A Horse, of Course!

Dreams Are Amazing

Dreams represent many different things to everyone. They are as individual as the person they belong to. It is up to you to determine what they mean to you.

My own personal experiences have not been one of in-depth dream investigation, so I tend to be a bit blasé about it all. So when it came time for me to dictate how I handled and managed my own dreams, it was well planned and thought out. Through my studies of the subconscious, I have formed certain opinions of how I would prefer my dreams to reveal their true nature to me. I am about to share a dream event with you. And it probably will not be very exciting to you. I am acting as a journalist reporting, “How it all happened”.

I had a Dream …

There was a fire! But, it was just a small fire1 when I noticed it. As I looked around, it became obvious that nobody else had noticed it. I looked around for something like a fire alarm to “sound the alarm”. But there were none around. No fire fighting equipment, either. I ran around notifying everyone I saw of the fire, but they were preoccupied and just ignored me.

What was completely out of place for me is where this was all taking place. I was in the Engine Room2 of a ship3. Even though I had never been here in this place before, by the equipment and instrumentation I knew what this place was. For some reason, even though the fire was small and almost unnoticeable, I felt a huge sense of urgency; that if the fire wasn’t dealt with immediately that it would destroy the entire ship.

The small fire was coming from some type of electrical component within a clear cover. So there was no easy way to really get to the fire to put it out. Also, to use water on a fire in electrical equipment is not a good idea and can easily lead to electrocution. There were no easy solutions to be had. The unusual thing was the fire was a blue flame, like air is blown through it, sort of like what you see with a torch.

The reason I am telling you the detail is that I want to point out what role the photographic memory plays when it comes to the inner workings of your subconscious mind. Over a week has passed since I had the dream. The images of what occurred in my dream are as clear and intense now as when they first occurred. They are clearer than real life!

Another piece of this vision was a peculiar odor that the flame was giving off; cloying, choking, yet vaguely familiar4. And that smell, too, was completely out of place. It was very pungent, acrid, and thick5. This odor is the prime key that connects all the events together.

I came to the conclusion that I had to be the person that took action otherwise the vessel was doomed!

Here is a list of circumstances that have been brought to my attention:

1. The small fire
2. Engine Room
3. Located in a ship or vessel
4. Choking smell of smoke, but out of place, odor vaguely familiar
5. Odor is pungent, acrid, and thick

About the Photographic Memory

Some studies of the photographic memory suggest that memories gained in this way dull and lose their detail in 3 – 4 minutes. But even today, over a week later, I can see it as if was occurring clearly in front of me at this very moment. By my own experiences (too many to count besides this one) I challenge the claims that the photographic memory is not real or has minimal value over long periods of time.

My logic is this: From all of my experience with the photographic memory / eidetic memory, and other cognitive abilities; if someone tells me the photographic memory is just something that goes bump in the night, my own personal evidence and experiences show me otherwise.

Empathy for the Non-Believer…

The photographic memory has been cannon fodder for many people over the years because it is primarily associated with the subconscious mind. Since people are not in good touch with their subconscious, they find it unfathomable to imagine that their photographic memory has never left them; that it has always been there. The only time many of them are in contact with their subconscious is when they are asleep, dreaming.

To some, the adult eidetic memory (photographic memory) is the bastard step-child of the psychological world – to be picked upon. For others like me, we possess our own irrefutable proof that supports our unwavering conviction of its existence and accessibility to everyone.

Have you ever wondered why, when you go through your daily activities, that you do not meet these people all over the place? Approximately 1 out of every 20 people you encounter are serious eidetikers that have some relationship with their photographic memory. It is because at an early age, they were taught to hide their abilities. I know many people that went through school making sure to miss 1 or 2 questions on their tests so they didn’t draw attention to themselves.

It comes down to this. Recognizing and trusting your photographic memory is a relationship, between you (your conscious) and a lover that has left you that you no longer trust (your subconscious). Even when you find that your subconscious has been right there all along, it still doesn’t commit you to trusting it. That is why you must be taught how to build and support that relationship. Eventually, you come to trust it once again. Thus, your photographic memory is allowed to be a part of your life once more.

Revisiting the Dream

So now we can go back to what led us here in the first place; my dream. Again, I have had a significant dream that my photographic memory remembers every detail of. What does it have to do with my life? What is the connection? My surroundings in my dream were completely foreign from anyplace I had ever visited. Where did it all fit?

