Quantum Physics of Belief - Awareness

For the past few months, I was writing about our beliefs thru the science of consciousness and extending those patterns to the business world, to suggest innovative ways of using this wisdom to lead and succeed in a business environment that is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. Once we reach a greater understanding of how our thoughts and beliefs, in addition to actions, are actualizing the world, our organizations will run differently. This realization sheds light on how the role of leadership is changing and which types of leaders will become the most sought after in the 21^st century.

As per quantum physics, the thoughts and beliefs of people in an organization have an impact on the events that occur. In particular, when groups of people intend that a particular outcome is achieved, the intentions themselves have an impact on events, so that the outcome is more likely to occur in the direction of the intentions. An intention is a conscious desire for a particular outcome and a belief that the outcome can be influenced.

To have the highest intentions for the success of an organization, be it a business or a nation, people need to feel responsible for it. Taking responsibility for something means you understand you have a role in creating it and therefore can help create something different. Even if we haven’t taken action to contribute to a particular organizational outcome, our thoughts and beliefs are influencing the outcome of any organization of which we are part of. When we accept this responsibility, we stop blaming others for the outcomes, and naturally develop intentions for the success of the organization. These intentions then help promote success.

Our businesses and societies will therefore, be better off when people accept their responsibilities for having created the current conditions and then lend their intentions, if not also their actions, to improving conditions. Ultimately, each individual will have to decide whether they accept this responsibility and where they will place the focus of their intentions. Inevitably, leaders play a pivotal role by either helping or hindering a strong sense of responsibility in their organizations. So the question is ‘how good are our current leadership practices at getting people to feel responsible for the outcomes?’

The answer to this is complex and multi-faceted, but for now let’s focus on the degree of egocentricity that leaders possess. The reality is that most business leaders got to a position of leadership by showing that they were better than others, so it’s natural for them to continue to proliferate that feeling. Furthermore, business structures are hierarchical in nature, and top executives really are held more accountable than those at lower levels. These factors are a natural hindrance to getting all employees of a company to feel responsible for the company’s outcomes.

I must point out that I am not talking about just holding people accountable for the results of their job. There is a huge difference between a person feeling motivated to achieve specific job results vs. feeling responsible for the outcomes of the business.

Getting all employees to feel responsible for business outcomes requires that we adopt a different belief about what type of leader is most effective and then begin to choose different types of leaders. We need leaders who are humble, to the point of being understated and even self-effacing. This doesn’t mean they are not strong enough to make tough decisions, because they need to be, but they need to be able to stand in the presence of their followers without usurping their power. Business research actually shows this type of leader is more effective.

As a leader, the way you perceive the world around you has a huge impact on your decisions. The way you perceive is determined by all the life you have been living (or NOT living) until now!

There are many levels of decision making and the way you perceive your surroundings determine if you are a great decision maker or just an average Joe trying to make it through the day.

There is a new paradigm emerging. Until now mankind has allowed itself to blame anything and anybody for almost everything and thus leave huge opportunities to take responsibility behind. Huge opportunities to become better at being human beings and greater Leaders in our families, our lives, our communities and even in our countries have been left behind.

This psychological malfunction has brought humanity to where we are today and the leaders of today – whether we are leading multinational companies or we are leading our selves through life, are going to be extinct very soon if this continues. Evolution is determined by survival of the fittest and until now this blaming strategy has somehow worked – at least to some degree. The strategy is: I am right therefore you are wrong! Or I am innocent and you are guilty. Polarization. Segregation.

We must realize that this strategy will destroy us if we continue. Or at least it will destroy the archetype of blaming which is needed, and make a perfect transition into a new era. The old strategy was dividing everything – in me and you, good or bad etc. The new strategy which we will need to make a decent world is: Wholeness!

We have to learn to think in 'us' instead of 'you or me'. Every decision a leader makes that is based solely on his or her own perception of life is doomed to fail. (S)He does not realize that even the smallest decision is a thread in a web that includes all living creatures, and anything from 'outside' can make their decision fail. You can't make a decision without being aware of everything else that can influence your decision and you can't be aware if you don't train your awareness!! Just like you can't play piano like Mozart without practicing!

This awareness has multiple levels. The first level is to be aware of yourself! You have to be aware of your emotions, your thoughts, your (determined) actions, and your behavior. You MUST know why you have the feelings you experience. You have to know why you think the thoughts you are thinking. You have to know why you are acting the way you are acting. You have to be able to watch your self from outside your self!

The next level is the same but your awareness now includes other people’s thoughts, feelings and behavior. The ability to be aware of other peoples’ lives is much easier if you know and understand what is going on inside your self. First it is our family and close colleagues. Next it is those that I don't know personally but they come and go in my life. It is people from other departments in my company; it's the people on the street and in the shops. Those I see but not necessarily talk to.

The third level is to apply the same awareness to the whole world. Be aware of everything; All the time. And make decisions accordingly…

We are going to change evolution. This is not an easy task. But on top of the biological evolution we now have to focus on the evolution of consciousness; We even have to add the evolution of consciousness.

