How To Stimulate Creative Expression
What if you could reach into the depths of your mind and extract ideas and thoughts… then, with the creative juices flowing, delight in the way your fingers race across the keyboard as the words tumble out?
Well, it is possible.
Banish the thought of writers block or any other type of block when you need to get your ideas out there and heard… or indeed, when you have an idea on the cusp of your mind that needs developing, or you wish to tune into your inner soul.
So what is the secret?
A synchronised brain and a super-learning state, which anyone can attain within a few seconds.
Normally, we go about our lives in a Beta brain wave state. This is when you are alert and cognitive. Then, dependable on what we are doing at the time, we move into other brain wave states, such as: Alpha, achieved when you are relaxed, in light meditation and starting to access your unconscious mind… the Alpha state is where super-learning begins because the brain is synchronised, can communicate better and has increased focus. Then you move on to Theta and Delta brain wave states.
Okay, Alpha… that sounds like a male thing, right? For all you fellas reading this, just because you’re Alpha doesn’t mean you’re in a super-learning state all the time 
Sorry to disappoint 
How can you get into an Alpha super-learning state?
The secret to getting into an Alpha super-learning state is to listen to Baroque or instrumental music; which is usually at 60 beats a minute and arranged by the composer in a special key cycle. When you tap into this music you are harnessing all synergies in your brain that allows you to focus, increase your memory, have cohesive thought, and creative expression.
According to The Center for New Discoveries in Learning, learning potential can be increased a minimum of five times by using this 60 beats per minute music. A renowned Bulgarian psychologist, Dr. George Lozanov, designed a way to teach foreign languages in a fraction of the normal learning time. Using his system, students could learn up to one half of the vocabulary and phrases for the whole school term (which amounts to almost 1,000 words or phrases) in one day. Along with this, the average retention rate of his students was 92%. Dr. Lozanov’s system involved using certain classical music pieces from the baroque period which have around a 60 beats per minute pattern. He has proven that foreign languages can be learned with 85-100% efficiency in only thirty days by using these baroque pieces. His students had a recall accuracy rate of almost 100% even after not reviewing the material for four years. Ref: http://www.cerebromente.org.br
If you have children, you may also be interested to read about this study published in the European Journal of Scientific Research on the positive effect of classical music: http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_36_2_08.pdf
Even if you don’t like classical music, give this a go if you want to tap into the power of your mind. If you are feeling stuck for creative thought and expression, need to research your topic, and get the thoughts tumbling out onto the page, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain
What music should you listen to for a super-learning state? Here are my suggestions:
My personal favourite is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons… with its melodic tunes, peaks and troughs it will focus your mind, allow you to concentrate, and spark your imagination. Before you know it, your fingers will ignite and be eagerly pecking at the keyboard!
Other well-known Baroque compositions include: Mozart’s Divertimento for Strings, Handel’s Water Music and Bach’s Brandenberg Concertos.
If you need to brainstorm an idea first, try Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #5, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Chopin’s Etudes, or Mozart’s Piano Concerto’s #26 and #27. As a former classical pianist for many years, I can highly recommend Beethoven and Mozart’s Piano Concertos!
Go forth and create!
Top 5 Success Traits of the Super Successful
Top Five Success Traits of the Super Successful and How You Can Develop These Traits Too.
Even though wildly successful people all share certain traits, they’re not super-human traits. You can identify and develop these traits if you truly want to succeed. Yes, with hard work and determination, you can become one of the super successful!
In your journey to achieve your goals, you’ll invariably have to deal with challenges, and even setbacks, from time to time. Every successful person faces some hardship along the way. However, it’s important to remember that those with the drive to succeed will stop at nothing until they achieve their success.
Here are the top five super success traits, along with tips to help you acquire them:
1. Strong beliefs in yourself and what you’re doing. Put your whole heart into your endeavors and truly believe that you can succeed in what you set out to accomplish. If you run into a snag in the road, find something positive you can learn from the situation and use that to keep moving forward. If necessary, develop a new plan to overcome the challenge.
- Think positively about yourself in all aspects of your life. In order to avoid being too critical, keep in mind that no one is perfect and accept that you’ll make mistakes just like any other human. As valuable learning experiences, mistakes can actually benefit you.
