tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32072492264088497452024-03-13T05:54:56.053-05:00MindTamers NewsMindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-86818377932043223522011-05-09T00:54:00.001-05:002011-05-09T01:02:51.969-05:00Tuesday Book Club "DIY U and the Coming Education Revolution": May 17 7:30 PM Eastern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Vh66VdBGVs/TceBqUQ21NI/AAAAAAAAABs/MSZbfp7ESlI/s1600/DIYURevised1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Vh66VdBGVs/TceBqUQ21NI/AAAAAAAAABs/MSZbfp7ESlI/s320/DIYURevised1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><a href="http://attendthisevent.com/Modern/?eventid=19600527&preview=1">Event: May 17 7:30 PM Eastern</a><br />
If you care about education, read Anya Kamenetz' book, DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Education, then come and discuss it with trustees, alumni, teachers and students who want to facilitate transformational learning. Join us live at Laura's Library if you are in Austin, or virtually by clicking <a href="http://attendthisevent.com/Modern/?eventid=19600527&preview=1">this link</a>. It is a great read. You can purchase it below:<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mindtamerscom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003EYUEK0&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-42366238175048165852010-08-10T09:22:00.002-05:002010-08-10T10:06:04.627-05:00Three Ideas All Good Parents Embrace<a href="http://buildabookclubfree.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/PETweb.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176" height="189" src="http://buildabookclubfree.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/PETweb.jpg" title="PETweb" width="127" /></a> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mindtamerscom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0609806939&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<br />
Dr. Thomas Gordon's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0609806939?ie=UTF8&tag=mindtamerscom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0609806939" target="_blank">Parent Effectiveness Training</a> is the classic text on improving your own communication skills so that the person you are talking to feels heard and respected. The August selection of the Tuesday Book Club is as helpful to parents and children today as it was back in 1970 when the first edition was released. Here are the links to listen to the past three teleconference discussions in case you missed them.<br />
<h3><a href="http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=14164572" target="_blank">Tuesday Book Club 7/27/10</a></h3><h3><a href="http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=14285154" target="_blank">Tuesday Book Club 8/3/10</a></h3><h3><a href="http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=14285280" target="_blank">Tuesday Book Club 8/10/10</a></h3>In a subsequent publication (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/P-E-T-Action-Thomas-Gordon/dp/0399128522?ie=UTF8&tag=mindtamerscom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">P.E.T. in Action</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mindtamerscom-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0399128522" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />), research from the <a href="http://www.gordontraining.com/gordon-model-videos.html" target="_blank">Gordon Training International</a> of over 250,000 parents who attended P. E. T. training classes revealed there were three ideas a parent has to accept if they really want to improve their parenting skills.<br />
<ol><li>Children must be respected as individual persons, not as a different species or anomalies in time. </li>
<li>How the child behaves is largely determined by what goes on in the parent-child relationship. </li>
<li> There are fundamental principles about interpersonal relationships that must be understood. The two primary principles are: all humans are inconsistent in what behaviors they find acceptable in another (it is okay for parents to be inconsistent); and the principle of problem ownership (who owns a problem determines the strategy one must use to successfully communicate at that point in time).</li>
</ol>Start now to change the habits that hurt you as a parent and build new habits using the helping skills Dr. Gordon describes in Parent Effectiveness Training. Those helping skills are:<br />
<ul><li>four basic listening skills that communicate messages like "I won't take your problem away from you and I am here to help you find your solution"; "I have faith that you have all the ability you need to handle your problem constructively"; and "I love you for who you are and problems are a normal part of life." </li>
<li>how to talk so that kids will listen </li>
<li>how to change behavior by modifying the environment </li>
<li>win-win conflict resolution which is helpful when a behavior is impacting both people in the relationship </li>
</ul>Tuesday Book Club Meets live at <a href="http://www.westbank.lib.tx.us/" target="_blank">Laura's Library</a>, 9411 Bee Cave Road, Austin, TX 78733 next Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 6:30 PM CDT in Austin, Texas. Join us for practice of the core skills in Dr. Gordon's Parent Effectiveness Training book and for fun frank discussion about the challenges of parenting.<br />
<br />
If you are out of town, join via teleconference at 7:00 PM CDT on 8/17/10 at (512) 501-4531 and code 121014#.<br />
<br />
Your comments and questions are welcome here as another avenue for book discussion and personal growth. Until next time, remember one idea is all it takes to change your world. Have you already fallen in love with an idea and are having trouble getting back up when someone or something knocks you down? <a href="http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/newsletters/listen/1885" target="_blank">Find your tribe</a> and mastermind with them.<br />
<br />
In friendship,<br />
<br />
Lori L. Barr, M. D.<br />
<br />
Vice President, <a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/">MindTamers</a><br />
<br />
Reference:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399128522?ie=UTF8&tag=mindtamerscom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399128522">P.E.T. in Action</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mindtamerscom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399128522" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, Thomas Gordon, General Publishing Company, Toronto, Canada, 1976MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-65559539909678314752010-08-03T09:51:00.001-05:002010-08-03T09:55:27.594-05:00Improve Your Communication Skills before School Starts<h3><a href="http://buildabookclubfree.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/PETweb.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176" height="189" src="http://buildabookclubfree.