Mind & Body Update 2.0

ENERGY UPGRADES

Try as we might to accomplish more in our waking moments, sometimes the energy levels required for us just to fulfil the day's regular requirements – let alone achieve great feats of strength, endurance and mental prowess – may unfortunately be beyond our reach.

Caffeine, sugar and alcohol can all deliver a quick-fix solution for pulling us through periods of low energy. But rather than turning to the usual stimulants for a boost, we need to understand how energy is used/stored and be more aware of the factors which cause energy levels to drop in the first place. From that point on, we can take corrective measures to improve our general performance plus learn how to increase the reserves and stay consistently energised for longer.

It's widely accepted that lack of sleep, poor nutrition and enduring sustained periods of stress will all compromise our energy levels. For the most part, corrective lifestyle measures can easily be adapted to recharge the batteries. Certainly, improving our nutrition, upping hydration intake, taking regular exercise for fitness gains and generally ensuring we avoid ingesting too much processed/junk foods or alcohol and other stimulants, which are known to impair sleep quality – will all help to ensure we operate at higher performance levels.

However, to really improve performance & output with greater energy levels, we should also investigate natural energy-boosting methods, discovered through years of experimentation by our previous generations. Wisdom obtained and passed down to us by ancient civilisations about the health benefits of using herb blends – creating tinctures and tonics for ailments, recovery and enhancement, have largely been forgotten. Rather than purchasing packaged pharmaceuticals off a shelf, we can follow the ancient practices of alchemy and add these natural elements into our diet.

Adaptogens
Adding certain herbs and spices to food, not only provides flavour but will also deliver other health benefits too. We call these ingredients adaptogens. Adaptogens are plants or herbs that help support the adrenal system. They balance our hormones, so we can manage stress responses on a day-to-day basis. Stress is necessary for the body to operate properly, but having too much sustained stress on the body, is harmful. So our stress responses adapt to what the body needs and adaptogens work in harmony with the hormonal systems to ensure better regulation of the hormone levels, either up or down, depending on the requirements at that time.

Adding herbs and spices to our diet will help increase performance. Before taking a sugary snack or caffeine hir – first consider there are many other better alternative natural ways to boost brain power which can all be readily found online.

Often, some water, deep breaths and a short break from the day's usual stresses will do the job of energy revival, faster and better than any other expensive remedy.

Higher States Of Consciousness

THE GATEWAY TO UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS

Where do the best ideas come from? Some have claimed the inspiration for their masterpieces has come from a higher place – a gift from 'God'. Others, who recognise the power of 'God' lies within all of us, have sought ways to access this inner intelligence.

Radical thinkers, painters, musicians and scholars over the years, have been known to use various techniques for accessing inspiration mind-states. Many have tapped into this creative flow state through use of alcohol and drugs, whereas others would use extended periods of either sleep deprivation or disruptive sleep patterns to bypass the restrictive barrier of conscious thought, to delve into this illusive realm or 'dream state'. Obtaining a window into the subconscious mind to alter one's perception via ingestion of mind-altering substances, has arguably helped influence the surrealist art movement, are well publicised through the lyrics of our Rock & Roll greats and is well known to have infiltrated the hop hop and electronic dance scenes. It's less known however, that even the classical composers, poets and artists used an assortment of tonics, herbs and even poisons, for kicks, inspiration and pain relief. Man's quest for intoxication, as pleasure, relaxation or relief, has evidently been going on since records began and way beyond.

Stressing The Need To De-stress
Creativity in all it's forms, needs certain conditions in order to bring forward the magic. Certainly, a  degree of 'pressure' is necessary for us to function properly but extreme and prolonged stress can have a negative impact on physical health, plus it impairs brain function for firing synapses to generate creative thoughts.

Meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety, help with alleviating stress as well as improved success in keeping one's emotions in check. Practising for just 10 minutes at a time, can help focus the mind and in allowing the mind's chatter to 'flow' past as we become the non-attached observer, can allow us to understand more about who we truly are. Regular practice will help manage non-beneficial emotional mind-states from gaining control over our lives.

Many people use alcohol to numb the negative voices in their heads and for breaking down inhibitions while in social situations. There are clearly beneficial effects experienced while drinking alcohol and moods can be positively enhanced when taking combinations of other herbs such as chamomille, lavender or cannabis. Studies have shown that consuming a reasonable amount of alcohol, can actually help moderate blood pressure and lower the risk of heart attack. According to various advocates of marijuana, certain strains can also help in lowering stress levels and some people believe that small amounts of the right strain can actually help focus the mind. Stress is a major inhibitor of creative thought, so having a glass of wine or few drags of a joint, may help us to relax enough to allow the creative thoughts to flow. But for gaining access to the most creative parts of our minds, we may need something a little stronger.

The psychoactive properties of Magic Mushrooms, Mescalin and LSD, can alter our perception on the world. Aldous Huxley famously wrote The doors of perception about his experience and many rock bands were formed on the back of their own experiences entering altered states. Recent years have witnessed the trend of microdosing in Silicon valley, to hack the mind into more productive and creative states.

