THE EXPERT MIND
Down through the centuries there has been a fascination with people who seem to be outstanding and who are set apart from others, who possess unusual traits, talents or expert abilities.
Not only are we intrigued by such characteristics but we seem to be drawn to the power of knowledge and unique abilities. However, little has been known about why and how people develop these unique characteristics that sets them apart from others. The question has always been whether it is innate (natural) or a byproduct of intensive training or experience.
It is true some people are born with extra gifts that set them apart, but more so you will see the average person rise to the top and become an expert even though they did not possess unusual gifts or higher intelligence. While it is necessary to have basic intelligence to become an expert it seems to come down more so to how focused, passionate and determined one is to acquire expert mastery. In fact research on becoming an expert reveals it takes roughly 10 years of applied active learning to acquire what is considered the expert mind.
Do not think of it in terms of a high I.Q. but more so the ability to acquire a high T.Q. (tenacity quotient).
Becoming an expert mind is more a result of focusing on a unique ability or interest over a substantial period of time (roughly 10 years). Research in the field of great performers and experts reveals that it is really about acquiring knowledge from 10,000 hours of repetition, innovation and formalization of knowledge and experience.
Most people if not all who achieve expertise acquire this trait because they are passionate about what they do and are willing to seek knowledge and work hard on achieving skills based upon an intrinsic drive and natural attraction to their interests.
It is not so much a matter of arduous work as hard work becoming the byproduct of their passions. Nevertheless everyone including yourself can acquire the expert mind if you apply yourself each day with the drive and desire that only comes from great satisfaction, commitment, discipline and focus over the long haul.
The Power of Laughter
Doctor, Doctor I have ringing in my ears! Doctor replies “Don’t answer.”
Ever wonder how laughter has such a positive impact on your mood. It seems nothing can change negative emotions like laughter. We all know that laughter makes us feel good but more recently the power of laughter is being recognized as a great healer especially when it comes to reducing stress and repairing the body. More recently scientists have paid attention to the health benefits of laughter and research has indicated that indeed “laughter is the best medicine”. Research has shown that laughter improves the body’s immune system in fighting disease, relaxes blood vessels and muscles while improving blood flow to the heart. As well laughter decreases the stress hormone in the body and stimulates both sides of the brain to enhance learning. Furthermore laughter has been found to be important in improving mental health and reducing propensities towards distressing emotions i.e. Depression, anger, anxiety and stress.
A recent study conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Centre suggest that a good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at stressful situations helps mitigate the damaging effects of negative emotions. As well research has shown that people with healthy sense of humor tend to have a higher sense of self esteem, tend to be more social, flexible, empathic and capable of bonding with others.
It is also known that laughter and humor helps bind people together and can heal wounds and help give one a healthier perspective on life.
If you are not fortunate enough to grow up in a laughing environment you can acquire more laughter in your life as it is actually hard wired in our biological make up. So here are some tips to improve laughter and your overall sense of well being and health.
- Seek laughter, humor and fun as a way to improve your health, reduce your stress and improve your emotional well being.
- Observe the ridiculous. Don’t always try to figure things out or have disdain for things that just don’t make sense. See the absurdity, the silly, the spontaneous things that happen around you every day as an opportunity to bring fun, humor and spontaneity into your life.
- Observe infants and children. Watch them play, focus on their spontaneity and their impulse of silliness.
- Seek laughter, hang around funny friends, work on telling some funny jokes, play games that involve laughter and impromptu expressions i.e. charades, twister etc.
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Improve your exposure to comedians and comedy. Go to comedy clubs and watch comedy on T.V.
- Spend time with those who seem to have humor and a zany side and a positive outlook in life and who enjoy playfulness.
- Avoid a steady diet of conversation, news and entertainment that focuses on distress, conflict, negativity, or uncertainty.
