Is intuition a gift, a myth or a curse?

If you’re an intuitive, know that you live in a different time, space continuum than logical thinkers… neither better nor worse… just different. Though I personally believe intuition is a gift. Some receive it automatically. Some have to work on developing it. And it appears that some will forever be numb to its offerings, partially due to disbelief.

The seemingly lucky people in life connect with, and trust their intuition. Most will embrace intuition in conjunction with the element of planning and analyses. Intuition is not a blind act built purely on belief, it is your truest sense of knowledge. Intuition and instinct are not synonymous. Instinct is immediate and purely driven by the reptilian brain. Intuition includes your moral compass (values), gut, experience and the subconscious mind combining with your heart to tell you what is best or what is a negative vibe or energy.

Your gut and heart simply know. Don’t underestimate the power of your heart. Modern research is showing that the heart sends more signals to the brain than the other way around. Design a more promising future by connecting to your intuition. Leverage its power.  Be aware you have access to it.

The HeartMath Institute executed nineteen years of extensive research on the relationship between the psychophysiology of stress, emotions, and the interactions between the heart and brain. They concluded that the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. 

If intuition is your compass, stay calm and carry on. The greats just seem to have a knack of knowing when and how to risk and expand their horizons with brave decisions.

“The only real valuable thing is intuition.” - Albert Einstein

You may find logical thinkers unable to understand your convictions based on your gut screaming to do what simply FEELS right. How can you be so sure based on a feeling? Lieutenant Colombo always had a hunch (as do most detectives).  It’s a feeling that is deeper than thought or intellect. It stems from the heart… OR..

On a spiritual or holistic level, there is a direct correlation between intuition and the pineal gland or third eye (chakra). It is a form of awakening that connects us to the source. Meditation is a practice that will help you connect and develop your intuition. As we age and due to nutrition, environment and social programming, our pineal gland calcifies. Without nurture: exercise and stretching it can die, so to speak.

Ultimately, true intuition doesn’t need reasoning, evidence of validation. If you are caught between intuition and ego driving decisions, the ego will base decisions on Information. Not intuition, because It just is. Don’t trust it, obey. it is a channel connecting us to an all-knowing form of consciousness that gifts us with insight. It negates time and dimension because universal wisdom isn’t confined to these human-made constructs. Embrace time as non-linear and you will see that intuition is both the past, present and future converging in your gut, heart or third eye (pineal gland).

Vital Germaine

I talk a lot about intuition and the power of the heart in my book, THINK LIKE AN ARTIST.

Beyond Traditional Empathy

Common consensus and understanding of empathy suggests it’s between two sentient beings or humans. However, it can, should, and does go much further than that. It is a universal love language that transcends a heart beat. The collective that is nature, does not have a heartbeat perse, but it does have a consciousness. Did you know that trees, have a sense of community, sharing information amongst themselves. Such information as weather conditions like droughts are sent to each other as distress signals. Scientists refer to this as mycorrhizal networks.

Nature is a living, breathing organism that connects to all forms of consciousness and life. Our human experience would be much richer if we embraced, let alone understood and honored this phenomenon.

Understanding the relationship between humans and nature (the universe, god, allah…) means sharing an emotional experience with the natural world and everything that it encompasses… and not limited to this conceivable dimension. Modern research and scientists are exploring this concept. It’s called, Dispositional Empathy with Nature (DEN).

The thing is, this concept is not new but rather ancient. What we call “primitive” peoples or “ancient tribal wisdom” have been aware to his for millennia. Nature is honored like a god. It’s about understanding the full circle of life in which everything is intertwined and connected. We hunt a living animal for food, not for pleasure but for necessacity/survival. That animal is honored in its sacred sacrifice, meaning we understand and respect what it has contributed to the circle of life and the suffering it experienced as a result.

BENEFITS:

Understanding and implementing empathy for nature will help us resolve many of the worlds current problems. It would minimize deforestation, abuse of animals in the meat industry, pollution of our seas and waterways, extinction of animal species, lower greenhouse gasses… basically all human-made corrosive behaviors based on greed. The negative side of capitalism is that it opens the door to greed and exploitation of resources based on short-term-thinking and immediate financial gains.

It is time for humans to embrace and implement empathy towards nature? Absolutely, yes! We may not survive without it. If we love our planet and our children’s future, we must substantially shift our thinking, behaviors and our conceptualization of the vast expanse that lives beyond a heartbeat and a traditional mind. Furthermore, empathy is not a disposition, it is a quality that can and should be trained and developed. It begins with awareness. You’re welcome.

I am optimistic we can do better, we will REACH HIGHER.

Learn more about empathy in my book, PINK Is the Color of Empathy.

Vital Germaine

Building a powerful and AUTHENTIC personal brand

Let’s begin with the absolutely not so obvious to many. A brand is not a logo, a jingle, an ad or a slogan. It is also not the product, a symbol or a name. This is a common misconception to young entrepreneurs and first time small business owners who are “building a brand”.

So, then what is a brand?

