As I Think, So I Feel
BREATHE!
"As I think, so I feel.
As I feel, so I do.
As I do, so I have."--Joseph McClendon
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I like this, even though it starts at the Head center ("so I think") instead of the belly brain ("so I do"). That's ok. An affirmation like this is going to work for someone already grounded. Imagine building a high-rise apartment. You start with the foundations, then build upward. Build those foundations deep! That's the belly brain, your physical connection to life and reality.
But once you finish construction and decoration, SURE you can travel up the elevator and move into the pent house. Then, every day, an affirmation like this is a powerful connection to your life force, using perception to create emotion, emotion to create action, so that your actions can create the results you like (be sure that the actions themselves are aligned with your essence! Never sacrifice today for tomorrow).
There are a ton of useful metaphors that can be applied here, relating to people "born at the top" or those who have forgotten where the stairs are, and are afraid of elevators. I could go on and on.
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I am having fun with Joseph's new three-day Zoom workshop. I met him a couple of decades ago. He was part of a highly regarded coaching organization, and I hired him for two days. I love doing things like that: have some outside expert, someone who has achieved good things AND coached others in how to do it, and have them take a tour through my body-mind structure, testing and tinkering.
It was a fascinating two days, at least partially because my ego has TONS of defenses, and a huge amount of knowledge, so I could figure out what he was trying to do to me a great deal of the time. But…he was also smart enough to operate on multiple levels at the same time (the most important level is always the coach's personal congruence. That makes them like a tuning fork, and you will vibrate in their presence).
So there were LOTS of little things having to do with my goals (the most important thing is clarity and deep motivation. If you have enough "why" you will figure out the "how." But I still remember one thing in particular:
He discovered that I got an energy "pop" any time I thought about my daughter Nicki. My family is like an infinite battery to me: I'd do anything for them, and Nicki and I have a simple, clear relationship: I adore her, and she knows it.
That was GREAT. Because it meant that ANY time I could connect a goal to Nicki, find some way that writing a book, or working out, or meditating connected to being a good father, I INSTANTLY had the energy to push through.
Remember that scene in TERMINATOR 2 when Arnold's cyborg was skewered by the T-1000, rupturing his power cell? And the machine had to re-route to an alternate cell? THAT is what clarity of motivation does. When we get tired, it is easier to fear and become negative and discouraged. ENERGY is the fastest and most direct way to get out of a rut.
Learning to find the things that motivate us, get us going, is critical. Dig deep. Find the things you would be willing to die for. Family? Honor? Personal autonomy? Freedom? Your spiritual beliefs?
Once you find it, simply connect ALL your critical goals to that. Weave it all together. When I went to Joseph, what I was looking for was an edge, a perspective on the next level of integration and accomplishment. The "high-level black belt" techniques of life.
And remembering that there really AREN'T any "high level" techniques. There are simple techniques that the masters sophisticate and clarify over time. The best writers aren't just creating new words. The best boxers are still using the same five punches. The best spouses aren't inventing new emotions.
They are going deeper. Connecting with the "Source" of their energy, the "burning core" of their emotions, connected to their deepest heart (the "C" in the MAGIC formula).
So…how does Joseph's incantation fit into this?
As I think, so I feel.
As I feel, so I do.
As I do, so I have.
How do we control our emotions? By focusing our attention, moving our bodies, and choosing our internal language carefully. That's "Head Center" and "Belly Brain" to guide "Heart Center."
EMOTION is the fuel of action. When you feel positive about the action, and NEGATIVE about "not taking the action", you will act. If you are not acting, you simply need to look at this (note: this is not saying it is simple to deal with, any more than reducing caloric input below output is "easy" long term. But the basic reality is SIMPLE, if you grasp the difference.). If you have triggered the right emotions, you will ACT. If you are not acting, you know you don't have your emotions aligned with a strategy (Head Center) you have faith in.
IF you have found a valid map, and are constantly taking incremental action, then you will walk that road. IF the road is designed to be engaging and joyful IN AND OF ITSELF, then you are "successful" every day. Which leads to more positive emotions. Which accelerates you, and the concept of "compounding interest" takes over.
In many ways, this path is based on the notion of changing your results powerfully NOW, and even more powerfully over the course of the next year. 1% weekly improvement will solve most issues in about a year, and if you need to move more rapidly, all you have to do is pump the MAGIC formula up to a 5-7. Its purely up to you: how much change can you tolerate?
So…think, feel, do, have. That's not a bad syntax at all, if you have your ethics (Three Gates) and safety rails (Three Centers) and remember that the meaning of life is to escape suffering, embrace joy, and be of service.
So yes, I'm happy to spend a few days with Joseph again. Even coaches need coaches, and I search far and wide for people who can guide me, or give me a clear perspective on where I am on the map of my life…or even if I need to refine my map. That happens, but much less frequently as time has passed. "X" does indeed mark the spot, and the harder I dig, the more gold I get. Is there possibly a richer load over the horizon? ABSOLUTELY. Almost certainly.
But I already have health, and love, and financial success. And what I want now is not an easier dig, but a way to connect my efforts to "service" such that the more people I serve, the more success I get in all three arenas. I'm close, but not there yet. I can see that destination up ahead, and have to keep going.
I'm looking for gems dropped by an explorer who took a somewhat different, but sufficiently parallel, path in life. He drops some doozies.
Namaste
Steve
