I had the privilege of having 45 minutes to prepare them for the presentations. Rather than a motivational piece, I wanted to give them tools to boost their immediate performance and tools that they can use for the rest of their life.

I have had many fantastic encounters with this age group this last year and always I have found them willing to learn, and genuinely grateful for what MindStore gives them.

I just dived in, suggesting that they must be fairly nervous or anxious as in just over an hour they would be up on their feet presenting to the Dragons. The prizes that were available were significant from Kindles for each of the team members of the top three, to large cash prizes and equipment for the schools.

They seemed genuinely surprised yet eager when I said that I could give them a tool right there and then that could get rid of the anxiety, to ensure that they gave their best possible presentation. I advised them, as I do, that the techniques would seem a little strange at first but added “extraordinary people, do extraordinary things” and that they were far from ordinary school students.

They seemed to like that while also respecting my credibility, working all around the world; over 50% of the FTSE 100 has been clients, nearly 25 years in this field and somewhere in the region of 500,000 people have been through some kind of training with us.

Unlike so many “adults” they had not one ounce of cynicism between them.  This set against the economic reality facing their age group, their optimism and hope was truly inspiring.

So first up was tapping (Thought Field Therapy). I got straight into it and before they knew it they were all humming “Happy birthday” like the best of them. As if to shame “some” of the “adults” who have attended MindStore for Business Courses there was no sniggering, just a wanting to know they were tapping in the right place and getting it correct.

We did four rounds of the Anxiety Algorithm coming down from 10 to 1, as they fed back how their anxiety just melted away. Next, the MindStore Relaxation exercise, a screen for mental rehearsal and programming their Goal. Again, no hesitation, just a willingness to have a go.

In front of their teachers, their peers and fellow competitors, they closed their eyes and took the three deep breaths. It was easy to see that they were enjoying it as the stress on each of their faces quickly dissolved. I pushed the boat out and gave them a version of “The Cloak” and the “Inner Coaches” combined into one.

Forty five minutes later, they were ready, willing and able, and when each of them got up on the stage, they did their school, their parents and themselves proud.

As if it were meant to be, I was immediately approached by a teacher when my coaching session was over.  She explained that she had changed local authority over the summer, she was now with her new school students at the event and she was really enjoying her new job. She then told me that she had brought the entire Fifth Year (16-17 year olds) from her previous school, to the open “Prepare for Exams Day” that I did for Glasgow Schools back in March. The city’s schools took over the Royal Concert Hall and with the support of Glasgow City Council and sponsorship of local businesses; senior pupils were transported in from all over Glasgow.

It was an amazing day, and one of the best experiences of my life, to have nearly 2000 teenagers listen and learn for an entire day was just awesome. The teacher explained that her students then had the previous year been the worst performing Fourth Year in the history of the school. She said after the event they had all agreed to practise the techniques with the full support of teachers in the run up to their formal examinations. In addition, the teachers had agreed to create the space for pre-programming on each of the exam days. She proudly informed me that group of students became the best ever Fifth Year in the school’s history. They all did exceptionally well in all of their subjects. We had already learned that the overall results were the best in the city’s history but to hear it first hand from a dedicated and inspiring teacher quite simply made my year.

She gave me the confidence to tease the regions Director of Education and the leading Politicians who were in attendance. I did a short motivational piece to open the formal event and mentioned the Glasgow Exam Day and offered to do the same for them.

I started my career working with this age group for ten years in an area of intense deprivation. To be able to still find a rapport with them all these years later was genuinely surprising and inspiring. They face an uncertain future and if we can arm this age group with the best tools and techniques it’s now clear to me that they can go on and shine.

I also realise that all of us face a rather challenging and entirely unique immediate future. Economics and Politics aside, the year ahead does seem uncertain. The fact that at MindStore we believe that “thoughts are things” makes it more than concerning that “the 2012” thing is everywhere in popular consciousness.