A Culture of Lucid Dreaming
Visions, trips, wakeful dream states or lucid dreaming while consciously being present or 'awake', are commonly experienced in Western society, either by chance or through taking drugs recreationally. However, while a combination of mind-altering substances to activate altered mind states or self-detachment can mean anything from being interesting, scary or profoundly enlightening, this activity's benefits will only be realised if we take measures to remember/recall and document our thoughts to benefit our personal growth, achieve insights and creative inspiration.

Lucid dreaming is a method for self-realisation which the ancient shaman across the world have been known to practice for millennia. The Huichol people of  Mexico, regularly use Peyote (Mescalin) in their religious ceremonies so interact with their ancestral spirits There's a technique which the Tibetan monks still use and can induce lucid thoughts.

Ultimately, obtaining a gateway to the inner self takes dedicated and consistent practice. But this transformative process offers exciting opportunities for the individual to interact with the Self, have inner investigation and discovery which can challenge the perceived notions of self, identity and even of reality itself.

Doing It Anyway

THE FUCK IT MENTALITY

There are times when we need to put a lot of thought into our decisions and there are also times when we just need to take the plunge on gut instinct. Often, the brain will be in conflict with what the heart wants us to do and we can sometimes talk ourselves out of making the right choices. When we are paralysed to act – this is when the fuck-it mindset can kick in.

The gut is our security centre – our base from where the primal instincts reside. The fight or flight mechanisms are primed here for survival and it's the legs, activated from this primeval intelligence HQ, that move us, critically long before our minds have caught up to any perceived dangers.

Our heart centre is where the desires reside and it's from this central emotive central hub that our true self is housed. The true nature of our heart's wants & desires, will steer us along life's path.

Easy Come Easy Go
Making decisions from a one-person perspective can be limiting. That's why a collaborative effort from the head, the heart and the gut, can all come up with an answer through committee which safety, rationally and reassuringly justifies our decisions. However, these internal courtroom debates can take time and when there's an opportunity presented to us, with a pressing need to be actioned quickly, these on-the-fly decisions can be difficult to resolve without one or all three of our guiding decision makers getting in the way of success.

Life really is very short and missing an event with friends or passing up on a fun, life-enriching moment because of something irrelevant like money, is definitely one of those situations where the fuck-it mentality can step in to really help make that decision. Money is, at the end of the day, just an illusion. Money can be created and it can be moved around. In fact, there's many creative ways to make money work for us – it should never be the other way around. But there are of course some risk factors to take into account.

Assessments Of Risk
In order to activate the fuck-it mentality successfully (or to make the fuck-it move), we have to set some ground rules in for when the fuck-it-mentality/move (or FIM for short), can give us a clearer chance of success. It has to feel right. There are a few key factors to consider....

Finance. We've already mentioned that money is an illusion, but we do need to be reasonable about how much money we can stake on a FIM – because blowing everything on red or black (or the roll of a dice – Diceman style), all sounds fun, but we still need money for food and somewhere to live. SO money, within reason, shouldn't be a major determining factor, but FIM still has to allow for an acceptable level of loss, without having consequences for lasting misery!

Morals. Carrying out a FIM, knowing full well that moral boundaries are going to be crossed, really needs careful consideration. We are living in an era of close scrutiny, where cameras are placed everywhere, plus there's social media to think about too. So doing something that can be captured, shared with the world and commented on by all, could result in us acquiring a lot of negative interest – a bad reputation, hurt someone else's feelings really badly, or worse still, result in us getting a criminal record coupled with all the knock-on implications. Digital information can be stored indefinitely. So to perform a FIM, we first need a strong moral core and definitely require the capacity within us for making sound judgement calls on the fly.

Legals. FIM can sometimes cross over into tricky territory. How many times have we said 'What the hell' and gotten away with a little rule-breaking. Rules are there to protect us and ensure fairness. Smart people will learn the rules and find out how to 'bend' them and that's the fine line. Unless you are cute, wealthy or connected in some way, then the chances of getting away with rule-breaking are already somewhat limited when you get caught. Also, remember that small breaks in the law may have more serious implications down the line as even small misdemeanours are now recorded and kept on file – likely for good these days.

Injury. If there's an element of danger when performing any FIM, especially with a risk of bodily harm (no matter how big or small), potentially affecting either our own or somebody else's health – then we need to be fully aware of the implications. FIM's in this case, should be measured against knowledge of physics, environment and capabilities of all who are involved.

Stunt men and women are highly trained individuals who have to make a lot of danger evaluations in their work. Calculated risk assessments based on good prior knowledge of one's environment, are measured against the physical capabilities of an individual when performing a stunt. The physics for performing a risky move and the properties for making a safe landing, are all very carefully measured in advance to avoid injury. Sometimes, we can make good FIM judgements, but there can be many unforeseen and unconsidered factors which will impact success in this type of FIM.

