NATURAL BRILLIANCE Move from Feeling Stuck to Achieving Success
Paul R. Scheele, A
M.A.
complete guide for experiencing your potential
by the author of Ti,e PhotoReadillg Whole Milld System
Natural Brilliance
"I had a long history ofscC{)nd guessing l1ly�clf and seeking
c:x'temal \'ali£l1tion, I now nlJkc choices mjnd-fully and am
clear that t11l.� are my decisiom that I can evaluate and ;ltljust. What a relief."
Jerry "'eRik, Ph.D.
St Clo..,d Stat!;' Umvt>rslty N.mlr.l1 Bn1l1anu.· rem:.\! partlnpaFJI
158 SCH Scheele. Paul R.
Natural brilliance. 282190
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immcr\iate reduction of moull
IIItO molehills. Lf the occa sional Insight i� a shooting
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stabTt: for a meteor shower." Bart Windrum
Sotl""Jre and CrgollOIlUC ITlOH'HlC1\t
mining cOJ'l
JIltroduces an Important process for understanding and resolving . paradOXIcal problems. It shows YOll how to define personal problems to
cnsure you generate solutions that work. It discloscs the St'crcts of resolving problems that never seem to get better-no matter what you have done in the past. Have you ever worked hard to resolve a problem only to discover that the problem comes back a week or two later? Crash ruet programs arc a
�
clasSIC xample of 1T1l1l1enSe effort followed by the returlUng problem. OftentImes, the loss of ten pounds is followed by a gain of twelve or fifteen. Some problems keep liS on an endless roller coaster ride Year after year, the s.ame problem comes back--often ,,�th a \'en�ance. Knowing how to define and approach such problems will make It pOSSIble to finally reach a destination of long-lasting success. Creative Problem-solving will show you how.
p
Celltrate New O rioru The New Option Generator, presented in Chapter 12, comes to you after fifteen years ofde\'elopment. It will probably be the 1110St sigmficam techmque for breakthrough you will ever use. The process involves seven exerCIses that lead you step-by-step from Snick state to excellence. The New Option Generator integrates the knowledge and skills you learn from the entire book. It extends the Natural Brilliance model by giVing you phYSical evidence of the changes that occur as you release
'980s. accelerates the fNding process without speedreading for increased comprehension and retention.
Part 1: Oritflt to \'our Nall/ral Briflianu
16
oscillation, notice new choices, respond WIth commitment to desired goals, :md witness me outcomes you produce. Doing the exercises ofthis process will pull out the: Stop SIgns that Illay have prevented you from achIeving succc=ss, reveahng the potentlal you were born to express.
Understand Your Stuck States
Summary Do you already have: a sense ofhow this book will help you discover To receive periodic updates furor)('
your Natural Brilliance? This first chapter has introduced you to the
year. just call or write and mention
techniques that will assist you in applylllg this model. Natural Brilliance
this book. You'll learn about
product5 and seminars to help you experience your potential. Ifyou purchased the book directly from us, you will receive material
is an approach to lifelong learning that can be applied in stages. Familianze yourself wuh the model and its bcnefits by reading Part I : Orit'/ll to Hwr l\'lll1lm/ Brillimue. To learn the component skills of
anlral
Brilliance and discover the benefits in yom everyday life, read Illrt 2:
automatically.
Gaill tile Skills ojNtllUml Brillimut and practice the suggt.'Stcd exercises. To
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Apply J\TarurlJl Brillimue.
What do you want to receive from your interaction with Natural Brilliance? Feel
free to c1anfy your purpose and J.pproach the book in
the way that works best for you. Above all. enjoy!
You know you need to change your life when you are not where you want to be. If your present state does not match your desired outcome. then set a gOa cfyour life? 2) Ulnar pnsollal identity do you //IIlIII/O;U ill rc/mioll5lrip to this iS5I1t'? How do you view yo,meif, II'llIIt do you 4finll /0 yourst'if "00111 tillS ISSlIe, enid ,viwl do YOII believe fo be Inlefor YOII? For example. I used to have a dilemma around television
opposed, unresolved states wuhlll YOll that defines your stuck state.
6) 1I1/(/tjtars are QS100ated wilh your sfruk 1Mt/'? Assuming that the truth about you IS that you are Il1fillitdy resourceful, the fears are mythical, based on faulty conclusions that you f.liled earlier in life. Determinc to confront your fears to get the breakthrough you need.
forum. " [ don't feel comfort;lble in front ofa camera. [ have to play to a
With Natural Brilliance yOll make the choice to no longer stop and . go back whcn you f1Ce- an emotional, intellectual. or physical stop sign.
live audience because I take my ctles from their responses. Give me a
Your creative new choice can be to pause, gather new resources, and take
speaking opportunity, and I'll be fine. lively and animated. Out, pm lIIe
action to achit'vc your goals.
performance. I viewed myself as
a
(ompctcnt presenter in every other
on TV. and I'm stilted and wooden." When you read Chapter 12 about the New Opnon Generamr, you will ieam how to change such a view.
3) IVhar is the predomillanr emOfro,,?
Notice your feellllgs. your
emonons n i the stuck state. Feel the feelings )"OU expenence when you feel stuck. Label them.
4) Usi".� rill' it/jomratio" YO" IUlI'e galltl'rt'dfmm tiltfi�t qllCSliotlS, wildt s i yOllr rlllresol�\1ble paradax? 111ral 0pposlIIg OIlI(OIll('S do you 1I�ltIt at tile same tillil'? In my Toastmaster's example fiom Chapter I, I wanted to de\'e!op my skills as a speaker, bUl I also wanted to aVOId bemg at the lectern dehverll1g my prepared speech. A way to phrase this IS, "On the one hand I want X, but at the 5.1me time, on the other hand, I wallt Y." This paradox ical problem is your stuck state. You can 't �top and go at the same time.
Confront Your Stop Signs Whatevcr you Il(ll/'
do sru(f'ssjlllly in
life is a model of successful
learnlllg. In the process of learning how to succeed, you naturally followed the steps of the Natural Brilhance model. At least one part of you was so focused on accompush.lIlg the- result that whatever happencd
was okay. If you failed to achieve a goal one day, you learned from It. The next day. a Itttle SlIlarter and lllore skilled. you took the next step. In this way you gained all you needed to e:nsure success. Whatever you sftm lmable to accomplish in life is a model ofa sUlck state. Somewhere early in your life, as you attempted to use your natural iearmng capacities and accomplish your desires, you gOl "whacked" by a failure. The: problem was not so much that you failed; the problem was the intt'llsity of the whack. The whack was a sudden adverse stimulus or
Benefit
Benefit
flood of negative feelin� and thoughts. That whack planted a giant red OCt.lj:,'unal stop sign
Hl
your path oflearning. Fmm then on, the stop sign
ope:ratcd emorionally, physically, or Intellectually with the same ferocity
Fear
....... ,....... ,........•...."
......
Opposite of the Fear
as the ongmaJ whack. Years later when you gOt the opportulllty to do somcthlng 1Il thiS are.. ofyour life, part ofyou wanted to proceed; part of you wanted 10 stop and pull back. You began to oscillate, whIch produced a stuck state-thc mabihty to accomplish what }"Ou dcslred.
Detriment
Detriment
Do you recogllJze the scenario that causes thc sUlck state? Let
us
take
Part
22
I:
Oritllt (0 You, Natural Brillionu
UndtrJlnnd)'owr Sluck StalU
23
the example of rdatlonshlps. A boy wants to be (riends wuh a gul at school. A friend, a family member, or the girl he wants to meet gives
Situation. You c«'ate a stuck Slate when you act overly shy or overly bold
him a powerful punch in the body-mind. She may S,1y. "Oooh, get away
continuum can get us into trouble, because our survival depends on our
fmlll me. you ugly creep!" Or it may be a f.lmily member $lying, "You are so shy, I wonder how you will ever get to know anyone," In goes a
StOp sign. Many years bcer, the situation has changed. but the stop sign still looms over his emotional l:l.Ildscape. The boy, now a young man, wants to date but agonizes about asking womell (Q go out with him.
and remain that way. ChooslIlg to hve permanently at either end of a ability to act and react flexibly across the entire range of behavioral and emotional opflons. Problems, like Ilu'"m.al illness and physical dIsease, IIltO one way ofhving. When
we
find a comfort zone, it makes sense that we would want to
stop. But, life forces
longer at stake, the stop sign continues to function as if it were. Rather than helping us, the srop sign prevents us from living fully. The good
ahead. When part of us wants (Q stop, the resulting stuck state stops the
want
to learn and grow.
un be a weakneu.
occur when the pcr;onality, nervous SyStem, or physical body gets locked
We erect smp signs unconsciously as a neurologICal matter of survival to keep us from rcpC'll\ore each step in depth to ellSUfC you have the skills to apply them
sliccessfully.
Principle 1 : Tolerate Ambiguity to Realize Your Full Potential If I ask " Are }-oU strong-willed or easygOIng." what would you say? You would probably answer "Yes" because, although I phrased the question as an alternative, in [ruth. you have the choice of acting am both extremes and anything between. As a capable, mature human being, you know that circumstances will influence how you act. Although you may have a prefcrt!llcc, in reality, you can act strong or t'asygomg as necessary. On a connnuum of behavioral options, strong-willed forms one endpoilH and easygoing forms its oppoSIte. Many people learn to l.Jve wulun cenam parameters 011 any oue continuum of options. For example, If you are too strong-WIlled, you Illay act overly assertive or obstinate, either forcmg people or refusmg to compromise. Sunilarly, if
32
P"rl 2: Gai" tilt Skilb of Natural Brilliallrt
yotl are toO easygoing, people could use you as a doormat or take advantage of YOLI. You have consciously and unconscIOusly defined a range you em comfortably li\'e within. Many people were on hand to gUIde your defining your range of
J3
Exp/oft tile Fi.,t Prilldpltl at tilt Hl'art oj ".t Naflmd Bri/lianct Modd
nught erroneollsly lIlterpret.
During the exercise, the flight instructor has student pilots change hcadlllS and altitude and make many Other minor adjustments. The typical response IS to overcontrol the plane. If a slight adjusnnent
III
choices. Those in authority told you, "ThIS way to behave is proper; that
headmg of five degrees
IS not." They put a stop sign in front of you whene....er . you behaved
the lack of sensitivity to the comrols will cause the student to over
IS
�U1red. the tension in the sNdem's body and
mappropriately. Once you had t."Stabhshcd your ;'safety zone," seldom if
correct by two or three times what is necessary. OvercontroUing an
ever did you venture beyond the end-points of that continuum. The
atrplane thl'O""5 It 111(0 an oscillation, which tends to worren the siNation
comfort zone between the Stop signs became the unconscious lunit of
by swinb.jng n past the desired goal.
choices you consciously even considered exercising. In effect, yOll may stiU be forcing all other choices ofbehaving to stand outSide the stop signs, including your dIsenfranchised creative self. The Ilarural learning behaviors you u sed to explore yom world in childhood may still be relegated to a place alit of view to those around you and often even to yourself. With Naturai llrilliance you can rediscover you are not one way or
The experienced pilOt makes small, incremental adjustments with relaxed patience. There's a sense of confidence about the flight- there'll be enough time. Relax. Everything's going to be fine.
The harder YOll try to get 1lllStllck, the more difficult your task. Paradox ically, trying harder tends to make the stuck state much worse.
Take the example of a relationship problem. Tryi ng hard to convince people not be angry tends to make them angrier. [n other words. when
the other. Tht: secret to joyous learning is to recognize a wide range of
you push harder 10 handle one side of a problem, you end up increasing
choices emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Thinking about them
the swing that keeps you oscillating. The more you oscillate, the farther
is not enough to retrain our nervous systems. You need to exercise
you move from a solution.
choices you may have held at bay for decades.
