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Self Improvement

Focus Focus Focus

April 14, 2016 by Mark Shepard

32264971_mlFocus.

Focus.

Focus.

Focus.

Focus.

I’m pretty sure that if I were to attend elementary school today, I would be labeled as having ADD.

You know the term right? Attention Deficit Disorder.
(personally I don’t see it as a “disorder”. In fact I would re-define it as “Alternative Direction Distinction”)

They would probably want to dose me up with some Riddle-in.
But what they would really need to do is get the Riddle-Out.

I’ve noticed over the years and in my own intensive research observing myself as well as the people who are different from the “norm” (People who are peak performers and outside of the box thinkers) that the truth is we don’t fit in to the convenient cubicles and cubby  holes that our educational system or our dominant culture wants to stick us…

We are different.

And golly gee wiz
VIVA LA Damn DIFFER-ANCE!

One of the major tasks on this adventure is to discover how your own unique quality of focus can support you.

Personally, I am interested in a lot of different subjects. My big stroke of genius for my own sanity was to realize that literally EVERYTHING I’m passionately interested in fits nicely (for the moment) under the sweet umbrella of TRANSFORMATION.

I am constantly challenging myself to explore and expand my knowledge, skills and abilities in several seemingly unrelated fields at once.

Music. I don’t just play one instrument. I sing, I play guitar, piano, African and Irish drums, the French horn, the flute, the didgeridoo etc. Pretty much anything that can make a sound? I will play around with it. And while I’m no prodigy or master of any one of those instruments, I AM a master of writing songs using them.

Words. I love to read. I love to write. My voracious reading has quite literally provided my unconscious mind with a massive arsenal of ideas and competence with turning concepts into communications.

As a Songwriter, I combine words and music. I take 2 things and transform them into one thing.

I can literally sit down to a blank page or a camera not knowing what I’m going to say and just open up the “channel” and the words flow out. THAT didn’t happen overnight.  But it definitely happens because of the kind of focus I enjoy.

Healing. Over the years I have been absolutely fascinated with the ability of human beings to transform lack of health and vitality into abundance health and vitality. Again. Transformation.

Pursuing that area of interest I’ve apprenticed myself to an energy healer, an herbalist, as well as the top hypnosis and NLP teachers in the world. I also added a precision change model called Time Line Therapy(tm) to the mix as well as EFT (emotional freedom technique or “tapping).

Again, someone else might focus on just one of those modalities and do just fine. I, however, had to explore all of them… because I HAD to master them enough to heal myself. I had to heal myself enough to stop stopping myself from fulfilling my life’s purpose… Every time I worked with a client and didn’t get the result we wanted, I went back to the drawing board and expanded my knowledge and skills and tool set so that I could constantly get better.

Gardening. I used to help other people with their gardens. One day I just had the realization that I loved to grow stuff. I loved growing my own food. I loved planting seeds and watching them grow. In some ways its the same as the great joy I’ve had watching some of my NLP clients and students grow into their greatness by applying the ideas I taught them.

I used to feel deeply frustrated by the fact that I just could not seem to give 100% of myself to any one of the areas of my life I was fascinated with. Because that concept of “focus” meant I had to give up something that I loved.

But when I “chunked” up to TRANSFORMATION,
Boom! Pow! Cowabungah! It all came together.

And while this coming together has taken awhile, a lot of it happened right here in front of your eyes on the Daily Mind Mastery newsletter.

Now.
I told you all that, to tell you this:

There is an immutable law of the Universe that is totally and completely trustworthy:

We get what we focus on.

Your neurology is hardwired to be able to focus on only one thing at a time.

If you focus on how bad everything is. Guess what. You get more “bad”.
If you focus on how good everything is. Guess what. You get more “good”.

But the very nature of “focus” is flexible.

