Ok, so how did MY book end up in a list of my top 10 personal development books?

Well, actually the answer is quite simple. This book is made up of the best bits from all of the books and seminars I have attended, all condensed into quite a short book, along with a few highlights from my own personal journey. When I was writing it, I found myself in complete flow, meaning I had forgotten half of what I had written the moment it had left my head. So when I read it back, it was like reading it for the first time… and I really enjoyed it!

Of course, read the books above. Each and every one of them should have a place on your bookcase. But if you want to get yourself a copy of my book, FOR FREE, simply click here and you can download a version for yourself.

So I hope you have enjoyed my list of my top 10 personal development books. There will be more lists to follow soon as this year is going to see a lot of books and seminars and other personal development programs that will be challenging for the top spots on the list. To your success!

The only feedback you don’t want is none!

I heard this concept the other day at a training for speakers which some of you will no doubt know, and yesterday I really started to contemplate what it means.

You see, feedback is extremely useful; it helps you learn, grow, get better and generally keep moving in the right direction. It is designed to act like the little bumpers that pop up in the side of the bowling alley as you see the kid trying to bowl a ball bigger than his entire body!

It may not always come in this guise, but feedback how ever it comes, is always there to help you… isn’t it???

So what about negative feedback? Comments that seem so hurtful and aggressive that they cannot possibly have your best interests at heart, surely that isn’t useful?

Well, actually, after the emotion has died away, you can learn a lot! I remember playing football and having my coach come face to face with me, screaming and shouting about the last play. Now most people would have seen the way he was rather than what he was saying. It took practice, but I trained myself to listen for the words rather than how they were said, and believe me there was gold hidden in there!

Perhaps you can associate? When you get confrontational, aggressive and adverse feedback, take out the energy and your interpretation of the event and look at the words. Once free of emotional attachment, there you will find the lessons. It may take time, but I am sure you know how to step back and dissociate from memories by now.

So is this the case for all feedback? I would have to say no!

Firstly, decide where you want to take feedback from. For example, if you are a speaker looking to improve as a speaker, find someone who is able to provide ‘EDUCATED’ feedback on the area you are looking to improve, rather than the first person who comes along offering their opinion. Ask yourself, does this person know what I am trying to accomplish here? Otherwise, thank them for their feedback and allow it to pass straight by whilst you look for the person who CAN help!

Secondly, people can be wrong, it is important to remember this. Despite all best intentions, people are fallible and will make mistakes. Now whether they do this on purpose or not you may not be able to tell, and that really doesn’t matter.

I remember playing a game once where the referees were making some stinking decisions… I’m talking absolute howlers! But we could not let their decisions, their feedback, influence our style of play. Once we remembered that and refocused on what we needed to do, things started to pick up.

So the things to remember about feedback are:

* feedback is essential to growth
* not all good feedback is good, not all bad feedback is bad
* choose who you take your feedback from
* remember that despite their best intentions, some people are just wrong

I hope this helps you to grow and develop and move forward towards your goals.

To your success!!

Lessons in life are a bit like buses! Sometimes you are walking around in a daze in the street and they hit you to remind you where you should be instead.

Recently, two particular buses have been going by with incredible frequency – let’s call them Authenticity andIntegrity.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have not always been the most authentic and most integral person. I have certainly done my share of lying and cheating, to others, but even more damagingly, to myself. You see, you can lie to others and they might believe you. However, when you lie to yourself, it will never be fully believed, although you may be able to hide those particular thoughts for a moment.

Lately it seems that I have been presented with lots of challenges and situations that have reflected back at me the importance I place on both of these values.

Let’s begin with integrity, which has its roots in being whole and undivided. To be integral is to be at one, words and actions in alignment, thought and deeds one and the same.

Knowing what damage a web of lies creates, I recognise the anxiety in those I witness who try to uphold such a masquerade. It is truly a tiring task, as you are constantly trying to remember what you said to one person, and the other, and inevitably you find yourself in a situation whereby you have just told someone the exact opposite of what you last said to them.

I have seen people react in different ways when they find themselves backed into such a corner. Some try and laugh their way out of, suggesting that someone must have got their wires crossed and how funny such a situation is. Some try and charm their way out, implying that this misunderstanding is a small matter and that there are far more important elements to consider.

The situation I find most challenging is the angry denial whereby the deceiver trys to bully the deceived into doubting themselves. This is a sad situation for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, the person who is being lied to is made to suffer even more. Its isn’t bad enough that they have been lied to, know their very character is being attacked that they would suggest that the deceiver would be anything other than genuine.