The short and simply version is this: A brand is a promise made and kept.

Let’s break that down.

You can tell your customers’ all day long who you are, what you are and what you do, but the reality is, your brand is based on their perception, i.e, your reputation. Your reputation is based on “promise made, promise kept.” Do you deliver on what you say you will? If you don’t you have an anemic brand.

All the other elements such as logo etc, fall under the category of “brand identity.” These are the visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo, that identify and distinguish the brand in consumers' minds. They help customers identify you. These elements are not the brand itself.

There are two brand catagories.

1. PERSONAL BRAND: this first one is rarely thought of. YOU in your every day life are a brand. You are perceived a certain way and you have a reputation that determines if people like or trust you. And we interact (or do business) with people we know, like, trust and relate to.

   The easiest and most impactful personal brand you can build is one that is authentic; a true and sincere reflection of your core values and your character. Not fake values that you contrived to look and sound good on paper, but honest, sincere values that you embody and live by in all aspects of your being and your business: your behaviors, your words, your actions, your habits and your patterns. Be aware that over time, your true brand or character will eventually be exposed. This is what you will be judged and perceived on… it’s your promise.

   These same principals apply to the business world. The essence of your character/values (personal brand) will bleed into any form of business you undertake.

   Read the blog: BUILDING A STRONG PERSONAL BRAND

   Read the blog: 3 TIPS TO BUILDING A STRONG BUSINESS BRAND

2. BUSINESS BRAND… read the business brand blog.

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What is Cognitive Dissonance and why you should know?

cog·ni·tive dis·so·nance

/ˈkäɡnədiv ˈdisənəns/

Learn to pronounce

noun

PSYCHOLOGY

1. the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.

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If you’d like help along your growth journey, please connect with me and get a FREE 15 minute discovery session.

Learn more in my book, FLYING BEYOND THE NET.

If you agree/disagree, or would like to add to this blog, I’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment.

Vital Germaine

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How to Optimize Your Risk-Taking

There is an art form to rolling the dice in order to increase the odds of a positive outcome.

Is it time to quit the job you hate, buy the house, start your business, propose to your dream partner, ask that elusive love interest out on a date? They are all scary goals. When you take risks, the objective is to optimize the outcome, minimizing loss or "failure". Growth and change offer no guarantees. How do you minimize risk and optimize the reward/success? Well, the short version is… you gonna have to take step out of your comfort zone. That can be scary. Below are 5 pillars to help you navigate that fear and optimize the outcome.

1. INTUITION: The seemingly lucky people in life connect with, and trust their intuition in conjunction with the element of planning and analyses. The greats just seem to have a knack of knowing when and how to risk and expand their horizons. Intuition is not a blind act built purely on belief, it is your truest sense of knowledge. Intuition and instinct are not synonymous. Instinct is immediate and purely driven by the reptilian brain. Intuition includes your moral compass (values), gut, experience and the subconscious mind combining with your heart to tell you what is best or what is a negative vibe or energy.

Your gut or heart simply know. Deep down inside you get a sense if the risk is the right one and at the right time. Modern research is showing that the heart sends more signals to the brain than the other way around. On a holistic level, the heart is connected to the source of universal knowledge. Police detectives refer to this as a hunch… something they not only trust, but obey. Design a more promising future by connecting to your intuition. Leverage its power. Be aware you have access to it. Meditation the practice of using it will help ou develop it.

2. REASONING/EVALUATION: Compare and weigh out your best/worst case scenarios. Clearly define and understand the situation and the consequences. Are you observing and translating the signs? Ask such questions as:

• How influential will the value of that risk be and how will the result impact your life. What can you live with in terms of loss both on an emotional and financial level? Take the Blackjack player who takes all aspects into consideration before deciding to stick with what he's been dealt, or risk his hand by requesting an additional card. What are the odds that the next card is what is desired? 

• How much money/humiliation is at stake and can your afford to lose what’s at stake?

• What do the percentages suggest? If the odds are in your favor, take the risk… consult step 1 to increase the odds.

3. ALIENATION: In terms of pure business, have a pulse on what the market or environment is ready to embrace. If the change or risk you are contemplating is too drastic or dramatic, ask yourself if you will be supported in failure. Take into account how much conviction and resources you have up your sleeve to counter-act loss of friends/romantic interest or entrepreneurial venture. Are you equipped to navigate the storm of rejection, indifference or alienation?

4. ADAPTATION: Transformation is a progressive journey that demands strategic change and adaptation. The willingness to fail along that journey is a must... there is always a period of incubation and a learning curve to navigate during decision-making or when contemplating change or transformation. Risk and growth require patient nurturing while the new is sculpted. Most times the loss hurts. Can you live with that pain, learn, get up and go again? If so, definitely take the risk. Fingers crossed. Your institution has got this.

5. OPTIMIZATION:  The risk factor is ultimately based on what you can live with or what you are willing to die for? That is the boundary that confines or liberates you in regards to how far you are willing to elevate the ceiling and stretch your mind to the desired outcome. Put all these elements into place and enjoy the rewards of your risks and transformation.

