Self Motivation

Let me first make a very important statement. People cannot be motivated. At least not in the long term. It has to come from within. My son Andrew told me that when he worked in sales, the team had daily motivation meetings to get everyone going for a few hours. The meetings had to be repeated because the salespeople ran out of steam!

What a seminar can do is to help you become more motivated by teaching specific information and skills that lead you to discover your own inner strength and power. Recent scientific discoveries involving the relationship between the conscious and subconscious minds allow us to identify and understand how we can effectively motivate ourselves. Paul 0. Thomas, a leading expert on how the brain and human mind work, has this to say:
'Motivation is the energising and control of purposeful behaviour towards specific goals'.

The CALM Life Skills Seminar teaches:

I have written separate articles on how to develop the first two skills. This article deals with the third.

The Subconscious Mind

motivationYour mind has two components, each with separate functions. There is the conscious mind, which is 12% of our mind, and the subconscious mind, which is the other 88%. Scientists have also identified four brain wave states which the mind uses to perform separate tasks: Beta, the "action" or "doing" state (also the state in which we accumulate stress), Alpha, the "single focus" concentration, or learning state, Theta, the creative, meditative or healing state, and Delta, the deep sleep state.

The conscious mind is the one we readily identify with, it is our Beta "doing" state, that we use to perceive the world and make decisions such as "I would like to lose weight'. The subconscious mind is responsible for storing our memory, habits, beliefs, personality and self-image. It also controls our bodily functions (notice you don't have to consciously think about doing these things). It is accessed through the Alpha state.

When we form a conscious desire or goal ("I want to lose weight'), we come up against our existing habit ("When I experience too much stress I rush to the nearest Fast Food outlet!"). This is 12% of your mind battling with the other 88%. If you make this a battle of conscious will, you can experience stress as you fight to discipline yourself to keep to your diet plan. This can lead to much pain and suffering, the reason why most people will either deviate from their diet within a week of starting, or give up completely.

The conflict between the conscious and the subconscious mind is experienced on an emotional level (reluctance to perform a task, fear, anxiety, depression, etc.). You can avoid this conflict when you understand how the conscious mind can influence the subconscious mind.

The keys to this are:

Why Is Relaxation So Important?

Dr Roger Sperry (who won the Nobel Peace prize for this discovery!) was able to scientifically prove that a part of our brain, the Reticular Activating System (RAS) is responsible for communicating (or "filtering") the flow of information between the conscious and subconscious mind. He discovered that when his patients were in the Beta state (state of stress), this "filter" was closed (this is why when we are under stress it is difficult to remember things!). However the filter opened when the patient was in the Alpha/Theta or Delta state.

The Difference Between Affirmations and Goals

An affirmation is a "goal" repeated by the conscious mind in the Beta state which can only be acted upon by the l2% of your mind which normally functions in that state. It is what we call positive self talk. Furthermore, an affirmation which conflicts with a current subconscious habit or belief will be actively resisted by the subconscious mind on an emotional level. You experience this when you say the goal and don't "feel" that you can achieve it. That doubt uncertainty or fear is the subconscious mind resisting the goal.

A goal however is the same affirmation repeated by the conscious mind in the Alpha state, and using the language of the subconscious mind. This can then be acted upon by the other 88% of your mind which functions in that state. This is what we call conscious programming of the subconscious mind When correctly done, it is experienced as confidence, certainty and enthusiasm about achieving the goal each time you think it. In this case both the conscious and subconscious minds are focused on achieving the goal.

In the Life Skills Seminar you learn:
  1. A complete scientific explanation on how the mind works.
  2. A method of consciously relaxing any time, anywhere.
  3. An understanding of the language of the subconscious mind.
  4. A fast and easy way of reaching the Alpha brain wave state.
  5. A method of effective goal setting.
  6. Biofeedback from an electroencephalograph to ensure that you can do it correctly

So What is the Next Action Step that You Can Take?

CALM makes suggestions on how you can develop your skills in dealing with Self Motivation using Sandy MacGregor's low cost Tapes, Books, CDs, Videos and Seminars which have been utilised by thousands of people successfully since 1990. [click here]