Uncovering the Genius Within

UNCOVERING THE

GENIUS WITHIN©

Our Minds Are Our

Greatest Technology!

Copyright © 2003 - 2008 Employment Readiness Centre - All rights preserved. DO NOT REPRODUCE

UNCOVERING THE GENIUS WITHIN ©


Your Workshop Facilitators

Kelly Kozar, B.Ed., CDFI

and

Star Ristow-Bell, M.Sc.

Welcome You To The

First Day Of The Rest Of

Your Life!



INTRODUCTIONS



HOUSEKEEPING

Breaks

Washrooms

Expectations

Group Norms



OVERVIEW

Power of the Mind

How Beliefs are Formed

The Power of Belief

Learning to Mentor Yourself

Tools for Goal Achievement

Learned Optimism

How to Kick the Worry



BENEFITS OF JOURNAL WRITING

Identify behaviour patterns

Identify “beliefs” that are no longer useful

Identify “blind spots” to seeing problems & solutions

Reinforces & integrates new learning

Alternative method for self-reflection



JOURNAL WRITING

I learned…

I was surprised that…

I feel…

I see how I can apply…

I’m concerned about…

Next time I...

I found it interesting...



THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT

Successes

Setbacks and how you overcame them

“Ah-ha” moments

What you are thankful for

Information about how you are getting in your own way

Your goals and affirmations



Spiritual

Personal

Marriage

Family

Physical Health

Mental Health

SocialCareer/Work

Retirement

Volunteering

Education

Friends

Sports

Finances

Other

BALANCE WHEEL



HELPFUL THINGS TO KNOW

Most people do not change because they do not

know how to change

We all have more than enough talent to do

anything we want

The word “CAN’T” is the ugliest four letter word

What holds us back is our own self-image

Change the image - change the performance



Plan to Judge the Outcome

Not the Process



Module 1

POWER OF

THE MIND



POWER OF THE MIND

75% of all sickness and disease starts in the

mind

Stress, which starts in the mind, is the number

one cause of all fatigue and illness

We only use 10% of our mind

This means 10% of our mind causes 75% of all

sickness

Imagine what would happen if we used our

mind to its’ fullest.



POWER OF THE MIND

You have potential right now that you are

not using...

Harness that potential and you can pursue

the life of your dreams!



Activities

A test of your

potential

POWER OF THE MIND



POWER OF THE MIND

Is it there if you can’t see it?



POWER OF THE MIND

“SCOTOMA”

If past conditioning does not match what you

are looking at, your do not see it and a “blind

spot” is created.

CAN YOU SEE THE PROBLEM

WITH SCOTOMAS?



POWER OF THE MIND

The Ultimate “Scotoma”



If you always do

what you have always done you will

always get

what you have always got.

POWER OF THE MIND



JOURNAL WRITING

In what areas of my life do I have scotomas

that keep me from being more successful?

What thoughts or beliefs do I have that might

be limiting me?



Module 2

HOW BELIEFS

ARE FORMED



HOW BELIEFS ARE FORMED

Understanding

the

Source and Strength

of your

Self-Beliefs




The strongest opinions you hold

about yourself are those you formed

at home with your parents or primary

caregivers.




Every cloud has a silver lining

Avoid conflict at all costs

Dreaming is for rich people

Save the pennies and the dollars

will look after themselves

Naps in the middle of the day are

for lazy people




Discussion

Family Scripts



JOURNAL WRITING

What were the spoken and unspoken, positive

and negative codes that my family lived by?




Who Are You

Listening

To?




PERCEPTION

The procedure by which we try and

interpret information about the

environment that surrounds us

Physical sensations, sight, touch,

hearing, smelling and taste

Always incomplete - limited by our

senses and point of view




PERCEPTION PROCESS

Feedback about ourselves and others

Not always based on true picture of reality

We behave as though our perceptions are real

Inaccurate perceptions lead to stereotypes




We behave and act

not in accordance with

the truth but with “THE

TRUTH” as we believe

it to be.



Activity

Mixed Weddings





How Beliefs Impact our Life

“Am I acting on what I KNOW to be

true, or what I BELIEVE to be true?




So…How can I really change so I

become successful?

