You are a Genius - Unlocking the Power of the Mind

(Excerpted From The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan - Pillar Eleven: Accelerated Learning)

Hi, Jim Rohn here. This month we focus on accelerating our learning processes. How exciting! First, understand we possess the ability to improve and accelerate our learning curve. And second, this creates the potential of what we can continue to become. Wow! So let's get started. Here is an overview of the month.

1. You are a Genius.
In week one, we discuss ways to unlock and tap into the incredible powerful potential you have in your mind. We will also cover the attitudes of successful learners and show how your attitude about learning will determine how far you go in your life and career.

2. Six Stages of Learning.
In week two we will talk about how to accelerate your learning and discover what your unique learning strengths and weaknesses are. We will also cover the topic of finding your particular learning style, and how to best tailor your learning to fit your unique needs.

3. Improve Your Memory.
In week three we will talk about how the mind and memory works and how to train it to remember more. We will also cover basic speed reading techniques and show you the importance of reading and how to develop a basic reading plan.

4. Life-long Learning.
In week four we will discuss the importance and benefits of being a lifetime learner. In addition, we will talk briefly about a basic plan for life-long learning and how to keep your mind tuned for success, as well as how to win the battles of thought that take place in our minds.

You are a Genius - Unlocking the Power of the Mind

This month we focus on the learning that comes through the power of the mind. Take care to feed and stimulate your brain, and you will expand your mind. A healthy brain is central to a healthy mind. Because the two are inextricably connected, I would like to start this month by giving an overview of the astounding complexity of the brain. Many of these facts may be familiar to you, but they are important reminders of this incredible tool God gave us. We again need to see the human brain and mind with wonder, awe and inspiration.

But first, what do we mean by "learning?"

Here are how some dictionaries define it:

--the act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skill

--knowledge or skill gained through schooling or study

--behavioral modification especially through experience or conditioning

--to gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery through experience or study

Keep this in mind as we go through the month. Learning is gaining knowledge through various means.

Now, a little about the brain:

The brain is the equivalent of a human supercomputer. Your brain is more complicated than any computer mankind has ever made. Maximizing your brain's ability is essential to becoming the success you desire to become - because it controls who you are. It is the command center involved in and controlling absolutely everything you do. Your brain determines how you think, feel, and act.

Simply put: When your brain is working at peak performance, it allows you to be your best, because it controls the rest.

Here are some facts about the brain:

It is about 2% of body weight.
It consumes about 20-30% of the body's energy.
There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain.
Each neuron or nerve cell is connected to other nerve cells in the brain.
There are over 1,000,000,000,000,000 connections in the brain.
Each one of these neurons is a little "learning center" capable of storing knowledge.

Needless to say, most of us have barely scratched the surface when it comes to tapping into those neurons!

There are some basic influences on the brain that shape how it functions and how far it develops. Some of these include genes, health, injury, self-talk, life experiences, stress, and study (or lack of it). Notice I said that these influence the brain, but they do not determine how far you can go or what you can learn, except perhaps in the case of severe injury or mental retardation. In other words, you have the incredible opportunity to go as far as you desire!

So with such a tremendous tool at our disposal, what keeps so many from experiencing the possibilities that this tool can bring? There are some simple barriers that many people face that can have the potential to wreak havoc on our learning if we allow them to.

Barriers to Finding Your Genius

Lack of Belief. Many people do not believe that they can learn, master knowledge, or become "smart." These are deeply held beliefs for many, and ultimately if you do not believe it, you will not achieve it.

Lack of Knowledge. What keeps some people from learning is that they choose not to access or do not have access to knowledge. Knowledge comes from experiences, books, people and other "knowledge dispensers." We must tap into that knowledge.

Lack of Desire. Some people simply do not have the desire to learn. They may be lazy, or they may not see the positive impact that learning would have on them. They have no passion inside that drives them to learn.

Lack of Hard Work. Gaining knowledge--learning--is hard work and takes a lifetime to master. It is an ongoing discipline that is never complete. I am getting on in years and I am still learning. I am still doing the hard work to expand my mind. It would be easy to give up and coast, but I love the challenge of continuing to learn.

So how do we overcome or break through these "barriers?" The key to breaking through these barriers is to do the opposite.

Let's look at how to knock down those barriers:

Change Your Beliefs. It is up to you to do the work of changing your beliefs. And when you do you will be opening up new worlds - literally! This month Chris is going to talk about winning the thought battle, which will help you keep negative beliefs out and positive beliefs and thoughts in. Feed your mind with information that will change your belief. By taking part in this One-Year Plan, you are doing just that. But also ask yourself if you are doing that with belief. The truth is that you have an amazing mind with a capacity for learning that is beyond your comprehension. You must believe this. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!

