Optimizing Peak Mental Performance Through Deliberate Rest

The most creative geniuses and the most elite professional athletes have one thing in common. They are intentional in their focus, but also know when to relax their intention. They allow the power of their subconscious to take over. That power is what allows them to come up with new, innovative solutions to the challenges that lie ahead, whether it’s in the boardroom or on the field.

Peak mental performance requires deliberate, restful and yet active breaks. It optimizes your creativity by engaging the subconscious part of your brain. If you commit to making intentional rest as much a priority as conscious effort, you’ll get more done in your day. You will also be able to solve the greatest challenges that you’re facing, without breaking a sweat.

Mental Awareness

When you practice long-term mental awareness, you actually create more time in your day. According to psychological studies*, people who multitask and rush through their activities make more costly mistakes. Fixing those mistakes costs time and energy, and can be depleting in itself. For professional athletes, the mistakes may also lead to injury which takes precious time and energy to heal from. Teams also run the risk of losing when they lack mental awareness. However, if you practice long-term mental awareness, you learn to focus intently on the tasks or challenges at hand. This makes you more efficient than ever before, opening up greater space in your schedule and more clarity in your mind.

Sustainable Creativity

Allow yourself to daydream. Daydreaming is a way for your mind to wander and come up with ideal solution to problems at hand. Even if you choose not to spend your restful break in a daydream, deliberate restful breaks also allow your sub-conscious, creative, uncontrolled mind the freedom to explore different connections that your conscious mind may not have considered. While some people think that “taking a break” means sacrificing work time, new insights are created, even when our conscious minds are at rest. 

Active Rest

By taking deliberate breaks, we give our conscious minds a rest and allow our sub-conscious minds to explore new possibilities we wouldn’t have otherwise considered. When you take a restful break, try to be physically active in some capacity. A restorative exercise, like yoga, martial arts, or even just going for a walk, can sustain your body’s momentum and avoid sluggish rest. Also refrain from surfing the net or using your phone, since such activities still require much of conscious mind.

Schedule It

Be intentional about scheduling frequent breaks throughout your day. Discover which intervals work for you, whether it’s taking a five-minute break every twenty minutes or a half-hour break every two hours. Give yourself the gift of time and space, to do things you enjoy. This way, you will avoid getting burned out on the tasks or challenges ahead, and you’ll be able to let that hidden, creative, subconscious part of your mind roam free.

I hope this article inspires you to start taking intentional breaks! If you’d like to learn more about how to relax your intention, and refocus your energy so that you can achieve an elite level of success in your life, visit my website for more information or reach out to me directly!

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References: American Psychological Association. Multitasking: Switching costs. http://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask.aspx 

On Being Busy

If you ask someone how they’re doing, even a close person friend, their likely response will be “Good,” followed by the word “Busy.”

Being busy is not just the norm for most people, it’s also a badge of honor. We overschedule ourselves in order to feel like we’re on the road to achieving greatness, when in reality we’re hoping for affirmation from everyone else that we’re useful, valuable and appreciated.

My question for is, “Who are we trying to impress?” Are we actually filling our schedule with tasks that lead us to greatness? Do we even know what our highest calling is? Or are we too busy to even begin to reflect on our God-given purpose?

Make no mistake, I am not telling you to give up on being diligent. Diligence and hard work are necessary for us to achieve our greatest purpose in life. But we often mistake that purpose with someone else’s vision and fill up our time needlessly to please others. You must work diligently for your own personal vision, under your terms and conditions. That doesn’t mean you should refrain from being in service to others, but recognize that you cannot sacrifice your highest calling to suit everyone else’s needs.

You must also pair diligence with a time for relaxation and quiet reflection. To keep up your powerful momentum, you must re-fill your well through a contemplative practice like mindfulness and intentional rest. Remain diligent while also affording yourself a time to relax, and you will achieve greatness in every area of your life. 

One way to do this is to be in dialogue with yourself. Take time throughout the day to have a quiet conversation between yourself and God. In my videos, I show you how to engage with your deepest spiritual needs at any given moment. Ask yourself the following questions: Am I doing what my heart tells me to do? What is my energy level like in this moment? What do I need right now, so that I can be the positive reflection I want to see in the world?

If you can learn to be fully present to yourself, you can also learn to be present with others. I promise you, it will increase the positive dynamics of your relationships tenfold. Let go of the anxious, negative energy that comes with being too busy. Exude positive, confident and peaceful energy, and you will attract allies in your journey toward abundance and self-fulfillment.