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/PETweb.jpg" title="PETweb" width="127" /></a></h3><h3><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0609806939?ie=UTF8&tag=mindtamerscom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0609806939">Parent Effectiveness Training: The Proven Program for Raising Responsible Children</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mindtamerscom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0609806939" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Dr. Thomas Gordon shocks the reader into an entirely different mindset. There are two main reasons why people fail to implement the principles of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parent-Effectiveness-Training-Responsible-Children/dp/0609806939?ie=UTF8&tag=mindtamerscom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Parent Effectiveness Training</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mindtamerscom-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0609806939" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. Either they feel that they cannot afford to “surrender” their position of power in the parent-child relationship or, the idea of putting so much effort into a new pattern of communication is too exhausting.</h3>The <a href="http://www.buildabookclub.com/">Tuesday Book Club</a> is spending the month of August studying <i>Parent Effectiveness Training</i>. There are free weekly teleconference discussions and if you are in Austin, a free live meeting on the Third Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at Laura's Library at 6:30 PM. Last week our teleconference focused on the front matter and first two chapters. Click <a href="http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=14164572" target="_blank" title="Replay">here</a> to listen and catch up.<br />
<br />
Here are some discussion questions for chapters three through five<br />
that will help you start to use the language of acceptance that is so necessary in a successful relationship.<br />
<h4>Parent Effectiveness Training Chapter 3: How to Listen So Kids Will Talk to You: The Language of Acceptance</h4>What example do you have of a child refusing to talk to a parent?<br />
<br />
How is unacceptance communicated?<br />
<br />
Name two ways to communicate acceptance non-verbally. Try these and record your results.<br />
<br />
Write what your exact verbal response would be if your child came home and said:<br />
<br />
“School just isn’t for me. I’ve decided not to go to college. There are so many other ways to succeed these days.”<br />
<br />
“I wish I could figure out what is wrong with me. Susie used to like me but now she never comes to play. Every time I go to her house, she is playing with Brianna. They have fun and I just feel left out. I hate them.”<br />
<br />
“How come I have to mow the lawn? Sam’s family has a gardener to do that stuff. You are not fair! This is child abuse! Nobody works as hard as I do!"<br />
<br />
You are having another couple over for dinner. Your five year old burst into the room as you are enjoying the after-dinner conversation and shouts:<br />
“You are all a bunch of stinking fish heads! I hate you and wish you never came here!”<br />
<br />
Classify your responses according to the categories in Chapter 3. Do you tend to communicate acceptance or the opposite?<br />
<br />
How many meanings does a typical verbal response carry?<br />
<br />
Name three “door openers” you are willing to try. Record what happens when you try them out.<br />
<br />
What is active listening?<br />
<br />
Try it out on a stranger and record what happens.<br />
<br />
Why should people learn the skill of active listening?<br />
<br />
What are the six requirements for Active listening to be genuine?<br />
<br />
What are the risks of active listening?<br />
<h4>Parent Effectiveness Training Chapter 4: Putting Your Active Listening Skills to Work</h4>What is the most important action a person must take to master active listening?<br />
<br />
When is it most appropriate to use active listening?<br />
<br />
What three classifications apply to any situation encountered in a relationship?<br />
<br />
Why is it important to classify situations?<br />
<br />
What does active listening help the child find?<br />
<br />
Name five common mistakes to active listening.<br />
<h4>Parent Effectiveness Training Chapter 5: How to Listen to Kids Too Young to Talk Much</h4>What two requirements must be met to use active listening effectively in children less than 4 years old?<br />
<br />
How do you “learn to listen accurately to non-verbal communication”?<br />
<br />
What can a parent give a child if the parent listens accurately to non-verbal communication?<br />
<br />
What do most parents do instead?<br />
<br />
What is the long-term result of this choice?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
An Unofficial Reader's Journal to Parent Effectiveness Training, based on the 1975 edition of this classic is available as a <a href="http://buildabookclub.com/resources/" target="_blank" title="free resources">free resource</a> to you. Please join us Tuesday, August 3 at 7 PM CDT (512) 501-4531 enter the code 121014# for a live discussion of some of these questions and your experience as you read this manual on communication skills that will revolutionize every single relationship in which you engage.<br />
<br />
Your comments and questions are welcome below. Remember, all it takes is one idea to change your world.<br />
<br />
In friendship,<br />
<br />
Lori L. Barr, M. D.<br />
Vice President, MindTamersMindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-46462327539979302472010-05-15T13:09:00.002-05:002011-06-17T16:13:21.929-05:00Five Loyalty Killers To Stop Now If You Want Your Customer's Ear<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;">--------------------------</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Loyalty Killers<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Five Behaviors That<br />
Inhibit Customer Allegiance
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;">--------------------------</span><br />
<br />
Excerpted from <i>The No Bull Branding Course Companion</i>, a workbook by Lori L. Barr, M. D., International Health and Lifestyle Expert. The workbook covers the curriculum of the <a href="http://www.wizardacademy.org/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=334">No Bull Branding Course</a> offered at Wizard Academy, a non-traditional business school in Austin, Texas. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">J</span>ust as some habits bolster intra- and inter-organizational loyalty, there are inhibitors that stifle allegiant environment. Below are five inhibiting behaviors contrasted with the steps of business innovators that deepen the bonds.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: large;">Fear</span><br />
A fear-based individual or corporate culture can only lurch forward toward goals. The Board of Directors smothers a bold ad they fear will offend a segment of the customer base. A web designer is afraid of losing clients if she doesn’t play it safe with SEO. What one is afraid of does not matter. Fear is chaotic. It inhibits coherent decision-making. Customers buy products and services to minimize their own fears. They intuit fear much like a horse senses a nervous rider. They have enough of their own fears. If they cannot feel the faith a company has in its own solutions, they will keep looking for another answer. Business innovators weed out ideas and routines that inject fear into their production line. As a result, they glide along the path to their goals.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Blur Reliability and Predictability</span><br />
