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The Biology of Fear

Today I want to talk about the biology of fear and how it affects us. Sometimes fear can be unavoidable, such as when you face a life-threatening situation; for example, encountering a bear during a hike in the woods. Unfortunately, the fear I have observed most in other people is self-perpetuated. They were told by other sources, i.e. the media, relatives, etc., that they should be afraid. For example, they hear on the news that the economy is in a recession and getting worse. They fear they will lose everything even though there are no signs in their lives to show that the recession will affect them. For your improvement and growth, you must learn to live by faith, not fear.

Fear in Biology

Scientists have shown that our bodies are made up of single cells which have combined with trillions of other cells to form the human body. Each cell functions similarly to our bodies; they think, eat, react to stimuli, expel waste, etc. It was first thought that the nucleus of the cell controlled it but studies have shown that the membrane is the actual brain of the cell. It is the membrane that reacts to different stimuli.

The two categories of survival mechanisms our cells have adapted are protection and growth. Cells gravitate toward nutrients and retreat from toxins. Moving toward life-sustaining stimuli characterizes growth and away from life-threatening stimuli characterizes protection. The membrane opens for nutrients allowing the cells to feed but becomes hard and closes in the presence of toxins.

Creating Energy

Scientists have also discovered that the two mechanisms cannot operate at the same time. A cell in protection mode cannot grow. (Lipton, et al., 1991) When cells are growing, they are not only expending energy but also creating it. Living a life of sustained fear (protection mode) inhibits the creation of energy needed to sustain life.

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The biology of fear shows that fear creates stress, and the more stress you put on your body, the more cells that shift to protection mode. By eliminating the stress in your life you will bring your body back to a neutral state. Do we want to remain in a neutral state? No, we want to grow and thrive. In order to live life to the fullest and become the best you, eliminating stress is not enough. You must live your life in a happy, loving way that provides you with complete fulfillment. It will stimulate your growth processes. You do this by choosing to live your life in faith and eliminating fear.

Short-Term Fix

The protection mechanism is not designed to be activated for a long time. In the example of encountering a pair, you would experience the threat and activate the flight, fight, or freeze response. Once the bear moves on and doesn’t attack, you would return to normal and have quite the story to tell. Living your life in fear chronically elevates the stress hormones and inhibits your growth as a person.

Individual cells combined into a community react to the prevailing thoughts and beliefs they are fed. We as humans cannot grow as a community as long as a vast majority of people live in perceived fear. An example of this is the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Before the tragedy of 9/11, the U.S. was growing and thriving. After that fateful day, the population was placed in a state of fear. Terrorism took hold, and we waited for the next attack. The population went into protection mode, and growth ground to a halt.

What About You?

The biology of fear is an interesting topic. Do you live by fear or faith? Faith is the only way you can grow and improve your life. Look inside and see what fears are holding you back. Are they perceived, or are they real? What impact do they have on you and those around you? You can control your fears and take your life back. Turn to faith and regain control over how you live. You and only you decide how your life will turn out. The first step is releasing your fears.

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself!”

~ President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Cites

Lipton, Bruce H. The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles. Hay House, Inc., 2016.

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https://unsplash.com/@nci

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Contemplation And Meditation

As I think about my life over the last two years, I realize how much different I am as a person today. I am a much better human being and more at peace. I owe this improvement to contemplation and meditation. Beginning a daily habit of taking time for myself and learning about meditation is one of the best things I have done.

“I am daily making myself what I am.”

~Robert Thurman

Meditation And Contemplation Are Kindred Souls

Contemplation and meditation are different but also closely related. Contemplation means focusing your mind on a specific subject or object. For example, the beauty of a tree in autumn or a feeling you had about an event. Meditation is keeping the mind blank; being aware of your being or essence.

In a meditative state, your mind is free to accept feelings, images, and ideas; the art of observation without thought. Meditation takes much practice, and it can be difficult to master even in a lifetime. On the other hand, contemplation is easier, and you might want to start with it. They are both ways to look at ourselves and others in a relaxed spirituality. There is no time like today to get started.

Contemplation

To begin contemplation, find a place where you will not be interrupted for 10 to 30 minutes. Get comfortable and relax all your muscles. Start with focusing your thoughts on yourself. Ask yourself; who you are at this moment. Get to know yourself; what is your identity? Are you content with who you are, or do you need a change? Is there anything holding you back? The point is to remove the masks and false images you show the world, bringing out your true self.

