Influential German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is known for his writings on good and evil, the end of religion in modern society and the concept of a "super-man."

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844, in Rcken bei Ltzen, Germany. In his brilliant but relatively brief career, he published numerous major works of philosophy, including Twilight of the Idols and Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In the last decade of his life he suffered from insanity; he died on August 25, 1900. His writings on individuality and morality in contemporary civilization influenced many major thinkers and writers of the 20th century.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844, in Rcken bei Ltzen, a small village in Prussia (part of present-day Germany). His father, Carl Ludwig Nietzsche, was a Lutheran preacher; he died when Nietzsche was 4 years old. Nietzsche and his younger sister, Elisabeth, were raised by their mother, Franziska.

Nietzsche attended a private preparatory school in Naumburg and then received a classical education at the prestigious Schulpforta school. After graduating in 1864, he attended the University of Bonn for two semesters. He transferred to the University of Leipzig, where he studied philology, a combination of literature, linguistics and history. He was strongly influenced by the writings of philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. During his time in Leipzig, he began a friendship with the composer Richard Wagner, whose music he greatly admired.

In 1869, Nietzsche took a position as professor of classical philology at the University of Basel in Switzerland. During his professorship he published his first books, The Birth of Tragedy (1872) and Human, All Too Human (1878). He also began to distance himself from classical scholarship, as well as the teachings of Schopenhauer, and to take more interest in the values underlying modern-day civilization. By this time, his friendship with Wagner had deteriorated. Suffering from a nervous disorder, he resigned from his post at Basel in 1879.

For much of the following decade, Nietzsche lived in seclusion, moving from Switzerland to France to Italy when he was not staying at his mother's house in Naumburg. However, this was also a highly productive period for him as a thinker and writer. One of his most significant works, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, was published in four volumes between 1883 and 1885. He also wrote Beyond Good and Evil (published in 1886), The Genealogy of Morals (1887) and Twilight of the Idols (1889).

In these works of the 1880s, Nietzsche developed the central points of his philosophy. One of these was his famous statement that "God is dead," a rejection of Christianity as a meaningful force in contemporary life. Others were his endorsement of self-perfection through creative drive and a "will to power," and his concept of a "super-man" or "over-man" (bermensch), an individual who strives to exist beyond conventional categories of good and evil, master and slave.

Nietzsche suffered a collapse in 1889 while living in Turin, Italy. The last decade of his life was spent in a state of mental incapacitation. The reason for his insanity is still unknown, although historians have attributed it to causes as varied as syphilis, an inherited brain disease, a tumor and overuse of sedative drugs. After a stay in an asylum, Nietzsche was cared for by his mother in Naumburg and his sister in Weimar, Germany. He died in Weimar on August 25, 1900.

Nietzsche is regarded as a major influence on 20th century philosophy, theology and art. His ideas on individuality, morality and the meaning of existence contributed to the thinking of philosophers Martin Heidegger, Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault; Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, two of the founding figures of psychiatry; and writers such as Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse.

Less beneficially, certain aspects of Nietzsche's work were used by the Nazi Party of the 1930s'40s as justification for its activities; this selective and misleading use of his work has somewhat darkened his reputation for later audiences.

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During his final decade, Friedrich Nietzsches worsening constitution continued to plague the philosopher. In addition to having suffered from incapacitating indigestion, insomnia, and migraines for much of his life, the 1880s brought about a dramatic deterioration in Nietzsches eyesight, with a doctor noting that his right eye could only perceive mistaken and distorted images.

Nietzsche himself declared that writing and reading for more than twenty minutes had grown excessively painful. With his intellectual output reaching its peak during this period, the philosopher required a device that would let him write while making minimal demands on his vision.

So he sought to buy a typewriter in 1881.Although he was aware of Remington typewriters, the ailing philosopher looked for a model that would be fairly portable, allowing him to travel, when necessary, to moresalubrious climates. The Malling-Hansen Writing Ball seemed to fit the bill:

In Dieter Eberweins free Nietzches Screibkugele-book, the vice president of the Malling-Hansen Society explains that the writing ball was the closest thing to a 19th century laptop. The first commercially-produced typewriter, the writing ball was the 1865 creation of Danish inventor Rasmus Malling-Hansen, and was shown at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition to journalistic acclaim:

"In the year 1875, a quick writing apparatus, designed by Mr. L. Sholes in America, and manufactured by Mr. Remington, was introduced in London. This machine was superior to the Malling-Hansen writing apparatus; but the writing ball in its present form far excels the Remington machine. It secures greater rapidity, and its writing is clearer and more precise than that of the American instrument. The Danish apparatus has more keys, is much less complicated, built with greater precision, more solid, and much smaller and lighter than the Remington, and moreover, is cheaper."

Despite his initial excitement, Nietzsche quickly grew tired of the intricate contraption. According to Eberwein, the philosopher struggled with the device after it was damaged during a trip to Genoa; an inept mechanic trying to make the necessary repairs may have broken the writing ball even further. Still, Nietzsche typed some 60 manuscripts on his writing ball, including what may be the most poignant poetic treatment of typewriters to date:

THE WRITING BALL IS A THING LIKE ME:

MADE OF IRON YET EASILY TWISTED ON JOURNEYS.

PATIENCE AND TACT ARE REQUIRED IN ABUNDANCE

AS WELL AS FINE FINGERS TO USE US."

In addition to viewing several of Nietzsches original typescripts at the Malling-Hansen Society website, those wanting a closer look at Nietzsches model can view it in the video below.

Note: This post originally appeared on our site in December 2013.

Ilia Blinderman is a Montreal-based culture and science writer. Follow him at@iliablinderman.

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Discover Friedrich Nietzsches Curious Typewriter, the ...

Published: November, 2011

Expressing thanks may be one of the simplest ways to feel better.

The Thanksgiving holiday began, as the name implies, when the colonists gave thanks for their survival and for a good harvest. So perhaps November is a good time to review the mental health benefits of gratitude and to consider some advice about how to cultivate this state of mind.

The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In some ways gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways. They can apply it to the past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for elements of childhood or past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude). Regardless of the inherent or current level of someone's gratitude, it's a quality that individuals can successfully cultivate further.

Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics.

One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.