Unfortunately, accidents tend to happen when we take things too lightly occur when we have underestimated properties of potentially harmfiul elements in our environment that can cause injuries. For example, snow can be soft to land in, but frozen snow can easily break a wrist. Likewise, hitting water at high velocity can knock someone out cold and jumping from height into a body of water without prior knowledge of the water's depth or knowledge about what lies beneath the surface, are setting ourselves up for trouble.

Making Time
Making a quick decision can really save time. It can get us on the train, first in line or ensure a place on the winner's table. FIM can be fun and create moments of serendipity. One minute we are in drizzly London and half a day away, we are on a beach in the sun or the top of a mountain. Cheap flights to a sunny, beautiful and exciting location are on sale every day.

If time really is an issue - ie. you think you don't have any – then that my friend, is where the FIM can really enrich one's life. Time can feel elastic – it can drag or it can fly by. It depends on what we are doing. Life is something we have to experience to the fullest and to do it, we have to make the time to enjoy as many quality moments of life as possible. Therefore, getting to know the FIM risks so there's personal rules in place for when it's going to be safe to adopt the 'fuck it mentality', will allow for many more moments of success and an enriched experience of life.

Sinking, Stumbling, Or Flying

A MEANINGFUL ABYSS

What does life mean? What is our true purpose? Where is the ultimate goal along this life's journey taking us?

There are a multitude of unanswerable conundrums which we repeatedly test ourselves with. These deep-reaching enquiries for truths will materialise from quiet isolation – pondered consciously in undistracted and reflective holiday instants as the sun, illuminating amber/golden 'god's fingers', sets over a tranquil sea. Or at other moments of subdued pensiveness, these questions can become an underlined acknowledgement of unknowns, felt subconsciously. I liken it to a feeling not too dissimilar from sensing eyes watching from behind or the tightening of the muscles emanating from the pits of our stomach before rising to the nape of the neck to register on our delayed brains – a pre-warning signal perceived in the preliminary steps whilst approaching a cliff edge.

We 'live' in a constant stream of enquiry. Life comes down to survival on a base level as we obviously need to fuel our bodies and steer clear of environmental dangers, but underneath this primal existence, lies an abyss – an infinite unknown. It's pondering our point of living and questioning what reality 'is' which manifests anxiety. And because we can't ever grasp the solutions, this 'niggle' that's lying underneath everything we do as humans, is what we sense and fear.

So if death is the ultimate goal of our physical lives, what is our purpose of 'living' up until that unavoidable point when we cease to exist? Surely we can't just be here on Earth without a purpose? This is a thing we all face daily, even if we don't always actively question it. Living a meaningful life, can be whatever we choose it to be, but however we choose to live our life, there always remains that concept of the unknown abyss.

Physics tells us we are bundles of atomic vibrational energy, held in a soup of gasses to a denser vibrational planetary rock by gravitational forces, rotating in a vacuum of an expansive infinite universe. Therefore there's really nothing to actually 'support' us. It's why we still cling to religions with notions of heaven, spiritual ascension and a sweet afterlife, when we have cold science. Blind faith helps to settle the anxiety down. But none of these alternative concepts of reality really makes any sense to a rational thinker – it's all self-deceit at best. So how do we manage our daily lives knowing it has no real meaning, where purpose is a human construct and the goal is eternal nothingness? Depression surely that way lies?!

Embrace The Unknown
The only way we can overcome our fears and quash the 'why bother' attitudes which hold us back from even trying to make life worthwhile, is to step forward into thin air anyway. Fear feeds fear but action creates opportunities for growth. Life is short and waiting for the end-goal is pointless in itself if we acknowledge that the end is ultimately ceasing to be. We have no way of controlling factors outside of ourselves, or find the ultimate answers to impossible questions, so the only way to live life is to wrestle control over the way we think – which is no easy feat!

Every time we try and attribute meaning to life – it can be stripped away into insignificance, so making plans for the future is a futile pursuit. It's all about right now! Forget about purpose. Give up on attaining answers. Just do what you enjoy doing and make that goal your life's purpose.

Either we drown in the fearful darkness, tread ever-more anxiously deeper into the quicksand towards our final and inevitable destiny, or we soar above the fear to float lightly within the infinite – and if we choose to fully embrace it – comforting nothingness of the abyss.

Creative Expression Through Writing

EXPRESSIONS OF THOUGHT AND CREATIVITY

The mind is an infinite source of creative possibilities. Right at this moment, we all foster an abundance of latent creative potential - all just waiting there, ready for us to tap into.

Creativity is not genetic and it's not a 'gift' either, but considered more of a mind preference. Inspiration for new concepts and ideas, all stem from a creative state – a process of activation via creative expression. With careful preparation and mindful practice, we can all create from this magical realm from within.