We all have a responsibility for this planet. It is not just those we pay to run our country that has this responsibility. We ALL have! And the only way we can do it right is by training our personal awareness skills.

One of the absolute key traits of The New Leader is Self Awareness. Know thy self. This kind of personal mastery demands having a heightened understanding of one's own behavior, limitations and motivations, skills and a mindset of Global awareness.

The patriarchal leader is on his way to extinction. He did not make it through evolution of awareness and now The New Leader evolves and takes over the world stage. The old leader was disciplined and there were no room for emotions as they could negatively influence decisions – well some people really believed this stuff! On our way to Leadership at the World Stage, Awareness and Leadership becomes wholeness. The outcome is Impact, Power, Insight, Integrity, Ethics beyond measure and Social and Emotional Intelligence. Creative Intelligence followed by Spiritual Intelligence will also be active ingredients in Leader Skills in the future.

The lessons we learn from scientific and business research can give us great insight into how to improve the leadership of nations. Here is a radical statement but one that is supported by research: stop making governments responsible for the economy. The science and business research show us that we are collectively creating the conditions of our economy and, furthermore, that getting everyone to take responsibility for it will improve the conditions. Yet we are continually expecting our leaders to fix it and then blaming them when they can’t.

I have no desire to get into a discussion of which political ideals are more correct. However, I do think John F. Kennedy was on the right track when he said “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.  These words reflect an understanding of the importance of each person taking responsibility for the world we are creating.

Quantum Physics of Belief - Empathy

For the past few months, I was writing about quantum physics and business research to explore innovative ways of using the latest research and wisdom to lead and succeed in a global business environment that is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. As leaders, we need to know what’s going on with our teams and employees. Are they facing major obstacles? Is their rational thinking overridden with fear? They are not always willing to say they need help, as they may perceive it as a sign of weakness or they may believe there will be negative repercussions.

Two weeks ago, in an earlier article on emotions, I have described how science is now showing us ways to read the emotions of other people, so we can proactively offer help. I am certainly aware of the unease or self-conscious discomfort that many people feel when a term such as "empathy" is introduced in a business environment. However, in this article, let me show how to take empathy to the next level.

Empathy is the act of recognizing and sharing the feelings (such as jubilation or fear) that are being experienced by another person. New scientific discovery is giving us confidence to expand on this traditional definition by including the ability to pick up on the feelings, bodily sensations of another person. Indeed, empathy is valued currency. It allows us to create bonds of trust, it gives us insights into what others may be feeling or thinking; it helps us understand how or why others are reacting to situations, it sharpens our "people acumen" and informs our decisions. As leaders, this helps us know if an employee needs our help to clear an obstacle or needs to receive some encouragement.

A large number of experiments using functional MRI have shown that certain brain regions are active when people experience a certain emotion and the same regions are active when they see another person experiencing the same emotion. The practice of “feeling into” another person is reportedly used in psychotherapy, and now we can use it in other areas of our lives, including the more mundane business world.

There are numerous studies that link empathy to business results. They include studies that correlate empathy with increased sales, with the performance of the best managers of product development teams and with enhanced performance in an increasingly diverse workforce.

Yes, increasingly, the topic of empathy is encroaching on the business world. We are now even seeing terms such as "empathy marketing" and "empathy selling". Not long ago, I came across the term "user empathy", referring to user interface.

Empathy; which is the ability to imagine yourself in someone else's position, to imagine what they are feeling, to understand what makes people tick, to create relationships and to be caring of others; is very difficult to outsource or automate, and yet is increasingly important to businesses in a global economic environment.

The modern management guru, Dr. Daniel Goleman wrote, "Leaders with empathy, do more than sympathize with people around them: they use their knowledge to improve their companies in subtle, but important ways." This doesn't mean that they agree with everyone's view or try to please everybody. Rather, they "thoughtfully consider employees' feelings – along with other factors – in the process of making intelligent decisions."

Empathy, then, is an ability that is well-worth cultivating. It's a soft, sometimes abstract tool in a leader's toolkit that can lead to hard, tangible results. But where does empathy come from? Is it a process of thinking or of emotion? From a scientific perspective as explained above, I believe that it is both: We need to use our reasoning ability to understand another person's thoughts, feelings, reactions, concerns, motives; This means truly making an effort to stop and think for a moment about the other person's perspective in order to begin to understand where they are coming from: And then we need the emotional capacity to care for that person's concern; Caring does not mean that we would always agree with the person, that we would change our position, but it does mean that we would be in tune with what that person is going through, so that we can respond in a manner that acknowledges their thoughts, feelings or concerns.

When candor is communicated with empathy and caring and not the prideful arrogance of an over inflated ego good things begin to happen. Empathetic communicators display a level of authenticity and transparency that is not present with those who choose to communicate behind the carefully crafted facade propped-up by a very fragile ego. Understanding this communication principle is what helps turn anger into respect and doubt into trust.

So this leads me to a question that I am sometimes asked: "Can you teach someone to be empathetic?" We all know some people who are naturally and consistently empathetic – these are the people who can easily forge positive connections with others. They are people who use empathy to engender trust and build bonds; they are catalysts who are able to create positive communities for the greater good. But even if empathy does not come naturally to some of us, I firmly believe that we can develop this capacity.

