It’s been a while since my last post, but this particular image merited a return hiatus; more of which will come over the remainder of the year. This Bansky image titled “I Will” struck a cord because when I read the script so many truisms reverberated in my mind!

Every word pulled a string, every line made a sting…

We do live in the type of world depicted in this script, it is very clear, it is in our faces every single day. We accept much discrepancy, and we masochistically enjoy being ignorant! How is this possible in a world of so many choices and possibilities?

It’s simple! We prefer to live our lives in a plastic-happy, candy floss montage of moments that make us feel good because the pain of the shadow world of ego-tenderness can seem overwhelming! Just look at sites like Above Top Secret for a plethora of global issues that seem insuperable.

These situations make us feel powerless, we feel as if the issues facing us are insurmountable; what can we do? It is too painful to face, even in plain view. Let’s throw the world into the back-burner, the too hard basket! Ignorance is bliss!

Does it disappear? For a while perhaps, but it still rests with us at the edge of our vision, in the depths of our psyche–and the collective psyche–as a mild but growing anxiousness… It will never go away, unless…

Instead of accepting that this is inevitable and unchangeable, there is another way. Instead of putting pressure on an immovable force through protesting, which only stretches an issue so far before it flings back in your face, there is another way. Protesting is only useful when it is accompanied by enlightened, compassionate, empowering personal change in every individual that protests–anger begets anger, compassion begets compassion et cetera…

We must change ourselves in order to change the world. If just one (1) percent of the world changes their views in a positive sense, there will be a paradigm shift that will snowball into the rest of the global consciousness. Look at recent world events such as the protests in the Middle East that have toppled dictators, these were not the protests themselves, they were an ideological way of thinking “we have had enough of being ruled by force”, they were a change of mind within a group of individuals that a large part of the world consciously agreed upon.

Perhaps it’s time to deprogram ourselves, to take responsibility for our reality, and to become more conscious of our lives… What do you think?

Putting Your Best Foot Forward – Daily Self-Maintenance

We’ve all heard the instructions of a flight attendant prompting us to don our own oxygen mask before we assist anybody else with their own. This advice represents an interesting metaphor for self-maintenance since it so precisely suggests why it’s essential. It states, ironically, that if you cannot attend to you for the sake of you, act for other people. Few circumstances in our day-to-day lives mirror the frightening arousal of an airplane emergency, so it’s easy to continue putting self-maintenance off lightly. This is most relevant, when we become ill, inundated, or fatigued, and all of a sudden don’t possess the vitality to look after the people who depend on us. That’s when we recognise we haven’t drawn enough oxygen to support ourselves. We start to see that attending to our personal needs is neither egotistical nor self-indulgent; it’s simply sensible.

Putting your best foot forward implies that it might be necessary to say no to somebody else to say yes to yourself. For most of us, we often have a feeling we could be serving somebody else instead of ourselves. In these moments it helps to think of the oxygen metaphor. You will then be able to encourage yourself by stating “I’m looking after myself so I’m better able to look after other people” or use another mantra that will inspire you. Likewise, it serves to remember that self-maintenance does not have to equal monumentally long routines. Actually, the most effective prescription for looking after yourself involves small, daily rituals. For instance, taking 30 minutes for yourself at the start and end of the day to practice meditation, Yoga, Qui-Gung, write, or just be; is highly effective. You may also enjoy transforming your daily shower or bath into a 30 -minute energy healing or pandering session.

Whatever you decide to do remember that establishing a routine or small gesture and putting yourself first everyday, will yield enormous results for you and the ones you hold dearest. The oxygen you need is all-round you; so be in the moment, focus on one task at a time, embrace the light of your consciousness and remember to breathe.

By Cedric Jean

Entering the Doorway of Life – Shrinking Before Expanding

Occasionally our lives shrink before expanding. We might be cultivating ourselves spiritually, acting in alignment with the universe, chasing our dreams, and questioning why we’re still confronting choke-points of all kinds – fiscal, mental, emotional, physiological. Perhaps we even experience ourselves as though we’ve forgotten our spirituality, enclosed in a shadowed room with no windows and no way out. Were disoriented and demoralized by what constitutes a lack of advance. Though occasionally this is the manner in which our actions play out. Similar to a caterpillar that encloses itself in a dainty cocoon prior to developing wings and flying, we’re experiencing the dusk before the dawn.

When our actions feel constricting, it is easy to feel anxious or choose to behave somehow to relieve the feeling of shrinking. We may also consume ourselves mentally, attempting to grasp why our actions are the way they are. Nevertheless, there’s nothing we´re expected to act on at this moment except to be tolerant and persevering. The key is to become more conscious and mindful that we’re processing the transformation from one phase to another. The more we yield to the experience, the easier it will be to travel through our constricting actions and into the wide-open views of the other side. Comparable to a baby working its way down through the birth canal, we might feel compressed, pressured and uncomfortable, however if we understand that we’re now born into a fresh reality, we’ll discover the strength to continue.

Just as we suffer the contractions, we can also discover serenity inside ourselves whenever we remember to believe in the universe. If we look to nature for divine guidance, we witness that all beings resign to the march of birth. In this form of surrender, and in the core of one’s own heart, lives a willingness to trust in the unknown as we walk our solemn paths through the doorway of life.

By Cedric Jean

The Zen Art of Focusing on One Task at a Time – Complete More in Less Time!

Some time ago, I spent a year living in a Zen temple called Jakwangsa, two hours south of Seoul, Korea. Living with the solemn, astute monks, I learned a number of Zen methods to reign in the chaos and distracted wanderings of my mind; namely through meditation and by learning the power of living in the moment. The idea is that by focusing your mind on nothing, it can better focus you in everything; not only that, but by always being conscious within the nexus of the now, and focusing on one task at a time, we´re better able to complete said task to the best of our abilities. So, how do we do this, I hear you ask?