Our mindset is the key factor in generating the perfect creative 'space' both in regards to the virtual and an actual creative environment. Personality and character preferences of the individual can largely determine which areas of the brain are switched on and utilised. We tend to follow the mind pathways that work best for us in our daily environment and it's these factors that determine our ability to think logically (closed) and/or creatively (open).

The two side of the brain have distinctly different functions. Logical, rational and organisational thoughts, are said to favour the left-side of the brain – which is more dominantly linked to systematic thinking, whereas the application of these systematic thought processeses are said to be processed via the right brain. For example, speech patterns may be learned, with vocabulary and grammar stored for retrieval by the left hemisphere, whereas descriptive tone, inclination and word formulations are (it's now claimed), nuanced for poetry, prose and verbal expressions from the right hemisphere of the brain.

Studies vary and opinions change all the time - so, there's still (clearly) a lot about the brain's functions we don't understand and may perhaps never fully be understood. Everybody is unique and will be different in how and where different regions of the brain are activated to perform certain functions. Contrary to a previously held belief, the brain does not actually function as two independently divided halves, but performs in a more collaborative process – with both hemispheres harmoniously sharing the information via the corpus callosum – allowing for enhanced improved comprehension and attaining meaning/rationale for what our senses are perceiving.

It's perhaps irrelevant which side of the brain we favour, as different functions can be performed by either side in some cases. But something paramount for self-observation, is understanding which thought processes we tend to favour most and why. Because then we can encourage alternative modes of thinking, which focus more on the opposing thought pathways, leading us to a more balanced 'left/right' thinking/sensing rational and at the same time, sympathetic mindset. Over time and through a focussed application of our thought processes – especially targeting those neural pathways which we tend to bypass/neglect – these newly awakened channels can fire up dormant synapses, to assist in our ongoing quest for self-development/improvement.

Narrow-Minded
Believing that one is past the point of training our brains, will feed the false notion that older brains cannot learn new modes of thinking. This narrow thinking has collectively contributed towards the old myth that we are restricted on the number of brain cells available to us in a lifetime. However, more recent research tells us that we do in fact have the ability to restore brain function and generate new/repair old neural pathways – even when it's apparently been 'lost' to us through old age, illness and injury. Once again, this resigned attitude comes back to how the individual's positive/negative mindset perceives their potential for successful results.

The ability to develop regions of the brain, for enhanced cerebral functions, is available to us all. It's just a matter of application. However, those who believe they will never have the capacity for performing certain tasks, which they've been told are beyond their realm – either because they've perhaps reached a certain age or else they've picked up false information about brain hemispheres pre-determining their ability to perform in a certain way, will indeed live up to the expectations they've given themselves.

Getting stuck in a rigid mindset, is the reason why we will never change. Confidence in one's ability and retaining a determination for achieving our goals, fighting against a negative/defeatist attitude in oneself – or stupidly listening/believing what other people tell us, is why we fail.

One should always try to remember the golden rule for living one's life, which is this: Positive thoughts will attract more positive outcomes. This is ultimately how we will make desired favourable changes for greater success.

Becoming Creative
Now we have established that our brain function is determined by the preferences of the individual and that non-creative activities/thought processes can be activated, trained and enhanced through application over time, we need to set up the creative environment for us to work within.

Manifestations of a creative concept, can be transmuted via different expressive mediums that we already possess. Either we become masters of expression through the sounds our voice-box can generate, in the form of singing/chanting, or we can use movement and sound together in dance and acting pursuits. Other creative expressions can be channelled through our bodies/limbs and into the hands for writing, painting and sculpting etc.

When we channel the creative energy through our bodies, it's important to have a direct connection to the natural flow of things. Flowing movements can be expressed in our movements. So it follows that writing and drawing can be better expressed through use of a stylus, brush or pen, rather than through a keyboard or a mouse.

In order to activate the creative neural pathways, it's equally important to free ourselves up from distractions and to be in an environment which allows for the relaxed mental space and undisturbed time for the creative processes to really work.

Physical And Virtual Space
Our environment has both a physical and non-physical space. The comfort of the physical space, lowers the stress response and facilitates 'flow-state'. A peacefulness of inner mind, allows the virtual space for more neurons to fire off. Good sleep and nutrition, will also allow for more sustained activation of the creative processes. Good preperation of our creative environment will allow us to be immersed in the creative mind state for longer periods of time for even greater, creative expressions to deliver it's magic.

Setting The Stage
Once we have identified the types of thinking that are neglected, we are able to address these areas of our thinking that need greater focus by writing them down. This writing process is our first stage in discovering our shortcomings and in itself takes applied focus and practice. It's possibly one of the most difficult tasks you'll ever do, because we cannot trust our own opinions.

The mind has a way of deceiving ourselves to what we are really like! If you've ever had to write a short biog on yourself, you'll understand how hard it is to know who you are and what you are about. Try it as a first exercise, then show it to the person closest to you – your mum or partner. Then see how different the opinions are....

The bad news is that we lie constantly and we lie the most convincingly to ourselves. The good news, is that we can move forward from this realisation and become more open-minded through consistent self-reflection.