Secondly, it further compounds the web of deceipt, with neither party really knowing what is the truth. I say this because if it happens often enough, the deceiver may genuinely forget what has happened in given situations. They will know that they are lying, they just may not remember what the truth actually is.

Given long enough, these situations always turn ugly, its the only outcome on a long enough timescale. The liar is hoping that the situation resolves itself before anything is discovered but these things have a habit of dragging out, mainly due to the deceived being unhappy or unsatisfied with the eventual outcome. Something tells them that the whole picture is not available to them, it just depends on whether they have the desire to discover it.

So let me ask you now – what part of you is separate from the rest? What have you been saying, outloud or inside, that you know not to be true? Where are you living a double life?

I suggest that now is the time to change. Now is the time to be open and honest with yourself and everyone else involved in whatever situation you find yourself in (although weigh up whether you need to address the past) so that you can move forward without having to worry about what you have said or not said. Accept that there are different sides to you and that those people around you who really matter will love and cherish you and not turn you or part of you away. It may be a challenge for everyone involved, but believe me, it beats keeping up the lies.

The other bus is Authenticity, which means different things to different people.

Not able to train properly this morning (the gym was flooded the other day so cv only!) I found myself listening to my ipod for longer than normal. I listened to the speaker talking about discovering your purpose and then following it no matter what is going on around you.

For me, this struck a rough chord, a bit like a punch in the stomach, as I took stock of my life. Whilst I might be contributing a lot, I realised this had not always been the case, and I also realised there was part of me that wasn’t being actualised. If you have that sickening feeling of lack somewhere in your body then you know exactly what I mean.

Knowing that I am working on something else pretty big (more to come soon!) my feelings were more a case of regret that I hadn’t come to my realisation earlier and that I wasn’t already further down that track. Thinking about it now I know I am exactly where I need to be, but the impatient part of me would like to be a couple of steps ahead.

For me, there is only one obstacle to authenticity, and that is fear. Now this may take its form in a number of ways, but I know how it shows up for most people…

Comfort!

If you are comfortable right now, if you have settled for where you are right now, then the chances are you are not being authentic. We tend to create lives that are comfortable so that we do not feel the need to do anything more, whereas if we were to only live a complete life following our purpose, we would no doubt find a satisfaction far deeper than any material possessions could ever give. I’m talking about the feeling of a good job well done.

Each and every person on this planet has a different role to play. For some, their only role in life is to help someone else acheive something great, but they do this with love and connection.

Recently I was reminded of the brevity of life after a friend of a friend passed away. Had she not loved him in the brief time she had alive (she died young) he would never have been touched in a way that relit a candle within him. Adversity for some gives others the chance of greatness… we are all interlinked, separate stories what weave together to create the fable known as life!

Authenticity allows the story to continue. Not being authentic brings a premature ending to certain chapters, either because they involve you, or they involved someone you were supposed to interact with.

I am reminded of a little story about a guy who goes to heaven and is stood there chatting to God when he says, “It’s one heck of a mess down there! You should send someone down to clean it up!” To which God replied “I did! I sent you!”

Take a look around you for a moment, and look beyond that into all of the areas where you have an influence. Now ask yourself “what am I here to do that will make the most significant impact on those people I come into contact with?” You may think even bigger than your circle of influence, but the question is the same. You may even add the following distinction to the question “… by doing what I love” and see what new answers you come up with.

As Howard Thurman said – “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive!”

For me, I am committing to being more authentic, and more integral. I believe it is a process, as the many different parts of us come together, as we accept all of our quirks and pecadillos for what they are, our character.

When I was in Paris last year I spent a long time just staring at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, and one thing about that beautiful painting is how dark it is. In fact, the darkness accentuates the highlights or her face and of ‘that’ smile, adding to it rather than taking away from it in any manner. Accept the shadows inside you, as they serve a purpose. Once you discover that higher purpose, you will find it easy to integrate that part of you in a holistic and ecological manner.

I am aware that this may put a cat amongst the pigeons, but I am happy to act as that catalyst for you. Reading this might have brought up a lot of stuff for you, and I hope it has, because it is only when you confront this properly, once and for all, that things will begin to change for the better. It takes strength to face up to these situations, a strength of character rather than a forceful and bullying approach to life.