Another leading researcher in this field, Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, tested the impact of various positive psychology interventions on 411 people, each compared with a control assignment of writing about early memories. When their week's assignment was to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness, participants immediately exhibited a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was greater than that from any other intervention, with benefits lasting for a month.

Of course, studies such as this one cannot prove cause and effect. But most of the studies published on this topic support an association between gratitude and an individual's well-being.

Other studies have looked at how gratitude can improve relationships. For example, a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship.

Managers who remember to say "thank you" to people who work for them may find that those employees feel motivated to work harder. Researchers at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania randomly divided university fund-raisers into two groups. One group made phone calls to solicit alumni donations in the same way they always had. The second group assigned to work on a different day received a pep talk from the director of annual giving, who told the fund-raisers she was grateful for their efforts. During the following week, the university employees who heard her message of gratitude made 50% more fund-raising calls than those who did not.

There are some notable exceptions to the generally positive results in research on gratitude. One study found that middle-aged divorced women who kept gratitude journals were no more satisfied with their lives than those who did not. Another study found that children and adolescents who wrote and delivered a thank-you letter to someone who made a difference in their lives may have made the other person happier but did not improve their own well-being. This finding suggests that gratitude is an attainment associated with emotional maturity.

Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can't feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.

Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis.

Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person's impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself.

Thank someone mentally. No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.

Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you've received each day.

Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for. Sometimes it helps to pick a number such as three to five things that you will identify each week. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.

Pray. People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.

Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as "peace"), it is also possible to focus on what you're grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).

Emmons RA, et al. "Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Feb. 2003): Vol. 84, No. 2, pp. 37789.

Grant AM, et al. "A Little Thanks Goes a Long Way: Explaining Why Gratitude Expressions Motivate Prosocial Behavior," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (June 2010): Vol. 98, No. 6, pp. 94655.

Lambert NM, et al. "Expressing Gratitude to a Partner Leads to More Relationship Maintenance Behavior," Emotion (Feb. 2011): Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 5260.

Sansone RA, et al. "Gratitude and Well Being: The Benefits of Appreciation," Psychiatry (Nov. 2010): Vol. 7, No. 11, pp. 1822.

Seligman MEP, et al. "Empirical Validation of Interventions," American Psychologist (JulyAug. 2005): Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 41021.

For more references, please see http://www.health.harvard.edu/mentalextra.

Disclaimer:As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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What has been confusing to many people is that until Gurdjieff introduced the teaching in Russia in 1912 it was not known. Since chronologically all teachings and religions appear before The Fourth Way, it is easily supposed that it is last. This perception, however, is quite linear. Though The Fourth Way does appear last, it is actually first. All esoteric and religious history is thus stood on its head.

We see the world, as Gurdjieff said many times, "topsy-turvy." Original does not mean newly invented, as it is often taken to mean. An original teaching is "of the origin," meaning that the teaching existed first, from the beginning, before other teachings that may derive from it.

In other words, The Fourth Way predates not only Christianity but the Egyptian, Judaic, Persian, Buddhist and Islamic religions.

Gurdjieff tells us that the earliest indications of the teaching of The Fourth Way lie in prehistoric Egyptan Egypt that existed before recorded history, which dates from 3000 B.C. "It will seem strange to many people," Gurdjieff said, "when I say that this prehistoric Egypt was Christian many thousands of years before the birth of Christ."

He said that the principles and ideas constituting true Christianity were known many thousands of years before the birth of Christ. In discovering these, he had "the blueprint," so to say, of the original Christianity.

As he said, "The Christian church, the Christian form of worship, was not invented by the fathers of the church. It was all taken in a ready-made form from Egypt, only not from the Egypt we know but from one which we do not know. This Egypt was in the same place as the other but it existed much earlier."

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Gurdjieff's Teaching of The Fourth Way is The Original Teaching

Read the companion piece to An Evolutionary Roadmap for Belonging and Co-Liberation.

Dear Shanthi

In my thirteen years working in the field of racial equity, primarily in government, colleagues from the District Attorneys Office, the library system, and the health department brought to our attention the need to more fully integrate and prioritize healing, trauma-informed work, the arts, and power analyses into teaching methods. In the training we were providing public servants, numerous people expressed the need for more frames and structures that embodied belonging.

Because we do not spend time creating, articulating, and embedding the models and frames we do want that embody health and well-being, our strategies are often partial and at times can be harmful. All of this is strengthened by how sound bites are prioritized over complex and nuanced analyses in communication, how historical amnesia is more valued than critical historical reflection, and how conditioned we are to promote ruptured relationships within ourselves and to each other, our institutions, and our planet.

This essay is part of the work Ive done to put my experience and analysis in a frame that speaks to the whole health, life, and death of the living systems we are looking to improve and heal. This framework focuses on embodying belonging and co-liberation, and is an attempt to map out an emerging DNA of what belonging would look like when tied to health, spirituality, resilience, and well-being.

This work can be deeply challenging because many of us feel the need for certain kinds of proof of these connections in order to engage with an analysis around them. There is a tension between wanting to use the social sciences to research and define findings from this framework, as it would lead to more healthy societies together, and a solid desire to not root this inquiry from either a place of defense or the need to buy into unhealthy systems and ways of knowing and being.

We spend so much time articulating, framing, and researching things that are symptomatic of and rooted in oppression. We are experts at this. Weve all been schooled in the modern project that thrives on valuing capital and profits over people and ecosystems, setting up hierarchies within and around all of that based on race, sex, gender, religion, ability, and ideology. White, male, and hetero-centered thinking being the dominant system of our theories and culturethese are the waters we swim in.

john a. powell, director of the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkeley, speaks about a systemic antilife project. Hardened nation-states bent and dependent on isolating groups as other are gaining momentum. Our biological and conditioned needs for certainty cause anxiety and stress. Globally, were seeing the dire effects of climate change and illness. Our collective rhythms, which are intrinsically linked to the health of the earth and should be in sync with our ecosystem, are off.

Dr. David Williams, Professor of Public Health at the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health, speaks of the negative health impact of high levels of incivility and how hostility in the larger environment can create adverse impacts as well. The experience of such angst and weathering is not equal across populations. People of color and other marginalized populations live shorter lives, tend to get more sick while young, and experience greater severe illness.

Although many cultures possess a wealth of knowledge around the interconnected worlds of spiritual and social change, the reality is that in todays antilife project, many religious and economic systems have poisoned the waters around this embodied connection that many believe is inherent to what it means to be fully human.

