Spectrum Thinking

By Thomas Wesley Scott

Have you ever wondered if there was an easier way to become smarter, to achieve greater health, and to feel happier? What if you could do all of the above while effortlessly adding new and powerful habits to your daily lifestyle? Is your potential as a human being limited, or is it somehow possible to keep getting better at everything you do?

Using the power of value-based thinking, Spectrum Thinking gives clear, simple, and effective methods for improving physical and mental health, increasing intelligence, developing stronger personal relationships, and building a strong foundation in all facets of life, no matter your current level of success. If you've ever wanted a better (and easier) way to find success with diet, exercise, and improving habits, Spectrum Thinking can help you. If you have ever wondered how to build better relationships, both personally and professionally, you need Spectrum Thinking.

This book is for everyone seeking any kind of improvement in their life. Become the person you truly wish to be - unlock the power of your potential with Spectrum Thinking today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Wesley Scott
• Release date: Dec 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310476778

Thomas Wesley Scott

A music teacher by trade, Thomas Wesley Scott is obsessed with self-improvement in all areas of life, and wants to share his findings with the world. Once notorious for his ability to sleep in, eat cookies by the box, and play video games at all hours of the night (and morning), Scott is now known for his astonishing work ethic - balancing two jobs (music teacher and author) with pursuing a higher education (studying French, Japanese, Ancient Greek, and university-level mathematics), while somehow finding time every day to spend with his wife and 2 kids. All this, and he seems to get younger as he ages, having successfully overcome various physical ailments such as asthma, a repetitive strain injury to both hands, and a leaky heart valve.Always looking to find a way to make life better for himself and those around him, Thomas Wesley Scott does everything in his power to blaze a trail for others to follow, bringing health, happiness, and prosperity to all who are willing to embrace change, often using simple "hacks" to dramatically change the mind and body, and unlock the potential that is seeded deep within all of us.

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Spectrum Thinking

Thomas Wesley Scott

Copyright © 2014 Thomas Wesley Scott

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - What is a Spectrum?

Chapter 2 - What is Spectrum Thinking?

Chapter 3 - The Intelligence Spectrum

Chapter 4 - The Physical Health Spectrum

Chapter 5 - The Mental Health Spectrum

Chapter 6 - The Relationship Spectrum

Chapter 7 - The Success Spectrum

Chapter 8 - Why Circles Don't Exist - The Birth of Spectrum Thinking

Chapter 9 - In Closing

Appendix - Spectrum Thinking For Those Who Like Math

Introduction

Imagine I could give you the gift of an extra day in your life every year. On this day, you would not require sleep, food, or water, and there would be no need to brush your teeth, to use the washroom, or to do any of the other menial day-to-day things you deal with. On top of all that, you will have the entire day to do something that will make you a better person.

And the best part, there are no significant downsides to this day. You don't get bored of piano practice, you run no risk of muscle tear from lifting weights, and you would not be at all tempted to waste your time, or give in to any of your vices or addictions. No matter what you're doing on this particular day, there is little to no suffering involved, either physical or emotional. Every minute you spend during this day benefits you.

Now let me ask you, if I could bestow such a gift on you, would you take it? In all sincerity, I can't imagine anyone would refuse such a blessing. An extra day every year, and it only makes your life better! The things we do that we might normally find difficult, like exercising or some other skill we'd like to develop, would progress without any trauma at all. It would be a day of pure awesome, and who wouldn't want that? It seems too good to be true.

Perhaps you're thinking such a gift is not possible, but you might just be surprised. Consider the following, and decide for yourself. Starting today, take five minutes of every day to do something that seems difficult, something that you know you should be doing. In other words, take just five minutes of your day and do something better with it. Five minutes isn't a lot to ask, and won't be very painful.

Here's the best part: In the course of 365 days - a full year - you will have given yourself an entire day of being awesome. Actually, even more than that. You will have spent 30 hours and 25 minutes creating a better you. More than a whole day spent moving towards the lifestyle you've always wanted for yourself. How amazing is that?

Now, after a solid year of engaging in the same activity for 5 minutes a day, it will become habit. It shouldn't be hard to do whatever your were doing in those 5 minutes, as you'll no doubt be used to doing it. Imagine repeating the process, and replacing another 5 minutes of your day with more proper habits. With each passing year, you could easily be granting yourself a new day of excellence, and slowly weeding out the old (and perhaps less healthy and happy) you. All in just changing five minutes of your life every day.