Along my personal soul searching for methodically simplifying my relationship with my own subconscious, I decided long ago to direct my mind to only remember dreams that were important to me. Since I dream hundreds of dreams each night, it is nice to pre-filter them down to remembering just the important dreams. With the gravity and intensity this dream possessed, I knew it must be important to me. It was.

The Connection

That morning while feeding the horses, I noticed that one horse had a cough that turned out to be an upper respiratory infection. He had not eaten much of the food from the previous night and had not drunk his water. He also had an elevated temperature and a sore throat. (You think us humans have it bad when we have a sore throat, think of an equine having a sore throat. That is a lot of throat! Be thankful it was not a giraffe!)

The sore throat and the cough is something he would most likely get over naturally without treatment. But whenever horses don’t drink, they dehydrate. Dehydration leads to colic, and equine colic is deadly. Most horses that don’t get to old age die of colic. So, I am not just treating the horse for the cough, sore throat, and fever; I am also treating him for colic. I really don’t need to go into all the details as to how you treat a horse for colic. Let’s say it is a bit messy at times when dealing with that side of things.

But along with the mess, there are particular odors and a cloying acrid smell. To another horse, it is like walking through the rose garden. But it is different for humans. But keep in mind; I would select a horse when compared to most other animals for those types of odors. (My experiences in life have taken me far and wide.)

So let’s take a look at the list we created before:

1. The small fire – Sore throat and elevated temperature.
2. Engine Room – The Engine Room of the horse is his gut. If that doesn’t work, he is DEAD in the water – Equine colic.
3. Located in a ship or vessel – The vessel IS the horse. The entire list had to do with the horse. If I had not acted quickly, my chances of saving the horse would get bad quickly.
4. Choking smell of smoke, but out of place, odor vaguely familiar – The odor of equine feces, making note of the colic.
5. Odor is pungent, acrid, and thick – Same thing.

Remember Important Dreams

When I remembered the dream, it signaled me to take heed and pay attention to my surroundings. The detail from the dream gave me specific insight that allowed me to connect-the-dots. Most of the dots were seen after the fact. That is why it is said that “hindsight is 20/20 vision”. The result of me being aware of a potential problem and acting quickly, I was successful at saving the horse. Today he was running around the paddock as he normally does, without a care, as horses do. (Joke ahead… He is so inconsiderate. He didn’t even thank me. Neigh!) The story may have had a different ending if I had not acted when I did.

Epilogue:

Because I have directed my subconscious to make only my important dreams memorable, I can easily tell what dreams I need to pay attention to. Coupled by the fact that I fully accept my photographic memory as a part of me as a complete human being, I cannot be dissuaded from tapping into it and using it. With the recall of critical key pieces of information from my dream in high resolution for an extended period of time allowing me the avenue to remember each detail completely while I am writing this story for you. After I have completed the writing, the event will be shelved because it has served its’ functions.

I hope you found this article intriguing and are enjoying the use of your photographic memory. There is a big bright world out there you are most likely not experiencing. Life is full of experiences waiting just for you. But you must take those first steps to make it all happen.

Shannon Panzo

Great Things Happen Here!

the role of your stimuli…

Change Behavior

Changing behavior is usually most difficult.

The two key factors that you need are Stimuli to change, and then Support.

This blog article will deal with the necessary Stimuli that will lead you to successfully changing your behavior.

Two examples of desired changes that we seem to have the greatest difficulties in lie in the area of weight loss and attitude.

The first question to answer is this: ‘Why do you want to lose weight or have a different attitude?’ You MUST be able to answer this specifically and at some length and with some passion to ensure your chances of success.

The Passion Success List of Wants…

Here are some reasons WHY, that will provoke your thinking to develop your own special Stimuli that will also engage your passions:

• I want to be healthier
• I want to live longer
• I want to be alive when my grandchildren become adults
• I want a better sex life
• I want to be more attractive to others
• I want more energy
• I want to be more productive
• I want to fit into my clothes that I love that are sitting in my cupboard
• I want to save money by not wasting it on junk food
• I want to get rid of my headaches
• I want to attract my soul mate into a life long relationship
• I want to increase my self-confidence and self-esteem
• I want to achieve something great that is difficult
• I want to save money on medical bills
• I want to avoid diabetes and heart attacks
• I want to be head hunted for a great new job because I have the right attitude
• I want to avoid being sick
• I want to avoid spending any time in hospitals
• I want to have more energy to play with my children
• I want to have more energy to keep learning and developing
• I want to be a great team player
• I want a great reputation in my industry for being an excellent contributor and a quality person.