You have created the situations around you, and now you have the choice what you do about it. If you don’t change your actions as a result of reading this, then you are clearly not ready for this lesson, which is a shame as the very people around you who can help are about to disappear forever.

But if you have got it, and I mean REALLY got it, then there may still be time to resolve the situation, but it has to begin with you. For those of you who know what I mean, it is going to be ok, no matter how this particular scenario turns out. Even short term problems give rise to long term massive successes, so open your heart, communicate honestly and truthfully and lay your cards on the table.

I honour your strength and hope that you are able to share this with those around you someday! To your success!!!

Can you imagine that? Food that just comes in a tablet? Do you think it would be like the bublegum in Willy Wonka which goes through the flavours of a 3-course dinner, or would you have a seperate pill for each course? I wonder if it would actually be possible to condense that kind of nutrition down into such a small object…

Actually, I don’t really wonder that, and you are probably wondering why I am wittering on about mini food tablets from sci-fi films. Well, although they haven’t been able to do it with food, they have been able to do it with KNOWLEDGE!

You see, there are tablets out there that condense years and years worth of knowledge into often just a couple of days, maybe event hours. And these tablets are not futuristic, rather they are prehistoric, or at least very old. I am of course, talking about BOOKS!

Lately however, the books I have been reading have not been written before I read them, but rather AS I am reading. That might sound strange, but have you ever picked up a book, turned to a random page and there in front of you have been the exact… THE EXACT… words you have needed to hear at that moment? For me, this has been happening more and more recently.

For example, the other day I was reading a book on birth numbers, and as I discovered what I was and what it meant, I was amazed as it described to me, in detail, the last 5 years of my life… down to the very last detail! How could it have known. I literally couldn’t read any further as the “coincidence” was almost overwhelming… but I know I will go back to it very soon. Another book I recently finished which was written in first person literally told me to “Wake up Dan!”, and I am not talking on a physical level here either!

I know that the books and authors I am talking about were ones that were on my “reading list” for a long time. I am sure you have a similar list, the books you have said you will read but haven’t got round to yet, or those ones that you bought a while ago and have stayed unopened on your bookcase ever since.

My suggestion to you is it is time to pick up THOSE BOOKS which you know you need to read.

(In addition to this, I recently was having a conversation with a friend of mine, and we were discussing the gaps in our knowledge. We had both studied our particular subjects for years, but when it came to other areas, we found ourself somewhat lacking. While there was some anxiety, particularly as one of those areas had suddenly become more important in our lives, we realised that we could get all of the information we required and more in a book or two! Books truly are awesome!)

Any coaches out there will know what I mean. You start going through some stuff in life and then you get a new client. The two of you get chatting and then all of a sudden, you discover that they are going through exactly what you are going through.

I was recently coaching someone when I realised this, or should I say remembered it. I actually laughed to myself and literally said to that person “I’m going to have a little chat with myself right now. Feel free to listen in!”

You see, when we need to understand something in life, the universe doesn’t just give you the skills, as otherwise there would be no challenge and no reason to grow and develop. Rather, it gives us situations where we are able to practice those skills.

For example, if you know you need to be more patient in your life, it will keep putting you in traffic jams. Should you need to learn to relax more, it will give you more people that try and make you angry.

There is a great bit in the book Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman where Socrates is rude to some spiritual people and polite to an angry person. When asked why, Socrates tells Dan that he gave them what they needed at that time in their lives.

What lessons are you being taught right now? Maybe you aren’t a coach, and so may not have people reflecting back to you what you need to understand. However, I can pretty much guarantee that you have ‘stuff’ (technical term!)` going on around you, and it is that ‘stuff’ which is there to teach you the things you need to learn in order to get to the next level in your life and personal evolution.

Sometimes, and you may be there right now, the lessons seem to be coming from all angles at all times. You may feel overwhelmed. Believe it or not, this too is yet another lesson. Where else in your life do you need to be able to balance things more effectively? Where else may you need to learn to say no?

Stop for a moment right now and think, unemotionally, about everything that is going on around you right now. Make a list of each of them, and then besides that, write out what you think it is there to teach you. The universe is always giving you the exact learnings you need and at the right time, so work out what it is you need to take away from this time in your life. Now you know what you are there to learn, don’t fight against it, but instead be curious as to how you can learn  quickly and effectively (and hopefully painlessly!) from this situation which has given you the chance to become even more of yourself.

