A social aptitude not to weight for the juice of life

I was aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight about 2 years ago and I saw the Jawbone UP in the in-flight brochure.

“£120! That's a lot of money for a bangle!” , I thought

What an UP was, simply didn’t register in my mind.

Sick Athleticism by a Basket Case

I was diagnosed as an athlete 20 years ago, which totally surprised me! However, I did take great pleasure in producing a print-out from St Thomas’ Hospital to show my Basketball teammates, who were half my age.
Every time they made a wise crack about my age, out would come the report and I would openly gloat “cos I’m an athlete, you know” .

The Weight of Cholesterol

I retired from my active Basketball participation in 1998 and if I was honest, I have proceeded  to get sick ever since.
20 years ago I was diagnosed with Hypercholesterolemia, which was why I attending St Thomas’ Hospital.

By July 1st, this year, my weight had climbed in excess of 252lbs but my cholesterol level remained static at around 11.

Statins

Some time back I decided to quit the Statins and all the other drugs that had been prescribed to fix my Cholesterol and I am glad I did!

Last year the film ‘Statin Nation’ was released, which refutes that Cholesterol is the killer that it is reported to be and that “People with high cholesterol tend to live longer” . The purpose of Cholesterol it seems is to repair damage to arteries, Cholesterol is not the problem, it is a symptom of something else and the wrong thing is being treated.

Not even being aware of that, for me it was a life choice:
“Is my life going to be about taking drugs?”.
It was a Brain Space thing.
I consider my present time and where I put my thoughts as precious, even more than my own longevity. 
Worrying about taking prescribed medications wasn’t doing it for me.

As my weight grew so did my blood pressure. It was high!

Walking up slopes for any amount of time produced tightness in my chest, I was aware of pains in my shoulders, tingling hands and even my teeth experienced strange sensations!

Last year my friend , Jason Jackman, referred to me to Superwellness  Nutritionist Coach, Angela Steel and my education began. Sweet!

SUGAR!

Its everywhere! from bread to Coca Cola, from ice-cream to ketchup, from hot-dog to cakes, jams, sweets, sausages, yogurts ... you name it!
In virtually everything I ate.

Great, as an athlete, I would burn it but as a Laptop Jockey ………. No

Research is reporting that the excess sugars in our diet are responsible for a variety of ailments, such as colds, flu, food allergies, high cholesterol, candida, cancer, diabetes, fatty degeneration, degenerative diseases, depression, dizziness, crying spells, aggression, insomnia, weakness, skin problems, heart and circulatory diseases... 

My eating habits changed and I discovered just how enjoyable AND SATISFYING some foods really are, yet alone how they repair my body!
Organic oats for breakfast with Strawberries and Blueberries and half a banana – even though the banana has natural sugar, it still has sugar!

Snacks of Almonds or Munchy Seeds – new sensations, new tastes – its all new experience and its fun!

This year, I re-mortgaged my house and a medical report was required by the insurance company. Blood tests were taken and submitted to my Doctor and off I went to see him.
My visits to the doctor occur about every 10 years.

He said “your Cholesterol level is 11”, I said “that’s good for me”.
We discussed how to lower it and given my decision not to take drugs, I asked what the alternatives were, expecting him to talk to me about food or alternative therapies.  Instead I was offered alterative drugs.

Strangely enough, the high blood pressure had disappeared and 2 weeks later, just by being aware, my cholesterol was down to 9.6 but I am a hypnotherapist

UP

Some weeks later, I met a client in Westfield Mall, in London’s East End, next to the Olympic Park. In the Apple Store I came across the Jawbone Up again – “why would the Apple Store stock a bangle?”

The UP wristband tracks the amount of steps that I take and sleep states, deep and shallow. I then plug it into my Android phone and it uploads its data to the UP app.

I use IFTTT.com to push other data to the UP from many sources:
YouTube, Foursquare, my Wordpress Blog, Flickr, the weather at the beginning of the day and at 3pm and scrobbles from Last.FM
It is like a life journal.

I also push data from the UP app to Facebook, Google Docs and Google Calendar.

But Weight!

I then discovered the Withings Smart Body Analyser (scales) which feeds my weight, Body fat measurement, CO2 readings from where I sleep and my heart rate thru WiFi to its app and from there to most of the other Life-style apps that I now use.

