Seeing the Tip of the Iceberg
The iceberg is part of the beautiful landscapes that can
be seen in the coldest oceans on the planet.
They are a magnificent sight to behold, but are very deceiving to the
observer because so little is actually seen.
Most scientific research done on icebergs has revealed the actual size
is much larger than what is perceived.
Actually, most research supports that only 10% of iceberg is represented
by the tip.
Our minds form a similar framework in the origin of our
thoughts. The “Conscious” is that tip
you see from miles away as you are steering through the channels of life. The “Sub-conscious” is the other 90% that is
unseen, and has the ability to alter your course by creating undercurrents in
our thought patterns that immediately change our direction without any volition
on our part.
The conscious mind processes thoughts with sequence,
rationale, and judgments. It is the
portion of our mind that seeks to understand why, and determines the morality
of our current perception. Sigmund Freud
was known as the “Father Psychoanalytical Theory”, and divided the mind into
three distinct areas:
“If you can conceive it, and
believe it, you can achieve it!”
Conscious – “The conscious mind consists of those
things of which we are currently aware and to which we are currently attentive.
The conscious mind also includes our current thinking processes, behaviors and
environmental awareness. Hence, it can be obviously concluded that the
conscious mind constitutes the major part of our current awareness.” 1
Pre-conscious – “The pre-conscious mind consisted of all those things of which we are
aware, but currently are not attentive (Freud, 2002 revised ed.). He further
conceived that we can choose to pay attention to these and deliberately bring
them into the conscious mind. Finally, with respect to the pre-conscious mind,
Freud believed that we can control our awareness to a certain extent, from
focusing in very closely on one conscious act to a wider awareness that seeks
to expand consciousness to include as much of preconscious information as
possible.” 1
Sub-conscious - “The
process and content are out of direct reach of the conscious mind. The
subconscious thus thinks and acts independently (Freud, 2002 revised ed.). One
of Freud's key findings was that much behavior is driven directly from the
subconscious mind. This has the alarming consequence that we are largely unable
to control our behavior, and in particular that which we would sometimes prefer
to avoid. More recent research has shown that the subconscious mind is probably
even more in charge of our actions than even Freud had realized Murphy, 2001).1 Freud
also developed another theory that formed the vehicle for creating a link
between the “conscious and sub-conscious”.
Freud's massive, overall theory on personality includes the Id, the Ego
and the Super ego.
ü The
Id contains our primitive drives and operates largely according to the pleasure
principle, whereby its two main goals are the seeking of pleasure and the
avoidance of pain (Freud, 1962).1
ü Freud goes on to say that it has no
real perception of reality and seeks to satisfy its needs through what he
called the primary processes that dominate the existence of infants, including
hunger and self-protection. Unlike the Id, the Ego is aware of reality and
operates using the reality principle. The reality principle implies that the
Ego recognizes what is real and understands that behaviors have consequences.
This includes the effects of social rules that are necessary in order to live
and socialize with other people. It uses secondary processes such as
perception, recognition, judgment and memory that are developed during
childhood. The dilemma of the Ego is that it has to somehow balance the demands
of the Id and Super ego with the constraints of reality (Freud, 1962). The Ego
controls higher mental processes such as reasoning and problem-solving, which
it uses to solve the Id-Super ego dilemma, creatively finding ways to safely
satisfy the Id's basic urges within the constraints of the Super ego.1
“Continuous
effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential.”
W.
Churchill
ü The
Super ego contains our values and social morals, which often come from the
rules of right and wrong that we learned in childhood from our parents and are
contained in the conscience. The Super ego has a model of an ego ideal which it
uses as a prototype against which to compare the ego and towards which it
encourages the ego to move. The Super ego is a counterbalance to the Id, and seeks
to inhibit the Id's pleasure-seeking demands, particularly those for sex and
aggression.1
The Link occurs when the sub-conscious
absorbs information filtered through the parts of the personality. The Ego is the “common sense” portion of the
personality that can determine actions based on the judgments of the “super
ego”. There is a constant shuffle of
information that occurs as perceptions formed by the personality are archived
into the mind’s hard disk, the “sub-conscious”.
A good example of this process is learning to ride a bike. To successfully ride a bike there needs to be
a sequence of actions performed all at once.
Balance, speed, momentum, and judgment have to work interdependently to
keep the bike moving safely down the road.
As conditions change, adjustments have to be made quickly to avoid
disaster. The sub-conscious alike quickly
retrieves archived information, and passes it to the conscious so there is no
need for a checklist to ride the bike. Therefore,
performance and behavior change are directed by the subconscious, and can be
modified with the correct interventions which will create new perceptions.
