Edward Lewellen's Blog, page 2

Behavioral Assessments – Can they be a Thing of Your Past?

[image error]

If you and your company use employee behavioral assessments, you might have experienced a vast array of experiences, such as:
1) Increased retention
2) Higher productivity
3) More job satisfaction
4) Savings in your hiring process

You may have experienced some, or all, of these…or none of them. Here are other experiences some companies have had:

1) Once implemented, the assessment reports go ignored by most managers and leaders. Much of the information ends up in computer files, file cabinets, the trash can and, for the most part, unused.

2) The consulting company or people in HR that are “certified” to read the reports may set themselves in a position of “secret knowledge” and anyone wanting to partake of this “knowledge” must come to them

3) The assessments label people as if, once labeled, they will always be that. (Remember when you took the Myers-Briggs, a DiSC, or some other assessment? They used letters, colors, graphs, etc. to tell you “This is you!”)

4) There are ongoing costs for many reasons and they vary by assessment company; reports, “meters”, certifications and re-certifications, training, conferences, and the list continues.

What are my credentials to speak on this topic? I have worked with employee behavioral assessments for more than 20 years. I have participated in the building of employee behavioral assessments from conception to bringing them to market. I have sold and implemented them in scores of companies for every facet of the employee life-cycle. I’ve worked shoulder-to-shoulder with psychologists, psychiatrists, and pyschometrists. I helped turn a $7 million-dollar-a-year assessment company into a $200 million-dollar-a-year company in just eight years.

I’m also a Master Executive Coach, Master Life Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, creator of Dynamic Visualization, and expert in Neuropathological Remodeling.

My experiences with my clients tells me that there is a much better way for leaders and staff to have a permanent way to help people perform at their best. One that leverages all the potential and possibilities they hold, not what the past has created in them. And, that’s why I ask the question, “Behavioral Assessments – Can they be a Thing of Your Past?“:

So, what am I suggesting? Is there an alternative to behavioral assessments? I’ll share two experiences I have had that will answer those questions. Let me just say this before the assessment “gurus” comment; I know about Reliability, Validity, U.S. Government studies, clinical studies, and all the rest of the information about employee behavioral assessments. And, you don’t have to believe what I’m about to say but, if you could open yourself to the possibility that my comments that follow could be true, your life and business will improve dramatically.

Client #1: I was asked to work with a U.S. Military Veteran that had been labeled as “unmotivated” by a career transition group. I was told that he wouldn’t do the required work, was often late for career counseling sessions, and sometimes wouldn’t show up at all. His behavioral assessments indicated that he should be put into a administrative-type position. I met with the veteran and quickly determined that the career assessments and staff assessments were incorrect. The behaviors he was exhibiting were due to his lack of confidence, which stemmed from his experiences in life. I used Dynamic Visualization to help this veteran discover the confidence he had all along, but had been hidden because of hurts, habits, hang-ups, and limiting beliefs. He met with the career counselors 3 hours later. They called me and asked, “What did you do?! He’s a changed person!” Within six months he was promoted into a sales management position.  (Note: Not administrative, as he had been labeled)

Client #2: I was doing Executive Coaching with a C-Level person who, as part of a battery of tests, had been labeled as an “Introvert”. I asked him how the company knew that he was that. He said it was because of the results of several behavioral assessments and the behaviors he had observed in himself. As I always do with executives, I took him through my methodology of discovering his core identity, purpose in life, and a clear view of his future. That alone told him that he wasn’t an introvert, or many of the other things the assessments had said about him. I then used Neuropathological Remodeling to eliminate the things that were the cause of the introvert-like behaviors and other behaviors we discovered weren’t really him. The experience has been eye-opening and very satisfying as he now gets to believe, think, and behave as the person he is, not as the one he had been labeled as!

Those are two of the hundreds of experiences I have had of working with people that have been labeled as a certain type of personality or behaviors, either professionally or by their own confession, who changed in a matter of an hour, or a few hours.

So, were these people who the assessments said they were? Or, were they who they had been because of their life experiences causing them to think and behave in that way, adapting to their environment and stress? And, did being labeled as that “type” by an assessment further cement that concept?