When an airplane is nose-diving toward the ground, most student
[n Chapter 12. Natural Brilliance steps are sequenced into a change
pilots try to pull out. Their panic only puts the airplane into a spin-a
process called the New Optioll Gt'"wtor. Using it, you can locate the Stop
much more perilous Situation. i'arndoxically, to pull the airplane alit, the
signs unconsciously installed in your hfe and pop them out. To eliminate
pilot has first to push gently IIltO the dive. Then air (]O\vs over the wings
oscillation, you
properly to create lift under the wing so that the plane can resume flying.
can
Volporize the endpoints on the contmuum between
behaVIOral opposites. You can begm Integrating your options for
Then the pJiOt can slowly pull back to take the plane our of the dive.
responding on the entire spectnull of chOICes. All the choices you could
Pulling out of a nose dive successfully offers a him on how to handle
nor have considered before suddenly become fillly available to you. With
almost any other situation where oscillation occurs. Making small
the New Option Generator you can reclaim your creative potential.
adjustments is part ofthe solution. Three additional principles foUO\v.
Principle 2:
Principle 3:
Make Small Adjustments Slowly to Accomplish Your Goal
Achieve a State of Being by Being Not Doing
Everything about learning to ny is unusual. Flying is a perfect
[f I asked you, "What do you want to achieve," what would you say?
laboratory to study people try1l1g to cope with an unstable environment.
The goal yOli stated would be a desired result you want to create for
One exercise in pilot'S rraining requires a special visor-LLke contrnptlon
yourrelf or your fanuly.
worn as a hood to prevent seeing outside the cockpit of the airplane.
[f [ kept asking the qut."Stion, yotl would begin to identify the goals
The hood only allows a view of the front instrument pallel. The
that exist beJlIud your most obvious goal. What do you suppose you
objective ofthe exercise is to tram �ople to fly only by the IIlformation
would find our after several nunutcs of my asking. "If you accomplished
from their instruments, not by other informatloll their sensory systems
thaI goal, what even /IIort I1npo" a"t goal would you then want to
34
Pari
Z:
G"III
IIII' SkUb
of Nat" ml BrilliallCl'
Htart of Ihl' Natural Brillia"CI' Modrl
imperative 15 OSCillation, a stuck state that many peoplt: compulsively try
your rral goal, the end b'Oal. not b"Oals thar are means to the end. Natural
to resolve ullsuccessfidly. They have a stnlggIe because the only way to
13nlliance has a way of gently coaxing your core b'Oal into consciousness.
fully be is to experience yourself as a human being, not as a "human
35
doing:'
they wam to achieve during the course. One person In each course
Conmrae Andreas, 111 her book Core Transformations, suggests that
IIlvanably says, " 1 want to master the techniques of PhotOReading." 1
we TCverse the outcome chain to enhance the \VJy we do everything in
What I own.
life. Start with the state of being, then you will be much more capable
Not do I have
statement, "Ifyou accomplished
Ihm .'!Oaf,
what L'ven moft importa/ll goal
and efficient at ail the actions you choose to do in life. Her process brilliantly breaks through the oscillation from "do" to
would you then want to achieve?" The chain of outcomes I e]jcitcd
"be'"
during one demonstrarion went as follows:
PhotoReading, and it will make sense. [n [rllth. course participants will
First Goal: Master the techniques ofPhoroil.eading •
Think back to the (.'xamplc chain of outcomes from
be capable of achieving their goals ill the chain if they approach their
Be able [0 con....erse with people al work with a level of expenise on various important topics
goals with
a
sense of"tOtal 'beingness,' a feeling of peace."
Breaking Ihe "do-to-be" paradox is an integral part of the Natural
•
Get promoted and earn more money
•
Provide for the well-being and happinl� of my f.1lllily
•
See my children grow up into happy. healthy. capable adults
•
Experience the fililn{'Ss of my own potential
Brilliance model. I will show you how to approach Step 3, Respond.
Corc b'Oai: Total "beingnl 'SS." a feeling ofroral peace In thIS example, as with all the examples of this exercise, the bottom IlIle is a core state of being.
Albert Einstein
IIII'
of being, you must earn it by doing things better. The result of that
of OlHcomes. The demonstration IIlvol....es my asklllg, after each goal
characterize our age,
PrillcipleJ al
achieve?" That qUe5tion elicits a chain of outcomes as )'ou continue to
then ask this person to participate III a demonstration of eliciting a chain
of means seems in my opinion, to
till' FiliI'
search for additional answers. At the end ofyour cham ofoutcomes waits
For example, in PhotoR.eadmg. we ask particlpanu to tell us what
Confusion of goals and perfection
Explart
from a powerful state of being. The decisiveness and commitment of such a state fOCUSL'S your personal power for effective action and SliCCesS.
Principle 4: Maintain an Outcome Orientation and Increase Choices
All of the goals in the cham of goals are really means to the desired
AnOther key principle of the Natural Brilliance model is that you can
r(.'Sult. Often, people accomplish a goal yet feel unfulfilled. Of course.
faCilitate your learning by concentrating not on problems but on
They were really trying to get another goal. Here is the interesting: dllenm1a: Goals are things that you do, whereas the real result IS a state of
outcomes. ThiS keeps the 1ll1lld, the most perfect goal-seeking device, oriented on achIeving what you want rather than creating what you do
be",�.
not want.
The doill� is a means to an end. . The problem most people f1ce is that they arc unaware of the goal
Dwelling on our problems is like trying to drive forward in a car
behind their goals. As a result they gl't fixated on d()iug to be and never
looking onJy in the rearvlew mirror. We tend to think of the lim.itatioIlS
get to where they want to be. Many people illlaglile that If only they
that the problems create. [t is easy to notice blocks, lack of resources,
could succeed at completing [heir outcome cham. they would then gal11
mistakes, and blame. Consequently, we will most likely generate bad
access to the state they desire. Unfortunately, few people ever complete
feelings and rack ourselves with either guilt about the past or anxiety
their outcome chain. Those who do accomplish several of their goals in
about the future.
their chain of outcomes soon discover the emptiness ofdoil\{! 10
be.
In general, focusing on problems is a sure way to continue the
Once guided through a process of examining their mner motiVJtiolUi.
OSCIllation ofyour stuck state. On the other hand, focusing on outcomes
people recoglllze that the goal behllld their goals is the achievement
gers you 10 llnagille pOSSIbilitIes. By keeping your gaze high while
of a core state-an experience of full aliveness. They express It as
driving, you can respond to more of the passing vistas. From the
"beingness," "completeness," or "okay-ness."
perspective of the long view. reviewing and exploring the paSt helps
It seems we have a cultural imperative that to experience a better sute
generate CUriOSity and learmng, gIVIng you clues to success.
I do not have
What I do. I only have What I am. D. Trinidad Hunt Remember to Remember Who Yotl Are
Part 1: Ga;" flIt! Skills oj Natural Brillianct
36
EXJI/ort tl,t Fi"t Pri/,rip/tl at tlu Htart oj tlu Natural Brillianct Modd
37
Principle I : Tolerate ambIguity to realize- your full potential.
An outcome orientation increases the number of paths you can take.
2: Make small adjusonems slowly to accomplish your b>oal. Prmciplc J: Achle\·e a state of being by beillg, not doing. Prmclple 4: MamUHl an outcome orienutioll and increase your
Principle
The Namral Brilliance model uses an outcOllle orient:ltion in the steps of Noticing. Responding, and Witnessmg to ensure each step you take leads to higher learning.
choices. Principle 5: Chanb>C in b'Cnerari\"e ways for the best results.
Principle 5: Change in Generative Ways for the Best Results The Natural Brilliance model IS a generative model for learning and human devdopmem. It does mon: than fix the existing problem; it fixes the \v:ly you created the problem in the first place. If you sat on a tack, you would not run to a doctor for morphine to mask the pain. That is remedial change which seeks to remedy the immediate symptOms or the problem. l"Zel11edial change is the opposite of generative change. Many thcrapcmic models try to find remedies for problems. Generative change means that th� process of changing a problem generates its own learning for fumrc situations. The generative way to remove pain ifyou sit on a tack s i to pull the tack out. Remedial change tends to put energy IIlto IIlcreasmg oscillation.
In the next five chapters you will ieam the steps of the Natural Brilliance model, taking the knowledge and skills into your process of growth and developmelH. Engaging in this learning model, you will enJOY benefits fight .nvay. YOll will find that Natural Brilliance: •
Naturally minimiz(.'S the oscillation ofyour current stuck states
•
Allows for incremental shifts to\vards specific outcomes
•
I�ocuses on you as a comperent, capable learner
•
Allows you to witness your unfolding genius
•
Increascs aW�lrencss of personal strengths
•
Elinunatcs guilt for failing to accomplish a broal
•
Eliminates performance an:aety as you lea.rn
In Chapter 1 , you gained an overview of the Natural Brilliance model
Natural Brilliance nunimizes oscillation and srrcnb'thens the learner with
and the techmques you can usc to a.chieve inunediate results. Chapter
each cycle of the process.
explained StOp signs, oscillations, and stuck states. It invited you to
i to tralll Illy cli�ms III how I When I consult with busincsscs. my job s do what I do, effectively replaclIlg mysdf and working myself our of a job. I teach g�nerative change.
atural Brilliance, as a model
of generative change, encourages you to seek the most elegant and efficient ways to become stronger. When you face a problem Siruation with Namral Brilliance, you increase your problem-solving skills.
explore where you wanted to break through and gain access to your gemus potentiaL Chapter J has described the five principles of atural Bnl.l.tance so you can con6dendy use the model to accomplish your goals. Now that the overview is complete, you can guide your conscious and other-than-conscious mllld through the process to reclaim your Natural Bnlliance, I�ady! Set! Pull out those Stop signs and let's Go!
Take a Brilliant Approach to life and Enjoy the Benefits i founded on five principles that match The Natural l3rilliance model s the world's most powerflll and effective human development approaches. It effectively resolves paradoxlcal problems, guiding relaxed, incremental changes to increase your options. It is a model for "belllg to do," rhus breaking the "do to be" compulsIOn of ollr culmre. Natural Brilliance m.allltains a powerful outcome orientation, keeping your full resources engaged in the most efficient ways for achievmg your goals. Finally, it takes a generative approach to human development and change. As a review, here are the
atural Bnl.l.tance prinCiples:
2
Release
Think of how your day would go if you took a balanced and relaxed
Neither comprehension nor
approach to the event� you encountered. When you relax, you expand
learning can take place in an
your sen�ory awareness to process useful information. rtelaxation
atmosphere of anxiety.
increases the sensitivity ofyour physical receptor> and enhances your fine
Dr. Frank Smith
motor control, allowing you to move effectively and efficiently. When
Reading Without Nonsense
you are relaxed. you can also enter expanded brain states and gam access
[0 the resources ofyour other-than-conscious mind to increase learning and choicl·S. Perhaps most important of all. approaching your day in a relaxed way permits emotional and cognitive flexibility essential [0 thriving in our chaotic modern times. Step
1,
Release, gives you the
balanced and relaxed state YOli need for success. Your best performance begins with the release of conflicting thoughts. emotions, or behaviors. Eliminating unnecessary oscillation and focusing your body-mind results in releasing stress :md tension. Unless they are acutely stressed, most clients I work with do not recognize how tension controls their bodies and limits their thinking process. In this chapter we will find hidden physical and mental tension and develop skills to release.
Discover Tension The opposite ofrelease is tellSion. Iryou ,vatch a large cat prowling its natural habitat, yOli see the difference. The cat's gaze diverges and its pupils dilate to absorb information from all around. Then, when something catches its attention, instantancously its pupils constrict, it� cyes foclls, and
its body goes on alert.
The same is true for you. \Vhen the systems of your body and mind tense, they undergo a natural physiological and psychological effect.
