Where Will The Path Lead You?

We all have some type of fear holding us back.

I guess most fears can be lumped into the general category of "fear of the unknown" as any fear really is not knowing what will happen to us next and being afraid that what will happen next will be something bad. Or maybe we are even afraid of something good happening to us and not being able to handle it.

A good example of this type of fear has to do with wealth. Suppose someone is growing a business and things seem to be taking off. They seem to be on track to achieve their goals and are feeling great. All of a sudden, deals fail to go through, people cancel appointments at the last minute, clients call for refunds and partners leave. How could this happen? They were so close! ...(sigh) they knew it was too soon.

Well, one way to look at it is to say that these things just happen and it's just part of the game. That's true, stories like this are common.

However, another way to see it is to notice the psychology inside this person. They had a fear, conscious or not, of succeeding quickly and the fear prevented them from going all the way, right now.

Here's a useful analogy to illustrate this point. Think of a thermostat controlling indoor heating. Let's say the thermostat is on the wall and set at 25. If the temperature of the room drops below 25 the furnace will kick in and heat the room until it's back at 25. If the room rises to 30 the AC will cool the room back down to 25 to keep it at the setpoint.

This is a great system, when the setpoint is on the right number.

We have the same type of setpoint in ourselves for wealth. If your setpoint is at $25,000 then that's all your capable of making. Any increase or decrease from this point will cause you to either make more or lose more until you are back at the set point. We see this all the time with lottery winners. They win millions. A few years later... back where they started (or close) and sometimes even worse. Why? Because they did not have the knowlege and systems in place to handle the fortune. If you are ready for it, there is no fear. If you are not, you'll lose whatever you gain because of the fear (unless you can grow through it fast enough).

So how do you make yourself ready? To change your set point from $25,000 to $50,000, or $100,000 or more, you must first address the underlying fear. Clear the fear and then re-set yourself at the highest level you can manage. No matter what the fear. It could be about dying, or public speaking, or spiders.

Now, how do you go about it?

You let it go.

Right. Ummm.... OK? What does that mean?

It's just like dropping a pen you were holding tightly in your hand. What most people don't understand is that a fear is just a feeling. Like joy, sadness, enthusiasm, anger... and feelings are just sensations that pass through our bodies. The trick is to allow them to pass.

Take anger for example.

Why do we hear things like "count to 10 before you say anything" or "go blow off some steam before you talk to that person" ? Because we know that with a little bit of time and some spent energy, that person's anger will dissipate and lessen. It may even pass completely, therefore avoiding the temptation to explode in the moment and say or do something regretable.

The same happens with joy. We have all noticed how getting a gift seems to make us happy... for a while. Then the feeling passes and we look for something else to make us happy... for a while. Unless we can let go of those feelings as the come up, without trying to hold on to them, so that they may pass through us unrestricted. It's only when we try to hold on to a feeling, like joy or anger, that they start to erode our nervous system with the friction of trying to hold on to them. By letting them go, you open the door for new and better things to come into your life. Once again, just like trying to hold back the water in a stream... it's best to always let it flow.

So, makes sense?

I'll give you two practical suggestions that I use all the time.

1. The Sedona Method

The Sedona Method was developed in the 1970's by a man called Lester Levenson. At 42, the physicist and entrepreneur had achieved all the trappings of worldly success but was terribly unhappy. He was also incredibly sick with various health conditions and after a second coronary, the doctors sent him home to die. Instead of giving up however, he searched deep inside himself for answers, and started experimenting with simple self-therapy. After 3 months, he was completely healthy and lived in a state of profound peace for another 40 + years. The Sedona Method was then passed to Hale Dwoskin (current CEO and director of training) and you can learn about it in books, CD's, DVD's and seminar courses (www.sedona.com).

For now, I'll give you the basics (you'll want to get the book or programs to really unleash the full power of this method).

At it's core, The Sedona Method is all about 3 simple questions, and learning to notice the feelings in your body so you can let them go.

The questions are:

Could I let it go?
Would I let it go?
When?