Change the picture on the inside

Change the belief and your

behaviour will follow







Limiting Thoughts Become Like

The Water We Swim In




Identify Limiting Thoughts

Stressful in nature

Angry and fearful in nature

Attached to words like:

CAN’T...HARD...DIFFICULT...IMPOSSIBLE




Identify Limiting Thoughts

If I am happy now, I won’t be motivated to change anything

I can’t change. This is just the way I am.

My feelings are natural reactions, not something I can control

If I control my feelings, I’ll be like a robot

You have to do some things you don’t want to do in this life

People who are optimistic aren’t realistic



Activity

Identifying

Limiting Beliefs




JOURNAL WRITING

Limiting Thoughts

Write my insights from the Limiting Thoughts

activity in my journal.




ANTs

Automatic

Negative

Thoughts

Do a mental house-cleaning and get rid of those

ANTs!

All you have to lose are your old limitations



Activity

How the Mind

Works





Lock On…Lock Out

When we lock on to one way of thinking we

automatically lock out other options




Lock On…Lock Out

Wrong Information

Too Quickly

Too Long



JOURNAL WRITING

Give an example of when I locked-on to the wrong

thing about someone else. How did I change my

perception about them?



Module 3

POWER OF

BELIEF



Activity

Lifeboat

Exercise

POWER OF BELIEF



POWER OF BELIEF

“Man often becomes what he

believes himself to be. If I

keep on saying to myself that I

cannot do a certain thing, it is

possible that I may end by

really becoming incapable of

doing it. On the contrary, if I

shall have the belief that I can

do it, I shall surely acquire the

capacity to do it, even if I may

not have it at the beginning.”

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi



POWER OF BELIEF

You will rarely attempt something

you don’t believe and you will

NEVER give 100% of your ability to

something you don’t believe

possible

Belief always comes before action!



POWER OF BELIEF

BELIEFS = SELF IMAGE

Self Image = ideas and information about yourself

Do you see a swan or an

ugly duckling?



Activity

Change

Exercise

POWER OF BELIEF



POWER OF BELIEF

Comfort Zones

Our self image operates like the thermostat in your home



POWER OF BELIEF

Discussion

Comfort Zones



POWER OF BELIEF

Comfort Zones

What situations make you feel out of your

comfort zone?

What happens when you are out of your

comfort zone?



POWER OF BELIEF

Comfort Zones

Ability to recall information shuts down

Creative avoidance

Upgrade your comfort zone by raising your self-image

You will NEVER achieve sustainable success

that exceeds the image you have of yourself



POWER OF BELIEF

We must get outside our comfort

zone and become psychologically

comfortable with success

BEFORE we experience it in reality



POWER OF BELIEF

R e s i g n a t i o n



POWER OF BELIEF

Resignation

Take for granted even the things we find

distasteful about our lives

Just the way things are

Powerless to change them



POWER OF BELIEF

Resignation

Playing it safe

Quitting when things are strange or

intimidating

Choosing to look good rather than take a risk

Becomes a habit

Resignation translates into blindness for

exploring possibilities



Activity

Conquering

Resignation

POWER OF BELIEF



JOURNAL WRITING

Conquering Resignation

Write my insights from the conquering

resignation activity in my journal



POWER OF BELIEF

Develop a

child-like

“anything is

possible”

attitude.



POWER OF BELIEF

Nine Dots Test

Connect all nine dots using only four (4) straight

lines without lifting your pen from the paper.



POWER OF BELIEF

Nine Dots Test

Self imposed limitations

Conditioned to stay inside the lines



POWER OF BELIEF

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Translate messages and circumstances to

make them consistent with our self-image

Block out messages and circumstances which

are not consistent with our self-image



POWER OF BELIEF

The Hot Dog

Salesman



JOURNAL WRITING

Do I resist change? Why?

What activities or situations am I currently

avoiding because I feel out of place?

What can I do to be successful in situations,

which are uncomfortable



Module 4

MENTORING

YOURSELF



Activity

An Experiment in

Attitudes

MENTORING YOURSELF



MENTORING YOURSELF

The Law of Attraction

Where are you focusing your attention?

The Problem of the Solution?

Are you feeling how terrible of frustrating the “problem” is?

Are you feeling what your life will be like with the “solution”?



MENTORING YOURSELF

What is Self-Talk?

All the thoughts that run through your mind

Includes all things said both silently and out loud

Can be positive or negative, pessimistic or optimistic

Did you know that we have approximately

50,000 thoughts a day?