Customers want reliable solutions to their problems. They want a pain reliever to work as well tomorrow as it did yesterday. Reliability is key in helping the customer develop repeat purchasing habits. Predictability, in contrast, is a magic cloak that renders a service invisible to the client. The business leader who underestimates the mind as an adept at ignoring the boring is doomed to invisibility. Small business owners are tempted to spend their entire budget on one great ad and then use it everywhere all the time. When it is overplayed, the customer’s mind searches elsewhere. Innovators seek ways to add novelty and surprise to their presentation without a sacrifice of the product’s reliability.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Misunderstand a Brand</span><br />
Entrepreneurs and inventors may focus inward as they deliver an idea from conception to production since this is “their baby”. Advisors encourage them, “Establish your brand!” Those mentors fail to remind their protégés of the historic use of brands and how that impacts a customer’s thinking. Ancient Egypt was the birthplace of livestock branding. Human slaves and animals were branded so that owners could easily recognize their belongings in case of co-mingling. Savvy business owners don’t mind it if their customer wanders in the competitor’s territory as long as he or she comes when called. They nurture the relationship and pay attention to the customer’s journey. They serve as the shepherd and protect their flock from the wolves.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Kick Back and Get Lax</span><br />
Remember back to dating days. If a guy didn’t call regularly, then the girl was harder to reach. After a certain level of success is attained, there is a trend toward complacency in business practices. Resist the urge to rest on past successes or to take for granted that conditions change. Innovators embrace forward momentum and instigate needed change.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Failure to Create Competition</span><br />
Try to capture the size of a whale while scuba diving or a mountain while hiking. If there is no human-sized object to add scale to the image, then the viewer doesn’t grasp the magnitude. Customers need a reference point to judge the merits of exceptional products and services. Apple products become bluebonnets when PC’s are as generic as dandelions. Innovative leaders encourage competition. Everybody wins when the best products and services reach the customer.<br />
<br />
<br />
From <i>The No Bull Branding Course Companion</i>, a workbook by <a href="http://www.loribarr.com/">Lori L. Barr, M. D</a>., International Health and Lifestyle Expert. The workbook covers the curriculum of the No Bull Branding Course offered at <a href="http://www.wizardacademy.org/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=334">Wizard Academy</a>, a non-traditional business school. <br />
<br />
The next <a href="http://www.wizardacademy.org/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=334">No Bull Branding Course</a> is Tuesday, May 25, 2010 from 9-5 CDT. <br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">"Your imagination is a time machine. It takes you to the future where you enjoy the rewards of your labors."</span></i><br />
<br />
- Lori L. Barr, M. D. Author of <i>Tame Your Mind, Save Your Life</i>MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-50662537042910078252010-05-15T12:41:00.000-05:002010-05-15T12:45:38.943-05:00Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads Parts 3 and 4 High-jack Your Mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/S-7chTL0f7I/AAAAAAAAABM/5ST4oVsIuAs/s1600/sf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/S-7chTL0f7I/AAAAAAAAABM/5ST4oVsIuAs/s320/sf.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><a href="http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/">Roy H. Williams</a> reached best seller status with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Formulas-Wizard-Ads-Turning/dp/1885167393?ie=UTF8&tag=mindtamerscom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mindtamerscom-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1885167393" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mindtamerscom-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00284AZQU" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. <span style="color: #e69138;">Part 3 Side Door into the Mind and Part 4 Turning Lead into Gold</span> supercharge your ability to rapidly enter a new idea into your mind or someone else's mind. <br />
<br />
When you read pages 68-137 you will find communication tools that really let you high-jack the mind. Roy imprints the frequency and curiosity facts that you need to know to keep the mind engaged. The <a href="http://buildabookclub.com/?cat=23">Tuesdays at Seven Book Club</a> will talk about Parts 3 and 4 on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 7:00 PM CDT. The hour long discussion will start with these questions:<br />
<ul><li>How does the composition of human thought presented here differ from your definition?</li>
<li>Why should you saturate your mind with poetry?</li>
<li>What four things of power should be used with care and why?</li>
<li>What does wisdom live in?</li>
</ul>Join us via teleconference at 512.716.6511 and enter the code 973640#, Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 7:00 PM CDT. You'll increase your awareness of how your communication is hitting the mark. If you want to take action and improve the skills, consider the <a href="http://www.wizardacademy.org/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=334">No Bull Branding Course at Wizard Academy</a> in Austin, Tuesday May 25, 2010. It is a day full of delights for the mind and challenges to your paradigms.<br />
<br />
Keep taming your mind and living your life vibrantly.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.loribarr.com/">Lori L. Barr, M. D.</a>MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-83715194264798593542010-05-08T20:28:00.000-05:002010-05-08T20:29:25.476-05:00Read One Book Now and Connect Like Never Before<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/S-YMG6PZzII/AAAAAAAAABE/17QNUGCMwIw/s1600/sf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/S-YMG6PZzII/AAAAAAAAABE/17QNUGCMwIw/s320/sf.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>"I thought it was just a book about advertising!"<br />
<br />
"No!" I said, "It is a book about communication."<br />
<br />
Spring and summer are the communication seasons. April showers plus a little sun translate into spectacular bluebonnets. Young leaves dance the breezes like leprechauns. Birds, bees, spring and summer buzz.<br />
<br />
What's the buzz? There is no buzz if there is no one to hear and help move the message. So how do you become a master message crafter? Become a great story teller. You can improve your story-telling skills with three easy steps.<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Listen to and read great stories. Attend an event like the <a href="http://www.storynet.org/conference/index.html">National Storytelling Conference</a>. Listen to your favorite uncle who always has a great story. </li>
<li>Build a portfolio of your own stories. Actually write them down. Edit your writing so your messages zings into the listener's ear.</li>
<li>Increase your awareness of what makes a message lodge into the subconscious mind. May is full of opportunities to level up. Here are a few ways to increase your awareness that center around one book and one location.</li>