Here’s what I mean:

You can focus your camera on something close like a person’s face or a single flower… or you can even get a specialized camera that can take microscopic photos. That’s one kind of focus. In NLP we call it, “Chunking Down.”

if you’ve been paying close attention to the typos in my newsletters and blog posts, you may be good at chunking down,  the details focus.

or You can focus your camera on a big picture item like a sunset or a distant mountain range.

Either one is still focus.

In Robert Greene’s fabulous book, “Mastery” he contrasts the strategies of two different Masters.

  1. Indian born V.S. Ramachandran, found that he was always happiest when he went deeper and deeper and deeper into a single field of study. As  kid, he started with sea shells and dove so deep into sea shells that he became a leading expert on sea shells. in other words everywhere he looked he would see shells! ;o) (can’t resist a good pun). Eventually he took this way of learning and being in the world to a field of science that was literally untouched, the study of phantom pain experienced by amputees in their no longer existing limbs.That’s the “chunked down” focus. And it works fabulously if that is your inclination.
  2. Then there is the big picture focus of a Leonardo DaVinci or a Buckminster Fuller. They looked everywhere for their learning and began to bring different elements together in unique ways. Some of their ideas were ahead of their time. Leonardo studied the flight of birds as much and with as much passion as he experimented with new kinds of paints and pigments. Buckminster Fuller invented an electric car way before its time as well as the geodesic dome which is still a significant architectural form.Those guys demonstrate the “chunked up” form of focus.

The thing is I used to beat myself up for not being the chunked down kind of person. That’s like a labrador retriever beating itself up because it can’t stop retrieving tennis balls. We need to accept and maximize our native strengths and inclinations. Beating ourselves up for ANYTHING is a waste of energy and a wrong use of “Focus”.

Probably there are those of you out there reading this who may have been beating yourself up for not being the way your aren’t.

Did that make sense?

Let me say it another way. They way you focus the best is the best way for you to focus.

The bottom line is you ARE always focused on SOMETHING. Is it supporting you or stopping you from who you really came here to be?

The more you can practice focusing your mind on who you really want to be, and what you really want to do and who you really want to be with, the more you will get THAT.

I’m sure there are tons of scientific studies I could quote about that but I would prefer if you did a little study of your own….

TODAY. Your assignment. Should you choose to accept it.
Is to

  1. Notice how you focus best.
  2. Consciously focus in that way on what you most desire. Without pressure. without desperation. just hold easily and lovingly in your mind what you most want to be true for your life, your work, your relationships, your health, your vision for a life well lived.
  3. Write down any ideas or insights or confirmations that you get.

Got it?

Good.

Glad we had this little tawk.

The really important thing is just to be fully aware that you can realize the change you’re looking for…

And here’s how

Click the link below to:

  • Review my hypnosis video programs
  • Contact me today

Or just leave a comment below 🙂

Onward!

p.s. Here’s a little Transformation Tune that illustrates and supports my message. Damn I’m good! :o)

p.p.s. I hope you’ll join us at our next TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY live event.

Filed Under: Articles, Chunking Up, Clearing Limiting Beliefs, Daily Mind Mastery Tip, Dominant Thoughts, Focus, NLP Techniques, Self Improvement, Transformation, Transformation Songs, Transformation Tuesdays

The Master Mind Effect

April 11, 2016 by Mark Shepard

mark mccoy 700xI was away last week in Toronto for a very cool “Immersion Master Mind” for Thought leaders. It was MONUMENTAL.

Seriously. MONUMENTAL

I thought I would be able to keep posting my Mind Mastery Daily and Transformation Tunes for you while I was away… but IMMERSION is IMMERSION.

So I accepted that some “routines” were going to be “interrupted” and I embraced FOCUSING on soaking up some powerful and transformative ideas and strategies for doing what I do, BETTER.

And YOU will benefit from that in the days and weeks to come.
Now back to today.

mmmmmmmmmm MONDAY!
One of my absolute FAVORITE days of the week!

