What if, in an instant you could own your mental toughness?  How would your business, relationships, sports, and hobbies be impacted if you could flip a switch and be the person (competitor, sales professional, parent, athlete) you want to be?  It is possible.  However, most people read a book or watch a program and fail to do the most important piece surrounding what they just learned…implement relentlessly.

Ok, is it really as instantaneous as flipping a switch?  Absolutely, but the results only come with hard work.  When addressing your question of:  “Can I Become Mentally Tough?”   The answer is yes, by simply changing your thoughts and then working your butt off supporting those thoughts.  Thoughts without actions are just pipe dreams.

One Solution – Using the Beliefs, Behaviors, Results Circle

Beliefs -  The second your beliefs or thoughts change to a solution-based way of thinking as opposed to a problem-based way of thinking you become mentally tough.  You know the type of people who always identify the problems, and then continue to vomit a laundry list of additional problems… those are problem-based thinkers.  There is nothing wrong with identifying a problem or gap in performance, but what the mentally tough do is seek a solution and then act on that solution.  Mentally tough thinkers take action to solve an identified problem, and then incrementally take additional action to improve their solution.

Are you now the toughest mind on the block by changing this one way of thinking?  No, but you are well ahead of most.  Now where most people fail is they look at this solution and do it once or twice and then revert back to “stinkin thinkin.”  This is not a tactic that you read and think about and it just happens…there are no magic bullets.  You need to take personal responsibility and do the work to solidify the behavior of being a solution based thinker.

Behaviors - Taking something that you learned (liked solution based thinking) and taking action on that information is a behavior.  To be mentally tough, you need to identify the proper behaviors and be relentlessly disciplined in following them (Jim Collins, Author of Great By Choice refers to this relentless discipline as 20 Mile Marches).  When it comes to being a solution based thinker, that behavior must be an all-the-time thing.  These types of changes in thinking are not part-time or situation based.  That switch of mental toughness is either on or it is off.

Results -  How to be the toughest mind on the block and own a competitive advantage in life… simply change your beliefs, do the behaviors and get results.  With results comes validation, with validation you solidify and strengthen your beliefs, causing you to be relentless in your desired behaviors.  This circle leads to perpetuating growth and generating results.

Before I conclude, I must issue a warning.  This is not “fluffy” thinking that will magically get you what you want.  If you do not take action on this information, you will not get any of the results you are looking for.

Wrapping up, learn this equation and use it in your life.  It works with any number of things.  At Thrive, we get tons of results using it with weight loss.  When people change their beliefs on health, they take the proper actions and get the results they desire.  I have personally used the equation with social media.  My coach helps me establish my beliefs and shapes my behaviors, inevitably generating results.  Remember, Thoughts Become Things… Only When We Take Action.

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Battling through FAA furloughs and yet another named rain storm, you finally step off the plane and catch a shuttle to your hotel room.  Looks like dinner and then off to finish your sales presentation, again.  You remember last week, same scenario different city, when your computer froze (got stuck) with almost every keystroke.  As that causes you to cringe, you think thank goodness for Best Buy and your new computer upgrade.

A computer upgrade is an easy solution, about the only sticking points are PC vs Mac and how to transfer your files.  But, what happens when your internal hard drive gets STUCK?  In many circles we would call that loosing your MOJO.  Some people give up on a dream, others settle for being average, and some may fall into a state of depression.  A select few, identify their thinking and choose to upgrade their thoughts so that they can win in business, sales, sports…and life!  They choose to Thrive.

Your Mental Upgrade -

Define Your Self Image - Building a positive self-image is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself.  First let’s define what self-image is.  Self-image is how you view yourself.  It is your internal belief about who you are, how you look and what you are capable of.  Why is this so important?  Simple, the human mind does not let you act differently than your self-image.  To review, in order to transform your life, you must upgrade your self-image.  Clarification point – Thinking without action is just a dream, taking action on those positive thoughts is self improvement.

• Self-Image Action Step - Create your self-image.  Write it down and include all 5 senses.  Visualize your internal self-image at least twice per day.  Just be careful, as Thoughts Become Things.

Prioritize Your Discipline -  The first step to discipline is defining the activities that you need to complete, in order to meet your goals.  If you have not established your goals, stop reading and do so now.  Next, relentlessly complete those activities each and every day until you reach your goal.  Just remember to keep an eye on your discipline meter, you only have so much to use at any given time.

• Discipline Action Step - Prioritize your goals and the steps you need to take to accomplish them.  You can only focus on 3 – 5 items at a time.  Spend your discipline on your top priorities.

Always Be Prepared - You can’t always control the outcome of an event, but you can always control your preparation.  When you apply your relentless discipline to your task level actions, you will have a great opportunity to employ your strategies and win.  In the never-ending search for more or higher confidence, preparation is key.  The more prepared you are, the more confidence you will own.