Here are a few practical tips you might consider to help you do this:

Smile at people.

Use people's name. Also remember the names of people's spouse and children so that you can refer to them by name.

Take a personal interest in people. Show people that you care, and genuine curiosity about their lives. Ask questions about their hobbies, their challenges, their families, their aspirations.

Listen – truly listen to people. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart. Pay attention to others' body language, to their tone of voice, to the hidden emotions behind what they are saying to you, and to the context.

Don't interrupt people. Don't dismiss their concerns offhand. Don't rush to give advice. Don't change the subject. Allow people their moment.

Be fully present when you are with people. Don't check your email, look at your watch or take phone calls when a direct report drops into your office to talk to you. Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if your boss did that to you?

Tune in to non-verbal communication. This is the way that people often communicate what they think or feel, even when their verbal communication says something quite different.

Practice the "93% rule". When communicating about feelings and attitudes,  words – the things we say – account for only 7% of the total message that people receive. The other 93% of the message that we communicate when we speak is contained in our tone of voice and body language. It's important, then, to spend some time to understand how we come across when we communicate with others about our feelings and attitudes.

Encourage people, particularly the quiet ones, when they speak up in meetings. A simple thing like an attentive nod can boost people's confidence.

Give genuine recognition and praise. Pay attention to what people are doing and catch them doing the right things. When you give praise, spend a little effort to make your genuine words memorable: "You are an asset to this team because... "; "This was pure genius"; "I would have missed this if you hadn't picked it up."

Empathy is an emotional and thinking muscle that becomes stronger the more we use it. Try some of these suggestions and watch the reactions of those you work with. I believe you will notice some positive results.

Years ago, I had come across a saying that went something like this: the measure of a man [or woman], is how they treat someone who is of absolutely no use to them. Empathy should not be selective: It should be a daily habit. If I were to create a bumper sticker, I would say: Empathy: Don't Leave Home Without It!

When you “feel into” another person, you are using a part of your brain not typically used in business. There are three levels of your brain and each perceives differently. The lower level reptile brain, which is seldom used in business today, perceives thru subtle, instinctive vibes. To feel into another person, project your awareness to the other person, envision moving down in your brain toward your instinctive senses, and notice the way your body feels.

This is where knowledge of how your own emotions feel in your body really pays off, because you will feel the other people’s emotions the same way you feel your own. When the other person is feeling empowered and confident, you may feel energy rising in your body, perhaps warmness around your chest. If, on the other hand, you feel your energy drop or tighten, the other person is likely tense, worried, feeling overwhelmed, or holding something back. You can feel the steady waves of harmonious people and the adrenaline of people who are afraid or operating from their ego.

This technique works in person, by phone or even email, as long as you feel a connection to the other person and can project your awareness to them. While you are learning this technique it’s important to keep in mind to always verify with the person that you have accurately detected what they are feeling.

Quantum Physics of Belief - Positive Thinking

We have different degrees of happiness and different kinds of suffering. Material objects give rise to physical happiness while spiritual development gives rise to mental happiness. Since we experience both physical and mental happiness, we need both material and spiritual development. This is why, for our own good and that of society we need to balance material progress with inner development. ~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Do you recognize the inner demons (such as your fear, self limiting beliefs etc.) obstructing your journey to your happiness and success? Listen to my radio show on Saturday April 7th at 8PM CDT and learn a 5 step (Chod) process to fighting those demons.
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If you have listened to my radio show last Saturday on March 31^st you probably heard my guest Dr. Ed Moloney talk about the importance and power of positive thinking. Most modern Management gurus would all acknowledge that people perform better when they are feeling positive. So, as leaders we naturally want our teams and organizations to be positive environments. However, most leaders are not aware of the factors that influence the positivity of environments. We think we are controlling environments when we monitor what is said and done, but experimentation tells us that thoughts themselves become pervasive and set the tone in an environment.

It is commonly acknowledged that positive environments are conducive to higher performance. Among other things, positivity in an environment helps people think more clearly and doesn’t waste the energy that negative emotions demand. Conventionally, we get people to feel more positive by taking action such as showing appreciation for their work or inspiring them to be of service to customers. Now we see there are other factors that must be considered in creating a positive environment.

First, we must become more careful with our own thoughts. Consider what the impact we will have on an employee or group when we harbor fears of them failing, or when we allow our minds to be overrun with anxiety. We may think there is no harm in our thoughts, as long as we control what we say and do, but remember that the episode from the movie Apollo 13 tells us otherwise. In that movie, the Flight Director Gene Kranz (played by Ed Harris) says two powerful things: “Failure is NOT an Option.” And “I will not allow that [negative] thought to exist in this space” (even if it was only a thought by a crew member!)

We also must become more attentive to the thoughts that are pervasive in our organizations. We need to detect and control the thought energy of our organizations as diligently as we measure and control the performance outcomes. This has implications to the criteria we use for hiring and promoting, as well as the priorities we choose to address.

We have all experienced negative people who can be among our best performers. We generally tolerate their negativity until and unless they say or do something that are harmful to the group. However, now we see that their mere presence has a detrimental impact to the organization.