2. Being organized and having clear plans. Successful people are organized. They know what they want and how they’re going to get there. They develop clear goals with specific action steps to achieve them. Plus, they know where they are on that road to success at all times.
- You can develop this skill by starting with your general organizational skills. Start small by organizing your desk space. Then organize your notes. Move onto planning out your success by setting clear goals.
- What do you want? How are you going to get there? Make a detailed plan of achievable action steps that will take you all the way through accomplishing your goal. Then follow your plan. It’s your map to success.
3. Perseverance. Sometimes the difference between success and failure is pure perseverance. There will be times when you’re faced with difficult challenges. You may even feel like giving up. However, it’s important to find the strength within you to pull yourself through, even in these tough times.
- In order to develop perseverance, reflect on how you normally handle conflicts in life. Do you give up easily when faced with a challenge? Think of those times you gave up. What could you have done differently to encourage yourself to keep going?
- After reflecting on your normal mode of operation, start changing your mindset about challenges. Instead of bemoaning the challenge, seek a way to overcome it so you can complete your task. Do this each day, with even small challenges, and soon you’ll find yourself persevering through larger challenges with ease.
4. The drive to keep learning and achieving. Super successful people realize that they’re always students. They may be a master of a certain subject, but there’s always something new they can develop or learn. Once they achieve one goal, then they use their current knowledge to help them learn something else that brings them even more success.
- It’s okay to take a break to enjoy your success once you’ve achieved a goal, but always ask yourself what’s next. There’s always a way that you can expand your success.
5. No fear of failure. The super successful don’t waste their time worrying about failure. They know that everyone must take certain risks if they’re going to achieve success and that some ideas might not work out. You only fail if you give up or decide not to try at all. If you’re still trying, then you haven’t failed!
- Just as with the other traits, overcoming a fear of failure can be accomplished by starting small. Start out by taking some minor risks. See how most of them work out fine when you expect the best and seek solutions to the challenges? The more ideas you try, the more successes you’ll have, and you’ll feel confident about forging ahead without fear.
To attain the life of the super successful, the most important thing to remember is to always give your all. Adopt these success traits as your own, and soon you’ll find that nothing can stop you from achieving your goals!
Power Thoughts
I was watching a video in the iLearningGlobal member area on the ‘States of Mind’ by Dennis Deaton; where Dennis provides insights into habitual thought patterns and mental circuitry, and how you can change your life around by thinking powerfully and consistently – after all, our thoughts can either make us or break us.
One concept Dennis shared throughout the video series was in having your very own power thoughts that you can tap into to switch your thinking. And I just loved his powerful thought when dealing with fears that may be holding you back: “If it looks like death, it’s probably life… run to it.”
What power thoughts can you come up with? I challenge you in thinking about it now, jotting them down and memorising so they are ready when you need them.
Dennis mentioned another concept that I found very interesting; and of which I am also guilty of doing on occasions. And it is this: rather than repress your thoughts, acknowledge and redirect.
After all, if you’re already thinking the thought, it is in your brain so there’s no point in trying to squash it. Instead, acknowledge the thought you are having and redirect the thought in another way so it is positive. Dennis gave a very good example of this in respect to chocolate cake. If you’re thinking about the cake but you know you can’t have it, you try and forget about the thought. Instead redirect, and then move on.
Think powerfully and consistently and your thoughts will make you, instead of break you.
“The fundamental and distinguishing characteristic of high achievers… is their thought processes”
~ Dennis Deaton
What Is Your Symphony?
I was searching for a quote the other day and came across this little gem:
To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart;
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never.
In a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.
~ William Ellery Channing (1780-1842), American minister
These words, written so long ago, really touched me and sang to my heart.
And it got me thinking. Companies, sole traders, and entrepreneurs usually craft a mission or vision statement that expresses their direction and promise to their company, the environment, their staff, or the people they serve, and so on.
At some level, we all have a vision or mission; even if it isn’t clearly defined, written down or spoken about. It’s that feeling in your heart that you know is your Life Purpose.
When I read William Channing’s last line “This is to be my symphony” I thought “WOW!” What a great analogy to a Life Purpose or Vision, which really is a symphony full of crescendos, crashes, and booms that can typify the gentleness, excitement, passion, promise and conviction that, quite simply, is Us; our life journey, purpose, and vision.
What is your Symphony? Please share in the comments below.
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