Do this, and you’ll discover that you don’t need to fill up your schedule in order to experience abundance. It is has been proven that intentional leisure time is necessary if you want to stay creative and motivated. Keep your eyes on a more sustainable, long-term sense of satisfaction, that of accomplishing your life’s work. 

I’d like to end this blog post with a call to action that I believe can change the hearts of others… and yourself! Next time you ask someone how they’re doing, and they answer that they’re busy, gently engage them in a conversation. Ask them how they are besides being busy. If you do this, you’ll discover that that many people are not only eager to share the details of their lives with you, which allows you to connect more intensely with them, but they may also walk away from the conversation with a feeling that maybe… just maybe… there is more to life than “being busy.”

If you’d like to learn more about re-dedicating all of your energies to yourself, in a way that leaves you rejuvenated instead of depleted, please don’t hesitate in contacting me. My greatest hope is for every person, everywhere, to be able to pursue the life that was meant for them. Let me know if you’d like to start that journey today!

Mindfulness For Men

Mindfulness is often been seen as an exclusively female practice, because it fosters a less conflict-driven response to our emotions and our external world. As someone who teaches mindfulness to highly successful men- from CEOs to professional athletes- I’m here to tell you that such techniques can only strengthen your masculine identity. Some of the most elite individuals, from Steve Jobs to Kobe Bryant, actually credit their abundant success to the art of mindfulness. Here are all of the reasons why you should start practicing mindfulness today.

Focus

Mindfulness is not about getting rid of your thoughts, feelings, or perceptions. It’s about being consciously aware of what’s right in front of you, how you are experiencing it in the present moment, and reacting appropriately. For those in fast-paced, high-performance careers, mindfulness prevents your thoughts from wandering, keeping your mind laser-focused on the important task at hand. It’s no wonder Phil Jackson’s coaching methods include mindfulness. It’s what keeps your head in the game.

Leadership

Strong, impactful leaders like Richard Branson practice mindfulness every single day. It allows them to see the ultimate picture of success that goes beyond material wealth. Mindfulness elevates your energy to a higher vibration that allows you to guide your employees or teammates in a direction that benefits everyone. Think that kind of empathic leadership is too “soft”? Tell that to Steve Jobs whose authoritative energy was matched with a mindful attention toward others that got things done.

Mental Health

Depression, anxiety, anger issues and addiction are among the most debilitating emotional conditions that afflict men in high-pressure leadership positions. Without the self-mastery that mindfulness cultivates, you can fall victim to your own destructive emotions. A Heart Wall can form, preventing you from ever realizing your highest potential in your career and in your relationships. Mindfulness practice, however, is proven to help men react better to high-stress situations so that they tackle problems more wisely and effectively. When you master mindfulness, you master yourself.

Physical Well-Being

Stress-related illnesses impact male professionals at a higher rate than others. Heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches, obesity, diabetes and accelerated aging are all physical ailments related to poor stress management. Mindfulness not only lowers your stress, but will increase your overall physical health by preventing these fatal diseases. Professional athletes, including countless Olympic champions, practice mindfulness to maintain their peak physical performance. The most successful corporate executives also use mindfulness as a defense against mental burnout.

Peak Performance

Increased focused, strong leadership, a healthy mind and body… all of these are achievable through mindfulness training. It is necessary to develop the kind of masculine confidence that can elevate you from being the best in your field to the very elite.

Are you ready to get started? Contact me, Amy D the Peak Performance Expert , and we can begin that journey together.

What We Can Learn About Success From the Cubs' World Series Win

On November 2nd, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, breaking their 108-year dry spell - which many believe was a curse! No matter what the reasons were for their championship drought, the Cubs’ epic World Series win can teach us important truths about leadership, dedication, focus and teamwork. All of these lessons can transform all of our past failures into history-making success!

Let Go of the Past

Many people would collapse under the pressure of finally achieving everything they’ve ever wanted at their fingertips- especially if the past has shown them that such high hopes lead to failure. The Cubs were able to transcend the ghosts of their past, the curses placed upon them, to do the unthinkable. They overcame the expectation that they would continue to lose, and instead focused entirely on their desire to win.

Cubs pitcher Mike Montgomery spoke about the overall vibe in the weight room after the ninth inning, when right fielder Jason Heyward brought the team together and told them to keep up the good faith.

