Author: Paul Joo

Paul Joo, Decision Architect and devotee of Human Potential & Performance. My passion is identifying & unleashing personal potential.
Perspectives

got fears? just corral ’em!

by Paul Joo

Everyone has fears. The trouble is that many people are afraid of their fears; understandably so, as left unchecked they can be devastating.

The good news is that they can be of real positive value to you too – just never neglect them.

Never allow your fears to fester in a corner, gaining strength and increasing control over your imagination! Instead, call them out into the light every so often – make a habit of doing so – particularly when you are feeling overwhelmed by them.

Shake hands with them, give’em a quick rinse, remind them that while you must co-exist YOU are still the boss, and then let them drift on their way.

I guarantee that if you do this periodically your fears will behave themselves, and stay in their rightful place as challenges to be accepted and cautions to be heeded.

What does not kill you makes you stronger.

 

Perspectives

how to increase your personal authority

by Paul Joo

The Scenario: Circumstances call for you to exercise your Personal Authority – which is the most appropriate response strategy?

Using FORCE on yourself or others is akin to bulldozing around dirt in the expectation of digging a well and finding water.

Insight: The fuel of FORCE is often fear, which unfortunately constrains free and innovative thinking. So you will get an outcome, but perhaps not of the kind or quality that you expect. And since feelings of pressure & discomfort frequently accompany FORCE, you risk the types of outcomes one gets from being inflexible.

 

Applying DISCIPLINE to yourself or others is like making the calculated choice to dig a well where there’s water below.

Insight: The fuel of DISCIPLINE is motivation of success. So you’re likely to get the results you expected.  Even if the task before you is tough or even unpleasant, when you are exercising the freedom to do or be your best under the circumstances, DISCIPLINE delivers results. And more to the point, it can foster an environment of creative freedom, innovative thinking and maneuverability.

 

The Takeaway: Keep in mind that the fundamental difference between FORCE and DISCIPLINE lies in their fuel; it really is a matter of choosing to rely on positive or negative emotion. So stay mindful of which fuel you are choosing and why, and you’ll know exactly what types of outcome to expect.

 

Thought Bytes

escaping from a catch-22

by Paul Joo

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a Catch-22? Can’t figure how to break out of it?

Challenge your premises and identify which one of them is flawed; you’ll find at least one that definitely is. Then just figure out why it was incorrect in the first place, and replace it with one that isn’t!

 

Thought Bytes

a quick emotional detox tip

by Paul Joo

Emotional Pollution requires a host environment – it cannot exist outside of you. So if you are feeling lousy, check to see that you’re not keeping any pollutants clinging to your mind by default.

“We become that to which we give our attention.” – Aristotle

 

Perspectives

how to overcome getting stuck

by Paul Joo

There comes a time when each of us, mindful or not, sees our expectations of moving forward outpacing our actual performance. And the result is that we find ourselves mentally stuck or stalled in a, well, let’s call it a “crappy place”. But while it feels very real, it’s often just feeling and not fact. So ending up there once in a while is not necessarily something that has to be “fixed” right away.

Sounds crazy, right? Well, here’s the method behind my madness: If you can focus on maintaining a certain level of objectivity while you are in the middle of a mental maelstrom, you can actually get a lot more insight (about you & it) than if you were outside of it. Think about it: You get the benefits of being an objective observer as well as the benefits of being an active participant – kind of like being a war correspondent on the battlefield but without having to worry about being shot at.

So next time you find yourself mentally in a “crappy place”, don’t be too hard on yourself. Instead, enthusiastically seize the opportunity to learn something about how you operate on your deepest levels – it may be a little scary, but it’s a great way to uncover some of that hidden potential.

Nietzsche sums it up beautifully: “He possesses heart who knows fear but masters fear; who sees the abyss, but sees it with pride. He who sees the abyss, but with eagle’s eyes – he who grasps the abyss with an eagle’s claws: he possesses courage.”

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