The terms we use to define these concepts,and realities, can be tricky and sometimes, themselves, may produce an othering effect when used. The definitions and language used mean many different things to different people. Its important to note that terminology and language have been used to erase or deny key aspects of well-being and justice.

Also important is the recognition that people who forefront their engagement with the work of spirituality have been perceived as too often conducting that work at a mostly individual level, without acknowledging, and often outright denying, that we are connected to larger systems that produce racial injustices and outcomes. A damaging belief that many religious and spiritual practices hold is that things like racism and inequities just happen because a [insert any higher power] deemed it so. This denies the socially constructed reality of injustices and helps maintain an innocence to how complicit we actually are in their creation and maintenance. On the other hand, many involved in equity work often leave out a discussion of anything perceived as spiritual because it is seen as synonymous with the negative aspects of religion affecting populations across the globe for centuries.

More movements are choosing to lead with traditionally marginalized people who carry cognitive and spiritual maps together with the wealth and wisdom of their own lived experiences. The entertainment industry is giving rise to marginalized experiences, reflecting liberatory movements and visionary ideas. New forms of knowledge production are on the rise. Decolonization efforts are gaining momentum. Indigenous communities are leading movements in visionary ways that are rooted in ancient cultural and spiritual beliefs.

The impetus for the following framework is the recognition of our need to make better alignments toward what is healthy for all of us. This work centers on and builds from the experiences and paradigms of people of color while also speaking to the fluidity and multidimensionality of our identities, bringing into the fold all populations.

The reality of belonging is that all of these strategiesof leading with ways that shift consciousness, that utilize different modes of critical examinationare already within us. They are not outside of us collectively or individually. They are present and waiting for us to break down the barriers that hold them back from organizing into social arrangements that bring us health.

This framework is intended to be a dynamic model that can adapt and evolve. While the work is emergent, I do offer specific key strategies as examples of what the muscles and fiber of the framework look like in the following key areas: beloved; be still; behold; believe; becoming; and belonging, co-liberation, and well-being.

These six guideposts work together. Doing work in one is often tied to others. Ultimately, all guideposts and actions are grounded in the root of belonging and in recognition of the beloved, or the larger interconnectedness we all belong to.

The social outcomes we are striving for can be seen as similar to the experience of the leaves and branches of a tree when it is healthy. These areas are also the DNA and living threads that run throughout the entire frame as a whole.

When I was growing up in Eastern Congo, meetings in the small community I lived in often happened in the shadow of a tree. It was a place of rest and work, but it also held religious and cosmologic significance that I was aware of, although limited given that I was an outsider. This experiencesitting on the ground and around natural formsis a very different model than a table or in a cube. It elicits some questionsWhere do we meet? How do we meet? And then its not just about the form.Its about the why.

Across all the watercolor pieces I drew to accompany this essay, there is a movement. We start from more of an individual perspective as an accessible entry point for the viewer, all the way through to the group perspective. The figures and images move from more of a sitting position to standing. Sitting is more appropriate in the beginning because it makes one think of pausing. Colors move between them, the use of shimmer is consistent, the green appears universally, as do the reds and the purples. I dont know where many of these images came from. Ive never seen them before. Thats something I think is interesting to reflect on in the process, which is that things emerged that I didnt plan for, that came from a different part of my brain. They came more from the gut.

Samuel Paden

Societies never know it, but the war of an artist with his society is a lovers war, and he does at this best, what lovers do, which is to reveal the beloved to himself and what that revelation, to make freedom real. James Baldwin

This figure was a Gaia figure for Beloved. A spirit figure and a genuine person. I attempted with this piece to speak to the connection between self, open heart, and greater life, of expansion and growth. Samuel Paden

At the root of belonging and co-liberation is the living connection among the spiritual, ecological, social, and political realms. It is based on how our individual and group realities are just as multifaceted, multidimensional, and connected as the greater living systems of which we are a part. The components in this frame of beloved and be still are intrinsic to our nature as the type of living systems that we are.

We speak deeply to what it is we love, what and whom we care for, and what we find sacred. This area speaks to the practice of openness, openheartedness, expanding our circles of human concern, and committing to put it all into service. It is essential to understand that we are hardwired to experience this, both unconsciously and consciously, to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with each other and with the planet. Our collective health is guided by both spiritual and social well-being, and negatively affected by surplus suffering in both connected realms (john a. powell, Racing to Justice, 2011).

Beloved is not a romantic ideal. To love and to be loved can also be tough, grainy, and sharp. It can require putting up necessary boundaries, unearthing what is poisoning us, or deconstructing something creating excessive suffering.

This might mean taking the time to connect to a deeper purpose toward equity and belonging, articulating that purpose, and revisiting it regularly in meaningful and provocative ways.

Our health and well-being benefit from connecting to what we find sacred and actively embodying a greater interconnectedness. Such engagements can decrease the feeling and experience of social isolation. Research has shown us that the experience of social isolation and mortality is similar to the effects of cigarette smoking and mortality.

Social and collective spaces and practices that embody the beloved can improve our well-being by providing necessary social and emotional support, strengthening our collective sense of purpose in this work, and improve our nonverbal and socially intuitive abilities that call forth love in all of its forms. Shelly Tochluk describes in her book Living in the Tension: The Quest for a Spiritualized Racial Justice the context of how these practices occur and why it matters. Religious or spiritual practices can also be employed in power over ways, furthering the exclusion of those deemed others, worsening mental health.

Going nowhere, as Leonard Cohen would later emphasize for me, isnt about turning your back on the world; its about stepping away now and then so that you can see the world more clearly and love it more deeply. Pico Iyer

The intention with this piece was to engender a sense of calm and reflection, and coming around what is important. The figure is folded inward, surrounding a circular object in the middle. This painting also speaks to the connection between Be Still and Beloved. Be-stilling is all about holding, connecting with, and caring for what we love and hold sacred. Samuel Paden

A crucial guiding principle of health and healing is that you must be more still than the thing in front of you that you seek to effect. This type of action, prioritizing this be stilling, is not typically rewarded in a world that emphasizes profit over people and which asks us to be complicit in our addiction to speed. We are taught to act on the fly and quickly.

