How well or how badly we perform at any given moment depends mostly on the state of mind we were in at the time. Understanding that premise and understanding it well could be one of the most powerful lesson that we'll ever learn in our lifetime.
Have you ever said anything, or come up with an idea that was simply brilliant? A time when you were so proud of yourself? And can you remember times when you said something that was silly beyond beliefs? Of course you can. So, what made the difference between these two incidents?
The difference was due to the state of mind that you were while those occurrences were taking place. In the first case, the one that you were so proud of, you were in a great and empowering state of mind. In the second case, where you could not believe how silly you could have been, you were simply in a silly state of mind.
The state of mind is the regulator of our performances. That is what makes the difference between acting brilliantly and being just plain dumb.
That fact is seen every day in professional sports. Two teams of almost equal talent and ability will compete and the team that will win will be the one who's player had the best attitude or the best state of mind. It is true in sport, it is also true in everyday life.
The state of mind is the determining factor in the quality of of every performances. A great state of mind will produce fantastic results while a so-so state of mind will produce questionable results.
The question then becomes, "how can we increase the quality of the state of mind that we are currently are in?" How can we change a low key state of mind into a dynamic, energetic and most empowering one?
The state of mind is most influenced by three factors.
1. What we focus on.
2. What things mean for us.
3. Our body posture.
If we focus on something that is positive, exciting and uplifting, those neurons in our brain will get all fired up and our mood will follow suit. Our state of mind will also be positive, excited and uplifted. On the other hand, if we focus on the bad and the ugly, so will our state of mind.
Shakespeare said, "Nothing is either good or bad but out thinking makes it so." We get to decide what things or events mean for us and if we chose to color positively any situation, the quality of our state of mind will automatically be uplifted.
And, last but not least, one of the most effective way of empowering our state of mind is, through body posture.
At any given moment, small receptors throughout our body are sending signals to the brain signaling information about our posture. If we are standing straight and erect with an air of confidence, that's the message that the brain will receive. On the other hand, if we stand and have the posture of someone who is down and defeated, that's also the message that the brain will receive.
By altering our body posture we can directly affect our state of mind. Great posture, great state of mind. Great posture accompanied by well chosen focus and a positive outlook on whatever is affecting us in the present will create a fantastic state of mind. That state of mind will then determine the quality of our performances.
It's not always how intelligent, how smart or how educated we are that matters most in how we perform. All these factors will be under the influence of our state of mind. So, if we want to perform to the highest level that we are capable of, the first thing that needs attention is our state of mind. The quality of the performance always depends on it.
Dr. Raymond Comeau aka Shamou is the Author of ShamouBlog and Administrator of Personal Development for Personal Success Forums