</ol>Roy H. Williams is a master story teller. In his second best seller, <i><a href="https://www.wizardacademypress.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=16" target="_blank">Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mindtamerscom-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00284AZQU" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i>, he probes the power of words and the connections they must forge in the mind to be memorable. Grab a copy of this book and take a summer ride with the top down. MindTamers are reading this book this month as a part of the free Build A Book Club program. You can read it with us or with your own group using these simple steps:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Read about 80 pages per week. Don't worry, there are lots of pictures.</li>
<li>Think about the answers to questions that personalize the book for you. (Keep reading for a few starter questions for Part 1 and Part 2.)</li>
<li>Meet with other folks doing the same thing once a week. Call in to (512) 716-6511 and use the conference code 973640# at 7 am CDT on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 if you want to join other MindTamers reading this book this month.</li>
</ul>Here are some of the questions we will discuss on Tuesday's call for Part 1 and Part 2 of <i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/buildabookclub-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=5" target="_blank">Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mindtamerscom-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1885167393" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />:<br />
<br />
<div style="color: red;">What question does the publisher ask the reader to answer and what is your answer?</div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;">Give an example of how the "most powerful force ever" makes a difference in your life.</div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;">Where was the American Dream born and what two forces fueled it?</div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;">How are you using the "bridge of magical fire" in your life today?</div><br />
MindTamers will meet two other times by phone and one time live to discuss this book:<br />
<ul><li>May 18, 2010 at 7:00 pm CDT same conference line, same conference code to discuss Parts 3 and 4 </li>
<li>May 25, 2010 at 7:00 am CDT same conference line, same conference code to discuss Parts 5 and 6 (We will be calling in from <a href="http://www.wizardacademy.org/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=334">Wizard Academy</a> itself for this call!)</li>
<li>June 1, 2010 at 6:30 pm at Laura's Library in Austin for the First Tuesday Book Club.</li>
<li>All of these are open to the public.</li>
<li>If you would like to meet the Wizard of Ads himself for free, go to the <a href="http://www.wizardacademy.org/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=90">free public seminar</a> on May 21, 2010. Don't delay, this event sells out every time it is offered.</li>
</ul>Here's to more successful connections in every aspect of your life. If you like this idea of a master mind book club, you can learn how to build your own successful <a href="http://www.buildabookclub.com/">book club</a> or join ours as an <a href="http://www.buildabookclub.com/">insider</a>.<br />
<br />
Buzz Buzz!<br />
<br />
Lori L. Barr, M. D.<br />
Vice President, MindTamersMindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-74836548717339976422010-01-04T02:42:00.000-06:002010-01-04T03:10:52.637-06:00Four Obstacles Bar Experts From Local Recognition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/S0GsWzrQu4I/AAAAAAAAAA8/iE2mkdw5N08/s1600-h/cassandra.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/S0GsWzrQu4I/AAAAAAAAAA8/iE2mkdw5N08/s320/cassandra.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422804934159547266" border="0" /></a><br />by Lori L. Barr, M. D.<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; font-weight:bold; mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;font-size:85%;" >© 2009 Lori L. Barr All rights reserved.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; font-weight:bold; mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Intellects study the unconscious habits of successful individuals and consciously teach those habits to students in memorable ways at this </span><a href="https://wizardacademy.org/scripts/default.asp"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >school</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >.<span style=""> </span>Want to attend?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >My son explored the campus one day last summer in plaid shorts.<span style=""> </span>Richard said, "This is Disneyworld for your imagination!"<span style=""> </span>Amazingly, more international students pay to attend than do locals.<span style=""> </span>Just last week, the Chancellor closed the campus to the public due to repeated acts of vandalism and disrespect.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Tempted to condemn the ignorance of the immediate populace?<span style=""> </span>The individual who envisions the future and speaks to those who cannot hear is a recurring theme in human history.<span style=""> </span></span><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2199"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Homer</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" > mentions the gift of prophecy Apollo granted to Cassandra, princess of Troy for her beauty.<span style=""> </span>She spurned his love; he gifted her again.<span style=""> </span>Listeners suffered selective hearing loss when she prophesied.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >History confirms the expert's difficulty at home.<span style=""> </span>The </span><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >gospels</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" > of Mark and Luke recount the attempt of Jesus to bring His understanding and application of the Torah to his own country.<span style=""> </span>Mark says the people were offended.<span style=""> </span>Jesus said, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, and among his own kin and in his own house."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >In 1847 physician </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Ignaz Semmelweis</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >, the father of modern antiseptic technique was dismissed from his hospital, ostracized by the Vienna medical community and believed to be insane when he suggested that hand-washing by physicians performing both autopsies and deliveries could prevent deaths of birthing mothers.<span style=""> </span>He died in an asylum.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >World-renown radiologist </span><a href="http://www.arrs.org/Pressroom/Archives/info.cfm?prID=233"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Leonard Swischuk</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" > revolutionized x-ray recognition of childhood diseases.<span style=""> </span>In 1985, I learned the art of pediatric radiology from him in Galveston.<span style=""> </span>He was better recognized on the island as a tennis racquet stringer and shirt monogrammer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >You share Cassandra's frustration and despair.<span style=""> </span>Create a great idea and as fast as you show it to family, they remind you why you cannot profit from it.<span style=""> </span>What four obstacles must one overcome to locally be recognized as expert?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times;">1) Memory Entrapment.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" ><span style=""> </span>Human memory contains complex snapshots of encounters with other individuals.