Get the Right Knowledge. Words--if they are not true--are meaningless. I hear children say, "I read it in a book." But is it true? Just because someone says it or writes it, doesn't mean it is true. As learners, we want to get the right knowledge, not just information or opinions. It is our job to seek out information and knowledge and then test it and run it through our minds to see if it is true, and if it can be rightfully applied to our lives in order to make them better and help us succeed. We need to weigh and measure what we learn in order to gain the right knowledge. And when we do, we will be unlocking the potential of our mind!

Become Passionate about Learning. This will take some work, but the only way to do it is to begin learning about things that have an immediate impact in your life. When you learn about a new financial concept that helps you earn money or get out of debt, that will get you fired up. When you learn about a way to communicate that helps you sell more product, that will energize you. When you learn about how to interact with your family in a healthy way and your relationships get better, that will inspire you! Become passionate about learning. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!

Discipline Yourself Through the Hard Work of Study. Learning will take work. Until someone comes up with modules that can plug into your mind and give you instant access to knowledge, you are on your own, and that takes work. The process of learning is a long one. Yes, we can speed it up, but it is still a process of reading, listening, reviewing, repetition, applying the knowledge, experiencing the outcomes, readjusting, etc. Simply put, that takes time. Slowly but surely, when you discipline yourself, you gain knowledge and learn. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!

Learning is possible, no matter what your age. You are never too young or too old. Your mind was created to learn and has a huge capacity to do so. This week, make a commitment to unlock the potential of your mind!

Until next week, let's do something remarkable!
Jim Rohn

This week's article by Jim Rohn, "You are a Genius - Unlocking the Power of the Mind", is excerpted from Week 44 of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan. Sign-up this week for The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan and receive all your books, CD's and DVD's prior to the March launch of a new session. See #5 below "Would You Like to be One of the Top 1% in Your Marketplace?" for more details or go to the website address below.

Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine. Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine, go to http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

---

Like A One-Eyed Cat Peeping In A Seafood Store

Want to be successful in whatever it is you choose... Read More

Strategy - Personal and Business

Many different daily tasks require a strategic process to be... Read More

Your Success

Success starts in your mind. Positive Thinking creates the advantage.Success... Read More

Empowering Other People

Everything you will ever have and accomplish in life will... Read More

The Winner Walk

The Winner's Walk is a key strategy in the sport... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Step Into Your Own Truth

Create a truth and step into it There is a... Read More

Life Issues Pt. 1 - Success

Hello everybody and a good day (or night !) to... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Aim For The Impossible

Choose "impossible" goals When faced with a hard-to-reach goal, your... Read More

Dare to Dream Again

Do you remember when you were a child and no... Read More

The Curse of Success Geniuses

Don't talk to me about how to succeed! I've read... Read More

19 Good Questions For Living The Good Life (Just The Right Question To Get Just What You Desire)

It happened again in class. While sharing my insights on... Read More

Limiting Beliefs - How to Break Through the Barrier

Circus trainers used to tie a chain around a baby... Read More

The Formula For Failure and Success

(Excepted from the book The Five Major Pieces to the... Read More

Nitty-Gritty Reasons

(excerpted from the book Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness)Wouldn't... Read More

3 Powerful Tips to Help You Have Your Best Year Ever

Here are 3 powerful steps you can take to free... Read More

Learning From Failure--What To Do When You Blow It!

Becoming successful is not easy. We all get tossed around... Read More

Failures: 2 Types 7 Reasons

We experience failure directly or indirectly. Here we will come... Read More

Live the Dream

To achieve what you want, what you desire, needs a... Read More

Habits and Success

I got a big reminder over the last couple of... Read More

Live Your Life To The Fullest

Do you sometimes feel that you're living a boring life?... Read More

How To Use The Past, Future, And Present In Attaining Success

Did you know that your past, present, and future can... Read More

Double Your Brain Power

Do you think you have an "average" or perhaps an... Read More

Check Your Comfort Zone At The Door

No matter what goals and dreams you desire, there's a... Read More

Surf the Wave of Abundance

Bank account bare? Bedroom barren? Body running on empty? Buddha... Read More

Success Lessons From Cricket That Can Improve Your Life

This summer (2005) huge crowds in England and Australia have... Read More

How To Become Successful

The First step to success is to think and decide... Read More

10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace - Wayne Dyer Book Mini-Review

Dr. Wayne Dyer published his best-selling book, "10 Secrets for... Read More

Facts About the Art of Influence

All of us could work on our skills in influencing... Read More

Sharpen Your Saw by Continuously Learning

What does a sharp saw have to do with lifelong... Read More

My First Major Failure

Thomas Edison wrote his quote " I have not failed,... Read More

Changing Your Mind Can Be a Wrestling Match

If you've been walking this earth for any length of... Read More

What Constitutes a Good Life?

The ultimate expression of life is not a paycheck. The... Read More

Smile Your Way to Success

Smile brings beauty to your face, charm to your personality... Read More