Now, look at your past and recent actions. Notice how they have served you, and how some of them may not. Decide what you need to do differently from now. You will need to change your behaviours in order to get through this. Like a fly trying to escape through a window, you can try and bash yourself through, but the chances are that you will just end up tiring yourself out and giving yourself a headache. Instead, look for an open window, and if there isn’t one, maybe there is someone around you who can open one for you… if only you would ask them?!?!

When you get good at dealing with your current level of ‘stuff’, the universe will upgrade you to a different level of ‘stuff’. However, now you have the skills to deal with it, so the challenge will be different. The good thing about this is where there is adversity, there is also reward.

Wherever you are right now is exactly where you are meant to be. Learn from it. Grow with it. Ask for help if necessary. You will come through the other side a stronger, more complete person. You only have obstacles if you are going somewhere, and you know the place you are going. Enjoy the journey, live in the moment and when you notice this happening again, its ok to laugh!

For some reason I prefer limes to lemons… but that has nothing to do with this post.

This post is all about new directions and opportunities… in disguise! You see, life is throwing things at you all the time, and to make things interesting, it likes to mix things up a little bit. It would be boring if we only were faced with positive and easy-to-deal-with situations, in the same way as eating nothing but Krispy Kreme donuts all the time (I can read your thoughts… you wouldn’t mind giving it a go, right?)

For our lives to be a masterpiece, we need to experience the ups and the downs, the high notes and the deep bass that penetrates through to your soul, appreciate the darker tones as they highlight the beautiful colours that adorn the canvas of your life.

When you want to be better at something, life doesn’t just give you those skills. Instead, it gives you an opportunity to practice!

Opportunities come in all sorts of guises: situations, emails, people, newspaper articles. There are no doubt several within reach of you RIGHT NOW! We need to just tune ourselves into them, recognise our inner voice telling you when things feel right rather than our conscious thoughts that like to rationalise and tell you all the reasons why something wouldn’t work.

Think now about one of those opportunities that has presented itself to you lately, and really get conscious of the FEELING, the EMOTION, the SENSATIONS that run through your body as you contemplate the possible. Take note of what the voices are saying, but allow them to fall quietly to the back of your mind for now as you get back in touch with the part of you that really should be allowed to make the decisions. How does it feel? (maybe put some of your favourite music on as you do this… it REALLY helps!)

Now, this has nothing to do with challenge and misfortune, but the truth is EVERY circumstance in your life is an opportunity.

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently – Henry Ford

Where has that challenge opened up doors for you? How has the death of one part of you been the birth of an even more powerful and creative being? There is no doubt that there will be pain and upset associated with the ending, especially in the culture we live in. However, as we hang on to what was and what used to be, we take away the opportunity for us to move on and grow.

What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly – T.S. Eliot

Maybe you are in a cocoon right now? Maybe you have been for some time? Perhaps we have been so focussed on what was good that we are afraid to turn to face the future, our new directions! You may be staring at a new direction right now, but are afraid to take that first step, because you are anchored by your past. Let go. Embrace your new direction! Your new direction may be challenging, but do not fight against it, don’t push back! Instead, get excited and allow it’s energy to drive you for a change.

How long have you been swimming against the current when the answer has always been inside of you waiting to come out, if only you get in touch with it and truly allow yourself to surrender to what is deep within. The heart hides your passion, your burning desire. We allow our minds to take control and rationalise matters, often leading to either not stopping something because of how it was in the past, or not starting something because of what might happen in the future.

You need to create an opportunity whereby you have to face your new direction: face-to-face, head-to-head, no backing down. Sometimes you will create this, sometimes the world has a magical way of creating people and situations that bring this about for you. RECOGNISE THEM AND EMBRACE THEM, rather than shying away and missing yet another opportunity in disguise!

So once again, focus on an oportunity that is presenting itself to you right now. Get in touch with the feelings and emotions that accompany it. Allow the voices to go quiet. As you do that, notice the scenarios, people and resources that come to your imagination that can facilitate your new direction. They are there, you just need to invite them and ask for what you really want. Now, think forward and notice all of the events that have to happen, both good and challenging, that are associated with the change. Take note of them, and also how they are going to happen. Then, simply enjoy the view as you get clear on where you are now heading.

Remember, you are powerful beyond comprehension. You are strong enough to face anything. Sometimes, to become stronger, you have to go through the things that knock you down. However, remember the caterpillar. As soon as you do, you will begin to develop the wings that will fly you in your new direction!

