What if you could improve 3 systems by only focusing on one?

Wouldn't that be cool?

Here are 3 modern-day health obsessions, concerning input and distribution:

1. what you eat
   (digestive system)
2. how you breathe
   (respiratory system)
3. fitness
   (cardio-vascular system)

What if there was a way to improve ALL THREE SYSTEMS AT ONCE?

Firstly, I wonder if people would be suspicious…

It’s an image I have…

A true image from an event that happened.

I am 10, riding on a bicycle in a loose T-shirt, hands free. Happy.

Suddenly there’s a hole in the road, and my bike falls over, sending me sliding along a pile of pebbles. My exposed belly is sandpapered by the little stones. I skid to a halt face down in the dirt.

I am in agonizing pain, my belly ripped open by the rocks.

It happened when I was 10, and it is still a vivid memory.

I've always been trying to run away from Japan.

I feel like Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in the Godfather III* movie, when he growls:

"Every time I think I have left, they keep pulling me back in!"

The first time, I took a 6 month sabbatical from BodyChance, and lived in Australia with my family. I tried to start BodyChance in Sydney, and all I succeeded in doing was losing $40,000, disappointing 5 trainees, ending my marriage, getting another retinal detachment and very nearly destroying a beautiful friendship.

It's teaching a person who doesn't want to be taught.

There are many situations where this might be confronted:

• A music student doing Alexander as part of their degree
• A High School class that being presented with your talk
• Little Tommy dragged along by his Education Mum
• The 2nd friend in BodyChance's "Two For One" workshop
• A corporate gig where the company has mandated attendance

What do you do?

Three things:

Being successful over a long period is the sign of an intelligence at work - luck or special circumstances play only a minor role.

There's no moment where I can just coast along - no matter what it is I am doing. Of course I can, and for few years it will be OK, but eventually little signs of decay will appear, blemishes on what was previously incorruptible.

How long would it take you to give 24 individual lessons to 20 people?

First off, would you work an 8 hour day?

If so, how many in the morning and afternoon? 8? 12? 16?

In my heyday, I gave 13 on average, 16 on a busy day. Now, I wouldn't dream of it. But 6 in the morning, and 4 in the afternoon, I could do that. 10 a day.

Could you do that?

Then keep reading.

I’m an all-in guy.

I beat my Self up about it. I keep asking me:

“What don’t you network? Why don’t you have a wide group of associates and friends that you consult with, banter, have fun and listen?”

I look at other successful people and they seem to be doing that. I might appear to be doing that too, but anyone who gets close quickly realizes I don’t. I don’t associate much outside my closest collegues, and those who have a mentor or student relationship.

I’m an all-in guy. I am coming to understand that.

My recent dispatch declaiming the sacred sheen of Alexandrian inhibition brought forth some solid affirmations. Phew!

From Jane Buhler comes this nice summary of the original post, throwing in a declaim of another AT sacred cow…

***

Have you ever noticed how many weird people are associated with our work?

The only reason I know this is because I am one. My teenage daughters say:

“dad, you're weird, sorry”

then they assure me...

I have a regular to do list which I sometimes ferociously watch, and most times studiously ignore.

Which way works best?

David Allen is famous for debuting his philosophy in Getting Things Done (GTB), then going on to make a fortune from it. Poor guy - he really has to live his biz like me. 24/7.

David's primary insight was this: when making a To Do list, put every "necessary" into your system, without exception. Once you have downloaded every single item you want to do, think about or plan - you can TRUST your system.