If any of the apps don't redistribute data to other apps, then usually IFTTT.com can.

The Runkeeper app measures my steps, tracks me by GPS and tells me (in a female voice) how I am progressing as I walk. She tells me about my pace and speed. Runkeeper is another app installed on my smartphone too.

All that remained was to monitor my heart rate on a continuous basis and upload that data to my phone and there I hit a problem!

According to Polar, in the UK, Polar Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitors don’t work with my Samsung S3! In point of fact nothing seemed to work the way I wanted but if I owned an iPhone, I would have been spoilt for choice.
I think that is pretty backward!

Eventually, I bought a Garmin Forerunner 110. Although this doesn't transfer data by Bluetooth or WiFi, it connects via a USB directly to my laptop and using Runkeeper,com, I can upload a map of where I walk, the elevation, my pace etc. etc., as well as to Garmin Connect  which records the same data and keeps a record of my activity on its own calendar.
Garmin also has an app for my phone.

The calendar can be added to my Google Calendar but so far I haven’t been able to make that work,

Next thing up was the  Joe Cross documentary on Channel 5, here in the UK:

'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead' ( click here to see the  Official Trailer from Team Reboot on Vimeo )

So I bought the same Juicer, as he uses in the programme.
But

then I needed to measure the acid in my blood and that where it becomes lo-tech.
I ordered Simplex Health pH Test Strips from Amazon and add the results onto a Google spread-sheet

 

The great thing is that I dropped 10lbs in a week.
I feel so great and its getting better each day!
And everything is broadcastable through Facebook and Twitter and on Runkeeper’s own  Social stream – that’s quite an incentive!

Becoming accountable to my network and I even have one of my clients monitor me, which she does admirably!

So, the Universe conspired to get me well.
I got aware and I have had a fun time playing with gadgets and apps and being a ‘Social Tart’, enjoying reporting the progress in SoMe and all this while I heal …. Fabulous!

 

Become aware. Take responsibility for your own health and your diet. Don’t delegate and
Be well!

sources:

http://www.statinnation.net/
 http://www.superwellness.co.uk/
  https://jawbone.com/up#system 
https://jawbone.com/up#gallery:1
http://curezone.com/foods/sugarpage.asp
 http://www.withings.com/en/bodyanalyzer
http://runkeeper.com/running-app
https://garmin.com/
 http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
 http://www.lakeland.co.uk/ 

Spaced Out Unintended Arrogance?

I met up with a client yesterday. She was at the appointed spot ahead of time but the interesting thing was that I knew she was there five minutes before I arrived.  I just felt her presence.

As I exited Waterloo Station and headed  towards ‘The Southbank’ a conversation started in my head about people who are always late.

I remember watching a Dr Phil show where he was discussing the subject of  Continual Lateness. One guy was talking about how he even gets up “10 minutes earlier to make sure that I am not late and I am still late!”
Dr Phil responded along the lines of “You are always late because you are arrogant”. I thought that interesting and I understand it but what occurred to me yesterday is that Fear may have the greater part to play in it.

Arrogance is the result of Fear. Maybe that is my assumption but I trust my gut so I know it is true.

I had a friend who asked me help her with her preparations for a significant court appearance. I was to meet her at a law practice at a given time and every occasion she was late – very late! AND there was always a justifiable reason. (But the law of averages tell you that is not possible)
Even when it came to the big day, she arrived  90 minutes late. Was that arrogance or was she confronted?

Clearly these are programmes that we run, we develop routines and habits to support how we manage time and commitments.

I have another friend who is always ahead of time. I like that. He, much as my client yesterday,  has gifted me with  time to spare.
Its also great because it is one less thing to be concerned about, by which I mean, one less thing to process and …

…. I love having space in my brain , I value it!

Brain Space

I don’t like having others take up my brain space, without my permission.
For me, having Brain Space is more space in which I can create and have great thoughts.

Thoughts are the real juice of life. They are the proof that we are alive. The source of our conscious reality. The source of pleasure and pain.

Byron Katie is one lady in particular who is a pleasure to watch whilst she thinks. You see it happen and you see the pleasure and it exudes from her and I get it!
That’s a gift!

