The Home of Steven Barnes
Author, Teacher, Screenwriter


Wednesday, February 16, 2005

The Fish Tank of your Soul

A lot of folks have joined us since the last time I ran down the complete process I'm suggesting. It is powerful, and flexible. Here are some of the major ideas:
1) Write your life story, from today until the day you die. Make certain to be specific about your goals in body, mind (career), and spirit (relationship).
2) Find one person to represent each arena. Begin to learn all you can about them.
3) Clarify your three major goals (one in each arena) and write them down where you can see them morning and night.
4) Resolve to move toward your goals at a rate of no more than 1% per week.
5) Share your goals with at least one other person who agrees to be your committed listener. If you don't have such a person, use the discussion board here to create community.
6) Five times a day (9, 12,3,6,9) stop and breathe deeply for 60 seconds. Use THE FIVE MINUTE MIRACLE's "Be Breathed" technique.
7) Morning and night, listen to your heartbeat for five minutes minimum.
8) Keep a dream diary. A good idea is to keep a small tape recorder at your bedside and dictate your dreams.
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Point #8 is worth slowing down to discuss, especially if you have weight issues. If you are carrying more than about 50 pounds of extra weight, your body is an emotional toxic waste dump--you are storing all of your pain and fear in that extra flesh. You literally will NOT be able to lose that weight until your subconscious is convinced you will not suffer if you do. Where will you put all of that pain, all of that fear? Well, if you can put it on paper, you might not need to carry it on your bones. WRITE DOWN YOUR DREAMS as you begin to lose weight. Meditate regularly. This is what I've referred to as "running the aquarium filter on the fish tank of your soul." Skip this step, and you'll yo-yo between weight gain and loss until you are exhausted, and no longer believe.
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These are major components. Here's a key question: how many of you can see that every one of these suggestions is a different version of the same idea? You have to read between the lines, but if you look beneath the surface, you'll catch it...

Steve

1 comment:

Baby Boomer Sensei said...

If I did everything on your post, I'd be the President of the United States! Lots of good stuff. Thank you.

Sensei Domi