by Tom Evans | Nov 11, 2014 | Expanding
I am really honoured and excited to be a member of a new group of authors with a ‘publisher’ called Avanoo who has introduced quite a revolutionary model.
For starters, the ‘publisher’ doesn’t create books but ‘Noos’ which are 2 to 3 minute audiovisual delights to open minds and expand horizons …
‘Readers’ don’t take in these gems of wisdom in one sitting, they are delivered by email daily so they can be savoured over the course of 30 days.
I’m also doubly honoured to be interviewing each and every fellow author for the Zone Show Channel over the coming months!
To find out what it’s all about, listen to this interview with the co-founder and president of Avanoo, Daniel Jacobs …
And in this podcast, Daniel turns the tables on me and explores where my temporal Noos came from …
I this podcast, Annabelle Drumm – the Kite Girl – explains how our thoughts really are things and why we should be mindful of what we are thinking …
Tom Dowd explains why being made redundant and finding a new job can be a breath of fresh air …
Helene Segura on making time to save time …
Sarah McCrum explains and explores new ways to heal (or is that old ways?) …
Candy Whirley on why it takes four, not two, to tango …
Mary O’Donohue on the importance of saying thank you and meaning it …
Rita Emmett on breaking the procrastination habit …
Nancy Bartlett on turning obstacles into opportunity …
by Tom Evans | Nov 2, 2014 | Expanding
In this month’s webinar on the 28th November, I’ll be explaining how to channel a book (or anything creative – be it words, music, art or even science).
In this short interview, Ursula O’Connnell asks who and what I channel and how I got into channelling …
and if you want to find out more, register for the webinar for free here
by Tom Evans | Jun 25, 2014 | Expanding
The dictionary definition of the term ‘will power’ describes it as being “control of one’s impulses and actions; self-control”.
Diligent use and controlled direction of our will power therefore has a huge bearing on the management of our time. The reason being that the biggest stealers of our time aren’t external factors like interruption, email or social media.
The biggest time thief by far is Us.
The reason for this is that the normal human mind is only capable of having one thought at a time. Just think about what you are thinking right now and notice how the thought gets replaced by the thought about the thought. David Bohm famously postulated that when we focus on the content of a thought, we lose its direction and that when we track the direction of a thought, we lose grip on its content.
You may want to read this paragraph again to make your own mind up on this matter. Note to that there is nothing ‘normal’ about the mind. A shaman taught me how to hold on to multiple thought streams concurrently. With a little training, we can all do this which actually is a great way of getting more done with less time.
The normal singular of our thoughts has an implication on our productivity. When we are directing our will power and our attention towards a creative task, if our mind wanders off topic, our efficiency will naturally drop.
Our mind has a tendency to wander all on its own. We might wonder what we are having for supper or mull over a conversation that didn’t go so well the day before. While we are writing that sales proposal, we might want to check our emails or see what our friends are up to on Facebook.
Not All Thoughts Are Your Own
This propensity for our minds to go off course under their own volition is actually a ‘fantabulous’ ability when trained properly. Unlike any computer yet built, our mind has an amazing ability to free associate. If you say “dog”, I could say “cat” or “collar”. If I chose the former, you may say “litter” or “caterpillar” – and so forth. The direction of mind travel will be modulated by our experience, our memories, our vocabulary and our language. It is from such perambulations of the mind, we create our dreams, produce works of art and fly people to the Moon.
So how do we harness this marvelous ability? The key lies in recognising that not all thoughts emanate solely from our brain. While our brain is the cogniscent, self-aware aspect of our neurology, our mind is distributed around our whole body. Neurologists have discovered significant awareness and neurological activity in our gut and heart centers. Incidentally, MRI scanners have revealed these mind centers operate a few seconds ahead of our conscious awareness. This is why it pays dividends to trust your gut intuition.
At the same time, our big toe and ear lobes also have awareness too. The fingers I am using to type this article ‘know’ the relative position of the QWERTY keyboard. There is no time for a virtuoso violinist or pianist to control their digits. The knowledge of the music is distributed across their neurology.
This means our will is distributed too and can be directed to any part of our body. Ask your gut right now if this all makes sense and you will momentarily have moved your consciousness there. Think about your left elbow and you get transported there.
So how can we use this innate ability to help us better manage our time?
The first key lies in becoming an observer of our thoughts and noticing where they are coming from. The tendency to check emails for example might have a root in not wanting to miss out on something or because we are looking for an excuse not to do what we are currently working on. By understanding such urges, we can begin to control. Simply asking such a ‘thought’ to go away because you are busy allows the distraction to subside. Tell your email demon that you will check in when you’ve finished the current task.