The 3 I’s of Stress Management
Ever notice that most people tend to externalize their stress experiences. Have you ever said or heard people say they or it makes them mad or stresses them out? Although we are influenced by external events almost invariably our stress response is the result of some internal perception and attribution we place upon the event. When I hear a client say it makes me angry or stresses me out I ask what the “it” is. Typically they become perplexed and are unable to define just exactly what the “it” is. Then I say take the “T” out. What you are left with is the I. Really I am responsible for how I perceive, react, and cope with stressful situations in my life. From this perspective I have developed what I call the 3 I’s of stress management.
I-solate the stressor.
One of the most effective ways of reducing and/or eliminating stress is to keep it in the time space and milieu in which it actually happened. If you have an argument with your spouse, kid or boss at 9:00 in the morning there is actually no benefit in still brooding about it 9 hours later. The ability to keep the stressor within the time and place it happened is an effective technique in reducing the accumulative effects of reliving the stressor over and over again even though it only happened once.
This is best explained by the parable of the 2 monks walking down the river bank towards the monastery and the heard a woman screaming from the river that had just fallen in. One monk took compassion on her swam out to save the drowning victim and performed resuscitation to save her life. Once the matter was resolved they continued to walk towards the monastery while the second monk repeatedly harassed the first monk for violating the oath to swear off from the flesh. After a considerable time of being badgered the monk turned around and said to the second monk “look, I dropped this woman off down by the river bank 2 miles ago and you are still carrying her”.
The secret is not to carry the stressor over and over again. The more you can associate the emotional experience as close to the physical experience as possible, then it is easier to let it go and move on. Each time you go back to the stressful situation in your mind say “stop that happened back then, not now and I am going to focus upon the here and now and what I can control at this moment”. Learning to isolate the stressors in your life is an effective and immediate method in reducing ongoing stress and the attrition that comes from constantly reliving a moment that actually happened just once.
I-noculate the stressor.
When it comes to germs and disease, scientists have found that by injecting smaller amounts of the germ, the body is able to build up antibodies and resistance to fight potential exposure to full blown disease. Coping with stress can be perceived in the same way. The more you build up resistance to stress the greater chances you have of coping with the real and larger issues when they arrive. Building your body up by exposing it to physical stress i.e. working out allows the body to cope more effectively with the physical demands placed upon your body when it experiences stressful situations. Furthermore ensuring good sleep, a healthy diet, and relaxation prepares the body for the ravages of distress and allows it to react in a less stressful manner so it can ward off stress related diseases. As well as learning appropriate mental conditioning skills i.e. meditation, rational thinking, cognitive restructuring techniques, reattribution and disassociation methods you can achieve a profound impact on your ability to prevent and/or manage the stress in your life by learning to inoculate your body to the over all stressful situation that you may encounter on a daily basis.
I-ncubate the stressor.
When I was born I was 2 months premature and therefore my lungs were not as developed so I was put into an incubator with oxygen to facilitate my breathing and make it easier for me to cope with the stress of a new and challenging environment. Sometimes just taking a well deserved time out and pampering yourself can help you relax, reenergize and recharge so to get back into the grind more empowered and stronger to cope with the daily stressors you must face. Although time out does not necessarily teach you much about coping with daily stressors sometimes a reprieve can help you become more objective while offering you the opportunity to develop more appropriate strategies in coping with specific situations.
Have you noticed how elevated your spirit is when you look forward to this well deserved reprieve i.e. vacations. Just the fact that you are going on a vacation can instill positive emotions that detach you somewhat from the ravages of distress even though you haven’t gone anywhere. Planning in and maintaining ongoing incubation in your life is a wonderful strategy in removing yourself from the daily grind and dispersing the accumulative effects of ongoing stress in your life. Of course incubation does not have to be an extravagant vacation but something on a weekly basis or even daily (mini holidays) that removes you temporarily from the stressful situation and offers a well deserved reprieve. The more you incubate yourself from the stressors that you experience from the daily stressors that you experience the more resilient you will become to coping more effectively in your everyday life.
Private Super Stress Solutions Coaching Course
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In next month's issue:
- Work Intelligence; Do You Have It
- Techniques of Flexibility; How Not To Get Bent Out Of Shape.
- 6 Stages of Stress
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