TRAIN YOUR MENTAL GAME

The secret inner game weapon (that no one talks about)

This is a mystery to me: There’s an inner game skill that’s every bit as important and powerful as cognitive control, but virtually no one talks about it. I honestly don’t know why. It’s possible that it’s because they don’t think we can do anything about it, but if so, they’re wrong about that. We definitely can, and it makes a huge difference in our lives when we do. In any case, that’s the subject of this week’s post. Enjoy! https://davidlevin.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/secret-weapon-blog.mp3   SUMMARY The “secret” inner skill that’s every bit as powerful as cognitive control, but that no one talks about. The profound emotional benefit that cognitive control simply can’t provide. How to develop this important inner skill. Watch/listen to get the full message. ENJOY THE PODCAST HOT NEWS & DEALS! 1) The ACADEMY is OPEN! Registration is now open, and there’s a special $100 off launch offer, available through 10/5/18. Learn more and register at http://davidlevin.com/academy-info. 2) Check out our podcast, The David Levin Show. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-david-levin-show/id1401013964 3) Free guide: "Three Things You Can Do Right Now To Start Loving Your Work (And Life) Again.” Visit davidlevin.com to get yours today! 4) NOW AVAILABLE: Limited Edition Raise Your Inner Game Medallion. Carry it in your purse or pocket. It’s an UP button for your Inner Elevator! Visit DavidLevin.com to learn more and order yours. (FREE shipping!) WHAT I’M READING Finished the Hellfire Club. Good enough. :-) Not much more to say. Finished the Fixer by Bradley Tusk. Loved it. SO interesting and entertaining. A non-fiction page turner. How often can you say that? Highly recommended. Started FAME by Justine Bateman. Loved it, but it’s pre-order. Also, it’s crazy expensive. $27, for an ebook. Never seen anything like it. Not sure what’s going on there. Hopefully it’s a typo, because I will not pay that much. Sort of floundering around right now for something to read, otherwise. :-) Will let you know what I settle on. [ transcript ] Hey, it’s David Levin. Author of Raise Your Inner Game, co-author QBQ the Question Behind the Question, Founder of RYIG Academy. I made a big point last week about the importance of cognitive control to your inner game, and it really can’t be overstated. When you can learn to direct and control your thoughts and attention, especially when you can shut them down and free yourself from them when you need to, it literally transforms your life, and in the very best ways. But the more time I've spent working with the Raise Your Inner Game material, I’ve come to understand that impulse control, another of the core Inner Game skills, is equally important. And that’s sort of a shocking discovery because ALL the other conversation about this topic—self-mastery, mindfulness—is all about cognitive control in one form or another. Daniel Goleman’s book, FOCUS, was all about this, very explicitly. When you hear meditation teachers and advocates — Sam Harris, Dan Harris, the Headspace people — the focus is on stilling your thoughts and breaking free from this endless loop of thinking we get stuck in. It’s pure cognitive control. Eckhart Tolle, when he speaks of presence and moving “above thought”, it’s the same idea. And I don’t mean to diminish it in any way. Cognitive control is incredibly powerful and important. But this one-sided focus on it misses the fact that impulse control can do the exact same thing—help us be more present and mindful—but it also helps in areas that cognitive control can’t. So let me give you an example of this. You’re in a meeting. The idea is to be present and pay attention, of course. But the reality is that your thoughts are elsewhere. You’re checked out, thinking about other things. The cognitive control solution is to notice your drifting thoughts and pull your attention back to the meeting,