Our minds are nothing short of a miracle.
It controls all our bodily functions from blood flow to breathing, from muscle movement to chemical releases. On top of that we encharge it with capturing all the information around us from all five of our senses.
Our eyes are constantly bombarded with thousands of pieces of information which our mind makes sense of. Weight, depth, distance, temperature – all guesstimated by our minds.
When we are engaged in conversation we use it to recall memories, understand what is being talked about and then constructing sentences to pass along the information we wish to share.
All in milliseconds.
Truly amazing. And here’s the best part – it’s FREE.
Yep, factory sealed, completely blank.
But it learns and it learns fast. At first with a newborn child it might not seem that way, but as he/she grows the growth is incredible with the biggest changes often being felt between two and five. That is when they go from being a baby to a kid and a kid’s desire to learn is insatiable.
There’s only one potential flaw in it. And that is it only learns what you give it.
That’s why we must ensure that it gets the right information.
First and foremost that information comes from parents.
Kids mimic what they see and hear as every parent will attest to.
Our son just started saying, “Oh, shoot.” Where do you think he picked that up?
Now if I lived in America that could be from his friends, at school, a movie or us.
But as we live in Japan and he attends a Japanese daycare the only place he gets his English is from the home.
That leaves just me, my wife and TV.
And guess who my son adores? Me. Guess who copies everything I do from my mannerisms to my choice of words? Yep, you guessed it.
In other words I get another me in the house.
Now that’s ok because I’m a pretty lovable guy (lol) but I know that the best thing I can do is be a good example.
That means:
- No bad language
- Apologizing when I’m wrong
- Being patient
- Being both kind and strict
- Working hard
- Help around the house
- Be there for him
It’s easy to see if I’m doing a good job because I get to see him apply what he picks up on a daily basis. And the verdict is – so far, so good.
But to give him every possible advantage I need to go in search of more good stuff. Some for him and some for me to help me be a better person.
So where else can we get good stuff.
There’s just so much.
School is one place, but unfortunately there are always bad seeds so it’s the parents job to make sure that the kids realize just how important learning is and at the same time how to deal with both the good, and bad, of life.
Trainings and lectures are great places to pick up ideas not only for work but for life. You just need to keep your ears and eyes open.
One of the things I found early on in my teacher training here in Japan that many of the same principles that apply in teaching apply in life. (ie. People love to hear their name said often)
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know how much I harp on books.
Looking for ideas to build a business, there’s a book on that. Trying to learn a foreign language, there’s a book on that. Want to be an accountant, there’s a book on that. Trying to be a better parent, manager, salesman, presenter, marketer – there’s a book on all of those.
A trip to your local library could prove to be one of the most profitable things you ever decide to do.
The Internet is basically a library on steroids.
Unfortunately, most people use it as an entertainment machine rather than a success magnet.
The Internet is your network (social media), your research (google), and your business (website).
Once we have gathered the information we deem good four ourselves and our children, we must set about applying what we find.
It’s no good to simply be a gatherer, we must be an implementer.
If it doesn’t work for you, chuck it. If it does, do it more.
Finally, here are two little secrets that many successful people know. The first is using the subconscious.
The idea is simple – before you go to bed at night you ask your mind a question. Then all night long while you sleep your mind has been working on it. Most likely when you wake up you’ll have some ideas on how to go about it.
The second is quiet time. Our minds are constantly on the go, taking in new information and analyzing each and every piece. It’s all go, go, go up there. So taking time to just do nothing gives your mind a chance to catch up.
From the minute we wake up to the minute our head hits the pillow we don’t get a moment’s rest. If that’s you – make time. Even just two minutes will help.
Your mind will thank you and be more capable of handling all that is going on.
Sleep and quiet time – two tricks of the trade.
Now you know how to get the most out of this incredible free gift we are all given.
The only question is – will you?
Adrian Shepherd