Here we go:

Monday’s Mind Mastery Message:
The Power of the Master Mind!
I’m kind of on the “M” kick today. As well as a MASTERY kick…

One of the great “take aways” from my learning adventure in Toronto last week was the absolute POWER of hanging out with people who are pursuing their passionate purpose in life.

Study after study has shown that people tend to match the income and achievement levels of the people they hang out with the most.

Napoleon Hill in his MASTERFUL book “Think and Grow Rich” mapped out the idea of the “master mind”.

And my favorite songwriter said, “Together we can change the world”…

And of course there was a dude back in “0” AD who said to his 12 buddies, “Where two or more are gathered amazing stuff can happen…”

So last week, not only did I get to experience the inspirational company of some amazing peak performers who like myself are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on themselves, their lives, and bringing their talents and gifts to the task of making a positive difference in the world,

I got to rub elbows a bit with Olympic Gold Medalist, Mark McKoy.

Not only is he the only Canadian to bring home an Olympic Gold medal in the last 30 years, but he did it at age 30 in an event that considers a 25 year old… OLD.

For a 2 minute jolt of joy, inspiration and grooviness watch this video and see Mark McKoy WIN the Olypmic Gold Medal AGAINST ALL ODDS!

I LOVE the part where the STUNNED CBC broadcasters literally didn’t know what to say other than, “Unbelievable!” (Luckily HE believed in himself because THEY surely didn’t).

One of the key strategies he employed in his 16 year quest was to find and work with the best coaches in the world as well as to surround himself with the company of his BEST competitors.  The Master Mind Effect.

The guy who won Silver was his best friend who he lived and trained with. They pushed each other and caused each other to be better.

One of the greatest challenges with anyone who seeks to transform his or her life is to seek the company of other people who have the effect of PULLING YOU UP. Sometimes this requires letting go of some relationships that do not PULL YOU UP.

I found this to be incredibly true over the years as a hypnotherapist working with people who wanted to stop smoking (or other habits and addictions) if you quit smoking and then go hang out with a bunch of smokers, it’s going to be a lot harder than if you go hang out with a bunch of non smokers. Does that make sense?

Same deal with food issues. If you are attempting to transform your eating and exercise habits, it’s a lot more helpful to hang out with folks who are exercising and nourishing their bodies intelligently than your old gang of couch potato fast food fans.

Whatever you want to achieve in life, you might want to consider finding some other people who have done that or are deep in the process of doing it, and go hang out with them.

Make sense? Engage the master mind effect.

So your assignment today (should you choose to accept it) is to take a loving, compassionate look at the company you keep.
Is it supporting you becoming a better person? Or is it pulling you back to being someone you “used” to be? (And BTW my new weekly Music, Message, Meditation, Movement Meet-Up called “Transformation Tuesday” will be a place where you’ll be able to meet other people like yourself who are seeking the source of their own healing, success, strengths, talents and magnificence. ) The Master Mind Effect.

If you’re local to Albany NY I hope you’ll join us. If you are not, please watch this space for info on our live streaming broadcasts and replays.

And Now for Today’s Transformation Tune:
Song # 320 “Field of Dreams”

That’s it for now!

COWABUNGAH BABY!

Ahhhh Who Ahhh!

The really important thing is just to be fully aware that you can realize the change you’re looking for…

And here’s how

Click the link below to:

  • Review my hypnosis video programs
  • Contact me today

Or just leave a comment below 🙂

P.S. Jump onto the Transformation Nation email list and watch your inbox for your live streaming of Transformation. Tuesday.

Filed Under: Articles, Changing The World, Daily Mind Mastery Tip, Empowerment Songs, Hypnosis for Peak Performance, Master Mind, Mentors & Coaches, Overcoming Obstacles, Path with Heart - Massive Throbbing Vision, Peak Performance, Self Improvement, Shoulders of Giants, Sports Hypnosis, Teamwork, Transformation, Transformation Songs, Transformation Tuesdays

Trauma & Anxiety Are LINKED

April 4, 2016 by Mark Shepard

Today’s Mind Mastery Daily is about the connection between Trauma (one time learning events in the past) and Anxiety (imagining what you do not want to have happen in the future)

Trauma and anxiety are deeply linked neurological processes. But they are CLEAR-ABLE!