We have all built up layers of defenses. Contemplation and meditation will help you remove these layers and get a true understanding of who you are. Spending time daily on yourself will not only help you to relax but is engaging your creative mind and connecting you to the universe.

Meditation

Meditation is more difficult, but it stops the deluge of thoughts that normally invade our minds. At first, you might only be able to stop these thoughts for a minute or two; soon, you notice one creep back in. We all have so much going on in our lives that it is hard to block unwanted thoughts for a long time. Meditation can help you achieve this.

Begin with 20 minutes of meditation. Sit or lie comfortably, and make sure you do not fall asleep. Close your eyes and begin long, slow, deep breaths. Focus your mind on your breathing. Relax all your muscles starting with the face and jaws and working down through your body. Tell yourself you are in a beautiful, peaceful place.

Let Them Float Away

As scattered thoughts in your mind, let them float away. I picture placing them in a bubble over my head and watching them float away pop and vanish. Be mindful of the moment. Listen to the sounds around you and connect to the moment. Enjoy the feelings of peace and joy. Be aware of your feelings, emotions, and thoughts that are here are with you right now; this is mindfulness.

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Meditation frees our minds to go anywhere and gives us clarity. It can help answer a question you have or give you an idea for your next venture. These clarifying thoughts can only be reached in a relaxed meditative state and by focusing on the now.

“In us, there is a river of feelings, in which every drop of water is a different feeling, and each feeling relies on all the others for its existence. To observe it, we just sit on the bank of the river and identify each feeling as it surfaces, flows by, and disappears.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Still Learning

Contemplation and meditation are different yet share a kindred soul. They are a way to improve your health, both mentally and physically. Learning to spend time daily on me has changed me for the better. Even though I have a long way to go, I am learning and growing as each moment passes by. If you decide to try it, if nothing else, you might find that just getting into a relaxed state every day will do wonders for your body and mind.

Thank you for reading and following my blog. Let me know in the comments if you receive any benefits from contemplation and meditation. I appreciate each one of you.

Cites

Weiss, Brian L. “Chapter 11 Contemplation and Meditation.” Same Soul, Many Bodies: Discover the Healing Power of Future Lives through Progression Therapy, Free Press, New York, NY, 2005, pp. 166–179.

https://unsplash.com/@ianstauffer

https://unsplash.com/@sagefriedman

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Life In The Jungle

This is a post I wrote back in December about life in the jungle. I am traveling this week to go see our youngest daughter graduate from college. Therefore, I am reposting this article about focusing on what is happening around you as it is happening. Don’t get caught up with the past or the future; live now. I hope you enjoy this tiny glimpse into my life in the jungle.

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My Life In The Jungle

Life in the jungle was both boring and exciting. It all depended on what was happening and could change in an instant. Living in the now became commonplace. There wasn’t a lot of time to be thinking about the past or worry about the future.

Life inside our base camp was mostly monotonous. For example, I spent a lot of time cleaning and prepping gear, as well as reading. We looked forward to going on operations and getting into the jungle. The temperature inside the tent would quickly reach 100 degrees. I don’t remember ever being cool or dry; I was always sweating.

It Can Be Scary

One day as I was lying in my bunk reading and sweating, I was suddenly startled by the “burp” of a machine gun. I saw bullet holes appearing in the roof of the tent. I immediately rolled off my bunk onto the floor, grabbing my weapon. My teammates and I made our way outside the tent. Much to our dismay, we saw the Peruvian commander standing outside the barracks across from our tent holding an Uzi machine gun.

The weapon was seized on a mission the day before, and the commander wanted to test fire it. Not being familiar with the weapon, he did not know how to handle it. Without any warning, he pointed the weapon at the sandbag wall facing our tent and squeezed the trigger. The Uzi recoiled violently up and to the right. He lost control, and the rounds went over the wall, into our tent. We had to be living in the now because these events can happen at any time.

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Amigos

Always Waiting

Our base camp was in the Upper Huallaga Valley in Peru. This area was controlled by the Sendero Luminoso communist terrorist organization. They would protect the narco-traffickers and did not like us gringos. Occasionally, they would attack our base camp. We always had to be ready. Almost nightly, we were called by U.S. intelligence agencies warning us of a pending attack they had overheard on radio traffic. Life in the jungle was exciting on these nights.

