Mindset

There is a little almond-sized chunk of our brain, way deep down in the center of the brain, that hates fast-action. It’s mad that you’re here. It tries to turn everything I say and you hear into nonsense. It tosses out thoughts like, “this is stupid”, “it won’t work for me”, “I shouldn’t be doing this”, and other such gems.

But it really operates in the realm of just two words: fight or flight. It’s the survival part of the brain and for better or for worse, it’s one of the factors that has gotten each of us where we are today. The R-Complex, or Lizard Brain as I like to call it, has barely evolved.

As entrepreneurs and entertainers, we piss off this little nugget of matter. OMG – jumping onto a stage, telling jokes, singing, creating, putting ourselves out there financially, emotionally, and energetically – are you kidding?

Want to see a happy lizard brain? Find someone with a steady job who drives the same route to work, lives in the same home, and reads the same content for 60 years. That lizard brain has won. That lizard brain looks at our lives and has only six words to say: fight, flight, fight, flight, fight, flight.

There’s a bonus video at the bottom of this page that sums up a very happy owner of a Lizard Brain. Courtest of Danno Sullivan 🙂

Video

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The Action

Today we are each going to sneak up on ourselves – and once you do it you’ll have this skill in your bag of tricks for the rest of your life.

On that questionnaire you filled in after joining, the last question was: One specific idea you’ve sat on for way too long. Have that in front of you right now. Read it to yourself. I know you remember it. It’s why you’re here. Why you’re showing up.

• Put it in writing in front of you
• Feel the lizard brain right now as you look at it
• What is it saying to you? Write down the one that is the loudest. (Tell on yourself)
• Is that true? Absolutely true? Proven beyond a shadow of a doubt true?
• We are going to play in that shadow zone – the place where the statement isn’t true.
• What is the opposite of that voice? Write that down.
• Who do you become when you believe the lizard brain voice?
• Who are you when you believe the opposite of that voice?
• From that place – write the statement that is true about the idea you’ve sat on for way too long
• Write 3 fast-actions you will take in the next 24 hours to move forward
• Write 1, scary fast-action you will take in the next 48 hours to kill the lizard voice
• Agree to never speak about that idea in anything except the present tense again
  • I create___________, I perform ___________
  • This will steal the lizard’s power

Picture of the Day

This is a great idea for a Lizard Nickname and a Superhero Nickname. Did you create a few?

Chat Roll

00:00:27 Bryan Lee: You have a people…
00:00:32 Danno Sullivan: Peace! Loud and clear.
00:00:35 James Perry: Good morning
00:01:26 sara kunz: morning everyone
00:11:17 James Perry: Fear” too much work, no return
00:13:40 James Perry: works
00:13:42 James Perry: !
00:18:37 sara kunz: the gremlin gretchen & super sara 😀
00:19:18 Annie: Mrs. Fussypants (paralyzing perfection) – All-in Annie (take action)

Mentioned Video

Here is a very concise version of Byron Katie talking about The Work. Optional viewing, but as I said, you could do a lot work than hovering around her ideas. I look at The Work as another great antidote to the Lizard Brain.

A Happy Lizard Brain Lives in This Man’s Head