Welcome to the world of Spectrum Thinking. Here, every moment matters, every second counts, and every choice you make can help you grow into a better person. It is a way of thinking, and living, that you are probably not used to, and have probably never seen before. Results come faster, and more easily, than ever before. And it can all begin with a small and simple change in habits, even if it's only five minutes in a day.

I believe most people live in a world where five minutes spent developing a new habit just isn't good enough, but that is not the case here. In this book, you acquire the insight to realize that there are always opportunities to maximize your gains, and that you have the power within you to keep pushing your limits, and realize more and more of your potential.

And believe me, we live in a world with so much potential. It is something that all of us have deep inside of us that, if properly nurtured, can make us smarter, healthier, more forgiving, more loving, and more successful in pretty much every conceivable way. Wouldn't that be nice? Wouldn't you like to be more intelligent, strengthen all of your relationships, feel better physically and emotionally, and just enjoy life more? This is what Spectrum Thinking can offer you.

It is likely a very different way of thinking than you are used to. It may seem like a very strange world that I live in. And I have no doubt that it will take time to change your mind to live more like a Spectrum Thinker. But that's okay. We move forward one step at a time, and gradually this reality - one in which we are always capable of seeing improvements in all areas of our day-to-day lives - becomes home. Work seems easier. Friendships and other relationships grow stronger. Our body and mind exceed the old limits and boundaries we once placed on them. Life just seems better.

I have been living the principles of what I now call Spectrum Thinking for eight years, and I can honestly say there is no limit to how far you can push yourself; I still see improvements on a regular basis. There is no question in my mind that, because of Spectrum Thinking, I am healthier, smarter, more loving, more forgiving, and more successful in both my personal and my professional life. I have seen myself make more and more money as I practice the principles I teach in this book, and I see more of my goals accomplished. I have more energy and feel better, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My relationships keep getting stronger, and I am happier than ever.

Those around me are happier as well, as my family can attest. I get along quite well with my father, my mother, and my sister - better than ever before - and I'm sure they would say the same. It is much different now than it was when I was younger. I say this not because I'm claiming that I've had some horrible and traumatic life growing up with my family, but because I definitely did not have a very healthy relationship with any of them when I was younger. But now things are quite different, and suffice it to say, I have a strong connection with all of them.

As for my immediate family, to say they are happy is an understatement. But don't take my word for it; I'll let my wife Lisa tell you exactly what she thinks:

Happiness is the norm in our household. It is not uncommon for me to walk around our home with a wide smile spread across my face. When Tom inquires as to the reason, my response is often the same: Just love. Throughout our relationship, the power of Spectrum Thinking (and Tom's unending enthusiasm for it) has been infectious.

I was not always the picture of cheerfulness painted above. I used to be given to moodiness, I was excessively shy, I was unhealthy, and I had trouble navigating social situations. Not only has Spectrum Thinking changed the way I think, feel, and eat (among other things), but it has also helped me cast off fear, no matter the social climate.

Our marriage may seem like an odd one to someone not familiar with Spectrum Thinking, because Tom and I rarely fight. And when a quarrel does arise, we always come away from it with a better understanding of one another, and what we can do to strengthen our relationship. And so our love grows exponentially.

My love for my children grows without limit. I would not be the mother that they deserve if Tom had not introduced me to this way of thinking. Spectrum Thinking has significantly benefited our children, even if they're too young to realize these benefits. They are the most content and healthy kids I have ever known. They still cry, of course, when physical pain occurs, or when they are tired and overstimulated. Sometimes these small children simply don't understand how to navigate this big world. While our daughter Serenity is still too young to be soothed by anything other than physical comfort, we do our utmost to be gentle and talk things out with our son Joshua, to help him better understand the situation. We see him grow and comprehend more every day! Spectrum Thinking has given us the understanding to handle his delicate four-year-old emotions, and has inspired us to be the best examples we can be for our children.

In short, we are a very happy family. We are bound together by bonds of love, understanding, and the desire to better ourselves and each other. We owe much of our familial joy to Spectrum Thinking.

