Capitalogix

Attitude

I got the following story in an e-mail, several times this year.  It has a nice message.  The thing that interested me, though, was that I got it in several different forms. 

Jerry is the hero in this version.  It was Mike in another.  Sometimes he got shot, and was allergic to bullets ... other times he fell off a tower and was allergic to gravity.  Sometimes it was a plain text mail, other times it was in a PowerPoint attachment.

Made to Stick:  Clearly it is a "sticky" story that people like to re-shape and re-tell.  So, with no further ado, here it is for you to read for yourself.

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone asked him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business.

We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination.

The robbers panicked and shot him.

Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

It's Really About Resilience: 

Lots of articles stress that how we react to challenges can dramatically affect the outcome, influence our health and the quality and length of our lives.

A new branch of medicine – psychoneuroimmunology - studies the relationship between mental attitude and health. Physicians have found that a positive attitude can result in faster recovery from surgery and burns, more resistance to arthritis and cancer and improved immune function.

For example, Yale University researchers conducted a 23-year-long study which showed that those who had a positive attitude towards aging lived roughly seven and a half years longer than participants who were dreading reaching their twilight years.

In "The Survivor Personality," Al Siebert has some interesting insights into why some people are stronger and more skillful at handling life’s difficulties. Interestingly Dr. Siebert says that survivor qualities can be learned, but they can't be taught.

Are life's best survivors different from other people?  No; they survive, cope, and thrive better because they are better at using the inborn abilities possessed by all humans.

Will it be easy to think positively and look for the good when things are going bad? Not always; yet cost-benefit analysis indicates that the rewards are well worth the effort.  I have two choices: I could choose to focus on what makes me strong, or I could focus on what makes me weak. I choose to focus on what makes me strong.  I hope you do too.

Three Simple Questions To Help Make This Your Best Year Ever

We are preparing for our yearly audit. On one hand, this is a task that is hard to like. It reeks of administrivia; and it seems like the best that happens is that nothing happens.

On the other hand, this is a great opportunity for us to review aspects of our business that rarely get primary focus. It reminds me of putting together a business plan. The actual plan isn't nearly as important as the thought and effort that went into creating it.

So, as we start the new year, I challenge you to look at some aspects of your business or life that you know need a little bit more of your focus. To borrow from the Strategic Coach (which is one of my favorite sources), you can start by asking yourself three questions.

1. What do I want to do more of?
2. What do I want to do less of?
3. What do I want to start doing?

Be honest with yourself, and recognize that there's a difference between data-driven tactics, things that emotionally charge you, and the things you just know are true.

You have a clean slate and open field, realize you can fill it with anything. Choose wisely.

Being in One Conversation: A QuantumThink Example

I recently took a course called QuantumThink. It was interesting and different than many other courses I had taken.

It laid out a number of techniques and exercises that helped me distinguish when I was acting automatically (rather than consciously) and unnecessarily limiting my sense of opportunities, options, or even what was possible.  

Frankly, I was surprised by how many of my thoughts, beliefs, and decisions were the result of unconscious habits or predictable patterns of behavior.

An Example.  One exercise helped me recognize how fragile my focus had been. Imagine trying to listen to your favorite song. How long do you think you could truly do that without losing focus and having other thoughts intrude (without thinking about your to-do list or other songs that you like, or who you're going to meet with later in the day, etc.)?  For me, the answer was not that long.

More importantly, I recognized that when I'm not aware of my focus, it often wanders.  And I get distracted easily.  Soon I recognized that this happened to me while talking to my wife, while listening to a telephone call, even when ordering food at a restaurant. How can I lose focus on the waitress while I was ordering? Apparently, quite easily.

How About You?  When you're listening to someone talk to you, are you really listening to them - or are you checking e-mail, texting, browsing a website, watching TV, playing a game, or thinking about what you're going to say?  Be honest with yourself; how often are you fully present?  For me, the answer was not nearly enough.

Try listening to one song with your full attention and focus.  Now, imagine how different a conversation with someone important to you would be if you were consciously aware of your intent for them to experience being heard the whole time they were speaking to you. Maybe it is easier to imagine how different it would be for you if someone was fully present when you talked with them?

I suspect that this is an area where many people exhibit a similar weakness. I say that because discussing this with several friends and family members resulted in big changes in our interactions.

This was a small example, and there are lots more.  Even this single distinction can make a material change in your life, if you let it. So give it a try; and visit this website to learn more about QuantumThink.

Help Your Body to Calm Down - And Your Mind Will Follow

 

Trading is often stressful. Learning how to handle the emotional and physiological response patterns is an important step toward long-term success.

During market turmoil, sometimes I notice the seeds of fear, uncertainty, and doubt in my body. Rather than succumbing to this, I have developed a number of coping practices and techniques.

