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What Do You Mean This Stuff Is All Made Up? – Part 2 of 2

Last week we unearthed the idea that our brains are prediction devices that keep us 2 steps ahead of ourselves, using “the carrot” (AKA Unlimited Cosmic Power) or “the stick” (AKA The Cosmic 8-Ball of Life)
 
Just when you thought you were experiencing reality, neuroscience has proven that the “reality” we experience is totally made up—which is why 4 people can be on different corners of a 4-way intersection and see 4 different accidents, when only one occurred. (And all of them are “telling the truth.”)
 
Pretty wild, eh?
 
Last week I was stunned to catch myself using “the stick” on ME—when I have long considered myself to be a card-carrying “carrot” person. It turns out that this is a totally normal phenomenon and I’m definitely not alone here! That was my cue to bring in some Everyday Communication Sorcery, in case you, like me, get surprised when that stick shows up out of nowhere to cramp your style.
 
Full disclosure: I used to be a card-carrying STICK person.
 
Long ago, I was a master at self-loathing. Frankly, nobody could beat me up worse than I did; I was skilled at “snatching failure from the jaws of victory;” all in the service of making sure to (unconsciously) protect my identity as a “loser.”
 
Then a mentor of mine pointed this out to me in no uncertain terms. He gave me an unavoidable choice to change—or lose everything that mattered to me in the new work I was doing as an addictions counselor.
 
Forty years ago, his intervention turned my life around, because he showed me specifically how to override my big stick for a number of even bigger carrots. He showed me how to do it for myself as well as how to share it with others.
 
Now for the Communication Sorcery: here’s my strategy to track your own sticks and carrots, so you always have a choice about how you want to feel.
 
This Communication Sorcery was born when I was introduced to the work of Dr. Bruce Schneider on Energy Leadership. This Sorcery involves discovering three useful concepts: 1)There are types of Energy, 2) There are Levels of Energy, and 3)There are Energy-identifying Questions. (Trust me, using this works—100% of the time.)
 
(Stay with me here—I know it’s weird to have concepts in a Playbook like this—I promise you that if you will take the extra time to walk with me for a quick minute, you will be SO HAPPY that you did. TRULY.)
 
OK. Here we go:
  1. ENERGY TYPES: Dr. Schneider discovered that there are two kinds of energy in the world: energy that constricts you and energy that expands you.
     
  2. ENERGY LEVELS: He also discovered that, within those two kinds of energy, there are seven levels; and each level of energy that you’re in affects how you experience any situation. (Level 1=lowest and Level 7 = highest)

    1. Constricting Energy Levels:
      1. Level 1: Feeling like a victim of your circumstances, helpless
      2. Level 2: Feeling angry about your situation, looking for someone to blame 
    2. Expanding Energy Levels:
      1. Level 3: Feeling curious, stepping back to see the bigger picture of your circumstances
      2. Level 4: Feeling concerned, looking for ways to be of service in the midst of your situation
      3. Level 5: Feeling inspired or intrigued, looking for ways to get creative about your situation
      4. Level 6: Feeling at peace, looking for ways to integrate your circumstances
      5. Level 7: Feeling complete about whatever is happening, being in the flow of the situation
         
  3. ENERGY QUESTIONS—In my research, I discovered this secret sauce about Energy: You can easily identify what Energy Level you’re in by getting conscious of the questions you’re asking—AND—you can shift into a higher Energy Level simply by changing your questions. (At the beginning, the easiest energy shift you can make is to the next level up. With some practice, it’s possible to shift into any Energy Level you choose, simply by asking a different question.)

    1. Constricting Energy Questions:
      1. Level 1: WHY ME?? What did I do to deserve this?
      2. Level 2: WHOSE BUTT DO I NEED TO KICK RIGHT NOW?? (this includes kicking your own butt—self-loathing practices live at this Energy Level)
    2. Expanding Energy Questions:
      1. Level 3: What’s my part in this? (This is where you put that stick down…)
      2. Level 4: How can this situation serve me right now–or even help someone else?
      3. Level 5: How can I use this situation to create something new (a product/a service/a strategy)?
      4. Level 6: What if this is perfect? (Here is where you instantly transform a stick into a carrot!)
      5. Level 7: There is no question here—you’re completely in the flow of whatever you’re doing, and you feel like you’re outside time (Like when 3  hours feels like 5 minutes because you’re visiting with a friend/working on a passion project/being out in nature).
AND NOW, FOR YOUR BIG WIN!!
 
COMMUNICATION SORCERY IS YOURS: Your brain’s predictions will change according to the Energy Level you’re in.
 
THIS is exactly how I switched from being behind that Cosmic 8-Ball of Life into having Unlimited Cosmic Power last week!
  1. My stick emerged from Level One: WHY ME? Why am I so behind in all my work? How can I ever get back on track? (It didn’t matter that my Cosmic 8-Ball of Life wasn’t “real” because it was REAL for me.)
  2. My carrot emerged from my asking the Level 6 question “What if this is perfect?” These days, that one question has become my go-to question whenever I’m feeling crappy. It never fails to crack me right up because it’s totally ridiculous that this crappy situation is perfect!!  And my laughter shifts my energy from constricting to expanding—which opens the doors to my Unlimited Cosmic Power!
Play of the week: This week, I invite you to consider the possibility that your Energy Levels are affecting your experience. You can easily find out whether this is true for you with 3 simple steps: 
  1. At random times though out the day, pay attention to how you feel.
  2. Once you identify that feeling, listen to yourself—check out the questions you’re asking yourself. (Give yourself the time to practice this one—it’s totally OK if you don’t think you’re asking any questions. Give it a couple of days and keep checking in with yourself. When you’re really serious about this stuff, I have found that simply by paying attention, you will absolutely start to hear yourself.)
  3. No matter how you feel, simply make note of your questions. Play with this and decide for yourself what questions you want to continue to use.
Try out these three steps and see what happens. As always, the Big Win here is to consider the possibility that practicing Communication Sorcery will benefit you—something you can only prove one way or the other by trying it out.
 
THIS WEEK’S SPECIAL BONUS:
If you liked what you read this week and you want to take a deeper dive into how Energy Levels can work for you—for FREE—head on over to www.maiabeatty.com and schedule your 30-minute Discovery Session with me. We will NOT be talking about coaching; I am currently not accepting any new clients. So if you want to play with Energy Levels in real time, there’s a spot for you in the next 7 days.   
 
Important Note: All you’re doing this week is exploring.
There’s no way to screw this up.