Category Archives: Happiness

A Negativity-Free Day – Control Your Thoughts

Here’s a Brain Training Exercise take away for you this week : –

We all know that sound of the little voice in our head that has endless chatter going on about the world around us. Thoughts and reminders of the Past, Present & Future that bounce around all day long when there is a lack of focus or feeling of procrastination. They enter our head like little gremlins running around like wild coyotes. Like ego drones we soak it up and are unconsciously captured & mesmerised to the negative side of news, views of others and water cooler chit chat going about our everyday chores & fall almost into a dream like state. I think you know what I mean having mentioned it in a previous post.

Well help is at hand..

A very transformative exercise I use to activate a clear mind is to go an entire day without saying anything negative to anyone …….

On your negativity-free day you should avoid stating anything negative about :
*Circumstances in your life
*Other People
*Observations you make about the world around you
*Yourself
….

A basic method I use for controlling what goes into one’s head is by nullifying your mind. – By what I call “No-Minding”. You achieve this by composing yourself and empty your head completely of any thoughts for a short period of time; for instance start at 30 seconds and build up slowly to 5 minutes …then 15 minutes then 30 minutes thinking about absolutely nothing. Like a crystal clear pond of water. Try and control this process by blocking out any conscious feed or stimulus. eg – that car just drove past, fly on the wall, I must do my expenses, I’m hungry, what’s the time, why did he say that last night etc etc ..I think you get the gist!

Find a quiet place to do this where you will not be disturbed., I find early in the morning is best before anybody else has woken up. It gives you enough time to be on your own. It’s almost like a semi meditation. You may find it difficult to start ..this is normal. But persevere..as eventually you will find that by doing this your brain naturally tunes into all the good stuff going on around you and you have more control over the thoughts that benefit you.

One simple summary step is say to yourself — Does this thought help me towards my goals & desires or hinder me….observe them but don’t judge them …then change your focus ..disrupt the thought … observe nature … stay calm, hold positive thoughts and create no-mind..go back to thinking about nothing.

You’ll be surprised at the results and the source of clarity your mind enjoys.

After sometime I have found that I can control all thoughts for 60 minutes or more.

Give it a go & Try it !

To your successful mind.

Steve

5 Tips to Turn your Success Switch “ON”

You’ll be amazed by how much of a difference just getting out of your own way really makes. Self-Defeating Behavior causes life’s biggest struggle.
Life’s biggest tragedy is waking up at the end of your time only to discover that you havent accomplished what you would have liked to have done. Then realizing that you have done it to yourself and it’s too late to get a second chance. Few things make you feel worse about yourself than engaging in self-defeating behavior and having to live with the consequences. Fortunately, however, few things make you feel better about yourself than overcoming those self-defeating behaviors and replacing them with life-enhancing habits. ie Turning your Success switch “ON”

Overcome those self-defeating behaviors one of which is a major contributor including procrastination, obsession, self-pity, rebellion, and guilt to effectively cope with the challenges that lie ahead.

Over the years, I have heard many excuses for people not getting the success they want or believe they deserve from an opportunity. I have been known to use a few myself here and there.

“The opportunity wasn’t really there.”

“The timing wasn’t right.”

“I just didn’t fit in with those people.

“I’m just not Lucky”

” I don’t have the skills to do this”

“Its’ been done before” ….and on and on and on ……..

It’s not that the excuses weren’t ever valid. It’s just sometimes the excuses come whether or not they are valid. Many people start excusing themselves from incredible opportunities before they have the chance to fully explore the possibilities.

When you find the right opportunity, the one that can take you to a whole other level of success, you want to be able to grab it and run. The last thing you want is to trip over on your own two feet and let it get away or worse, be the immoveable object in the path to success. Here are five tips for getting out of your own way on the road to success.

1. Be disciplined. If you truly want to win the big game, you can’t be sloppy. You are competing against people who train and learn and practice. You need to be in control of your own destiny and that means being in control of your daily activity. Have your priorities figured out. If you don’t know them, you’ll be prone to distraction. If they’re wrong, you’ll get off track. Be able to focus the right amount of thought, energy, and activity on the actions that will get you close to your goal. Learn to focus and dismiss distraction when it’s time to get to work. It’s like exercising a muscle. The more you do it the more it strengthens.

And most importantly, learn how to rest. No one can work all the time without being exhausted. You need time to recharge if you are going to play at your best. Burn out is a poor excuse for failure.

2. Be confident. I have battled my own share of insecurities. When you are blazing new trails, it’s hard to be 100 % assured, but you have the control. I was winging to a friend when I was younger that I wished I were more confident. He looked at me and said: “Steve why don’t you just decide to be confident.” I did and have not looked back since. Nobody is in control of how you feel inside. Confidence comes from preparation and your own decisive state of mind. When I am speaking and presenting, I feel most confident when I have done my research and have practiced my speech at least a dozen times in front of people, my wife , daughter, son etc. Give yourself what you know you need. Whether it is practice, prep time, food, sleep, or funds take away the material excuses so you can move forward without concern.