Creative writing is the best way for us to commence a journey of self-discovery. Taking the time to sit alone with ourselves in a quiet place, with a blank page in front of us and pen in hand, will not only help us to understand where the imbalances lie in our thinking (and lives), but can also open up the creative mindset for exploring other facets of creativity (and discovery), a process which may have been temporarily lost to us (or more accurately put: deactivated through neglect), over the years.

Play

THE GAME OF LIFE

Life is a game and just like a game, life can be challenging or it can be fun. If we get things right, both states can happily coexist at the same time. Games have a set of rules that we need to follow. In order to succeed at the game of life, we need to learn the rules and through experience, learn how to bend these rules to gain an advantage...if winning really is our goal.

So if we treat life in the same way as we do when playing a game, the resulting moves from non-skill game factors and an unlucky throw of the dice (which are said to be out of our control), can be mostly shrugged off. Some of the obstacles that influence our day and can negatively affect our mindset are easily shaken off if we put circumstances down to a bit of bad luck. Having a bad day? Think of these downturns in life as you would a game of cards – merely shuffle the deck and play out another hand!

Making Your Own Luck
Back in 2015, I wrote a short post about playing life as a game. Since that day, I've recognised a fair few times when the game mentality has helped me through a tricky patch. Generally, what I learned most from the unsuccessful game-play outcomes, was that I'd not prepared myself for the game in hand. I'd become reliant on chance and took it badly when the outcomes were less favourable.

When we allow 'luck' to provide a desired outcome, we are blindly hopeful at best. Luck, as it turns out, can be created. Luck is based on probability and preparation. Without understanding where chances for achieving our desired results deviate away from a 50/50 split, the outcome of success comes down to either one's ignorance or pre-learned knowledge of the facts. This is where decisions are weighted in our favour and chance, as opposed to luck, will play a hand. It's knowing when to play, so one's 'game' can be directed towards a more probable win.

The Child Mind
'Playtime' will help us cope with stress. Making 'serious' moments, seem less so, can make light of high-pressure situations – especially at work. But being playful, should can be beneficial for general health and should be a mind-state we choose. Certainly, pretend games of success like Monopoly, can be fun but role-play, tag or hide-and-seek can bring out the inner child. Studies have shown positive health benefits in adults who have forgotten how to play.

Being playful and therefore allowing our inner-child to surface, will greatly enhance creativity, keep our minds and bodies feeling/looking youthful, and energetic plus attract more positive people and bring about luckier outcomes in the game of life.

Mind Management

BUILDING A MINDSET

Mindset is key – as our thinking defines our lives. We have a choice to be happy, to be successful, to be in control of our bodies, what we put in them and how we direct our energies. Our decisions and actions, spring forward from our mind state. Our hormones and health are all dependent on how we think. Negative thoughts will attract negative outcomes. Good thoughts will attract positive ones.

Positive Thought, Positive Action, Positive Life
The only truth, are the beliefs that we have, hold on to and follow to be true. Belief drives everything. That's why it's important to believe in something meaningful. If beliefs connect through to family, about having good friends, finding love, having a worthwhile job or enough money to enjoy life – the projection of these positive life-enriching attachments, originating in the mind – will manifest into reality. Attraction is the result of following our belief.

Our mindset is defined by what we experience, what we allow to enter the senses and how we interpret the information. Therefore, if we pollute our minds with poor quality information, we become influenced by negative imprints, which are the residue left remaining after the senses have absorbed the information. Like the saying, 'we are what we eat', the same is true about what information we allow in to the mind – we form and become what we believe.

Mind Filters
Watching violence in films, on TV, reading doom-saying newspapers, gossip mags, surrounding ourselves with negative influences – allowing disturbing imagery, people and situations to infiltrate our lives – this is how we accumulate negative energy and consequently develop a poor mindset. All information we surround ourselves with, including the people and conversations we partake in, will have an affect on our mindset.

If we can start the day on the right footing, we can influence our decisions and make considered choices right up until the time we sleep, which is the quality time we have to recharge our energies for the following day. This is why the most important times of the day are the moments after waking and the period just before going to sleep. If we can be more conscious of the content we absorb around these times, the chances of us influencing the rest of our day with a positive mind-state, will increase significantly.

The 20 Minute Reboot
When we wake in the morning, we have just a a few glorious minutes while the conscious mind is quietened, free from clutter and open to positive suggestion.

The first moments should be a quiet connection to the body, with a gentle waking of the joints, preparation of the endocrine/nervous systems and the senses ready for the day. There's two blissful exercises for pretty much all levels of fitness, which we can easily do, to physically set us up for the day ahead, plus a tonic to be drunk and some positive affirmations with breath work for all-round health benefits.

1. Tibetan Gymnastics
This gentle waking up of the endocrine system takes a mere 5 minutes. It should be carried out shortly after waking and before taking on any solid or fluid refreshments. I usually enliven my mouth with a small sip or gargle of cool water and take a bathroom interlude, then before the sleep has left my eyes, lay down on my back to carry out the exercises.

