What I’ve seen
Inside Bills brain: Decoding Bill Gates - A three part documentary that details the mind, philanthropic work and relationships (in particular with Melinda and Warren Buffet) of the legendary Microsoft Co-founder.
He's the person that's always ready to tackle the things that others, governments and intuitions consider impossible. This intimate, behind the scenes documentary shows us how he goes about it from vaccinating against polio to providing sanitation in the most deprived regions of the world.
What struck me was a chance to see the man behind the relentless charge to change the world. Speaking opening about the moment in his childhood that changed everything - when faced with the death of his best friend it gave him the determination and drive that in turn created Microsoft.
We also are treated to his pursuit of understanding and not just gathering knowledge (there's a massive difference) with access to the infamous think week where he takes a week away each year to read, write and think about his role in improving the world
What I’ve read
The ground breaking book The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles - by Bruce Lipton
Some things I learned and found useful
A cells life is fundamentally controlled by the physical and energetic environment with only a small contribution by its genes. Genes are simply molecular blueprints used in the construction of cells, tissues and organs. The environment serves as a contractor who reads and engages those generic blueprints and is ultimately responsible for the character of a cells life
Epigenetic research has established that DNA blueprints passed down through genes are not set in concrete at birth. Genes are not destiny! Environmental influences, including nutrition, stress and emotions, can modify those genes without changing their basic blueprint. And those modifications, epigeneticists have discovered, can be passed on to future generations as surely as DNA blueprints are passed on via the double helix.
Genes are turned on or off by the environment. For this reason The greatest influences of human development health and behaviour are those of the nurturing environment. The differentiation of stem cells is based upon the environment The cell finds itself in for example 3 different tissue culture environments can be created. If a stem cell is placed in a culture number one, it may become a bone cell. If the same stem cell was put into culture two it will become a nerve cell, or if placed into culture dish number three the cell matures as a liver cell. The cells fate is controlled by its interaction with the environment and not by self-contained genetic program
Malignancies in a significant number of cancer patients are derived from environmentally induced epigenetic alterations and not defective genes
It's become even more obvious that the belief that sequencing someone's genome could predict what diseases they would succumb to later in life is false
Until recently, disease was perceived as a consequence of a breakdown in cells' biochemical mechanisms. The vast majority of disease is now recognised to be the result of lifestyle. When biomedicine fully appreciates that the membrane is a truly magical brain, it will shift away from genetic/biochemical dysfunctions and focus on how we can change our perceptions/beliefs to prevent cardiac and, in fact, almost all other diseases.
The physical body can be affected by the immaterial mind. Thoughts, the minds energy, directly influence how the physical brain controls the body's Physiology. Thought energy can activate or inhibit the cells function producing proteins via the mechanics of constructive and destructive interference
Harnessing the power of your mind can be more effective than the drugs you have been programmed to believe that you need
the function of the mind is to create coherence between our beliefs and the reality we experience
positive perceptions of the mind enhance health by engaging immune functions, while inhibition of immune activities by negative perceptions can precipitate disease. Those negative perceptions can also create debilitating, chronic physiological stress that has a profound and negative impact on gene function.
To fully thrive we must not only eliminate the stress is but also actively seek joyful, loving, fulfilling lives that stimulate growth processes
What I've Heard
Pete Carroll on the art of coaching - The Seattle Seahawks head coach gives a fascinating insight into the world and mind of an elite sports coach
Some things that I loved during this conversation
Quiet the mind and the power of presence comes through. When you truly connect and pay attention to the cues, you becomes aware of them and see so much more than everybody else which is one of the secrets to having a great impact. Caring enough to understand, ‘Why would they think that?’ Why are they coming from there?’ as opposed to ‘That’s not right,’ ‘I don’t agree with that.’”
“Competing to me is striving. It’s striving to find what you need to find, striving to become what you want to become, striving to understand what you need to understand, and relentlessly in pursuit is really how the competitor in me comes out and it takes me to places that maybe other people don’t want to go, but I’m driven to try to understand how I can do things better, how I can serve people, how I can be caring more, how I can love more, all of that."
“It’s crucial to me that I can find the presence of mind when challenged. I have this thought, the ‘epitome of poise.’ The ‘epitome of poise’ is my little phrase that I remind myself of when it looks like all hell’s breaking loose and everything’s going crazy. That plus the willingness to enjoy the moments, that’s really important. I want to have fun in the moments, no matter how crazy it gets, so I want to remember that. So the ‘epitome of poise’ is the little phrase, my catch phrase, but it could be anything. It doesn’t matter. It’s what re-centres us, refocuses you, and brings you back to base.”