Well for example, today there’s a million tasks screaming for my attention all at once, yet I can only work on one thing at a time. On top of that, I’m also finding myself at the low end of the energy spectrum, and struggling more than usual, to stay focused.

So, my mind floods back to the time I spent in Korea, and I find myself falling back into an old Zen meditation technique — place all my focus into one task, and let everything else simply disintegrate and step into line to await their turn. By focusing on just the one task at a time to the omission of all else, I can consciously see it more clearly and without distraction, and have the energy and perspective needed to complete my task with 100% efficiency.

However, sometimes it can be hard to get ourselves into the present and to let go of our thoughts of the past and worries of the future. One way to get you into the present is through tactile sensations and breathing. Touch the table or keyboard in front of you, feel the texture and the temperature of the surface, or alternatively watch your breathing as you focus on your task. These simple, yet effective techniques will help the spotlight of your consciousness hone in and pay complete attention to the task at hand. Then, once the task is complete, you can briefly meditate (see my article on meditation) and dissolve it entirely by focusing on nothing in particular and simply letting it go – ready for the next task at hand.

By being more conscious of the present moment and focusing on one task at a time, you will build a conscious awareness that will help you not only with the task at hand, but in every other aspect of your daily activities and thoughts.

Embody a sense of softness in your practice. Regard each movement, each breath as a pleasant bright stream, not as a furious waterfall. Travel along the stream, have faith in its flow. It will travel its own path, wandering here, dribbling there. It will discover the channels, the breaks, the crevices. Simply follow it. Never let it out of your view. It will guide you where you want to be….

By Cedric Jean

The Key to Surviving a Recession: Wellness and Building Relationships!

This is part two, of a series, where I will share with you techniques that can save you a bundle in a recession. Today we will talk about physiology, psychology and building relationships as well as adding more value to your relationships and existing clients.

By taking care of yourself properly you maximize your ability to be highly productive throughout the day – every day. First things first – work on your energy levels! In times of stress and anxiety (See my article on combating stress here), it’s even more essential to exercise, get the right amount of sleep and to eat right.

Exercise
There are many types of exercises you can do in the office: stretching, walking, running in place, energy healing techniques [LINK]…Or, even something as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator can increase your energy levels.

Sleep
You need at least 7-8 hours a night to meet your energy demands. Another important technique for building your energy resevoirs is power napping or a siesta [LINK]. Thomas Edison attributed his tremendous amount of energy to sleeping whenever he wanted to and now that you´ve cut down on your larger-portion sized meals, you will have some leftover lunch time. Use it by taking a 30 minute power nap instead. This will provide an unexpected energy level increase at work and make you feel rested as well.

Nutrition
Know how to avoid that mid-afternoon lethargy? Eat 5-6 smaller meals a day as an alternative to the typical 2-3 large meals a day (three meals a day reduce your energy levels and the three big meals and two snacks combination is no longer the best approach) in order to maintain optimum energy levels at work. Don’t eat sweets or drink sugary drinks while at work, instead drink plenty of water throughout the day. Your body needs water to sustain energy levels.

Once you have disciplined your body, it is time to focus on your mind! Staying positive and solution-focused will always produce better results than focusing on mistakes and weaknesses. Instead try this simple exercise to help you be more positive:

Positive Self Image Exercise
Visualize the perfect you, the most magnificent you that you can imagine, how do you stand, breath, speak, interact, solve problems? Take a moment to be happy with your true self. Now step into your true self and hear, see, and feel how amazing it is to be your true self. Next spend a minute as your authentic self and see how you positively handle any situation that may be bothering you. Congratulations! You have just re-programmed your mind for success.

Remember; don’t beat up on yourself, or on others. We’re all trying to do the best we can given where we are, what we’re going through right now and what we have to work with. All of us make mistakes. However, mistakes are opportunities to improve. We are all feeling the pressure of the world right now. So endeavour to be more understanding of yourself and others and your reality,”will be” a better place.

Once you have evolved and your attitude and energy levels are good (physical, mental, emotional, & inspirational), you need work on the next success strategy – building relationships with current clients, prospects, and centres of influence. In difficult times, there is no point trying to “hard-sell” people. You can only put things into place so that when someone decides to buy, they buy from you.

The key to finding prospects, getting referrals, and building sales in challenging times is relationship building. Don´t hide in your office, get out there and meet people. Some great places are networking events, bars and coffee houses, parties, and even unlikely places like a park bench, elevators, public transport – the opportunities are endless.

An even better practice is to take your Centers of Influence to lunch on a regular basis,
and make a special effort to stay in touch with people you already know. Look for ways to add more value to existing clients, take an interest in them and pay attention. This is a great method to create “brand” loyalty towards you and encourage the flow of referrals.

It’s up to us to be accessible to people, build relationships, and suggest solutions. If your motivation is simply to “sell” things, you’ll soon find it to be a lengthy, tough, maddening effort. Instead, invest your time in touching people and doing things that help you stay in people’s minds. Structure your approach in letting people know you’re thinking of them. In short, you must be willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.

Although the buzz words of the day are “Economic Crisis” and were all uncertain of what´s in store ahead of us, it’s still just as true that life goes on. We all still buy and sell things, go places and endeavour to enjoy our lives within our means.

To sum things up, the best strategies for surviving (or maybe even thriving) in tough times are 1) eat, exercise and sleep for high productivity, 2) attain and maintain a positive attitude, 3) build sales through relationship building and not the hard sell, and 4) learn from your mistakes and don´t take things too seriously. When less effective solutions don´t work try these strategies, they will bring you a level of success that may just surprise you.

By Cedric Jean