I think everyone will agree that we are all an accumulation of our experiences in life; our education, our environment, our genetics, etc. But, just suppose people are able to leave the negative in the past and live their lives as who they are in their core identity and as they want to be in the future? Can you imagine the possibilities and potential that would open up, not just for them, but, if they are employees of your company, for you? So, I ask again, Behavioral Assessments – Can they be a Thing of Your Past?

Dr. Edward Lewellen is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

972.900.9207
Ed@Trans-Think.com

How Much is Depression Costing Your Organization?

[image error]

“Clinical depression has become one of America’s most costly illnesses. Left untreated, depression is as costly as heart disease or AIDS to the US economy, costing over $51 billion in absenteeism from work and lost productivity and $26 billion in direct treatment costs. Depression tends to affect people in their prime working years and may last a lifetime if untreated. More than 80 percent of people with clinical depression can be successfully treated. With early recognition, intervention, and support, most employees can overcome clinical depression and pick up where they left off.” So says, Mental Health America.

Where anti-depressants were once the cure-all, they are now under serious debate, some doctors and psychiatrists charging that anti-depressants are the cause of many suicides. How can the very medicine used to keep people from being depressed cause them to commit suicide? From my research, my understanding is this; Depression and the behaviors surrounding it are the mind’s natural process for dealing with troubles; the isolation, numbness, and other ways the mind seeks to deal with stress gives it the time it needs to recuperate. Taking anti-depressants can cause a person to come out of these natural behaviors that a person would normally exhibit and allows them to commit suicide.

So, what is an alternative? Irving Kirsch, PhD. is one of the lead researchers in alternatives to anti-depressants, is the Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies at Harvard Medical School, and a pioneer of the use of hypnosis in treating depression. Kirsch has appeared on the popular American television program 60 Minutes in a segment called Treating Depression and has written a controversial book, The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth. Here’s the gist of Kirsch’s findings:

1) Nearly 80% of antidepressant prescriptions are written by physicians, who are not psychiatrists.

2) Prescribing medication alone is too one-dimensionally biological a treatment, an unambiguous under-treatment that may help explain the higher rate of relapse associated with purely pharmacological approaches.

3) Clinicians can better view and treat depression from a multi- dimensional perspective, especially using hypnosis as a means of encouraging the client to adopt the empowering perspective that, “I am more than my biology.”

4) Clinicians would do better to encourage the client to be an active partner in a collaborative treatment process. They can do so by providing active psychotherapies which may best utilize hypnosis as a means of facilitating the client’s acquisition of skills known to reduce and even prevent depression. (Italics and bold ours)

You can read the full write-up on the American Psychological Association website by clicking HERE.

The question now is, how much is depression costing your organization in the form of lost opportunities, lost customers, absenteeism, workplace violence, and more? And, if you were to search for a competent and accomplished business professional that has an extraordinary record of helping people climb out of the pit of depression without the use of drugs and long-term therapy, where would you find them now?

You just did!  You can contact me at 972.900.9207 and Ed@Trans-Think.com

+++++++++About Dr. Edward Lewellen++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

Author of The 90-Second Mind Manager

Passing Judgment

When you hear the term “Judgement Day” many things may come to mind; anywhere from the Biblical sense to one of the “Terminator” movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But, we all make judgments every day. Think about the times during today that you’ve passed judgement. You pass judgement on the person who pulls in front of you on the street and causes you to swerve or slow down. Most people not only judge the offender as a hazard, but even equate their IQ to their driving habits, though, I don’t think this has ever been scientifically established.

You judge people for what they wear. Again, many times equating their level of intelligence with their clothing. You might say something like, “A person would have to be really stupid to wear that!” I did something similar earlier this week. A man I believe to be between 45-55 years old came into the gym with sweat bands on his head and wrists, short gym shorts, and black socks that came all the way to his knees. I had to laugh! My judgement was that he was somehow stuck in a time-warp.

You get the point, we all pass judgement each and every day. It’s a part of our lives. It seems to be a part of every culture. Does passing judgement so much and so often cause any problems in our lives? The answer is “Yes!” Every time we pass judgement on a person or situation it reinforces and supports a belief.

