I wrote this up in 2014 and still talk about it regularly. It is one of the most amazing and comprehensive models I’ve ever come across and it I hope it will blow your mind as much as it has mine. I can see on slide share that it has been viewed over 1000 times, but downloaded over 100 times. People don’t just look at this, they keep it and often refer back to it. There are hundreds of ways to use the model.
It’s very valuable to anyone interested in personal or organisational development.
Be aware, you are where you are. Don’t try to push yourself or pretend to be somewhere you are not. Simply be aware of the level you are playing at, perhaps the level of the people and organisations around. From that awareness, you can make conscious decision to play at your regular, lower or higher value level.
Spiral Dynamics by Adrian Cahill
Spiral Dynamics by Adrian Cahill
2020 write up, for those concerned about where the world is headed next:
We live in turbulent times, in which many questions and problems are facing us.
At the same time the interdependence of living things rapidly increase.
We experience great climatic changes, political changes, power changes, in an ever interdependent, interconnected world.
I can work as a coach, but as I get more into it, there are more and more systems, processes, possibilities. As I work with staff the complexities expand exponentially, and THIS IS THE NATURE of systems.
My Boy draws a picture, his big sister draws a picture, I draw a picture, each getting more complex.
An indigenous person climbs a tree and gets a coconut. Meanwhile perhaps a family drives along the beach collecting as many coconuts as they can which they sell in a market. Someone from the big smoke buys the land and farms coconuts. Someone from a supermarket chain or distribution network sell these coconuts on the other side of the globe.
The free market economy often means ‘freedom to operate’. Any of you can go and get coconuts or fruit from a tree. Many might call it smart to get into collectives and harvest together. But Indigenous in Australia thought it was more important to live in balance. So many of the indigenous valued and did their best to live in balance with the land. While the collectives sometimes hired them, sometimes took possession of the land, moved the ‘less developed’ off their land. Aboriginals, Indians, Palestinians. Same Same but different. The system repeats getting more and more complex.
Collectives/Colonies/Companies grow rapidly and on an unprecedented scale. The lands are abundant in some natural resource, on a higher level of complexity, the people themselves become the resource, on a higher level again, the towns, states, countries are resources. Just consider colonization.
Just as few kids can become a gang, neighbours can become tribes, tribes can become states. Gang, Tribe, State, entities. Each bigger and more complex again.
As entities they may explicitly or implicitly have their own vision, identity, values, goals. As the bigger entity expands, it dissipates smaller entities. Just like microscopic cells, eating or being eaten. Supermarket chains buying out, or putting competitors out of business. It’s their destiny!
Public and private companies have their vision, and results are considered of paramount importance for their Board, Managers, and Shareholders. Their workers are a cost! Parts of this leads to a focus on short term profits, part focus on long term profit, but workers are a cost, perhaps quality is a cost. It becomes cheaper to plant coconut trees in rows and use fertilizer. It takes years or generations to notice the decline in quality and the source of increasing waistbands. As the Board does it role pursuing the vision and protecting shareholders, conflict arise, our visions and values are at risk from being sued, we have to care about the end of day customer, but it means losing millions, ‘I know, lets appear like we care’. Make a policy, put on a show. On an even ‘bigger picture’ this values conflict has negative effects on the environment and society, they can cause a systemic problems across the human race. Confusion, collective hate, suppression of the masses, perhaps population control. Ultimately bigger picture, collapse of our planet’s natural resources.
This same behaviour has happened infinite times. Slave workers were freed from their shackles, and received the luxury of hourly pay and the freedom to choose to work (or starve). The most successful earned the luxury of owning some land or resources, yet they were enslaved to the land they bought. The more successful you were, the more land resources you had, the more you had to manage. There was always some form of rule. Rulling class. Government, authorities, regulations, or back in the day nobles, tax collectors and kings.
NLP, Neuro Linguistic Programming is fundamentally Patterns. We see the STRUCTURE where most people see the content, you can see both.
For those with more interest into patterns and more specifically the patterns in Value and Value Systems, I suggest a couple of weeks learning about Spiral Dynamics. Spiral dynamics looks at how the value system in an individual, or an organisation grows as it matures and evolves. You may find your own level of development on the spiral. Be true to where you are at and who you are. Aim forward to evolve into the higher level, note that if you undergo stress, most people will fall back to the old ways, but the way to success, the way to fulfillment, the way to enlightenment, is to fall forward. Step into the underknown and consider embracing your next level.
http://adriancahill.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LOGO-SMALL-300x64.png00Adrian Cahillhttp://adriancahill.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LOGO-SMALL-300x64.pngAdrian Cahill2016-06-19 04:50:292023-08-23 06:55:34Spiral Dynamics. The purpose of YOUR life, and society.