So I guess compassion is the order of the day.
When people are continually late, they are probably fearful and may be avoiding or hiding it. They are probably less organised and that caused by lack of brain space
OR
they may be blatantly arrogant and that takes planning AND BRAIN SPACE

My friend lost her appeal, by the way. I guess that was lack of space.

Reality exists in time and space – How we use time and where we use it creates our reality be it Pleasurable or Painful.

Catcha! I’m off to think pleasurable thoughts, Just gotta get me some space.

BRING IT ON!

 

Images Southbank: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/ 
Astronaut: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/
Dr Phil: Various

Build a Good Practice practice practice

I was recently asked “How do I Build a Good Practice?” by two new comers to coaching. I answered Practice, practice, practice and more practice and at every level.
In other words practice all the time until it becomes unconscious so that you just BE a practitioner and what you practice just occurs whenever and wherever it is needed. Whatever your practice!

I sign up to many discussion groups and forums and online communities related to my practices. But I seem to come across one particular problem: Many contributors desire to prove that they know their subject and maybe, even worse, try to sell something based on that.
I understand the desire to exchange ideas but the problem is that the activity of practice and the learnings from practising, need to be taking place directly with people. Either face to face or one to one by phone or VOIP, rather than indirectly via a keyboard or keypad.

Learn by practising Being a practitioner is not about knowing techniques. It is about when and where. Unconsciously use the right technique that is needed and more importantly, take that technique and modifying it to match the needs of your client. True practitioners do not need to think what to apply and when. They just know what to do and when to do it. What to do if what they are doing is not working. How to switch and what to switch to…. and there is the point.

That takes practice.

When I mentor practitioners. One particular question often arises. How much should I charge?

 Here is an example of a typical conversation:

Practitioner “I am thinking of doing a weight loss programme”

Mentor Great! How many people, what format are you using, where, etc…?

Practitioner Oh, it’s for 10 people and …….……

Mentor How much are you charging?

Practitioner Oh, I am not charging. I need the practice.

Mentor You are a practitioner, that’s your job. You are there to practice.
You are not practicing to become something, you should continually practice to continue as a practitioner. A valuable practitioner

 

Actually, I believe that this should go one stage further. You need to practice so that you Become a valuable Servant.

What you charge should be based on a combination of the value to the client and what the client can afford.
I go as far to ask my clients what they are going to pay me.  And, having described what I am going to do, I will ask “How valuable would that be to you?”

The question is deliberate. It gives me a clue as to how the client values themself. The answer indicates what type of work and the amount of work that I will need to do.

Many practitioners price themselves too cheaply because they want to make their services available to as many people as possible. This is admirable. We are here to make a difference, to make people’s lot better BUT this is misplaced. It should not be about what the practitioner is charging, rather a combination of the value to the client and what the client can afford.
It is about the client, not the practitioner, which means everybody pays an appropriate price and in some cases the price is nothing!

If you undercharge some people they will perceive that your practice isn’t worth much and they won’t engage. If you overcharge others they will not engage either.
If your desire is to make you service easily available, charging the right amount is important.

Do not serve too many clients at one time.
That's right! Turn business down
You have to be fit to serve so conserving your energy is paramount.

If you wish to offer your services free then make money first from those that will pay you before you offer your services free of charge to those that cannot afford you
Only offer your services free of charge once you can afford to do so and always do your best work whether you are being paid or not.

Offering services free of charge to build up a reputation, rarely works. Practitioners can end up struggling and then can’t afford to market themselves. By all means offer samples of your work BUT....
No dough, no go!

If you need to practice something new you can offer free consultation via classified advertising sites like Gumtree.com and explain why you are asking for free clients. You can also advertise in the local press.

As far as I am concerned the purpose, whatever you practice, should be that
You are there to serve.

---

• Practice all the time
• Practice one to one
• Learn by practising
• Learn when and where
• BE a practitioner.
• Be valuable
• Be a valuable servant
• Ask “How valuable would that be to you?”
• Charge for the value that the client expects
• Turn business down
• Improve people’s lot
• Offer your services for free occasionally
• Always do your best work!
• No dough, no go!
• Serve.

A Schizophrenic Way of Life?