One night I was dead asleep when I was awoken by two explosions. Thinking it was another attack, we proceeded to our defensive positions. Later we found out it was just a Peruvian police officer. He’d gone a bit crazy and attacked others inside the base camp with grenades and rifles. Luckily no one was injured.

Thinking About The Good Times

The other day as I was reminiscing about life in the jungle, I realized that most people are not aware of what is happening right now. They are too busy thinking about the past and the future. Learning to live in the now is important. Your thoughts are mostly comprised of your past and future. If something bad happened yesterday, you dwell on it for days. It can create anger that boils inside of you. If your thoughts are constantly about the future, are you wondering how things will turn out? Wondering can create anxiety and worry.

You can take control of your thoughts by focusing on what is happening right now. Look for all the good things going on around you. Concentrate on living in the now. I was lucky to learn this growing up, even though I didn’t know I was doing it. Therefore, I didn’t realize how important it was, but I do now.

Dad

My father inadvertently taught me how to live in the now. He loved the outdoors, and we spent vacations camping, hiking, and enjoying nature. Dad always taught me to stop, look around, and observe everything. Observe the plants, animals, and sky. Everything that God had created. Many people go on a hike and never look up. They don’t stop and enjoy the beauty.

In the jungle, outside of the base camp, we had to be living in the now. There was no time for the past or future. Many things can kill you including, snakes, insects, animals, and narco-traffickers. We learned to intently focus on what was going on around us; this was life in the jungle.

Situational Awareness

I had to be aware of everything around me at that precise moment. Listening for unusual sounds and looking for any movements. I had to be able to tell if anything was out of place. I had to be aware of where I was stepping and where I would put my hands. Thinking about the past or future would get me killed. I was forced to focus only on living in the now.

The lessons from the jungle serve me well today. I still have thoughts about the past and the future, but today they are controlled. As a result, because I control my thoughts, I am living in the now even when I am thinking. If I feel negative feelings creeping in, I stop and focus on what is happening now to cause those feelings. I use my five senses to immerse myself in the now.

Experience Everything

If you are experiencing anxiety, stop, open your five senses, and begin living in the now. Think about what is causing these feelings and how you can stop them. Experience everything around you as it is happening. Let your worries float away and be happy to be alive.

I won’t be posting this weekend as I enjoy time with my daughter and the rest of the family. I am immensely proud of her accomplishments. My family and I want to wish all the mothers an early Happy Mother’s Day. Celebrate your mother and make her day special.

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Control Your Thoughts

It is said that you have 20,000 thoughts a day. By learning to control your thoughts, you can live the life you want to live. I am grateful I have learned to be conscious and control my thoughts. As I grow, it becomes more important to me because I have more free time now. More free time means more thoughts bombarding my mind.

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Control Your Thoughts As You Get Older

When I was younger, I had so much going on that I didn’t have time to think. I focused on the ongoing activities that were happening around me. Now, there are fewer activities so without controlling the thoughts they could easily take over.

I control my thoughts and I live the life I want to live. I don’t leave it up to chance to determine the life that I’m going to have. The past doesn’t matter. It has happened, and there is nothing I can do about changing it. In fact, I would not want to.

Good or bad, my past has shaped me into the man I am today. All my mistakes were lessons to be learned. The challenges I went through built up my strength and perseverance. My future is what I want it to be. I determine my path by my thoughts, words, and actions.

How Do You Feel?

The person I will become is not the same person writing today. I am changing and improving as I write this post. The most important time in my life is right now. Not necessarily the actual events happening right at this moment, but how I feel about those events.

How do I feel and react to the things happening to me as I write? I feel joy because it makes me happy to put pen to paper. The feeling of my right hand resting on the sheet of paper in my journal. Listening to the quiet, soft sounds of the early morning. These are what is going on, and it goes beyond my five senses. It has become a feeling for me. I feel the energy in my body vibrating; the warmth in my chest as I experience joy in the smallest things.

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You can control your thoughts and determine your path. It is the difference between living unconscious or conscious. Being unconscious is letting the thoughts in your mind control you. You are not aware of most of the thoughts you are allowing to enter your mind.

Live In The Now

If you spend time thinking about the past and the future and it is causing you to feel worried and anxious, you live unconsciously. You don’t believe that you have any control over what is going to happen to you. Your unconscious mind allows negative feelings to take over, and you have no control over these feelings. That is not true.