Let me give you an example:

My father is the type of man who wears a frown on his face much of the time and many times he seemed mean or angry. Because of this, my belief was that a person with a frown meant that they were mean or angry. This caused me to avoid people who were frowning. I began questioning this belief. I began wondering if I might be projecting my perception on people. So, I took the opportunity at a networking event to test out my belief that people who are frowning are mean. I went up to a man who is probably late 60’s to early 70’s and introduced myself, but, this time I did it in just the same way as I do with “non-frowners”. To my surprise, a warm, inviting smile came to this man’s face and a wonderful conversation ensued. I have since done this many times and have gotten the same result. My old belief that people who are frowning are mean or angry is now gone.

I want to interject some facts to think about the next time you want to make a judgment; We have 2 Terabytes of information coming in upon us at any point in time. Yet, our five senses can only process 11 Megabytes. That’s about 5%. Which means that 95% of the information eludes your conscious mind.

Also, please note that neuroscience tells us that 70% of the information you think you are sensing is actually made up from memories of prior experiences. Old sayings, like, “I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it” or “I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t heard it with my own two ears” hold less validity now, do they not?

Is it fair to say these last two points should cause us to stop and really think before we make any further judgments,?

Here is an experience of a friend of mine that shows how our perceptions and resulting judgments should constantly be questioned. My friend grew up with the belief that her mother was a terrible, worthless person. She avoided any contact with her because she felt that her mother would want to “leech” off her and her family. An opportunity arose that required her to be in contact with her mother. What she discovered was that the mother was very wealthy and an executive in a large corporation! She also discovered that the other things told to her about her mother weren’t true. They are now back together and loving the opportunities being a family now affords them!

The point here is to reinforce what I have said many times; We create our own reality through the beliefs we hold in our minds. Whether it is relationships, finances, health, serving others, your career, or another important area of life, here are some questions to consider:

What opportunities have you missed because of the judgments you have made and beliefs you’ve held?

What happiness have you missed out on because you didn’t validate long-held beliefs?

What joys have you not experienced because of perceptions that were clouded?

By living intentionally and taking the time (Yes…taking time!) to see if the reality we are living is more than just a perception, we can find a richness in life that most people will never experience.

Interested in learning more about managing your mind and increasing happiness and satisfaction in your life? Contact me today!

Please feel free to comment and share this post!

+++++++++++++++About Dr. Edward Lewellen++++++++++++++++

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

Author of The 90-Second Mind Manager

Hitting the Stress Reset Button

[image error]

Stress is the number one killer.  Every disease can be traced to stress.  It weakens the immune system so that all the potential diseases that are in our cells can overcome the body’s natural defenses.  According to the science of Epigenetics, our thoughts and beliefs carry frequencies that can activate, or deactivate, the diseases in our cells.  (For a thorough discussion on the topic, see the book Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton.)

In our daily life, stress shows up in other ways, too.  When we have a burst of anger, extreme sadness
or depression, intense crying, strong self-doubt, and so many other powerful
emotions, it’s rarely because of a single event that just happened.  The usual cause is a buildup, an aggregation,
of stress; many small irritants that have accumulated.

Interestingly, we think we have let those small things
go.  The dog that woke you at 3:00 in the
morning.  The favorite dish that was
broken by accident.  The relationship
that is mired in distrust.  The job that
you hate, but it pays well, so you stay. 
The spouse who has a need for ongoing care.  And the list goes on.  We think we have let all of that go…until
we reach a tipping point and it all comes flooding out.

Stress Reveals
Character

That’s an expression that I find offensive.  Why? 
Because it has very limited application; mostly in sports where the stress
being discussed is the positive kind, eustress. 
Yet, managers in companies, spouses, parents, etc. love to use it to say
that, because a person has not succeeded at some level, they have shown that
who they are is weak and incapable.

Stressed people become what is required to adapt and
survive.  The human mind is designed to
protect its host, the body.  When it
senses stress in the body, it starts shutting off parts of the brain it feels
is unnecessary for survival.  This is why
a person’s behavior is said to be “unlike them”, possibly going from being
well-grounded to erratic.

There are many ways people have found to deal with stress
from daily life in order to try to keep being the real “them”.  Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the ways:

a daily dose of prescription medicineexercisingmeditationprayerherbsalcohol

Pushing the reset button

Just suppose that there’s a way to truly release and feel
the relief from daily stress without any of the aforementioned items.  Imagine being able to push a reset button to
center yourself.  This reset button is so
powerful that stress instantly drops from your body so that you have clarity of
thought, focused attention, certainty of a positive outcome, and a feeling of
power throughout your body.  That tense
feeling in your head, shoulders, neck, back, and stomach melt away. You see
options that, previously, you were unable to see.  You begin to feel like the ‘real’ you again!