MENTORING YOURSELF

How our Subconscious Mind Works

Takes in everything literally

Black or white

Good or Bad

It doesn’t interpret or do what is best

It’s like a computer - does what it is told



MENTORING YOURSELF

Self Talk Errors

Focusing on mistakes (past)

Forgetting our accomplishments



MENTORING YOURSELF

How Good Do I Have To Be?

“When we let ourselves be defined in our own

minds by our worst moments instead of our best

ones, we learn to think of ourselves as people

who never get it right, rather than as capable

people who make an occasional, thoroughly

human mistake.”

Rabbi Harold Kushner author of “How Good Do I Have To Be?



Activity

Celebration

MENTORING YOURSELF



MENTORING YOURSELF The Self-Talk Cycle

Self Talk

determines

Self Image

Self Image

determines

behaviour

Behaviour

reinforces

Self Talk



JOURNAL WRITING

Does my internal conversation build or tear down

my self-image or others’ self-image?

What are some examples of positive self-talk that I

have used to trigger positive feeling for myself?

In which areas of your life am I not using my

potential? Examine my self-talk in those areas.



MENTORING YOURSELF

Techniques for Controlling Self-Talk

Pay attention to self talk every day

Identify supportive & destructive self talk

Confront negative self talk

Replace negative self talk

Make self talk your best friend

Practice thought stopping

Rubber band technique



Activity

Thought Stopping

MENTORING YOURSELF



JOURNAL WRITING

Thought Stopping

Write my insights from the thought stopping activity

in my journal



MENTORING YOURSELF

More Self-Talk Tips

Tell Yourself What You CAN Do!

Plant Positives In Advance

Develop a Self Talk Plan



JOURNAL WRITING

When I do something wrong or make a mistake,

how long do I dwell on it?

What is my self talk about my life’s direction and

goals?

What are some of the limiting statements I tell

myself? How may they be affecting my behaviour?



Module 5

TOOLS FOR

GOAL ACHIEVEMENT



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

The Mind

The Conscious Mind (Perceiver)

The Subconscious Mind (The Recorder)

The Creative Subconscious Mind

(The Generator of Direction)



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Activate your RAS

Reticular Activating System

A group of cells at the base of your brain stem

A little control centre that serves as the filter for

what enters you conscious and unconscious

mind

Writing triggers the RAS

Wake up! Pay Attention!



JOURNAL WRITING

Where am I finding difficulty in my life?

What would I like to change in my life?

In what areas of my life would I like to grow and expand?

What new habits would I like to begin?

What old habits would I like to eliminate?

If I want to I can



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Affirmation

A statement of fact or belief



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Self Talk Attitudes Beliefs

Behaviours Self Image



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Guidelines for writing affirmations

Personal

Positive

Present Tense

Indicate Achievement

No Comparisons

Action Words

Emotion Words

Accuracy

Balance

Realistic

Confidential



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Guidelines for writing affirmations

PROBLEM SOLUTION

Move Away From Include in Affirmation

Bad Temper Calm, Clear Minded

Lazy Energetic

Procrastination Accomplish immediately



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Sample Affirmations

I am an optimistic person who lives a successful life.

I am an important and valuable persons, worthy of the

respect of others who are important to me.

I remember how well I recovered from difficulty and

losses, and I use this feeling to strengthen my resiliency for

future use.



Activity

Group Affirmations

GOAL SETTING



Activity

Personal

Affirmations

GOAL SETTING



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

That’s Worth Thinking About!

“It is a well know fact that one comes, finally, to believe

whatever one repeats to oneself, whether the statement is

true or false. If man repeats a lie over and over, he will

eventually accept the lie as truth”

Napoleon Hill (1883-1970) American speaker and motivational writer.



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Visualization

Mental rehearsal of the future in the present



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Imprinting Process

Impact on subconscious

GOOD - Reading the affirmation

BETTER - Reading and Picturing the affirmation

BEST - Reading, Picturing and Feeling the affirmation



GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Benefits of Visualization

Eliminate fears

Boost self-esteem

Inducing relaxtion

Reframe old situations

Change old habits



JOURNAL WRITING

How can I use the affirmation and imprinting

process to assist me in reaching my goals?



Module 6

LEARNED

OPTIMISM



Optimism is the cheerful frame of mind that enables a

tea kettle to sing, though in hot water up to its nose.