3. Be bold. Many people just stare on the sidelines waiting for an opportunity to drag them into success. Being timid brings very little value when chasing your dreams. You need to take action and jump two feet in. Be Terrific …Be Bold

However, this does not mean be careless. You have to do your homework and analysis. The most successful people have shown their boldness by waiting while everyone rushes an opportunity too early. Study, prepare and assess, but know when it is time to stop analyzing, theorizing, practicing. Then make the decision to jump in or launch and just do it and do it big. It doesn’t have to be perfect each time. Otherwise your always be waiting.

4. Be gracious. Graciousness is not just about being nice. It’s also about being humble. True success is best served among friends and teammates who share in the glory and accomplishment. Start getting out of your own way by admitting when you’re lost, behind, or overwhelmed. Accept the greatest achievements come from the combined work and thought of many. Invite smart, energetic people into your journey and share the wealth and the credit along the way. Revel in their growth happiness and success, and they will celebrate yours.

5. Be grateful. Every day, I feel blessed. I have had my share of challenges and difficulties throughout my life, more than some, fewer than others. But with those roller coaster times came growth and opportunity. I always seem to find myself further down the success path. Even after complete loss and reinvention I still managed to find opportunities that made it worth getting out of bed and smiling.

Those times of loss make me more sensitive and grateful for the happenings in my life. Be it people who love me, good health, positive cash flow or just the chance to laugh daily, I never forget to share my appreciation with those who support me along the way.

To your success

Steve

The Secret to Innovation – Bad Ideas !

What do I hear you say …what on earth is Steve talking about ..

Hear me out just for a second here. There is a hypothetical soloution for new ideas.
Consider this …. you had meeting after meeting as a team bouncing ideas around the room to solve a problem and getting nowhere fast. Times ticking and you’re all feeling the pinch of the deadline looming on the horizon and the pressure is building. We’ve all been there. We’ve all done the brainstorming and then crash the ultimate in writers block hits you all and there is a general feeling of malaise of where do we go next to come up with a salient point that will stimulate momentum… That feeling of pressure to come up with “the right” idea to move forward has vanished. And you’re all looking at one another with that blank look of dispair.

Well here’s a novel method to get back in the flow. Ask your panel / team / committee to come up with a crazy idea no matter how stupid or far fetched. It could be totally unrelated from the topic of discussion.

About a new type of beer from fig juice / sports shoe , food additive/ new fuel for cars run on sweet wrappers ..anything ..Get it out of your head and exercise those crazy brain muscles. As Tony Robbins has said in many of his seminars to change your mental state you need to move your body your physiology. Well think of it like this.. moving your brain to a different kind of tempo. It’s fun and could become part of a scheduled down time to keep you energised.

This action helps dispel the road blocks in your head and gets you going again.. It’s like a reboot for the brain…

Try it out next time you feel your creative wheels spinning ….take time out to reset your clock.

These are the type of topics I want to discuss to help nurture a new community

To your success

Steve

Allow Yourself to be Great

You have been put on this planet to manifest your greatness…period…no question. To fulfill your ultimate potential

But during these perceived difficult times it can be hard to elevate yourself out of the mire. I understand that.. What with the constant barrage of bad news reported and chatter through differing social demographic groups its tough to get away from the sea of negativity.

The problem is that who you are – your authentic non-physical self – is already great but you don’t know that yet if you are experiencing
struggle & the constant feeling of just spinning your wheels.

Another way to look at this is imagine the seed of the oak tree. Everything that defines the oak tree is already in the acorn.
Unlike us, the acorn does not live under the illusion that it needs to be something else or needs to strive towards an
accomplishment that is not in its nature.

Your greatness is in your soul, your fibre . Your “self”, stripped of all the conditioning, excuses & contingencies that have created what you believe to be your current limited self.

My observation is that most of us don’t allow ourselves to live our greatness. Instead, we are too quick to place huge limits on what we
can do before we have even begun to do it. Don’t prejudge what your new horizons & discoveries could be and how they will turn out. Just live that quest for life in the moment as you know it to be without over analysing every situation.

The only limits you have are the ones you are placing on yourself.
Listen…. Push them to the side for now. You can always go back to them later if you want to, but I promise you this, you won’t need
them any longer if you practice living in the “flow” and living in”alignment”. Remember, we are as great as we allow ourselves to be.
Allow yourself to be great for the next few months and see what happens.

I hope today will bring you a new awareness, a lesson or a manifestation that you can make progress – If you choose to look for it. No matter how large or small, take out a notepad and record whatever comes to mind. You’ll be surprised of the traction you can achieve.

We are as great as we allow ourselves to be.

To your success

Steve

Why am I Doing This – My Vision?