P.m Z: Gui" flit SkUls Of Natural Brilliance
40
Your sensory systems tend to narrow. Your hearing. feehng. and thinking focus. Limited input from your senses allows you to concentrate on one thing at a time. Because your emotional and cognitive choices are also limited. you stay on target, free from distracting or conflicting thoughts. Unfortunately, in the Information Age, such responses to tension .. \ 'Ork against us. We are required to solve problems and make deCISions continually; to make effective decisions, we need to take in information frecly. If we worry about problems and dt."Cisions, our problem-solving and decision-making abilities COI15[ri((. Another negative by-product of a JOt of tension is its effect on physical performance. Tension in muscles forces us to use large muscle groups, which work harder without coordinated use of fine motor skills. Large muscle actions cause us to over-compensate and over-COntrol. Per formance gaL'S down. A classic example of this performance barrier shows up with people who are trying to perform at entry-level standards for jobs; slIch as
RrftllSt
41
you say to yourself" I have nothing to do bm rest." The body restores and revitalizes all the systems of the body and mind, replenishing depleted reserves. I do not want to mislead you. The means to increased human performance is not to relax totally. Too linle tension leads to Inertia and boredom. Studies for decades have shown that our systems need some tension for optimum performance. Researcher and author Mihalyi Csikzemmihalyi refers to a "delicate zone between boredom and anxiety" as the "flow State." Herbert Benson, Harvard medical doctor and researcher, has demonstrated that breaking the "anxiety cyck'" can be accomplished by initiating the "Relaxation R ..esponse." Photo Reading uses the flow state for information processing with written materials. \Vhile Photol�ading, the whole mind s\Vitch('� on. bringing readers into an enhanced state and making remarkable capacities available to them. The goal of Rdease is to bring the body and mind into an ideal State for perfomung.
stenography, zip-code sorting, and typing. StudentS for these jobs can consciously learn all the skills they need to perform the tasks. However, to pass a test. they have to releJ.se to get incoming information. Their
Release: From Tension to Relaxation
bodies must respond faster than their conscious mind can think. so (he
Many things cause us to tense and ket'p us from using our full range of
smdenl5 have [Q let go of conscious awareness to move at ratt'"S only the
resources. Any stimulus outside we interpret as dangerous will set off an
inner mind can produce. Unfortunately, when the time comes for profiCIency testing. many smdents tense and try too hard. They f:111 to perform as well as they have learned, let alone fast enough to pass the test. Take a momem to feel in your own body how tension creates problems. Gently tense your calves, thighs. stomach, back, shoulders, and face. Take a breath and hold it for a moment. How do you feci? How long do you think you can laSI like this? Now release the breath and aU the tension. Notice what happens in your body, your breath, your mind. The natural response to tcmion is release. What do you do when you come hallie afier a hard day? If you have a frt:e moment, you probably take a deep breath and exhale with a sigh as you sit down. As you do, you spontaneously release your shoulders, stomach, and back. What do you experience afier release? At the end of your day, when you first he down and put your head on rhe pillow, don't you feel wonderful? PermiSSion to release comt'S when
anxiety cycle. Oftemimt'S. a stimulus in our environment that reminds us ofa negative past evcnt automatically throws us IIHO a defensive response. Sotnt":times we tense at television and other media bombardll1g our seUSt'S. We can become habmlated [Q living n i a state of tension so that we hardly realize we are carrying tensIOn in our low back Ot abdomen or across the back of our neck. As many paths lead to tension, so many paths lead [Q relaxation. Numerous simple techmques can help us achieve instant relaxation. Once I spoke about instant relaxation techniques at the noon meeting of a local R.otary Club. After demonstrating a ninety-second technique on six volunteers, r opened the floor for discussion. One of the volunteers interjected, "Before YOll get into this discussion, I \vant to share something." The man pulled two pink pieces of paper out of his tweed blazer pocket and continued. "These are two prescriptions for tranquilizers. I receIVed them from my doctor today. I JUSt realized I don't need [hem because,
111
that runety seconds, I became more relaxed than I have been
for the last six months. I \vanted to let you know."
Pilrt 1: Gait/ tIlt Skills of Nall/ral Brilliat/u
42
As a lifeguard you learn and practice what to do when the victim grabs you in an attempt to save themselves. The natural reaction would be to fight 01
Deep physical and mental relaxation is no nmade. It is always one thought away from your present stale. You will learn to produce an optimum state ofrelaxation very quickJy by followlIlg the Illstmctlons of this chapter. I n Ius book Al4fogt'"i(1;al"ill.�, Kal Kermal1l outillles numerous
struggle on the surface of the water. What you are taught and
techniques for getting into the idt:al Statt: of relaxation. His approach
trained to do is immediately go
centers around several simple principh.'s:
under water, deeply arKI quid:ly.
•
This is the last place the victim wants to be and so they imm�iately let go. like my shrth
•
Deal with emmioIlS. Emotions are thought-energy in motion in your physical body. Learn to leI emotions, as they wash over you,
•
Change your physioIOb'Y' Physiol!,'Y It:ads your elllotional st.1te and cre:tles the platform for mental and emotional rdax:ltion.
•
your body and I1llrld. YOll probably recognized that when you rda.xed your breathing, you simultaneously and spontaneously relaxed your body and mind. When you relaxed the IlIlk betwcen the two, body and nllnd follow Stilt. The correspondll1g changes 111 your body and mind change your emotions as well.
If you want to change a stuck state, first change your physiology. Release, and everythlllg positive will ripple alit from this shift. Here is a \Voly to change state to get .resourccs quickly:
give way to calnUles5.
easy when you know howl"
to breathe: III that way: notice the effect circular breathing has 011
C/lOost. Exufle"u
and body.
grade teacher Mr1. Baily said: "It's
Dr. Charles Connolly
\Vork with your thoughts. Calm thoughts lead to a calm mind
43
Sund, slouch your shouldcrs forward. and lower your head. Stiffen your righl knec and shift your weight to your right heel. Let your
Exe:rcise your major muscle groups. In addItion to releasing pent-up
arms dangle. This is the physiology of depression. Make your
tension, exercise causes the brain to release ncurochcmicals that
breathing shallow. Now think a depressing thought, something
arc
mood altcring in positive ways.
such as a major mistake )"ou experienced once a long time ago. Now that you feel depressed, I'll guide you to release in t1urty
Develop Skills If you study relaxation techniques, you will notice a pattern emerging. It does not matter if you are emotionally tense, mcntally ",.>ired, or physically srressed; the rule s i the same: Physiology FIrst. When you change your phYSIology, you change everythlllg. As you learned earlier in this chapter, when you fake a deep breath and soften your shoulders and posture, you initiate relaxation. Relaxation IS where you start any technique of Release. Let me give you an illustration. If someone held my nose and mouth so that I could not breathe. after a minute or two my body would beglll to tensc up and struggk to get oxygen. If I were still conscious after three Ilunutes, I would be frantically flailing my arlllS and body in an attempt to get free. Breath invisibly links body and brain. When you change your breathing, you change your mental and physical st.1tes. Try it. Take a deep breath and let it go. Now relax so that you inhale and exhale evenly. Breathe a complete cycle without any pauses between the inhale and exhale. illlagll1e breathlllg a CIrcle III which one breath flows evenly mto the next without Jerk or pause. Take thirty seconds to close your eyes and continue
Seconds or less. Il..eady? Take a deep breath as you straighten your spine, raise your head. and straIghten your shoulders. Exhale: as you cemer your weight over both fect, shoulder-width apart. Move one foot slightly ahead of tht: othcr, and tilt your weight to the balls of your feel. Breathe e\'Cnly with a full, deep abdominal and chest breath. This IS the ph}'lilology of exceUcnce.
ow remember a major success.
How do you feel? Notice the di(fercncc� between deprt:ssed and excellent? The physiolOb'Y of cxceUence will successfully change your emotional state one hundred percent of the time, because phYSIOlogy leads emotiollS. So, if you find yourself in the doldrums or
III
a stuck
state, know that you can change within thirty seconds. Assume thc physiolof,'Y of excellence. Simply standing up and breathing diffcrently will make an instant difference in your mental attitude. Accessing a powerful physiology and positive mental image will make you resourceful. A"dror " It RtlaxaliOIl RUl'ollU
Each and (."Vcry time you experience a state of true release, anchor It. Anchormg is the process of asslgmng a stimulus to a response. The concept of CondItioned Jl.tsponse trauung \\';is first introduced by the
Part 2: Gain
44
'hI!
Skilll of Natural Brillial1u
Russian psychologist, Pavlov, III Ius famous experiments with dogs. any The anchor you set can be physica l. auditory visual, or ,
combination. For example, a physical anchor could be squeezing your right hand into a fur and releaslIlg It. If you link this squeeze and release
Reil'oJll'
45
that those muscles are becoming loose and limply relaxed. Oy the time you have gone from head to toe or toe to head, you will be profoundly relaxed. Expenment with IIllS.
to a relaxing experien ce, then sq ue ez ing and releasing of your fist anytime in the future will spontaneously trigger a similar state
avare of it. Good. Become aware of the heel of your left foot.
it becoIllL"S.
become aware of your left elbow? Now, di rect your attention to
of relaxation. The more often you repeat the anchor, the more powerful
An auditory anchor could be internally stating a word or phrase, such as "exctllerar" or u{alm alld poised," A visual anchor could be seeing an l ious symbol or picruring yourself succeeding. internal image of a reig Anchoring is an effective and simple technique. Use it
as
you play
with tbe following exercises.
Rl'fax ill Nitlety-Suotldl
Direct your attenOOIl to the big toe ofyour right fOOL Become Now become aware of your right knee-cap. Good. Can you your nostrils. Become aware of the £low of your breath coming
IIUO your nostrils as you inhale and flowlllg out of your nostrils as you exhale. You directed your attention from place to place on your body. By doing so, you shut out any irrelevant stimuli
that might have caused your
body and mind to be involved and tellse. Sneaky, eh)
? Remember the story 1 told earlier of my presentation to ltot.1riam or yourself by it try can You goes. Well, here is how the demonstration
follow. Feel free to record it on a cassette tape for yourself. Or, have
with a friend.
someone read it to you. You may also choose to isten l to a professionally
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands separated, resting palms up down and open on your thigh s. Take a deep breath, and, as you exhale. dose your eyes and think of the
Now that you have the idea. let me give you a detailed script to
produced relaxation t.1pe, such
as
my
Deep RelaxaliOlJ
Paraliminal tape.
The following process ofrelaxation takts ten to fifteen nUIlUtcs. Ifyou glance over the text now, when )'ou have time to piay with the process,
word Rl'lax repeating in a space behind your eyts. Think only of the word RefllX. Within ninety seconds, you will be very relaxed.
you lIlay choose to go through it tho roughly. It is the process of
An additional step is to imabr:tne that your dOT1l1nant ann and hand are as loose and as limply relaxed as a silk doth. Then reach over
Statts of learning with one deep breath. Over the course
with your non-dominant hand and pick up the wrist ofyouT dominant arm about six inchL'S and let it plop down on your thigh. [T'his is a bit easier to do for someone else. but it does work when
you do it on yourself.) as long as you like, bring your awareness once mentally counting forward from 1 to 5, then by again ourward opening your eyes. taking a deep b reath, and stretching your arms.
After rcb.xingjust
It really is as simple as that. Try it!
Relax Deeper
i called "prol;TCssive The main technique to achie� deep relaxation s relaxation," which involves moving your awareness from muscle group to muscle group.
