Read chapters 13 and 14 and implement the following exercises:
- Fill in the blank. On page 230 (see here)
Practice without ______________ and you will learn more _________________ and be able to perform better in a ______________ situation. - Based upon pages 230 to 236 describe in your own words what “Shadowboxing” is and one real life example of it in your life.
- Page 237 fill in the blanks (see here):
Common experience teaches that, when great demands are made upon us, if only we __________________ accept the _______________and______________ expend our strength, every danger or difficulty brings its own strength. - Page 238 fill in the blanks (see here):
Prescott Lecky believed…”That there was only one basic emotion _________________ and that ______________________ manifests itself as __________, ____________, _____________, etc. depending on our own __________________ at the time —whether we are inwardly organized to conquer a problem, run away from it, or destroy it. “The real problem is not to ____________________, ” wrote Lecky, “but to ______________ the _______________ of which tendency shall receive ___________________________.” - On pages 250-251, read the experience by Les Giblin. Write down the specific steps he did to create the “Winning Feeling”. And write down an experience of your own where you have done exactly what Les Giblin did to combine the past winning feeling to a future desired result?
- On page 255 describe why do you think it’s possible to make more progress by actually slowing down when you reach a plateau of growth in life? Explain in your own words why this is? How is it possible to see faster gains by first slowing down?
- It’s imagination muscle exercise time again! This is another opportunity for you to apply what you’ve been learning again so you can get better.
Read and apply what you read in pages 255 to 256 on “How to Play Back Your Own Built-In Success Patterns”. Let’s apply this by first doing a type of exercise called a “free-write” session for about 10 minutes straight, don’t stop writing and write down as many times in the past you have been successful at something. Replay the memories and write those successful memories down in a big list.
Second, when you’re done writing down the list of successful memories take a moment to relive and feel those memories. As the author says…”revive the entire picture in as much detail as you can. In your mind’s eye “see” not only the main event, but all the little incidental things that accompanied your success. What sounds were there? What about your environment? What else was happening around you at the time? What objects were present? What time of year was it? Were you cold or hot? And so forth. The more detailed you can make it the better.” He goes on to say…”If you can remember your feelings from the past, they will be reactivated in the present. You will find yourself feeling self-confident, because self-confidence is built upon memories of past successes.”
Third, “give your thoughts now to the important things you want to be successful at today or this week. Use your creative imagination to picture yourself just how you would act and just how you would feel if you had already succeeded. - On page 257 the author discusses how to cultivate faith and courage and then goes on to talk about how if you’re going to worry you might as well “worry constructively”. What does he mean by that?
Now make a list of the things you currently worry about. Come prepared in class to share how you worried constructively about one of your major worries. Examine the steps on page 257 and try practicing them (define the most desireable possible outcome, suppose, what could happen if it did, and digest those gradual doses of optimism and faith. Begin to imagine what the desirable outcome would be like; go over details-mental pictures over and over again until favorable feelings manifest of faith, self-confidence, courage etc.
