A problem arises that needs to be solved. An important decision demands to be made. The unexpected occurs forcing a major change of plans. Leaders face these and similar situations all the time, and most have learned that procrastination generally makes things even worse. However there is something that you can do to become much more successful, and it only takes a few moments to employ.
Stop, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and for a just few moments, imagine yourself in a quiet peaceful place. Pretend that you can see the place, or hear the sounds, or simply feel as if you are there. A few moments (ten or twenty seconds) in this real or imaginary peaceful place, you’ll find will have a profound influence on your ability to effectively handle stressful situations.
Stress brings you into a divided attention mode that is known as the Beta Brainwave State. Creative options decrease in this state, and you move into a dualistic fight or flight, right or wrong, either / or mentality. Relaxing the mind for a just a few moments in this peaceful place, brings you into the Alpha Brainwave State, and opens you up to the whole rainbow of creative possibilities that lie between the black and white. It releases your mind from the either / or mentality and makes room for the creative possibilities of neither or both.
In the Alpha State, the conscious mind or Brain Mind, (the mind of logic and reasoning), and the subconscious mind or Heart Mind (the mind of emotion and imagination) work together in harmony. As we focus our concentration in the Alpha Brainwave State, certain neurological pathways in the brain become stimulated, allowing greater electro-chemical connections between our conscious and our subconscious minds. With the filter (the reticular activating system) open, we have access to far more of our creative intelligence.
In today’s complex world, we spend a lot of time in the Beta Brainwave State, where our attention is divided when we are thinking about several ideas at the same time. There are; however, many occasions that benefit from the focused concentration and undivided intensity of the Alpha Brainwave State. It is the athlete’s peak performance state and the inventor’s creativity. It is the surgeon’s focus and the stamp collector’s concentration. It is every child’s state of fascination, wonder and awe. Alpha is the state for greatness at any endeavor.
Controlling your own brainwave activity and bringing yourself into Alpha allows you gain access and bring passion to both your logical deductive intelligence, and also the emotional creative intelligence that is found in the mind that dreams at night. We are in each of the four brainwave states most every day. Going toward sleep is what brings our brainwave activity down; waking up brings it back up. It happens automatically, but it can be controlled intentionally.
Here in the Information Age we have a need to develop certain skills. Two of the most important career skills become creativity and problem solving. Making things up, and figuring things out. Alpha can dramatically enhance your ability to do both.
Who is Steven Snyder?
Steven Snyder is a long-time favorite, international resource because of the practical take home skills he gives his audience. He is best known for the development of AlphaLearning, the product of more than forty years of research into accelerated reading and learning techniques, concentration and attention skills, hypnosis, meditation, visualization, brilliance, passion, and the nature of mastery. Steve is the author of several books including Focused Passion. On his website www.PEN.Tools is one of the largest collections of free Personal Empowerment Audio Programs on the internet.