Being aware of what is happening now, the thoughts you are having and, the feelings you are experiencing is living a conscious life. As life happens around you, how do you feel? For example, if someone cuts me off in traffic, it makes me angry. How does anger feel in my body? My chest feels closed, there is a pit in my stomach, and I feel the tension rising in my face and head.

Choices

At this moment, I have a choice, I can keep those uncomfortable feelings and remain angry, or I can release them. The moment has passed therefore, there is no need to hang on to the anger. You can control your thoughts and feelings by recognizing what is happening to your body and taking control of these feelings.

Recognize when your thoughts are making you feel uncomfortable and change them. Begin to think of the life you want to live, not the life you are living. Picturing yourself living your ideal life will change your feelings to ones of peace and happiness. It is a process that will take some time, but if you want to change your life bad enough, trust and enjoy the process. Control your thoughts, and you can control your life.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@agni11

https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand

What Am I Afraid Of

We are almost to May, and now is a great time to do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis and see how far you have come in 2022. When you look at your weaknesses, ask yourself; What am I afraid of? Check if any fears hold you back. Many people overlook a big reason they aren’t moving forward, the fear of success.

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Ask Yourself, What Am I Afraid Of

Take a moment and ask yourself, what am I afraid of? There are many fears which can be reasons for your lack of success. One of the most prevalent fears is the fear of criticism by others. Some people care more about what others think of them than their success. Are you one of them? If so, stop! No one is more important than you.

I have a fear of heights or, a better way to put it, a fear of falling from great heights. Recently, I was able to experience this fear once again. My wife and I went to the Boca Museum of Art to see the Machu Picchu exhibit. There were almost 200 gold and pottery exhibits from the Incan Empire. In addition, there was a virtual reality experience.

My Fear Of Falling

I walked into the room, climbed into a pod, sat down, and put on my VR headset. After some brief instructions, I was standing in Machu Picchu. An Incan spirit guide appeared before me, and it all began. Next, we were given the power of flight by the Condor God and began rising above the great city. It happened so quickly that my fear of heights immediately kicked in.

It is incredible how real it seemed. I was not a few feet off the ground but thousands of feet in the air. Of course, this was all in my mind. In reality, my feet were only about a foot off the floor. I had to control my fear and keep telling myself where I was. Soon, my fear was under control, and I was enjoying my time flying above Machu Picchu.

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The Fear Of Success

My definition of success is making the most out of gifts you are given at birth in your lifetime. One thing that can hold you back is the fear of success. You might not even realize this fear exists in you. How can you be afraid of the one thing you strive to become? For example, many people would like to become famous, but their lives would have to change to do so. The brain is resistant to change, therefore; you have a fear of success.

The fear of success is powerful and deceptive. It can take the form of procrastination and excuses. If you are successful, you would have to establish another level of comfort. A promotion at work could mean more responsibility. Your fear of success in your mind could sabotage this goal.

What Fears Do You Have?

Whatever fears you have are created in your mind. You can learn to control your mind and also control your fears. Learn to make peace with your fears instead of trying to eliminate them from your mind. As many times as I have jumped out of airplanes and flown in helicopters, I still cannot eliminate my fear.

What am I afraid of? A few things, but I have control over them. Take control of your life and go out and get what you deserve. Never let any fears get in your way of accomplishing your goals. By being honest with yourself, you can see if you have the fear of success. Once you have identified it, you can control it like you can control all your fears. Nothing can stop you!

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@russ_jay

https://unsplash.com/@agnieszkam

Resistance Will Hit You

Resistance will hit you when you least expect it. I experience resistance when things are going great; it is how life challenges and tests my belief and faith. Last December resistance hit me hard. I did not have any inspirations to write. My mind was blank.

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Get Ready, Resistance Will Hit You

I did have a great Thanksgiving week last year; full of the 4 F’s, food, family, friends, and football. The holiday fell at the perfect time for me because I knew I wanted to take a break. I knew I was dealing with resistance.

When you experience resistance, you find the lessons that you are meant to learn

– Jon Gordon

I wanted to get out of my daily routine for a short time. Every day I start by giving thanks, praying, exercising, journaling, and meditating. I felt it was becoming just a drill, and I was not getting everything out of it. Every once in a while, it is good to step back and take a break.

The tendency to follow the path of least resistance guarantees failure in life.

– Brian Tracy

Do It In Moderation

I believe in doing everything in moderation. I am the type of person that can get obsessed with one thing and ignore other important things in my life. My years of experience have taught me that moderation is a better course for me.