In general, this knowledge demands that we become more cognizant of group energy, including how it is generated and its impact on performance. Most leaders are currently unaware that thoughts alone can become pervasive and affect the entire organization, either positively or negatively.

Coming back to the original topic of positive thinking, we would all generally agree that thinking positively is a good thing; especially, when we are feeling positive.

But, what about when things go crappy? What about those days when you are so stressed the veins pop out of your forehead? When you hate your job — or you have lost it? What about those days when you are sucker-punched by a series of unfortunate events that makes the life of Job look like a garden party?

Here is the secret that is not really a secret. It’s revolutionary, exciting science.

Positive thinking really does change your brain. Not in some magical, woo-woo kind of way, but in a real physical way.

The science is called Neuroplasticity. It means that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains. The idea was first introduced by William James in 1890, but it was not accepted by many who uniformly believed the brain is rigidly mapped out, with certain parts of the brain controlling certain functions. If that part is dead or damaged, the function is altered or lost. Well, it appears they were wrong.

Neuroplasticity now enjoys wide acceptance as scientists are proving the brain is endlessly adaptable and dynamic.

It has the power to change its own structure, even for those with the severe neurological afflictions. People with problems like strokes, cerebral palsy, and mental illness can train other areas of their brains through repetitive mental and physical activities. It is completely life-altering.

So what does this have to do with positive thinking and with you?

It means that repetitive positive thought and positive activity can rewire your brain and strengthen brain areas that stimulate positive feelings.

In his widely-acclaimed book, The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, Norman Doidge M.D. states plainly that the brain has the capacity to rewire itself and/or form new neural pathways — if we do the work. Just like exercise, the work requires repetition and activity to reinforce new learning.

Here are some actions you can take to change your own brain during the bad times.

Fear of failure

Everyone fears doing something new because we don’t want to fail. The truth is, we can do most anything if we take action, stop negative thinking, and shift our perceptions of the truth about our abilities.

Action steps: Force yourself to stop thinking about reasons you can’t do something, even if you don’t feel brave or capable. Every time a negative thought creeps in, retrain your brain to think a positive thought about your abilities instead. Then take small actions every day toward achieving your goal or desired change.  Nike’s slogan, “Just do it,” has real validity.

Over-thinking/Worrying

Have you ever found yourself trapped in obsessive over-thinking about a problem or in a state of anxiety or worry that lasts for days or even weeks? It drains your energy, affects your sleep, and spirals your mood and outlook on life. Focusing on your problem only strengthens the worry function in your brain.

Action steps: When you find yourself in that cycle of worry or compulsive thinking, remember the three R’s — rename, re-frame, and redirect. When the worry begins, mentally yell “Stop!” Rename the issue by reminding yourself that worry isn’t real. Rename it as a compulsive reaction, not reality. Re-frame your thinking by focusing on positive or distracting thoughts, even if you still feel anxious. Force yourself to think different thoughts. Redirect your actions. Go do something uplifting, fun or mentally engaging. The key is following these steps repeatedly, every time you worry obsessively, to break the pattern and rewire your brain.

Mood Disorders/Phobias

Sometimes we might feel blue or out-of-sorts, and it’s just a temporary fog that settles in and lifts after a few days. Some mood disorders, like depression or serious anxieties that morph into phobias, can be debilitating and unrelenting. Psychologists and therapists have used treatments based on Neuroplasticity to get to the cognitive root of these disorders and put a patient’s life back on track.

Action steps: A serious mood disorder or phobia requires the help of a trained counselor. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a type of treatment that helps people learn how to identify and change destructive thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior and feelings. If you suffer from severe anxiety or depression, you need someone skilled to help you get to the root of these thoughts and to show you how to change them. Ask them about CBT.

Scientists are now looking at Neuroplasticity to approach a wide variety of cognitive problems and disorders including:

Auditory processing problems

Autism and hypersensitivity

Cerebral palsy

Chronic pain

Cognitive problems after brain surgery

Depression and anxiety

Issues related to love and sex

Learning disorders and reading problems

Loss of senses — vision, balance and hearing

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Psychological trauma

Stroke and brain injury recovery

The aging brain and memory

In his book, Dr. Doidge chronicles amazing case histories of patients whose astonishing progress had previously been dismissed as hopeless. Through the applications of this science, we all have the ability to be happier and more positive, raise our IQ’s, rejuvenate aging brains, and learn new skills with ease.

Quantum Physics of Belief – Emotions (continued)

In my previous article, I discussed how one can read other people’s emotions, and why positive emotional states foster business success. When people are in a positive emotional state, their cognitive ability is significantly enhanced and their ability to be creative is elevated. As leaders, we can learn to monitor the emotions of our employees and teams.

“Anyone can become angry – that is easy. But to become angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not easy.” ~ Aristotle

Aristotle was a student of Plato, and his primary disagreement with his teacher was his respect for emotions. Unlike Plato, he realized that rationality wasn’t always in conflict with emotion. Instead, Aristotle argued that one of the critical functions of the rational soul was to make sure that emotions were intelligently applied to the real world.