• Preparation Action Step - The more you sweat in the gym the better you will perform in competition.  When you are prepared and the pressure is on – you will Thrive.

Can I guarantee that you will meet your goals if you follow this formula, certainly not.  We can’t guarantee the outcome of any event, we can only work our tails off at creating the conditions that let us be in a position to win.  However, I can state, for a fact, that if you paint a vivid picture of your desired self-image and you prepare with relentless discipline whatever the scoreboard reads in your business, sport or life, you will know what winning feels like.

The daily new client call to our office goes something like this.

Us – Mrs Smith what seems to be the problem today?
Mrs Smith – “Pain in Back”

As a neurologically based chiropractor our new question becomes, Is that “Pain in Back” in her brain?  No, we are not calling Mrs Smith crazy (yet) or implying she is faking.  We are looking for the root cause so that we can quickly provide treatment that leads to a permanent solution.  Here is the skinny…

Acute Pain – Normally caused by an injury or irritation.

Chronic Pain -  Nervous System Sensitivity.  Think stress, traumatic event, poor nutrition, and those extra pounds around your mid-section.

Solution Path

1.  Temporary Home Care

• Acute Pain – Ice, rest, pain medicine if absolutely necessary.
• Chronic Pain – Drink lots of water, get rid of sugar, go for a walk.

2.  Free Chiropractic Evaluation

3.  Average Care Plan (if Needed)

• 24 Chiropractic Adjustments
• 24 Pain Relief Passive Biofeedback Sessions
• Human User Guide
• Infrared Sauna Sessions (as needed)

Frequently Asked Questions -

How Much Does Neurologically Based Chiropractic Cost?
Do You Take Insurance?

To get solutions to you problems, get your FREE Chiropractic Evaluation today!

Remember this one? “Close your eyes and stick out your tongue.” Immediately after, a sibling would deftly place something grotesque (usually from a nearby dumpster or family pet) onto your unsuspecting taste buds. Such was childhood for me, a litany of learning experiences that, when added up, produced the person I am today. I can’t imagine it being much different for most of us “boomers.” Life truly was great growing up in America during the ‘60s. Being a kid was everything it was cracked up to be: exciting, fun, spontaneous and, for the most part, worry-free.

I suppose there were a few things to be stressed out about, of course.

• I remember my classmates and me diving under our desks in response to the howl of an air raid siren about once a month while in the first grade. I’m not sure how much of a difference it would’ve made had there been a real mushroom cloud outside the window.
• Living in Southern California during that time meant that, on some days, the smog was as thick as cotton candy, but hardly as pleasant—a nasty byproduct of automobiles and booming industry.
• On top of it, the push for a good education and preparation for a successful career were always in the background. “You can be whatever you want to be, as long as you do well in school,” we were told.

Accurate as that depiction is, as kids, we didn’t give a hoot in hell about bombs going off in our neighborhood, inhaling foul air, or cracking the books for a brighter future. Our parents did, thankfully so. Because, if it had been up to me as a kid, I would have been satisfied to be a Huck Finn of the day—just following the river to wherever it may have led (until it got dark, anyway). Which brings me back to the one thing that does stick in the memory bank: the wooden spoon (which was often deserved, but rarely used). I think I still have a splinter lodged in my left cheek.

I mention these childhood memories because they shaped me. Just as the events and experiences of your childhood molded you into the person you have become. Think about this:

• Kids laugh about 300 times per day, which triggers the production of “feel good” chemicals into the brain.
• Kids cry when they need an outlet for anger or frustration, rather than bottling it up on the inside.
• Kids tell people what’s on their mind, and right to your face.
• Kids absorb information like a sponge and learn at an astounding rate.
• Lastly, kids will play all day long at full tilt, gobble up tons of calories to fuel their sports car-like bodies and then crash for 8-10 hours of blissful sleep, only to get up and do it all over again. They’re like the instructions on the shampoo bottle: Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Adults, on the other hand, average about seven laughs per day. Many avoid showing emotion altogether. In the meantime communication has become more superficial and less genuine. What we say and what we think are often not the same—creating upheaval in the brain at many levels. Adults tend to get stuck in routines that disallow mental and social growth and, oftentimes, end up incapable of feeling the joy of their youth.

As a clinician, I’ve been helping folks feel and move better for more than twenty years. During that time I’ve paid close attention to what stress does to people, both young and old. It has been blamed for everything from back pain to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It directly impacts our work, relationships, performance in school, and our ability to enjoy leisure activities.

So what can be done? We’ve all given some thought to firing the boss, punching the guy who just cut us off at the last intersection, placing our spouses on mute, and selling our kids on EBay—not very practical. But I’ve discovered three things to be true about stress:

• Most times, we produce it ourselves.
• We can’t get rid of all of it. It’s a fact of life.
• Stress is not what happens to us but, rather, how we respond to what happens.