A technique for the entrepreneurs, positive leaders or anyone interested in positive psychology.
Have you ever wondered what other people or perhaps society thinks about your strengths? For about $15USD you can complete your own Gullups Strength Finder assessment and be given a breakdown of each of your 5 key strengths.
Recently I reflected on my Strength Finder results. My no.1 strength was Positivity. It made me wonder how can I share it in a much better way than simply a motivational quote by someone famous, put over someone else’s photograph 🙂
From that, I figured that if I could share with you one of the most powerful techniques or strategies, perhaps you can gain a lot more positivity naturally in your own life. However this technique is not limited to simply positivity. It can also assist with cleansing, mindfulness, relaxing, even productivity.
The technique that you are about to learn I’ve called the “Metaphoric Positive Reframe” or MPR.
Anyone can learn to do a MPR and the real big bonus is that this is something that is easily turned into a habit.
Let’s get into it:I remember my first real paid job. I was 14yrs old and the job was on a farm. It was physically really hard work. In fact my boss actually paid me adult wages because it was so tough. And there I was starting my weekend or school holiday on the farm from 6.30am.
The work was as hard as manual labour can get. Naturally I wanted to give up. I hated the heat, the sun, the sweat rolling into my eyes. I couldn’t wait till sunset, but it’s only the early hours in of the day.
In this time I went through numerous psychological processes as one would naturally do. I tried singing to myself. Focusing on what I could buy. Calculating how much money I already earned or would earn. Thinking about other things. None of it really worked for more than a few minutes. But this work went on throughout the whole summer.
In time I created a strategy which was amazing simple and effective. I started to look at things differently. This is what people consider hard work. I’m doing it. I’m succeeding. I can do it. As much as I didn’t like it, the work became symbolic.
This work was making me tougher. This work was helping me become a ‘hard worker’. The farm itself became part of me. As I worked on the farm I was working on my self. I was employed, earning and saving, just as the farm was employing, earning and saving. The work became less about a job and it became part of my development as a young man.
Every time I went to work, I said things to myself like, “I’m building my character. I’m building my empire”. Sometimes I would even repeat this like a mantra.
“I’m building my character. I’m building my empire”.
“I’m building my character. I’m building my empire”.
“I’m building my character. I’m building my empire”.
Another example
A lot of great things come out of South Korea. Gangnam Style or Kimchi may come to mind for you. However personally for me it would be memories of a week in the area of Noonsan learning Maum Meditation. Here they were very clued on to the MPR. They just didn’t call it that.
Students reaching higher levels in their practice would be ‘blessed’ with the option of doing chores like serving food or doing the dishes (for the entire meditation centre). Each of these tasks were given deeper meaning. Washing plates, could be experienced as washing away bad habits. Scraping leftover food into compost bins could be experienced as feeding the garden. Students learned to reframe the task and actually enjoy it. It goes to show that:
You can do a MPR on any task.
You can turn your whole life into a collection of positive rituals and habits with the MPR method.
Examples of specific MPR’s:
Having a shower, bathing or washing dishes:
Washing away the stress, cleansing, purifying.
Releasing negative thoughts from the mind.
I purify my thoughts and clean my mind to be more successful.
Turning on power, fan or light switches:
Control, ability, influence, helping others
I’m able to positively influence my environment.
I’m in control of my life.
I connect with that which I need to make my body and those around more healthy and comfortable
Waking up:
Realization, waking up, recognition.
I awaken to greater opportunities for success and abundance
I awaken grateful to have slept and appreciate the opportunity to be here today
How can you do this?
1. Pick a regular task. Showering, brushing teeth, cleaning, putting on make up, shaving, catching a subway, riding a bike, setting your daily alarm.
2. Picking a symbolic meaning behind each task. Cleansing, being alive, positive energy, revitalizing, recharging, motivating, contributing.
3. Create a physical reminder to do the MPR when you do the task. For example, put a note on the mirror, a rubber band around a shampoo bottle, a sticker on your bike.
4. Write out your intent, and your mantra. Writing it down makes it planned and repetitive.
Write out your intent: “When I set my alarm, I will stop worrying about the day, I will put the day behind me and rest”.
Write out your mantra: “I’ve put my day behind me, and will enjoy resting now.”
5. Consciously or out nice and loud repeat your mantra at least 3 times while you do the task.
6. Bask in the glory. Yes, I’m doing this! By actually doing this, you are in fact succeeding and adding growth to your day naturally.
Imagine for a minute.