Yet, we continually discount emotions when we weigh data, correlate statistics and use results from customer surveys and focus groups. Many companies rely on surveys and focus groups to make product and marketing decisions. Without careful consideration of context, they may miss making the best decisions.

The problems of focus groups are well known. It’s why some television shows don’t make it to the networks. Seinfeld tested poorly, as did The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Hill Street Blues.

Focus groups are a crude instrument to measure audience responses because people express their feelings, but they don’t explain them. Data is recorded based on impulsive feelings with all the usual flaws of the emotional brain.

Executives have to sort through the data and make qualitative decisions using contextual information. You can’t rely on emotional data and obey it blindly.

Sorting data and making sense of it is what the prefrontal cortex does well. The audience in a focus group is like our emotional brain, constantly sending out visceral signals about its likes and dislikes. The prefrontal cortex, also called the executive brain, is like a smart TV network executive, patiently monitoring emotional reactions and deciding which to take seriously.

Rationality can work to save us from impulse decisions based on negative feelings that aren’t justified. But relying exclusively on rational thought can easily backfire. When the rational brain takes over, people tend to make all sorts of decision-making mistakes. As rewarding as a strong analytical mind can be, it is a detriment if we become conditioned to always keeping our awareness in that realm.

People ignore the wisdom of their emotions, and start basing their arguments on things they can explain rationally, like survey data (without considering that customers respond to them emotionally.) One of the problems is that even when our feelings are accurate, they can be hard to articulate. So instead of going with an argument that feels best, we go with one that sounds reasonable.

I remember when Subaru launched their “Love” campaign several years ago. It highlighted the love that drivers feel for their cars, and a Washington Times article was quick to berate them for mentioning love as a reason for buying a car. According to the article, love is an irrational emotion that has no place in the realm of purchasing decisions or anywhere in business. It’s a common belief that the emotion of love should be barred from business, yet this is highly ironic because love is the one ingredient that can help businesses generate the highest prosperity.

Emotions profoundly impact the rhythmic beating of our heart and the signals it transmits to our brain. These signals cause measurable changes in our brain’s ability to think and process information. When our emotions are positive, emanating from the heart, we are in a state of coherence, where the electrical patterns of the brain synchronize with the rhythmic patterns of the heart. In this state, our brain functions at peak levels.

When we experience positive, heartfelt emotions, such as compassion, appreciation and gratitude, our mind becomes far more sharp and clear. Our cortical function is enhanced and we are able to see possibilities where previously we could perceive only dead-endings. We are able to rapidly recall information committed to memory and mentally sift through large amounts of data, finding the most relevant facts and making the best decisions. New understandings about the market place and the organization are quicker to emerge, and we are more adaptive to change. When businesses consistently foster positive, heartfelt emotions in their organization, the performance of their employees skyrocket and enhanced creativity leads to greater innovations.

A recent IBM survey of over 1500 global CEO’s concludes that creativity, adaptability, and the mental aptitude to process growing volumes of data, are the qualities that organizations need to succeed into the future. As the business world becomes increasingly complex and fast-paced, employees are increasingly challenged to find local, instant solutions that work. The capacity to thrive in these environments is engendered by positive, heart-based emotions.

In contrast, when our emotions are negative, such as fear, anger, worry, and anxiety, we severely limit learning, memory, cognition, and problem-solving. This causes decreased productivity, poor or short-sighted decisions, difficulty finding the right words and remembering key facts, a slowed reaction speed, and the feeling of being overwhelmed. People and organizations in this state simply can’t compete effectively.

Many corporate environments are riddled with anxiety, sometimes even by design, as many leaders believe that employees work harder when motivated by fear. But as a leader, don’t let conventional thinking convince you that having heart in business is irrational or a sign of weakness. Leaders maximize prosperity not by aggravating people into doing more, but rather by nurturing their emotional health. This is the key to the organization’s long-term viability. Among other methods, you can help people feel positive, heartfelt emotions by controlling your own emotions, defining a purpose that resonates, trusting people, and creating more collaborative environments.

Watch this short video on emotions.

Quantum Physics of Belief – Positive Emotional States

Since the beginning of January 2012, I was writing about quantum physics and business research to explore the correlation between the science of consciousness and patterns in the business world, to suggest innovative ways of using this wisdom to lead and succeed in a business environment that is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. Neurobiology is telling us we can read other people’s emotions, and we know that positive emotional states foster business success. When people are in a positive emotional state, their cognitive ability is significantly enhanced and their ability to be creative is elevated. As leaders, we can learn to monitor the emotions of our employees and teams, but it requires that we literally get out of our heads and into our bodies.

Especially with the Information Age, our heads are often buzzing while we try to keep up with all of the information coming at us. In business we are usually consumed with analysis and reasoning. As rewarding as a strong analytical mind can be, it can also be a detriment if we become conditioned to always keeping our awareness in that realm. Our nervous system extends through our entire body, and we need to become familiar with all of it in order to use it as a receptor to other people’s emotions. Therefore, we have some learning to do.