Easy right? Well, maybe. It is simple, but allowing yourself to let go of feelings you have been holding for a long time, often without realising it, can sometimes be a challenge. Once you DO let go, you free up reserves of energy and power you didn't even know you had.

It gets easier the more you practice. It's also easier once you understand that "could you?" means "is it possible?", "would you?" means "would you if you could?" and "when?" is simply an invitation to let go of the feeling right NOW. Since feelings pass through us instead of being attached to us, with a little bit of practice we can drop feelings like we drop a pen from our grip.

How does it work?

Think of something, anything, which makes you feel a certain way. It could be a situation that has you feeling afraid. Now ask yourself "could I let this go?" and answer yes or no. Even if you answer no, move on. Next, as you are still feeling the feeling, ask yourself "would I let this go?" again, answer yes or no. Then, ask yourself "when?" and invite yourself to answer NOW. After that, notice how you feel. Did anything shift or change? Maybe, maybe not, but go through it a few more times and you'll probably feel something happen.

You can do this with a partner, or alone, and continue doing it until the feeling of fear is gone (or at least much reduced). When that feeling of fear is gone, what's left?

Feeling good.

What happens when you feel good? Good things happen. In relationships, in business, in health, in life. And the better you become at releasing, the more powerful you will feel, because there is nothing holding you back any longer. Master this and there will be nothing to release, only a continuous flow of power and beauty in your life.

We don't know where the path will lead us, or what will show up around the next bend, but if we continue to let go of our fear of the unknown, and trust that all will be well... miraculous things can happen.

CHB

Next week I'll briefly explain another powerful method to clear anything that might be holding you back.

Copyright © Charles Begin

If you would like to reprint these articles or pictures in part or in whole, please include my name (Charles Bégin) and website (www.CharlesBegin.com) so that others know where they came from and the copyright is respected. Other than that, feel free to share... and thank you for reading!

Melt Away Stress

In continuation of the last two posts (see articles below) what are other ways to surrender to the flow of life?

Well, like I said, there are as many ways to let go as there are people to think of them.

They can vary from simple methods like cleaning and clearing the clutter in your home to indirectly clear mental clutter (this really works and feels so liberating when you actually do it) to working for years with a professional hypno/psycho/gestalt/etc... therapist to work through psychological blocks.

There are practices that emphasize physical work (like The Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis, Autogenic Training, and various forms of massage/body work, etc...) and there are some that emphasize the mental aspects (like most forms of meditation, affirmations, self-hypnosis, energy-work, etc...)

Keeping with my general preference for simplicity, these are a few that I've personally used on a regular basis:

Progressive Relaxation & Self-Hypnosis

Using progressive relaxation of all the muscles in my body is how I originally began studying meditation. I used to hold a lot of tension in my body in junior high as a result of pushing myself to succeed and being surrounded by anxious individuals. I would get stressed out for exams and for my sports competitions. Then I had enough of the cold sweaty palms and racing heart and I decided to teach myself how to relax completely and let go of all the tension I was holding.

I bought books on martial arts and meditation and that's where it began.

The easiest way to do it is simply to sit in a comfortable position (if you lay down you will most likely fall asleep) and start either at your head or your feet. Let's do the feet.

With your eyes closed (eventually you will be able to do it anytime with your eyes open, instantly) feel for any tension in the feet. Contract/flex the muscles in your feet for 3-5 seconds and then let go, relax. Do that once or twice more until all the tension is gone. Then move up to the calves. You do the same thing for each muscle group in sequence until your entire body is free of tension, amazingly relaxed.

That's it. That's progressive relaxation, and it works for any type of stress, whether it's for a physically hard-working body or tensed-up mind.

Then, once you feel sooooo relaxed, that's when you can use self-hypnosis to help program your mind for success.

How?

When you are in this super-relaxed state, your resistance is lower. This means that your mind is more OPEN. This also means that since the door is open it is a great time to put some healing and empowering beliefs in there.... and all you have to do is repeat affirmations of who you are becoming and what you are achieving (for ultimate effectiveness, focus on being instead of wanting when structuring your affirmations) and continue repeating them until it becomes true for you in your reality.

