Questions are brutally powerful. So powerful in fact that they are the very source of science itself. The very fact that you're able to read this from where you are right now is due to questions. I wonder how many people have actually studied the history of questions and the impact certain questions have had. In your own life questions guide focus, they guide decisions, feelings, moods, emotions, and concepts.
What would happen if you consciously chose which questions you asked yourself throughout the day? For example, during lunch time instead of the trite & overused "What's for lunch?" we asked "What can I eat right now to build a beautiful physique and enhance my energy level?" Do you see the power here?
The small distinctions questions can make in your life can be a gigantic lever of power. Here are some more questions, instead of "How could he...or...why would she?" we could use "How can I....or...what would it take to...?" The key difference here is the first form of question makes us focus on the problem and the power of it. The second set forces you to focus on the desired outcome. Amazing how simple, yet how effective.
Another trick to making question work for you is to refer the question back to you. This gives you honest responsibility, and thus the power to change things in your hands. For example, "why didn't he buy from me?" would be changed to "what could I do to make the sale?" Even better, in regards to a sale, is flat out asking "what would it take for you to buy?" at the point of sales, instead of second guessing and wasting time after the fact.
Novel forms of psychology stem from these lines of questions. The old school Freudian camp were the proverbial "why" junkies. This psychoanalysis was great at wasting time and making a persons problems overwhelming. Forms of psychology that started asking the "how's" and the "what's" questions actually produced radically fast results. Gestalt, Cognitive-psych, and NLP, were the primordial forms of these evolved, results/goal-oriented based psychology therapies.
To change anything immediately change the question. You'll have the honor of joining a group including Einstein, Newton, Galileo, Socrates, and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Angel Armendariz
Showing posts with label Improvement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Improvement. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
How is Dormant Potential Awakened
How is Dormant Potential Awakened?
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
Arthur Koestler in his Ghost in the Machine surveys what he calls the "draw-back-to-leap" pattern or undoing and re-doing. It involves the pattern seen in evolutionary studies when organisms reach a "block" in specialization and continued evolution. This "block" is referred to as specialization in evolutionary biology, and it basically refers to an organism that is one dimensional; can only function and survive effectively in a limited environment and being able to adapt only to its natural environment because of limited function.
The human equivalent would be the rigid person who only knows one way of being, and doing...knows how to do only one job, can only relate to one personality type, one-way of communication. As far as survival value, whether we're talking about sports, school, or work, or life in general; being flexible, multi-dimensional, and having the ability to adjust to your environment lends itself to more alternatives, and puts you in a better position to succeed. Now this "draw-back-to-leap" pattern that Koestler suggests, is inherent in the evolutionary structure. Koestler explains:
"The essence of the process which I have described is an evolutionary retreat from specialized adult forms of bodily structure and behaviour, to an earlier or more primitive stage- followed by a sudden advance in a new direction. It is as if the stream of life had momentarily reversed its course, flowing uphill for a while, then opened up a new stream-bed. I shall try to show that this reculer pour mieux sauter-of drawing back to leap, of undoing and re-doing - is a favourite gambit in the grand strategy of the evolutionary process; and that it also plays an important part in the progress of science and art."
The essential point gathered by the preceding information is that progress - mental or otherwise is not linear. Periods of elaboration followed by consolidation, acceleration followed by adaptation, breaking down to be build back up, and in Koestler's assertions draw back to leap - exemplify the many forms of explanation given to this natural template's form of function. The ac/ad template seeks to command power and effectiveness - it functions to create a more adaptable, and complex holon.
It awakens dormant processes mentally, physically, and even spiritually (ever hear of "dark night of the soul" - relate this to Koestler's draw back to leap principle), that would otherwise remain dormant in a persons habitual mode of being. The inactive person not only forsakes their dormant abilities, but atrophies current abilities by not conditioning these faculties to any form of use or exercise. The essential variable to putting into use the ac/ad template is a challenge, a change, obstacle, or goal. Using these variables we activate the ac/ad template.
Koestler suggests the following:
" The alternative possibility of reacting to a critical challenge is regenerative in a broad sense; it involves major reorganizations of structure and behaviour, which result in biological or mental progress. I shall try to show that both are based on the same draw back to leap pattern, activating creative potentials which are dormant or inhibited in the normal routines of existence."