Successful people are clear and specific on the reasons, on what they will gain through the change of behavior and what problems they will solve or avoid by doing so.

Achieving Success in Your Lifetime…

Now, write down your own set of reasons to change, and the longer the list, the better!

I will explore the need for, and the different types of, support in the next blog article.

My various blog articles on the Mind to Mind website will be helpful in provoking some ideas in designing your stimuli.

Charles B Kovess

Your passion, and the need for drugs to handle depression

My definition of passion is that it is ‘a source of unlimited energy from your soul, or your spirit, or your heart that enables you to produce extraordinary results’.

Far too many people, research shows, are not pursuing their passion or doing what they love, or are not enthusiastic about their work. I love the etymology of ‘enthusiasm’: it comes from two Greek words, ‘en’ and ‘theos’, meaning ‘inside God’. When you are enthusiastic, you are similar to the mindset of God!

Published information from Governments around the world show that vast numbers of people are taking anti-depressant drugs, at huge cost to themselves, to their families, and to Governments that fund these drugs or fund health systems that have to deal with people suffering from depression- like symptoms.

Note that I did not say ‘depressed people’: this is a label that is thrown around far too often. There is a range of over 20 symptoms that lead one to conclude that depression is being experienced by a person, but it is a continuum along a combination of symptoms.

It is not black or white, depressed or not depressed!

Pursue Passion

I passionately believe that if more people were pursuing their passion in their work, and in their lives, the need for anti-depressant drugs would drop dramatically!

I believe that depression-like symptoms arise because human beings find their spirits being ‘depressed’, or ‘squashed’. They are not in touch with their spirit because they are ignoring their passions! They are ignoring what they love to do. They are ignoring the yearning of their spirits, their souls. This is a depressing thought in itself!

Anti-Depressants and Brain Chemistry

Through the passage of time, some people might presently need anti-depressants because their brain chemistry has been so damaged by depressive thoughts over the years that they cannot function without the drugs. I acknowledge this need, but it does not apply to most drug takers. Even for such people, weaning one’s self off the drugs simply takes longer than most.

Matt Ridley, in his wonderful book Genome, points out that our non-physical thoughts cause our genes to produce physical chemicals in our bodies. Depressive thoughts produce depressive chemicals.

If you are taking anti-depressant drugs, or you have family or friends who take them, then make the decision to discover and then pursue your passions. Your life is too precious and valuable to spend it doing anything that generates depression-like symptoms.

Find Your Passion… Find Your Way

My various articles on the Mind to Mind website will be a great start for you on this journey.

Mind to Mind and ZOX Pro Training are both processes that help you develop the mental toughness and resilience to improve your ability to be ever more disciplined in your behaviors.

Charles B Kovess

Ask yourself …

Where are you going?

Why do you do what you do?

How do you decide what to do and what not to do?

Are your choices in alignment with your passion?

It seems that few people are able to answer these questions. But, if you can answer the questions confidently and optimistically, your chances of success rise significantly.

The best way to answer the questions is to have a vision for your life; a vision that excites you and generates energy for you, leading to increased productivity and personal effectiveness.

A vision for your life is a SEEING concept: what is the ideal life, in 5, 10 and 20 years’ time that you can visualize for yourself?

Some examples of a personal Vision that I have suggested to my coaching clients and to attendees in my passion workshops are:

∞ My vision is that I am a well-regarded and competent business leader who is making a difference on the planet

∞ My vision is that I have made a significant contribution globally to eradicating world poverty

∞ My vision is that I have 5,000 internet clients who pay me monthly sums that enable me to handle all my financial requirements with ease and comfort

∞ My vision is that I am a Minister of the Government and have an impeccable reputation

∞ My vision is that I am married to a person who loves me deeply and who supports me in pursuing my passions

∞ My vision is that I am CEO of a top 200 listed company that I earned through my excellence in my profession.

Such a vision also needs to be in alignment with your current passions, as you have discovered them to be through following my blog articles or in any other ways.

Mind to Mind can provide resources for you to continually develop your mental skills to effectively craft such a vision.

When your vision is clear, then:

• You know where you are going
• You know why you do what you do
• You are clear on the factors that you take into account when making decisions.

It’s a great way to live.

I commend it to you.

Charles B Kovess

Passionate individuals Achieve.

Passionate individuals Perform.

Passionate individuals Inspire.

Imagine tapping into your extraordinary talent and energy each working day. Picture the growth, the rewards and the results.

Sadly, not many people are passionate about their work. Yet, if business is to thrive in the 21st century, leaders must create an “extra-ordinary” level of commitment from their people. A commitment based not only on the mental – but one that also involves the emotional – passion.