In reaction to a Facebook posting, I was asked my view on “How one company is trying to buy up Mother Earth”. The link doesn’t appear to contain the same words - Go Figure

OK, I am a big picture guy.

We are amidst a social revolution, clearly!
People are using Social Media and the Internet to affect change like never before and the results are being seen by the amount of people on the streets protesting throughout the world.

My friend said to me the other day that the Brits would be on the streets if it were not for Beer and Football and amusing as it was, I can see his reasoning and it’s a true generalisation.

‘Thems that have’ appear to be in a last ditch attempt to maintain control and the reactions are showing up all over the internet. Perceived injustices are showing up like never before! The velocity of communication has never been at the speed of light before available to so many people.

Perception is on high alert and emotional reaction the same whereas time taken to research is probably not being undertaken at a personal level, rather digital ‘hear-say’ is!
Isn’t that the same velocity working against itself?

Avaaz is part of the reaction of ordinary folk to maintain freedom (freedom is an illusion and actually always has been an illusion).
Brits have freedom to a point and believe that they are free because they are comfortable with their lot, when actually most are held in place by fears of losing something because they noticed they have already started losing stuff.
But the Brits probably have the highest level of freedom available in the world. Hence our massive immigration population. People like the freedoms we have.

My personal belief:
Protestation doesn’t work as much as we think it does, community and negotiated agreements always delivers but without the protestation then issues are veiled from us.

There is a place and a time (reality) for all behaviour but it needs to be powerful not forceful.

Osho said:

"Everybody wants freedom as far as talking is concerned, but nobody really is free and nobody really wants to be free, because freedom brings responsibility. It does not come alone. And to be dependent is simple: the responsibility is not on you, the responsibility is on the person you are dependent on.

So people have made a schizophrenic way of life. They talk about truth, they talk about freedom, and they live in lies, they live in slaveries – slaveries of many kinds, because each slavery frees you from some responsibility. A man who really wants to be free has to accept immense responsibilities. He cannot dump his responsibilities on anybody else. Whatever he does, whatever he is, he is responsible."

Humans have such a bad track record of self-abuse, like no other animal on this planet and the constant need to separate and use is bazaar. The concept of retribution is also bazaar.
Who are we fearful of? who are we controlling? who are we stealing from?,  who are we fighting? Who are we punishing? … Ourselves – That’s bazaar!

It is community and agreement (enrolment via conversation) that will change things, always has, always will and that’s the power of humanity.
Not forceful action or forceful opinion, rather great questions.

Social Media is a conversation. It needs to generate creativity and enrolment.

Perhaps I am Socratic but I believe Questions have more power than answers because it is creativity that drives humanity not fixing things – that is containment. It is not freedom.

#justsaying

 

“Freedom is everything and love is all the rest” ~ Dr. Richard Bandler and Owen Fitzpatrick

Sources:

Pictures:
AVAAZ  http://www.facebook.com
Osho http://www.oshoradio.net 
Owen Fitzpatrick and AyPee at NLP Masterclass

Content:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_vs_mother_earth_loc/ and http://www.facebook.com

Turn on, tune in, and drop out

“My advice to people today is as follows: if you take the game of life seriously, if you take your nervous system seriously, if you take your sense organs seriously, if you take the energy process seriously, you must turn on, tune in, and drop out”

~ Timothy Leary

probably the most famous thing that Timothy Leary said.

Timothy Francis Leary - born October 6th, 1920 died May 31st, 1996

Leary was an American psychologist who advocated the use of psychedelic drugs when they were both available and could be used legally. He conducted experiments at Harvard University in the 60’s together with Richard Alpert and I remember reading about his experiments in The Sunday Times supplement at the time

He believed  that the drugs had potential use in psychiatry and he developed the eight-circuit model of consciousness, which is presented  in his 1977 book Exo-Psychology.

Richard Nixon once described Leary as "the most dangerous man in America"
….. Hmm.. ……. Interesting observation  

Alpert travelled to India in 1967 where he met Neem Karoli Baba, who gave him the name "Ram Dass", meaning "servant of God"
Dass is now a considered contemporary spiritual teacher

 

Sources: Quote:  brainyquote.com Images Google Detail Wikipedia and nytimes.com