Becoming the Best You - Ten Pressure Points That Lead to a Successful Life

By Christine McLean

Becoming the Best You takes you on a journey through discovering the best ways to make the most of your life. Some of the best things in life, such as diamonds, are produced in moments of strain and pressure. Similarly, placing pressure on certain areas of your life can catapult you into positive beginnings. Why wait for your life to change when you can make that change yourself?

Christine is an ordinary person determined to do extraordinary things. Her experiences, observations and research have given her the knowledge base to craft the content of this book. The ten pressure points she outlines present vivid descriptions that will force you to reflect and make strides towards improving your life. They will also challenge you to make some tough decisions and re-evaluate your life. Are you ready to become the best you?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312034198

Book preview

Becoming the Best You - Ten Pressure Points That Lead to a Successful Life

Becoming the Best You: Ten Pressure Points that Lead to a Successful Life

Christine E. McLean

Copyright © 2014 Christine E. McLean

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-312-03419-8

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Introduction

Have you ever observed something being cooked in a pressure cooker? The meat is sealed in a big metal pot that is tightly closed to allow the pressure of the steam to enhance the cooking process. The end result is usually so tender and succulent that everyone at the dinner table is eager to taste. Our lives are similar to the effects of the pressure cooker; we go through several changes that can either transform us into better people or cause us to lose sight of who we are.

Contrastingly, consider the soles of your feet. When you are walking or running you apply more pressure to specific parts of your feet. These points become what are called pressure points and often result in those areas of your feet becoming coarse. Pressure results in change and that is the basic principle of this book. I believe that life offers us a series of pressure points that can help us to become the best version of ourselves if the pressure is correctly applied. Life has put quite a bit of pressure on me and I believe that what I have learnt through my experiences, and also by observing the experiences of others, can help you to transform pressure into something positive.

The pressure points that I utilize encompass mind, body and spirit and will force you to do some introspection. When I read self-help books I tend to gloss over the introspection questions at the end of each chapter, but I strongly encourage you to answer the questions presented in this book honestly so that you are truly able to benefit from and participate in a life-changing experience. Throughout this book, you will learn about the following pressure points:

The Mind

The Heart

The Eyes

The Hands

The Strength

The Embrace

Patience

The Pocket

The Will

The Womb

Adopt the principles expressed in this book and I guarantee that you will become the best version of yourself and live a successful life. Happy reading!

Chapter One

The Mind

What You Think Is What You Become

Angie and Karl were two young, blue canaries who were ready to learn how to fly. They were both terrified initially because every time they peered over the nest they would see the great distance between them and the ground. One day, Angie decided that enough was enough; she was going to learn to fly. She stood at the edge of the nest and jumped off, flapping her wings rapidly only to see herself falling instead of rising. Her mother instantly came and swooped Angie into her wings. For several days, Angie continued trying because she believed she could fly. On a bright Thursday morning, Angie looked deeply at the magnificently blue sky and began to think about her plans for her future. She knew she wanted to find a handsome blue canary and start her own family. How was she going to do this if she could never leave her nest? So, she pattered softly to the edge of the nest, closed her eyes, and jumped. The thrill of the wind wafting through her feathers made her feel so alive, so complete. After two minutes, she realized that she was no longer sinking, but was instead floating gracefully through the air, and as she flapped her wings they propelled her forward. This day marked the beginning of her journey to become an expert flier.

Karl, on the other hand, watched grudgingly from the nest and ended up spending his days at the edge of the nest watching Angie soar, but never daring to follow her. There are many principles that can be derived from Angie and Karl’s story, but the principle I want to focus on is the power of positive thinking. Although both Angie and Karl were both initially fearful, Angie knew that she could fly. The words I can became her motto and trumped the thoughts of fear and anxiety. Karl, on the other hand, did not believe and therefore allowed the thoughts of fear and anxiety to overcome him. What is your mindset? Are you like Karl who allowed fear and anxiety to prevent him from realizing his full potential? Or, are you like Angie who allowed her belief to create positive thought patterns that empowered her to soar beyond her expectations?

Positive thoughts yield positive results while negative thoughts yield negative results. If you believe that you have no talents and that you are unworthy, then you are going to exude these thoughts and many people and opportunities will pass you by. So, how can you transform your negative thoughts into positive thoughts after many years of conditioning your mind to think negatively?

Train Your Mind

In his book The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph  from the Frontiers of Brain Science, Norman Doidge highlights the work of Jeffrey Schwartz who devised the Brain Lock treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patients.  This treatment allows patients to replace bad habits with good ones and contains two fundamental steps: relabeling and refocusing.  In the relabeling phase, the patient changes his perspective on the idea of germs by realizing that the problem is not the germs but the OCD that is causing him to overreact to the germs.  In the refocusing phase, the patient focuses on a pleasurable activity the moment he begins to have an