What could happen, if you applied the MPR for just 3 routine mundane tasks?
Created and written by Adrian Cahill.
Adrian Cahill is an Executive Coach/Mentor working predominantly over the phone with clients across Asia.
https://adriancahill.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/positive-thoughts1.jpg505577Adrian Cahillhttp://adriancahill.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LOGO-SMALL-300x64.pngAdrian Cahill2016-01-19 03:00:152018-09-27 09:19:40Lessons in Positive Psychology, the MPR.
Neuro Logical Levels (or Neurological levels) is one of the most interesting frameworks I have ever seen in the Coaching / Personal Development world. It is in my opinion the best NLP Coaching Model to date.
Regardless if you’re working as a change agent, or looking for change yourself, this will assist you in understanding and gaining a very high level of awareness of yourself and others.
Reading this alone will give you insight. Spending more time with it and revisiting it will bring more. If you practice it, you may find yourself able to recognise or even track conversations as they go up and down the levels. As an agent of change, you may begin to recognise on what level a presented challenge is at, where the deeper challenge is, and if you develop skills in Coaching/NLP with me, you will learn which models/tools/questions to ask to create trance-formation, or rapid change (perhaps both) with a big smile on your face.
Very brief background: Neuro Logical Levels is a METAPHOR. It was developed by Robert Dilts and is often taught in NLP and non-NLP Coaching Courses.
I’ve trained under John Grinder, and Richard Bandler the Co-Creators of NLP, and there students, Dr Robert Dilts & Dr Stephen Gilligan.
Deeper background: Neuro Logical Levels is a controversial but widely used model (and I would say effective model). One could say it is an extension of Logical Levels or Logical Types which was pre-NLP days. The levels and types were perhaps brought into the NLP world by Gregory Bateson. In his book, Ecology of Mind, (a challenging but enlightening read), Gregory eluded to deeper structures and in my opinion, was on the edge of many great discoveries of the mind. Gregory Bateson assisted the creation of NLP greatly and enthusiastically. He provided support and valuable introductions, like the introduction to Milton Erickson. Both Gregory and Milton spent time with one of the young NLP students Robert Dilts. Robert like many recognised there was like layers or levels of the mind, perhaps between reality, action, beliefs and Robert brought this model into the world. On a far deeper look at what are logical levels and logical types, this model according to John Grinder, Co-Creator of NLP, is not true to the rules of logical types. I was training with John Grinder and he showed my class how this model was false and not even a part of NLP however a fair few excellent trainers & coaches in the room disagreed with John. For me personally, military background, results-focused, this model worked a lot for me and I know it provides a lot of value to coaches so I’ll continue to use it. I teach this on many of our Coaching Courses, and NLP Coaching Courses. In my Master Practitioner of NLP Program, the only one like it in Australiasia, we go far deeper into every level and find NLP and Coaching models that are applicable on each level.
Note: this model has Values and Beliefs on different levels. This is the way it should be as a collection of beliefs make up a value. A value has but is not a belief. This is an important distinction as well trained (and experienced coaches) will often work more on a values level as it can collapse a collection of beliefs instantaneously rather than focusing on collapsing beliefs sequentially.
Neuro Logical Levels:
In the processes of learning, change, and communication there are, metaphorically speaking, natural hierarchies of logical levels. In logical levels, you have sets and subsets. wheels, frame, bumper, lights, can be parts of a car. Toyota, Ford, Tesla are cars. Cars are a form of transport. What is in and out of the level is upto the creators intentions. The intentions of Robert Dilts in creating this model, I believe was to assist agents of change in learning how to assist/create change.
Robert calls them, Neuro Logical levels as they reflect levels in the way we can process or think about them.
For example, if we are talking about offices in the context of; how noisy the office is, where the office is, how big is the office, how many people could fit in the office. These are all forms of focusing on the environmental level.
If we were to talk about someone bullying in the office, coming to work early or late, procrastinating about what to do, etc. This is all forms of focusing on behaviour. Behaviour in the office.
If we talk about a supervisor instructing staff to work overtime. This could be seen as a supervisor using their capabilities to affect behaviour.
Why is the supervisor instructing staff to work overtime? This may draw out some of the beliefs of the supervisor. They believe it’s their role or in their capabilities to instruct staff to change them. They may value, a performance bonus, or efficiency.
The supervisor, like all of us, has a value system, and perhaps they have a high value for work output. If they didn’t value work, they may not last long at the company. Some supervisors really seem to value, being in charge.
It’s like part of their Identity, a responsible leader. Perhaps at work, they assume the identity of a responsible leader. And at home, they may play the role or identity of a parent, or lover.