<span style=""> </span>As a result, you earn a specific place in the mind of another over time.<span style=""> </span>When your new idea is incongruent with their memory of you or even with your own memory of yourself, disbelief is the only logical result.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times;">2) Complacency.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" ><span style=""> </span>In traditional education we play "Follow the Follower".<span style=""> </span>We learn to be comfortable as a part of a herd.<span style=""> </span>We want to wear what our friends are wearing and do what our friends are doing.<span style=""> </span>Many adults freeze their awareness at this level.<span style=""> </span>When you decide to think differently, the herd senses danger.<span style=""> </span>Herd members work to pull the straggler back into the fold or, if matters become extreme, to cull the deviant for the sake of the herd.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times;">3) Fear of Criticism</span><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" > goes unrecognized within one's own mind and kills the desire to create.<span style=""> </span>Fear results in alibis and excuses that smother your idea before it has time to grow.<span style=""> </span>Napoleon Hill studied over one thousand successful individuals and many more failures.<span style=""> </span>In </span><a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/products.html"><i style=""><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Think and Grow Rich</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >, he states, "People refuse to take chances in business because they fear the criticism which may follow if they fail.<span style=""> </span>The fear of criticism in such cases is stronger than the desire for success."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times;">4) Familiarity.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" ><span style=""> </span>The more familiar we are with another, the more likely we are to find something we dislike.<span style=""> </span>Experiments by Norton et al found that if one dissimilarity between two people surfaced, subsequent information is perceived as supportive evidence for dissimilarity.<span style=""> </span>Dislike cascades.<span style=""> </span>Individuals discount ideas from people they dislike.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Bob Proctor is right, "What other people think about you is none of your business."<span style=""> </span>Your business is what you think of yourself and how you choose to nurture your new ideas.<span style=""> </span>The choice you make and your ability to overcome these four obstacles within your own mind correlate with expansion of your sphere of influence.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Corporations hire "experts" to stimulate productivity.<span style=""> </span>This means someone from outside the immediate metropolitan area who has an impressive presentation.<span style=""> </span>Savvy leaders suspend their paradigms about their employees and the surrounding community.<span style=""> </span>They look for </span><a href="http://loribarr.com/"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >locals</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" > who understand how to bridge the knowing/doing gap and also grasp the significant contribution the business makes to the community.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >Uncover hidden treasures in your family, corporation and community.<span style=""> </span>Who can you listen to and view outside of your preconceived notions?<span style=""> </span>Recognize them as an undervalued local expert here with a comment.<span style=""> </span>If you would like my list of ten undervalued local experts, drop me an </span><a href="http://loribarr.com/page6/page6.html"><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >email</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;" >.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/92/1/97/"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Less is more: The lure of ambiguity, or why familiarity breeds contempt.</span></a></span><span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" > Norton, Michael I.; Frost, Jeana H.; Ariely, Dan, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol 92(1), Jan 2007, 97-105</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">** Attn Ezine editors / Site owners **</strong><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, and do not modify the content.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Times;font-size:12pt;" ><o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <!--EndFragment-->MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-70544024577101778892009-12-06T23:46:00.000-06:002010-01-04T02:42:03.165-06:00Holiday Ideas to Jump Start Your New Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/SxyecrYREoI/AAAAAAAAAA0/AOEbCKiCq-k/s1600-h/hollywood.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/SxyecrYREoI/AAAAAAAAAA0/AOEbCKiCq-k/s320/hollywood.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412375067710526082" /></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330099;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Do you ever feel like serious work is a waste in December?</span></b></span> <div><br /></div><div>Personal and professional productivity screech to a halt during the last six weeks of the year. Complacency sets in and drives all thought of meaningful activity to a far corner of the mind. Below are three simple ideas to jump start your new year, 2010 and to kick that inertia outside of your ball park.<div><br /></div><div><ol><li><b>Carry the Thanksgiving theme into December.</b> Start every correspondence (voice or text) this month with a heartfelt message of gratitude for something the other person did that went beyond a self-serving boundary. Even if you do not personally know the individual with whom you are exchanging emails, recognize the ways they are improving the lives of others and specifically thank them for it. If you need help with those thank you messages, there is no better pro than Robyn Spizman, author of<i> </i><a href="http://www.robynspizman.com/html/see_books_by_robyn.htm#ThankYouBook"><i>The Thank You Book</i></a>.</li><li><b>Have one holiday get-together designed to exchange ideas</b>. My favorite gathering is<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;"> "Yule Enjoy This Read"</span></b> where I ask my most thoughtful friends over for a book exchange. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF6600;">This is at least half the fat of the traditional holiday cookie exchange!</span> Each participant brings over one book that made them laugh and one book that taught them something new in 2009. They write their reflections on a card inside the front cover of the book. Books are displayed so that everyone has a chance to peruse the selections during the party. At an appropriate time, books are chosen using a lottery system where each consecutive person has two choices: pick a book that someone already chose or pick a book still unchosen. Those who get their choice taken away get to choose again from the unchosen books.</li><li><b>Commit to taking your first 110 steps toward a new fitness habit</b>. I have been using a 110 step program since I trained for the mid-adventure Montana Backpacker with my son's scout troop last summer. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC33CC;">Focus on the number 110 and every day do some form of exercise with at least 110 repetitions.</span> My week consists of daily 110 sit-ups, weekly 110 push-ups and 110 step intervals where I alternate walking, slow jog, fast jog and sprinting. Simple and effective.</li></ol><div>Actually, 110 repetitions of gratitude and 110 exchanges of ideas are great steps toward new social and spiritual fitness habits. If that seems like too much, baby steps will do!</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers,</div><div><br /></div><div>Lori L. Barr, M. D.</div><div><a href="http://www.loribarr.com">www.loribarr.com</a></div><div><a href="http://www.mindtamers.com">www.mindtamers.com</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div>MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-9190186300464449662009-05-07T23:31:00.000-05:002009-05-07T23:55:09.016-05:00May MindTamers Monthly<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/SgO5lVVUkiI/AAAAAAAAAAk/jDDsCIQmzuI/s1600-h/family-silhouette-sunset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 159px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/SgO5lVVUkiI/AAAAAAAAAAk/jDDsCIQmzuI/s320/family-silhouette-sunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333310434769670690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">She holds your hand when you cross the street. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">She kisses your skinned knee and stops the tears. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">She fills in the blanks so you succeed. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">She grows you in the womb of her love. </span><br /><br />Alive or dead, estranged or living together, you and your mother share common memories. In the space between, that space where shared <a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/programs/live/languages.html"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">memories</span></a> live, it is always here and now. Each memory lives in its own place. You visit that place anytime you choose through the power of your creative imagination.<br /><br />In his book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Outliers</span>, Malcomb Gladwell acquaints us with the idea that it takes about 10,000 hours to become a world-class expert in any endeavor. <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Think back to your little life.</span> Before your formal education indoctrination, you spent the majority of your day at the imaginasium. If you had a friend (real or imagined) to play with, <span style="font-weight: bold;">anything was possible!</span><br /><br />The 10,000-hour rule works when the individual is actively <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">trying</span> to become exceptional at the task. Every infant, toddler and child with enough food, shelter and human contact to have basic needs met spends at least 5 hours a day actively using the imagination to create all manner of possibilities from whatever happens to be at hand? (Remember those kitchen pots, wooden spoons and pan lids?) She does that every day and in 6 years (10,000 hours later), she is a world-class expert at the use of her imagination.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">So face it, you really are a professional imagineer!</span><br /><br />Question is, when is the last time you practiced at it? We are stretching our imaginations in Razor’s Edge, the year-long mentoring program I facilitate with MindTamers. So far, it is <span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">uncomfortable</span> to use a skill that is rusty…kind of like remembering how to ride a bike after a long while driving cars. It is <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">amazing</span> how with a few friends (we use the <a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/programs/live/masterminding.html">mastermind</a> approach to the mentoring process), anything is once again possible. More than any of that, it is sheer <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">fun</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Your creative imagination is waiting to be let out of the cage. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Free it</span> three ways: <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) Study your favorite secret agent.</span> <br /><br />Is it Bond? Mission Impossible’s Jim? Maxwell Smart? 99? Maybe it is your persona you created for the latest Macheist adventure. <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Warning: Do not perform the following exercise in an airport. Your actions could be misconstrued and results would be predictable and unfortunate.</span><br /><br />The next time you are in a busy place, become a secret agent. You are working in tandem with your favorite agent and you must do your part or your city will suffer dire consequences at the hands of the villain of your choice. Make up a task that you must complete with all the finesse of a secret agent and play your part. Don’t stop until you complete your assignment or attract undue attention from those who might inflict punishment upon you.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />2) Sign up for a MindTamers study.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/programs/live/imagination.html"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Conscious Thinking: Imagination</span></a> is a three-hour seminar that is part of the Mental Muscles Series. On May 13, 2009 7:30-10:30 AM at 401 Congress Avenue, Suite 1540 in Austin, Texas get primed to resume your role as the chief imagineer in your field. <br /><br />Ready to sink your mind into more than you can possibly chew? We have a few spots in <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Razor’s Edge</span> if you have a big enough goal and are ready to make a year-long commitment. <a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/contact.php">Email me</a>.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />3) Revisit three memories with your Mother.</span> <br /><br />Steal some quiet time and find that space between where that memory lives. Poke around in the corners of the memory and pull out every detail. Where do you smell her the easiest? <br /><br />While you are there, invite your mother to enjoy it as much as you are. Even if she has already passed, you can imagine her with you even now, holding your hand as you relive the moment together. <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Make that memory, the one of her in your present moment, sharing the moment of the past with you just as vivid as the memory of your past together. </span><br /><br />It really isn’t hard.<br /><br />After all, you are a professional.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Lori L. Barr, M. D.MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-47873611079577798812009-04-27T14:14:00.000-05:002009-04-27T14:25:31.449-05:00April/May MindTamers Monthly<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:130%;" >Ahh, Spring…</span><br /><br />Your heels click sharply on the shiny wood. No dust, no stains, just mirror sheen and deep resonance. White walls reflect all of your colors. No fingerprints, no smudges, no cobwebs, just white and clean. Fresh tickles your nose; no stale smoke, no lingering rancid oil. There is nothing like the result of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spring Cleaning</span>.