Perhaps like never before, our tools and techniques are going to be necessary in the coming year. If any of the imagined disasters come, then “survivors” will definitely need them. If all we face is continued disruptive economic conditions then there will be a type of “survival of the fittest” reality playing out. If these tools work so easily for school students without them experiencing yet adult life, how much more would they work in the open hearts and minds of you and your colleagues. Surely if the “adults” could surrender their ego to learn too, and get their pride out of the way to practise and use the tools, then it’s clear the tools and techniques will bring the best out of everyone who chooses to use them. Arguably now is the time we need them most.

Yesterday I also had the privilege of spending the entire day with two hundred and fifty fifth year school students preparing them for their prelims. I had the same response as before. I had the full support of the Head Teacher and his team of committed teachers and the overwhelming enthusiasm go the young people.

I am now seriously looking to find the space to record all of this material and make it available to download for all students.

I will do all I can this year to help keep you on track with your tools and techniques through reminders and support with the use of social media and courses.

Jack Black will present The Best of MindStore in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 3 March 2012. ** Early Bird offer ends 22 Jan 2012**
High School Students are welcome to attend so long as they are accompanied by an adult.

CLICK HERE For more details and booking

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If you will remember we worked our way through a process during the course.  Among other things, I do all I can to build you up to identify an initial 30 goals.  It comes after explaining the left and right brain approaches to goal setting.  It also comes after me urging you to suspend the need for your left brain’s question of “HOW” you are going to achieve your goals.  Rather as you may remember in MindStore we focus on the “WHY”.  Just before turning on the music I point out how few people ever in an entire lifetime take the time to do this and even we only do it for 11 minutes.

Clearly something special happens collectively in that 11 minute period.  Having aroused the desire,   belief and probably the expectation, hundreds of folks are having a go at identifying the goals at exactly the same time.  What happens is everyone gets into a flow of consciousness and ideas inevitably come into their awareness that otherwise probably would never surface.  Trusting the process, they write them down on the work sheet.  It’s believed by many in this field that with the power of intention we probably place an imprint into the universe and with “programming” even just that once the universe gets to work to bring it all together in its own time and place sometime in the future.

Another fanciful viewpoint is that for some reason probably due to the collective intention we tune into the future as if we get a glimpse through some kind of portal and we process what we witness as an idea for a goal that comes into our awareness and then it’s written down.  Conjecture is that it’s already a reality in some dimension and it’s only a matter of time before we catch up. Or of course it’s all just a wonderful coincidence.
In the process, usually the next day, we work the 30 goals down to just 7 and then they are programmed with the four screens, though years ago were just as successful with three screens.  The goals are also written up in Night Books by real enthusiasts and they get to work on programming them by constantly going “Back to the future” in the Alpha State.  Yet so often for countless folks the goals that were thought about for a matter of seconds and written down once in the work sheet of 30, manifest anyway.  As I say this is very, very common.

Today though, my caller also pointed out that some of the specific content covering a number of her goals actually manifested though not as originally programmed.  Without going into her personal details she found specific bits of some came into reality but in a different context but still benefited her.
It’s clear though that given how common this is that something does seem to happen during that extraordinary 11 minutes.  “It’s frightening” she said “that they have come about all these years later and I hadn’t really thought about them again.”

There is definitely real power in the MindStore process and certainly something very special happens during the intensity of the 11 minutes.  It would be well worth you taking the time to look out past work sheets and see what’s happened for yourself.

There seem to be three outcomes from participating:
1. You end up with clarity on particular goals that you can commit to.  You then programme them on your screens and with repetition and the use of the wider tools and techniques the goals are achieved.
2. You think about other goals more or less just once as a result of doing the exercise.  They don’t make your top seven, you get on with your life and low and behold sometime in the future they become a reality too.
3. You create detail in components of goals that somehow or other get cross wired with others and even with not thinking about them again they also show up in the future though not in their original context but still to your advantage.

 My joy is that for hundreds of thousands of people, programming works whether by simply using the tip of the tongue trigger to find a parking space or to achieve big and life changing outcomes through the use of the screens and or Night Books.
What is important though is to actually be there and participate during those 11 minutes with the intention of identifying those initial 30 goals you desire in your life.

