Plug In To Your Plug-Ins - Grasshopper

Two hobbies of mine include plug-ins: photo retouching and audio production. A plug-in is a piece of software that allows you to make complicated adjustments to your original file, in my case a photograph or a recording.

Plug-ins are shortcuts that make changes or corrections easier and faster. Some geniuses figured out all the algorithms to do a lot of complicated steps with the push of a button. Thank God for them.

 

It got me to thinking about a plug-in that we can use in our daily life.

 

Let’s pretend that you want to accomplish something but up until now, you didn’t know how. You started from scratch, made lots of mistakes and progress seemed evasive. The one question you may want to ask is: Has anyone else done this already? The answer is, most often, “Yes.”

 

That’s when you go read their biography or search their videos on YouTube. There you will find the shortcuts that will plug you in to their methods.

 

But let’s say you can’t find someone who’s done what you want to do. What to do?

 

Consult with your personal plug-in.

 

You have a creative part of you that knows what to do. You just have to get out of its way and let it earn its pay.

 

The first step in this process is to set an intention. Let your personal plug-in know what you want to accomplish. Then, set some time aside each day for reflection. Reflection is not thinking. Thinking will bypass your plug-in and take you on a step-by-step journey to nowhere.

 

Reflection is quiet contemplation. That means to set your intention and then practice a mind quieting exercise. There are tons of them and they all work. You can find many to choose from on my YouTube Channel. They’re all free. One I highly recommend is called Calm & Collected. I’ll put a link to it in the description.

 

When you’re calm and collected, you have access to your personal plug-in: your shortcut. When you take the time to reflect or meditate, you activate it.

 

This is a process. You most likely won’t get an instant result. Think of it as home teeth whitening. One application may not show any visible evidence but continually applying it on a regular basis will produce results. It’s like an old toothpaste commercial said, “You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.®

 

Many people I’ve met are skeptical that they have a personal plug-in. I respect your skepticism and request you set it aside for just a moment and entertain the notion that you can plug in to your creativity. Then do your mind quieting practice and trust you’ll get results. Nothing makes skepticism disappear more quickly than a visible result.

 

Caution: Too much thinking pulls the plug on creativity.

 

Final thought: To activate your creative juice, set an intention, get quiet, and turn your personal plug-in loose.

 

All the best,

John

Make sure to download a FREE copy of my ebook: INTER RUPTION: The Magic Key To Lasting Change here.