To speak in third person
for a moment, there's a side most people don't know about Adam Rees. He’s a
pretty normal guy, but crazy when a problem presents itself, whenever/however that
may happen (sometimes we don't realize problems until we get roundhouse kicked
in the face), going into almost complete immersion, for h/e long and with w/e
intensity it takes.
It’s an abnormal extreme but
it's mine. Books, digital products, articles, etc. I do every activity and give
each overwhelming thought and application. This could be 4books or 20; I
could study/perform assignments/participate in activities for hours a day for
weeks and/or months at a time if necessary. See? Crrrrazy.
What does this mean for
you? It leads to you getting the best stuff I've found. Today's topic is Psych/mindset. Everything here is your choice, and none of it is absolute, but it is all great stuff.
Grab a paper and pen
First participate in this
activity. You'll eventually be glad you did. Do each part as you go, do NOT
read ahead, and it will be clear at the end.
- Take out a piece of paper
- On the left side write down some of the people and things that annoy you or get under your skin.
- On the right side write down some of the people you admire and what it is about them that you admire.
If you haven't actually
written this down, Do.
- The left side of the paper is a mirror of yourself and your looking at things you find you don't like in you, things that probably need help.
- The right side of the paper is showing the things that you are not allowing to show through in your self, and that you should.
Realities can be hard to
accept. Mine was fairly upsetting and hard to believe, but it was true.
Personality Tests
The orange, blue, green,
gold test is interesting but this is different. Fair warning, it is written as
if it's for romantic relationships, lots of psych stuff is geared that way. It
can be a turn off but I'm sure it helps them w/ sales, look past the marketing
and read for your own reasons.
www.KWML.com (take the free test)
So, embrace who you are,
but reach toward the other quadrants. I'm ridiculously on the warrior end of
the continuum. So I need to love, laugh and let people help me more
often.
MindOS (use the coupon code “REES” for a $20 discount)
This is an incredible system for getting your thoughts straight and allowing growth, and actually where I was exposed to the KWML test. It is a MUST BUY RIGHT NOW, no questions asked.
This goes into turning
anger and anxiety into self esteem and well being, amongst just about
everything else on your mind, in order to live a better and more clear life.
From being busy just to be busy and dealing w/ negative emotions/thoughts, to
building confidence, self esteem and even courage, of which is interestingly a
very big player in the mental game.
It is a MUST BUY RIGHT
NOW. This is NOT something you ask yourself if you can afford, it's can you afford not to. It is a game changer. Take1hr, 30min, h/e much time each am/pm
and apply it.
Dr. Paul is an actual
psych doctor, not just a self help guru and his stuff is geared towards
relationships, but he’s not going into “skills”, he’s going into your inner psychology
and teaching you to help yourself. It really is something that everyone should
go through.
I’ve actually spoken w/
Dr. Paul and by using the coupon code “REES” (all caps, no quotations) you’ll
get a $20 discount on any product:
Dr. Paul’s suggestions are
at the end.
A friend sent me this
video. After completing the MindOS system you'll understand how important it
really is.
Start journalling every day. I keep a notebook beside my bed that's written in every night. You'll be amazed how much you learn about yourself while writing and day to day.
Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
I've read plenty of sports psych and a few general psych books but none that flipped my brain as much as this one. I wouldn't call it a must read, but suggested.
It's probably the weirdest book you'll ever read, but very interesting. The author is a cellular biologist at Stanford.
This book will shake you and you want to be shook.
The Presence Process by Michael Brown
Being
"present" may be one of the most important pieces of life we can attain.
The past has already happened, and the future is just an idea. We're constantly
in the present, but physical and mental presence is different and the idea that
you have control of or are able to handle that present is sadly a lie for
almost all of us. We’re not able to "think" our way to a present
state, thinking quite literally negates the ability to be present.
Imagine sitting on a
rock along side the Rio Grande in Colorado during the middle of August at dawn
(dry, comfortable, mildly cold, gorgeous, peaceful). In that moment nature’s beauty is
all around you. "Thinking" into this moment and your mind will race,
it wants what's next and will not experience the moment. Being present in that moment is
entirely different. Have presence and you can sit, appreciate, and enjoy what
is happening all around you. No need to speak or entertain yourself, just
breathe, listen, watch and experience what is happening. This can be
applied to relationships w/ kids/significant other/friends, work, recreation, happy and sad moments and even
disagreements/arguments.
Some words that come
to mind here are: worry, anxiety, anger, sadness, shame. Some of us live in these. There are better
ways.
Idk what Presence
could do in your life, but I can tell you that anything can improve, and growth
is always a good thing. To grow is to live, w/o growth we're psychologically
dead even if our physical body is alive.
That's why I suggest this book, even though I haven't yet finished it.
