| I am writing this less than 24 hours after the | | | | does not require weeks or months of practice |
| Dow fell a record 777 points, setting an all time | | | | before it starts working. |
| record. The news is flooded with a grim, dark and | | | | When you are experiencing stressful feelings, you |
| rather pessimistic view of what we can expect | | | | are in what is referred to as foveal vision. Foveal |
| as a result of this financial situation. I'll keep my | | | | vision simply means that your focus or line of |
| political views to myself-it's better that way. I'm | | | | sight is reduced to a narrow band of what is |
| not an economist or financial guru. All I could offer | | | | directly in front of you. Many refer to this as |
| is a very weak opinion about what "they" should | | | | tunnel vision, and that accurately describes what |
| do in Washington. No, politics is not my area of | | | | happens; when in foveal, or tunnel vision, we are |
| expertise. However, my area of expertise does in | | | | not aware of any options that exist, and focus |
| fact offer a powerful feeling of relief for those | | | | only on the possible consequences of what we |
| who may currently feel like the world is tumbling | | | | are worrying about. |
| down around them. | | | | You've no doubt heard of peripheral vision, but |
| More than once in my life I had the opportunity to | | | | what you may not have known was that when |
| help bring a high level executive back from the | | | | we intentionally switch to peripheral vision, we |
| brink of mental and emotional meltdown. If there | | | | automatically trigger our parasympathetic nervous |
| is one thing I know to be true, it's that the | | | | system. This is the part of our nervous system |
| "meltdown" is never the result of what is going on | | | | that initiates a return to calm, relaxed, and |
| around us; it's the result of what is going on within | | | | centered feelings. I think you'll agree, even in the |
| us, and this my friends, is almost exclusively | | | | most trying of times, you can consciously control |
| controlled by the way we are using our physical | | | | what you are doing with your eyes. When you |
| body and our nonverbal communication. | | | | do, seemingly magical things happen. |
| For decades now, much has been written about | | | | So, right now, as you are reading this, I'd like you |
| taking control of our thoughts, or, thinking | | | | to take a moment, and while you keep eyes and |
| "positive" for a more enjoyable and productive | | | | head directed at this article, allow your awareness |
| life, and as you know, that advice is not without | | | | to shift so that you are aware of what exists off |
| merit. However, you probably also know, that | | | | to your left, to your far right, up above you, and |
| when you are caught up and the seemingly | | | | down below you. Simply become aware of the |
| inescapable grip of anxiety, worry and fear, | | | | spaces all around you, as far out as you can |
| moving a mountain seems to be a more feasible | | | | comfortably go. Then, just comfortably remain |
| activity than controlling your thoughts. This is | | | | with your awareness here for 20 seconds or so. |
| precisely why body language is so critically | | | | You may be surprised to discover that after just |
| important. While a racing mind may prevent us | | | | a few seconds, you will effortlessly and |
| from running our own mind, we can always, yes, | | | | automatically take a deep breath. This is a sign |
| always, control the way we are using our physical | | | | your parasympathetic nervous system is |
| body- and when we do, we get an immediate and | | | | responding. |
| instantaneous shift in how we are feeling. | | | | This can be done as often each day as you like- |
| Interestingly enough, there is also a rapid shift in | | | | the more the better. Not only that, you can |
| our thoughts. In short, the body doesn't follow the | | | | literally do this anywhere. As you begin using this |
| mind as quickly as our mind follows our body. | | | | method several times each day, you'll notice you |
| Clearly, this article cannot encompass all of the | | | | are thinking more clearly, not panicking near as |
| nearly unlimited ways in which we can access | | | | much ( if at all) and have a lot more energy left |
| powerful peak performance states even while | | | | over at the end of the day. |
| chaos surrounds us. However, what I'm going to | | | | © Copyright 2008. Vincent Harris. All Rights |
| share with you here, has the ability to change the | | | | Reserved. |
| way you experience life the instant you use it; it | | | | |