Yet the amount of complexity in navigating the world today requires wisdom, not strategy alone. Developing skills around patience and creating informed actions from this space help make the best of our energy, resources, and time. Being still can help create more energy, energy of the most creative kind; the type of energy required during immense periods of change and turmoil. Being still is a constant struggle and involves attention to prioritize greater reflection and silence.

It is through the consistent practice of being still that we are able to touch what we have available to us and what is already present. A key and well-researched strategy for be still is for people to reconnect to the natural world, spending time with the other species that coinhabit the earth with us. Our nervous systems seem to recognize our interconnection with other species and can relax nonverbally into the living web. We find the core rhythm we have with other living systems to be mirror images of our own species as partners in something more expansive than any one thing.

There are direct ties to the well-being of our individual and collective bodies, and by employing in our work, we can better behold what we are striving to organize and support.

Being still slows down the part of the nervous system that stimulates our fight-or-flight responses (our sympathetic nervous system) and improves our abilities to rest and digest (our parasympathetic nervous system). We are better able to repair ourselves and eliminate our toxins. These processes are inherent to who we are as human beings. When we are out of balance, bringing about greater equilibrium in these ways not only better sustains our health but also helps us be the vehicles for social change we aim to be. Research from neuroscientists suggest that all models of social change could benefit greatly from a be-stilling space and practice as a part of the work.

Socially, there are great possibilities to integrating meaningful reflection and pause. Being still does not mean we remain in a state of inaction. We need our responses to be timely and accurate when it comes to responding to political infection and toxin. Anger and frustration are necessary emotions and movement builders, activating our organizing muscles and actions. Yet bodies are healthier if they are able to maintain balance. Prioritizing a grounding in mindfulness and stillness best helps the initiation and recovery from our mobilizing and change efforts. We improve our abilities to more accurately and holistically behold and take in situations and people in front of us when our collective and individual bodies are calmer.

You cant be what you cant see. Melissa Harris-Perry

The fundamental feature of every now reveals itself, not in only what is past or what is present, but also in what is absent. Ernest Bloch

This particular sphere is about decolonizingholding what is in our view as living systems and not as dead and mechanical. The figures and the globe are all interconnected, highlighting the global nature of belonging and co-liberation, as well as oppression and othering. I deliberately cropped the beings at the perceived ends of their body, as that space is critical to speak to no beginning and no end. I also deliberately included different colors, shades, and the presence of androgyny. This shows how the dynamism of our identities enriches what we are able to Behold.Samuel Paden

Our ability to mobilize and organize around the areas we care about and want to bring greater health to depends on our mapping of the areas and the issues themselves. Capitalism and supremacy run deep socially, and I am constantly shocked by how something so huge, so systemic can affect what we can see and understand in the first place before any related strategic action even happens. There are deep wells of anger and grief around witnessing these partial social lenses that are strengthened by historically perpetuated systems of oppression, misused power, and othering.

If we come from a grounded place of love and stillness, we can better hold what is in front of us, as a compassionate doctor effectively holds what a body is presenting to her in order to better understand its current condition, what led up to it being ill, and where to go from there in terms of healing strategies. Spiritual and social teacher Reverend angel Kyodo williams pressingly asks in her writings, What is being left out? How do we better notice and identify where we enact superiority around who should experience greater life chances and health?

Beholding applies not just to the structural conditions of the situation or topic but also to the emotional and relational balance present or not present. We are not adept at recognizing pain and suffering connected to social illnesses. To behold while grounding in spirit-based and liberatory practices calls for first touching base with beloved and be still. This will open up to a greater interconnectedness and resulting willingness to stop seeing things from conditioned perspectives and will calm our nervous systems socially and individually. We can better see, listen, and feel clearly from these spaces. Bearing witness to hope, as well as grief and anger, propels this work into the transformative by increasing our understanding of the suffering we hope to shift.

How do we embody the ability to literally behold what is in front of us and work toward greater well-being? How do we expand our frame by integrating decolonizing practices and multiple methods of knowing and learning, helping us move to a space of liberation and not toward simply a kinder, gentler suffering? Beholding for colonizing influences, as well as places of expansion and health, helps provide a more accurate map of change, including where our implicit biases play a role in the perpetuation of surplus suffering.

Key behold strategies also move us to push the edges around how strongly we place value on simple communication. While there is an elegance to conveying things in simple ways, as well as experiencing improved accessibility, we often misapply the simple rule and reward overly simplistic analysis, solutions, and approaches in order to increase our number of likes, for instance. What we behold is affected by our negative connotations to things we project and deem as overly complex, perhaps because they lay just beyond our realm of conditioned and perpetuated understanding. While I think all things can be better laid out in simple and engaging ways that speak to our overly stimulated minds, the processes and outcomes of belonging require us to be with multiple perspectives, to integrate some space for chaos and messiness, and to allow strategies to emerge from this.

Key racial equity-driven movements possess incredibly sharp lenses and analyses to better behold racial inequities and the contributing structures and practices to the undergirding systemic racism that roots it all. Examples of such analysis include the tool kits and processes put forward by the Government Alliance for Race and Equity, Race Forward, and PolicyLink. All of these groups have also been expanding their frames to integrate healing- and trauma-related content, practices, and questions, helping to more accurately behold what they are seeking to transform. And with this expansion, I look forward to these efforts and countless others to be more intentionally grounded in indigenous-based decolonizing analyses, leading to more accurately identifying and addressing systemic racism and oppression as well as their antidotes. Examples can be found in the work of Vanessa Andreotti of the University of Vancouver, British Columbia, and that of Sandew Hira of the Decolonial International Network.

For the masters tools will never dismantle the masters house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change. Audre Lorde

The predominance of red and largeness of the form that are related to ones beliefs speak to how much we are guided by what we believe and what incredible passion moves through us as a result. The presence of eyes as part of that Believe form above the head of the figure also speaks to the strong influence what we Behold has on our beliefs. The paint appears to be in motion, in the cloud formations above the figure, as well as into, out of, and through the figure, speaking to how dynamic and powerful our beliefs can be. Samuel Paden

Glenn Harris of the organization Race Forward shared the following astute observation: You need believe to be a part of this frame if youre really going to address systemic racism.

We collectively hold and perpetuate beliefs of superiority, which state that some people deserve to experience illness, poverty, and unequal chances at lives of ease. Such beliefs help inform the design of our social arrangements, keeping rigid racial and social hierarchies in place. Just as with the natural laws of our own personal bodies, our beliefs about the mappings of our social body and its anatomy influence how we move and how we think we can move.