How would that change your life?  The world?  What a wonderful new way of thinking!

For more information, contact Dr. Lewellen at 972.900.9207 or ed@trans-think.com

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

Author of:

Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

The 90-Second Mind Manager

Creativity in the Shower

[image error]

Your company is growing. 
You want to be the leader in the next phase of your industry.  So, you bring together your team to
brainstorm ideas on what that “next phase” could be.  You ask them to bring their fresh ideas to
the meeting.  No judgement on their
value.  Any and all ideas are welcome.

The meeting doesn’t go as well as you had hoped.  Ideas aren’t forthcoming.  As the leader of your organization, you
normally have a flow of ideas and those seem stifled, too.  What could be the problem?  You’re not in the shower.

Yes, you read that right, you’re not in the shower.  What does that mean?  Most people report that they recall things
they’ve been trying to remember and solve previously unsolvable problems while
in the shower.  It’s as if the memory, or
answer to a problem, suddenly appear. They also say that many of their best
ideas come to mind while showering.  What
causes this phenomenon?

Creativity, the Brain.
the Mind, and the Science

Time in the shower is real “me” time.  We’re alone, the water is refreshing and
soothing, our mind can drift to any place it wants to go.  We feel safe. 
We’re relaxed.  It’s during times
when we’re in this state that the parts of our brain that allow us to recall
information and create new ideas works optimally.  There are, in fact, nerves in our body for
being “At-Ease”.

When we’re in a safe, relaxed state, the brain allows blood
and naturally produced chemicals to flow freely to all its areas.  This means that our thoughts and thinking are
allowed to flow freely to go beyond surviving and into self-actualization,
including creativity.  You’ll notice in
the graph below that all other human needs must be met before achieving this safe
state and creativity.  Unfortunately,
many company executives and managers create an unsafe environment…

[image error]

You’re About to Lose
Your Job

How does that sentence make you feel?  There’s usually an immediate reaction of fear.
worry, scarcity, and all the other sensations related to being unsafe.  Many times, that’s how your people feel,
whether it’s real or imagined.  They
won’t tell you they feel that way, directly. 
They will fake their smiles and enthusiasm for the company to keep
getting a paycheck until they find another job. 

Now, their job may not be in jeopardy.  However, if they discern that you’re not
being transparent, authentic, that they’re being left ‘in the dark’; that your
company’s official statement of culture is that your people are cared about,
but the behaviors don’t match the words; when leadership seems in disarray and
gives the impression of incompetence, and so many other areas too vast to
mention, their brains will go into, and stay, in Survival
Mode.  The only way their creativity will
show up are in ways to keep their jobs, or find new ones.

So, when you ask your people to be creative and innovative,
guess what you’re going to get?  Less
than optimal results, to put it mildly. 
One of my favorite scenarios I’ve seen in companies is when a
“Creativity Meeting” is called. 
It’s as if someone believes creativity can be turned on, like a learned
skill, such as math.  Under most environments’
meetings are held in, they actually are counterproductive for being creative.  There is fear of being laughed at (even
though every idea is supposed to be welcomed). 
There is the stress of trying to become creative.  There is the pressure of wanting to please
the boss. etc.

So, the question is; Is there a way to help you and your
people go into “The Zone”, the state where all feel safe and the
brain and mind are allowed to flow freely with creativity at any time it’s
needed, even in a meeting setting? 
Yes! 

This isn’t Mindfulness or Meditation.  Though, those are helpful tools.  This is a proprietary process called Dynamic
Visualization.  Dynamic Visualization can
be programmed to become active whenever a person needs resources, such as
creativity.  You might wonder, what does
he mean by “Programmed”?

We’ve all been programmed from the time we were born.  Did you know that the only two fears we’re
born with are fear of heights and fear of loud sounds?  Every other fear has been programmed,
learned. 

Think about a song that makes you sad.  Now, think about a song that makes you
happy.  There are circumstances
surrounding those songs that caused those feelings to be programmed in you,
which you may be totally unaware of. 

