| How many of you have heard of the saying "Ask and | | | | grieving/closure ceremony. She was still stunned. |
| you shall receive"? Ok - great concept, but how does | | | | "I can't believe it she said. I was set some very specific |
| it actually work? Many thinkers, religious, new age and | | | | goals in the past month". "Tell me about them" I asked. |
| scientific have been exploring this puzzle in recent | | | | "Well, I asked all my staff to make 100 appointments |
| years. | | | | for free sessions with my business. I set each person |
| Have you ever decided that you need to buy a | | | | an individual target of appointments to achieve and the |
| washing machine and then suddenly noticed there is a | | | | time within which to achieve them". |
| rush of companies advertising washing machines? | | | | "So what happened" - I asked. |
| What about if you are expecting a baby - noticed how | | | | "Well, they achieved their targets, we had 100 |
| many people are pregnant around you? This is due to | | | | appointments booked. The problem was that none of |
| a part of your brain called the reticular activating | | | | the appointments converted to paying customers. |
| system. The reticular activating system (RAS) is at the | | | | Some didn't turn up, most couldn't afford our services |
| base of the brain stem and expands into the mid brain | | | | and many just wanted the free session." |
| (neo cortex). It controls your sleep and arousal | | | | "So you actually got what you asked for. Did you set |
| patterns and contributes to your focus of attention and | | | | any goals for conversion to paying customers?" |
| levels of motivation. | | | | A look of horror passed over her face as she realized |
| You are bombarded by thousands of pieces of | | | | what had happened "No - we got exactly what we |
| information every second - you need to sort this data | | | | asked for - appointments, not customers!" |
| into meaningful chunks and filter out non-relevant | | | | Let's leave aside the question of demographics, |
| pieces of information otherwise you would overload. | | | | correct target marketing and qualifying clients for a |
| Your RAS does this for you. Your RAS is a bit like a | | | | moment. What she asked for she got - 100%. The |
| computer - you set the program to filter out what you | | | | trouble was, she only asked for part of what she |
| want, so only the important bits get through. | | | | really wanted. |
| Thanks for the science lesson Ingrid, but what does | | | | Lessons from Prayer |
| this have to do with me, you may be asking? What | | | | So does this mean that you have to be 100% crystal |
| you program your mind through your RAS to look out | | | | clear on exactly what you want? Not exactly. While |
| for - that is what you get. If you program it to look for | | | | there is a lot of research currently going on about |
| washing machines or pregnant ladies - that is what | | | | RAS, there is also a lot of work going on about the |
| you see everywhere. The reality is that there are no | | | | power of prayer. Just key in "Power of Prayer" into |
| more ads or pregnancies than before - it is just that | | | | Google and have a look at some of the nearly 3 million |
| you can see them now. If you program your mind to | | | | links. Research has been conducted on prayer and |
| see the good in others, then that is what you see. | | | | heart patients, IVF patients, burns patient, AIDS patients |
| There is a Buddhist teaching story that tells of a wise | | | | and the list goes on. |
| monk sitting at a crossroads. A family walked up to | | | | The type of prayer - specific "please heal Ms Jones |
| him and asked "Tell us about the village up ahead. We | | | | of her lumbago" compared to more general "If it is for |
| are looking for a nice new home to live in." The monk | | | | her highest good, please heal Ms Jones", has also been |
| replied "Tell me about what the people were like | | | | the subject of research. It appears from the research |
| where you came from". "They were horrible, always | | | | that non-specific prayer is more effective than specific |
| fighting, crime was a problem and people were not | | | | prayer and people are advised to leave the outcomes |
| helpful to each other". "Sadly, the next village is the | | | | in the hands of the higher being or God (depending on |
| same" replied the monk. | | | | your personal beliefs). |
| Another family walked up to the monk. "Tell us about | | | | This provides us with some interesting lessons. The |
| the village up ahead. We are looking for a nice new | | | | best outcomes come from setting clear goals, but |
| home to live in." The monk replied "Tell me about what | | | | leaving space for a higher being or God to intervene. |
| the people were like where you came from". "They | | | | Questions & Actions |
| were wonderful, very generous and supportive of | | | | So, how can you set your RAS to best support your |
| each other." "The next village is the same" replied the | | | | goals?o Start with the basics - work out specifically |
| monk. | | | | what goals you are looking for using the tips from last |
| Now you get the basic idea, let's take it that bit further. | | | | month.o Visualise yourself achieving those goals |
| Your Reticular Activating System (RAS) and Goals | | | | 100%,o Experience the emotions around successfully |
| In our last Heart Paths we discussed the importance | | | | achieving those goalso Hear the sounds of successo |
| of setting goals. This month lets put the two pieces of | | | | Add in the thought/feeling - "this or better, if for my |
| information together - the RAS and goals. When you | | | | highest good" as this provides space for God or a |
| have clearly defined goals, what you are doing is | | | | higher power to intercede. |
| setting your RAS to look for and sort information that | | | | Doing this will help you to set your RAS program for |
| will support your goals. If you have fuzzy goals, then | | | | goal success. |
| your RAS will present you with fuzzy information and | | | | Next write your goals into present tense, write them |
| fuzzy outcomes. | | | | as if you have already achieved them and say them |
| The reverse also happens - if you set goals that are | | | | repeatedly throughout the month as an affirmation. |
| too narrow or limiting, then that is what you will receive. | | | | This will help maintain your RAS program. |
| Case study | | | | Finally, detach from the outcome. Know that whatever |
| To give you an example, this month I was talking with | | | | happens in your life is perfectly correct. You can learn |
| a businesswoman whose company had just closed. I | | | | from the outcome no matter what it is. It is at this point |
| was debriefing her about what she had done and | | | | you need to let go and trust. |
| what she could do differently next time as part of a | | | | |