You can expand your sensitivity to emotion by paying attention to the sensations in your body when you experience particular emotional states. Pay attention to all parts of your body, becoming aware of how they feel. This is part of listening to your body; one of the six step process that I outlined in my earlier article on Insightful Instincts. Our bodies love to receive the attention that they need. Does the temperature in areas of your body change as your emotions change? Is the quality of energy different, sometimes tingling and sometimes throbbing? Is there a particular heaviness or lightness in your body? It is important to realize that the way emotions feel is specific to an individual. For example, when I feel frustrated or overwhelmed, my hands throb and feel tired and heavy, as if I am carrying a heavy load. Other people will not feel frustration and angst in the same manner.

To use this ability in a business setting, there are particular emotions that are useful to know in ourselves.

It can be extremely useful to determine if people are feeling valued and appreciated. How does your body feel when you believe you are a valued member of a team? Perhaps your body feels light and you feel warmness in your upper torso. In contrast, what sensations do you get in your body when you feel ignored or disrespected by your co-workers or boss? Become aware of these feelings in your teams.

You want employees and co-workers to feel compelled and inspired to achieve the goals of the company. How does your body feel when you are working towards a mission that is meaningful to you? Perhaps you get a strong expansion of energy around your heart and head. In contrast, what sensations do you get when you are apathetic about achieving the goals of your company or feel that there is no compelling vision? Knowing how these emotions feel in your body gives you a baseline for determining how much passion your employees and coworkers feel.

Sometimes teams need an injection of optimism or help solving a problem. What sensations do you get when you feel that failure is imminent or you are facing a serious problem?  Perhaps your energy drops and your feet feel leaden or there is a burning in the pit of your stomach. Determine if these emotions are present in your employees, so you know who needs help.

Your own experiences in everyday business life likely give you the opportunity to feel some of these emotions and become familiar with them in your body. In addition, you can learn to feel them by thinking about a time in the past when you were faced with conditions that caused these emotions. Recall the details of scenarios, conjuring up all the emotion. And of course, pay attention to the details of how your body feels.

Controlling Your Emotions

It is clear that no one wants to control their emotions in such a way that it would make them all disappear—including the good or positive emotions. After all, what fun would there be to live a life without joy, without enthusiasm?

The good news is this control can be selective, just like the products that kill stubborn weeds in your kitchen garden while leaving the carrots intact. As a matter of fact, not only do carrots grow best when they are not cluttered by weeds, but so it is with human emotions.

Now, you will most probably admit that it is difficult—if not impossible—to feel joyful while being anxious or depressed at the same time. The control of your negative emotions is usually sufficient in itself to allow positive emotions to blossom.

However, to control a phenomenon, it is usually essential to know the cause. For most human beings, the cause of their emotions is found in some event of their distant or recent past, present, or future. And so we can often hear them say:

• "This good news made me happy."
• "My son's failures depress me."
• "The death of my mother saddens me."
• "My daughter's rudeness makes me angry."
• "Heights scare me."

Every time, the person identifies the event (good news, failure, death, rudeness, and heights) as the cause of a particular emotion (joy, depression, sadness, anger, and anxiety). Almost everyone will find that this theory is fully satisfactory and realistic. This is probably what you believe as well.

And yet not only is this theory one of the most pernicious errors we can imagine, but a moment of reflection will suffice to prove that no event—whether past, present, or future—never causes the shadow of an emotion to anyone.

The real cause of human emotions can be found in the thoughts, beliefs, ideas, personal reflections, interpretations, opinions... in short, in the way we talk to ourselves about an event—whether past, present, or future. In other words, our emotions—positive or negative, good or bad—are never caused by an event.

Your happiness and emotional wellness mainly depend on the fact that you know, understand, and accept the true cause of your emotions—whether positive or negative, good or bad.

As a matter of fact, I believe that it is the cornerstone of the entire system by which you can learn to modify your own emotions and thus raise your level of happiness and improve the quality of your life.

Thoughts and Beliefs

Let’s continue to explore how your thoughts and beliefs cause your emotions. This time, however, our discussion will be specifically focused on your beliefs.

You and I believe many things. To believe is to hold true something for which we don’t have any proof. If there is any evidence of the truth of something, we won’t say that we believe, but that we know. For example:

• You know that Planet Earth is round, but you believe that the coffee you drank this morning will not cause you any harm.
• You know that you have eaten a tuna fish sandwich for lunch, but you believe that your favorite sport team will win the game tonight.
• You know that it rained heavily today, but you believe that tomorrow will be a bright sunshiny day.

Our beliefs are thus forms of unproven ideas that may have a presence in our minds without us being really aware of it. Moreover, many of these beliefs can cause powerful emotions resulting in acts or omissions potentially harmful to us.

In other words, not only can some of our beliefs have devastating emotional effects, but they can either lead us to perform acts that are diametrically opposite to our true interests, or conversely, cause us to omit other actions in an equally harmful way.

In consequence, it is of paramount importance for us to pay attention to the beliefs we choose for ourselves and to be careful not to let ourselves be overwhelmed by a whole heap of unproven thoughts and ideas which, if they are often harmless, can unfortunately be, in other cases, considerably hurtful.