“Everyone was fired up, and I didn’t expect that… I expected everyone to be frustrated, down on themselves, down on the team. We just blew a three-run lead in the eighth inning with two outs. The next thing I know, everyone’s like, ‘We got this.’”

THAT is the kind of mindset that allows for abundant success. You must mindfully let go of past defeats, even the ones that have just happened to you, so that you can focus on the present task: utilizing your God-given talents to achieve your highest destiny.

Visualize Your Success

For three games, Anthony Rizzo played the “Rocky” movies in the Cubs’ clubhouse to inspire his teammates. By doing so, Rizzo elevated his teammates’ expectations of what they could achieve. They could fully embrace their nickname the “lovable losers” knowing that, like Rocky, they would go on to fulfill their destiny as champions no matter what their obstacles were.

In my Youtube videos, I challenge people to visualize the things they desire most, so they can make those dreams manifest. The only way you can achieve everything you’ve ever wanted and more is by first picturing yourself as not only deserving that success, but relishing in it. 

Support Those Who Support You

Rizzo and Heyward’s actions show, without a doubt, that they value the roles that others play in their own success. That kind of positive energy- positive leadership- creates a ripple effect that will elevate the entire team or workplace into a higher frequency. Sharing one’s positive energy with another person actually creates an unstoppable momentum, an endless back-and-forth movement of positive vibrations- that can sustain us as we work to achieve greatness together.

Best Isn’t Good Enough

For the last 108 years, the Cubs have had some of the best and brightest players signed onto their team. They’re also one of the richest major-league baseball teams, and yet it wasn’t until 2016 that the Cubs were able to transform those incredible blessings into actualized success. It isn’t enough to be the best. Lots of people in your field can do that. You must take your greatest gifts and transform them into something better than the best. You must becomes elite.

If you’re a highly successful CEO or a professional athlete, you know this. There is always an untapped energy source that can be used for an elite purpose. If what I’m saying speaks to you in a profound way, we should talk. Reach out to me, Amy D the Peak Performance Expert, so you can take your game to the next level.

What It Means To Be In Service To Others

Everything in life is about giving and receiving, about gracious acceptance of the world’s bounty and the giving of yourself to others who will benefit from your unique, irreplaceable talents. One of the things I try to teach everyone who comes to me for guidance is how important it is to not only be grateful for the innumerable gifts the universe has given you, but to also recognize the integral role you play in the universe.

As John Donne and Thomas Merton have said, no man or woman is an island. We are all deeply interconnected and rely upon one another for support, acceptance, validation, and above all else- love. For that reason, the intentions you have within your heart have a ripple effect on others; they can either help or hurt. To truly be in service to others means to look inward and recognize what kind of energy you’re putting forth and recalibrate yourself so that the impact you have on others creates the kind of change you want to see in the world.

Being in service to others also means being in service to yourself. Don’t think that I’m asking you to constantly give, because that will quickly leave you exhausted of all your energy. Serving others requires you to refill your well, to feed yourself so that you may have the energy and balance to give back to the people who will best receive your wonderful gift. Sharing and receiving are part of a delicate balance- it is truly a win-win situation. If you’re feeling depleted, then you must take a step back from serving in order to mindfully reassess the situation and refill your well. My video on Why Sharing Is Better Than Giving is all about this. Follow my Youtube channel for more videos about to ground yourself.

Similarly, being in service means compromise or meeting in the middle. Participate in giving from a place of true empowerment and confidence in yourself. You cannot take responsibility for others unless you take responsibility for you. This is what is truly inspiring to others who look to you for lessons on how to be.

By serving others, you will lead by example by leading with your heart. By serving others, you will not only attract people with that same positive vibration, you will also enter into a state of love rather than depression, lack, or scarcity. All of us stem from the same energy source, and through this powerful, unbreakable connection, we can grow together. This is this true meaning of service, to learn and evolve our collective energy into something that creates the positive change we all want to see in the world.

My Youtube channel is full of weekly lessons on how to mindfully approach the world,so that you can share your greatest gifts with others and receive all the universe has to offer. Follow me today to get started on this journey to wholeness.

Amidst The Chaos I Rise

Right now, our society is undergoing a tremendous change that will have an immeasurable impact on our future. I’ve noticed that many people are filled with anxiety about these upcoming events. However, in times of great change and upheaval, there are ways that we can grow as individuals and as a community. Here, I’m offering several objects of reflection that will help to elevate our consciousness beyond our present chaotic situation. 