Advertisers are constantly trying to program you to buy
their product or service through various marketing techniques.  That programming takes place without your
intention or your control.

Now, imagine being able to intentionally program your mind
for beneficial purposes, such as having creativity, confidence, certainty,
power, focus, and so much more!  That’s
what Dynamic Visualization can do!

So, if you’re looking for the answer to having you and your
people to become more creative, I’m only a phone call or email away!  Or, maybe you can think of a more creative
way to get in touch with me…

ed@trans-think.com or 972.900.9207

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

For more information, call Dr. Ed at 972.900.9207

Author of:

Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

The 90-Second Mind Manager

Are You a Caregiver Who Needs Care?

Ever feel burned-out from being a caregiver? Like you no longer have a life of your own? That can be changed so that everyone in your world benefits…especially YOU!

Contact me at 972.900.9207 and ed@trans-think.com

Then move beyond all the things you been doing and enjoy the experiences my clients have. Change your thinking and change your life today!

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

The Same

[image error]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

If you’ve ever felt like you were trapped in a loop, then you fully understand

People hire coaches, get mentors, take training, read book-after-book on either skills and self-development, but they have minimal success.  How do I know?  Because the self-development industry is worth over $10 billion every year. People are starved for answers to their most perplexing problems and they exhaust themselves in their search.  And the people in that industry know that as long as they have something to offer, people will buy it, with the hope they’ll receive a grain of insight.

Yes, it can be motivational to attend seminars with people chanting and being excited, but those are short-term, at best. A few years ago I was talking with the SVP of Sales for a global hotel chain and she brought up the name of one of the top motivational speakers in the world. She told me, ‘He charges $___ to speak for an hour. Our experience has been that the enthusiasm his speech generates lasts no more than two days. That’s not a good return on our money.’

The books, seminars, training, videos, mp3’s, etc. are all external. Again, they can be helpful and are an alternative to negative things people could be doing. But, they all miss the mark, the target, that when reached, transforms everything in a persons life for the good. That target is internal.

 I have a question for you now; How many people do you know who perpetuate the story they’ve been telling themselves for years, maybe even decades, and you know this because you see the results they always get? Here are some example:

They frequently move jobs because the people in every company they work for are back-biters and out to get themThey never make quota because of things outside of their controlEvery romantic relationship ends up being abusive, or wrong in some wayThey’ve been married three times and working on the fourthMoney seems to always elude them

No amount of positive thinking, no seminar, book, recording, etc. will change the story that causes these problems because, as Albert Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it .” Yet, people keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. They keep thinking the same thoughts, which gives them the same results.

So, what’s the answer? We have to change the stories we tell ourselves, even the ones we aren’t aware of. All of us have beliefs about ourselves that were programmed in us as we grew up. They can stem from something as benign as a certain look we were during a specific experience and they can be as overt as a parent telling a child every day how worthless they are. Those experiences were created at the conscious level, so guess what? They have to be resolved at a different level of consciousness; the unconscious level.

Are you looking for different results in your life? Would you like:

More confidence?Better relationships?Make, and keep, more money?Enjoy a satisfying career?

Them move beyond all the things you been doing and enjoy the experiences my clients have. Change your thinking and change your life today!

Contact me at 972.900.9207 and ed@trans-think.com

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

Learning to be Helpless

[image error]

If you’ve ever had a major health issue, a physical, mental, or emotional impediment, or have been the person caring for someone under those circumstances, then you’ve probably experienced Learned Helplessness. In this article, I mean no disrespect to people who have disabilities and they are living to their full potential in spite of them. To see the full intent of this post, please be sure to read it in its entirety.  And, yes, I know it’s longer than I usually post.