As you focus your attention on any one p.ut of your body. imagille
rela:'l:ation we teach PhomR.eading students to develop deeply ammed oftroining.
the
partIcipants learn the pattern for releasing, which they can use any time
Paraliminal tapes use a unique blend of neuro·Hnguistic programming, accelerative karning, and preconscious processing to teacl! your inMr mind to I?spondin ways: that support yourgoal. They contain no subliminal messages.
they wallt to relax. Take a deep brcath ... hold it for a moment...as you slowly exhale, close your eyes. Think of the number 3. and mentally repeat the word Relax. imagme a wave of relaxation flowing downward throughout your entire body. from the top of your head down to the sales of your feet. A
\v:I,VC
of relaxation can begin at the top of your head and begin
to £.low slowly. downward, across the muscles of your scalp, flowing down through the forehead. relaxing all the muscles around the eyes, nostrils. cheeks ... Oowmg across the muscles of your mouth, chin, andjaw. Relaxing down through the muscles of your face, tllis wave can flow down through your throat and neck and out across your shoulders. Imagine this wave of relaxation flowing over the tops ofyour shoulders, the front and back ofyour
Call my office at Learn;ng Strategies Corporation for mort' information.
Parr 1: Gtl;" tilt Skills of Nafllral Brilli,,"u
46
shoulders, and down your sides. TillS wave can flow down your arms relaxing your upper arms, lower arms, hands, fingers, and fingertips. Imabrine this wave of rela.xation flowing right out your fingertips, carrying any tight, tense feellllg5 out and away. You lIIay even notice a pleasant tingling or vibrating sensation on the tips of)Ullr fingers, as all the Illuscks rela.x deeper. Tltis pleasant wave of rela.xation flow� &om your shoulders dmvn through the muscles of your chest and upper back. Imagine this wave spreading gently and evenly throughom the muscles of your chest and back, relaxing your breathing and all :around your heart. NQ[ice the even rhythm and beating of your hean as you relax around your hearL If your mind wanders, you can ge:ltly. ever so gently, bring it back to what you are domg here. There is plenty of time larer for other thoughts. R..ight now YOli arc deeply relaxing. Relaxing thc heart, the muscles of the chest, imagine this wave flowing down through your abdomen and throughout all the organs ofyour body. Imagine the W:lVC flowing down your back, down through the middle and lower back. Imagine this wave flowing slowly dowmvard into your pelvis and hips. Il.elax down through the muscles of your ieg5, allowing this wave to flow throughout your thighs. calves, all the way down through your \cb 'S, right down to your ankJes and feet. Relax your heels and toes. the tops and bottoms of your feet. Imagine this wave of relaxation flowing right out the bottoms ofyour feet, carrying any tensions out, flowing away, meltlllg away. You may notice the curious sensation on the bottoms of your fect, as waves of relaxation carry your body IIUO the level of comfon that is right for you. You are in charge. Anytime you desire to relax as deep or deepcr than you are now. you may do so by thinking of your phySIcal relaxation signal. the number 3 and the word Relax. You are in charge. {Pause} Take another deep breath.. . hold it a rnoment ...slowly exhale. think ofthe Ilumber 2 and mentally repeat the word Rdax. Let go of thoughts about the past or future, focus your awareness on this present moment III IJ.me. right here, right now. with each exhale that you arc kmng go of any fears, worries, problems of any kind. Exhale and let them go. Imagme
Rdttut
47
{Pause for a breath } With each inhale. imagllle inhaling relaxation, tranquillity, and comfort UHO every part of you. tPJ.use for a breath} So that w1th each b�ath you breathe, you let go more and relax even deeper. Imagme your COllsC\ousne�s expanding into this present moment. Whenever you deSire to �lax as deep or deeper than you are now, you may do so by thlllklllg of the number 2 and mentally repeating the word Relax. Outside sounds that are unimponant to you ... can belp you to relax evcn deeper. { Pause} Take another deep breath in . . . hold it for a moment. .. slowly exhale, mentally hear the soulld of the Ilumber 1 and imagine looklllg at a beautiful plant or flower. { Pause} This is a signal llldicatlllg that you have focused your awarem.'SS wi thm to this accelerated learning state. Here you have access to e},:panded CreatiVity and perceptual ability. You are in contact with the abund.11lt resources ofyour I11ner mind. ,
If you'd like, imabo1ne ),ourselfrelaxmg m a beautiful qUiet scene, sitting or lying back 111 a peacen,l scene, relaxing and enjoying tillS time ofcomfort. { Pause } Thl� is the ideal tillle to give yourself the positive affirmations that help you achwve the learning you desire. Right now, as you enjoy this relaxed internal state. give yourself positive and constructive affirmativc statements that help you develop the Natural Brilliance step of Release. For example, say to yourself, " I can achieve what I sincerely set my mllld 011. I elie\'c III myself and willingly accept my filII pmenrial , as a learner.
�
At your own rate. Imagine givmg yourself pralses----some positive phrases to help you achie...-e what you desire. Hear them in your own lIulld as If you were saymg them to yourself in your own
Part 2: Gail! tilt Skills oj Na/urlll HrillillllU
48
IIlIICT
voICe.
When you
RtltaJt
o Ninety-St.·cond Relaxation: Sit comfortably, release a deep breath, 3TC
ready, begin to brmg yourself out to an outer.
Using a standard procedure,
you
will be bringing yourself to the
outer conscious level of ;l\varcncss by the counting forward from 1 to 5.
o Deep Relaxation: Follow the script for progressive relaxation from head [Q toe, Refer to [he Al1pet1dix for additional tipS,
With each number, imagine yourselfrerurning to outer awareness, carrying with you the b'OOd fechngs ofrela.xarion and alcrtnt.-ss that you have developed. And at the last number, you open your t.j'CS fecling refreshed, relaxed and alen-feeling good.
Now. at a rate that is comfortable for you, bring yourself out by the standard procedure of counting forward fmm 1 to 5. Take all the time you des.ire to return now.
Summary You probably realize that rdcasmg is as easy [Q do as exhaling deeply. When you 6'llide your body and l111nd properly, every part of you is capable of relaxing. Over the next few days take opp0rtullities to pace your busy life with a few moments of relaxation. You will quickly train yourself [0 release spontaneously
III
any situation,
because you
know you can. When you face
and focus your mind on the word Rl'la.x repeating belund your eyes, Feel your arm relaxed like a Silk cloth,
consciously aware state of mind.
stress-producing situJtions, the knowledge
and sktlls
you develop with Step I , Release, will benefit you immedlJtely. In addition. when dealIng with thll1gely because thL')' do not hear it. In Mandarin Chillese thcre
and in
his other books about his Southwest Inchan warrlorlteacher Don Juan. Those of us who live in a typical modern lifestyle can practice opening our visual senses
III
ollr everyd,1Y situations. YOli can ul$tantly
begin to notice usenll information all around you. I lere's how: When you are driving in a car, ann lugh. Move your gaze tovr.ud a point on the horizon. Simultaneously notice IIlfOnnatioll coming from your rearview mirror and from your sideview Imrrors. Through your penpheru vision, also notice mfonnation from the sides of the road. When walking. practice the same gaze. Imagme an arc stretched from
you stop looking at the ground the far horizon.
and respond to.
oj Donju,m: A Yaqui It'tly oj Knol11edgt
the expanded horizon before us. You get a strong future yision when
path. The same concept IS used when Photolleading a newspaper or
Similar to noticing useful information visually, you also can impro"e the quality ofyour auditory sense. In rruth. we are all hearing only a pan of the tot:tl auditory spectntm.
ag;lIIlS[ ten attackers approaching simultaneollsly has developed
future has eY1!rything to do with how well we can look up and see
magazine. Rather than focusmg all ITldlvidual aniclt"S, pass through such
out, but, when he reached overhead, he realized his inner mind had i a useful tool in developing Step 2 of Natural Unlliancc. Second sight s
other words, the way we see the
when you walk and start looking at
EllluwCl'YOllrA.,ditoJ')' St'rUi'
VieWing the world with soft eyes is a common trallung technique in the
Soft focus is an impottant skill that can affect us metaphorically. In
than look mg directly at pcople, go into soft focus [0 determine your
the trail. One man ducked for no reason that he could consciously figure warned him of a low branch projecting from a [fCe at forehead level.
57
are four mtonations used in pronoullcing words. Oepend ing 011 the 'vay it is said, the sound AlA has four completely different meanin g:;.
Learning another language otTers a perfect opportunity to broaden your audiogram. My colleague Petcr Kline used a great technique to
help a woman from the South 5.'y the word oil. The only way she could Earl. Here is what ht: did.
pronOllTlCe it was
Peter playcd a recorded selection of cbssicaJ music, which offers the br.un a wide audio spectrum, and turned on a tape recorder. Then he told Susan to repeal after 111m:
Jl..", 2: Gain t"� Skills oj NatlmJi B,ilfilmu
58
NOfiu
59
"I don't," replied Tom, perplexed at the man's statement. "Come on, you're joking. You JUSt ordered your meal In flawless
Peter: Oil
Swedishr'
Susan: Earl
" No," Tom shook his head. "But you did," rhe man laughed. To prove it, he called rhe \vaitress
Peter: Oil
back to the table. "Did Illy friend just order his meal in S\\'edish?" he
Susan: Earl
asked the \\laltress. "Yes." she replied. "Beautiful Swedish:' she added.
Susan: ETil
Tom's stullned response was. "What did I order?"
1''S have Llllportant connections to COnsCIOUS and thought of as nonconscious sensory perceptions. Intuition i� commonly knowledge without prior sensory perception. My redefinition of II1nutioll is knowledge without prior conscious scnsory perception. We can rely on our other-than-conscious processes to deliver us the eqUivalcm of"psychically inmitive" abilitlL'"5. And, we can han' it juSt for the .askmg. DUTIng a recent PhotoReading class III Mexico, an engineer asked me how he could develop his IIltuition. Guilliermo feared that, as an analytical tlunker, he was without intuition ofally kind. I told him, "We can play a little game. I Will say the name John three times, each tlille thmktng of a different person. I will mix the order, but I Will tell you now that one will be my son, one a friend, and one my father-Ill-law." GULlhermo was correct in every guess. He said he could sense my father-in-law in a different way, so I asked him to describl' John Blackford to me. He described my father-in-law wnh uncanny accur.lCY. He Intuited that John had been in the Navy and the Illlllistry. He concluded With the fact that John's hair was black, although mostly boone on tOp. All mle. "I had no idea I could do this." he �id with a nuxture ofastonishment and glee.
Natier
If you never eXperllllent, how can you discovt"T your abilities? Everyone has a capacity of genius; It is up to , we often discover we have chosen to Imry part of witness Ollr choicl our ahvent."SS, our Creativity, our eagerness to explore life to the fullest. Robert Uly, poet-laureate of the men's movement IJ1 Amenca, \VIOte in hiS A Utt/r Hook all lire Hrmlllll SllIldow that we all drag a long bag behrnd us, Sniffed full ofthe rt""pressed parts ofour pefWnality. Often. the bag holds sOllle of our most creatIve resources, lost to
tIS
because ofsome
embarra'iSing ridicule that hurt enough elliotionally. "The nice side of i our idealistic culnlre, mcer and nicer," \Wltes the personahty becomes, n Illy. " But the substance In the bag takes on a [regressed] persollabty of Its own . . Every part of our personality that we do not love will become .
hostile to us." These repressed pam are called our shadow. By witnessmg your chain of responses to fear, you can create a new path out ofthe shadows. Perhaps we need nothing more than a dollop of SCOtt's marshmallows, hot fudge sauce, and ralllbow spflnkles. The
Manifest Your Highest Good The exciting opportu nity that Witness provides goes beyond accomplishing successful results. The Bibll! refers to the power of IIHl'gratll1g the beneficial and detnmental results of our act ions. The
phrase 111 J John 4 : ! 8 Perfect love casteth out all fear" captures it. William A. Miller. in Ius book, Yo,., Goldl'n Shadow, describ es the "
wealth--gold-to be enJO)'ed when we redaull shadow energy.
We can find a way to bring that negative potentia l into
contact wuh ItS counter part
III the persona and effect a unification ofthesc opposites. Thus we find a way to use creatively and constructively what we loathed before or even
\V3nted to deny the eXistence of within ourselves.
