“It is as if evolution has built a safety device in our nervous system that allows us to experience full happiness only when we are living at 100% – when we are fully using the physical and mental equipment we have been given.” ~Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Physically, mentally, spiritually, financially, persuasively. . . are you functioning at 100% of your capacity? We’re born to learn, thrive, live and search for happiness, meaning and fulfillment, and yet many find these things to be out of reach. Why is it that some people struggle with their finances, their love relationships, their weight, and a general lack of motivation, while others seem to live up to their full potential with ease? We’re living in accelerated times with technology advancing faster than we can keep up with it. As a result of all the external stimulation, I believe we have a disconnect with our other-than-conscious selves. Once we repair that disconnection, amazing, miraculous things can happen. If we consider our subconscious mind a friend, and communicate with it directly, succinctly and, in a way, strictly, we can move mountains. The gentle giant is a power capable of being harnessed to aid us in our pursuit of fulfillment. They’ve been with us since the minute we were born and since then, they’ve been learning by observing what it is we hear and do. Everything that goes on around us is being filtered into this other-than-conscious. As children we were conditioned whether that be through rewards, punishments, through school and experiences. Our other-than-conscious learned too–it learned to expect certain ways of being, creating metaphorical maps of what we could expect out of life based on this early conditioning. Of its many roles, the subconscious is a powerful persuader–self-persuader–and when you understand this, you are naturally able to engage its help. The main function of the other-than-conscious is to keep us alive. Another is to keep us doing exactly what we’ve always been doing. This is, at times, problematic, especially when you’re trying to make big changes in your life. It’s possible that your other-than-conscious has been sabotaged by negative conditioning. It runs on a ‘I can’t do that’ program. This part of the brain is responsible for turning something into a habit by helping you know something on ‘auto pilot’ instead of having to ‘remember’ it. This works both positively and negatively for us. As we reframe the power of our other-than-conscious as a partner instead of something we hardly ever consider or communicate with, it can really make an enormous difference in our lives. So the big question is: how do we befriend this gentle giant? Well. . . how do you make any other friend? You gain rapport with them. It’s that easy. I thought this was silly at first too. I thought, ‘Why do I have to make friends with a part of myself?’ Take that leap of faith and you’re going to find a huge difference in your life. And this is how to do it: Give yourself a little pep talk. Ask for what you need help with. ‘Dear Gentle Giant. . . I’d love to double our income. I think we’re absolutely worth it.’ Or maybe, ‘Hi. I know we’ve had some rocky relationships and there has been a bad pattern created and now, I’d like to end that and have a great connection. What do you think? Let’s do it together.’ You could also ask for help with things you’re learning, as in, ‘Gentle giant, I would absolutely love to have my persuasion skills increase exponentially. You are really the one I can count on for help.’ Everything that you are, everything that you do, and everything that you have began with your intention to have it in one way or another is controlled by your other-than-conscious mind. All you have to do is tap into your persuasive power and your persuasion skills will naturally develop.