The Presence Process
It is a 10 week process of 15 minute practices/meditation 2x/day. Supposedly most people don't make it through due to the emotional pain that has been repressed for years, often times even forgotten, but resurfaces through the process in order to deal w/ it and heal as a mature adult. It seems most of these pains happened when we were children and we didn't know how to deal w/ them so we suppressed them in order to be a good little boy/girl for mom, dad and/or whoever else. Through this process we find growth in being "in the moment' or "present" (some call this mindfulness) and it's apparently led to amazing discoveries and better lives and relationships for many "normal" people w/ "normal" problems in "normal" life (quotations are there for a reason).
It is a 10 week process of 15 minute practices/meditation 2x/day. Supposedly most people don't make it through due to the emotional pain that has been repressed for years, often times even forgotten, but resurfaces through the process in order to deal w/ it and heal as a mature adult. It seems most of these pains happened when we were children and we didn't know how to deal w/ them so we suppressed them in order to be a good little boy/girl for mom, dad and/or whoever else. Through this process we find growth in being "in the moment' or "present" (some call this mindfulness) and it's apparently led to amazing discoveries and better lives and relationships for many "normal" people w/ "normal" problems in "normal" life (quotations are there for a reason).
Everyone can carve 15
minutes into their morning and afternoon/evening. Just like anything else, it's
not about FINDING the time, it's about MAKING the time.
As an Individual
Reading books and
educating yourself goes a long way, but actually getting a non biased look from
a professional at you as a specific individual is something all of us can take
benefit.
We all have "our
truths", the things we believe about ourselves. These "truths"
could be good/bad/correct/incorrect but we believe them regardless. As an
individual a book cannot point out your particular truths, or direct you to
challenge the areas that may lead to the way of best improvement. Talking to a
professional can, especially when combined w/ the other materials.
In Iowa City I refer these two professionals:
- Morrie Adams (319)351-6654
320 Kirkwood Ave, #1,
Iowa City, IA 52240
- Ann Kramer (319)755-0174
I realize the stigma
of going to a therapist (that you’re actually crazy), the comfort zone in
"knowing" yourself, and the pride in "DIY", which are all understandable but absurd.
There's no way you can grow and develop as far as you'd like, in the amount of time you'd like w/o help. It's actually not likely that it'll ever happen on your own. Choosing to delay this for yourself is choosing to say NO to you, and in that decision, everyone loses: career, friends, family, significant others, and most of all you. In my mind every decision should be or at least seek to be win-win. Saying no to you is lose-lose, which should be strictly avoided.
There's no way you can grow and develop as far as you'd like, in the amount of time you'd like w/o help. It's actually not likely that it'll ever happen on your own. Choosing to delay this for yourself is choosing to say NO to you, and in that decision, everyone loses: career, friends, family, significant others, and most of all you. In my mind every decision should be or at least seek to be win-win. Saying no to you is lose-lose, which should be strictly avoided.
If having the
humility to let someone help you could lead to further owning your true
self and lead to a happier more successful life (work and relationships
especially), it's an easy answer, do it, even if you feel like there's nothing
wrong.
Conclusion
None of this is
saying it'll be easy. But just like anything else, nothing
worth having comes easy, and the journey is always more than worth it.
Don't passively wait, hoping for life to teach you to be a person of high character. This would be naively optimistic. A positive realist takes the responsibility to live, learn, and evolve to be better, starting now. H/e when the student is ready the means/teacher appears. I'm not the teacher, but maybe this is the day.
Don't passively wait, hoping for life to teach you to be a person of high character. This would be naively optimistic. A positive realist takes the responsibility to live, learn, and evolve to be better, starting now. H/e when the student is ready the means/teacher appears. I'm not the teacher, but maybe this is the day.
I'm not asking you to
understand or agree w/ me, I'm asking you to trust me. There's no need to wait
for life to knock you down, if you even get that lucky. Take the leap. It's courageous to take the leap, perform courage.
***www.KWML.com (take
the test)
***MindOS (Use the
coupon code REES at checkout for a $20 discount)
There's a quote from one
of my favorite movies that we'll end w/. It puts some heavy lessons in a small
package.
"Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the
sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man
is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout
as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know
you as we know you: as Albert Mondego, the man." -The Count of Monte
Cristo
Dr. Paul's Additional Suggestions:
WOMEN:
***Complete Feminine
Empowerment
***Seventh Sense
MEN:
***Mature Masculine Power
***Omega Male
***MindOS
REMEMBER THE COUPON CODE *REES*
FOR A $20 DISCOUNT
They’re marketed and
copywritten as romantic relationship advice which is kind of funny b/c these
are NOT about “relationship/dating skills”, it’s much deeper than that, down in the roots of
our thoughts and beliefs (limiting/constructive). Any of these will lead to
incredible growth and improvement. In much more than just a romantic
relationship, that’s more of a positive by product that comes from being a
person of or seeking to be of high character.