Merely learning about belief systems that breed supremacy and superiority are not enough. Knowledge alone doesnt interrupt or disrupt. This is something I experienced myself in my own professional work, complicit in promoting, for example, that educational sessions could help solve the issue as sole strategies. All the trainings and capacity-building sessions in the world wont change the culture of racism alone. Such beliefs will still be present without, first, their thoughtful and consistent deconstruction and, second, the centering of beliefs that expand our collective imagination and promote well-being.

So how does what we behold relate to what we believe? What and how we behold affects what we believe and how fiercely our grip is on those beliefs. If were taking in partial information that goes unexamined, our beliefs will reflect that, and then our actions or inactions are partial as well and possibly even more harmful than we intended.

Somewhere between what we behold and what we believe are processes of noticing, attaching huge feelings to what we notice, and then crystallizing all of that into mental formations and, eventually, beliefs.

What are some practices in believe that can help us lead to greater belonging and co-liberation? For starters, we can intentionally build in practices that help us critically question and interrupt our conditioning and assumptions, both used with situations and people external to us, and those that guide how we view ourselves internally. This could look like creating spaces, just like in artistic processes, where we focus on looking at the things were working with from multiple perspectives. We turn it upside down, put it on its side, and engage people most affected by inequities to tell us what they see. We might find examples of superiority and inferiority. From here, our presence and willingness to change, which weve developed in be still, and our ability to more clearly behold help us shift such beliefs.

And just as important is connecting what we believe to what is beloved. How can what we believe about what guides us toward belonging and well-being be grounded in the natural laws of interconnectedness and in the connection between the social and spiritual? Grounding in such wholeness and sacredness is helped along by surrendering and de-emphasizing intellect-only approaches, which most often guide how we create and maintain our beliefs. Such surrender also helps our innate, as well as our constructed and learned, needs and obsessions to experience certainty at all times. Connecting believe to beloved involves engaging with multiple ways of knowing and being, allowing us to better engage with the unknown.

After all the years Ive dedicated to working with racial equity, and doing so from within heavily bureaucratic and usually white-led hierarchies, the energy to sustain my contribution cannot be disconnected from my being a queer woman of color from an immigrant background, and one who has also struggled with chronic illness. Tarell Alvin McCraney shared in his keynote at the last Othering & Belonging conference that if we turn our attention to those who dont want us or if we believe weas communities of color, as queer people, as all the aboveshould not live, we leave unprotected our own people.

There can be real negative health impacts to working with people who believe we should not live, and within our movements, we need to get more strategic and real about how, with whom, and in what ways we work within oppressive structures.

This framework is unapologetically based on promoting an expansive ethics of caring. We are hardwired for connection. This is also true in relationship to human caring, having memories of caring and being cared for. The experience of such caring is connected to having an ethical response to bring about justice, for instance, or address inequities.

Having a deeper understanding of power and acknowledging the power that comes from spiritual practice and personal challenges can also increase our relevance to the communities we work with. We rarely use power-mapping techniques that include the power we get from within. This intellectual approach to landscaping power can unintentionally disempower our organizations and communities. While its hard to quantify spiritual or emotional power, leaving it out of the overall picture leaves little room for us to imagine ourselves as powerful. Kristen Zimmerman, Neelam Pathikonda, Brenda Salgado, Taj James

Becoming doesnt have results yet. It is sparse. But the figures are all in this space together. There is an engagement in a similar soil, although they are distinct, very much so. Some are connected, and some arent. There is a form of a tree thats singular, but theyre part of that tree. -Samuel Paden

Feedback from activists and advocates across sectors on this framework helped refine the concept. What does spirituality and practice have to do with building power? Why should I care at all about a bunch of theory with no application? Show me why all of this is important. I found it challenging to try and describe a connection that I had been culturally and spiritually taught was ever-present and self-evident, which could also only be described verbally up to a point. But research guiding the frame makes it clear that these areas of building power, activism, and spirit-based practice were inextricably linked.

Becoming, belonging, and co-liberation are inherently messy at times, nonlinear, and can elicit multiple perspectives that love and hate, and include and exclude, the emerging innovations and alternatives. This frame has both resonated with many people by providing more expanded views of change and ways of being to improve their work and turned people off who shared they felt the need to actively disengage with it. And then there were many people who said they just didnt have the language to comprehend what they were seeing and reading, and wanted to learn more.

There are a few key learnings here. First, epistemic injustice has been perpetuated for centuries around splitting spirit from matter and spiritual suffering from social suffering. While the laws that protect us from the harrowing and negative effects of church integrating with state affairs are necessary, we seem to have also thrown out Beholding and embodying the positive health social and structural practices of meaning-making, connecting to purpose and what we love and hold sacred, and acting from a place of essential interconnectedness (Beloved).

Also, spiritual practices denying and not integrating social practice is a contributing factor. For many justice-focused people, not integrating spiritual practice that denied the realities of social and racial injustices was a protective factor and necessary in order to maintain the required focus on structural and systemic change to bring about greater belonging.

Lastly, language. Language can be used to exclude or include, often tied to desired outcomes and agendas that are not usually transparent. I have been complicit in these acts as well, as I imagine all of us have been. The tension is the desire for accessibility for the masses alongside the desire to what we commonly refer to as speaking truth to power. Of course that speaking is also influenced by our formal and informal schooling, experience of intersecting cultures, and our need to participate in the systems of capitalism in order to live.

Ultimately, I believe that if our feelings, thoughts, connections to what is sacred and to a greater interconnectedness, and beliefs are moving along the journey towards belonging and co-liberation, then our communications and actions will follow. We desperately need not just multi-verse, but pluri-versal decolonizing ways of talking, discussing, and enacting, and within that, leading with the voices of the most marginalized.

Becoming practices seek to deconstruct barriers and colonizing processes and support emerging alternatives to such colonizing realities. For those within bureaucratic systems, Becoming can look like hospicing the things that are dying, which are also harming our collective well-being and health, and hacking or breaking up and through oppressive structures and practices.