2. Health Tonic 
After the gymnastics, take a glass of chilled water – infused with lemon juice or enlivened with a healing stone and sip it mindfully. Following that, make a turmeric tonic for increased health. Infuse more lemon juice with a teaspoon of turmeric, a tablespoon of cold press vegetable oil and quarter of a teaspoon of pepper.

Charging the water with positive energy can be achieved with crystals. Keeping the water in the fridge and topping up every time you drink, ensures there's always some refreshing tonic to hand, even if there's not been time for any of the other morning routines.

3. Qi Gong
The next exercise, will tone the lungs, get the blood pumping through the legs and arms and set the mind focussed and calm. There are many exercises to choose from, but the 10 minute morning set by Lee Holden, is perfect for setting up the day.

4. Breathwork
We can survive for weeks without food, days without water but mere minutes without breath. So much of our energy comes from breath. Deep breathing, can help restore tiredness, improve circulation, fitness and if done properly, reduce anxiety and depression. Standing with the legs slightly wider than hip width, back straight and neck long, raise the arms up to the sides with the palms splayed and fingers pointing forwards. Ground yourself into the floor (bare feet best). As a reference, visualise Leonardo's Vitruvian man. Essentially, we want to make ourselves as big as we can, to take on as much energy as possible. Now take some deep breaths counting to 6 on the inhale and exhale, engaging the glottis at the back of the throat to really feel each slow and considered breath.

Affirmations
After charging ourselves with tonics and breathwork, speaking affirmations out loud – with true conviction (really believe the words as they are spoken) – will help to cement the positive mindset in place for the rest of the day. Choose two mantras each day (they don't need to change daily) and repeat each 3 times, focussing on the breath in and out, with powerful vocalisation of the words at every breath pause.

If there's a lot of stress and major upsets in life at this time, take an extra 15 minutes for yourself, to think about one of the happiest moments in life. Visualise the moment and re-live it over and over in your mind. The more lucid the thoughts, the more powerful the exercise will be to bring about a positive mindset where there may have been a negative one.

Gratitude
Before going to sleep, finish off the day with some gratitude affirmations. Be thankful for good health, love from family, friends and partners, a roof over your head, a full belly and the time to be in the moment – aware of the good fortune you have.

Intuition

GUT INSTINCT

Mindful, carefully considered and applied thought processes, help us to make sense of the world around us. Conscious decisions based on sound judgment and reasoning will steer us on the right path in life. But deep thinking can be time-consuming, and energy-depleting and potentially even take us away from where our true desires intend us to go.

Before the mind's synapses get too heavily burdened with complex thought processes, take a moment to listen to that inner voice. Our intuitive brain understands our needs and desires the best of all. Registering that sensation, felt in the solar plexus area, can be helpful for quickly answering a life conundrum and provide us with the necessary early warning signals for making snap decisions when it really counts.

Reactive decisions can often be right. Gut feelings can steer us on the right path or divert away from danger, but because it's closely connected to our emotive state, it can also get us to make poor decisions. We should learn how and when to trust this pre-thought 'gut instinct' over the more complex thought systems if we are to avoid bad outcomes for more favourable situations.

Fast And Slow Brain
Our minds operate in both fast and slow modes. The fast mode references pre-learned or 'known' experiences in order to make quick decisions and the slower mode uses a process of reasoning with calculations to assess situations in greater 'depth'. The slower mind is mostly what we term the conscious brain. Our subconscious handles a lot of the autonomous processes we are mostly unaware of. When reading the environment and dealing with every motion taken throughout the day, the subconscious recall process accesses both implicit (learned) and explicit (sensed) memory.
The sensors on our body are primed for operation when we're awake (and some when we are asleep) Our entire body is covered in proprioceptors – sensors for pressure and temperature connected to our skin, hair, stabilisers within our ears for balance and in various safety sensors in our muscles to avoid injury.

There's a lot of information continually being processed, even when our conscious brain is engaged in other tasks. Our senses are on the alert for danger in ways we cannot fully understand. Our peripheral vision, for example, is working while we read this text. Depending on our level of general awareness, we may 'feel' that we're being watched or know instinctively when a person is approaching. We may already know if there's any danger. This is what we experience as hairs on the back of the neck or prickling of the ears.

Sixth Sense
How do we 'sense' when someone is looking at us from behind? Can this be put down to reflections, peripheral vision or something else? Our eyes give us away from a distance and the angle of the head and body of a stranger, when looking at us, can be picked up by our peripheral vision – but everyone must have experienced that moment when someone is watching from behind and we 'feel' their gaze. Fighter pilots were encouraged not to look upon the enemy pilots during a surprise attack, as there were clear instances when the other person would somehow 'sense' the approaching danger and change course. There are many studies been made into ESP and the paranormal and there's no clear evidence to suggest it actually exists. However, we should all recognise that a strange kind of inner knowledge does exist – an intuitive mind, which can and does make good decisions, when the seemingly rational mind comes to the wrong conclusions. Learn to trust it!