We can all tune in to a more positive vibration by drawing our attention toward the things that are most important in our lives. By doing so, we can create the kind of society that is self-sustaining instead of self-destructive.

#1 Recognizing the Difference Between Facts and Feelings

In a recent video I talked about the difference between facts and feelings. Although voicing your experiences passionately is a beautiful thing, we must also speak from a place of informed rationality. We must educate ourselves so that we not only avoid being misled, but avoid misleading other people who are important to us. By making sure our beliefs and values come from an authentic place, we can speak with true authority and wisdom.

We cannot grow as a society if we take on positions that are grounded in misinformation. We can rise above the noise, calamity, and chaos so long as we commit ourselves to acting with wisdom, rationality and love.

#2 Create and Engage In a Positive Community

Sometimes we don’t recognize how other people’s negative energy impacts our own. Sometimes we surround ourselves with people who encourage us to act in destructive ways that feed into the chaos, rather than inspiring us to live out our highest, most divine aspirations.

Another way of redirecting your focus is by assessing your current relationships. Which people in your life are most affirming and supportive? Who helps you to be the best person you can be? On the other hand, who feels like a drain on your spiritual resources? Are there any people who- whether they intend to or not- set you up for failure?

Cherish and cultivate those positive, life-affirming relationships, so that you can create a community founded upon love. Love is what’s necessary for peace, and it is the antidote to the forces of chaos.

#3 Love

Everything comes into being through love. In order to elevate our mindsets so that we can create a thriving community based on peace and respect, we must first begin to love ourselves and other people authentically. 

You can begin by taking time throughout your day for contemplative silence. This draws your focus inward, and allows you a private space where chaos cannot intervene or interrupt.

If you follow my blog or my Youtube channel you will see that I use every opportunity to discuss the importance of mindfulness practice. I do this because it is what creates the conditions for love. Only through the power of the pause are we able to navigate the rough waters of our chaotic lives, in a way that ultimately liberates us. Only then can we understand how to align ourselves with our true purpose in life.

Silence is a necessity if you want to hear what your heart truly has to say, and if you want to make decisions based on love, not fear. If you are not aware of your own negative, destructive energy than you cannot possibly help yourself, much less anyone else. You won’t be able to rise above the chaos because you’ll be operating at that same vibration. 

If you don’t know who you are, or what special gift you offer the universe, you cannot be in service to others. You cannot be the positive reflection you want to see in the world.

So I ask everyone who is reading this to please make silent reflection a habit- starting today. It may be difficult at first, because chaos tends to be a strong influence on our hearts and minds if we don’t pay close attention to our needs and our values. However, the more you redirect your attention to the things that matter, the easier it will be to tap into the most powerful force in the universe: love. Only then can we create a society that is grounded in peace, reconciliation, respect, and unity.

Qi's Connection To Illness

Have you ever gotten sick and not understood why? Illness is connected to germs and pathogens, right? Have you ever considered that illness might be attached to your emotions? It seems strange. But, for thousands of years the connection between body and emotion has been well known. Different cultures call this energy connection by different names. The Chinese have arguably the most ancient (over 3500 years worth), detailed documentation of this energy system that they refer to as “Qi”.

Qi is composed of the forces of Yin and Yang. If these forces stay balanced a person will remain healthy inside and out. If the balance is disturbed or the energy is blocked, one can become ill. These energies flow through channels in the body called meridians. Meridians are the pathways in which energy flows to nourish the functions and organs the body.

These blockages can occur because of stress, bad eating, negative thought patterns etc. And they can cause you to become very ill. So something as simple as a common cold, flu, or other ailments can be caused by an energy blockage? Yes, that is exactly the way energy flow along meridians works. So, what can you do to release blockages and keep yourself well? 

There are many ways in which you can remove blockages along the energy meridians yourself. Exercise, meditation, affirmations, clean eating, getting back to nature etc are all good ways in which you can start to heal yourself. However, some blockages are so deep seeded that you may need to seek the help of a professional to overcome them. Acupuncture and meridian massage are probably the most well known ways to overcome these energy obstacles.

Once you begin to understand how these meridians function and how they connect to specific parts of your body, you can begin to remove blockages and move past emotions that may have been holding you hostage for years. If the DIY methods I recommend in the previous paragraph don’t get you where you need to be, reach out. I am here to help you remove these obstacles and clear the path to better understanding and healing. http://www.amyd.me