Angel Armendariz
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
Arthur Koestler in his Ghost in the Machine surveys what he calls the "draw-back-to-leap" pattern or undoing and re-doing. It involves the pattern seen in evolutionary studies when organisms reach a "block" in specialization and continued evolution. This "block" is referred to as specialization in evolutionary biology, and it basically refers to an organism that is one dimensional; can only function and survive effectively in a limited environment and being able to adapt only to its natural environment because of limited function.
The human equivalent would be the rigid person who only knows one way of being, and doing...knows how to do only one job, can only relate to one personality type, one-way of communication. As far as survival value, whether we're talking about sports, school, or work, or life in general; being flexible, multi-dimensional, and having the ability to adjust to your environment lends itself to more alternatives, and puts you in a better position to succeed. Now this "draw-back-to-leap" pattern that Koestler suggests, is inherent in the evolutionary structure. Koestler explains:
"The essence of the process which I have described is an evolutionary retreat from specialized adult forms of bodily structure and behaviour, to an earlier or more primitive stage- followed by a sudden advance in a new direction. It is as if the stream of life had momentarily reversed its course, flowing uphill for a while, then opened up a new stream-bed. I shall try to show that this reculer pour mieux sauter-of drawing back to leap, of undoing and re-doing - is a favourite gambit in the grand strategy of the evolutionary process; and that it also plays an important part in the progress of science and art."
The essential point gathered by the preceding information is that progress - mental or otherwise is not linear. Periods of elaboration followed by consolidation, acceleration followed by adaptation, breaking down to be build back up, and in Koestler's assertions draw back to leap - exemplify the many forms of explanation given to this natural template's form of function. The ac/ad template seeks to command power and effectiveness - it functions to create a more adaptable, and complex holon.
It awakens dormant processes mentally, physically, and even spiritually (ever hear of "dark night of the soul" - relate this to Koestler's draw back to leap principle), that would otherwise remain dormant in a persons habitual mode of being. The inactive person not only forsakes their dormant abilities, but atrophies current abilities by not conditioning these faculties to any form of use or exercise. The essential variable to putting into use the ac/ad template is a challenge, a change, obstacle, or goal. Using these variables we activate the ac/ad template.
Koestler suggests the following:
" The alternative possibility of reacting to a critical challenge is regenerative in a broad sense; it involves major reorganizations of structure and behaviour, which result in biological or mental progress. I shall try to show that both are based on the same draw back to leap pattern, activating creative potentials which are dormant or inhibited in the normal routines of existence."
Angel Armendariz
Monday, August 27, 2007
Paradoxical Progress & Failing Forward
All individual desires, goals, and dreams use the currency of problems. Problems are the answer, in a paradoxical kind of way. The entrepreneur will usually find an unmet need, and provide the service or product. The unmet need is a problem, and by assimilating this problem into the mind and using creativity you produce a result or answer. In this instance a person (entrepreneur) actively seeks problems (unmet needs) and the result of fixing this problem is a new business, service, or profitable idea.
Once a problem is experienced, the usual subconscious response is fear, worry, or doubt. The reason we experience this emotion is because we don't have the adequate information, knowledge, or experience, to confidently solve the problem. If you've ever been in sales think about the first time you had the responsibility of closing a deal. You probably were nervous, fearful, or doubted your abilities. How you handled this experience, whether you succeeded initially or not, either sparked growth and development opportunities; or caused you to quit and dislike selling.
But, what the problem does is bring you face-to-face with your limit, the edge of your personal ability. If you solve the problem you grow beyond your past limits, if you don't solve it you get information to better deal with the issue next time. The key to open your potential resides in you. You can embrace problems as calls to action and grow rapidly, or better yet the self-motivated individual artificially creates problems. The artificial problem is nothing other than the distance between your current limits and/or abilities, and your wants/desires.
When you, for example, have the desire to become a millionaire; that creates an artificial problem. If the desire is intense enough you will do practically anything to achieve it. This intensity to overcome the artificial problem to arrive at you goal is motivation, and by acquiring loads of information via books, seminars, experience, etc., you grow your current limit to bridge the gap between your current state towards the goal you have in mind. The speed at which you will reach this new personal pinnacle is directly proportional to the amount of experience, information, and knowledge you are able to assimilate.