Furthermore, we discover the unconscious positive elements that are the counterparts of the nastiness III our conscious persona and work to bring about a ulllficatloll of these OppOSItes. Beyond this lies the real gold of all the positIve potential
Part 2: Gaill till' SkUb oj Nalural Drilliallct
86
lVitntu
wuhin us that never has had the opportumty to see the light of
my l i fe?" Resolve to implcmcnr your intention when you
what you already have is what I
day. What treasures lie Illdden In onc's unconscious can be
awaken tomorrow.
call it digging for gold and mining
discovered only by the one who will seek them OUI.
Shifting your anention to focus on
for diamonds. searching for your inner treasures. When you focus
o Moment of Truth: ] )etermine to face lip to a moment of truth
otice to 11.L:spond
when It arm'es today. Confront your self-defeating behavior with
have the opportumty to lntt'grate
the question. " What do I want to create for myself right now?"
by
\Vhen you can anS\\er the qlK""Srion, thank yourselfand lIumedi.ately
In the Naruml Brilliance model we progress from
on those treasures a magical thing
to Witness. In [he Witness phase
happens, you discover other hidden
everytlung we learned and prepare for thc next step III our evolution
treasures that were a part of you
rdeasUlg once again. That's right. We cycle back to release and extend
all along. So learn to appredate and learn to celebrate. Your life will change. Rex Steven Sikes Founder of IDEA Seminars
we
our genius even further toward our goals.
take the first step to mal11fcsting your highest good. o Peek Into the Shadows: Explore the beliefS you hold that you do
life
not want to adnl1t to yourself. Ex:nnine your reactions, whether
long learner. In the cycle of the Natural Dnlhance model, the fin: in our
they be cunous attraction or repuis.ioll, to traits in others. Exam.ine
passion for life is fu eled with t:ach step of learning we take. We
your behaviors, looks, clirry jokes you retell, and movies you watch.
experience enthusiasm for life and learning simultaneously. Enthusiasm,
What taboo� do you tend to break or wish you could? What do you
frolll the Latin root word emlleos, meaning " God within." is an ever
do that you consider socially nasty?
In this continuous cycling we find the pattern of the successful
Oowing fountain of hope. The brilliant future we desire to create in our lives manifests each d,y, with each step of Natural Brilliance WI:! take.
o Shadow Dancing: Find ways to creatively and constructively use your nastiness. One warning; Acknowledge your shadow, but be careful not to indulge ir. Set boundaries around exploring your
Summary Consider using one or more of the suggestions from the chapter each day until you have c}':perienced all ofthem. Put a check mark il1 the box to indicate your progress. Acrio,. ClucklistJar Willltss
o Fall Backwards: With a partner, do the falling backwards test. Discover what it has to offer YOli about knowmg it IS okay to proceed.
o Consultant's Perspective: Pretend to sit across from yourself and take on the perspec{1ve of a wise and trusted counselor. Have a conversation with the m i aginary part of YOll aboUt a problem you walH to resolve. Hold no IIwesnnent or judgment about the outcome; sllnply learn from the conversation.
o Perceptual Position: Remember a difficult situation involving you and another persoll. Think through what happened from each of the three perceptual positions; first (yours), second (the other person's), third (a disassociated VIc\V of the whole context). Finally, witness what you learned by examining all three.
o Oasis Experience: At mght before going to sleep, review your day without judgment or cntlClsm. Offer yourself blessing and celebntion for domg your best. Ask yourscJf"What do I want for
shadow to emure what you do serv(""S your best interest.
87
Put Natural Brilli a nce to Work for You A businessman came to sec IllC for individual consultations. H e employed thousands o f people and made multimillion-dollar decisions every day. When it came to his personal life. however, he managed \'Cry poorly. His marriage had ended in a tUlllultuous divorce. His dales usually disllltcgratcd into social disasters. He couldn't even choose a restaurant for dmner. Because he could IlOt decide what decor he hked, he had seuled for furnishing the living room of his high-priced CQndOIlUllIum with aluminum lawn chairs. \Vorklllg with this man taught me an important lesson. Success strategies do not necessarily transfer from one area of a person's life to another. The skill sets used to accomplish bU5iness and financial success are completely different from those used to manage personal and close I11terpersonal lssues. For many reasons in i1js personal history. this man had realized his gelllUS III business. yet he was Snick
III
his personal life. In my experience
most people seem to enjoy great success III some areas of their lives, while rhey struggle 1Il other areas. Think of your successes. In these areas, you have learned and developed the essential skills to produce eifectlve results. In domg so, you have cycled through the four steps of Natural BriJliance many tltnes. Through a life-long process of cominuous learning and improvement, you can expect to attain exponemjal fulfillment and accomplishments.
E\'�11 when
It feels as ifyou are taking nvo steps forward, one step b;l.me now, I would assure you
Do It!
The n...·o giant steps
In the next chapter 1 present how to use Photoll.cading and DIrect
I
refer to are the two learning processes I have
developed: PhotoReading, to input information faster than a page a
Learmng to acquire the knowledge and skills you need for powemli lift'
second; and Direct Learning, to transmute intrinsic learning imo new
change. Plan to do the teChlllques
outlined, because, most likely, your
behaviors and improved skills aligncd with your life purpose. The leap I
own results will be yom greatest convincers. Do it and witness the resultS
refer to is the quantum leap toward your goals you can enjoy right away.
you produce.
as
. . :....� .':..::.. ~ ..
Yes, you may!"
"
.
..
�
,
'0 Qii;
Direct Learning involves PhotoReading several books on a single topic and having the benefits of the information translate directly into new behaviors and improved skills. Direct Learning bypasses the need for consciously actlvallng the knowledge from the texts through cognitive channels. I shall take you through the five steps of the PhotoRcading whole mind system as a prerequisite ofDirect Learning. If you are not currently a PhotoReader, read the next section of this chapter to understand how it works. Then, at least spend an evening with my book, TIll! PI,% Readillg W1'01l' Milld System, to develop your skills as a PhotoReader.
YOti can learn the entire PhotoReading whole mind system in more detail in public seminars
Learn How to PhotoRead
offered worldwide from
PhotoReading is a breakthrough technology for processlIlg written IIlformation. People around the world are using it to access their
atural
Brilliance. With the PhotoRcading whole mind system, you can learn
instructors certified by Learning Strategies Corporation. The PhotoRHding Personal Learning COtIm>, a seff-study version of the
what you need from any written materials in a fraction of the time it
course, teaches the entire syttem,
would normally take you.
step-by-step with the convenience
YOll can transform your reading from procedures into creative new options. Release your geulUs in five easy steps: Prepare, Preview,
ofaudio cassette learning.
Part J:Apply Nafural B,illiaN(t
118
Follow d,e PI,otoRtadirlg Proud,m
Here are the six components of PhotoRcadillg, the third step of the PhotoReading whole mind system. Follow this procedure, and you will mentally photogrnph written pages at rates exceeding a page a second. Prtpan
Before bcgmnlllg to PhotoRead (or rebruiar read), always state your purpose. Clearly state to yourself what you expect to get from the materials.
E,,(tr Accelerati,lt utmling Stall' ,
By the procedure of [tuee to one, enter the resource level: a relaxed state of alertness for learning. Affirm CotICePltratiotl, Impact, and Outcome
Give yourself a series of positive affirmations that will direct the material you PhotoRead to your mner mind and ensure it has the impact you desire. For example: "As I PhotoRead, my concentration is absolute."
"All that I PhmoR.ead makes a lasting impression on my inner
mind and is avaibble to me." "I de-sire the infornmion in this book. (st3te the title ofthe book to yourself) to accomplish my goal of (state your purpose for readmg this book). EstOJblisl1 PllotoFocus Swu
Bring your point of awareness to a pbce a few inches above and behind your head. To accomplish this, imagine the feeling of a tangerine resting on the hack ofyour head. As you open your eyes, relax your visioll and look right through the center of the book. Nmice the four corners of the book as well as the space between the paragraphs. Comfortably focus your eyes beyond the book until you see the "blip" page or "cocktail weenic" page. Mai"wi" OJ Suady l"tt'rnai StOJtt'
Turn your attention to your deep, even breathing. Turn the pages of the book before your eyes in a steady rhythm. Chant to the rhythm ofyour page-turning by mentally repeating: ·'Re-lax... Re-lax. Four-Three-Two-One. Re-lax... Re-lax. Keep the state... See the pab>t·"
rjo,rnunu Barritrs u-itll uap 01'''' p..
Diua uarn;nl
119
Clou
Affirm your mastery of the matenal you have just PhotoRead: "I acknowledge all feelings evoked by this experience and allow my inner mind and body to process them. I'm curious about how many ways I'll nouce this information supports me." Invite the conscious mind to let go while your inner mind processes all that you have PhowR.ead. There you have it. To PhotoRcad: prepare, enter, affirm. Photo Focus, maintain state, and close. The parts that are probably missing for you are the components of "enter" and ·'PhotoFocus." Both of these concepts were partially explained earher III this book. Entering the resource level is the state of relaxed alertness described in Chapter 4: Release (Sec section subtitled "Deep Relaxation"). I emphasize giving yourself the three-two-one signal to faci l itate entry into tillS state in {he fUNre. The PhotoFocus SLlte \� described as "second sight" in Chapter 5: Notice (Set" section subtitled "Enhancing the Visual Sense").
[ invite YOLI to PhotoR.ead this book now ifyou have not already done so. PhotoReading offers many benefits. It will make the book easy to read and comprehend, and most importantly, suPPOrt your activation of all the skills you desire to gain. l\1akt' II Nolt' About Actillfltiotl atld Rapid RtOJdirtg
The next step of the PhotoR.eading whole mind system s i Activation. Activation purposefully and actively connects the conscious mind to me vast database you have created at an inner [evel by PhotoReading. Doing so gives you the comprehension you need in the time you have available, effectlvdy fulfilling your purpose for reading. The major techniques of
I love owning books, because sometimes in the middle of the night I'll wake up interested in a subject. Then I'll rush down to my basement, pull out the twenty or so books I've collected on that subject, PhotoRead all of them, and read
Actlvariou include Mind Probing, Super R.eadmg, Dipping. and Mind
some parts of some of them very
Mapping. All im'ol"e conscIOusly imer.icting \vith the physical text you
carefully. from then on I'll feel a
have ['hotoRead.
powerful ownership of that subject.
The last step, Rapid Reading, involves startlllg at the first page and
OVer the years of PhotoBook
moving at whatever speed bL'St fits your needs at the time. It represents
Collecting. I'Vi! discovered that all
the highest level of effective reading because the mOSt skilled reader
subjects except unethical ones
vaTles the speed nexibly over a broad range, depending on the complexity ofthe inform.ation and the purpose. Direct Learnmg does not rely on COnsCIOUS Activation or Rapid Reading; Direct Learning represents a unique new form of Activation. [n the sections that follow you \viU learn how to usc it for your personal benefir. You call achIeve rt.'Sults from Direct Learning even if you are a
interest me. rm amazed at how many highly tKhnkal sOOject:s I undemand the essence of in this Wil'f. Peter Kline, Chairman of the Board Integra learning Systems
JJarr J:Ap/Jly Nnumd Brillillffu
120
beginlllng Photo Reader. You do need to develop the easy �kill of relaxing your vision as you flip pages before your eyes and to llluster a bit of truSt thal your other-thall-conscious mind is pcrfornllllg even when yOll arc conscIOusly unaware of its activity. You may not know that you are PhotoR.eadmg correctly at thl� pomt. I recommend that you "Just do It." Trust your UHler nlllld to do the work for you, whether or not your conscious mUld knows how the learnin� occurs. There arc ways of knowing that YOll are PhotoRcadlllg correctly. Reading my book, 711t'
PllOtoReadj".,� Il/llOlr Mi"d 5ystelll, can
help you. Certainly the PIlofORe"dlflg Personal /..£IImiug COUrlt' can coach you to perform the steps effectively. Ideally, take the PhoroReading course from all mstructor certified by Learmng Srr.ttehries Corpof3tion. Nothing beats an experienced gUIde. At this point, 1 will assume you are set to proceed with Direct Learning activatioll. Ready for a miracle?