<br />April is the month we focused on Spring Cleaning at MindTamers. Many of you who took advantage of our programs feel just as good about the clear space you created within your own mind. You learned to let go of outdated ideas and habits that were limiting your growth. It feels good to get back to the simplicity of clean.<br />Others, unable to participate, wonder when they will be able to grow this way. How is it that some people always have opportunities for growth and others never do? Just lucky?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Let’s Talk About Luck…</span><br />We will explore the concept of luck 7 PM Central Daylight Time on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 in a webinar entitled, “The Good Luck Prescription.” Dedicate one hour to picking up the phone and gauging your ability to get lucky in any area you choose.<br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">If you really want to get the most out of the webinar, follow the link to register below, then take the time to write down your thoughts about the following questions before the webinar.</span> You’ll be glad you did.<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">Pre-Webinar Assessment: Good Luck Prescription</span><br /><br />1. List ten phrases or symbols that you know related to luck either good or bad.<br />2. What do you do when you:<br />find a penny?<br />see a black cat?<br />cross paths with a ladder?<br />spill salt?<br />encounter a hearse?<br />your ear burns?<br />3. At what time of day do you usually notice you are having a good or a bad one? What happens after that?<br />4. Do you gamble? If so, when do you choose to do so? Name three determining factors that influence your decision to gamble.<br />5. Name three factors that help you decide whether or not an activity is worth the risk for the following types of activities:<br />Physical (ex. scuba diving, bungee jumping)<br />Mental (ex. idea you are uncomfortable considering)<br />Spiritual (ex. action counter-productive to your spiritual growth)<br />Social (ex. activity you may be ridiculed for participation in)<br />Security (ex. investment decision that depletes your reserve)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">You know how curious I am.</span> If you perform this self-assessment, send me an email and let me know at lori@mindtamers.com.<br /><br />Good luck!<br />Lori L. Barr, M.D.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/SfYGEQ2wQtI/AAAAAAAAAAU/DBHr77HIq0U/s1600-h/GLPfeatureHPtiny.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 193px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TVw2FBocbLU/SfYGEQ2wQtI/AAAAAAAAAAU/DBHr77HIq0U/s320/GLPfeatureHPtiny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329453879353426642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Good Luck Rx Webinar</span><br />Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009<br />Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM CDT<br /><br />System Requirements: PC Based attendees require Windows 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista<br />Macintosh-based attendees require MAC OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or newer<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:</span><br /><a href="https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/914356947">https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/914356947</a><br />After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-25966260808768458302009-03-30T18:08:00.000-05:002009-04-03T19:08:26.153-05:00In Step with Lifelong LearningA warm blustery Austin day, I enjoy a Brazilian lunch with two individuals practiced in the art of thinking. Rodney reflects on how differently he thinks now that he is a weekly blogger. Megan, the savvy observer who has mastered the subtle art of suggestion, asks me if I blog.<br />I had not and am grateful to Rodney and Megan for pushing me to share my strategies for life balance on the MindTamers blogs.<br />I am an Austin physician (radiologist), educator, mother, and entrepreneur. I am passionate about purposeful living. If you catch me doing otherwise, please stop and remind me. My husband teaches high school science. My son is a boy scout.<br />Today focus on <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">lifelong learning</span> since many characteristics of lifelong learners are the same as those of self-motivated individuals who use all parts of their non-corporeal being and really live on purpose. Most balanced individuals I observe understand the ways the mind works and the spirit moves the body into shapes, contours and actions that either serve as a life-preserver or drag us under the chilly waves in the flow of life.<br />An article entitled <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">“Education Techniques for Lifelong Learning”</span> by Dr. Jannette Collins, a radiologist in Wisconsin appears in the medical journal, Radiographics this month.<br />Dr. Collins describes lifelong learning as “one of the most important competencies that people must possess”. Her article is a call to action for educators of all age students to change the way they teach. She encourages teaching methods that foster the traits, skills and learning activities necessary for lifelong learning.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">What underlying traits typify those who become master learners?</span> Dr. Collins lists 15 in her article. For this blog, I offer 10. The other five are on the MindTamers social networking site: <a href="http://mindtamers.ning.com/">http://mindtamers.ning.com</a> on the blog page.<br />See which of the traits you breathe and become more aware of opportunities to improve the others:<br /><ul><li>Curious</li><li>Venturesome/creative</li><li>Innovative</li><li>Resourceful</li><li>Motivated to learn</li><li>Disciplined</li><li>Logical</li><li>Self-aware</li><li>Adaptable</li><li>Accountable</li></ul>Talent and gifts are terms we employ when individuals are unconsciously competent about how their abilities affect their performance. All of these traits can be learned if there is enough desire and persistence.<br />Dr. Collins lists <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">eight skills and seven learning activities that foster lifelong learning</span>. Consider four skills she identifies (go to <a href="http://mindtamers.ning.com/">http://www.mindtamers.ning.com</a> blog for the rest):<br /><ul><li>Develops & defends criteria for evaluating learning</li><li>Change agent</li><li>Shares knowledge</li><li>Information-seeking & retrieval skills</li></ul>How does one develop such skills? Practice activities that build the skill frequently enough to create a habit in the mind. In other words, practice enough that the activity is performed without a second thought. That takes a good bit of practice. Want to guess how much? 10 times? 100 times? Usually over 1200 repetitions are necessary.<br />What kind of learning activities does Dr. Collins suggest? Remember, this article is written to practicing radiologists.<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Participate in conventional learning opportunities like seminars<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Participate in distance learning oppotunities</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Develop new skills with experiential training</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Volunteer to enhance leadership skills</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Find a mentor or coach</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Work toward an advanced degree</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read, reflect on reading</span></li></ul>I am happy to report that at MindTamers we provide all of these learning activities and they are not centered around the subjects you study in school. Our programs fill in the blanks your education left out.