So to speed up the results you would voraciously seek an abundance of information/experience per unit of time. If one salesman makes 100 phone calls to prospective clients daily; and another salesman makes 300 phone calls to prospective clients and reads one sales book a week, who do you think has a better chance of succeeding faster. Obviously innate abilities have an effect, but so what...everyone can improve anything.
If I have a raspy unruly voice, I can educate myself on how to change it, or hire a professional to help me (again a problem creates an opportunity). If I'm lazy I can learn how to motivate myself. If I'm fat, I can learn how to be lean. If I'm not articulate I can learn to be so...and on...and on. Everyone, including yourself, has reached his/her current level of development by choice.
As if by nature's thrust problems arise at times unexpectedly, this implores you to summon your faculties to find a solution, and if one isn't immediately available it forces you to adopt novelty and gather information to devise strategy and remedy the problem. Thus, our creator's way of gently kicking our behind to keep us growing and to manifest the glory of treasures that are within.
The key is to establish enough references to see, feel, hear, and realize that we can re-interpret or as some psychologists would say re-frame, these seemingly painful experiences, and associate pleasure to them. To associate pleasure to problems that present themselves, and pro-actively create artificial problems (goals), that will induce a willful evolutionary process and empower us. I'm not saying to be masochistic, just simply learn to establish detachment and interpret them in a manner where you can zoom out and "see," and experience the possibilities and hidden treasures that problems present.
Angel Armendariz
Once a problem is experienced, the usual subconscious response is fear, worry, or doubt. The reason we experience this emotion is because we don't have the adequate information, knowledge, or experience, to confidently solve the problem. If you've ever been in sales think about the first time you had the responsibility of closing a deal. You probably were nervous, fearful, or doubted your abilities. How you handled this experience, whether you succeeded initially or not, either sparked growth and development opportunities; or caused you to quit and dislike selling.
But, what the problem does is bring you face-to-face with your limit, the edge of your personal ability. If you solve the problem you grow beyond your past limits, if you don't solve it you get information to better deal with the issue next time. The key to open your potential resides in you. You can embrace problems as calls to action and grow rapidly, or better yet the self-motivated individual artificially creates problems. The artificial problem is nothing other than the distance between your current limits and/or abilities, and your wants/desires.
When you, for example, have the desire to become a millionaire; that creates an artificial problem. If the desire is intense enough you will do practically anything to achieve it. This intensity to overcome the artificial problem to arrive at you goal is motivation, and by acquiring loads of information via books, seminars, experience, etc., you grow your current limit to bridge the gap between your current state towards the goal you have in mind. The speed at which you will reach this new personal pinnacle is directly proportional to the amount of experience, information, and knowledge you are able to assimilate.
So to speed up the results you would voraciously seek an abundance of information/experience per unit of time. If one salesman makes 100 phone calls to prospective clients daily; and another salesman makes 300 phone calls to prospective clients and reads one sales book a week, who do you think has a better chance of succeeding faster. Obviously innate abilities have an effect, but so what...everyone can improve anything.
If I have a raspy unruly voice, I can educate myself on how to change it, or hire a professional to help me (again a problem creates an opportunity). If I'm lazy I can learn how to motivate myself. If I'm fat, I can learn how to be lean. If I'm not articulate I can learn to be so...and on...and on. Everyone, including yourself, has reached his/her current level of development by choice.
As if by nature's thrust problems arise at times unexpectedly, this implores you to summon your faculties to find a solution, and if one isn't immediately available it forces you to adopt novelty and gather information to devise strategy and remedy the problem. Thus, our creator's way of gently kicking our behind to keep us growing and to manifest the glory of treasures that are within.
The key is to establish enough references to see, feel, hear, and realize that we can re-interpret or as some psychologists would say re-frame, these seemingly painful experiences, and associate pleasure to them. To associate pleasure to problems that present themselves, and pro-actively create artificial problems (goals), that will induce a willful evolutionary process and empower us. I'm not saying to be masochistic, just simply learn to establish detachment and interpret them in a manner where you can zoom out and "see," and experience the possibilities and hidden treasures that problems present.
Angel Armendariz
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