It was immediately dear to me tkat PhotoReading is notjust a way to read more, faster--it is it way to live
Discover Direct learning Many I'hotoReading graduates report havlllg spolltallt"ollsly
your life with purpose and f(Kus.
improved their skill
using your whole mind to realize
management, publiC speaking. to name a few. I nvariably, they
your unlimit� potential. Using
demonstrate improvements after Syntopic Rcadlllg, a process III the
PhotoReading for Direct learning. I have experienced and sustained unimagined heights of personal satisfaction and fulfillment. Even more than a process, however,
III
tennis. golf, racquetball, piano playing. time
PhoroRcadmg course that tcacht'S how to Photol�ad and Activate three to five books dunng a single exercise.
To explore the benefits of Syntopic Reading and Acnvation, ChriS Sedcole, of New Zealand, created an exercise for a group of executi\"{!s.
Natural Brilliance is a
He directed thent to Photol�ad five books on an area of personal or
transformational attitude and
professional de\'elopment-thret! books dll'ectly related to the topIC, tWO
approach to lifl".
indirectly. For example, one parnclpam who wanted to unprove time
Deborah Fink. MLS
management skills selected three books 011 time management, one on
Metalearning Boulder, Colorado
improvlllg business communications, and one on delegation. In the final step oftlle technique, Chris led [he clients to imagine a tulle i n the future when they had already integrated their desired new behaviors. One month later in a follow-up session, Chris mquired if they had noticed anything in their behavior related to the exercise. Without exception, the clients reported they had experienced changes for the better. CUriously, they also Slid they had made no conscious attempl� to improve.
Ltap O,lt, Ptifo",wnu Barritn
urith
Dirta Lta,ning
Photol�ading reqUIres that you specify your purpos e. For D,rect Learning. select books that have ideas you have a strong persona l desire to learn. Each book represent� the author's reading of many books.
Thmk ofthe combinl-d years ofexperience you have access to when you PhotoRead 6...·e books on a smgle topic. If each book represen ts several yea� of the author's knowledge and skills and the essl'ntial ideas from twenty books. think what yOll are downl oadll1g IIltO your neural
Circuitry. Direct Learmng i� like spending decades consulti ng with masters who support you in achieving the results YOli desire. Unless you notice different choices available to you, you cannot
respond differently. The more beneficial choices you have to select from, the more accurate a response you can make. By PhotoRcading several books 011 a siugk subject . you can influence a change in the right
direction, because your other-than-conscious mind can perceive new paths that your conscious mind, with its filters ;and limit.1tio ns. cannot. When you mpllt esselltlal knowledge that distmgus i hes an expl'rt /Tom an bcgulTler, you open yourself to Acnvanng new patterns of success,
Activate Direct learning For Direct Learning to � most effective, you must know what new behaviors you desire. The more specific you can be. the better this process will work. Ollce you have chosen your goal. select several books that speak authoritatively about the subject. It is Important that these
books not be theoretical. Choose practical, how-to books that teach the new behaviors you ,vam.
I reconunend you select books that approach the skills you want from multiple angles. For example, Ifyou '\'allt to Improve your close personal relatIOnships, select three books that deal directly with inlimat e
relatlOnsllips or communications and twO or three that approach the issue metaphorically. A book on creativity with a problem -solvlllg approach might open you to communicating IIlsightfully. You might
select a book on hypnotism to gain insight UltO how your language is progralllllllllg the results yOll are getting from others, or a book on buildmg self-esteem to IInpl'O'I'(, your appreciation of yourself and mhers. You might choose a book on financial management. Why? Maybe
cOllullunicating effectively is like in\'Csring for the fumre. What should you know abollC making sound investment decisions that applies to your intimate relationsrups?
121
Part J:Appl). Natural U,iIIianct
122
After selecting your hooks, PhoroRead them. Remember [Q state your purpose clearly before each book and to say a solid closing affirmatIon after each one. It may be a good idea [Q take a briefstretch or drink some water between books. Allow yourself w remain antered and relaxed throughout the process. (fsomething happens [Q distract you between books, take a few moments to get back into statc. The next step s i the Dirt."C[ Learning Activation stage. The informa
!Lap 0,," PNjormanct Barrius with Dirul !LQrning With each breath you breathe, let go more and relax even deeper. Imagine your consciousness expanding IIltO this preselll moment. Whenever you dt'Sirc to relax as deep or deeper than now, you can do so by thinking of the number 2 and mentally repeating the
\..-om RPlax. { Pause}
tion will be activated spontaneously in the appropriate contexts only
T:lke another deep breath . . . . Hold it for a moment . . . . Slowly
after you direct your inner mind to generate the behaviors. Remember
exhale, mentally hear [he sound of the number 1, and imagine a
how you imagined doing things as a child? You called it "Playillg
beautinll plant or flower.
Prrrlmd," Gestalt therapists caU it "Playillg As Jf" See a mental simuiatJon
{ Pause}
of thc future. which encodes the brain with the necessary informanon to give rise to the behaviors according to your needs. FoUow the simple procedure outlined below to put in place thc new behaviors you desire. If you like, record the component steps on to an audio tape so you can perform rhem with your eyes closed. Sit back in a comfortable posicion with your feet resting on the floor and your hands resting gently on your lap without your thumbs touching each other. Become aware of your deep even breathing, and set aside this
time
as your time for integrating the
TillS is a signal indicating that you have focused your awareness within, to this accelerated learning stale. Here you have access to an expanded level of creativity and perceptual ability. You are in contact \vith the abundalll resources of your inner mind. Imagme yourself relaxing in a beautiful qUiet scene, as if you were slttmg or lying back in a peaceful place, relaxing, and enjoying this tune of comfon.
{ Pause}
beneficial new behaviors and choices you desire, to achieve lhe
Imagine that you can perceive yourself on your life's timeiinc.
results thaI are important to you.
Your past extends in one direction, perhaps to the left or behind
Using the following procedure, enter the resource level of mind.
you. And i n another direction your future extends before you, perhaps to your right. Howe .. -er you perceive your timeline is fine
Take a deep breath . . . . Hold it for a moment . . . . As you slowly
for you. Simply lI11agllle the present moment. Where you are
exhale, close your eyes. Think of the number J, and lllcnlaUy
right now is the present. And you can comfonably glance into the
repeat the word Relax. Imagine a wave of relaxation flowmg
past and or ill(o the future from where you are now.
downward throughout your entire body, fTom the top pan ofyour head down to the soles ofyour feet. You can let this wave flow downward several times if need be, You are in charge. Any time you desire to relax as deep or deeper than now, you can do so by thinking of your physical relaxation signal. the number
3
and the word Relax. You are in charge of your
physical relax:uiOll. {P,,,,,, } Take another deep brtath ... .1-lold it a moment.... Slowly exhale, think oflhe number 2, and mentally repeat the word Rela..'I:. Let go of thoughts about the past or fumre, focus your awareness on the present moment III tIIne, right here, right now. 11 ) ... ...... \
Continue to use your creauve imagination now as you float gently up over your tlmelme, way up over it to gain new perspec tive. Imagine you can see your life's path far below. Back there ill your paSt you can lmagme the events leading up to the present situation ofyour life. And extending another way is your filturC, bright and
fi,ll ofpossibilities.
Imagine floating Out mto the future. over the furure part of your tillleline. Go all the way out over the time when you are successfully achlevmg the results yOli had specified. Uelow you there in your hfe, YOll are enjoying the success YOli desire and can use all the new behaviors you need to accomplish the results you have chosen.
J23
Part J: Apply Nllfutill BrillitHlU
124
LbJp Ol'l'r l'trjo,manu BarritrJ Ijrilh Dirut uD".ing You can use this process after PhotoReading and after activating books
g gently At a rate that is comfortable for you, imagine driftin body, downward onto your timd\1lc and into your own
consciously as well. We choose not to activate books consciously in the
{Pause}
which means "You must work hard to achieve rewards." In athletics we
experiencing the new behaviors that help you.
Direct Learning technique buause the conscious mind imerferes. Most people in our culture ha"t: been raised by the "Puritan Work Ethic,"
of your Feci how good it reds to enjoy the succes s you had success accomphshments. Sec through your mVll eyes the do you say desired 1I0W as a reah[)' In your life. What good thmgs
do you walk, to yourself with your own inner dialogue? How and body as rs, shoulde head, wh:l.t docs success feel 1ikc in your yOll enjoy your success? this poim of You can look back to the path that brought you to or three of twO agmc m I success and accolllpli�hll1ent in your hfe. If you ment. the significant events that have kd to your achIeve better like, Ooat gendy up over your timl'iine to get an even b>oais. your hshlllg accomp to selected PCrsPl'CtlVC on the path you the and es, respons ful otice the significam e\'t�nts, your success rc5ults the d power and motivation you displayed to have adue\'e you had desired.
say "No pain. 110 gain." Direct Learning challenges traditional assump
tions by demonstrating the inner mind can provide a "path of
least resistance" to our success. As living life effortlessly is a real human option for the first time in history, why not do it?
Keep It Simple
Frustrated at my tack of success at
Il..ealizing how easy Direct Learning is and how much benefit it brinf,'S, you may \...·onder why most people never do it. Unfortunately, it
encouraged my students to use it;
PholOReadll1g s;raduates did I purposefully choose this powerful
technique for my own benefit.
and solidIfy Take your time to make all the reahzarions you need
are already weU on your way to accomplishing your desire. The next step
back to the When you feel complete With your imaginin� float Take a present moment 111 rune and back illto your qUIet place. Ideas from few moments to enJOY all the positive and comtructlve .
you have your own imag m at l on and from rhe books that and atically Photo Read. becon ung fully integra ted. autom
settings, spontaneously available (0 you In all the appropnate whenever you want or need them. few moments, as all the Ideas and new e fully behaviors of your c hoosing integrate so that they becom be. to them available, just as you need a
.
but I had never used it. I went to a library, spotted 30 books related to success, and PhotoRead all of them. My purpose was to become successful teaching PhotoReading. After two wei!ks I noticed changes.
IS to PhotoRead a stack of books that encourage the use of the skills you
I was much more positive about
need. Finally, automarically generate the new behaviors you need by
myself and my capabilities. In my
visualizing your future success. Imagine yourself now in the future, in
course that month I had twenty
the moment of enjoying me accomplishmellt of your goal.
enrollments with more enrolled for
Throughout the Direct Learning process, you can see the four steps of Natural Brilliance repeating. Each cycle brings you to greater release, greater choice, greater power to respond, and higher levels of witness. When you realize the II1ner mind IS your ally in personal and
the next month's course. In one wee!!: I received telephone calls from three people interested in sponsoring me in three different states. After two months all my
professiona1 development, you can �gin to ask. "\Vbat else is my mind
available dates were filled for the
capable of doing?"
second semester. Now I have a
Tht: inner mind is a pn.:verbal
mind. Like a genie, it
communicates through behaviors and imagery. If you ask it to help, it will demOll5trate what wonders it can do for you. When my first son Ben was ten months old, he could toddle, but he
{Pause}
couldn't talk yet. My \vife LIbby and I attended a support group for 6rst
quiet plac� to When you are ready, bring your attention from your ly countlng an outwardly directed state of awareness by mental eyes and forward from 1 to 5. At the Ia�t nu mber open your good. celmg f and ed, return. refreshed. revitaliz
tune parents, where we heard a story from another couple. They said
.
experiment with Direct learning. I
In fact, I had to be convinced myself. Only after the reports of
" [VIral do I u.tl,r/?" When you can answer that question with clarity, you
{ Pallse }
Brazil, I finally decided to had heard about the results; I even
To review the Dirter Learning process, think of rhe simple phrase,
all the learning that ensun'S your success.
getting PhotoReading started in
is so deceptively silllple that mOSt people never even consider trying it.