Relationships do not have to be difficult, and they do not have to be filled with turmoil. Family life can continually get easier. Building and sustaining solid friendships can become simpler. And the same goes for professional relationships. There is plenty of useful information in this book - a whole chapter, in fact (The Relationship Spectrum) - that can help you foster the kinds of relationships you really want in your life.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Spectrum Thinking has, more than anything else, made me a lot smarter. This book is the culmination of hours of contemplation and inspiration, as well as the adaptation of ideas from many great thinkers. We are the beneficiaries of so many brilliant minds that have inspired us, and have paved the way forward to greater thoughts and ideas. Isaac Newton said it best: If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. I couldn't agree more. This book will help you see just that little bit further than those that came before.

I think more quickly, I think more critically, and my creative edge is sharper than ever. As a teacher using Spectrum Thinking I have found I can teach virtually anyone. My techniques and methodology allow any willing student to become smarter, and this book will demonstrate how you can become more intelligent as well (especially in the chapter, The Intelligence Spectrum).

When it comes to your physical health, there exists the possibility for great improvements. I do not possess a medical degree or a degree in nutrition, and thus cannot be considered any kind of a medical health expert. But what I have to say about health is important, and not to be ignored. It might even be the most important advice you'll find in this book.

Applying Spectrum Thinking to your exercise and diet habits can result in phenomenal improvement in your physical life. That has certainly been the case with me. I have gone from being a bit of a wreck to being an extremely healthy person. I took control of my life, and my health, and became much more energetic, vibrant, and vital than I used to be. And believe me, I wasn't born this way (not even close)!

Allow me to fill you in on some of the physical ailments I've suffered with in my life. At the age of two I was diagnosed with asthma, and took medication for it for the next twelve years or so. I also suffered from allergies for most of the first twenty-three years of my life. I had to get allergy shots every three weeks. Occasionally it was a weekly ordeal! They were definitely painful, and they didn't actually seem to do much of anything for my allergies.

Around age ten, I had to get orthotic foot inserts because I wasn't walking or running properly. I also had trouble running for more than ten seconds without becoming drastically out of breath, again due to asthma. To say I was never a star athlete in my youth would be an understatement. I was pretty terrible at most sports, and rarely did well in any athletics at school. Physically, I just couldn't keep up with the other kids.

I grew out of my asthma around the age of thirteen or so, but my health did not improve much in the near future. As a teenager, the cartilage in my rib cage grew in an uneven manner, so the left side of my chest stuck out more than the right. At the age of twenty my throat got so chronically sore that I could barely speak without feeling like I was gargling nails, and within months of my 21st birthday I also developed severe pain and inflammation with my hands - so much so that, for months on end, I felt like an invalid.

Did I mention I was trying to make a living as a guitarist and singer at the time? And yet I couldn't sing or play. I could barely do anything with my hands - they practically felt like they were on fire everyday! Playing any instrument was totally out of the question, and I was unable to sing, since I could hardly even speak without feeling pain. This also had a profoundly negative effect on my social life. I basically became a shut-in as a result. It hurt to try to function like a normal human being, and it was depressing. This was probably the lowest point in my life.

As you can see, I did not start out particularly healthy, but I'm happy to say that those physical ailments are now largely in the past. At 32 years of age I'm much healthier than I was in either my 20s or in my teenage years. I have more energy, I'm stronger, I'm faster, and I have more endurance. I feel much better overall. At this point in my life I rarely feel pain the way I used to, and I can actually exert myself without quickly running out of breath. While I am not really a big fan of jogging or running outdoors, I can now run on a rebounder for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat.

I very rarely get sick, and if I do, it doesn't last for more than a day or two at most. It doesn't even tend to matter if others get sick around me. The office where I teach guitar is very small, and I often get children coming in, coughing, sneezing, and just generally leaving germs all over my stuff. Yet I tend not to be affected. Instead I feel strong and healthy. Their sickness doesn't slow me down, not for a second!

The chapter on physical health (The Physical Health Spectrum) will explain more or less what I think happened to me along the way, and how Spectrum Thinking helped to eliminate these problems. And I am not the only one to have benefited from what I teach. Not by a long shot! I have seen family and friends lose weight, gain strength and energy, and see chronic pains and other problems lessen significantly, or even disappear altogether. The methods I espouse in my book, complimented by what I have learned about taking care of my body, seem to work, and work very well.