So last week, I went a couple of days without any inspiration to write; I knew I was dealing with resistance. Resistance is that feeling inside you that you want to do something but are also unmotivated to start. It is a force to counter your forward progress. If you have ever attempted to create something, you have probably experienced resistance at some point. No one is immune to it.

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The real problem has far less to do with what is really out there than it does with our resistance to finding out what is really out there.

– Barbara Brown Taylor

Why?

I knew I was dealing with resistance when I began to notice my thoughts. The question, Why was prevalent in my thoughts. Why was I writing? Why was I starting another business? I began to focus on my lack of progress or success in certain areas. I ignored all the progress and success I am having in many more areas. Resistance will hit you, so be prepared.

If I have resistance to something, it means there’s something wrong. The resistance to me is a sign of fear.

– Billy Corgan

Resistance will hit you and is the reason most younger people do not live out their dreams. They believe there is always time. There is no sense of urgency. For example, more people today are living to be 100 than when I grew up. If you are 20 years old, that gives you 80 more years to achieve your dreams. The lack of urgency is why many people do not get wealthy until their 40s and 50s. We live in an unlimited universe, but we do not have unlimited time.

Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be felt.

– Steven Pressfield

Light A Fire Under You

No one is promised tomorrow. Last November marked the first anniversary of the passing of my friend Tom. He appeared healthy one day, and a few days later, he was gone. Never take today for granted. You might not have tomorrow.

If you find yourself dealing with resistance, ask yourself two questions.

1. If you were told you had a week to live, what would you do?

2. If Death appeared before you today and said, It is time, what regrets would you have?

The main question is, What are you waiting for?

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@stillnes_in_motion

https://unsplash.com/@steve_j

Sign Your Name To It

My mother always told me, “Scott, if you’re going to do something, do it right.” Those words left an impression on me. What she meant was, whatever you choose to do, do it to the best of your ability. You don’t have to be perfect at it, but you have to give it 100%. In other words, sign your name to it.

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Sign Your Name To It

Sign your name to it is something I have always told my children. I didn’t care what they wanted to do with their life, as long as they did it to the best of their ability. When they wanted to play sports, I told them to strive to be the best player they could be. Don’t just be on the team and wear the uniform; give it 100% and contribute to helping the team win.

Some people are genetically superior athletes, and they tend to play professional sports. If you didn’t inherit those genes, it doesn’t matter how hard you train; they will always be better. Deciding to become a professional athlete would mean you would have to train much harder than them. You would have to be the best you; if you wanted to make the team.

The Gym

I go to the gym every morning and see people who train incredibly hard. They are there every day, and I call them gym rats. In contrast, I see people that can barely walk on the treadmill at a slow pace. The ones that train hard are in great shape and have little body fat. The others, not so much. For them to transform their bodies, they must change their habits and lifestyle.

If you want to become a healthier person and decide you need to do more exercise, the gym is a great place to start. Mentally you have to think of yourself as a gym rat, even if you do not look like one. It is more important to be at the gym daily than it is to spend a lot of time there. Your workouts periods will increase as you get in better shape.

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Sign Your Name To It With Consistency

It is a process that starts with showing up. Develop a weekly training plan and reward yourself for sticking to it. You do not have to keep up with the gym rats, but you have to be there. Work out the best you can for that given day. It does not always have to be great but at the end of your workout, sign your name to it.

Deciding to make a change for your personal development is half the battle. Commitment is what it takes to win the battle. It comes down to being a professional or an amateur. Professionals show up every day even when they do not feel like it; amateurs don’t. Professionals embrace practice and failure; amateurs do not.

Is Motivation Enough?

In an earlier post, I wrote about the difference between motivation and self-discipline. It is hard to be motivated every day to eat healthily, go to the gym, write, etc. A professional does not need the motivation to do the things they are supposed to do. They have developed the self-discipline to do the right things every day. They sign their name to their daily habits. An amateur goes to the gym only when they are feeling well. Any little ache or pain becomes a rationalization or excuse not to go.

Writing

Writers write daily. They do not always write 2000 words a day, but they write. It is only through this consistent effort that they meet their publishing deadlines. I have recently dove into the world of writing a novel. It is a daunting task. Developing the daily habits of writing and researching will be the only way I will complete it. I keep telling myself to sign your name to it; every day that I write.