{Pause}
Feel yourself let go for
125
they had asked their baby daughter to follow a complex set of Instructions. to which she had responded perfectly. Tht: ne).""[ day, Libby said, "Ben, will you go over to those shoes and
clear picture of what I have to do to keep this process working for me successfully. Huaras Duarte, Brazil
P.w J: Apply Naflmd BrilliaPlu
126
bring Momma her slippers?" Bell stood lip and toddled over to the Other cnd of the bedroom. He picked out the dippers from a row of�i:.: p:lirs and happily carried them back to her. "Amazing!" Libby and 1 looked at each other in shock and said. "Hey! We had never thought to ask!" If our child were toO young to speak, we reasoned that he was tOO young to comp�hend complex Ideas or carry out complex cOlllmands. How wrong we were. The following day I started him emptying the garbage and mowing the lawn. Just kidding. The educator EricJcnsen wrotc in his book Sliper Tencllil% "Everyone has genll1s capacity. It IS the context that determines the evidence." That Slims it up. The inner mind needs dear requests and the Impetus to act. Given the proper context. it will prove that you have abIlities for gemus. Do not be fooled by appearances. You have a preverbal ally. waiting to help.
Find Evidence of Success You may ask, "How WIll i know I am domg thIS nght? How WIll
[
know it's working? Immediately after the techn.ique. I will feci good but has ;mything changed?" Paradoxically, if every day you ask youTSelf. " h it working yet?" you will never notice a shIft. If you pull up a sccdllllg every dJ.y to see If It IS growing, will it grow? The changes you make .wlth Direct Learning run deep. With DIrect Learning you influence the Ullconscious control processes which dIrect your habitual behavior. UeC:tU$e the changt.-s mtegrate at an othcr-than conscious levei, at first they may be so subtle that you may tlunk nothl11g has changed. One way to witneSS thf' effects of DIrect Lf'armng IS to live life normally and notice any mdlcators ofmovement 111 the direction ofyour goal. Enhance your witness perspective through feedback from others. Those who know you \vell wlil see changes in you before you notice them 111 yourself.
Trust Your Inner Mind Fear sets up the biggest stop SIgns of all. Some people are leery of letting go of their critical-judging mind. If they cannot make change
127 happen by conscious volition and willpower. they consider it too risky to entruSt to the inner mind. But. when you distrust your mind. you distrust yourself. Being afraid to use the full potenna1 ofyour bram stops you in your tracks. Early painful experiences IIlay have erected StOp sIgns III the first place, but you ha\'e chosen to keep thcm there. Fortunately. you have the power to choose how you w tIJ lIve today.
Freedom of chOIce means you can choos e fTcedom. You can choose to be (re e of the oscill ation s and Stop signs that have limit ed you. Experience the remarkable gifts your mner mind can offer. Through Direc t Lcarn lllg, discover your Natural Bnlh ancc and celebrate your genius.
HI Approach Paradoxical Problems with Creative Problenl-Solving Appropriate to a paradoxical situation, J begin this chapter with a riddle. I first ran into this in D.N. Perkins book,
TI,e l\-fil/d's &51 r�-/Jrk.
See ifyou
can figure it Out: i wearing a mask. There is a man There is a man at home. He s i happening in tim scene? coming home. What s
Please notice the internal representation you create from this riddle.
Wim did you imagine? Oid you imagine a burglary scene? If not, what happened inside YOlI when J suggested it? Did you imagine a costume party? How about trick-or-treat on Halloween? Each time [ offer another suggestion, notice what happens to your own internal representation. The mind instantly incorporates the redefined problem (what kind of mask is being worn?) to generate a different solution (scene of what is happening). But do you have the solution yet? Notice your feelings. When everything comes together, you will experience a "felt shift," a strong internal experience of everything "fitting" together into the correct solution. Now let's consider what obstacles arc standing in the way. We can think oftht'Sc as variables in rhe riddle that we need to change or to hold constant, So far we have changed the variable of "mask" and probably i other ways. For example, all also "man." We could manipulate mask n the masks we have suggested so far have been disguises. How about a welder's mask, or a surgeon's mask? Those are masks of protection. As you consider them, notice how your scene changes. What ifthe mask were abstract, as ill "the mask of personality?" How might that change your scene? One variable that we have not manipulated at all iS "home." In all our
Part J:Applr Natural B,illianu
130
scenes, the home is a house---:l dwdling place. What ifit \vcre abstract, such as "Home is where the heart is" ? That IlK't l phor \\Ultld change the scene. What other kinds of"homcs"' are there? How about home base? Or, home plate? There IS a Illall at home plate, wearing a mask (3 catcher's mask), there IS a man corning home... from third bast:. What is happening in this scene? It is a baseball game! Now check your fechngs. When the Internal rcprt.-sellution changed in a way that everything fit, did you feci the shift inside you? That "(elt shift" is key to knowing that you have dcfint.-d the correct problem. For many years of working with clients on personal development issues, I kept posing myself a riddle: Why do people set thcmSt"h'CS up for failure when they want to resolve a problem that affects them . personally. I came to realize people set themseh-es up for f1ilurc when they think they are applying a Ilew solmion but arc only doing morc of the same. They blindly step into a trap of their own deVising; self designed and �If-set. they spring it upon ourselves -a1J the while rrylllg
Approach Pilradoxiral ProbfmlS u,fth C"ativt l>robft'm-Sofvil1g
131
nanLre of her stuck state. About five }'ears earlier Claire's husband, whom she had since divorced, had insisted that she seek medical help to lose weight. The doctor put her 111 a hospital for one week of extensive metabolic and hormonal testing, feeding her only intravenously. She was furious but helpless to change her imprisonment. Once commined to the hospital,
all she could do was endure the tL"Sting. Even with all the tests. the doctor could find no medical reason for Claire's condition. What's 1lI0re, to the complete baffiement of tile doctor and her husband, she had �lJi/ied nine pounds during her stay. "Anyone else," the doctor told her, "would ha\'e lost at least ten to fifteen pounds." Think about it. What better way for Claire to get even with the doctor and her husband? Get even by baftling them. Unfortunately, five years later, her Str:1teb ')' was st.ilI working perfectly [Q keep her ovenveight and stuck.
to do the "right thing." Tht:y Ud.P themselves wnh their ullconscious problem-solving Strateb')'. which created the problem to begin with. The faulty strategy creates the paradoxical problem. Here are examples of twO clients who came to me trapped in classic paradoxical problems. The first chent. named Bob. called my office to explain his problem like tim: "Over the years I've spent thousands of dollars Oil self-improvement tapes. I don't think that any of them has ever done me the iC;(5t bit of good. In fact, I honestly believe that audio tapcs can't help me." Hc paused for a moment, perhaps underscoring a challenge to me. "Now I
have your brochure, and I was wondering: which of your Paralulllnal tapes I should use to get past this behel?" Do fOU recognize the dt!enuna Bob pmcmed? There was no \'>-ay I could fill his paradoxical requC'sl. As 110 self-improvcmem tape would work for him, auy self-improvement tape I suggested would al�o
1101
work. Bob had set himselfup to win by proving hilllself right but, once again,
elldeJ lip losillg by not bemg able to use the wisdom on a
upe to
achieve hIS desired result. The other diem was a woman named Claire. Many years ago she came to my office wanting to lose approximarcly seventy pounds. Although she ate good foods, kept her diet to a minlillulll number of calones, exercised regularly, she stayed heavy. In diSCUSSing her experiences battling weight, Claire shared a reveahng story about the
Run Hard to Stay in Place ParadOXical problems, sucb as Dab's and Claire's, elude the person who has them. A problem exists as an unintentional by-product of a
We are trying to dissolve rather
solution to a differem problem. Because the solution worked in one
than solve the problem of having
context, the body-mind offers the same behaviors to a different problem.
problems.
Naturally, when we learn something that succeeds, we prize it as an
Robert A. Minkoft ·Searching for
efficient, successful strategy. Our neurophysiology is designed to
the Healing Tale-
remember what \\fOrks. But what works to soh.-e one problem does nOt
Storytelling. published by the
necessarily solve the next. In Uob's and Claire's cases, the misapplied
National Storytelling Association
strategy creates a unique class of stuck statcs--Qne
\ve
have only alluded
to so far in this book. This OSCIllation is not the same as b'Cttlng stopped III learning, then fearing to go on. This is an unique type of problem where being right is wrong. Clinging to the last set of skills prevents a solution to the next problem. In a way. the oscillation inside paradoxical problems erects invisible Stop signs. No specific fear-physically, emotionally, or intellectually sends us back the way we came. We perceive, clearly enough, the detriments of our currell[ problem situation, but we do not perceive at all that our behaviors cause those detriments. Causation seems mysteriously beyond our control. Now, consider how perfeCtlOIllSIIl causes paradox:ical dilemmas.
JJim J: Apply
Natural Brillialu,
learning to Doing something well has its rewards. The br:ull, taklllg that will Yield its illogical extreme, assumes that doing something perfecfly
problems optimw/J rev>'a.rds. I f we generalize such a learning, as in the st insists ectioni described earlier. we succeed :u escalating error. The perf that only flawk'SS execution
IS
b'OOcl enough pcrfonmnce, an)'thlllg else
is failure. Either success or dismal failul"l.-"'""""--':I
Approacll Paradoxical Probl,,", u,ith Crrativc Problt,"-Soll'ing
Instantly, the
cow
133
mooed and leaped into the barn.
In this SlOry the problem was not solved the way the problem was originally defincd by the person in [he stuck state. In reality, the problem was re-sol\'cd, or resolved. by redcfinmg what the problem \vas-the paradOXIca.! behavior at the heart of the mauer--and changtng II.
tWO polin loop--mulullg
in OSCIllation.
a "da Such oscillations occur Illost frcquemly when people get into hard to ta-be" trap-trying to feci better about themsclvl'S by working
self-esteem perform perfectly. A chent of mine named Pat had tenuous achieved because he continually compared his efforts to others who had
tended to success. As he tried hard to feel good about himsdf, he shift car overcontrol his behavior, hke the kid learning to drive the stick
like in traffic on hills. What I discovered working with Pat and others way out of him \vas that the way out of paradoxical problems is also the perfectionism, "do-to-bc" traps. and barners to �df-estee1l1. fall lllto Now let's explore how to overcome the tendenc y to
and how to paradOXical problems, how to idemify thelll If we do. understand them we.ll enough to resoh-e them.
Solve Dilemmas and Resolve Paradoxical Problems A story is told of the late great psychiatrist Dr, Mtlton I I . Erickson As I when he was a yOllng boy all h1s father's d11ry f:1Tnl in Wiscons1l1. and worse the for rcmemb er the story, the weather was turning lng the temper:llures of minus nvemy degrees Fahrenheit were threatell barn the into COW5 the livestock. Muton's father had managed to get all d of the except one, Tins one obstreperous cow stopped at the threshol barn and \\'Ouldn't budge,
get that Poor farmer Erickson did everything he could think of to He failed. attempt every cow to go into the safe warm barn, but his
pushed, he pullcd. he whipped, he grabbed, and he kicked without became to success. The harder he trlcd, the funnier the whole scene
ill the young Mt.lton, to the point where Mt.ltoll was rolhng 111 hysterics n. snow, watching Ins father's IIIcreaslllg frmtr:1.t1o
It'S so Finally, Milton's father rurned and shouted, "Well, if you dunk barn!" darn fUllny, why don't yOll put the cow 111 the
With that, Milton leaped up and ran behll1d the cow. Then, grabblllg the barn. Its tail in both hands, he pulled as hard as possible a\vay from
Write a New Story If we go back to Claire's weight loss example, we find two issues. A self-esteem Issue for her. plus an issue about how to assert her authority over her own body 111 a marnage that
was
1I0t working for her.