• The first is simply to follow our trading rules and trust in the process;
• The second is to rely on automation as much as possible;  and
  
• The third is to recognize that my body's cues are an important signal for me to take action.

One of the best ways of coping with stress, for me, is to exercise regularly.

Have you ever noticed how animals shake or tremble when they are traumatized? These physical activities may be nature's way of helping discharge stress hormones, purge excess energy and release muscle tension.

For humans, exercise is a pretty close analog to this. I know that I feel better after an hour of brisk activity to get my heart rate up, to sweat, and then to calm down. Somehow this tells my body that the agitation was expected; and now the relaxation is a good and appropriate response, too.

Another technique that works for me is to use music enhanced with tones to help me meditate or relax.  An example of this is the Centerpointe Holosync package.  Another set that I enjoy is Hemi-Sync music from the Monroe Institute.

When I get really stressed, though, my wife tells me that it's time for me to use my "light and sound machine." I think my using it helps her as much as me.

As the name implies, it combines visual and audio stimulation.   So, how does it work?  The short answer is that brain activity naturally falls in-sync with lights flashing at a certain frequencies. And you can encourage certain brain wave patterns by controlling the frequency, color and intensity of the pulses.  Supplementing this with a similar technique based on sound compounds the effect. 

Most of these devices include small LED lights mounted in a pair of eye glasses and headphones. The lights and sounds synchronized by a small control unit.  The mind machine that I use, called a Procyon, includes 50 unique, pre-programmed light and sound stimulation sequences within its internal memory, each designed with a specific goal in mind (for example, relaxation, concentration, accelerated learning, creativity, or rejuvenation). Procyon also has the ability to synchronize with audio material on a CD or MP3 - or with AudioStrobe programs.

Behind your closed eyelids you will see a kaleidoscope of color, layers of fractals and a variety of screensaver-like imagery. Once you get used to it, the experience is quite pleasant. 

It's pretty foo-foo; so I'm not going to pretend that this is 100% scientific and logical. Nonetheless, I believe that it is a lot more than a placebo.  Why? Because I have empirical evidence that it works.

Most importantly, I feel better after I do it. In addition, a biofeedback machine (which measures brain waves, pulse, galvanic skin response and other stress indicators) confirms that the light and sound machine works dramatically and quickly.

It works on almost everyone I've watched try it (and I've done this with CEOs, programmers, traders, staff members, and a bunch of others). However, it does not work on people who fight it.  And I am amazed at how many people fight it, initially.  After a few minutes, most simply let go and let the technology un-ruffle their feathers.

 The possibilities are great, and the technology is effective. However, the only way to truly appreciate the light sound experience is to try a mind machine for yourself.

Resilience

Watching the Olympics has been an uplifting reminder for me.  The sport of it is fun to watch.  Yet, the deeper story is even better.

For example, Michael Phelps was expected to break Mark Spitz's record in Athens four-years ago.  While he was dominating, it just didn't happen, then. 

Can you imagine setting world records, winning gold medals, and still feeling like you came up short?

Can you imagine how many times he replayed the missing hundredths of a second that separated him from his dream?
So how did he do it this time?

Somehow the great ones are resilient and durable in distressing situations.  They adapt and cope; and ultimately gain strength from adversity -- often converting it into a gift.  They find a way to transform what seemed like setbacks into the fuel they need to get to the next level.

Nietzsche said "that which does not kill me, makes me stronger."  And that statement applies to trading and funds management as well.   Trading often seems like it is not fair - and that can be very good for us. 

11 Foods You're Not Eating - But Should

The NYTimes had an interesting article about 11 foods that are good for you and easy to find, but that most people don't eat.  Here is the link and here is a link to a related article on the Men's Health site.

Cell Phone Popcorn Popper

Up till now, I've kept my cell phone in my front pants pocket.  After watching these videos I'm worried about fried eggs.  Pretty cool ... or hot ... depending on the perspective.

Here is the direct link.

Just in case one wasn't enough.

Here is the direct link.

So, what does Snopes say?

What is Your Intention?

Fear, greed and hope comprise the Bermuda Triangle of trading. Many dreams were battered or lost because of them.

In trading, my goal is to make and keep money, consistently. It isn't to be right, or clever, or even creative. Reducing human bias and error are benefits of using automated trading systems; and ultimately that helps us intelligently respond to the markets.

How does that apply to life?

Oh, a small question ...

A friend of mine called me this week to share a thought. He said that he was trying to stop simply responding automatically to situations. Instead, he was going to consciously focus on his "intention" before responding.

Imagine how different the world would occur to you if you brought "intention" into focus instead of mindlessly surrendering to your first feelings and actions.