Spirituality means many things to many people. To our Supervisor, he may consider it a connection to a god, maybe a higher purpose.
All these words are metaphors, and this model is to assist us to process but don’t get to caught up or stuck in any part.
The function of each Neuro Logical Level in the hierarchy is to organize the information below it.
For example, a person’s behaviour results in changes to the environment around them. When a person walks into a room, they take up space and regardless of their behaviour, it will always affect the environment. The environment is generally the result of the persons behaviour. If the person regularly displays outstanding, high-performing behaviour, you would expect the environment to reflect this.
Changing something on a lower Neuro Logical Level of the hierarchy could, but would not necessarily affect the levels above it.
For example, if a person is regularly depressed, very messy, has disorganised behavioural patterns, one may imagine that if he changes where he lives, he will still have those behaviours. It could affect his behaviour. He could suddenly become excited, happy and organised if he was placed on Hawaii. However, his old behaviours were there for a reason. Those old reasons could still be present.
The problem as Einstein said, “You can’t solve the problem with the same thinking that created it.”
Often I see people that suffer from procrastination attempt to fix it with behavioural changes. I congratulate them on trying and have compassion for them as it won’t work. I see this all the time. People struggle to complete tasks, so they form new tasks! Only this time they add an exclamation mark or write IN CAPITAL LETTERS. I’ve also seen people struggle with procrastination buying online courses or books on productivity and sadly (perhaps obviously to everybody else) not finish them. The book or course may on the same level, behaviours, or it may be working on a level above the problem, here that would be capability. To avoid procrastination forever, (a rather simple feat if you know how) you have to work on higher levels then the problem hence the top-down approach used by most expert coaches/agents of change.
Making changes using a top-down approach.
For example, take a disorganised person and help them develop multi-tasking, scheduling, and organisational skills. This might work, only we may be taking on the challenge at the same level or slightly higher.
Making a change at the upper levels changes everything below it in order to support the higher level change. However working one level above the problem isn’t enough. The disorganised person, can still show a lot disorganised behaviour. Here the ‘Disorganised person’ is not a capability factor. Its part of their identity. The person may have grown up all their life being a disorganised person and no amount of capability changes will alter their behaviour if that behaviour is part of their identity. That’s like trying to move a tent, but the tent pegs are still in the ground.
If we work with the disorganised person on the level of Identity. And say, the Identity of the person is shifted and they see themselves as an efficient, successful person, the Values shift too. If something like, ‘Organised’ or ‘Being Organised’ becomes a high value, than the beliefs, capabilities and behaviour is also modified as a result.
You can use this model yourself and I encourage you to print out or copy this article.
Remember the following:
Spirituality – Change for whom and/or what purpose?
Identity – Does change reflect who I am?
Values and beliefs- Why make the change?
Capabilities and Skills- Change how?
Behaviours – Change what?
Environment – Where to change?
An insight into how I create my magic.
Honestly guys, 70% of what I do with people is work on the higher Neuro Logical Levels. This may be obvious, however often it’s done unconsciously. I may ask questions to someone about their challenge, then perhaps appear to ask unrelated questions about other things. These questions may lead to them focusing on the details of some of the biggest challenges they have accomplished. Then switch back to the challenge they were having currently and suddenly, they identify with the challenge differently. Suddenly, it’s not as big any more. So there you go and you can see how that can be very effective and also done without awareness.
What I really love is the amount of times I speak with someone, feel like it was nothing, but then a week later, get a message from them going something like.
“Adrian, you wouldn’t believe what just happened….”
Often people get immediate results, sometimes they take weeks. It’s amazing though how effective it is. And you can do some of this yourself! In fact, many of us are trying to do it ourselves every 1st of January, or on our birthdays. We attempt to redefine who we are with new years/birthday resolutions or simply buying gym memberships. Sadly though, a lot of these changes are just surface.
When we have enough leverage or need, things change. When we work with an NLP Coach we can manipulate and increase this need inside of a session.
Coaches without NLP rely on guiding/pushing/pulling or cheering you on to change. But as an NLP Coach, can artificially create a lot of leverage and then push it all at once, and collapse life long habits in seconds. Yes seconds. It takes minutes, perhaps half an hour to set up, then in seconds, the beliefs are suddenly wiped out! Sometimes at this point, the client, does a ‘transderivatal search’, thats like, the rug has been pulled out under your feet, your eyes are darting around going what the…. and it’s like suddenly the problem isn’t there. Then with that rug pull, we put in better beliefs, better program! Again, this takes seconds but this may take 20 minutes to set up too. So 20 minutes setting up the rug pull, 20 minutes setting up the new program then, 3, 2, 1, SWISH!!!! The brain grabs a hold of the new program, and were done. It can sound complicated. Most NLP Coaches in China can’t do it. Even higher percentage in my home country and USA probably cant do it. Being a NLP Coach in China, I got to practice it so many times, I nail it and can eliminate many habits, smoking, drinking (if the client really wants to kick the habit) in single sessions.
