THE PRESCRIPTION: How to get out of your mind, so you can gain clarity

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”

When we’re dealing with deeply embedded beliefs, we have to get out of our thinking minds and into our bodies and spirits. Subconscious beliefs are often embedded in our bodies and supported by our daily habits, becoming part of our fabricated character or mask. We get caught up in the character we’re supposed to be playing in life.

We sorely underestimate the effect that our body and energy have on our thinking. 

That’s why our methods incorporate the body-mind-spirit.

"The Prescription" contains some of these methods.

Note: This is a general guideline. When you work with us one-on-one, we create a custom Prescription based on where you are, and what you hope to achieve, so you don’t have to do it all at once.

INSTRUCTIONS: Try these techniques for the next two weeks and see how your life transforms:

PHASE 1:

The 80/20 that will immediately make a massive difference in your life. Do this before you move to Phase 2 and 3 of this process.

Step 1:

• Go on a mental diet: Eliminate or reduce input, even the positive. Remove physical and digital clutter. Turn off your notifications, and anything that hijacks your attention. Delete all the apps that you seem to be addicted to (checking impulsively). Even the ones that you need, if you can check them from a different device. You need to create friction so the habit is harder to repeat.

Elimination is actually easier than control. Just get rid of it. If you think you can’t, try it for 24 hours. You can always reinstall it if you change your mind.

Your brain and whole body is literally a biological machine.

Remember GIGO: Garbage in, Garbage out.

This is a slang expression in computer science. The idea is that regardless of how accurate a program's logic is, the results will be incorrect if the input is invalid. The same goes for your brain.

Just like the input affects the output of a computer, just like the food you consume affects the output in your body, so does what you consume on a mental level.

Eliminating crappy input, and reducing all input altogether (positive, but irrelevant information) will offload an insane amount of bandwidth. You won’t believe how much of your energy and brain power is wasted until you try it.

So much of what you think are your thoughts aren’t actually yours. If you go around all day collecting random bits of information from other people, you’ll lose sight of what you think.

Step 2:

• Do less, simplify your life

Most things in life improve when you make them simpler. So practice thinking “what can I remove or subtract to improve this? What’s unnecessary?” Instead of thinking what can I add on top, which is only overcomplication.

Book recommendation on this philosophy: Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Similarly, improve your effectiveness by doing less. Look into the philosophy of “Wu-Wei” (the action of inaction).

Step 3:

• Get a good night of sleep: This is not a luxury, but a must, even if it means “failing” some expectations and responsibilities (within reason of course).
  
  Sleeping less to work more hours on your business or project is counterproductive. 

Remember, it’s not about how much time you spend on something, but how effectively and efficiently you do it.

You’ll get more done in 1 hour while rested, than 4 hours while feeling tired, cranky, and out of focus.

Step 4: 

• Move your body: Get your emotions out by moving your body. 

Most animals literally shake the stress off after being chased by a predator. Only humans ignore it and pretend it will magically go away.

You don’t have to do an actual workout, it can be any form of movement as long as it gets your heart pumping and blood moving through your body.

Getting more blood and oxygen flowing to your brain which will exponentially increase your clarity and creativity. This is a great prep for journaling and any creative or mentally-demanding work. You’ll notice immediate improvement.

Step 5:

• Clean up your actual diet: Your gut is a second brain. The bacteria you carry affects how you think and feel and how clear your thinking is.

Ideally, eat a whole plant-based diet for two weeks. If not possible, 

at least ensure all your foods are as “clean” and as unprocessed as possible. In short, eat real food. Drink plenty of water. If you are dehydrated, your brain will be foggier than you think.

How to prioritize what to eliminate?

Is it based on “logic” alone? No. It’s based on energy and feeling first. What excites you? What energizes your soul and makes you feel more alive? 

Should you eliminate everything that drains you?

No, sometimes it’s a sign that something needs to be worked through. However, if you’ve done the inner work around it, and you truly don’t feel resentment, anger, hurt, etc, but still feel anything less than excited and alive about it, then get rid of it.

Step 6:

• Eliminate energy drainers: Let go of any thoughts, activities, beliefs, behaviors, or even people that leave you feeling depleted, shrunk, down, etc.
  
  This step might be the hardest part of the process, but it's crucial. If not possible, reduce and protect your energy.

Step 7:

• Meditate to take breaks from the mind and ego: Meditate (preferably without guidance) or go into silent solitude for 20 minutes daily to take breaks from the identity you have created for yourself.
  
  

To meditate, simply set a gentle-sounding timer for 20 minutes and sit alone in silence and solitude until the alarm goes off. If 20 minutes seems too long, start with 5. Heck, start with 1 minute, and increase by 1 minute every day.

Alternatively, you can go for a walk, but without distraction. Meaning, no friend to talk to, no music, podcast, book etc.

Step 8:

• Gain immediate Presence with this simple breath-work technique  

Stuck in your mind all the time? Too anxious and confused to think and need a quick fix? Here’s a simple process to get back into your body, and be here, now.

Breathing is the simplest and fastest way to be present. This is because breathing can only happen here (in the body) and (now) in this moment.

Focus your attention on your breathing cycle, observing the different stages of the breath, (e.g. “inhale, brief pause to switch, exhale, brief pause to switch, repeat), this will inevitably bring your mind back to the here and now.

Tip: Practice grounding before you do your breathing techniques so you don’t become lightheaded. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and notice where your body is making contact with the surface beneath you.

