Will Bowen Audio

JumpStart - Being Capable

Everybody has some level of “learned helplessness.”

When anything having to do with technology comes up, my wife’s mind goes blank and fails to function.

For years, I hired other people to do the bookkeeping for our business even though they were basically letting software programs handle everything.

Why?

I’m not smart enough,” I told myself.

What are YOUR self-imposed limitations?

How do we root out those self-reinforcing beliefs that say, “I can’t?”

Today, learn how to identify and address your “wimpy spots” to maximize your potential and enjoyment of life.

JumpStart - What’s Eating You?

For years, I suffered from severe indigestion.

I was already vegan, so I also cut out gluten, sugar, fried foods, anything I could think of, but every day it felt like someone was slowly sticking a hot poker into my chest.

Doctors prescribed medications, I took supplements -- nothing worked.

However, when I begin to meditate twice a day, every day, the indigestion began to diminish over time.

The old saying, “It’s not what you eat, it’s what’s eating you,“ is very true.

So, how’s YOUR gut?

Could you benefit from releasing things in your mind so that your stomach can digest better?

Today, let’s look at this and how we can practically apply it in our lives.

JumpStart - Empathy

Would you believe that in many cases guilt and empathy are proportional?

Think about it – – a person who has very little empathy for others also has very little guilt about their impact on others.

I know what you’re thinking and, yes, there is certainly the concept of having “too much guilt“ and that is not healthy.

However, a healthy amount of guilt helps us to stay connected with others.

Today, let’s figure out how to bring into balance empathy and guilt.

JumpStart - Treading Softly

One of the more amazing things I have learned recently is how people naturally underestimate their own force and escalate to compensate for the perceived force of others.

Check out this experiment: one person was asked to squeeze another person on the forearm.

That person was then asked to squeeze the first person back on their forearm and to do so with equal pressure.

Get it? One person squeezes. The other person feels squeezes back with equal pressure.

Simple, right?

It NEVER worked.

Why? Because researchers found that each time the squeeze was passed it INCREASED by 40% until, soon, they were squeezing each other 18 times harder than the original squeeze.

AND (this is key) the participants could not perceive the escalation in squeeze pressure.

Cool, yes. AND, more importantly, it’s something we should remember in ALL human interactions -- physical and emotional.

Today, let’s discuss how we can consciously de-escalate situations that are naturally trying to escalate.

JumpStart - Driving

Many people complain about the lack of civility on social media these days.

However, our penchant for attacking other people who are perceived to be somewhat removed from us is not a new thing.

All you have to do is look at how drivers treat one another.

One of the things I found most interesting in visiting other countries is the contrast between how we Americans and drivers from other countries use our car horns.

Today, let’s figure out if you’re a “honking idiot” or a “beeping informer” -- relax, it’s not what you’re thinking -- LOL!

To feel happier, safer, and less stressed, let’s learn to see past our metal shells into the very real person within.

JumpStart - The Moralization Gap

Here is one of the most interesting studies I have read.

In an attempt to understand people‘s motives, behavioral scientists found that the crimes we as individuals commit we consider to be “justifiable and forgivable.“

When it comes to the crimes of other people, however, we consider those to be “unprovoked and grievous.”

This explains a lot of our problems in interpersonal relationships.

When we are in an argument, we consider the things that we say to be “justifiable and forgivable;” whereas, we consider the hurtful things other people say to be “unprovoked and grievous.“

And the argument spins out of control like an ever-expanding tornado.

Each person UNDERestimates the impact of their words and deeds while they OVERestimate the impact (and negative motivations) of the other person.

How do we reset this natural tendency to make everything look askew?

Let’s talk about it, today.

JumpStart - Focus

What the HECK was going on?

It looked like kids had snuck up to my house and burned streaks onto the exterior.

Not only that, the burn marks on the house were happening more frequently and huge scorches were appearing every day or so.

The weird thing is that my security cameras weren’t catching anyone.

One day I noticed that not only were there scorch marks, the actual wall of my house was ON FIRE and in that moment, I figured out who was doing it.

In today’s message, I unveil the identity of the neighborhood pyromaniac, and I explain why he was so hard to catch.

And, most importantly, how to use his technique to dramatically improve every aspect of your life -- seriously.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

JumpStart - Timing

The other day I went to see my doctor for some antibiotics to treat a worsening upper respiratory infection.

“I haven’t been sick in years,” I coughed.

“I’m sorry you’re sick now,” she responded.

“Oh NO!” I croaked. “This is the PERFECT time for me to get sick. I just finished a solid month out of town doing speeches and I’ve got this entire next month off. This is great.”

“Uh huh.” She smiled a patronizing smile, obviously not getting what I was saying.

But it’s true! Haven’t you noticed that when you’re in the flow of life it’s possible to even get sick at the right time?

Today, let’s consider life’s timing and how you can use it to your advantage.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

JumpStart - Niyama #5 – ISHVARA PRANIDHANA

When someone betrays you, disappoints you, or hurts you, you can rail against their behavior or you can, in time, surrender and move on.

As you age you can be upset over your body changing and becoming weaker, less agile, and more fragile, or you can surrender to the aging process.

To accept is to find peace -- but how, right?

Today, I explain how and when to surrender.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!

JumpStart - Niyama #4 – SVADYAYA

Like most students drawn to psychology in college, I took Psych classes as a way to try and figure out my own insane family and the craziness I picked up just being a part of it.

I still remember one of my first university psych classes when the professor taught us about the Johari window.

This Johari window demonstrates that there are four quadrants to all of our personalities: (1) parts of our personality that we alone see about ourselves, (2) parts of our personality that everyone, including us, can see, (3) aspects of our personality that others see but we do not, and (4) lastly, parts of our personality that NO ONE sees -- neither us nor anyone else.

This blew my mind.

I realized that we as people are like the five blind men trying to describe an elephant -- we are multi-faceted and perspective truly is reality.

Each us have 2 of the 4 quadrants of the Johari window hidden from us and, unfortunately, that’s where life’s growth is.

SVADYAYA, the fourth Niyama, helps us find ways to see into those two hidden windows and to learn to make our lives even better.

Remember to post your questions and comments -- I respond to them all personally.

BTW, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t accept outside advertising -- that’s because cool people like you share these messages with coworkers, friends, and family who will often hire me for speeches, and/or purchase my books, Complaint FreeⓇ bracelets, and online programs.

So if this post inspired you, touched your heart, or expanded your mind, please do everyone a favor and share it with at least one other person whom you think would like it as well.

Thanks!