Programming works, “It only works” so what are you waiting on – programme the parking space, reaffirm your Top Seven, get the screens going. It’s the start of the summer- go for it, indeed all of it.

Jack Black will be present a very special MindStore Business Course in Glasgow on 14 June, Galway on 16 June and in Dublin on 17 June. To find out more visit: http://www.mindstore.com

Our foundation has been rocked to the core.  Can you honestly believe what has happened to, of all things the banks?  So much of what we have been taking for granted, we can no longer rely on.  More and more, you and I have to fall back on our own resources.  

When we look around, its easy to see how much surplus of unnecessary stuff exists that we no longer need.  Perhaps, we really had too much, too much of everything.  And for our over consumption of the meaningless, we are all paying too much, and now when push must come to shove we really don’t need all that additional baggage.   

While we are willing to do whatever needs to be done, you have probably noticed something else.   We have far too much demand on our time, too many emails, too many projects and too many items on our to-do lists until we are almost overwhelmed by it all.  You probably need your staff or fellow team members to respond quicker, increasingly be more flexible, creative, willing to break down barriers and at all times be seen to collaborate, here there and everywhere. 

Of course, you want to thrive in what surely is the dawn of the upturn.  Yet in quiet moments, without anyone knowing, deep down you may just have a twinge of self doubt, even questioning your own abilities to deliver this time.  All of us have had a bit of our confidence eroded away while we have stood on shaky ground for so long.   And what if, old and no longer appropriate belief systems that drive behaviours and zap our energy supply are mismatched with what’s now required.  Many people have at the back of their mind, however controlled, honest fears about security.  Thoughts run like “Will my job be safe?” “How do I stay healthy and manage the stress of all this?” and “What about my family?”

So take heart, because it’s not only you, it’s also your colleagues, suppliers, customers…apparently everyone else around.

 Given half a chance, the media seems to be reinforcing a negative viewpoint.  And of course in the background there’s terrorism, wars, natural disasters, climate change and goodness knows what else.

Yet even with all of this, another part of you also knows that you can deliver.  You did before, and you have the talent, skills and most of all the willingness.  You know that you have great people around you too.  This duality of self is really apparent, particularly at this time and surely that doubting, fearful part can serve a positive function.  What if it can be leveraged to become an advantage?  If you, your colleagues, and everyone else contributing to the economy were able to do the same, well….

A big part of you wants to say “Stuff it, I’m going for it!” wants to breakout to take risks , to drive on and upwards, to overcome that other part that seems to want to hold you back and stifle your creativity and efforts.   

We all face internally and externally this duality of purpose.  We know that when we find a really creative right brained entrepreneur and we ensure there is a strong FD by his or her side then things will happen.  However, the entrepreneur needs to take the lead and initiate ideas and activity otherwise the accountant has nothing to count.  In other words, both are critical. 

So, what if the controlling risk averse and fearful side of our personalities actually serves a positive function?  What if it’s possible to leverage it so it becomes an asset, not only for you but for all those critical to you moving forward?  If we could have the wherewithal to realise all that is best in ourselves, to capitalise on our authentic selves and genuine strengths, to release our creativity and drive, then we can tackle anything as we begin to turn things around and rebuild that which will succeed and endure.

When we grasp this, and we’re actually able to apply tools and techniques, our mind opens up to thinking about new possibilities.  We rediscover our sense of curiosity.  We are more open to new ideas.  We once again get in touch with our creative and intuitive powers, the very essence of the extraordinary entrepreneur. 

The solutions and power to overcome this current economic climate lies within each of us, but only if we now finally accept that our life, our success, our wellbeing, wealth and security is our full and personal responsibility.   Far too many organisations are still not flexible and open enough to deal with the current global crisis.  So, those within organisations need to understand that the ownership of their career is their responsibility.  They also need to learn to be more flexible and develop their own creative and intuitive powers.