Also, I have incorporated the idea of becoming a professional in my golf game. No, I do not have any delusions of making money playing golf. It is not an easy game to learn and requires self-discipline. By being self-disciplined, I work on my swing every day. Some days, I will swing 100 times, and then there are days when I only take ten swings. It is about doing the best I can on any given day and doing it consistently.

Do you have any part of your life you are trying to improve? Are you trying to learn a different skill? If so, enjoy the process. Work on it daily and forget about the results. The results will come; you have to practice delayed gratification. Do the best you can no matter how you feel and develop self-discipline. Most importantly, sign your name to it.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@britishlibrary

https://unsplash.com/@grahammansfield1

You’re Not Lazy You’re Normal

Nobody I know would call me lazy except me. I have always made it a point to outwork everyone in the room. That is great, but I have always felt lazy like I was not doing enough. I needed someone to tell me, you’re not lazy, you’re normal. Doing anything has never been my problem. Starting to do something is where the problem comes in. It used to take a lot to convince my mind to do the required activity.

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I’m Telling You You’re Not Lazy You’re Normal

Has anyone else felt the same way about beginning a difficult task? For example, I need to paint the house. That is going to be difficult and time-consuming. My mind conjures up a plethora of reasons not to paint the house. It is cloudy, too hot; I might miss the second round of an insignificant golf tournament on TV, etc. The list goes on and on.

I ask myself, why am I so lazy? Then you get the paint and brushes and begin. Wives in the neighborhood see me and tell their husbands, why can’t you be more like him? He isn’t lazy. After several hours, I finish; exhausted. I have accomplished a lot of hard work but still, feel lazy because of the struggle to get started. Somebody, please tell me, you’re not lazy, you’re normal.

It’s All Physics

In reality, we are not lazy, and the reason we feel lazy is a principle of physics, the Principle of Least Action. The path you choose between two points will always be the path requiring the least energy. When I worked with explosives, I was taught that energy would follow the path of least resistance. I could “aim” the explosive blast by creating the least resistance in the direction I wanted it to follow.

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Your Brain Being Normal

Our brain is wired to conserve energy, and we will always gravitate toward the least amount of work. Choosing to watch golf would have been the least amount of work. That is why I was drawn to that option. It was not that I was lazy but that my brain was working normally. The house could have gone unpainted, but it needed to get done, and I did not want to pay someone to do it.

Change Is Necessary

I have had to change my behaviors to overcome my natural desire to conserve energy. If not, nothing would get done. Our ancestors had to develop behaviors to overcome these universal laws. Imagine if they did not, they would not have grown crops and died out. We would not be here today.

Today, everything is at our fingertips; Information, food, transportation, etc. It is easy now to fall into the trap of never leaving your house and submitting to the Law of Least Effort. Building the behaviors necessary to live a healthy life is more important than ever. When it is time for dinner, your brain will tell you to order food from your phone instead of cooking a healthy meal.

Keep It Simple

How can you begin to build the essential behaviors for personal improvement? You can do this by making the path as simple as possible and satisfying the Law of Least Effort. Meal prepping makes it easier to eat healthy instead of cooking daily. Cook all your meals for the week in one day. Taking a daily walk is beneficial and easier than going to a gym.

Create shortcuts or smaller tasks to achieve the behavior you want to change. Something as simple as taking off your heels after work and putting on walking shoes can satisfy your brain. The next thing you know, you are walking daily after work, and you have created a path of least resistance for your new behavior to develop. These new behaviors will create a new identity for you.

Do not try to do everything at once. Small steps every day will change the person you are over time. Patience, persistence, and perseverance are the keys to your success. Your brain will still choose the easiest option, but now you know; you’re not lazy, you’re normal.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@kennyzhang29

https://unsplash.com/@molliesivaram

Clear, James. “Chapter 12.” Atomic Habits: An Easy &Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, Penguin Randon House LLC, *New York, New York, 2018, pp. 149–158.

The Key To Making Goals Work

Today I want to talk about the key to making goals work and a little about my family. I am living out a dream. It is a recent dream of mine to work with my two daughters. Nicole is an entrepreneur, starting a fitness business. Lindsey will graduate at the beginning of May. She is creative and wants to write movie scripts, eventually breaking into the entertainment industry.

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Making Goals Work

Nicole and I have partnered up and opened Beastrong Fitness. It is an online and in-person fitness company. She is designing a line of fitness apparel and wants to open up a gym. This is her dream, and we are working together to get it started.

Lindsey and I are writing a book together. It is a fictional novel loosely based on my experiences. She is very talented and creative. For Nicole, Lindsey, and I to be successful we have to have goals. More importantly, we have to know the key to making goals work.