By definition, learned helplessness is:

“When humans come to understand (or believe) that they have no control over what happens to them, they begin to think, feel, and act as if they are helpless. It is a learned behavior, conditioned through experiences in which the subject either truly has no control over his circumstances or believes that he has no control over his circumstances.” (Source: PositivePsychologyProgram.com)

The first time I heard of Learned Helplessness was in relation to people who have had a stroke. The study showed that many of the stroke survivors had the ability to do much more than what they had been doing. Why would people live below their potential? There are many reasons and here are a few:

1. They feel that doing more isn’t worth the pain and struggle

2. They have people around them that insist on taking care of their every need

3. Well-meaning doctors may tell them to do as little as possible

The website, stroke4carers.org, says this:

“By encouraging the person to be as independent as possible and giving them choices, you can avoid this happening. Equally some carers find it is hard not to do more for the person they are caring for. Even the best of intentions can reinforce the learned helplessness. It may be quicker or less fuss to do the task for the person but it then becomes more difficult for them to change. All the extra tasks you have been doing may start to wear you out both physically and emotionally. Some carers worry about what others will think when they see the person struggling and you are not helping. Remember, they are not you and they may not be aware of what the person is really capable of.”

Learned Helplessness in school. I had an opportunity to interact with a school teacher and he shared with me how Learned Helplessness has taken over many classrooms. He said that there are students who have true disabilities and they have been told by their parents, social workers, doctors, and others all the things they can’t do. This has resulted in them refusing to put forth effort unless special attention and assistance is given. Interestingly, this school teacher is himself legally blind, yet runs several miles every day, takes care of his family, teaches, and lives a mostly normal life.

Technology is aiding Learned Helplessness. I recently read an article about robotic furniture. The article said that the furniture “can independently move around a space and can adjust its height, functioning as a caddie, a table and as an ottoman. Such robotic furniture could be particularly useful to those with physical disabilities, helping users carry items, limiting the need for painful physical tasks and even assisting people as they move around the house.” Whether it’s the scooters at the grocery stores or robotic furniture, these can serve as a way to help those that really need them to find personal freedom, or, they can give people who could be doing more another reason to be a helpless victim.

Doctors encourage Learned Helplessness. Let me ask you, if you have a wheelchair, a cane, oxygen tanks, etc., etc. sitting around your house, doesn’t it make you feel weak and ill? When I’ve spoken to people who have a lot of medical devices sitting around, they are mentally prone to feeling sick more than when the devices aren’t there.  I’ve been there and done that, as you will soon read. This is called the Nocebo Effect. The nocebo effect is due to a person’s negative belief or expectation of what the medical devices, pills, prescriptions, etc. mean to, and for, them.  It’s as if this is what is now defining who they are.

Another way doctors contribute to Learned Helplessness is the constant barrage of appointments many patients are assigned. Imagine this; You have a medical problem. For this medical problem, there have been five doctors involved. Each doctor wants to see you every other week. Then, once a month. Then, every three months, and so on until each one decides you no longer need to see them, which can very literally be years.

I mean no disrespect to doctors, but just the fact that a person feels they’re constantly seeing doctors makes them feel helpless, weak, and like there’s no way out. It’s as if they’re stuck in this doctor visit loop and they have no control over their life. I recognize that most doctors have good intent behind what they do for their patients, but I believe they need to be interviewing their patients frequently to get their input on their care. My personal experience has been that until I tell a doctor the progress I’ve made and how often I feel the need to return, then they will put me on whatever standard program they have. I’ve told doctors when medications made me feel worse, rather than better. I’ve fired doctors who insist that their way is the only way when it wasn’t the right way for me.  I believe each person has to be their own biggest health advocate.

Now let me share with you the catalyst for writing this article.

In April, 2016, I had a case of pneumonia that wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t unusual for me to have pneumonia once a year, so, at first, I thought nothing of it. I would go to my doctor, he would give me a shot of antibiotics and steroids and I’d be good as new, like usual. Only, this time it didn’t go away. After four rounds of antibiotics and steroids, I still had “pneumonia”.

I went to a pulmonologist who did a CAT scan and found nodes in my lungs and a lump about the size of my fist in my chest. I was told not to worry as the lump wasn’t cancer. On July, 29, 2016, I went in for what was supposed to be three small slits in my chest where the surgeon would “slice-and-dice” the tumor into small pieces and remove it. The only problem was, the tumor was cancerous. It was attached to my pericardium and right lung. So, unbeknownst to me until afterwards, the doctor split my chest open like open heart surgery. I had no say in the matter, which really angered me! I spent a total of 19 days in the hospital.  Had I been given an option, that’s not the one I would have chosen.

While in the hospital, I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Myasthenia Gravis (MG). MG is a disease that causes muscle weakness all over the body. If not treated, a person goes into a Myasthenia Crisis, which means the major organs stop working because of the weakness. I wasn’t exhibiting any symptoms of MG. None, zero, nada!