Whilst Mind to Mind helps you to harness your extraordinary mental capabilities, we need the energy source of passion to capitalize on these capabilities.

In the late 20th century, information became the new business nightmare. Managers were surrounded, inundated – and often drowned – in information, much of it useless. So much so that electronic overload threatened. This is another reason why ZOX Pro Training is so relevant and important.

The “Knowledge Age” is passing as we rapidly head into what I refer to as the “Passion Age”. This new era will see the mastering of the difficult part of business – people issues. Physical resources are the easy part. That is why so few organizations successfully access the knowledge and wisdom and passion of their people: it’s just too hard.

Passionate performers make no distinction between labor and leisure, education and recreation. They simply pursue their vision with a commitment and energy sustained by their passion.

Effective leaders and performers understand the principles of motivation, that’s a given, but motivation and passion are not quite the same. One is a reactive process, the other a proactive one. Managers, coaches or corporate mentors all motivate, certainly, but this is achieved externally. One can encourage a person to be motivated, one can even teach them how to be motivated, but passion comes from the soul.

The Pain-Pleasure Equation

Leaders who want to access the passion and knowledge of their people must first understand the major drivers of human behavior, the pain-pleasure equation. It’s simple to define: how much pain is an individual willing to accept for a future pleasure?

Consider sportspeople and musicians: they are willing to undertake years of what is at times painful training because of the promise of pleasure that inspires them. Now translate that level of passion to your own life and to your organization:

1. What benefit will employees derive from contributing their passion and knowledge to the business?

2. What pain or disadvantage will employees reduce in their own lives by doing so?

3. What is the present pain that blocks employees from contributing their passion and their knowledge?

4. Can employees clearly see the pleasure they will gain from contributing the passion and knowledge and facing, or experiencing, the pain of doing so?

5. Is the pain of contributing passion and knowledge greater than the pain of being “safe” in a low performance environment?

The successful builders and leaders of tomorrow’s world-class businesses and lives will be those with a strong empathy-based style, who create a passionate, results-driven, working environment.

Charles B Kovess

Building a Good Vocabulary

Do you remember when your grade school teacher would give everyone the word of the day? You were to use it in as many sentences as you could throughout the day. This is a great way to build a good vocabulary…  O N E  W O R D  at a time. Actually, at that rate, you would probably be reincarnated to your next life before you really would have a substantial vocabulary.

Now, before I tell you the exciting bits, I am going to tell you about the word “spry”. It is a very good word, because it can be used in many ways. It is an adjective. Which also means it can be used to describe other words, a person’s mood, an activity, and many more fun things. So, for spry’s sake, here is what it means:

Synonyms for Spry:

brisk, nimble, agile, lively, active, sprightly, vigorous

So, now you know what spry means.

Here a couple of examples of using spry in a sentence:

Gee, he has a ‘spry’ walk.

I am planning to have a nice ‘spry’ day!

You could even use it in combination with another of my favorite words, “glib”:

I really enjoy a ‘glib spry’ conversation! (Oh! I just remembered. I hadn’t given you the other word yet. Oh well… just a bit, in a ‘glib’ sort of way.)

Don’t worry, it is just all bushwa! (Now there is a very nice sounding word. You would think it would be French… of sorts.)

By now, you may be a little peeved with me for using words that you are not comfortable using. Well, go to your shanty and have a little whinge. When you decide to do something about it, come back and see us.

Really, in the world of today, it is not enough to have a good vocabulary, but you really do need to know what words mean at a deeper level; their vibration, their impact.

I recently queried a person living in Canada about the spelling of their name. Even though the person was Canadian, the name turned out to be Welsh, the country of origin was Wales. My personal curiosities lead me down strange paths from time to time.

(Here is something fun for the single guys: The next time you find yourself in the awkward position of the opening line to start a conversation, ask an intelligent question that makes the other person think a little; but not so much they go into meltdown over it. You never know where it may lead. You may even get the opportunity to ask a second question. NOTE: Stay away from the topics of politics, sex, and religion. You might go for something like, “What is the spelling of hyperbole?” Just make sure you pronounce it right. If they know the correct spelling, they have potential.)

I would like you to share the fascination and joy of this seemingly boring world of words with me. But you have much to do if you are playing catch up.

There is a training you should take a look at… Gee, I must have forgotten what it was called… It had such a catchy name, too… It just has to be here somewhere…

Great Things Happen Here!