Building power and organizing economically, politically, socially, and spiritually are key to strengthening the branches and bridging structures in the tree of belonging. Such organizing is done, however, in a more supported fashion by grounding in what is Beloved and in the liberatory strategies of Behold and Believe. A key priority throughout would be the resiliency and well-being of all of us engaging in this work, if we elevate and focus on conditioning as an integral part of Becoming. One of my interviewees, a fifth-degree black belt, shared that people doing social and racial justice work need to condition ourselves. Most of the work of karate is about conditioning ones mind, body, and soul for if and when a strike occurs. The art isnt geared toward taking people out, but rather developing an immense preparedness and solid health in order to work through the fights.

Becoming is non-linear and dynamic, although still embedding strategic thinking, narrative, and action. Organizing movements that embed spirit-driven practices as defined in this article are growing; in the national and local scenes, we need to hold up these examples and strive to embody their learnings in order to more accurately achieve our social visions for belonging, and sustain our individual health and resiliency. Examples of these movements include: generative somatics trainings, healing justice strategies put forward by groups such as WorldTrust, transformative leadership sessions held by the Movement Strategy Center, yoga and equity initiatives, the collective strategies embodied by indigenous movements worldwide, and so many more.

You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as belonging to it, and responsible for changing it. Grace Lee Boggs

I define politics as the ongoing collective struggle for liberation and for the power to createnot only works of art, but also just and nonviolent social institutions. Adrienne Rich

Action is happening both up and down, in both the Belonging individual and Belonging collective [next page] paintings. In the collective one, there is looking at the tree and the results, but its not singular. There are all of these different voices and the state of living and being organic. What I was wanting to have concentrated in the visual is whats happening in our communities. Its not a singular person or thing, its multiverse.- Samuel Paden

Aspects of this frame came to life as she was talking, grounded in what is beloved, decolonizing what they were beholding, and becoming in such a holistic, intergenerational way. Alone, each one of these aspects is not enough. But if approached and interacted with as an interwoven whole, they light up as a map toward the experience of greater social health and belonging, take shape, and self-animate. As we play with working models, such as this embodying belonging and co-liberation frame, it is crucial we take the time to reflect on our experiences and take in through all our senses what feels differently when enacted. By doing this sort of intentional and holistic reflection we solidify healthier ways of being, and going back to our old more destructive ways will be unthinkable (Dr. Darya Funches, Founder of REAP Unlimited, on the meaning of transformation).

For to be free is not merely to cast off ones chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. Nelson Mandela

We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are. Anais Nin

Our shared work in justice-related efforts calls for us to renew, cocreate, and follow boldly emergent narratives and frames that urge us to embody belonging every step of the way. How we get there matters if we want to improve our overall outcomes while also sustaining and promoting positive health and well-being during the journey.

Read more:
An Evolutionary Roadmap for Belonging and Co-Liberation ...

8 Best Industries for Starting a Business Right Now | Inc.com

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Best Industries 2018

The time is right

Got the entrepreneurial bug? Think about launching in these sectors, based on analyst data and interviews with industry experts, investors, and entrepreneurs.

Disaster relief

A spate of natural disasters andmanmade emergencies has increased the demand for services and boosted startup funding. Revenue for the disaster relief industryis expected to jump to $11.2 billion in 2022 from $10.1 billionin 2017, according to IBISWorld.

Alternative-protein food products

The technology is now available to meet consumer demand for great-tasting foods that use proteins from nontraditonal sources. The market accounted for $4.2 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow 6.8 percent between 2017 and 2022, according to Research and Markets.

eSports

Amazons $970 million acquisition of Twitch and the possibility that the NCAA will support collegiate gaming is driving enormous growth ineSports. The industry is expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2020, upfrom $1.1 billionin 2018, according to SuperData Research.

Influencer agents

These startups represent social-media stars who need help turning Instagram followers into cash. As social medias influence continues to surge, revenue for the industry isexpected to increase to $10.8 billion in 2022, a 2.2 percent jump from 2017, according to IBIS.

Beauty tech

The integration of tech and the beauty businessis resulting in a wave of new,innovativeproducts. It's ahuge opportunity: The overall beauty market is expected to jump to $27.8 billion in 2022 from $22.1 billion last year, according to IBIS.

Womens reproductive health care

Startups are helping women take control of their reproductive health with fertility-tracking apps and other services. A2015Harris Williams study estimatedthe U.S. fertility market's value at between $3billion and $4 billion.

Canned wine

The product inside hasnt changed, but the new packaging is gaining acceptance, especially among Millennials. Total U.S. sales for canned wine jumped to $32.3 million last year--a $29 million increase from 2014, according to Nielsen.

Elderly care

Businesses are findinginnovative ways to care for the large population of aging Baby Boomers. The industry generated more than $50.7 billion in revenue in 2017, a figure IBIS expectsto increase by about42 percent by 2022.

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8 Best Industries for Starting a Business Right Now | Inc.com

There are enough articles on this site to fill two books, so it can sometimes be daunting to know where to start. Below are what many consider to be my greatest hits, the articles that have been the most popular, the most shared, or had the greatest effect on readers lives.

Ive listed the best 5-6 posts in four different categories below: Self Improvement, Life Choices, Dating and Relationships, and Culture.

You can also sign up for my newsletter below and get a free ebook, 3 Ideas That Can Change Your Life. I send out occasional updates with new articles and stuff Im working on. Your information is protected and I never spam.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck The most popular article on the site. And for good reason.

The Most Important Question of Your Life Best post to start with to understand the underlying philosophy of my work.

Stop Trying to Be Happy Why pursuing happiness just pushes it further away from you and how to get around this problem.

In Defense of Being Average A much-needed defense of the unexceptional which is pretty much all of us.

Screw Finding Your Passion You already know what you love to do. Youve just forgotten how to do it.

The Four Stages of Life The phases of life that we all travel through and how they define who we are.

10 Life Lessons to Excel In Your 30s A crowd-sourced article from my older readers on what they all wish they knew when they were 30-years-old.

10 Life Lessons I Learned From Surviving My 20s A look back right before my 30th birthday on all of the life lessons I learned in my 20s.

7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose A fun, yet serious, look at how we can derive more meaning and importance from our lives.

How to Quit Your Day Job and Travel the World How to leverage your terror of going broke to achieving greater success and autonomy.

No, You Cant Have it All A realistic look at the necessity of choosing what to give up in our lives.

Fuck Yes or No The most important rule of dating and relationships. Everyone must understand this.