As I said, I am not doctor, or a dietitian, and I have no fancy degrees, but read the chapter on health and tell me it doesn't make sense to you. If you are like I was, desperate for greater health, whether it's so you can lose weight, or simply feel better, you must read this chapter. I know it will help you. Ir doesn't matter if you're overweight, a body builder, or anywhere in between, you will benefit from my advice on physical health.

Of course, physical well-being is also dependent on how we think. Part of any good health regimen includes lowering stress and increasing joy. Happiness is quite strongly related to your physical health. But what will actually make you happy? I've found you can have just about everything in life - a nice house, a great job, a dedicated and loving family, and a healthy body - and yet joy can still be missing. It seems that happiness is often not dependent on one's actual success in life, but is largely a matter of perspective.

I did not always naturally exude joy and happiness from my being, but I have learned to develop a certain zest for life, and I do find that it continues to grow. In the chapter on mental health (The Mental Health Spectrum), I go into detail about how to find happiness, and how to keep getting happier, as well as why you should want to keep getting happier. Anyone, no matter how happy, can learn to be more joyful, and learn to be grateful for their life. This chapter will give you insight as to how to accomplish this.

I believe the world simply needs us to be happier. For you realists out there who think that by somehow focusing on being positive and looking to the bright side, that I am ignoring the tragic realities that exist in our world, I am not. Far from it. But read what I have to say in the next few chapters and see if what I have to say makes sense to you.

All of these areas of your life - your physical vitality, your mental health, your level of intelligence, and the strength of your relationships - have the potential to be more successful. And as you progress, your success will be easy to track. If you treat your mind, body, and relationships properly, chances are you will feel smarter, happier, and healthier. People will probably like you more. The changes will be obvious.

But success comes in many shapes and is defined differently from person to person. For me, being the best teacher I can be is a significant success. For others, becoming any kind of teacher would be a nightmare, and a sign that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong in their life. I want to learn to read, write and speak ancient Greek. Most people do not. It is impossible for me to write precisely how you can achieve success in all of your endeavours (unless I somehow learn to read minds).

I don't know everything about your life, and what you want, so I can't be perfectly specific about your goals and how to achieve them. Having said that, I do consider myself a pretty successful person, and I continue to find more success in both my personal and professional life. This has been largely thanks to Spectrum Thinking, and it has given me an insight to success that is worth sharing, even if our goals are not exactly the same.

If you feel you are lacking a sense of accomplishment in your life, I've written a chapter near the end of the book (The Success Spectrum) with your name on it [that's a figure of speech, of course - please don't go running off to find your name in this book!] If finding and achieving greater success is what you want, I can help you make that a reality. It's also the chapter that let's me tie the ideas of all the previous chapters together, and is of great value to all who read it.

For that reason, it would probably be best that you read this book in order, chapter by chapter. It may be tempting to go straight to the section that interests you most, but you might miss out on vital information that would make more sense if you had read everything sequentially. This is especially true if you haven't read the chapter, "What is Spectrum Thinking?" If you're really curious about something, I guess I can't stop you from taking a peek ahead. If something doesn't make sense to you, though, please consider going back and reading things in order. (And if, by the time you're finished reading, you feel the book itself is out of order, please write to me. I'm always looking to hone my skills as an author and teacher.)

Read the book, absorb its contents, and many good things await you: more success, a happier outlook on life, better physical and mental health, solid relationships, and a peaceful family life. There is no denying that I'm making some pretty ambitious claims here but Spectrum Thinking can give you all of these things, and make your life better in basically every way. You might think I'm crazy for saying all of this. But all of it is true, and I invite you to read what's written, take it all in, and judge for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Chapter 1 - What is a Spectrum?

Before we take things any further, we should probably define a spectrum. If you're wondering what a spectrum is, chances are you've seen one before, but you may not realize it. If you already know what one is, I'll only go over the definition briefly. Then we'll follow that with some important points on how they relate to this book.

Simply put, a spectrum is a range of values. The values can always be thought of as numerical, even if it's not obvious that they are. With something like with a thermometer - which is essentially a temperature spectrum - the numerical value is clear, as it is usually written right on front of it. But a political spectrum - with liberal somewhere on the left side of the spectrum, and conservative somewhere on the right - is a great example of a spectrum that doesn't have obvious numerical values. But you could imagine numerical values if you look at it from the right perspective.