Creating
the Pathway to Success
When people pursue their goals they need to believe in
their ability to achieve success. If
they take action thinking their plan will fail, it most likely will. The way to create a pathway to your success
is by moving forward without the fear of failing. Everyone knows there is always a chance of
failure in anything we do, but where you choose to place your focus will
determine your success.
There are volumes of research that has been conducted that
proves the way we think can create varied outcomes. Here are specific examples that show the
power of the mind’s ability:
1). Drying
Sheets - A group of Tibetan Monks
meditation techniques were studied because they put their bodies in very
difficult states for long periods, and appear to change their own physiology to
achieve their spiritual goals. "In
one of the most notable exhibits of their skills, a group of Tibetan monks
allowed physicians to monitor the monk’s bodily changes as they engaged in a
meditative yoga technique known as g Tum-mo. During the process the monks were
cloaked in wet, cold sheets (49 f / 9.4 c) and placed in a 40 f (4.5 c) room.
In such conditions, the average person would likely experience uncontrollable
shivering and would shortly suffer hypothermia. However, through deep
concentration, the monks were able to generate body heat, and within minutes
the researchers noticed steam rising from the sheets that were covering the
monks. Within an hour, the sheets were completely dry."2
2). Multiple Personality Disorder - In one case, published by the American Psychiatric Press, a
doctor noted how medications prescribed to a dissociative identity disorder
patient had different effects depending on what “personality” took the drug.
For example, when a tranquilizer was given to the person’s childish persona, it
made the individual sleepy and relaxed. However, when the adult personality was
administered the same drug it made him anxious and confused. Similar results
were found with other patients and with a variety of different medications.
Doctors even noticed visibly apparent traits, like lazy eye, would come and go
depending on which personality was present. This phenomenon is especially
fascinating since no one, including the patients, is claiming mysticism is at
work. On the contrary, it is a genuine example of the mind altering the body.2
3). Placebo Effect - A placebo is an inert
substance or belief which produces real biological effects in humans. It’s so
widely accepted as fact that a placebo variable is included in most medical
tests as way of proving if, say, a drug works on its own merits or because
people “think” it works. There are tons of experiments showing the proof of the
placebo, but one of the most amusing to watch is a test done by a group of
Princeton students who decided to throw a non-alcoholic keg party for their
unsuspecting classmates. The experimenters secretly filled a keg with O’Doul’s
(contains about 0.4% alcohol while regular beer has around 5% alcohol) and then
watched as their peers acted silly, slurred words, slept on the ground, and
generally acted drunk. Although it’s nearly impossible to get intoxicated on O’Doul’s,
these college students had such a strong belief they were drinking standard
beer that it affected their behavior.2
In addition to re-framing our thoughts, we must take
specific steps while we travel down our pathway to success. Here is the “step by step” process:
Mission - Have a purpose -
Have you ever been on a sailboat or motorboat? Now
think of the cruise you were on, and what would have happened if these boats
didn't have rudders? It wouldn't have been too fun floating aimlessly out
in the middle of nowhere with the challenge of getting back on course. Each of us are unique individuals with special talents and likes. Do you
have a plan to merge those two things, so you can enjoy the life making a
difference? If not, I encourage you to sit down and write a list -
(create your mission) - It's time to attach that rudder to your life.
Take responsibility for your life -
Things will happen in life that none of us expect, but
how we respond to these events can
determine what we achieve. No excuses
- the Marine Corps taught me a great saying -
"Improvise, Adapt, and
Overcome". Be a problem solver.
Believe in yourself -
A large part of achieving things in life is having
the persistence and perseverance
to continue on when no one is at your
side. The only way you can do this is to
wholeheartedly believe in
yourself and what you have to offer. If you don't, then no one else
will. Start your day in the morning by exclaiming “I can, I
can, and I can".
“The road to success is not a path you find,
but a trail you blaze.” Robert Brault
Have the Mind of a winner -
Creating the mindset of a winner is crucial to making it
through life's hurdles. How do
you look at the world? When I was a
manager I always encouraged staff to think of the
possibilities, and bring me
new ideas that would improve our situation. I knew any dud
could point
out the negative in a situation, but I wanted to inspire them to be innovative
and imagine achieving the prize. It sure made for a better work
environment where people
felt comfortable to share ideas and
possibilities. Make sure to take
time for yourself each
day to stay focused - at least 30 minutes at a minimum.
Create a Personal Plan for Your
Success -
How many games are
won without a plan?