I have been getting back into my fitness training lately. Having joined a gym in the city, I am now able to train for longer each day without having to worry about being on time in the mornings or falling asleep on the tube on the way home. I have especially been enjoying training my legs, which any gym enthusiasts out there will recognize as the body part to cause serious achiness, otherwise known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which kicks in a day or two after a workout. Legs seem to be particularly adept at attracting and maintaining DOMS, making everyday tasks like stairs and sitting down far more… well… interesting!

Having studied as an exercise physiologist, and now as an NLP trainer and master practitioner, I have noticed that there are countless similarities between the body and mind, creating more of a psychophysiology rather than two separate disciplines. And each time I workout in the gym, I learn a little more about how my mind works.

Example? Ok. Well imagine for a moment a bar loaded with weights just resting on the floor. The exercise, known as the dead-lift, is a regular appearance on strongman contests and is generally considered one of the best measures of overall strength. Now imagine adding MORE weight to the bar. Now as you look at the bar, you seriously doubt whether you would even be able to lift it high enough to slip a piece of paper between the weights and the floor, let alone stand yourself all the way up. So you stand there, just looking at it!

We may recognize this pattern everyday as procrastination, which often kicks in when we are faced with such a daunting task. How many times have you been faced with something of great importance and challenge, and rather than take action, you look at it for a while and then decide to go off and do something else. Classic procrastination alternatives may include making a cup of tea, doing the washing up or just generally doing something of low importance. We tend to have our favourite ways to fill time.

However, we occasionally hear stories of people doing the seemingly impossible, such as the old woman who lifts a car off of someone and drags them to safety. In these moments, the superhero literally has no awareness or cognition of their own limitations, and is therefore able to perform acts of unbelievable personal power.

So what is the difference?

The answer is State. State management is one of the most important elements of success and is so simple to change that people often overlook its importance in creating results, preferring to look to advanced strategies or exciting new techniques. However, this fundamental principle is the foundation to all success.

(When I started writing this, I was not planning to talk about state management, as there are so many articles and passages out there on the subject, but as I was writing, its importance was reinforced to me again, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you!)

So how can you improve your state management? Three areas – Physiology, Focus and Language.

Your physiology, how you carry yourself, is the easiest predictor for someone to pick up on from the outside. When you watch sport, you can often tell who will win before a match just by looking at the posture and movement of the various players. Somehow, winners seem to move differently.

Your focus is how you filter information. We are bombarded with 2 million bits of information per second, and we could not consciously take it all in. We therefore develop various filters that help us make sense of the world, and we delete, distort and generalize to make life easier for us. Just imagine what information you are not picking up on right now just because you focus is on reading this article.

Finally, your language is what you say, not just to others but also to yourself. It is vital to train yourself to use words in a more constructive and positive way, and to find a way to control your inner voice so that it serves you rather than holds you back. We are all very good at criticizing ourselves; how good can you be at giving yourself praise and recognition?

So when I am faced with big tasks tomorrow, I will remember to manage my state. I will view these challenges not as obstacles, rather as opportunities for me to discover really how good I am. I have no limits other than those my imagination creates for me. I have all the power I can use if I just choose to tap into it.

As Thomas Edison said, “if we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves“

I just wanted to share a quick update with you all regarding what has been happening in my life recently. It certainly has been full of some incredible experiences, learning and development, and I feel that my own personal development has accelerated immeasurably.

Last week I attended my second NLP Master Practitioner course through Christopher Howard training, and was guided by the lovely Johnnie Cass over 5 days of intense learning and revisiting much of the content I had forgotten from when I first learned this material. As a dedicated lofe-long learner, I listened intently, trying to hear the finer distinctions that really make this a powerful tool for change. Having gone through the CDs a number of times each, the content of the course was largely at the front of my mind, meaning I could enjoy learning about its application and context rather than worrying whether I was going to say the right thing in the right place. Although I am largely visual and kinesthetic in my preferred representation systems, I do learn very well with my auditory sense, so much so that it was as if I was using Chris’ exact words at times… now that is immersion!

Ok, so maybe not a grand master yet, but having done my NLP Master Practitioner for the second time, I feel I am back in touch with many of the aspects of this technology that I had perhaps lost touch of.

I am also busy writing my book which is going to be released later this year, and hence why I have not been contributing quite as much as I would like to this site. Please make sure you have signed up for my newsletter so I can let you know when this will be released, as there will be a very special offer to my regular readers.

