Back in Charge! A Guide to Harnessing the Magic of Your Brain to Create the Life You'll Love

by Ahern, Adrianne

• ISBN13: 9781591810896
• ISBN10: 1591810892
• Format: Package
• Copyright: 2009-05-15
• Publisher: Sentient Publications

Summary

Book & CD. Entertaining and insightful, this book breaks down the complexities of the brain's physiology, and illustrates how to apply recent breakthroughs in neuropsychology to daily life. Tackling issues that range from yo-yo diets to financial difficulties to dysfunctional relationships, the book is peppered with lively examples and practical exercises. The accompanying CD guides the reader through simple yet powerful processes that rewire the brain's physiology to work for, not against, goals and dreams that previously seemed out of reach. Based in science yet easy to comprehend, this is not just another motivational book but a down-to-earth handbook for those seeking permanent positive change.

Author Biography

Adrianne Ahern, Ph.D., has two master's degrees, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She is also the author of Snap Out of It Now! Dr. Ahern speaks to corporations nationwide and leads seminars on training your brain for peak performance.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
To Reap the Benefits	p. xi
Bridging the Chasm	p. 1
Looking Across the Chasm	p. 1
Disbelief in Change	p. 4
Exercise: What Popped Your Balloon?	p. 5
The Known Is Painful-But the Unknown Is Terrifying!	p. 6
Specific Negative Beliefs	p. 7
Your Conditioning: A Ferocious Warrior	p. 9
The Problem with Affirmations	p. 9
Exercise: Test your conditioning	p. 10
Limitations of Willpower	p. 10
Exercise: Finding the Why	p. 11
Exercise: Teaming up With Cheerleaders	p. 12
The Bridge over the Chasm	p. 12
Exercise: Make me a deal	p. 13
Your Brain: A Primer	p. 15
Working with the System	p. 15
Automatic Pilot	p. 17
Different Feels Strange	p. 19
Exercise: Benign Conditioning on Automatic Pilot	p. 20
Mental/Emotional Treadmill	p. 21
Exercise: It just Feels Right	p. 22
Who Dunnit?	p. 23
Early Childhood	p. 24
Cultural Conditioning	p. 25
Exercise: Tackling the Boogie Man	p. 26
The Creator of Your Reality	p. 29
The Most Powerful Truth	p. 29
Your Conditioned Perception	p. 31
Our Personal Realities	p. 31
That Tree in the Forest	p. 32
Exercise: What's Going on in Your World?	p. 33
Ignorance Can Be Bliss	p. 34
Exercise: What Don't I Know?	p. 35
You See and Hear What You Expect	p. 35
Making a Lie True	p. 37
Looking in the Looking Glass	p. 39
Exercise: What Do You Expect?	p. 39
Perception Determines What Is Possible	p. 40
Determined to Fail	p. 41
Exercise: If You Knew You Couldn't Fail ...	p. 42
Your Choice	p. 43
Damage Control	p. 43
Power of Feelings	p. 47
On the Cellular Level	p. 47
Powerful Split Second	p. 48
I'm Gonna Kill That Guy	p. 49
Exercise: What's Your Story?	p. 50
What about Love?	p. 50
Exercise: How Do I Love Thee?	p. 51
Plugged into Your Physiology	p. 52
From Feeling to Emotion	p. 53
Exercise: Releasing Emotion From the Body	p. 54
Emotion Leaves No Choice	p. 55
Exercise: Your Place of Choice	p. 55
Emotions Are Not So Bright	p. 56
Carving a Vicious Cycle	p. 57
Feelings: Innocent and Wise	p. 58
Exercise: Taking Inventory	p. 59
Exercise: You've already Been There	p. 60
Emotion and Feelings as Tools	p. 60
Power of Breath	p. 65
Breath Basics	p. 66
Breath and Physical Health	p. 66
Breath and Emotional Health	p. 68
Exercise: Prove It To Yourself	p. 70
Breathing and Mental Clarity	p. 71
Exercise: Get Smart	p. 72
There's Breathing ... and There's Breathing	p. 72
Exercise: Are you a Belly Breather or a Chest Breather?	p. 73
Exercise: Baby Breath	p. 74
Under Stress	p. 75
Exercise: Stress Test	p. 75
Part of Your Daily Routine	p. 77
Exercise: Breathe in Health	p. 78
Breathing for Health	p. 78
Exercise: Breathe Yourself to Sleep	p. 79
Breathing to Rewire Your Brain	p. 79
Power of Imagination	p. 81
It's All in Your Head?	p. 82
Exercise: Mental Health Break	p. 84
Visualization and Performance	p. 84
Visualization vs. Imagination	p. 86
We're Imagination Pros	p. 86
Exercise: Taking Charge of Worry	p. 87
Let's Pretend	p. 89
Exercise: Black Belt Moments	p. 89
Positive Focus	p. 90
Exercise: What are you Rehearsing?	p. 92
Present Focus	p. 92
Beyond Words	p. 93
Start Easy	p. 94
Not Just a Daydream	p. 95
Exercise: Create Your Image	p. 96
Can't Imagine It?	p. 97
Exercise: Self-Discovery	p. 97
The Power of Acknowledgment: Face It or Get Chased by It	p. 99
You Are Not Your Conditioning	p. 100
From Monologue to Dialogue	p. 101
Behind Your Back	p. 102
Out of Sight, Still in Mind	p. 103
Acknowledgment and Cleansing	p. 104
Exercise: Acknowledge and Cleanse	p. 106
Feeling Not So Groovy	p. 107
Suppressed Emotion	p. 108
Getting to the Feeling	p. 110
Exercise: Unearthing the Feeling	p. 111
History Review	p. 111
Exercise: Ancient History	p. 112
Exercise: Catch it as it Comes up	p. 112
You May Need Assistance	p. 113
How Do I Use This?	p. 113
Pulling It All Together: Rewiring in a Nutshell	p. 115
Set Yourself Up	p. 116
Your Trigger	p. 116
Exercise: Create your Trigger	p. 117
Make It Stick	p. 118
Play It Again, Sam	p. 118
Let's Get Physical	p. 120
Emotionally Attached	p. 121
Writer's Block	p. 122
Competitive Drive	p. 123
Calming the Tasmanian Devil	p. 125
Bridging the Chasm	p. 126
Exercise: Sixty Seconds to Momentum	p. 129
Exercise: Progress Report	p. 132
Epilogue: Beyond Conditioning	p. 135
Carried Away by Beauty	p. 138
Joy to the World!	p. 138
Exercise: Beauty Rest	p. 139
Playing Around	p. 140
Exercise: Tap the Joy	p. 141
Attitude of Gratitude	p. 141
Exercise: Appreciation by the Alphabet	p. 141
What's the Point?	p. 142
About the Author	p. 145
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