Love is Not Enough Why we idealize love, make it something more than it is, and how that ruins many of our relationships.

1,500 People Give All the Relationship Advice Youll Ever Need A crowd-sourced article with advice from people who have been in relationships for a long time.

Maybe You Dont Know What Love Is A sober look at what love often is and what it should be.

6 Toxic Relationship Habits Most People Think Are Normal Find out if what you think is normal romantic behavior is actually harming your relationship.

6 Healthy Relationship Habits Most People Think Are Toxic The follow up to the above article describing what you should be doing, but probably are not doing.

10 Things Americans Dont Know About America Viral internet sensation. My perspectives on the US after spending four years outside of it.

In the Future, Your Attention Will Be Sold My take on new technologies and how theyre not necessarily ruining society, just our attention spans.

The American Dream Is Killing Us Some commentary on why I think the American Dream isnt just dead, its actually being used against us.

A Dust Over India A raw look at some of the more jarring experiences I had on my trip to India.

5 Life Lessons from 5 Years Traveling the World I spent five years traveling around the world to more than 50 countries. This is what I learned.

How We All Miss the Point on School Shootings An article written in response to the UCSB shootings in May 2014, but also covering numerous other shootings throughout North America and what they actually mean about our society and culture.

See original here:
Best Articles: 20 Articles That Can Change Your Life ...

When a baby is born, he is extremely simple, not complicated, real, sincere, in complete harmony with Nature and with the Cosmic Order.

The subconscious mind of a baby takes very little space in his life as he is connected to the Universe.

As we grow older, the subconscious mind grows bigger and takes more and more space into our life.

With time, the subconscious mind becomes the real you. It is composed of beliefs, fears, and attitudes that interfere with everyday life and that pushes us away from happiness our original nature.

The subconscious mind is a defense mechanism created and maintained by the ego. Its highest priority is to keep us emotionally safe. It spends most of its energy protecting our feelings and keeping us out of emotional pain and discomfort.

Do not underestimate the subconscious mind. It is stronger than the conscious mind, even stronger that the will.

As we grow older and forget our connection with the Cosmos, the subconscious mind becomes the core of who we are; it becomes the center of our personality.

During meditation, the subconscious mind comes to the surface, and we can observe it.

Through the practice of Zazen, with time, the subconscious mind diminishes, decrease and unite with the conscious mind so that in the end its us, its our existence here and now, that dominates, and not our subconscious.

- Fuyu

More on Zen:www.zen-buddhism.net

Originally posted here:
Zen Buddhism - Home | Facebook

On a personal level I read your book about 3 years ago and it had a huge positive impact on my life. I re-read your book at least twice a year.My job is to develop managers and I run a 6-month development programme. Attitude is Everything is required reading for all participants and the feedback from the 44 people who have completed this programme isWOW! The improvement in them as individuals has been noted back in their branches across the UK to the extent that I have been asked for copies of the book for Area Managers and Regional Directors. It has had such an impact upon one region within our business that they are rolling your messages out to all of their staff in the next 4 months. Thank you for such an inspirational book.

Chris ChinnManagement Development ManagerVanguard Rental (UK) Ltd.

I just finished your book and it has changed my life already. I have been set on fire by your words! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I now know how I can get everything I want and achieve every goal I have set for myself. Nothing is daunting any more - I have no fear. Only drive, ambition and an attitude that I will infect every other person I come into contact with. Thanks again. I'm off now to achieve my dreams!

Lorraine Sharpe

Your book, Attitude is Everything, has made the greatest impact on my life. Your words have helped me to change from a negative, cynical, victim mentality, 'woe is me' lifestyle into a new person. I have lost count of the number of times I have read it. I have decided to start my own business. This, I owe all to your book. I have more energy, more control over my life and I'm infinitely happier. Thank you for your life-changing book.

Peter Irlam

I recently read your book "Attitude is Everything" and I can say with an absolute sincerity that your book is number one in my personal library. No doubt I shall be promoting your book to all my friends, as it's not right to deprive them of something that will change their lives for the better.

Petya Collins

Your book is a tonic for mental, emotional, physical and spiritual prosperity. You give real life example after example of what works. I also enjoy that you don't rehash the same old stories but you take the lead in discovering new examples of inspiration. Attitude is Everything is a Mark McGwire home run in the motivational field.

Jack E. McClendon, Jr.

Your book gave me the confidence to achieve much more than I thought possible. Your insights gave me the strength I needed to keep moving forward. Now, I have been promoted twice, with raises I thought would never come. I am now the "motivator" for my team, and we are achieving so much. Thank you, Jeff!

Kim Palaza

After having read your book, Attitude is Everything, I must thank you! It is a gift to anyone who wants more... a better career, a better relationship, a better life. Every word makes so much sense, yet most of us go on with our lives without ever really knowing how much potential we have. After reading your book for the first time (of the many times I plan to) I have come away with the veil once again lifted from my eyes by your words. I feel like I can move toward embodying the principles you have so eloquently presented.

Lisa Moschitta

Attitude is Everything has helped me to hone in on positive thought and motivational techniques related to my career and interpersonal relationships. Now, before reacting to any situation, I consciously choose a positive response -- what a difference it makes! I am more confident when dealing with a negative situation by applying Jeff's easily understood, user-friendly techniques. The best part is I was able to put these ideas to work immediately!

Natalie Tedone

I just finished your book and loved it. It is simple with practical tips for changing your attitude. What was most inspirational was your own personal journey. I'm going to give this book as Christmas presents. The world needs your message.

Diane DiRestaAuthor, Knockout Presentations

I recently finished reading your book, Attitude is Everything. I have to say that I am very impressed. When you first hear about a book on the topic of attitude, you think there's going to be a lot of hype and "rah-rah" stuff. That wasn't the case here. Rather, you provided plenty of specific and practical tips for success. Reading your suggestions made a positive impact on my business. Jeff, what also impressed me is your sincerity. I can tell that you not only believe what you're saying, but that you've applied all of these principles in your own life. Thanks again for putting together this fine book.

Stuart Kamen Kamen Communications

After reading your informative book, I have one thing to say -- that everyone who hasn't read it....should! Most of us can relate to your experiences. You need to enjoy what you're doing to become successful. I am a perfect example. I myself found after many years a creative talent that I did not know I had. As you explain so well in your book, Attitude is Everything!