In our session tOb'Cther, I helped her connect her experience in the hospital w1th her ll1tentlon to get even. When she realized her weight loss had tinle or nothlllg to do with diet, she quit chastising herself for f.1iling at weight loss. Instead. we focused on devdoping her sense of self as an independent, self-sufficiem person. enjoying her ideal weight. In the process she let go of the excess emotional baggage she had been dragglllg around regarding the doctor and her ex-husband. [n follow-up conversations I had with her 111 months and years to come, Claire did beautifully. She had dropped over ninety pounds and successfully kept It ofT by habitually eating in the same low-calorie f:1Shion she had become comfortably used to. Sob, the self-improvement (ape buyer, also made a siglllficalH breakthrough. When he asked me to suggest a tape, I told h1l11, "Uob, you need to understand that no audIO cassette is going to change you. You've been buyin!; tapes expecting them to get you to change things about yourself, but you're right. No C3S!>Ctte has changed you or ever will change you. The only dung (hat call change you s i you." Evidently, Bob e:\.-periellced a felt shift
\\ hen
he took in the truth of
that stltement, All along he had known he had to be in charge ofhis life, but he desperately Wished for the magic elixir promoted in some tape advertisements. "When yOll are ready to change yourself," I continued, "you will understand (hat the Paralinnnal tapes can facilitate your process. They create an ellv1ronl1lem-a time and plact� If l'Ou will-in wluch ,
you can identify resources aln.':I.dy III l'Ou. They do not pm anythmg 111[0 you that
IS
not already the�. They help you gam access to it."
In reconunellding three rnpes, I insisted that he lise them according to my IIlStructions or return them for a refulld, I would not allow hun to deceIVe himself IIHO thlllklg ll the tapt.'S were going to do any work for
We create our reality through the stories we tell ourselves and othe� 1\ is liberating to know that we are jll'St one thought away from re·storying our lives by simply letting go of the story that is maintaining the problem state. .k>rry J. Welik, Ed.O. Storyteller, instructor, certified reality therapist and Professor of Special Education at St. Cloud State University
Parr J: Apply
Years ago I lived for a short while with a verbal abuser. One morning after the man had gone to work, I was sitting at the kitchen table trying to figure OYt how to leave, when I heard a pecking noise on the back patio. When I went outside I saw that a little bird was trapped inside a bird feeder. The feeder was completely enclosed ell.cept for the small opening at the
Nafllrai Brilliatlct
him that he was unable or unwilling to do for himself. Bob gratefully purchased the tapes and later reported he was accomplishing goals that had eluded him for �m. Both Claire and Bob like authoring their own lLves. Only they have the authority co change their life Storu�s. 13m unol they recognized they were in charge, they were powerless. Old I gitlf! them anything? Did they do anything differently from what they had already been doing? Ironically, no. Yet thl.-j' caused their problems, very troubling problems, to disappear quickly.
bottom. The little bird pecked frantically on all the sides trying to free itself. I wiggled the feeder
Restoring ourselves to natural brilliance simply means following
explore, discover.
the only true light. We most
The challenge is not releasing, noticing, responding, or witllessing. 13y now, those steps should be clear and fairly easy to perform. The big challenge remains�to define the real problem. Defining the real problem can be tricky because, if the problem you think s i the problem s i not the problem, then what is the real problem that you wam to solve? When you are willing to assume that the first problem definition you come up with is wrong. you are ".'ell on your \vay to success. Only then
to the opening, thinking that the little bird would simply walk to the opening and get out. But not so. It kept pecking away becoming even more frightened. Then an inner voice, itS loud as thunder but as gentle as the sound of a warm, summer rain, said to me. �If you cover all of the sides but one so that the Ught comes from only ONE direction. the little bird will free itsele I carefully covered all the sides so light came from one direction. The little bird did indeed. in a matter of seconds. free itself. The struggle was over. The next morning I packed my things and left my relationship, never looking back.
certainty peck frantically at walls that Imprison us with false beliefs and illusions but there is always a way to free ourselves. Shaaryl M. Byrd Natural Brilliance retreat participant University of Colorado
witll Cmlfi.�
Probltrn-Solv;I.g
\viU you beg1l1 to explore. Do not assume you know what is going 011.
Be willing to enter the Zen " beginner's mind" and suspend there, odilly content to recognize you feci trnpped, trapped by circumstancl'S ofyour own design that you do nO[ yet fully understand. Do not rush to solve the problem, but hO\'er around It, releasing and noticing \vith CUriOSIty, empathy, and humor. This prmclple ofstaying With the problem rather than rushlllg to solve it leads to a process of creativity and problem-solving that I shall now describe. Using the Creative Problem-Solving Process will ensufC that you identify the problem in such a \vay that you can solve it.
Take the Easy Way Out of Your Trap
trap ourselves when we try to resolve personal problem� using the unconscious problem-solving strategy that created the problcm to begin with. The good news is that the Natural l3rilliance model provides an ideal and easy \vay om. To get om of a trap you must first realize you are in one. \Vhen you recognize you have come full circle--trying ullsuccessfully to resolve a problem that only came back with a vcngeance--stop the ll1erry-go round. and hop off. Many people feci distinctly frustrated or anb'I)' when thl.-')' realize they are rnpped in a dysfunctional cycle ofproblem-solving. Stop and release the emotions, release the stress, and get back far enough to notice what is really happening. Releasing and noticing put you in a resourceful state ofbody and ITllnd so that you can get distance from your emotions. You may be still Snick in the trap. but at least now you know you are holding the key to get out. ext, do something different; respond and then \vi01ess the effects of your aCtions. Did you make things worse or better? Respond in an unusual way. Doing something creative, something zany, something unlike your typical response, give5 you a reason to laugh and learn. Use any success in the direction of your goal to blaze a trail. Experiment,
until the bird seed made an incline
Approacll Paradoxical Probltl/!$
We
Follow the Creative Problem -Solving Process
Present State
t Develop
Define
Imple ment ation
Problem
Plans
Identify Obstacles
Generate Solut ions
.J
_ _
13 5
136
Part J:Appl). Naturill Brill;a"u
In mis process, which I initially developed for Honeywell Corporation, me "problem" is simply the difference bcnV{:'cn the " p r"SCllt t. sute" and the "desired OlUcome," You have a unique "lew oftlus difference. Someone else looking at where you are now and where you \."ant to be
Approacll P,lradoxi(af PTobfrnlJ U,fth Cnativt Probf�"ISofl'i"X
For want or a nail the shoe is lost, for want of a shoe the horse is lost. for \\!am of a horse the: rider is lost, for w;mt of the rider [he battle is lost, for wa.nt of the battle the kingdom s lost, and all for the want of a nail. i
George Ilerben, Poor Rirhard's Almauoc
will almost surely define and interpret the problem differently. Remember the riddle; the more definitions you come up with, the more scenariOS you get. The first step in the process is [Q descnbe your presenr StJ.tC and clearly define your desired result. Then you can take the difference between the two as your first description when you "define problem."
You wlil modify the definition of your problem as you comider obstacles between the present state and desired outcome. As each obstacle redefines the problem, the process chan shows a loop between "define problem" and "identifY obstacles." The clearer your definition of [he problem. the more obvious your solution. Unfortunately, most people msh to get rid of their problcms by prematurely grabbing the first and most obvious solution. I say
111!fuTrWllltciy because the first solutions are the ones that occur to us bascd on our predominant problem-solving approach. Remcmber, it is your approach that trC.
a
'Ohlgh
Part l:App/}' Nafurul lJrillianu
156
At a retreat I was faced with walking across a plank of wood 25 feet in the air. I was overcome with fear. I then recalled what I had learned at Natural Brilliance pretend the plank is lying on the ground. The terror subsided, and I virtually danced across the plank to the other side. Chris Payn!, Managing Director lifeTools. ltd England
For anyone outSide the Natura) Brllhance rerreat, generally speaiong, life delivers enough experiential challenge to activate what we have learned. For example, in this book I have referred to joining Toast masters and being on TV as my \vays to confiont stuck scm.'S rcgardlllg l speaking. Do the thing that YOli fear most, where it is safe for you pubic to raiL This gives you a scenario or"high perceived risk. low datur Pubhcanons. 1992. KI11le. Peler. The El1tryday GI'IIIIIS
:
RI'SIOrlll.!! Childrell 's I\'atural
Joy ".!uarnwg-AlldHmnToo. Arhngton. VA: Great Ocean Publishers. Inc. . 1988. Kline. Peter. and Saunders. Bernard. 'un Sups /0 a uamil'g 0IRanlzolllotl. Arlmgton, VA: Great Ocean Publishers, Inc.. 1993.
Kosko. B., and Buzan. T. fuzzy "H,,"kmg:TIII' Nl'w Sci(',,(� oJ Fuzzy LJgI(.
New York: I lyperion. 1993.
Jensen. Enc. TIlt uamlllg Bmm. San Diego, CA: Turnmg Pornt Publuhmg. 1994.
Jensen, Enc. SUptrJfllrh;'r.�. San DIego, CA: Turning POl11t Pubhshmg. 1988.
Lee, Scout. The Exulltr/ft Prlllnplt. Portland. OR. Metamorphous Press.
1990.
LewickI, P.; Hill. T., and Czyzewilska, M. "Nonconscious AcqUIsItion of
Inform;mon." Am£'l'iClIIJ P5yrholOXisl: American PsychologicJI Assoc., Inc.. 1 992.
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185
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Scheeit", Paul. Ph otoReadmg Ptrsollal UaTII/II.'! COllflt. Minneapolis. MN; Learmng Strategies Corporation, 1995.
Snmh. Frank. Readmg lI'i/holl/ Not/stllst (2tld Edirioll). New York: Tt"achen College Press. 1985. Stoddilrd, Lynn. ReJesigl,illg Ed'l(allon:A GIII'def or Dtvelopillg HI/man CrcalHess. Tuscon. AZ: Zephyr Press, 1992. Tomatn, Alfred. Tire GmsciollS Ear. Barrytown. New York: Station HIll Press, Inc.. 1990. von Oech, Roger. A K,Ck h,TIrt Stal OfI1lt PatltJ. New York: Harper and Row. Pubhshef5. lnc. . 1986. von Oech. Roger. A 1Vhllck (A, n,t SIde Om,t Head. New York: Warner Books, Inc.. 1983. Wattbwlck.l)aul. TIrt £..aIlSllagt ojChallgt. ew York: Basic Books. 1978. Watzbwlck. Pilul. U//ro-Solutions: How to Fa ll Most SlIcceslju/ly. New York: W.W Norton and Company, [nc. . 1988
Nall/ral BrillilHlu
186
failzlII,fl fl/ld Wllhams, Fnnk. A Towl Crt'atlllilY PrtJ:.ir,lmj'" ltrdrvid' logy PubhcJtlOrlS, Techno onal Educ:lt1 tI,e l..tammg PrOlrn. Englev.oood Chili, NJ:
ge-nerate soluoons 136-137 in dn:ams 156, ISO Curiosity 35. 95
LillI' il Up: Britf 50/1l/;0IlS. Ward. Chariottl.', and Bdf. Ten E. Simply 1995. Press. eful Bethtsda, MD: Purpos Leam: Slrate�JrsforAC(tlrr,lIrlig Ward, ChrIstine, and Daley, Jan. i.Lllntmg Ie , New Zealand: HCIl Pr1llt, 1.A'llrtlillg and BOOSlillg Perfonnarrct. Chnstchurch
D
Hrmllllll'::lJIg
1972.
1993.
Index
gAppr'M{hts ill QlJ