Hypnosis for PTSD must include conscious tools for clearing old beliefs, childhood vows, and limiting decisions we made about the world as children…

It’s time to stop running old beliefs that “program” you to be fearful, weak, frustrated, and small. And time to start installing bigger, better, more useful beliefs… like, “Why am I more powerful than I can possibly imagine?” [sound FX of Lion roaring!]

It’s all in the video! (Make sure you also listen to today’s Transformation Tune which is below the video)

 

Transformation Tune for Today: Song # 161 Beautiful Person (version #2)

This is the 2nd version I recorded of “Beautiful Person”.

The first one is from Visions & Voices CD and was arranged by Gene Moore. This version is a very simple “chant” that includes some significant shifts in language inspired by the field of Neuro Linguistics. Most notable is the shift into the past tense.

So, “I can not love you if I hate myself” became, “I could not love you when I hated myself”.

The past tense pre-supposes that I no longer hate myself… see how it works? Even the subtlest of language patterns can free us from our old patterns and stories or keep us stuck.

This is another one of those songs to listen to repeatedly for its potential to get “stuck” in your head… and do some good in there… :o)

BTW I actually did have a dream where there was a lion coming up out of the bathtub drain! It scared me awake from a deep slumber. As I lay there in the dark it occurred to me that the lion represented my own true power. And that it was time to stop running away from it.

May you too find your power and experience how incredibly beautiful you are. Right now. Right here.

The really important thing is just to be fully aware that you can realize the change you’re looking for…

And here’s how

Click the link below to:

  • Check out Crush Anxiety Now
  • Review my hypnosis video programs
  • Contact me today

Or just leave a comment below 🙂

Filed Under: Anxiety, Anxiety Relief, Articles, Change, Clearing Limiting Beliefs, Creating Change, Daily Mind Mastery Tip, Dominant Thoughts, Empowerment Songs, How to Overcome Trauma, Hypnosis for PTSD, NLP Techniques, Self Hypnosis, Self Improvement, Transformation, Transformation Songs

What Is Transformation Tuesday?

April 3, 2016 by Mark Shepard

Hey! A lot of folks have been asking me lately, “What is Transformation Tuesday?”.

Well. I made a FRESH new video that goes a little overboard on how damn PASSIONATE I am about breaking the old boundaries of self limiting beliefs and going for great in every area of your life… I got a little carried away… But I think you’ll get it. Not everybody will. But YOU will…

Here’s the link to more info about: Transformation Tuesday.

And while you’re here, Hear this cool Transformation Tune that totally supports your mission today:

The really important thing is just to be fully aware that you can realize the change you’re looking for…

And here’s how

Click the link below to:

  • Review my hypnosis video programs
  • Contact me today

Or just leave a comment below 🙂

Filed Under: Articles, Changing The World, Daily Mind Mastery Tip, Empowerment Songs, Self Improvement, Transformation, Transformation Songs, Transformation Tuesdays

Best Day of Your Life?

April 1, 2016 by Mark Shepard

6292161_mlToday being April Fool’s Day, I thought it might be appropriate not to gently suggest that you might want to seriously consider if you are living the life you actually want to be living because…

Well… You never know when your time might run out…

But if I did gently suggest to you that you might want to seriously consider if you are living the life you actually want to be living because…  You might want to pay attention because…

It actually could be your last day. Mine too.

Today.

Really. This could be it.

It might just end today.

Boom.

Done.

Game over.

It probably won’t. But it could. And the question is, are you ready for that? Have you really lived? Have you really loved? have you really explored this amazing and fabulous world of ours?

Just saying’… you um… might want to…  soon. Like, you know, ah…

Today.

