Читать книгу Mindpower - Martin Manser - Страница 14

We are not just people who think. We are humans – sentient, emotional, physical beings. And as part of developing mind power, you need to develop yourself as a whole human being.

Here is a list to prompt and encourage your development.

• Break your normal routine. You can start in an easy fashion simply by watching different programmes on television; seek out a more diverse range of programmes than you usually watch.

• Read about current affairs. Devour your favourite website, a quality newspaper or periodical such as The Economist or Newsweek.

• Think. Don’t just read. Think about the big underlying issues to problems, news stories and other narratives. Take time to reflect. Schedule in time to relax your mind from concentrated action.

• Challenge yourself. Move out of your comfort zone. For example, I recently was a student for a four-week intensive course – I found the experience demanding as it was 35 years since I was last a student on an educational course!

• Jot and sketch. Carry a pencil and notebook, or electronic equivalent, with you to jot down or sketch fresh ideas as they come to you.

one minute wonder Rather than working through your lunch break, go out and look around you. Break your routine: buy sandwiches from a different shop, go to a different café or order different food. Look around you with a fresh pair of eyes, take in the sights, smells and sounds. Imagine you’ve just landed in your city as a tourist – what would you notice?

• Learn to listen. But don’t just listen…really listen. What are people saying and not saying? Reflect on what you’re learning. Talk with friends and colleagues. Discuss issues and ideas; express your latest thinking to gauge responses.

• Be alert to your different senses. Make yourself look up at the sky. Stop for a moment or two and listen to the sounds around you. Reflect on them. They are part of who you are. (Drinking Coca Cola reminds me of a family holiday in France, for example.)

• Absorb some culture. Go to an art gallery or museum. Or, if that doesn’t take your fancy, go to a trade exhibition.

• Care for others. Don’t become so absorbed with yourself that you neglect people around you, in your community and in the wider world. Engage in some practical action to be helpful.

• Get physical. Take up a physical sport such as jogging, cycling or swimming. As well as the health benefits, it will help relax your mind.

• Express your artistic side. If you are creatively inclined, fit that into your regular schedule.

• Meditate. Spend time in a form of prayer or meditation to help you connect with more than the physical world.

We are whole people and need to develop different aspects of our lives.