<br />Starting in April, this blogger will share tips on <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">spring cleaning</span> for your mind so you achieve the results you desire. If dusty old habits weigh you down, spend a few minutes here every Saturday. We will whisk them away.<br />Lifelong leaning means to <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">master the art of thinking</span>. Remember Rodney and Megan? They are not so old pros. You can master this art over the course of the next eight weeks in one of our two MindTaming Principles Classes. <a href="http://www.mindtamers.com">mindtamers.com</a><br /><br />Cheers,<br />Lori L. Barr, M. D.<br />Founder, MindTamers<br />Austin, Texas<br /><br />Additional Resources:<br /><br />Here is the reference for Dr. Collins’ article. You will need to contact your friendly neighborhood radiologist or medical library to download it for you for free and since I am a friendly neighborhood radiologist myself, if 100 people comment here that they would like to have access to the article, then I will obtain the permission to post it on <a href="http://www.mindtamers.ning.com/">http://www.mindtamers.ning.com</a> our social networking website.<br />Collins, J, Education Techniques for Lifelong Learning, Lifelong Learning in the 21st Century and Beyond, Radiographics, 2009; 29(2): 613-622<br />Bolhuis, S, Toward Process-oriented Teaching for Self-directed Lifelong Learning: a Multidimensional perspective. Learn Instruct 2003; 13(3): 327-347MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-20707297589396375552009-02-10T17:48:00.000-06:002009-02-10T18:17:40.514-06:00January/February 2009 Newsletter<h2>Resolutions: Reality Check </h2>Three steps make the di<div style="display: inline;font:12px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; ">fference.<br /><br /></div >January is a month when individuals resolve to change and do a better job with respect to some facet of their life. Today I want to challenge you to take one step further in this process than will most of the well-intentioned resolution makers. Let's cover three basic steps that will truly make a di<div style="display: inline;font:12px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; ">fference if you want </div >to make lasting changes in your results. <br /><br />To begin, you must understand what is responsible for your results. What comes to mind when you ask yourself, "What is the primary factor responsible for my results?"<br /><br />Write down the first answer that comes to mind. If you wrote down anything similar to "what I do is responsible for my results" or "if only (fill in the blank with any external circumstance) my results would be di<div style="display: inline;font:12px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; ">fferent" then you need to </div >alter your basic understanding of how we achieve the results we attain in our lives. This question is answered in almost every keynote, seminar, coaching program or consultation provided by the professionals at MindTamers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/news_assets/Newsletter_010209.pdf" rel="external">Download the full newsletter</a>.MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-57359459917058379092008-12-17T14:55:00.000-06:002008-12-17T15:08:52.691-06:00December 2008 Newsletter<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Renewal, Readiness and Greatness</span></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Winter is the season of renewal, where seeds and bulbs are gathering the energy and physical components that they need to burst forth in the spring with new growth and color.! Ideas are spiritual seeds and they also are gathering the energy and physical components they need to manifest in your physical world as soon as you are ready for them.! Winter is a great time to make yourself ready.</p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"><a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/news_assets/Newsletter_1208.pdf">Download the full newsletter</a>.</span></div>MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3207249226408849745.post-86768032408721785492008-11-07T14:54:00.000-06:002009-02-10T18:17:40.158-06:00November 2008 Newsletter<div style="display: inline;font:24px Georgia, serif; font-weight:bold; color:#386B96;font-weight:bold; ">Autumn in Austin</div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Times-Roman; "><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><em>Time to give serious thought to the years ending and to come.</em></div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Times-Roman; "><br /><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Today’s empowering thoughts are taken from </div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><em>As A Man Thinketh</em></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> by James Allen <br /> </div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Times-Roman; "><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;">"The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities. Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not long remain so if you but perceive an ideal and strive to reach it. You cannot travel within and stand still without."</div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Times-Roman; "><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Times-Roman; "><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Now is the time to take stock of your current results and recognize that they simply reflect what you have been thinking for some time...maybe this past week, this past year or maybe your entire life. If you want to know what you have been thinking, download the FACESHAPES PDF from the following link: <br />https://rcpt.yousendit.com/622894257/614414db80cd4b675dc7a6f9b49d0033<br />and really examine your own visage. If you don't like what you see, just remember how many times the face shape of a baby changes. It seems to happen daily. You can create something different for yourself at any time. The new results will show in your face, your step, your handshake and your body.</div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Times-Roman; "><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br />Creation proceeds from order followed by movement. You are a creative being, so get to work on the orderly thinking part of the equation. You'll be surprised how quickly you are able to create some amazing opportunities. Cool weather naturally encourages us to think about ourselves and our families. Instead of hibernation, think of recreation...really look at that word..."re-creation". Relax and get thinking!</div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Times-Roman; "><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><em>Please note that the link above is only available for seven days.</em></div ><div style="display: inline;font:16px Times-Roman; "><br /></div ><div style="display: inline;font:13px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><em><br /></em></div ><a href="http://www.mindtamers.com/news_assets/Newsletter_1108.pdf" rel="external">Download the full newsletter</a>.MindTamershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11144257010119635290noreply@blogger.com0