The second key to mind mastery and controlling our will power involves us entering the meditative state with our eyes open. If you haven’t meditated or think it’s impossible to make your mind go quiet, just try this for a minute.
Get a spot on the wall about four feet away and stare at it for ten to twenty seconds. Then, still looking right at it, allow your attention to stray from it either side and up and down. Notice how your inner dialogue goes quiet or gets drawn down a new thread. Then after 40 or 50 seconds or so, switch to the task you have in hand and stick on it until completed, or until when the creative flow stops.
When we make our inner dialogue go quiet our will power can be fully directed at the task in hand.
When you practice this daily, you will notice two changes in your management of time. First you will start to get more done in less time. Second, external interruptions have the tendency to reduce and almost ‘wait’ until you are finished.
As it’s free to try, what’s not to like?
Originally published in Time Management Magazine – subscribe for iPad or for Android
by Tom Evans | Apr 4, 2014 | Expanding, Illuminating
When I first came across the idea of channelling, like most people I thought it was to do with connecting with the recently departed. Accordingly, when someone told me that I must have channelled my first book, I took it with a pinch of salt.
Just a few years later, I not only channel daily but I find myself teaching other authors how and why to do it.
Channelling is not a special gift, we all can do it but for many reasons it has been suppressed and sometimes is treated with derision in our society. Fortunately, the word has entered popular culture, with many pop and film stars saying that they channelled their performances.
Virtually all the literary greats will testify that they did not know where their Muse exactly came from but allude to it being external to them.
We also have this gift innately but somehow lose it. For example, seeing a child immersed in a drawing reminds me of the famous Picasso quote …
“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
By learning to channel, we can get back to this child-like state of awe and wonder, but with all the experience and wisdom we’ve amassed over our life times.
Passive vs Active Channelling
I found out there are two types of channelling. Passive channelling is where people let themselves be taken over. When this happens, sometimes the literary output tends to be a bit repetitive, and quite often frankly a bit dull.
When you actively channel, all that happens is that your conscious mind gets out of the loop and you silence your inner critic. You don’t lose control from directing the flow, shape or semantics of the work. You just get ‘in the zone’.
What’s more, you come out with stuff that you amaze yourself with, both from the perspective of quality and the level and detail of information that you didn’t know you knew. This applies equally well to musicians and artists as it does to writers. I’ve lost count of the time when writing where I’ve got access to information that I could not have possibly known which latterly I’ve discovered was true.
So what are you channelling?
Again the common misconception is that we channel recently departed spirits and indeed some people do. More commonly people channel their guides and some say they channel Ascended Masters, angels and archangels. I’ve worked with authors who channel elementals like fairies and others that channel the Sun, Earth, Moon and stars. Again, whether this is all true or not is down to one’s personal belief. As it happens, my favourite theory is that we channel our future selves who of course we strongly morphically resonate with.
Now I don’t doubt this is what people are experiencing but I feel this is likely to be more personal intepretation than fact. What is more likely to be happening is that we are connecting with levels of consciousness that we struggle to explain in our language and three dimensional reality so they end up with names that sound a bit far out. Also, sometimes when people lay claim to channelling x, y or z, all too often, ego sneaks in to play and common sense goes out of the window. Two elements that are not overly healthy in the creative writing process.
Note that some people claim that, “It must be true as they channelled it”.
I prefer to say, “I channelled this so please take it with a pinch of salt but I hope it either proves useful or entertaining.”
I am agnostic about who is channelling what exactly and prefer to focus on the output. What seems to work a treat in this regard is not channelling randonly but giving whatever source is feeding you with information to a structure. In my ecourses and workshops, I use Mind Maps. They have the added bonus of bypassing that inner critic by busying the left hemisphere so the right can be holistic.
It’s worth noting that you are also not limited to channelling the words (or images or sounds). You can also ‘channel’ or conjure up the perfect publisher, sales and marketing contacts, speaking engagements and your readership.
So how do you go about it?
Regular meditative practice is the key. This doesn’t mean sitting cross legged on the floor for an hour chanting “Om”. A good walk so long as you primarily look up is good enough. There are also some great Meditation Machines you can buy nowadays.
Undertaking a yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi or Qi Gong class is also a great way to immerse yourself in the state that is ideal for channelling.
Nowadays, in a busy world, a good entry point to channelling is learning How to Quieten Your Mind
And, if you want to unleash the book inside you, learn How to Channel Your Book
by Tom Evans | Jan 22, 2014 | Expanding
New Magic for a New Era
I had the real honour at the end of last year of being interviewed by Lilou Mace on GaiamTV.
