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Welcome to my first blog! Kind of.
Add a model of the C1 vertebra + a pair of running shoes and this one picture pretty well summarises my life! Although I’ve written over 130 articles over the years, I’ve decided to start something different: a genuine blog, in which I will share some of the fascinating things I’ve learned in the span of a month for your condensed pleasure.
According to Tony Robbins, one of the things that human beings require for happiness is growth. The key areas of growth I’m currently working are in 4 general categories:
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Identity & Personal Development
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Health & Wellbeing
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Money & Business
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Relationships
I will confess now that none of the information that I will share will be my original thoughts. I will simply be the information curator. Think of this like an “except from Dr Jeff’s personal diary.” (When you’re next in the office, ask if you want to see the actual notebook I keep).
For this month, I’m going to start on “Identity and Personal Development” because there if enough solid content for you that surely will keep you busy on this topic alone. I hope you enjoy and that you find tremendous value in it too!
Coaching with Jim Fortin
Last month I started an online program with Jim Fortin, a transformational coach from Dallas. No, I hadn’t heard of him before either. But I did some research including the attached audiocast and decided to give the program a go.
Shifting Your Identity: How To Become the Person that Attracts Success with Jim Fortin
I'd never heard of Jim Fortin either until just a couple of months ago, but there was something in his message that resonated with me. I hope you enjoy what I'm able to share with you too from my own experience.
You’ve probably heard of Tony Robbins, John Demartini, Wayne Dwyer or may have seen or heard about The Secret 10 years ago. Kind of in the same vein, but not really. I’ve watched and seen a number of these speakers in years past, and though there’s always been tremendous value in the content that they’ve provided, I am the kind of person who lets his head get in the way of his own success.
You may know the expression“analysis paralysis.” Its when you have an important decision to make, but so over-analyse the details, waiting for things to be “perfect” that you never take the action you need to!
If you’re like me, its almost as if you have an imaginary argument in your head, telling yourself what you should or shouldn’t do. You remind remind yourself of all the terrible things that could happen, however unlikely. And you ultimately spin yourself into a tizzy, creating far more stress for yourself than the original choice or event that started the process.
Sound familiar?
To give you some context for the program, Jim’s background is in clinical hypnosis. He has also been a 23 year apprentice with a native shaman. He illustrates that the idea of “New Years Resolutions” and doing things differently to change your life are doomed to failure from the start unless you first successfully reprogram your subconscious identity.
The example he continuously gives is that if you are not a smoker, why don’t you smoke? Because you don’t identify as a smoker. Its not who you are! The flip of that, when it comes to making positive change in your life - exercise, better relationships, more money, etc - unless you fundamentally identify with the character traits of someone who is an athlete, family person, and wealthy - you can do all the stuff, but you will not be able to sustain it.
That’s why thousands of people every year sign up for motivational seminars ever year, but so few ever achieve genuine change.
Be, Do Have
At the core of it all, Jim recommends working backwards from the way that most people do. Most people follow a “Have, Do, Be” model of life. I.e., “When I have A, I will do D, and then I will be C.” Jim advocates a model of “Be, Do, Have,” which goes the other way: “When I am C, I will do B, and I will have A.”
To share with you the exact exercise that we started with, he gave us the attached illustration of a pyramid, starting at the top but then working backwards to discover what the fundamental foundation is that you need to be (identify) in order to reach you end goal (environment).
By identifying what you want in life (environment), you can work backwards to figure out who you need to be (identity) to have it. Any other way is just wishful thinking.
Environment - Be specific with what you WANT! Behaviour - The activity that you know if you do it will make the biggest positive difference to getting what you want. I will invite people who have been thinking about care for a while to finally do what they need to do.
Capabilities - The skill or ability to do the behaviour. (A side note: one of things that’s always been a personal stumbling block for me has been failure to do or ask for what I want has been a fear of rejection that people won’t like me if I do. If that resonates with you too, we have a lot in common! And it is one of the most important things that I’m actively working on with this program with Jim).
Beliefs & Stories - The meaning that you apply to the past memories or future projections. The meaning that you apply to the things that go through your mind are the subconscious process that, if you are not careful, rule you. (Note: these kind of statements may be affirmations, and usually start with “I am” or “I can” (or not) because …)
Identity - The core character trait(s) that resonate in your soul that allow you to BE the best version of you that you can BE.
Now I’ll give you my own personal example:
I want to grow the practice, to help 50 new people who want Upper Cervical Care and whom I can help start care before 31 December 2018. I must be able to initiate conversations with people even though there is a risk of rejection. I am a teacher, who shares his knowledge with the people who need it … and because of that, people live a much greater quality of life. Be a person who makes a difference in the world!
Are You your Mind or your Brain?
Thus far, the program with Jim has been most valuable in working to “get me out of my own head” and to give context to the idea that the way that your brain is wired can play tricks on your mind. Stop over-thinking. Consider that the voice/thought that is going through your mind is actually one that is speaking form past survival stories (and that will keep you trapped exactly where you are) .
Recognise it, and then immediately shift your mind’s focus to something else that will allow you to dismiss that limiting voice.
The paradox between the mind and the brain is a conversation WAY more involved than this one blog. For now, I'll paraphrase the Buddha: "Rule your MIND, or your BRAIN will rule you." ... Think about that one.
I’m still in the infancy of the program, but I’m happy to share with you that the simple understanding that your mind is not the same as your brain, and conducting your life with that distinction is uplifting and empowering … something that for the great many programs I’ve done in the past I’ve seldom experienced.
I’d like to encourage you to check out some interviews with Jim Fortin and to do this exercise yourself.
Much of Jim’s material is geared for business and selling professionals … which ultimately is something that everyone wants in some form or another: prosperity to live the life you desire and to be able to make a difference in the world.
Whether its for your family, community or country, the general human desire for legacy is constant. So don’t be afraid if you see the words “money” or “selling.” In fact, if you do feel certain emotions rise when it comes to thinking about money, its actually a clear sign that there’s something in your identity that you may want to examine very closely!
I appreciate that you’ve read this first true blog all the way through. I hope that future blogs will be of even greater value in helping you achieve your full potential in life.
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