To sum up what I have stressed so far: Our thoughts, ideas, and beliefs about the various events, people, and things that life brings to us are the true cause of our emotions—positive or negative, good or bad. It also goes without saying that events, people, and things never cause us the shadow of an emotion. Therefore, we can also conclude that the change of our cognitive content—thoughts, ideas, beliefs—will cause the change of our emotions.

Quantum Physics of Belief – Intuition

In the last couple of articles in this Quantum Physics of Belief series, I was specifically discussing the usefulness of utilizing our instincts in making decisions that align our personal and organizational values to succeed at work.

Neuroscience shows that instinct plays a leading role in all types of decision-making. Our traditional ways of learning and thinking also favor the rational mind, leaving our potential for “intuitive intelligence” untapped. Intuitive Intelligence helps us activate the profound, yet often intangible, interaction between instinct and play.

Listening to the silent voice inside your head gets portrayed in movies and books as the evil part of man's mind that turns mild-mannered citizens into lunatic killers. Business people have even seen intuition as some mystic hocus pocus nonsense that has no place in effective decision making in the executive or entrepreneurial world. It's no wonder that many of us have been conditioned to ignore that voice and only listen to outside signals as our measurement of effectiveness to the actions we take in life.

We tend to think that rational decisions trump gut decisions, that hierarchy is necessary, and that logic rules all. The reality is that intuition and instinct—as imperfect as they may seem—are our most valuable untapped skills and the keys to unlocking creativity, understanding consumer decision-making and performing our best at work. Therefore, let us take a look at why gut decisions are more than guesses and why our typical approaches to decision-making are not in sync with how the human mind really works.

Businesses in particular, especially in times like these, tend to exert control and logic at the expense of creative thinking.  However, some leading companies are going against the grain by tapping intuitive intelligence to win customers and profit. Here are some examples: Google does by getting the most from their teams with a paradoxical work culture; Hermès does by attracting customers with everything instinctual instead of rational price; Virgin America does by redefining customer experience to reinvent the airline industry.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines Intuition as: "The knowledge from within; instinctive knowledge or feeling without the use of rational processes."

Intuition is not about extrasensory perception (ESP), a sixth sense or anything mystical or metaphysical. You know that sudden flash of insight that comes out of nowhere? It's that sense you get or decision you make without really thinking about it; it just comes to you. That's your intuition.

In reality, it doesn't come out of nowhere. It is about data, gathered by your five senses, being recognized by everything your subconscious mind is aware of. And it is aware of everything.

Instead of dismissing intuition as an unfounded and irrational impulse, genius level success requires that you learn to accept and respect this voice, as it is your natural talents talking to you.

But do you really listen to it, or do you scoff at the idea that you actually pay attention to your inner voice? That intuitive voice is your guide, the one thing that you can truly count on that is always looking out for your best interest… if you choose to listen to it, not intercept the message, and ACT on its direction.

It’s very easy to let your voice of intuition be clouded by other things. Fear, desire, self-doubt, and rationalizing are all some of the many types of intuition blockers. Instead, trust that your intuition is your personal guide to the correct path for you at all times. Not just when your intuition falls in line with your thoughts on a subject. Turn off whatever limiting beliefs that may be overpowering your intuition.

Perhaps it’s your belief that intuition is just ‘mumbo jumbo’. It is easy to believe this because intuition is not thought of as a concrete thing. It is based on nonverbal things, feelings, unconscious thought, and instinct. This is definitely not a description for people who define things in black and white. Intuition is often looked at as gray. But it is not. Intuition is basically a synopsis of information that has been taken in through all of the senses, memory, subconscious, and reasoning.

When your intuition speaks to you do you hear it? Do you know how to identify it? Your intuition typically kicks in when you are quiet. Many people find answers to their questions in the dreams, or when meditating. Others find them “out of the blue”, when they are not looking for them. Many “feel” the right thing to do, or what the next course of action should be. There are many ways that your intuition will speak to you, and everyone’s intuition is unique.

How does one learn to trust their intuition? Like everything else, if it is practiced it becomes second nature. Allow yourself to consciously ask for the answers to something that you are seeking and write down the results when they occur. Visualize you unlocking a door and seeing your answer tumble from within.

Through repetition and proof, your confidence in your intuition will grow and it will become second nature to trust it automatically. Armed with this knowledge, you can engage in imaginative play to discover new solutions to even today’s most complicated challenges.

This is easier said than done, though. Just as we are taught not to trust our subconscious mind as much as our conscious one, we are also taught to go with what we know, not what we feel.

Great athletes are often quoted as saying, "If I have to think about it, it's too late." Even those people that most of us would assume must be very logical and rational turn out to be very much driven by their intuitions.

Albert Einstein's genius for conceptual thinking was much more a feeling for him than a rationalization of the facts. So intuitive and pure was this talent, that he once wrote, "There is no logical path to [truth]. Only intuition, resting on sympathetic understanding of experience, can reach it."

This level of trust in intuition is not unusual for any of the modern day geniuses we studied either. Most had a very hard time attempting to explain their decisions in a literal sense. They just knew how they felt and what things they saw clearly or not. Their level of intuition and willingness to trust their gut is extreme.