Often those who lean to the left on our political spectrum are more strongly in favour of social equality, whereas those leaning to the right expect social inequality to be inevitable. And so we could assign a numerical value to each point on the spectrum, to indicate the strength of one's belief in social equality. Let's suppose a value of 10 indicates absolute faith in the need for social equality, and with that, the desire for laws and government policies that would move society in that direction. A value of 0 would be for those who believe that social inequality is both inevitable and significant, and who would form their policies to reflect that. The further one moves to the right on the political spectrum, the more one assumes social inequality, and so the lower this value would be.

I won't go into what would actually make someone liberal or conservative, as the point is not whether or not we can measure such a thing perfectly. The idea is that it is possible to make such a measurement. Scientists tend to do this with mathematical models all of the time, but I won't go into detail about that here. If it is of interest to you, I discuss the idea of mathematical models briefly, and how they relate to Spectrum Thinking, in the appendix.

Of course, sometimes a spectrum can possess both obvious numerical and non-numerical information, like a pH scale, which contains not only different substances on different points of the scale, but a numerical value for them as well. Let's take a closer look at the pH scale:

Now, the big question is, What does a spectrum have to do with improving my life? We'll answer that next chapter (soon, I promise!), but for now I want to to keep two things in mind:

1) A spectrum is a range of values.

2) Most of the time, no matter what value you pick on the spectrum, there is always a value higher or lower that you could have picked. For example, if you had chosen blood with a pH of 7.4 on our pH scale, you could have potentially picked blood with a more acidic pH of 7.38. Alternatively, you could have chosen blood with a more alkaline pH of 7.44. And, of course, you could choose other substances that are either more acidic, or more alkaline than blood. You can always select a point with a higher or lower value on a spectrum, except for the very highest and lowest points.

I should mention that there can be a spectrum where those end-points are actually unattainable. This is an extremely important idea that we'll cover more in the next chapter. This, and the idea of a range of values, are at the heart of what Spectrum Thinking really is, and you will soon see why thinking in terms of a spectrum will change the way you live your life. I know it has changed mine, for the better!

Chapter 2 - What is Spectrum Thinking?

Before I pull back the curtain and let you see what Spectrum Thinking is really about, I have a short story about this chapter. (Don't worry, it's a very short story.) You see, I've been trying to write this book now for several years, without much success. When I first tried to write Spectrum Thinking, I wouldn't worry too much about what part of the book I was writing, or how much I would write. I would sometimes write just a few paragraphs, or even jot down a few ideas in point form, while at other times I would write for an hour. There were times I would find myself writing for just a few seconds! It didn't matter - I was making progress, and that's what counted.

But in the long run, whenever I'd try to write this chapter, I could never seem to write anything that would stick. It was very frustrating. Of all the chapters in the book, this was the one that gave me the most headaches while writing. I wanted to try to explain the concept of Spectrum Thinking in terms as simple as possible, without leaving out anything important.

Keeping it simple was the hard part. You see, the concept of Spectrum Thinking is in-and-of itself very mathematical in nature. Most people aren't exactly into math the way I am, and many people have difficulty with the subject, so the last thing I wanted to write was something hard to understand. As much fun as it would be to send a good portion of potential readers running in the opposite direction - as I can imagine many people would not willingly read about math, unless absolutely necessary - I would prefer they actually read the book.

I will be perfectly honest: I love math. I enjoy reading about it, I like learning new math, and I've never had a significant problem understanding it. I don't know exactly why I've had an easy time with it - my father was an accountant and it seemed to come easy to him as well, so perhaps it has been a genetic blessing of sorts. It didn't hurt that I was also encouraged when I did well in math as a child. I suppose I had both nurture and nature working in my favour. But I have long understood that other people do not like math as much as I do, and would probably not enjoy having me explain Spectrum Thinking in math-heavy language.

[For those who are interested in a more mathematical and philosophical treatment of Spectrum Thinking, you can read the Appendix: Spectrum Thinking For Those Who Like Math, at the end of the book.*] [* Read the rest of the book first, though, as the appendix does not contain a lot of the explanations found elsewhere in the book.]

Fortunately, I found a simple way to explain Spectrum Thinking. It came in a sudden moment of inspiration while I was teaching a guitar lesson, even though the explanation wasn't related to music (this tends to happen a lot, believe it or not). I don't remember exactly what I was discussing with the student, but what started out as a single sentence lodged in my brain became the