Make sure you listen to your “humorous” Transformation Tune all the way to the end… cuz it has sort of a happy ending…

Your Mind Mastery Assignment (although you probably won’t choose to accept it) is to do SOMETHING today that you’ve been WANTING to do but PUTTING OFF. Just haul off and DO IT! Yes You. YOU! Go! NOW!

The really important thing is just to be fully aware that you can realize the change you’re looking for…

And here’s how

Click the link below to:

  • Check out Hypnosis for PTSD
  • Review my hypnosis video programs
  • Contact me today

Or just leave a comment below 🙂

Filed Under: Appointments with yourself, Articles, Daily Mind Mastery Tip, Death, Empowerment Songs, Humor, Living in the Present, Path with Heart - Massive Throbbing Vision, Self Hypnosis, Self Improvement, Transformation, Transformation Songs

Coming Home To Yourself

March 31, 2016 by Mark Shepard

Today’s Mind Mastery Daily, my beloved Transformation Tribe is about the journey.

Coming Home To Yourself

No matter what your circumstances of birth, your childhood, your teen years, your current situation as an adult, you are in a PROCESS. You are on a JOURNEY.

Life is filled with challenges and opportunities. Some say they are actually one and the same thing.

It is only our INTERPRETATION of events that make them “problems” or “solutions”.

To illustrate this today I want to share a song that has evolved over the years.

The original version this song, #175, was about the work I was doing in the late 80’s and 90’s healing my life. I was struggling on many fronts.

Physically, I was exhausted and seemed to be unable to digest my food properly.

Emotionally I was full of anger, sadness, fear, shame…you name it I was getting clobbered by it.

I could not for the life of me seem to be able to do anything significant with my music. Couldn’t perform it or sell it or market it or anything other than write song, after song, after song, after song…(that seemed destined to never be heard).

On the positive side of things, it was around this time that I began to add drumming and storytelling to the mix of music that was pouring through me.

Somewhat out of desperation, I began to study energy healing with a woman named Mearah Marqua who was one of physicist and energy healer Barbara Brennon’s first students. I studied with her and a group of other people seeking to heal their lives one weekend a month for about 5 years. Slowly things began to change.

But just so you know, first things fell apart even more!

First I had to lose the 4 houses I’d bought for “nothing down” and sell the Title Insurance business that was killing me…

Bankruptcy and foreclosure. “Failure” some might call it.

Looking back? “MIRACLES”, “GIFTS”, “RELEASE”!

Eventually, step by step (always taking way longer than I wanted :o) the healing began and the thriving and joy followed.

Then as I continued on my own healing journey, it became apparent as I dove into Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neuro Linguistics (NLP) in the early 2000’s, that a slight update was required linguistically to pre-suppose that the healing had already taken place…

You Mind Mastery TIP, is to begin to play with referring to your “problems” in the PAST TENSE.

So today’s Mind Mastery assignment, (should you choose to accept it) is to acknowledge today how far you’ve actually come on your own healing journey. Give yourself a little credit for all the work you’ve done on healing yourself, your work, your relationships, your body, your life.

And then share this song and post with anyone you know who may need some healing support.

None of us are alone in this process of healing even though sometimes it feels that way.

Today, imagine me, surrounding YOU with light, love, support, encouragement and the idea that you are making progress!

Because you are!

The really important thing is just to be fully aware that you can realize the change you’re looking for…

And here’s how

Click the link below to:

  • Review my hypnosis video programs
  • Contact me today

Or just leave a comment below 🙂

Filed Under: Articles, Change, Clearing Limiting Beliefs, Conversational Hypnosis, Daily Mind Mastery Tip, Dominant Thoughts, Empowerment Songs, Failure Into Feedback, Health & Wellness, Overcoming Obstacles, Path with Heart - Massive Throbbing Vision, Self Improvement, Transformation, Transformation Songs, Triumph Over Adversity

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