Step 9:

• Journal 3 pages to uncensor yourself and get everything out of your system:

Journal daily first thing in the morning. Write 3 pages of anything and everything that comes to mind, with no filter. (This is only for your eyes, so be free).

PHASE 2:

More advanced moves to take your mind to the next level.

• Practice trusting

Trust that everything is happening for you. 

Often, we wait for the universe to show us signs before we show full commitment.

But it’s the other way around: We have to show faith and commitment first, before we get the signs that it’s working.

It’s not faith if you need to see proof before you take the first action towards what you desire.

Remember the number of times that you thought something wasn’t working out, and later you were grateful because it turned out there was better for you out there.

• Let go of control:

There is very little you have control over in life, yet the planet is spinning and the sun is rising like clockwork. Let it go. Enjoy the ride.

This ties into trust: The less you try to control, the better off you will be.

• Follow your (actual) heart even when it “makes no sense”

Start to make more and more decisions from a place of EXPANSION (decisions based in love — e.g. joy, genuine desire, etc).

This is how you know you’re on the right path.

Never make decisions from a place of CONTRACTION (decisions based in fear— e.g. anger, scarcity, ego, competition, etc). 

If you do, you’re moving further away from the right path.

Do this even and especially when it makes no sense. The heart is a mind of its own, and it has genius that the other mind cannot always see until in hindsight.

Again, think of times in your life that you followed your heart and it made no sense, and that turned out to be the best decision for you.

Think of the times that you “followed your heart” and fell flat on your face. Did you really follow your heart’s true, uncompromised desires? Or did you partially compromise, trying to find a middle ground where you can somehow fit the “reasonable” thing to do in the bucket? Was it a genuine desire, or did you convince yourself to do it because you thought it was somehow your ticket to what you actually desired?

Here is your cue: 

• If you do it because it is inherently rewarding (e.g. it's fun), it’s yours.
  
  
• If you do it primarily for an extrinsic reward (e.g. recognition, money, etc) that you think you will get in the end (after you’ve gone through it), it’s not.

• If it’s a mixed bag, keep only what is inherently rewarding. For example:

If you’re launching a new product or service in your business, ask yourself if every single component of that product or service is something you are genuinely excited about.

If there is anything you’re doing for any other reason that you don’t feel good about, stop.

For example, you love your new offering, but you’re not excited about the price. You think it should be higher, but you’re going low because you don’t want to scare your customer. Or maybe you think you have to use funnels to launch this product because everyone else is doing it, but you hate funnels. 

If so, then get rid of that component, and find another way. 

Get rid of it, because different things work for different people. You have to be an energetic match for everything you do, down to the smallest detail. You have to be in alignment with every decision every step along the way.

• Follow the energy trail:  

Notice what makes you feel alive in your day-to-day life, and invest your energy into it. The more you do that, the more it helps you train the muscle of what feels in and out of alignment and you’ll be able to recognize it in other areas of your life.

List anything that brings you joy: Colors, textures, scents, tasks, people, tastes, experiences, cultures, activities etc— anything that feels good to you no matter how big or small. Make a commitment to incorporate more of these things in your daily life.

Note things that make no sense. Things you seem to be drawn to for no reason. 

We’ve all had those bizarre moments and whimsical experiences that suddenly spark a sense of curiosity, awe, love, magic, and inspiration inside of us. Take such little moments of fascination seriously, they’re guiding you to something about yourself and the path you are meant to take.

For example, in 2014 I had a strong urge to go to India for no particular reason. I had no plans, I just felt the pull. had no idea that it would turn into fateful encounters and lessons that would then inspire some of my work with Brands Are Alive, which didn’t even exist until many years later. 

• Notice where you might be out of integrity with yourself:

Is there something you did or said that is still weighing you down?

Start listing people that you feel like you have “unresolved business” with. 

It doesn’t mean that you did something wrong, or that they did. 

It could be that you have to clear out some undeserved shame, guilt, etc. 

It helps if you can apologize to them if you feel like they deserve an apology. But the most important thing here is to actually forgive yourself, regardless of whether or not you received forgiveness.

Likewise the one to forgive others, even if you receive no closure. Practicing forgiveness towards others makes it easier for you to be compassionate towards yourself when you mess up (and you will).

• Be aware of your judgments:

Pay attention to your own negative feelings and thoughts towards yourself and others.

BUT, don’t judge yourself for it, otherwise it becomes an endless loop. 

Simply train yourself to catch the act of judgment. Observe with curiosity to see what’s causing it, and then it let go.

On that note, if any feelings come up remember that you always want to process the root feeling, not the secondary feeling generated as a response to the original feeling. e.g. if you feel anger, see if you can uncover and process the sadness underneath it, and so on.

• See what your judgment might say about you

Pay attention to what it is you judge and reject in others, when it isn’t necessarily morally wrong. 

For example, if you feel aggravated by overly happy and excited people. In this case, being happy is not “immoral”, but it annoys you.

This is usually a sign that you have a desire for that quality in yourself, but you reject it out of some underlying fear. Maybe you are afraid that if you allow yourself to be childlike, hopeful and optimistic, then you are being naive, vulnerable, and prone to more hurt and pain.

You can always bet that your judgment is rooted in the fear of reliving some sort of pain. Find out what it is, and clean it up.

About: brands are ALIVE is a transformational space for mindful & creative entrepreneurs and pathfinders who seek to build a brand of full self-expression and a business of passion, purpose, and (more) profit.