Goals

A goal is simply what you want, written down with a date. For example, a certain number of words written for the book; or a design finished by a certain date. These are the results we are looking for. It is our roadmaps for getting us from nothing to something. They are results-based.

Results-based goals are necessary, but what happens after we achieve the results? For example, take weight loss. You set a goal to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain date. You change her diet and exercise more. Congratulations, you met your goal. You feel better, look better, and are happier.

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Beastrong Fitness Logo

The Key To Making Them Last

What happens next? Studies show 90% of people will gain the weight back. Why? It is because they didn’t know the key to making goals work. They achieved their results and met their goal, but they are the same person. The key to making goals work is you have to change your identity. You have to set identity goals.

One day, I asked Nicole what do you say when someone asks, “What do you do?” She replied, “I am a personal trainer.” She identified as a personal trainer. I told her she should start saying, “I am a business owner.” She should set a goal to become a business owner. Lindsey must identify as a writer, not a college student.

Become The Person You Want

By changing your goals from results-based to identity-based, you will become the person you want to be. The results will then last a lifetime. Going back to losing weight, turn your focus to the goal of being a healthy person. Begin to change your habits and the person that you are. You will still set results-based goals to keep you on track, but now your results will last.

Think of the person you want to become and picture you as that person in your mind. Start doing the things that they would do. A healthy person walks more and is in the gym daily. A writer writes consistently and meets their deadline goals.

Enjoy The Process

Once you set identity-based goals, don’t get in a hurry. Change takes time. It won’t happen overnight. Make small changes to your daily routine. Do not try to do it all at once. These small changes will begin to add up. Soon you will act, feel, and think like the person you want to become. Your results-based goals will be met, and they will last a lifetime. Changing your identity is the key to making goals work.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@brett_jordan

windshield-mentality-car-Mercedes-hands-steering-wheel

WindShield Mentality

So often, our thoughts are centered around the past and the future. For personal improvement, you should spend the majority of your time focused on today. Think about what you’re doing right this minute. What can you accomplish today? This is called windshield mentality.

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Windshield Mentality

Windshield mentality is looking at what is in front of you. When you are driving a car, you look at what is in front of you through the windshield. Most of your time is spent concentrating on what is happening now. Only a small amount of time should be spent looking too far ahead or what is behind you. It is only what is directly in front of you that counts.

I first heard of windshield mentality when a Clemson University football player was interviewed after a tough game. The team didn’t play well yet still won the game. When asked about the team’s performance, the player responded by saying they had already forgotten about it. Coach Dabo Swinney teaches them windshield mentality. They don’t look at the past or future, only what is directly ahead.

Your Past Does Not Define You

You cannot improve yourself by focusing on the past. It will keep you where you are. Your experiences in the past have gotten you to where you are today. You can never go back and change your past. It is gone, never to return. For example, football players cannot do anything about their poor performance. They cannot go back and replay the game.

Your past does not define you. Whatever happened, happened, and it cannot be changed. Develop a windshield mentality and begin getting ready for the next game. What can you do today to improve yourself?

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https://unsplash.com/@tateisimikito

Do Not Worry About The Future

Focusing on the future only leads to anxiety. The future is unclear, and there are many factors you cannot control. Do not worry about it. If the football players begin looking too far into the future and worrying about playing poorly, they will not be ready for the next opponent.

What can I do today? You will be asking yourself this question if you have a windshield mentality. Remove all anxiety by controlling your future. Decide what your future will be and put the work in today to ensure it.

Set Your Goals

I am a big proponent of setting goals. Goals are what you will accomplish in the future. The negative side of setting goals is the anxiety created when it doesn’t look like you will complete them. The most important part is the method of accomplishment, not the goal itself.

if you are working on the method today, your goal will be attained. There might be a few tweaks along the way, but that is normal. You might even have to change your method altogether. Set your goals, develop your method/plan, and focus on your method/plan. Develop a windshield mentality and work on what you can control today.

Do You Have A Windshield Mentality?

What do you focus on, the past, the future, or today? Remember that whatever happened in the past is gone and does not define you. Do not waste time worrying about the future and events out of your control. Focus on the things that you can control.

I appreciate everyone who takes the time to visit my site and read my blogs. Don’t forget to like, comment, and follow.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@jerrykavan

https://unsplash.com/@tateisimikito