I want this to be an evolutionary journey of discovery encapsulating ones quest for study, learning, understanding the extent of human potential finding their reason why on planet earth ..what’s it all about ..this blog is about life as we know it and a journal of what goes on in the world around us and may at times be a stream of consciousness on concepts, on new ideas, subjects and shared technological knowledge. So why not come and dive in to a deep pool of yearning strike up a conversation with me and escape your 9 to 5 for a slice of what could be and what difference you could make by taking a different path. Its my bit in helping to the spread the word on what matters to you.
I’m not a scientist or polymath with a bunch of letters after my name …but I’m a great believer of stretching the envelope & thinking outside of the box & becoming an expert based on gathered knowledge & self belief ..I’m passionate about a multitude of subjects… that come across my bow.

To the next.

Steve

A Sky Pioneer….my proud moment in tech history

This is my first post as part of a personal challenge …its Day 4 and I’ve been scratching my head ..like a lot of people … imagining this is all part of the self discovery process. “Getting stuff & ideas out of your head and into the real world”. Gets me thinking about life’s path and what impact my experience can help others achieve their own goals, glory days & that light bulb moment.
The topic for today is “Accomplishments “

Well here goes…..
The year was 1989 & up until then I had already had a successful stint in media sales at the Financial Times, Daily Express & a spell in Australia on tabloids under my belt. (But that’s another story yet to be told ) My taste for media at the coal face had begun and I had already cut my teeth on some well respected newspapers, plying my trade of salesmanship to blue-chip clients and their respected agencies.
But I yearned for more & new horizons…..
One of my most proud achievements was joining the “scratch “launch team of Sky Television.
I’ll spare you all the corporate detail & boring stuff but Rupert Murdoch’s new start up & the initial shake up of the broadcast industry was received on stony ground & deaf ears to say the least.
Cable TV had already carved the path in USA & critics like Ted Turner spouted the usual negativity that it would never work. So we apparently had a large mountain to climb to convince stakeholders to invest in our “little satellite venture”.
This was all characteristic of an industry that was staid, overly controlled and far too traditional in its thinking. At the time Sky Channel was doing tiny ratings in Europe broadcasting to a few hundred thousand viewers using fledgling repeat programming (like “I Love Lucy”, “Rawhide”, “Bonanza” & “The Flintstones” to name a few) and the odd movie or two from an old shared satellite system with a meagre footprint.
But times were changing and a new Astra Satellite launch was imminent with new technology that would revolutionise the way we watch TV….and RM had already had a taste of the USA multi channel TV networks and saw a major opportunity in Western Europe and beyond.
There were only a handful of us (5 to be precise)who had left secure posts from other print media and agencies and were now working out of a tiny office in Ogle St West London. But we all shared a common belief that we were on the verge of a fantastic new frontier. It was exciting, ground breaking, we were challenging the norm; & our job was to convince the clients, Ad Agencies & naysayers that a whole new world of ‘Direct to Home’ broadcasting was beckoning.
And I was a major part of initiating that change.
There I was running around town with my complimentary satellite dish in toe & slide projector explaining to groups of eager ears the benefits of DTH ( direct to home ) satellite broadcasting. The virtues of a new breed of channel with exclusive sporting events and the latest movies all pumped into your living room from outer space. I was on fire, charged with enthusiasm, high on adrenaline, smoking red hot & passionate about extolling the virtues of our new business (which has now become a part of the nations everyday life & existence ) .It started off in small groups first ..but then I was standing in front of 500+ audiences as momentum gathered pace fielding questions and selling the concepts. It was a great time in my life that stretched me out of my comfort zone and helped me explore areas of my personality that I didn’t know existed.
I can always remember seeing that first Fosters Lager commercial I placed in the middle of an exclusive televised boxing event Tyson Vs Bruno from Las Vegas. We stayed up late that night due to the time difference; a bunch of a dozen friends huddled round my TV at 4 am, it was snowing outside, Chips N dips, Beers at the ready for the sound of the first bell. Mike Tyson won as usual and our Frank Bruno came home bruised and battered.
But seeing that ad I placed for the first time aired during the commercial break on screen from a concept that I was only just talking about a few months previous . ..got me thinking that the technological future is here already and we can’t get in the way of it . I was there at the crossroads of progress …at the forefront of the merger of TV, Telecommunications & IT; the very lifestyle that we are all enjoying today. It was great to be a part of that groundbreaking influence.
If you can take anything away from this short snippet …It’s this…..
No matter where you find yourself in life there will always be challenges & obstacles that seem immoveable….even though at the time daunting .. finding ways to overcome those hurdles turns out to be the most proudest precious moments to be savoured.
Selling ideas ..finding your Dream team ..Challenging conventional wisdom … Breaking down barriers
Embracing new ideas …is what Life is all about …

Until the next time …Wishing you health wealth & success in all your goals.

Steve