July 27, 2010

From Animal to Mastery - the 7 Layers of Awareness   You've heard before that you become what you think about.  Yes, that's right... You become what you think about.   Therefore, it's important to know that your thinking (which in turn leads to your actions) can take you from animal to mastery.   Bob Proctor, a success trainer, says there are 7 layers of awareness you move through from animal to mastery.  Let's go top to bottom, starting with the mastery.   7. Mastery: You respond - You think and plan. 6. Experience: Your actions change your results. 5. Discipline: You give yourself a command and you follow it. 4. Individual: You express your uniqueness. 3. Aspiration: You desire something greater. 2. Mass:  You follow the masses and let your paradigms stop you. 1. Animal: You react.  Fight or flight.   In the animalistic state, you either fight for or flee from what you want in life.  If you choose to fight, then many will follow the masses and you will allow your paradigms to stop you.  Those are the thoughts that fill your mind with: "Oh no, you can't do that."  Or "That will never work." Or "Who do you think you are that you can accomplish that?"  You aspire for something more (layer 3), yet your negative paradigms keep you at layer 2 because after all, you become what you think about.  A Catch 22 keeps you stuck between layers 3 and 2.   You've got to break free from your paradigms if you desire something greater than what you currently have. You must change your thoughts (your mindset) to move to layer 4 - individual.  Here you express your uniqueness and believe in your uniqueness.  Believe is the key word; you can get past your paradigms and succeed. This new belief then enables you to give yourself a command and to follow through, i.e. you take action. This is discipline.  These actions lead to new results (not those tired results that were keeping you stagnant).  This is layer 6 - experience.  Furthermore, the more experiences you experience, and the more success you achieve with your results, the stronger will be your ability to move to the mastery layer.   Your initial thoughts begin with the animal in you.  You react; you either fight or flee.  When you choose to fight and are able to get past your paradigms, you can then move up in awareness to mastery.  Subsequently you're able to respond; you think and plan. And, it is this mastery which will allow you to have what you want in life!   Make the intent today to move past your negative paradigms.  Mastery is within your reach!     "Awareness without action is useless."             Phil McGraw   "Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.  Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power."             Tao Te Ching   "You are the only problem you will ever have and you are the only solution."             Bob Proctor   "To have greater self awareness or understanding means to have a better grasp of reality."             Dalai Lama       In my opinion, the most difficult stage in awareness is the tug-of-war between layers 2 and 3.  On the one hand you desire so much more for yourself, yet your old beliefs and voices (these come from your childhood and are reinforced throughout your adult life) keep you in a holding pattern.  Well, you attract to you what your paradigms say, so if you don't think and believe you have what it takes, then you don't.   That's why it is imperative to change your mindset if you are going to move up the awareness ladder.  That's easier said than done; countless books, movies, and articles have expounded on the topic, yet many of us still find it a challenge to move past our paradigms.  But move we must if we are going to master.   Have a fantastic week and be aware.   Stephanie     We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much! Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com