On January 19, 2018, I went into a full-fledged Myasthenia Crisis. My wife took me to an urgent care close by and the doctors thought I was having a heart attack. I was quickly put in an ambulance and rushed to a nearby hospital. I spent 21 days in ICU with a tube down my throat, three days in a hospital room, and seven days in rehab. A total of 31 days in the hospital. It would have been longer, but I amazed the doctors with my progress. Many times the hospital staff insisted that I use a wheelchair, walker, or cane. Most of the time I walked on my own. In one of the rehab games to strengthen my upper body (boxing), I beat the rehab tech even though he was playing all-out.

My neurologist has told me that I’m in the top 10% of the worst cases of MG. My oncologist has wanted to use radiation, even though all the scans and tests come back as showing no cancer. My pulmonologist would like to see me take medications on a daily basis. My cardiologist would like to see me on heart medicine. Etc, etc. They all tell me I should be in a wheelchair, or, at the very least, using a walker. I had to relearn to walk and talk again because of being strapped in bed with a tube down my throat for three weeks. And, did I mention I died both times I was in the hospital? Once in surgery and once in ICU.

Here’s the thing; as soon as I felt able at home, the medical devices were taken away and as each one left, I felt more powerful. I initiated a reduction in the number of doctor visits and I felt stronger because of it. I’m about 80% health-wise of where I was before all this started. I not only walk, but I have been giving hour-long presentations to groups and working almost every day. In fact, just two days out of the hospital and I was already contacting my clients and prospective clients!

You see, I was determined to be in control of my life and not be a victim or be helpless. I was self-aware of what made me feel strong and what made me feel weak.

Soon will be the sixteen-month anniversary of going into the hospital for the second time in two years. July 29, 2018 marks the two-year anniversary of my surgery. I wrote this article to encourage you to be strong and powerful. Whether it’s a medical issue, a relationship, a job, or whatever, refuse to learn the lesson of helplessness and resignation. There are always options and choices. And, when you take control and make your own choices, your life will be much richer and more fulfilling!

If you would like to learn how I maintained such a powerful mental and emotional state through all of this, feel free to contact me!  And, I’m available for keynotes and workshops on the power of the mind.

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

Author of:

Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

The 90-Second Mind Manager

How We Lose Control of Our Life

[image error]

The following post is an excerpt from my book, Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life, chapter two.

I’ve mentioned a few times the word “identity” in connection with “roles” and our “core”.  Playing a variety of roles in life is natural.  People will play the roles of a daughter/son and possibly a sister/brother, cousin, aunt/uncle, mother/father, grandmother/ grandfather, and wife/husband in familial relationships.  Other roles may be that of a friend, mentor, employee and co-worker, business owner, athlete, etc. 

Some of the roles will have sub-roles.  As an example, a business owner may play the
sub-roles of being a leader, manager, co-worker, encourager, disciplinarian,
counselor, pseudo-psychiatrist, payroll clerk, and more.

An interesting phenomenon takes place the more we spend time
in a role.  The more we spend time in a
role, the more we think and believe that is who we are.  As we take on a “Role Identity” as the
primary part of our life, we believe that we become that role and we begin
losing our Core Identity in the process. 

Let’s go back and consider two of the examples I mentioned
in the first chapter.  Remember the
international business man?  He had a lot
of role confusion in his life.  Very
successful in the business world, taking time away to spend developing his role
as husband and father, then returning to the world of business only to discover
many fears, doubts and worries in that role. 
You may wonder, how could just two years away from such an accomplished
career cause a person to feel so inadequate?

Then there was the woman I described.  She gives of herself and her time to so many
roles.  She expects perfection from
herself, and others, in each role.  She
takes on the weight of responsibility for each role and she feels she is
ultimately accountable for the outcomes. 
With all of that going on, she has no time to give attention to her own
health, fitness, diet, and other physical, emotional, and mental needs.

Living only in the roles we play in life is the point where
we begin to lose control of our lives. 
How so?  The Role Identities we
have are very fluid, yet, we treat them as if they are stable.  Let’s look at two examples.