Anna Carusos

Attitude is Everything has helped me to become a better sales professional by always thinking in a positive manner and being aware of how I am perceived by my clients. I often refer to the book to keep me "on my toes" and always aware of my attitude not only in my professional life, but in my personal life as well. This book reinforces how your attitude affects others as well as the outcome of any situation.

Fran GrazioseDiamond Promotions, Inc.

Having read many motivational books, I found Jeff's ideas fresh and inspiring. This book is useful not only for salespeople, but for anyone wishing to make positive changes in their lives.

David D'Agostino

Just thought I'd tell you how much I enjoyed your book, Attitude is Everything. It has energy as well as attitude, and I thought it was great. I cover attitude in my career counseling workshop, so I'll pass on to them the benefits I received from reading your book!

Fiona Young

Anyone can learn from Jeff's twelve easy lessons immediately. Keep this book at your fingertips. When you occasionally need a little attitude adjustment, open it anywhere, and a valuable quote or phrase will jump off the page right into your heart and soul.

Julie Salgo

Your book is fantastic and I really enjoyed it -- from beginning to end. The 12 lessons in this book can change and enrich millions of lives. I recommend this book to all. After all, attitude is everything!

Viola George

Referring to this book often is helping me nip negative thoughts in the bud, and is having a direct effect on the increasing lack of negativity in my words. I am already beginning to benefit from the effect this change in my thinking and speaking is having on my actions, both personally and professionally.

George Hahn

Every page of Attitude is Everything reminded me of so many thoughts I've considered over so many years but rarely acted upon. Your words opened a very important door to the start of many talks with myself. Thanks, Jeff, for your reinforcement, your inspiration, your candor and your truthful words that "Attitude is Everything!"

Marilyn Kass Marilyn Kass & Assoc. Inc.

There is no shortage of motivational books on the market. But what sets Attitude is Everything apart from the crowd is Jeff Keller's unique ability to tackle the real issues on the minds of today's business professionals, and to offer practical, substantive ideas for conquering these issues. In my mind, nobody else comes close to delivering the goods like Jeff Keller.

Art Siegel, PublisherSalesDoctors Magazine

Read more from the original source:
Attitude Is Everything

The increased stress of competitions can cause athletes to react both physically and mentally in a manner that can negatively affect their performance abilities. They may become tense, their heart rates race, they break into a cold sweat, they worry about the outcome of the competition, they find it hard to concentrate on the task at hand.

This has led coaches to take an increasing interest in the field of sports psychology and in particular in the area of competitive anxiety. That interest has focused on techniques that athletes can use in the competitive situation to maintain control and optimise their performance. Once learned, these techniques allow the athlete to relax and to focus his/her attention in a positive manner on the task of preparing for and participating in the competition. Psychology is another weapon in the athlete's armoury in gaining the winning edge.

Concentration, confidence, control and commitment (the 4C's) are generally considered the main mental qualities that are important for successful performance in most sports.

The techniques of relaxation, centering and mental imagery can assist an athlete to achieve the 4C's.

This is the mental quality to focus on the task at hand. If the athlete lacks concentration, then their athletic abilities will not be effectively or efficiently applied to the task. Research has identified the following types of attention focus:

The demand for concentration varies with the sport:

Common distractions are anxiety, mistakes, fatigue, weather, public announcements, coach, manager, opponent, negative thoughts etc.

Strategies to improve concentration are very personal. One way to maintain focus is to set process goals for each session or competition. The athlete will have an overall goal for which the athlete will identify a number of process goals that help focus on specific aspects of the task. For each of these goals, the athlete can use a trigger word (a word which instantly refocuses the athlete's concentration to the goal) e.g. sprinting technique requires the athlete to focus on being tall, relaxed, smooth and to drive with the elbows - trigger word could be "technique"

Athletes will develop a routine for competition that may include the night before, the morning, pre-competition, competition and post-competition routines. If these routines are appropriately structured, then they can prove a useful aid to concentration.

Confidence results from the comparison an athlete makes between the goal and their ability. The athlete will have self-confidence if they believe they can achieve their goal. (Comes back to a quote of mine - "You only achieve what you believe").

When an athlete has self-confidence they will tend to: persevere even when things are not going to plan, show enthusiasm, be positive in their approach and take their share of the responsibility in success and fail.

To improve their self-confidence, an athlete can use mental imagery to:

Good goal setting (challenging yet realistic) can bring feelings of success. If athletes can see that they are achieving their short-term goals and moving towards their long-term goals, then confidence grows.

Confidence is a positive state of mind and a belief that you can meet the challenge ahead - a feeling of being in control. It is not the situation that directly affects confidence; thoughts, assumptions and expectations can build or destroy confidence.

High self-confidence

Low self-confidence

Identifying when an athlete feels a particular emotion and understanding the reason for the feelings is an important stage of helping an athlete gain emotional control. An athlete's ability to maintain control of their emotions in the face of adversity and remain positive is essential to successful performance. Two emotions that are often associated with poor performance are anxiety and anger.

Anxiety comes in two forms - Physical (butterflies, sweating, nausea, needing the toilet) and Mental (worry, negative thoughts, confusion, lack of concentration). Relaxation is a technique that can be used to reduce anxiety.

When an athlete becomes angry, the cause of the anger often becomes the focus of attention. This then leads to a lack of concentration on the task, performance deteriorates and confidence in ability is lost which fuels the anger - a slippery slope to failure.

Sports performance depends on the athlete being fully committed to numerous goals over many years. In competition with these goals, the athlete will have many aspects of daily life to manage. The many competing interests and commitments include work, studies, family/partner, friends, social life and other hobbies/sports

Within the athlete's sport, commitment can be undermined by:

Setting goals with the athlete will raise their feelings of value, give them joint ownership of the goals and therefore become more committed to achieving them. All goals should be SMARTER.

Many people (coach, medical support team, manager, friends, etc) can contribute to an athlete's levels of commitment with appropriate levels of support and positive feedback, especially during times of injury, illness and poor performance.

The following are emotional states experienced with successful performance:

Psychology skills training for the athlete should aim to improve their mental skills, such as self-confidence, motivation, the ability to relax under great pressure, and the ability to concentrate and usually has three phases:

The following references provide additional information on this topic:

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

The following Sports Coach pages provide additional information on this topic:

Continued here:
Sports Psychology - BrianMac