Philosophy

THINK AND BE

The brain is a complex structure, defining humans as the most advanced species on Earth. Our evolutionary path has been defined through the workings of the mind, to adapt, create and form social structures from which to flourish within. Mind is also a tool that, when used well, can unlock the potential for bringing much success in life. 

Applied learning of what makes a man tick, can help to broaden the individual's mind. With such a wealth of discovery readily available to us – information on hand through libraries and so easily accessible via the internet, this moment in history brings even greater opportunities to expand our understanding of the world around us.

Many exceptional intellects have pondered what it is to be human and the learnings of these great thinkers, have helped shape our world. Philosophy has attempted to tackle the fundamental concepts of reality and existence. It's these philosophers before us, who have dedicated their lives to rationalising and discussing the subtle intricacies of what constitutes being human, – delving into constructs formed at the heart of society, studying foundations for living with the interplay of knowledge/values forging our very reason and purpose.

Understanding the make-up of man, is something the great philosophers have pondered for millennia. It served as a counter against religious schooling and was therefore a perilous pursuit for those who challenged dogma. People lost their lives standing up for what they believed. Many more great minds have debated the classics since antiquity and their thinking is founded at the heart of our modern-day societies.

Through advances made in science during the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, our great minds search beyond the atomic and deeper into the universe for answers on reality and existence. As religion loses its hold amongst the educated classes of the West, philosophy and the systematic approach to reasoning have also lost their allure as the prestigious pursuit it once was – at least for the time being. 

Knowledge of the philosophies, forayed by the studious as academic tennis and recited for scholarly status is not the purpose for learning the philosophies. Studying the great philosophers and their work will help us to understand such things as good and evil, love, truth and lies. Questions such as: who am I, why are we here, is there more to life and such, are still just as current and relevant to the individual and therefore the investigations/discussions of these subjects, will not only improve cognitive function but also bring new insights into our own lives.

With a quick search, some great free podcasts, and youtube short videos can be found covering the great philosophers – with collections available for beginners and even complete works available online. For an in-depth understanding of Philosophy in book form, a selection of some books to read can be found.

For some on the path to enlightenment, the answer lies in simply being. Kant knew the answers lied within. The fool needs no books. No search is required. No quest. The answers are already known, we simply need to know we have already found them.

Belief

FALSE REALITIES

Truth is an illusion. There is no right and wrong. There is no objective reality – just perception. The only reality is the one you – and only you – believe. 

Having a strong belief in something which can bring greater purpose and ultimately happiness into our lives, is where our energy should be focused. It doesn't matter what anyone else believes in, as it's only your perception that truly matters. If you believe it, then it becomes real.

The cycle of belief, purpose and happiness, all exist and continue to drive us forward. Believe in achieving a goal, take action with determination and a reward will materialise at the end of the work. But ultimately, there is no end, just another cycle of belief until we run out of what we believe in.

In a driven person, the Belief Cycle is a feedback loop between the person's conceptual ideas, the belief in the concepts, potential energy for success attainment, action for achieving and the results manifested. In this model, a cycle dictates that the results one achieves are in direct proportion to the actions one takes. The actions that one takes is determined by the belief one has in their own potential.

Mindset

SELF- FULFILLING PROPHECIES

The directions our lives will take are all determined by our actions. Our actions follow our intentions, which are fuelled by desire. This means we truly can be the masters of our own destiny if we follow our hearts. To achieve goals, all we have to do is conceive the direction we want to go in, visualise the destination and believe in the outcome we most aspire to. Belief forms our mindset and from here onward, we can determine success or failure (self-defeating prophecies), by practising the right mindset.

Many people have learnt the power of intention through meditation, breathing and yoga practice. Others have discovered that good things happen, purely if we go along with the idea of achieving a positive outcome, even if we seem to 'know' it will turn out otherwise. These surprising effects are down to a phenomenon called the placebo effect.

Belief Follows Action
When we can switch off the busy chatter in our minds, quieten the berating, negative voices and focus on what our desires are – the belief that we can achieve happiness, success, positive change – or whatever the aspirations we choose, will be fuelled by our belief. Taking a blind step into the unknown takes courage. Belief will strengthen as we continue to take these steps.

Allowing the mind to quieten also provides the focus to tap into the energy force at the centre of our being – the heart – a place from where we can discover our role in bringing more meaning to our lives. We all have our place and all are worthy. What we desire, can take years of dedication and practice – it can also eat away at us if we ignore our calling. Sometimes, there are sacrifices to be made and we should never compromise on following what our calling is.

Being the world's greatest at achieving something amazing, is not something we should or even could all aim for. Everyone is different. Whatever our driving force, we all can achieve through a positive mindset. Being a loving parent/partner, a considerate, charitable and decent human being, are just as difficult and equally as rewarding pursuits if we put the effort in to be the best we can be.