Ask Yourself,…

1. Are you passionate about your health?

2. What is your health worth?

3. How would you know if you are healthy?

Based on over 45 years’ of exploring and implementing alternative health regimes, I have developed my own definition of health, and I commend it to you. Hardly anybody I have met has a clear definition in their mind! My definition is this:

‘Health’ is the unique optimal balance for each person of mental, physical, and spiritual elements.

Most people consider themselves healthy if they are not sick or specifically unwell in a particular aspect. However, this is a limited and limiting view of our existence. Imagine a health spectrum of 1 to 100, where 1 is almost dead, and 100 is perfect health. Not being unwell is just 51 on this scale. A minor ailment would put you as unhealthy, but probably at 49.

You would be unlikely to say you are ‘healthy’ if you have ailments.

Now, on this spectrum, or scale, where would you rate yourself and your health? Tell the truth: don’t fool yourself.

I repeat my question at the start of this blog: are you passionate about your health?

If your health is over 90 on my scale, then these are the rewards you will reap:

∞ You are highly energetic
∞ When you are highly energetic, you can add enormous value
∞ The universe rewards you based on the value you add, so you will receive enormous benefits
∞ The benefits will be mental (money, recognition, status, achievement), physical (things you can buy with money, experiences, feeling great) and spiritual (fun, contribution, friendship, passion)
∞ You will spend very little on medical bills and you won’t worry about medical insurance at the highest level
∞ You will not lose time in hospital having operations or treatments
∞ Your relationships will be improved because it is difficult to be loving and caring when you are unwell
∞ You will have an outstanding sex life
∞ You will have more fun: being sick is not fun!
∞ You can live your life continuously on purpose and with meaning, without constant and frequent interruptions because you are unwell.

I suggest to you that the rewards for you in dollar terms of this list of items is many millions of dollars.

When you see this, you will learn not to ignore your health, or to accept a health assessment of less than 80 on my scale.

Don’t be silly: learn to value your health. Generate a deep passion for your health. Be happy to pay the price of caring for your health. It is a ridiculously small price to pay!

Charles Kovess

Kovess International

“Harnessing Passion for World-Class Results!”

I want to inspire you to greater heights.

You can find firm footing in the past, but look to your future!

Quote – Isaac Asimov

“I am not a speed reader. I am a speed understander.” ~Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov, a great science fiction writer, accomplished great leaps by using speed reading as his  method for gaining information. As a fan for his books, there is only appreciation for his achievements.

Just Imagine what heights his writing could have reached if he gained Information at Light Speed with Mental Photography (ZOXing) as his instrument.

I hope I have found you at a point in your day that you can give a moment to reflect upon this mindful image of greatness.

Great Things Happen Here!

Reap extraordinary rewards

Your passion is a source of unlimited energy. This energy comes from your soul, or spirit or heart. Every human has passion, but it appears that not many are pursuing it.

I believe that the Universe rewards us in life for the value that we add to others’ lives. The Universe clearly works according to certain scientific and predictable principles, and this is one of those principles.

This does not mean that you will not receive anything without adding value: that is a different principle at work.  For example, refugees receive assistance and support without giving anything in return.

So my challenge to you today is this: identify the value that you are adding! Investigate deeply to understand how much value you are adding,

I encourage you to start thinking about these two challenges, and then articulate your responses. When you start to understand how this universal principle works, and apply it to yourself, you will behave differently. You might ask for a pay rise, or you might even say to your employer, in your integrity, I am not adding enough value so you should either reduce my pay or increase the ways in which I can add value.

Your ability to add value is linked to your passion.

When you are passionate, you have access to amazing amounts of energy, and this energy determines your productivity. Your productivity will determine the value that you can add.

Let me share three specific simple examples of adding value:

1.    A florist who sells you flowers for a funeral for $60 is adding value to your life because she is satisfying your (non-material) desire to express your sympathy to someone who matters to you. If that desire is strong, it is clearly worth more than $60, and the florist has added value.

2.    A receptionist at a business who earns $700 per week may or may not add value. What problems does he or she solve while acting as a receptionist?

3.    As a professional speaker, when I earn $6000 for a speech, if just one member of an audience who is a salesperson changes his or her behavior to be more passionate and more effective, the value generated for the company who paid me could easily be more than $60,000 every year thereafter!

Charles B Kovess LL.B. (Hons), LL.M., MAICD, MAITD
Australasia’s Passion Provocateur©
Certified Speaking Professional
Kovess International

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

- Nelson Mandela

Great Things Happen Here!