LEARNED OPTIMISM



Activity

Your Approach to

Life Quiz

LEARNED OPTIMISM



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Have To’s

Want To’s



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Motivation

An inner force that compels behaviour

Comes from within

NOT from any external circumstances



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Motivation

RESTRICTIVE

Primarily based on:

“Have To’s”

Fear Based



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Motivation

HOW DO WE RESIST?

Slow down…procrastinate…take longer

Creative Avoidance

Work just good enough to get someone off your back



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Motivation

CONSTRUCTIVE

Primarily based on:

“Want To’s”

Pay Value or Personal Profitability



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Have To’s

Want To’s

Everything in life

is a choice!



LEARNED OPTIMISM

The only have to’s in life are to breath and take up space…

everything else is a CHOICE.



Activity

You Have Two

Choices

LEARNED OPTIMISM



JOURNAL WRITING

What are some of my “have” to actions?

Now that I realize there are no “have to’s”

in my life, what are some of the reasons I

choose to do what I do?

Where do I give up accountability to

someone else? Why?



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Can you learn to be an

Optimist?



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Benefits of Optimism

Respond better to adversity of all kinds

Better physical health

Greater life expectancy



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Optimist

Isolates the BAD

Temporalizes

Other Factors

Pessimist

Globalizes

Externalizes

When something bad happens:



LEARNED OPTIMISM

Optimist

Globalizes

Externalizes

Pessimist

Isolates the GOOD

Temporalizes

Other Factors

When something good happens:



JOURNAL WRITING

How do I think when good things happen?

Give an example.

How do I think when bad things happen?

Give an example.



Module 7

HOW TO KICK

THE WORRY

HABIT



KICKING THE WORRY HABIT




The Downward Spiral




Paralysis of Will

Self-talk declares thoughts of worthlessness, hostility and

hopelessness as valuable.

Block out all other information

Blind spot to anything positive

Isolation sets in

Imagination goes runs away with you




The human mind has a built-in potential for flexibility.

Substitute images of solutions instead of endlessly

ruminating about problems

Affirm your ability to deal effectively and calmly with all

challenges instead of worrying about failure



JOURNAL WRITING

What can I do to help myself when I realize

I am slipping into a downward spiral?



Activity

Defining “Worry”





Worry is like a rocking chair…

it gives you something to do

but it doesn’t get you

anywhere.




Worry is Fear

alse

vidence

ppearing

eal

F

E

A

R



JOURNAL WRITING

How do I allow worry to keep me from

becoming all you can be?

How do I let worry rob me of better

friendships, better business, better results,

better communication, better family

relationships?




Get Free of the Worry Habit

Recognize worry for what it is

Admit what worry does

Choose to be free of worry



Activity

Affirmation Writing





Affirmations

I’ve had it with worry

I refuse to be tricked by false facts

I refuse to let my life be short-circuited any longer by

letting my mind run wild with a distorted view of the facts




Prove It to Yourself

96% is irrelevant

40% never happen

30% nothing can be done

12% they were needless

10% petty things

8% something substantial

4% out of our control




Give Worry a Bad Time

Analyse it to death

Start to use worry rather than let it use you

Worry begins with a thought of doubt, which

causes an emotion of fear, which manifests

itself physically as anxiety.




Conquer Doubt and Fear

Change your mind about the doubt and keep it changed

Focus on what you want not what you do not want

Start working on the solution rather than thinking about a

possible negative outcome

End Result Thinking

Do the thing you fear and fear will disappear

Fear and Faith are directly opposite views of

the future and they cannot co-exist



JOURNAL WRITING

Select a challenge. What attitudes, beliefs

comfort zones, self-talk, habits and goals do I

want to adjust to overcome this challenge?



Activity

Artful Closure

WRAPPING UP



Activity

Dear Me

WRAPPING UP



WRAPPING UP

Taking these five steps can make anyone a “Gold

Medalist” in their chosen endevour

1. Prepare to WIN

2. Take control of your thoughts

3. Re-evaluate your situation

4. Don’t worry about “how to do it”

5. Finally…YOU MUST ACT!

Chantal Petitclerc, 800m Wheelchair (CP Photo Tom Hanson)



WRAPPING UP

In you right now is the power to do things you never

dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you

just as soon as you can change your beliefs.

Dr. Maxwell Maltz