Optimising the Performance of the Human Mind: Steve Peters at TEDxYouth@...

This is an inspirational video clip, totally love it as Dr Peters very concisely explains the complex workings of our brain. The concept of managing unhelpful and destructive thoughts by asking "Do I want to have these thoughts?" is very powerful. Even being aware we have an inner chimp who should be boxed in is very powerful. If you have not read the book please do, one of the best about.

Anyway, three more items for my gratitude list.

1. I am so proud of my wife who is working full time while completing a degree, at which she is excelling.

2. I caught up with my oldest pal yesterday and spent the day with him, my youngest son is the same age as his boy and they get on great.

3. I'm still of work and just about to do a session on the turbo trainer.



Cheers

Gratitude List

One of the best ways to keep ourselves positive is to list all the things which we are grateful for.

A friend at work was telling me she currently forces herself to write three things she is grateful for every day. She says she sometimes has to mention quite mundane items on her list to ensure she makes it to three. She also says it is difficult to always come up with fresh material but has to repeat herself a fair bit.

Anyway, in addition to writing my (almost) daily blog I'm going to finish with a list of things for which I feel gratitude.

1. I'm off work at the moment with the kids for a week and I didn't have to face the daily commute this morning.

2. After a morning of rain the weather is drying up and I can take the kids to the park after lunch. It rains on average every second day here in Glasgow so I'm grateful it won't be raining today. The sun has just appeared so that is a result.

3. I'm taking my oldest son to a champions league footie match tomorrow night which will be his first big night at the football and mine for a few years.

Cheers

People with too much confidence

The world appears to have plenty of people with too much confidence as well as too little.

People who make promises to voters without keeping them for example. Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage spring to mind. Donald Trump clearly believes he can do and say what he pleases.

I'm shocked that even one person believes him never mind 40% of the US electorate who appear to be supporting him in the forthcoming election. If he were to win, a similar sequence of events would follow as happened here in the UK after Brexit; all the arguments for leaving the UK have unravelled very quickly.

Beware of over confident people. They can be very dangerous.

Cheers

Confidence:Biggest Barrier to Employment

I had a very interesting work related meeting with the Manager of an agency which offers support to people with Additional Support Needs to help them gain or keep a job.

Sadly the biggest single factor in preventing these people in succeeding in work is not their additional support need whether it be Aspergers or Dyslexia. It is in fact their confidence has been dented so much as they can perceive themselves as being different.

How sad is that?

People with so much to offer but prevented by a barrier in their mind which tells them they are not good enough. But it isn't real. The barriers don't exist. If only everyone, myself included, could remember that all the time.

Cheers

Living Life on your own terms

There are times where those of us lacking in confidence can become submissive when dealing with a more confident assertive colleague or  family member.

It can become second nature. I think even being aware that it is occurring is a good starting point. 

The concept of an imaginary twin is a useful one here. Would we put up with them being treated badly? Thought not.

Why put up with it ourselves then?

Cheers   

Confidence is a skill and skills can be learned

I think many of us who lack confidence look on at our more self assured friends and colleagues with a slight sense of envy. My thoughts were "I wish I can be more like them but I never will as they have been born with confidence that passed me by."

Now I do accept some are naturally more confident than others. Donald Trump, for example, seems to be able to bounce back from any setback and go on the attack even though he has shown to be a genuinely awful human being. But as one author pointed out; humility and empathy are difficult qualities to find in human who is arrogant enough to believe that the world is solely here for their benefit.

However, for those of us not in that position, and that is a major asset in many respects, we can slowly build our confidence levels by working on them day by day and week by week. I have written about a few techniques in the past and will investigate some more in future blogs.

Cheers  

Brexit & Economic Problems

Why would someone take decisions and vote against their own personal interests?

We are now seeing the predicted economic turbulence as the Government are making firmer plans about the UK exit from the EU.

Most impartial economic observers, during the run up to the referendum, thought that a leave vote would result in further economic problems.

So why did 52% of the population vote for it? Is it connected to confidence, if you don't think your situation is capable of improving then if there is a chance of change then why don't take it?

Obviously when we examine the motives of seventeen million voters the situation is obviously more nuanced than that but I think fear and a lack of self confidence has something to do with it.

Cheers