When I first wrote this, I had a participant talk about the hard time he had cutting back sugar. I gave him an artificial near death experience, and guess what? It suddenly became much easier for him to say no to sugar. In fact when I spoke to him 7 days later he had cut back his Sugar content 80-90% and was on top of the world. There is a reference on my Linkedin from another client that did the same thing, only he wrote it in a my Linkedin. Nice man.
Now that you have learned this:
Instead of listening deeply in every conversation, try listening briefly and keep an eye on the Neuro Logical levels. Now you should be able to identify which level the conversation is on. If you really want to take this to new heights join one of our coaching or training programs so you can not only know, but drive the conversation and create positive change in those you care about. Or perhaps just experience a lot of your own personal growth and development.
Thanks guys, Neuro Logical Levels was brought to you by Adrian Cahill. NLP Coach, NLP Trainer and ICF PCC (2500+ Coaching hours).
Feel free to contact me if you want to do any NLP or Coaching Training. I am lead trainer and often a co-trainer on various courses around Asia region and many of my colleges have great training in other areas. So just shout out!
Recently I was asked by a client in Shanghai about removing negative thought patterns. In fact, I’m kinda asked this a lot however not always so directly.
Removing negative thought patterns:
One might wonder how good it would be to remove your negative thought patterns however there is a bit more to it then simply just loosing it. If they were removed, what would take its place. One might imagine there could be a vacuum, or an abscence. Since ever action has a reaction. Or every effect, has a cause.
I like to imagine it like a garden.
Hence The Garden Metaphor.
If life was a garden, what would you want to grow?
It’s a simple and effective metaphor to a successful life. Pull out the weeds, grow beautiful plants.
1. Love and warmth
2. Appreciation and gratitude
3. Curiosity
4. Passion
5. Devotion
6. Confident
7. Flexible
8. Cheeky Vibrant Excited
9. Healthy energetic
10. Helping others, fulfilled
We also call these plants, Power Emotions.
Powerful emotions which fuel us and give us strength. Wouldn’t it be great to be feeling these emotions everyday!
Sometimes there are weeds in my garden. Sometimes there is anger, exhaustion, sadness.
Removing negative thought patterns:
It’s ok to want to pull these weeds out. Our society often sees them as bad or negative but we need to realise that bad or negative are judgements. Generally people percieve judging as bad, yet we are quick to judge bad or negative emotions. Perhaps we should call these, less plesant emotions. And we need to realise that we couldn’t exsist without them. They form part of the circle of life. However they are part of the circle, and certainly shouldn’t be experienced in excess.
So we need to recognise these emotions are here for a reason.
Sometimes we pull one out and another grows quickly in its place. Especially if the ground is bare.
You wouldn’t pull out all the weeds and just leave it bare would you? No you would pull them out and quickly replace them with plants or weedproof matting. And good gardeners know, there is no such thing as weed proof. Only weed resistant. So I look at the weed before I pull it out. It’s grown there for a reason. Why is that. Oh, I need more beautiful plants or perhaps its time to plant some flexibility or devotion.
In order to remove the weeds effectively, what if instead of focusing on the weeds, we were to do our best to grow strong beautiful plants which will bear fruit and seeds for more beautiful plants. Slowly, or perhaps quickly one could end up with a beautiful garden, perhaps so beautiful that any remaining weeds are barely noticed or a problem anymore.
Fill your life like a beautiful garden. Appreciate that weeds are as natural as flowers. I’m sure if you keep a focus on this trying to remove negative thought patterns will be a thing of the past.
These Power Emotions came from Tony Robbins. One of my favourite teachers. I spent all this June studying for Master Practitioner in New Code NLP with Daniel Smith in Beijing and of an evening going over Tony Robbins Relationship course. Tony himself uses a fair bit of NLP in his work however he also brings out a lot of stuff I haven’t seen anywhere else. I dream and hope to be able to help people as good as he does. And, I really look forward to helping you and your development in growing loveable life.
https://adriancahill.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/if-life-was-a-garden.jpg388748Adrian Cahillhttp://adriancahill.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LOGO-SMALL-300x64.pngAdrian Cahill2014-07-02 05:38:342018-01-22 12:21:16Removing negative thought patterns through Power Emotions.