Zilch. Setting goals is the key to being a
champion in your life. There needs to be a
defined concerted effort to
making your mission a reality. Is it a new degree, a promotion,
a personal relationship, or your health? Whatever it is you need to do the
following to
be certain you hit the mark:
Use
the SMART method - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time
specific.
- Set incremental goals - the first goal might be
something that can be easily achieved, but then begin to stretch yourself
making more challenging goals that keep your eyes on the prize of
achieving your mission/purpose.
- Keep track of your successes
Reaching
the Peak
When a climber is standing at the base of the
mountain the peak can appear impossible to reach, but if they begin to
visualize themselves at the top it quickly becomes less daunting. The
process of using positive affirmations to change your perception is a similar
process:
- "Positive Affirmations", are
short directed positive action statements concerning something you want to
achieve or change like a certain mindset or behavior. These statements are used for sub-conscious
messaging. The way the affirmation is
constructed is extremely important for changing thought patterns. The more motivated you are to alter your life the
greater possibility you’ll have to make your changes.
- How
do affirmations work? When you
say your positive affirmation, the subconscious archives the information for
evaluation. There are only two choices
the subconscious can consider, acceptance or denial. The subconscious won’t evaluate the response,
but merely go with whatever the most prominent inner voice might be concerning
the issue at hand. Therefore, when you
continue to say positive affirmations you provide the playback the subconscious
will use when responding. As you use the
affirmation regularly you should feel a sense of well being related to what
you’ve been saying. When this occurs the
affirmation is working.
- How to use them? Here is a list of tips to follow that will
encourage your success:
- Make it
personal
- Make it
positive
- Make it
current
- Make it
believable
- Make it
simple
*Stand in front of the mirror
using a confident voice and stance. Say
your
affirmations 5x for each one you’ve created both in the morning, and
before you
go to bed at night.
- How
quickly can you see results?
When you choose to say affirmations that have meaning and a purpose you
can see results quickly. If you’re
thinking becomes negative when saying the affirmation your subconscious may be
resisting the message. When this occurs
do the following:
- Releasing
statements – There may be emotions of feelings holding you
back. Say something like, “I forgive, I
don’t need to feel, or any statement that releases any sense of guilt or shame
that might be stalling the process.
- Becoming
statements – “I am becoming”.
Sometimes people struggle with I am, so I am becoming can be more
believable and unlock the subconscious ability to accept the affirmation.
- Acknowledgment
statements – This is giving yourself a pat on the back. “I met my goals successfully, and I feel great”.
As
you follow these steps for using affirmations you’ll feel and see changes
occur within the first 30 days. Here is a list
for your first month. You can do
it!!!
30 Days
to a New Beginning
Go through the list and choose 30 affirmations that
apply to the changes you desire to make in your life. You can create your own or alter these if
that helps. Remember this is a process
that you’re starting, and will need to stay motivated to create the Positive
outcomes you wish to see in your life.
- I have unlimited creativity, drive and motivation.
- I am motivated to continue perusing my goals.
- New opportunities are showing up daily and I am inspired to
take action.
- I feel alive, energized and motivated to take on any task in
front of me.
- Motivation comes easily to me.
- Staying motivated comes easily to me.
- Because of my profound energy, I achieve and exceed at all
that I do.
- I am so motivated that others get inspired just by being
around me.
- I attract those that help me reach my goals.
- I am motivated and live my life to the fullest.
- My life is full of purpose and motivation.
- I have unlimited energy and motivation.
- I am happy and motivated when I achieve my goals.
“You’ve got to win
in your mind before you win in life.”
John Addison
- l am easily motivated.
- l easily stay motivated toward my dreams.
- I stay motivated and energized when working toward my goals.
- I wake up energized and ready to face the day.
- I am confident in what I do and that keep me motivated to
continue moving forward
- I love myself and I am perfectly healthy.
- Every cell in my body is health conscious. I am a health
freak.
- I am full of energy and vitality and my mind is calm and peaceful.
- I avoid junk food. I eat healthy, nutritious food that
benefits my body and large quantity of water that cleanses my body.
- I think only positive thoughts and am always happy and
joyous, no matter what the external conditions are.
- I always feel good. As a result, my body feels good and I
radiate good feelings.
- Every day is a new day full of hope, happiness and health.
- Good health is my birth right. I bless my body daily and
take good care of it.
- I am always happy, hale and hearty. Happy in spirit, hale in
body and hearty in disposition.
- I am of a strong heart and steel body. I am vigorous,
energetic and full of vitality.
ÿ Every day in
every way I am getting healthier and healthier and feeling better and better.