Learn more in the two book:

THINK LIKE AN ARTIST: leveraging your creativity to grow your wings

Sincerely.

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What's the difference between creativity and imagination?

Creativity, like imagination, is very hard to define. As an artist, or a creative, you will nonetheless need healthy doses of both. They overlap sometimes appearing to be the same. Both can be enhanced and stimulated to free and empower your creator soul. But what’s the difference?

The fundamental difference between the two is that imagination requires no intent or action. Creativity is the implementation of what the imagination reveals. Creativity offers an outcome based on a strategy that can be calculated, spontaneous, conceptual, abstract, and unscripted. It needs action or expression in order to have any significant value. Let’s dissect the two.

IMAGINATION: One of many official definitions of imagination is: the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.

In other words, it’s the conjuring up of “stuff” that does not necessarily exist or aligns with the reasoning of standard norms. It is not confined by logic or the laws of physics. It is limitless. It is the launching pad of creativity. It can simply be void of purpose or action, eternally floating in the ether.

Imagination kind of just happens randomly, at will, many times uninvited. The wiring in our brain is constantly at work as every thought includes a dose of imagination. Maybe the ultimate and defining difference is that creativity has boundaries. The imagination is limitless and infinite. We can literally imagine everything and anything. Nothing is remotely impossible. That is power!

Imagination has been our most formidable ally since the birth and consciousness of our species. Some would argue that it’s one attribute that separates us from all other animals… a gift that makes us “supreme" and advanced. It has also been our supreme enemy. It can generate such beauty, successes, and emotional escape.Imagination also invites advancement. But it’s not all power and poetry.

It can also and does engender extreme ugliness: massacres and genocides, WMD, greed and torture. It can produce emotional and cerebral paralysis through worry, fear, and anxiety.

CREATIVITY: Unlike imagination, creativity has boundaries and limits. Creativity has the challenge of turning ideas, fantasy etc, into answers into something tangible, or applicable. Those answers are limited to our knowledge, intellect and available resources. Where as imagination knows no bounds.

Creativity needs nurture and stimulation and doesn’t just happen. Many think It’s a skill or talent. It’s not. It’s a mindset fueled by our imagination. It helps us design a better life for ourselves by allowing us to apply solutions that negate roadblocks and defy locked doors when leveraged.

It helps us heal from our past wounds, in particular childhood trauma through expression. The wounded inner child seems to develop heightened creativity as a coping mechanism that often inspires art in its many forms. Though creativity is not limited to art… and everybody is creative.

The New York Times best-selling American author Eric Jerome Dickey says that, “It’s impossible to explain creativity. It’s like asking a bird, ‘How do you fly?’ You just do.” Dickey has a point, though I wouldn’t call it impossible to explain — difficult, yes, but not impossible. Is anything really impossible? That depends on your imagination and creativity.

You can learn more on this topic in my book, FLYING BEYOND THE NET

Sincerely,

Vital Germaine

6-time author

Artist

Inspirationalist

Building a strong business brand.

In the business world there are 4 crucial elements you will need to have in place. They are often referred to as the 4 P’s of Brand.

1. Product:

   1. What’s the story and purpose of your value proposition (service or product).

   2. What’s the quality in relationship to the price point?

   3. Is the product new and innovative or established and traditional?

2. Process:

   1. Will you save the customer time because your process is streamlined, effective and efficient?

   2. Is your process cost-effective and saving the customer money?

   3. Are the customer touch-points pleasant, enjoyable and memorable for the right reasons?

3. Place:

   1. Is the environment welcoming, clean and easy to navigate. Place can be brick and mortar or online (or your home).

   2. Can customers access your products and services easily? The more you minimize, if not eliminate pain-points the better the Customer Experience.

4. People:

   1. What service are your employees delivering and does it align with company values?

   2. How are they showing up and delivering the experience to your customers?

   3. Are your people honoring and embodying the core values that define your culture and therefore your brand?

   4. What is the emotional response from the consumer (Customer Experience) in regards to your employees or team.

All 4 P’s of brand must be put in place and well executed for the customer to believe in your business and become loyal. Take inventory and adjust accordingly. Customers must be confident and trust they know exactly what they are going to get. If you fail in any one of the 4 P’s of brand, you risk driving customers away. They will seek a company that does deliver on the promise:

A brand is not what you say it is. It’s how you are perceived that defines your brand. Some brands are a combination of the personal and business: celebrities or public figures in particular are both. READ THE Building an AUTHENTIC Personal Brand blog

Remember!

PROMISE MADE. PROMISE KEPT.

Anything less is a lame brand. And who wants that kind of crap in their life?

Learn more about how to build a strong and meaningful brand:

Thank you for reading (and watching),

If you are in the process of building a brand or want to strengthen your brand and need guidance, please connect. I’ve coached many entrepreneurs to success. I can help you.

Read the “Building an AUTHENTIC personal brand” blog

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