You start a job and let’s say you’re about
20-years-old.  This role is new and
exciting!  You start at the bottom of an
organization with the hopes of contributing in some major way and putting your
thumbprint on its growth.  After being
with the company for a few months or years, your role has changed.  You’re familiar with the politics, culture,
and other internal workings, so you navigate through to reach a certain level
of influence. 

At this point, you may move up in the organization, or move
to another company to make an upward move. 
Or, maybe some decisions you made were poor and you don’t move up, you
may even be moved out.

What if there is a change in the person to whom you
report?  That changes your role because
you now must adapt to their style of managing and leading. 

A change in a co-worker can quickly change your role.  If your previous co-worker was spontaneous
and creative, but your new co-worker is detailed and exacting, this completely
changes how you work and interact with them.

Technology has changed many people’s professional role over
the last 30 years.  Can you think of any
place in your role in business that technology hasn’t had an effect?

The point is, you may hold the same job title or belong to
the same industry for years, but your professional role is in constant flux,
even if you think it is static or stable.

The second example is that of being a parent.  From the time a child is conceived, the life
of the parents is in a state of constant change.  A new child is on the way?  We need a bigger car and house.  The baby has learned to walk?  We need more safeguards around the
house.  The child has a natural
inclination to a sport or art?  We need
to enroll them in training or classes. 
The child is turning 16?  We need
to get them a car of their own.  The
child is getting married?  We could
become grandparents soon. 

Constant change! 

Yet, many people I have worked with believe and act as if
being a parent is a stable role.  If
you’re a parent, when you think about how much change takes place in that role,
you’ll probably find it dizzying!

I want you to stop here for a moment for reflection. Here’s
an important point I want you take with you from this chapter and this book: No
role you play in life is stable and static. 
No role can ever feel completely fulfilled, happy, and satisfied due to
the very changing nature of roles.  When
you believe that you have found complete fulfillment, happiness, and
satisfaction in a role, the second you believe that, your role has already
changed!  And, you have lost control of
your life

It’s much like the latest technology of a smartphone,
tablet, or computer; as soon as you think you’ve just purchased the latest and
greatest, there’s already something better or different being released!

Since the roles we play are ever-changing, how can we ever find stability, happiness, satisfaction, and fulfillment in life?  The next chapter will answer that question.

Want more information on having Life Mastery? Reach out to me at 972.900.9207 or ed@trans-think.com today!

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

For more information, call Dr. Ed at 972.900.9207

Author of:

Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

The 90-Second Mind Manager

Becoming an Invisible Leader

[image error]

If you’re a leader in an organization, your ultimate goal
should be becoming invisible.  Being
invisible as a leader means that your organization can run smoothly and
efficiently without you.  Your people are
given the resources and authority to make, and carry out, decisions.  You trust your people to do the right thing,
ethically and morally.  You trust their
competency.

Because of your leadership, the people in your organization
grow and thrive.  Of those closest to
you, any one of them could take the helm of the organization at any given
moment and keep it running smoothly.

This means that you’re free; 
Free to be creative and innovative for the future of the
organization.  Free to invest in
relationships that will further power the organization.  Free to collaborate at the highest levels.  And, because you’re free from having to grant
permission to perform the day-to-day tasks that once consumed your time, you’re
free to spend more time with your loved ones.

How do you become invisible? 
Former Aetna CEO, Mark Bertolini, lays the plan out like this:

    The first level is
your employees hate you.

    The second level is
your employees fear you.

    The third level is
your employees praise you.

    But with the
fourth level of leadership, you’re invisible because your organization takes
care of itself,

Bertolini says. “That’s the legacy I want to leave: An
organization of people that get it, they make it better, they keep it going. I
don’t need to tell people what to do.”

Many executives say they want this “Fourth Level of
Leadership”, but their ego gets in the way.  It’s as if when they aren’t needed to keep
the company functioning day-to-day, that they have lost their value to the
organization.  What a mistaken
belief!  How limiting and shortsighted
this belief is!  But, it’ there and with
so many key executives.

However, that’s all it is…a belief. A belief that someone
programmed in your mind or that you learned from previous experience.  And beliefs can be changed.  I know. 
I help people make significant, life-changing transformations every day
with amazing, tangible results!

Maybe today is the day to contact me,  because I help make the good GREAT and the
great EXTRAORDINARY!

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

Author of:

Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

The 90-Second Mind Manager