This month sees me in even more learning mode, attending my Platform Skills Training with Christopher Howard. This time, the lovely Duane Alley will be leading the way, and I know I am in for the most intensive 5 days of development I have ever experienced. I have been looking forward to this training since I booked it last year, and cannot wait for the opportunity to develop myself even more as a trainer and a speaker. I am bracing myself for all of the feedback I am undoubtedly going to receive, and I welcome it all as I know how much better I will become as a result! Bring it on!

Finally, I am working hard to promote Brealthrough To Success in July, 24-26th at Ibis Hotel, Earls Court, London. Click here to register, as they are getting bigger and better every time. It is also great to see how many new people are recognising the importance of personal development, especially from new fields of industry, including professions such as law, medicine and the arts. We are truly breaking boundaries!

See you all very soon and I trust that the sun is shining on your successes every day!

The really important lessons in life often take more than words of wisdom. As the saying goes:

 Success is the result of good judgement
 Good Judgement is the result of experience
 Experience is the result of bad judgement

The key to success is making a series of good decisions and taking action to follow through. However, as the passage above describes, the ability to make good decisions is often preceded by numerous poor decisions.

The secret seems to be to make decisions, take action and then have enough behavioural flexibility to react to the inevitable challenges that arise. That way, when a similar decision has to be made, you have the knowledge and experience to know what works. The most profound learnings are often the most simple; so simple in fact that people think there really must be more to it.

Behavioural flexibility helps maintain momentum. As soon as you make your decision, momentum starts building and this is compounded in action. The universe likes things that are moving. Have you ever noticed that the best things in life tend to happen quickly, with snap decisions often leading to incredible results? When you start rolling, the universe conspires to help you succeed by giving you even more opportunities to follow through with, and like a snowball growing, these typically start small and get progressively larger and larger.

Because of momentum and these coincidences and opportunities will soon find themselves pushing against the boundary conditions of your thinking, or your paradigm. Your paradigm defines your comfort zone, or the limits that your current mindset or education has on any given context. This is why so many people, even once they learn the success principle described above, fail to follow through to the levels possible. Once they hit this glass ceiling in their mentality, fear kicks in and the brakes come on, halting momentum and causing the opportunities to go looking for people prepared to take them on.

So in addition to the lesson above, it is clear that personal development is key to success. Personal development removes (or at least expands) paradigms allowing progress to continue unhindered. It is so important that you find a way to let go of the limiting beliefs that get in the way of your success, otherwise it doesn’t matter how hard you work, you will only ever reach the same level of performance and results in your life. This is why top performers so often come across in their language as arrogant; it is because limiting beliefs rarely, if ever, come into their conscious and they are completely convinced of their own success. They literally do not have anything holding them back!

So back to the question: when do you learn lessons in life? You learn when you make decisions that push you up against the limits of your current paradigm, or to put this in layman’s terms, when you do something that scares you.

Are you ready for another twist? The lessons that you learn are not always linear, that is they are not always directly related to the actions being taken. You may find yourself learning about relationships when tackling something new at work. You may finally understand how to pitch a new service when abseiling down a cliff.

Because life’s most important lessons can be applied in almost all areas, experiences can often be mapped across. For example, many businesses like to hire sports people to speak and motivate their teams, not because of the specific skills the sportsperson has, but rather the principles and application it took for them to get to their particular level of performance.

So your challenge today is to do something which scares you. Now you know that life’s lessons are transferable, you can choose any area of life in which to push yourself beyond your comfort zone, as long as it is done in a safe and controlled manner. Also recognise that lessons learned often have elements of poor judgement, so be sure to make it a small step beyond initially. Think about what your current limiting patterns are, and then think of something that could be a great metaphor that would really make the required impact. For example, if you want to learn the lesson “Enjoy the Journey”, perhaps you could do something that would take a long time to do and which would typically involve something less than pleasurable, such as a marathon. If you wanted to learn the lesson of behavioural flexibility, something like rock climbing might work, where you constantly find yourself having to change direction, often in challenging positions.

Whatever it is you need to learn, you are likely already aware of the lesson itself, at least in words. Most people know what it is they are supposed to know, but rarely do they know it to the level where they personify it in everything they do. You know it only on a cognitive level. Real learning, and then living, of a lesson occurs when you own it at both cognitive and emotional levels, and this is why doing something scary is so important to your personal development.

Try it today. Pick something scary to do, and then take action. Notice the learnings and lessons and find ways to apply them cross contextually in your life. Good luck!