Learning to trust your intuition will be one of the more significant journeys you will take to reach genius levels in every aspect of your life. Think about the times in your past when you trusted your "gut" more than your brain or perhaps the times you responded to a situation or question effectively without having to think about it.

That, my friends is your intuition. It is what you need to listen to.

“The people in the Indian countryside don’t use their intellect like we do, they use their intuition instead, and the intuition is far more developed than in the rest of the world… Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion. That’s had a big impact on my work. Western rational thought is not an innate human characteristic, it is learned and it is the great achievement of Western civilization. In the villages of India, they never learned it. They learned something else, which is in some ways just as valuable but in other ways, is not. That’s the power of intuition and experiential wisdom.” ~ Steve Jobs

Quantum Physics of Belief – Trusting Gut Instincts

In the last couple of articles, I was specifically discussing the usefulness of utilizing our instincts in making decisions that align our personal and organizational values to succeed at work.

Most executives did not get to where they are without keen instincts. When the time comes to make a decision, a leader relies largely on his or her gut – that is simply a fact of life. We would not suggest that gut instincts ever be taken out of the decision-making process, but there are times that process can be strengthened by objective analysis to reduce the risk often involved with extremely important judgments.

All of us use the experiences we have built throughout our lives as the basis for our gut instincts; we often chart a course of action without considering the logical components of those actions. You need look no further than today’s bitterly divisive, toxic political environment to see examples of unbridled gut instinct kicking logic and reason to the curb.

But gut reactions are not limited to large-scale, sweeping applications; they are an everyday occurrence. On your drive to work today, you more than likely reacted to some sort of traffic development, such as having to swerve out of the way of a reckless driver impinging on your lane. You didn’t have time to logically and coolly consider all of your available options. You had to make a move, so you made it.

Some of today’s most advanced neuroscience research suggests that our brains act in a similar manner even when making decisions in much less stressful scenarios. Many times, people unconsciously weigh emotional tags associated with memory rather than consciously weighing the pros and cons of a particular decision in a rational manner. We feel before we think.

It is ludicrous, obviously, to argue that business leaders should always disregard their instincts and make critical decisions solely on a logical, objective basis. You cannot ignore your gut, nor should you. Your instincts frame the manner in which you look at a particular decision. They have a massive influence on the options you choose to consider and how you gather data. They even help determine what people you listen to and what people you largely ignore. Even when you tell yourself you are going to be cool and rational, you can never completely discount your instinct.

However, it is imperative that you protect your decision-making process from long-held biases. Doing so means learning when you can trust your gut instincts, and when you need to take a more analytical course. Here are some suggestions how to make that vital distinction.

Drawing upon experience can be a powerful way to ensure sound decision-making. The subconscious mind relies on the recognition of patterns. If we have an ample amount of applicable memories that we can scan regarding a certain important decision, the better chance we have of making the correct decision. Chess masters, for example, have a huge bank of memories they can call upon regarding whatever situation occurs during a match. That is why they can make crisp, correct decisions in as little as six seconds.

Just because we have a bank of memories to draw upon does not mean they will help us make a sound choice. There have been plenty of terrible decisions based on a wealth of experience when that experience was not applicable to the particular situation.

You can have all the experience in the world, but it is not only useless if you did not learn the right lessons, it can be downright crippling. If you do not receive productive feedback then it is easy for you to take decisive action and automatically feel good about it. If you don’t have frank, honest feedback – basically, when you are surrounded by “yes men” – then it will be nearly impossible for you to receive any kind of objective assessment on past decisions.

If those past decisions were bad, and you rely on past experience in making those bad decisions, that will only lead to even more bad decisions and more after that. “Yes men” are a pox on clear-headed, objective and effective decision-making. If you have people filtering bad news or protecting you from it, you are doomed to making one faulty judgment after another. Take a long, hard look at the people around you – if you are surrounded by sycophants, your enterprise’s downward slide will only continue to get worse.

Do we trust our brains and rational thinking when making important decisions? Or do we make better decisions based on gut instinct and emotions? Recent research on the process of decision-making has brought to light surprising conclusions that contradict conventional wisdom.

Research published in Science, indicates that effective, conscious decision-making requires cognitive resources, and because increasingly complex decisions place increasing strain on these sources, the quality of our decisions declines as the complexity of decisions increases. In short, complex decisions overrun our cognitive powers.

On the other hand, the researchers argue, unconscious decision-making–or intuition or gut instinct–requires no cognitive resources, so task complexity doesn’t degrade its effectiveness. This seemingly counter-intuitive conclusion is that although simple decisions are enhanced by conscious thought, the opposite holds true for complex thinking.

Two pertinent questions are: What accounts for a complex decision and what accounts for a good outcome to that decision? Studies of the criminal justice system show that people value less the legal system’s outcomes, as much as the opportunity to see justice done. So the outcome is a matter of perspective.

While researchers disagree on the best way to make complex or strategic decisions, they bring to light for leaders the importance of both rational, logical thinking and subconscious intuitive or gut thinking.