Move at an angle that isn;t expected, an angle that is taking you the long way round to your goal, yet still to your goal none the less.

Knowing when to be patient and when not to be, that’s some discernment right there.

And the secret is to practice.

This will take one minute to read.

Most men enjoy playing the odd video game, and yeah, often these have violent content in varying degrees (Duke Nukem being my own guilty pleasure).

But now I’ve found this, it gives food for thought. Excessive (10 hours or more) playing brings on a lack of activity in the left inferior frontal lobe (the grey noodle between your ears).

I mean really, is that surprising? Again the latest findings in Neurology back up common sense.

Now, It probably won’t stop the odd ‘secret 30 minute alien killfest’ in me –  but it is food for thought.

It’d seem *is* something to what our significant other says (usually mums, wives or girlfriends) when they say

“Stop playing that mindless game!”

Here’s the article, what do you make of it?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130095251.htm

CNT –  Concreteness training – a ‘new’ treatment for depression.

Apparently.

In short it’s getting people who suffer from depression to practice being specific in their thoughts. And to do that regularly.

There may be more it it, but that’s all I gleaned from the research article here.

For me, this is nothing new. I have been doing this forever when I treat those considering themselves as a depressive or experiencing depression type symptoms in my Hypnotherapy sessions here in leafy Woodford Green. If you haven’t been to my lovely village nested between Essex and London borders, do so!

The idea of being a CNT user is a good one, as long as the client is prepared to commit to the work over a period of time.

In my experience, utilising unconscious processes are utterly useful 90% of the time. Getting these resources on board, so as to not leave the embedding of a new practice or habit to just willpower, yeah, highly useful.

So while CNT is great, I’m all about hacking stuff to see if it can be leveraged to make it better, faster, stronger.

I guess it’s a guy thing.

It doesn’t work all the time, but when it doesn’t there’s always something useful to learn from it.

So just as the NHS would appear to be doing at the moment, get your CNT groove on if you’re feeling depressed.

And if you fancy turbo charging it, you might want to blend it with hypnosis.

Just sayin’!