I’ve been absent from the blogosphere for the past five months. The main reason is because my wife and I were in the throes of assisting our fathers navigate the final chapters of their respective lives. I didn’t have the energy, focus or inclination to blog or do much of anything else, for that matter. But that’s a subject for future musings.
In my previous post, Performance Anxiety: Understanding the Root of the Problem – Part One, I shared my perspective on the root cause of the problem and introduced the concepts of the “Voice Inside Your Head” (VIYH) as the problem and becoming the dispassionate observer or witness as the solution (read Part One to get up to speed). In Part Two, I will share some specific things you can do, techniques, if you will, to help you achieve a quiet mind and overcome performance anxiety. Here we go…
Stream of Consciousness Journaling: This is the ultimate “to do” list. With pen and paper in hand, write down every thought (voice) in your head. Include everything you need to get done, everything that is bothering you, fears and worries, regrets, hopes and wishes—everything. Dump the entire contents of your head onto the paper. Keep journaling until you can’t think of anything else (now there’s a concept). This has the effect of clearing out your mental closet, allowing you to intuitively connect to your natural gifts and creativity.
Brain Gym Exercises: These exercises will help you get mentally “unstuck” and change the habitual patterns by which your brain tends to function. They are designed to assist the development of your whole brain.
- “Cross Crawl” Stand or sit in a comfortable position. Put the right hand across the body to the left knee as you raise it, and then do the same thing for the left hand on the right knee as if you were marching. Do this for at least 2 minutes at a time.
- “Hook Ups” Stand or sit. Cross the right leg over the left at the ankles. Take your right wrist and cross it over the left wrist and link up the fingers so that the right wrist is on top. Bend the elbows out and gently turn the fingers in towards the body until they rest on the sternum (breast bone) in the center of the chest. Stay in this position. Keep the ankles crossed and the wrists crossed and then breathe evenly in this position for a few minutes. You will be noticeably calmer after that time. This video may provide a visual aide.
- “Lazy 8’s” With a pen and paper, using first your dominant, then your non-dominant hand, draw the infinity sign (the number eight lying on its side) for 1-2 minutes daily.
- “Rhythmic Eights” An alternative to #3 that doesn’t require pen and paper is Rhythmic Eights. Also derived from kinesiology principles of rhythmic movement, Rhythmic Eights consists of clasping your hands together, fingers and thumbs interlaced, then “drawing” figures of eights in the air for up to a minute each day or whenever needed to quiet the mind.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): Utilizing the meridians on which Chinese Acupuncture is based (without the needles), EFT addresses issues such as performance anxiety at the emotional level by stimulating specific meridian points by tapping on them with our fingertips, often in conjunction with self-affirming proclamations. Check out this introductory video:
I suggest you also check out this EFT technique for clearing the Chakras, a techique that can be especially effective when done prior to a performance or speaking engagement.
So now you have some specific techniques for eliminating your performance anxiety. I hope you will take the time to try them out to see which ones are the best fit for you in your daily practice. I also hope you will share your personal experiences, feedback and success stories with me via your comments to this post. Perhaps you have discovered some other techniques that have worked for you. Please share them here as well.
Until next time… Get it real and keep it real.
Cheerio!
Richard
Filed under Ad Hoc, Health Realization, Music by on Apr 15th, 2010. Comment. 
My wife just turned 60 last week (of course she doesn’t look a day over 59). I had spent the better part of the previous month or so planning a celebratory event worthy of this milestone. She is a songwriter with an amazing body of work produced over several decades of collaboration with writing partners and visits from her muse in the wee hours.
So, inspired by the legendary Ralph Edwards (Boomers, you know who he is), armed with an arsenal of unbelievably talented friends and family, I set out to create a fitting tribute to my sweetie’s first 60 years on this mortal plane. It would be along the lines of This is Your Life meets VH1’s Behind the Music as told through a live concert event with surprise guest performances of my wife’s music, lyrics and comedy schtick, by our generous and gifted friends and family members—who just happen to be world-class musicians and actors.
Long story short, the event took place this past Sunday, August 9th. It was an unforgettable, life-changing experience for everyone involved. I’m sharing it here for all to read because it’s a perfect example of how little things inspire us in very big ways when we choose to live Life in the present moment.
While putting this whole thing together, I made a very conscious effort to be present every step of the way. Connecting to my core health, as I am learning to do via my practice of Health Realization, allowed me to experience huge amounts of cathartic emotions: joy, sorrow, surprise, gratitude and love. There was also some regret, but much more hope and optimism. I can say, it just felt so good to feel. I am rejuvenated by the whole experience. It’s like a love hangover, baby—a supernatural high!
The important takeaway here is the carryover effect. It’s sort of like living the Mastercard TV ads only better, because it’s not about material things—it’s about soul food.
And living Life in the present moment has a snowball effect. The more you do it, the more the light of inspiration shines on you. I find myself often immersed in gracefulness. Observing our 22 year old Siamese cat Mooner age with grace and dignity—living life to the fullest—one day, one moment at a time is one example.
Then there’s my 94 year old father-in-law Joe, still running his geodesic dome business with all his radical, political passion for justice and fairness, mustering just enough vitality to see him through the moment—what more does he need?
We all have these inspirational sources in our lives. They need not be celebrities. They only need our focused attention. They are our friends, family members, coworkers, pets, flowers, plants, trees, rivers, lakes, oceans, mountains and sky. They ebb and flow, rise and shine, move and groove or remain perfectly motionless so we can contemplate their beauty and pure essence.
The best news is that each of us has the capacity to experience this. It’s in our core DNA, so-to-speak. It requires a bit of personal awareness and focus on what we can do rather than focusing on our limitations. In the words of the great Kabbalist Yehuda Berg, “You can always find a reason to complain. Finding a reason to be happy is your spiritual work. Today, focus on the best part of your life. Yes, you do have plenty to worry about, I get it, however, the highest level of restriction is your mind—so focus on the good and don’t leave the lesser any room at all!”
Until next time… Get it real and Keep it real.
Cheerio!
Richard
Filed under Ad Hoc, Baby Boomer, Health Realization by on Aug 13th, 2009. Comment.
I think I may be on to something here; or maybe I’m just on something. Either way, I’m feeling inspired. In my last post, which was also my first post, I successfully conquered my fear of blogging by following my inner Nike spirit and “just doing it”.
Now I’m on a mission; I have a purpose. I am the self-proclaimed Get it Real Guy with the dot com to prove it. I’ve decided to turn this blog into a no bulls**t zone. I know it’s only my second post, but as a child of the 60s, I ‘m entitled to do what ever I want—at least within these four virtual walls. So if I want to switch gears, I’m gonna switch ‘em (see, no BS, just total honesty).
So, from here on out, this site is certified 100% bull free! Getitrealguy.com is your official free-range, grass-fed, no pesticide source for real-life rantings and ravings on any and all things past, present and future. As the tag line suggests, the idea here is for me to call out people and events each week (or more frequently if I feel the urge) that cause the needle on my crap-o-meter to spike in the red. I’ll attempt to offer up a slice of real-life perspective in response. My motto is: I may not always get it right, but at least I’ll get it real. I’d really like to make this as interactive an experience as possible, which means I’m counting on you to share your comments and feedback. I’ll try to keep the Comment Police in check. I believe we are all adults here—right?
So there you have it! I hope you’ll check back frequently for the latest “real guy rant”. My next post will be about taking responsibility for our personal health. Again, your comments are welcome.
Cheerio!
Richard
Filed under Ad Hoc by on Jun 4th, 2009. Comment.