At the time, I had no idea what the interview would be about, what I would say and certainly how it would be entitled.
When it was first broadcast it was a bit of a wake up call for me and a reminder that I had so much to share that was hidden either in my head, buried in my heart or stuck on my hard drive.
You can watch the interview here to get an idea of what magic awaits you …
It's lead me to repackaging and relaunching my eLearning courses and workshops and to redesign them to bring magic into your world. If you are fed up pushing water uphill, these programmes will show you how to go with the flow and how to lead a charmed life.
… and in turn, this has lead me to writing a book about it all which is coming out early in 2015.
by Tom Evans | Sep 24, 2013 | Expanding
Some people appear to be born lucky. They land on their feet with effortless grace and ease. Life seems easy for them … Lucky B***ers!!
For others, life is a slog; nothing seems to go right; the cards seem stacked against them.
So what’s the secret to living a charmed existence? How can you stack the odds in your favour?
The answer lies in the elements of this week’s Super Zone, the Lucky Zone.
How to use this Superzone
Step 1 – Click the image below to get a high resolution version.
Step 2 – Either Print the larger image from your browser or Right Click and Save Link/Target as.. to download it and then print it from any graphics programme on your computer.
Step 3 – Put the image on a wall where you will see it each day.
Step 4 – For 30 seconds each day, stare at the centre of the Super Zone and defocus your eyes. You may find all or part of the image jumps out at you into 3D.
Step 5 – Watch and notice your fortunes change, just like magic. Let me know by way of Comments below what unfolds.
Step 6 – If you want the magic to work faster and want to understand how and why it works, get a copy of The Zone.
Step 7 – To make it work even faster still, share this blog with at least five other people you know who could do with some good fortune in their lives.
Zones of Luck
The Happy Zone – it’s important to be happy for the people who have already learned the secret already. In this Super Zone, there is no place for jealousy, avarice or arrogance. When you learn the secret, you must be happy to to freely share it with others.
The Kindness Zone – initial entry into the Kindness Zone involves cutting yourself some slack. So give yourself a break and why not treat yourself? Next it’s important to do at least one unrequited random act of kindness a day, no matter how small. Don’t go mad and do it so nobody notices a change in you and without seeking immediate thanks or payback.
The Time Zone – this is key. All events are subject to larger forces. Some are driven by the clockwork of the cosmos. Others are playing out karmically across are woven inside the intertwined timelines of actors in your play. Take time out each day to reflect, either in meditation or a jolly good walk. Notice times of the day, ‘moonth’ and year when things flow better for you. Engage at these times and rest at others.
The Learning Zone – journeying through each Zone is nothing more or less than a learning. When we learn something new, one thing is certain and that’s there is still more to learn. Take up a class to learn a new skill and you will be amazed what serendipity arrives at your door as a result of doing something new.
The Chillout Zone – being lucky is not hard work. Rather, it’s the reverse. When we live in luck and with luck, we allow it to arrive as opposed to conjuring it into existence. Meditation is the key here and the wisdom and insight that arrives as a result through the real organs of perception.
The Magic Zone – magic is making a comeback into the world. This type of magic isn’t trickery or slight of hand or mind. It is the kind of magic that at first is not understood but later is integrated with our science. Like all magic, it is only magic unless you know how the trick is done. We do not will this magic into the world, it is conferred on us and comes through us.
P.S. one last thing : when luck and serendipity visit your door, remember to say “Thank You” – so thanks in advance for giving this a go and sharing it with your friends and family.
Get your copy of The Zone in print or for ereaders today and get a voucher to get free access to the Getting in the Zone ecourse on Udemy (worth $99)
Related Links
Introduction to Super Zones
Constructing a Super Zone
Mega Danger Zones
Neutralising Danger Zones
by Tom Evans | Sep 12, 2013 | Expanding
The hexagonal shape of zones in my new book, The Zone, allows for the synthesis of Super Zones. These Super Zones have powerful, transformative properties.
For many people these days, money is a bit tight so I’ve created a special Abundance Super Zone to help change fortunes around. It’s completely free and the instructions to use it are both simple and effective.
How to use this Superzone
Step 1 – Click the image below to get a high resolution version.
Step 2 – Either Print the larger image from your browser or Right Click and Save Link/Target as.. to download it and then print it from any graphics programme on your computer.
Step 3 – Put the image on a wall where you will see it each day.
Step 4 – For 30 seconds each day, stare at the centre of the Super Zone and defocus your eyes. You may find all or part of the image jumps out at you into 3D.
Step 5 – Watch and notice your fortunes change, just like magic. Let me know by way of Comments below what unfolds.
