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Think and grow rich, and wise, and healthy!
The process of thinking is a lost art…
Blog post by Jim Byrne, Doctor of Counselling, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK.
9th May 2021
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Introduction
We live in an era of information overload – “Big time”!
Most people have had their ability to concentrate and pay attention to the Vital Few goals they should be pursuing in life; and are constantly distracted into performing the Trivial Many. They end up doing what is “anxiety relieving” instead of “goal achieving”. (Constantly checking that mobile phone does nothing to improve your life circumstances! Really! It doesn’t!)
Furthermore, most people will do anything to avoid the hard labour of thinking.
What is thinking?
Thinking has been defined in various ways by various experts, and the best approach to thinking is going to be this: Study the distilled essence of the best approaches. That is what I offer to my clients: the distilled essence.
Critical thinking structures our attention around the concept of “creating an argument” as opposed to engaging in “emotionally arousing rhetoric”.
Edward de Bono’s approach is designed to help us to learn and use a range of “attention directors”; and a systematic way to collect information and make sense of it, using six different strategies.
John Chaffee’s approach teaches the eight keys of “the thinker’s way”; and these include: thinking critically and creatively; and using effective communication and problem solving strategies.
My approach involves an integration of Perceiving, Feeling and Thinking – linked to the search for the answer of these question: “How to live wisely”; and “How to write a new life for yourself”.
How I teach my system
I teach my approach to effective “perfinking” – or perceiving/ feeling/ thinking, through my counselling and coaching services; and through some of my books; especially the following two:
How to Write a New Life for Yourself, by Dr Jim Byrne
Writing about your daily life, on a regular basis, is like acquiring a second brain. Processing your daily experiences through reflective writing is one of the most effective ways of promoting personal and professional change and improvement in your life situation, at home and in work.
The author presents more than twenty of his most potent reflective-writing exercises; including those that have made the greatest improvements to his own life circumstances, especially health and happiness, problem solving, career and life management, and enjoyable relationships. Write down your vision and goals, and make them happen; or write out your past problems as a form of therapy; or develop your creative ideas. This book shows you how, in small, easy to follow steps. Anything you wish to achieve in your life is brought closer, more reliably, by writing it out using our writing strategies.
…Read more about Writing for Success and Happiness…
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Who Are You, And Where Are You Going?
Transformative insights from psychology and the philosophy of psychotherapy
By Dr Jim Byrne, Doctor of Counselling
If I asked you, “Who are you?” my guess is that you would tell me your name.
But that is just an identification label attached to you, soon after birth, by your parents. You are not your name! How do I know? Because you are at least a physical body, and your physical body is not a name.
So then, you might try telling me your name (again) combined with your place of birth, your age, gender, and current marital status. But that is not who you are, because many other people are the same gender as you, but they are not you. Many other people have your marital status, but they are not you. Many people are your age, but they are not you.
You might then tell me some of your accomplishments, and your work role. But that is not who you are, because many other people have the same or similar accomplishments, but they are not you. And many other individuals do work which is similar to yours, or virtually identical to yours, but they are not you.
So there is a real problem for you, because you do not have a clue who you are. And therefore you cannot know what is possible for somebody like you. This book is designed to wake you up to who you could be, and how much more you could get out of your life.
For more information, please click this link: Self, identity and life direction.***
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Please take a look at the information about those two books. I hope you find this interesting and helpful in moving you beyond the widespread state of directionless anxiety about an uncertain future.
Best wishes,
Jim
Dr Jim Byrne, Doctor of Counselling
ABC Coaching and Counselling Services
Email: Dr Jim Byrne
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ABC Bookstore Online UK 