Ex: Every day in every way, I am stronger and stronger (classic)

Hypnosis is nothing mysterious or difficult once you try it on yourself. Use it for good. Program yourself for happiness and success!

I haven't turned myself into a completely cool and fearless man of the world just yet... but anytime fear, stress or tension of any kind manifests in my life I can quickly scan my body, find where the tension is... and let it go with this relaxation. Instantly.

I'll talk about another one I use daily next week.

CHB

Copyright © Charles Begin

If you would like to reprint these articles or pictures in part or in whole, please include my name (Charles Bégin) and website (www.CharlesBegin.com) so that others know where they came from and the copyright is respected. Other than that, feel free to share... and thank you for reading!

Losing Control...Intentionally

Last week (see below) I explained that to manifest miracles in your life and have things go extraordinarily well... if not fantastic, you must learn to let go.

Let go of what?

Control. Or, more acurately, let go of trying to control.

The truth is that the only thing we actually have control over is ourselves. Let me rephrase that. the only thing we POTENTIALLY have control over is ourselves, and in most cases when we try to control something by trying to change a situation or person we do or don't like, we only end up restricting to flow of energy in that situation and cutting off it's power.

Know what I mean?

Yeah, sorry, I kind of lost me in that too. OK. Here it is in a nutshell:

Let life flow beautifully like clear, glistening water through your gently open fingers.

Your body, your life, your universe... all change and evolve, constantly creating and recreating the world you live in (the weather and your emotions being examples) and if you try to stop the change or try to keep things the same... well, let me put it this way. In a tug of war between you and the forces of the cosmos, who do you think is going to win?

So that's why you always hear things like:

"Don't sweat the small stuff"
"Go with the flow"
"Ride the wave"
"Relax"
"It'll all work out in the end"
"Have faith"
"Live in the moment"
"Open up"
"This is what you need to grow into the person you wish to become"
"Learn from everyone and every situation"
"Release"
"Clear & Clean it out"
"Let it go"

And many more...

So, on to practical matters.
HOW does one go about the process of letting things go and feeling good?

First, we must understand that as long as there are a wide variety of people alive and creative on this planet, there will be a wide variety of methods and strategies of chopping off and dropping excess baggage from our experience. For every one of us who has noticed the chains of emotional bondage there have been a bazillion ways to get rid of them and soar in our new found freedom. I kid you not, there is a bazillion if not more... although most are variations on the same theme.

So let's start with the basics.

1. Laughter. This is probably the greatest releasing technique ever invented. I haven't found out who invented laughter (probably an ancient babylonian god who sat on an anthill... or something) but I would definitely give them a dollar and a high five if I ever met them. Seriously though, when you laugh you let go of any tension that was there. The more you laugh, the more you release and clear the space of resistance. In societies that practice forms of Voodoo, it is a known secret that someone truly laughing at a curse will not be harmed by it. So if someone insults you, just laugh it off! It can heal you and those around you of many things, and you'll feel sooooo gooood after. And people will be drawn by your positive energy. It can even be a fake laugh at first. Try it. Fake laugh. It gets funnier every minute! Laugh 'till you cry. Laugh 'till your abs and face cramp up. Laugh until you're so tired that you fall asleep (I think I did that a few times). You can even look into the mirror every morning and start the day laughing! Laugh every day and laugh often and you will have a great laugh - I mean life!

2. Presence. I think Eckhart Tolle invented this one. Or someone who lived "before cities existed and men hunted the dinosaurs". I'll get to the bottom of this mystery someday... Anyway, presence is a one-word title for being in the moment. It means having your attention on everything in your immediate environment and not lingering on anything in particular, including your own thoughts about what's happening. You see, laughing is a great old time, especially if other people are laughing with you, but to really reap the rewards of miracle-making one must learn to be present for as much of a day as possible. I mean, you can't laugh for 24 hours a day can you? You'd never be able to say anything! And then your loved ones would say "why can't you be serious for 2 seconds"! So what can you do to release the rest of the time when you're not laughing"? Learn to be present more and more.