Step 6 – If you want the magic to work faster and want to understand how and why it works, get a copy of The Zone.
Step 7 – To make it work even faster still, share this blog with at least five other people you know who could do with some abundance in their lives.
Zones of Abundance
Timing – being in the right place at just the right time is essential. Blink at the wrong time and you may miss the serendipity.
Kindness – when we perform random acts of kindness daily, they bounce back at us, sometimes in surprising ways.
Creativity – the abundance only arrives because we create it. To do this most effectively, we create ’some thing’ that then creates the abundance.
Healing – to get a win-win, at the same time we generate abundance, we can heal an old rift, a tired pattern of behaviour or an unwanted way of being.
Entrepreneurship – the etymology of the word ’entre-preneur’ means to ’under-take’. So we must undertake doing an action or deed which stretches us and that is somewhat different from the norm.
Learning – after the abundance arrives, we can create even more of it by learning what it is we are now doing right compared with what we previously were doing not-so-well. This allows us to create an Abundance Spiral.
P.S. one last thing : when abundance visits your door, remember to say “Thank You” – so thanks in advance for giving this a go and sharing it with your friends and family.
Get your copy of The Zone in print or for ereaders today
Related Links
The Abundance Code
Introduction to Super Zones
Constructing a Super Zone
Mega Danger Zones
Neutralising Danger Zones
by Tom Evans | Jul 29, 2013 | Expanding
In these three short interviews with me and Jackie Walker, find out how :
– we perform at our peak in the Doing Zones
– how we can unwittingly find ourselves in the Danger Zones
– how to take up permanent residence of the Being Zones
by Tom Evans | Jun 26, 2013 | Expanding
There is strange limbo of a zone that is not quite like being either in or out of the zone. Many people can wallow in this place for years.
When we sit in our Comfort Zone, we are both at peace with the world while also not challenging it, and perhaps experiencing it to the full. If we don’t stick our heads above the parapet, nobody can take a pop at us.
If the Comfort Zone was a place, it would sit geographically between a Doing Zone and a Danger Zone. It is safe harbour and somewhere we can’t get hurt whilst also not truly shining our light.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Some choose to spend their whole lifetimes in the Comfort Zone. Why rock the boat? Why take risks? It something isn’t broken, why attempt to fix it?
There is quite a close similarity between the Comfort Zone and a Being Zone. The difference though is subtle.
When we spend too long in the Comfort Zone, we can atrophy. On an individual basis, stimulation and change promotes good mental and physical health which, in turn, fosters good health, well being and longevity. Collectively, the human spirit strives to know and achieve more in each generation. This means that it is natural that things have to change. When they do, we find we have to wander into new, uncharted territories.
This is not about change for change’s sake. Many human activities have proven to have a negative impact on our health and environment. Our modern world has many faults but they are perhaps outweighed by our marvelous achievements, all of which have required some brave souls to step out of their Comfort Zone.
The technology of war ironically has some surprising peace-time spin offs but many have lost their lives in the process of such ’advancement’. Many surgical techniques were first pioneered on the battlefield. The use of fossil fuels has given us mass transportation but at the expense of an altered environment. Our use of natural resources has brought, for many, an improvement in well being. It has also scarred the planet and many species have been decimated as a consequence. Many peoples have lost their natural homelands too.
It’s clear then that stepping out of our Comfort Zone has to be done with care and diligence. What helps us take the right steps in the right direction is having purpose and high intent. It may be altruistic but it helps to take steps out of our Comfort Zone with the aim of helping others, and only ourselves in the process.
When we move out of the zone and make our intentions clear, we will find support from those around us should we stumble. Any faux pas will only serve to strengthen our resolve and show us the right path should we wander down a blind alley. We may be entertaining others with our art or teaching others with our learnings and research. We may be inventing the next amazing life changing gadget.
Without doing a survey, it is common sense that there are many more half-finished manuscripts than published books. There are many more patents that never made it off the drawing board than inventions in use in some form or other today.
Many of us will sit back and let someone else carry to baton. There are over 7 billion of us and some people have a natural disposition to lead, to explore and to be change-makers. The explorations of the zones in this book are designed to help those who want to get out their armchairs and off their sofas to make something happen.
My new book, The Zone will introduces the qualities needed to escape your Comfort Zone by wandering into in a Doing Zone. By exploring the Danger Zones, the book gives strategies to help cope when the wheels come off the bus.
The last section of the look explores the Being Zones. These are a place where we reach a new level of comfort. We find then a Comfort Zone that exceeds all our expectations. These are places where we make change by just being who we came into this world to be.
The Zone is available for Kindle, Kindle readers, in print and as an audiobook with guided meditations.