Start enjoying the journey more and worrying less on the outcomes.  Focus on doing the daily activities that will lead to a successful outcome.  Making a little mistake or having to change something is not the end of the world.  In fact, maybe we should start acting more like kids again.

• Laugh more often, yes even at yourself.
• It is ok to cry…then suck it up and act.
• Over communicate.  Be clear and concise.  Listen and clarify.
• Work hard, but play even harder.  Schedule play time and don’t be afraid to get dirty.

So I challenge you to close your eyes, open wide, stick out your tongue, and test the possibilities.

People ask us on a daily basis “How Do You Get More Energy.”  This is a very common question that can lead to many uncommon answers.  Low energy can be a component of poor nutrition, blood sugar peaks and valleys, or (believe it or not) brain malfunction.  All too often we have clients come to us on some drug because they have low daytime energy levels and with simple evaluations we can identify a root problem.  Our goal is to provide you solutions to the problem, instead of simply treating a symptom.

3 Answers to the Question – How Do You Get More Energy?

• Improve Sleep Quality
• Speed Up Daytime Brain Activity
• Control Reaction to Stress

Improve Sleep Quality:  Whether you are slow to fall asleep or maintain a poor sleep quality you are going to feel run down and sleepy during the day.  Many times this is a result of having an active brain and not slowing it down before going to bed.  Your brain is just like a high performance sports car.  It needs to downshift through the gears before putting it into park.  Your body and brain can be trained to “downshift” by using biofeedback and neurofeedback.  To help your body slow down in the evening, avoid caffeine, refined sugar and any form of news broadcast.

Speed Up Daytime Brain Activity:  This is very simple. A slow brain can cause you to be (or appear to be) lacking energy.  Slow brain activity can sometimes be associated with ADD, Brain Fog or Daydreaming.  Many times this is not a sign of low energy, rather an indicator that the brain is stuck in neutral when it should be in 4th or 5th gear.

Control Your Reaction to Stress:  In today’s high paced world some of us (maybe you) suffer from something called super-stress.  Have you ever been cut off on the freeway, while talking to your office, with your kids “dinging” you with rapid fire text messages, all while you are heading to the grocery store to get dinner?  That is super-stress and it is only one occurrence for the day.  By training your body to relax and handle that stress in a calm fashion you will set yourself up for more consistent energy levels, as opposed to constant peaks and valleys.

As you can see, the question has lots of potential answers.  What most people discover is that the best first step is to find out how your brain and body are working by taking advantage of a Free Performance Evaluation.  This no cost, no obligation opportunity will help you determine if brain training will help with your question of, how do you get more energy.

Neurofeedback for baseball in Lancaster Pa

Sean Casey started out auspiciously in baseball, with a batting average of 0.461 in college at the University of Richmond. He was drafted into the Major Leagues by the Cincinnati Reds ten years ago, and soon after a promising start he was hit in the face by a ball he wasn’t expecting. The bones around the eye socket were broken, and although he tried to keep playing, his batting average hit bottom: 0/30. He was sent back to the minors, where he connected with sports psychologist Wes Sime, with whom he worked for two years.
Eventually Wes suggested EEG biofeedback, and referred Sean to Leslie Coates in Florida. He trained intensively with Leslie, and that was the start of a long-term relationship. At first Sean was put off by the whole idea of neurofeedback, but he had the assurances of Wes Sime to fall back on, and he persevered. Down the line he encountered a second discouraging aspect of the training. He was bombing the Continuous Performance Test. It turns out that he was actually beating the computer settings for anticipatory responses fairly routinely. This was ruining his scores, until it was noticed that the responses were usually correct—they were just consistently very fast.
Back with the Reds, Sean was on the way to a lifetime batting average of 0.302, and the 7th best all-time fielding percentage for a first baseman. He was a three-time All-Star. His best year with the Reds was 1999, with a 0.332 batting average, 25 HRs and 99 RBIs. Traded to Detroit, he had a 0.432 batting average in the 2007 World Series while garnering two home runs. Then he was with the Boston Red Sox before his recent retirement. He was also voted “The Nicest Guy in Baseball” by his peers.
In 2003 he injured his groin, but continued to play the remaining two months of the season. When he couldn’t get out of bed one day after the season was over, a broken pelvic bone was diagnosed, and he was ordered to rest for the entire four months of the off-season. This gave him the opportunity for intensive neurofeedback regimen.
Sean credits his success in hitting to neurofeedback and despite his various injuries, Sean never defined himself in terms of those injuries, but rather continued to see himself as potentially the best hitter in baseball. The tendency to see oneself in positive terms is actually fairly commonplace, and this no doubt accounts for the reluctance of people to seek help for their dysfunctions. We see this not only in top sports people who have every reason to think well of themselves, but quite generally across the spectrum.

Great example of an endurance athlete using neurofeedback training.  He trains with the same peak performance technology available at Thrive.

Another great video on beating ADD with biofeedback. The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes biofeedback as a “Level 1 – Best Support” solution to battling ADD.