There are a bazillion ways to do this because all it means is having your attention fully on the task at hand and not mentally grabbing on to things and thoughts that pass your way.

So, any type of sport or physical activity can bring this about as when a runner talks about getting a "runner's high" or an athlete speaks of being "in the ZONE". When that happens, everything falls away and nothing else exists for you than what is happening right here, right now. At this point you don't even remember that there is a past or a future, only NOW.

Sex can be deepened to this level. So can killing someone with a sword or pouring a cup of tea, as the Samurai and Zen monks of ancient Japan knew very well.

So, to answer your unasked question:

Anything can be developed, zen-like, into a meditavive practice of presence. When I lived on the farm, I would get deep in the zone by listening to my breathing as I swept a broom. I could also do it by going deep into music I was listening to, chopping wood, giving a speech, wrestling an opponent, working at my job or sitting in meditation... doing the dishes too, even if I didn't want to do them. If I allowed myself to let go into presence, I felt awesome after doing the dishes. Really. It doesn't matter what it is!

Whatever you do, do it with your full attention. Pet your cat or dog and pay attention to how they respond to your touch. Wash your car and notice every detail without judging. Get right into that book you're reading, that movie you're watching or that project you're working on. Just BE where you are, doing what you're doing, and don't worry about anything. When you're outside, notice the wind. Notice the clouds and the people around you without needing to make a comment or judge the situation in any way. You won't believe how great you feel as you find yourself being present more and more...

As the great teachers of meditation have always taught, just breathe and follow the breath. All else will follow.

CHB

P.S. As this article is getting long (I love this topic!) I'll continue next week.

P.P.S. That's a picture of me a few years ago visiting Bath, England and their ancient roman hot springs. So beautiful... as you can see, enjoying the moment.

Copyright © Charles Begin

If you would like to reprint these articles or pictures in part or in whole, please include my name (Charles Begin) and website (www.CharlesBegin.com) so that others know where they came from and the copyright is respected. Other than that, feel free to share... and thank you for reading!

What Can You Control?

So you think you can gain control over your life eh?
Or maybe over other people?

Well...

I would start by asking you if you even have control over yourself?

Well, do you?

...

Here's another question: Do you want to?
And what does it mean to have "control" anyway?

Is it getting everything you want, whenever you want it?
Or is it being true to yourself?

If you say it's the first definition, I would have to comment that often, in life, when we let go of trying to control a person or situation, and trust that whatever happens is for the best... that's when miracles often manifest.

As for the second definition, if being in "control" means being true to yourself without trying to put on a "fake" attitude or personality just to please others (that's another way we try to control people by the way) ... then being able to let go of control is also the best way to achieve this.

In essence, "control" means trying to get something to go a certain way, even if that thing doesn't want to go that way.

So if you really think about it, and understand that the universe is much more powerful than any one person at any one time... then it seems pointless to try to force the world around you to go in a direction contrary to whichever way it was going.

Essentially, it's all about flow.

Think of a river. A mighty river swollen to it's edges and flowing powerfully. Which way is it going? Downstream. Is there any possible way for you to make the river stop flowing or go the other way?

Hahaha! Have you ever tried! Try it one day when you're standing by a river or a stream! You'll laugh until tears come out your eyes if you actually get in the water and try to get it to go the other way!

You might be able to dam it but that just kills whatever is downstream because it doesn't get water anymore. The only thing to really do is redirect it somewhat in a more beneficial way, or go with it.

Anyway, life is like that.

You can't force change in the flow of life any more than you can make a river flow in the opposite direction. In fact, the healthiest and most positive thing you can do most of the time is to simply let go and go with the flow...

Surrender your need to control and enjoy the ride!

P.S. I'll tell you all about a few different ways to let go of all that stress and need for control next week. Stay tuned!

Copyright © Charles Begin

If you would like to reprint these articles or pictures in part or in whole, please include my name (Charles Begin) and website (www.CharlesBegin.com) so that others know where they came from and the copyright is respected. Other than that, feel free to share... and thank you for reading!