Affirmations And Confidence
We are our own worst enemy when it comes to motivation. We are at times our harshest critics and at other moments, pumped-up blow-hards – both can affect self-effiacy and general confidence, which has a knock-on effect on our output levels/quality, enhanced through self-motivation or its counterpart – self-depreciation.

One technique to overcome this problem of negative self-efficacy is to start the day with positive affirmations. These needn't be 'confidence' boosters performed in the mirror, like repeating 'you are the greatest' etc. although a fair degree of self-confidence/esteem is required, to make the first steps – it's more about affirming the status quo from a factual point, whereby realising the positive elements about our lives. The starting point is to express our gratitude for all the positive things we have right now.

Being appreciative of our good fortune will immediately bring on a positive mindset. If we have good health, we are automatically in a very lucky group. If we have a roof over our heads, family, friends and love in our lives – we are in the luckiest group of all. From this standpoint, we can overcome any obstacle and gain the confidence to overcome hardship to achieve success.

Setting Up The Day
After a morning of quiet contemplation, ideally after practising life-enriching breathing techniques, mind-quieting meditation and energy-boosting movement – repeat a mantra that sets up a positive affirmation for the day.

The Internet is a wonderful tool. The links provided on this page are purely an example of the many great techniques and wisdom to be discovered with just a click/tap. Make up your own morning routine, practise it alone or with a loved one and see how this magical moment in the mornings can transform your mindset, for bringing greater confidence, meaning, and focus to your day and ultimately, the rest of your lives.

Consistency

GAINING AN ADVANTAGE 

Sometimes, the best way to succeed is to fail. For if we never lose, how can we know what winning feels like? Taking on a tough challenge can highlight where strengths and weaknesses lie as well as where improvements can be made.

Perhaps, slowly over time, by simply turning up every day to learn these lessons of success and failure, we may eventually arrive at the optimum place for continued success, – purely through consistency.

Sticking To A Plan

Defining an objective, containing a series of steps for attaining a goal, is how we set in motion a plan for action. Self-management of our necessary work output to achieve these steps within a set time frame, plus closely monitoring the quality of all our efforts, will ultimately determine the measure of our success. 

All tasks both great and small, will have a start and a finish line. Our will to commence, coupled with our determination to complete, are what motivates us to carry out tasks. No matter the size of the task, it is always how much effort we put in, for doing the task as best we can, that determines the most beneficial outcome at the finish. 

However, for both big and small tasks, we may not always be able to attain such lofty levels of achievement and this can negatively affect the following attempts. So whatever the output levels may be - there is no greater focus, than for ensuring our tasks are carried out consistently well. 

Slow And Sure

The story of the hare and the tortoise, is a clear message for those who believe going quick off the mark are less likely to cross the line before those who take their time. 

In my 365 days of writing a daily diary/blog, there was an initial, enthusiastic burst of energy at the outset. As the first week's milestone passed, there was an increasingly intense burst of inspiration felt, to help elevate me from the bed at 5am. When the luxury of time allowed it, I'd scribe energetically from dawn until dusk. It was at times like these, with such gusto spurring me on to compose the many paragraphs of freshly acquired knowledge, that I realised, I'd effectively created enough foundation context in preparation for a good few mornings to come. And so, throughout the remaining 51 weeks, as the energy levels ebbed and flowed, I found some opportune moments, to sit back, take the proverbial foot off the gas and just cruise along for the ride. 

I had my metaphorical moments of downhill free-wheeling, however, when it came to applying my determination and continued efforts to stay on track, I always managed to retain consistency. This is simply because I stuck fast to my daily blog writing to achieve my goal average.

The Mean Result

Consistency should not be a harsh tool for punishing ourselves with. It needs to be fair and considered. Consistency can be right or wrongly applied for following both good and bad pathways. Hence we can just as quickly undo any good work as we can for bringing any new benefits. So to be beneficially consistent, we need to have a moderator on the speed we work at, so we can still experience the exhilaration of optimum performance – a state of operation which works conversely well for countering those slower, but steadier paced slogs. Yes, we also can have the easy cruise - that's when we get to enjoy the ride most, as we observe ourselves being carried forward, effortlessly in the race towards our goals. 

Ultimately, there is no single way to win - we need all of these ups, downs and in-between states, to flow in accordance with each other. Playing out goals consistently in this way, allows both the hare and the tortoise to cross the line together in joint first place. 

Focus On The Doing

The real moral of the hare and the tortoise should be this: If we want to achieve our greatest work, we can't expect to accomplish this feat by plodding along or running at full speed. It's not achievable or realistic to do either method and win races all the time. Sometimes the efforts we put in, feel overly arduous or offer seemingly little reward. At other times, the efforts are as if no exertion has been expended at all to bring us the best result. Therefore, it surely matters less, how we approach each task's starting line or how we stride each step, but more so, on our need to remain consistent in our efforts right up to and through the finish line.