My first reaction often is to ask "what is the best next step?" Perhaps you do something similar? On many levels that is a resourceful question. Yet, what would happen if, instead, you brought your intention into focus and asked what role you could play to best support that intention?

Your role directly affects the options you perceive.

Let me know how that works for you.

Finding Your Center

Managing stress and controlling mental states are important components of being successful personally and in business. I know that I operate and respond better when I am in flow, or "in-the-zone." So, I value tools and techniques that help me get there.

One of these tools is called Holosync. It is still incredibly useful to me, even though I've been using it for over five years.

It induces relaxation and meditative states without any effort or technical know-how. Simply put on the headphones and listen to seemingly normal music. The sounds are specially encoded to do all the work.

The basic premise is that sound waves can affect brain waves.

Bill Harris has built a business around figuring out the brain wave patterns for meditation, creativity, compassion, etc. - and finding a way to send tones through headphones to help guide your brain waves into the chosen pattern.

It is a very pleasant experience. Bill was a musician and has made sure that the scientific stuff is well-hidden beneath, nicely arranged musical scores and relaxation sounds.

My heart rate calms down, my head clears, and In a few minutes I'm in a measurably better state. How do I know? Because I have a biofeedback device that measures my pulse, heart rate, galvanic skin response, and other readings to help me learn to relax better.

I have tried various breathing and focus techniques, with varying degrees of success. However, without fail, I simply put on the headphones, and I relax.

Not just me, though, either. I've demonstrated this to skeptical children, friends, and even my wife. All of them experience the same thing. We hook them up to the biofeedback machine, we put the headphones on them, and they relax.

I use it several times a week, and almost every time I travel. I find myself using Holosync mostly at night. However, our portfolio manager uses it at the beginning of the day. He claims that it helps him concentrate and it puts him a better state to do his job.

You be the judge, though. Bill has a free trial at his website. Here is the link. All in all, this is certainly a technology worth investigating.

What follows is from a promotional piece for Holosync. Normally I wouldn't include this type of information. However, I use the product and agree with the message.

-HMG

_________________________________

OK, I admit it... I'm amazed!

I know from personal experience how beneficial and effective the Centerpointe Holosync® program has been in my life. And I know how valuable it's been to many of my closest friends and associates...

As you know, our passion here is to make available to people just like you--the best and most effective ways to...

• Dramatically improve your mental, emotional, and spiritual health...
• Help you create real and constant happiness in your life, regardless of your past or present circumstances...
• Improve your creativity, intelligence, and mental functioning...
• Significantly improve your overall sense of well-being and inner peace...
• Help you create your own success in the world, along with the personal satisfaction and sense of fulfillment that comes with being successful.

Well, judging from the mail I've received about Centerpointe's, The Holosync Solution™, we've obviously hit the nail on the head.

I've actually recommended this program many times over the past several years, and I've always been impressed by the positive comments I've received from so many people who have used it.

The common thread running through most of these comments is that Centerpointe's Holosync audio technology really does create the benefits mentioned above.

I'll tell you a few brief points about the program in a moment, but you really need to go to Centerpointe's website.

Now, here's just a "taste" of what The Holosync Solution can do for you...

1. It can allow you to effortlessly reach states of deep meditation--even the very first time you use it...
2. It can dramatically accelerate your mental, emotional, and spiritual growth, giving you the results you always THOUGHT you were supposed to get from meditation (but, if you're like most people, never really got)...
3. It can dramatically raise your threshold for stress and cause stress-induced dysfunctional feelings and behaviors (including anger, depression, fear, anxiety, substance abuse, and many others) to fall away … and
4. It can increase your self-awareness, inner peace, and happiness, as well as your ability to connect with other people and create successful relationships.

If you've tried meditation, or some of those other personal growth approaches that just didn't deliver, or just want to go MUCH deeper, with faster results... or if you just want to grow and improve your life at an accelerated pace, I know you'll love The Holosync Solution.

Look. I don't recommend things to my friends and clients lightly. But I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't share this with you. There's no risk to check it out, and I know you'll be glad you did.

My Exercise Experience

I just finished a physical for an insurance policy. My blood pressure was 120/80. My resting pulse was 68 and my weight has been coming down. Combine that with a good week in the market and the new portfolios, and I was feeling pretty good about myself.

So, I went to the gym to work-out with a personal trainer and my 15-year-old son, Zachary.  At the beginning of the session, I was lifting weights, feeling good, looking in the mirror and thinking "won't be long until I'm in my skinny pants." Skip forward twenty minutes into the session; my cheeks were bright red, I was huffing and puffing, and I was wondering how my son was doing so much more than I did. Ten more minutes and I was on my butt, gasping. To paraphrase a country song, “I may not be as good as I once was; but I'm as good, once, as I ever was.” Now I know what they are talking about.

Sometimes it is better not to wait too long before fixing things.