Q6: Learning the Spiritual Gift of Prophecy

Q6: What might the enemy try in the future? What do you need to do to be prepared for such an attack?

In the book Like Dragons Did They Fight there is a list of questions called "The Captain's Log." These questions form the core of many of the services provided by Life Changing Services. These questions and the way they are phrased were carefully refined over a period of years.  Of these questions the one that gets the least attention is Question 6, or Q6 as it is commonly known among those who attend some of the LCS programs.

The purpose of Q6 is to learn the spiritual gift of prophecy. Warriors practice predicting when and how they will be attacked next, then plan how they will win that battle. Though it often is used the least, Q6 is a powerful tool that can make fighting and winning much easier when it is consistently used. Answering Q6 in a way that is accurate and helpful requires following a process and frequent practice.

I'm sure there are many ways to explain how to learn the spiritual Gift of Prophecy, but this three step process is the way that makes the most sense to me.

1. Connect with God
2. Review recent battle history/look for patterns
3. Identify vulnerabilities in near future/make best guess

Step 1. Connect with God

Because you are trying to learn a spiritual gift, it is essential that you connect with the one who gives that gift.  The prayer doesn’t have to be lengthy so long as it is sincere. For me it is helpful to approach this conversation as if I am an officer on the front lines of a battle speaking to the general who is standing on the hill with a spyglass.  That prayer might sound something like, “Heavenly Father, I know that you see a lot more than I can. I am trying to prepare for the enemy’s next attack. Will you please lend me some of your knowledge so that I may know where and how he will come at me next?”

Step 2. Review recent battle history

Often times, Satan will find a tactic that works against you and use it over and over again. By identifying the recent patterns from your battles you can gain insight on what he is likely going to use in the near future. When reviewing battles from the past days or weeks it is helpful to consider three questions.

1. Is there a common time of day that Satan likes to attack? Is it closer to when you wake up, closer to when you go to bed, or somewhere in the middle?
2. Is there a common location that the attacks begin? (Ex: at work, school, in front of the TV, in bed, in the bathroom, while driving, etc.)
3. Is there a common tactic that Satan uses? (Ex: boredom, anxiety, too tired, Midnight Ambush, Bedtime Blitz, etc.)

By reviewing these questions it becomes a lot easier to identify what patterns Satan has used in the past and which ones he is likely to use in the future.

Step 3. Identify upcoming vulnerabilities 

The final step is to look for times and places that you will be vulnerable in the coming hours or days. The patterns you just discovered in Step 2 will help you know what to look for. After you identify these vulnerabilities, make your best educated guess on where, when, and how Satan will attack. Try to notice the nudges of the Holy Ghost as he helps you refine your prediction and make it more accurate. As you practice you will become more and more accurate in your prophecies.

Once you have predicted when and how Satan will attack you, you can make plans to win the battle before it starts. I know many warriors who will create a battle plan and then set a reminder to go off before the battle is supposed to start so they can remember to get the first strike in.

An element that will help the whole process is if you write down what you learn in steps 2 and 3 as well as the prediction you make.  Writing things down helps you put more thought into it and it helps you remember it better. It also is a sign to God of how you care about the inspiration He gives you. In a talk on revelation and inspiration, Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

When it is for the Lord’s purposes, He can bring anything to our remembrance. That should not weaken our determination to record impressions of the Spirit. Inspiration carefully recorded shows God that His communications are sacred to us. Recording will also enhance our ability to recall revelation. Such recording of direction of the Spirit should be protected from loss or intrusion by others. (Ensign, May 2012)

As you frequently practice learning to prophesy with sincerity and act on the things you learn, the process will become easy and familiar to you. You will draw nearer to God and be more able to recognize the promptings he gives you. In very rare, sacred, and special circumstances God may even make you His instrument by giving you a prophecy on another's behalf. Whether or not this happens to you, treasure this sacred trust of the Gift of Personal Prophecy and you will see your ability to fight and win tremendously increase.

To hire me as your life coach where we can create a plan to put the above principles into practice for you, follow this link.  Fighting Like a Dragon - Life Coaching

Border Patrol: the foundation of longterm success

One of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon is the first verse of Alma chapter one: "...King Mosiah having gone the way of all the earth, having warred a good warfare, walking uprightly before God..." Because this life is a spiritual war we often use military analogies and metaphors. One way to understand how to protect yourself in this spiritual war is to think of your soul as a city. A brilliant and skilled enemy wants to conquer your city. If you want to keep his forces out then you need effective defenses and guards to watch your border. In other words, you need to have a Border Patrol.

Border Patrol is everything you do on purpose to keep yourself safe. You'll have the constant sentries on the walls (things you do every day, possibly multiple times a day, like MAN PWR goals) and you'll have the soldiers waiting in the garrison for when the enemy is actually at the gates (your "as-needed" strategies like "Notice it, Name it, Flip it, Find it"). But to keep your guards in the garrison sharp you'll need to drill them often while you're not under attack.

The best Border Patrols will protect all four walls of your city. The New Testament tells us what those four walls are. 

There are only a handful of verses in all of Scripture that tell us what Jesus Christ's teenage years were like. Of those verses, there is only one in the four gospels. This one sentence summarizes 18 years of the Savior's life. Please consider, how important this one verse must be if it's all we get for this period of His life?

The scripture is Luke 2:52 "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." In other words, He developed intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially.  If the Savior of the world needed to grow in these four areas, don't we need to do the same? If we want to be adequately protected from the armies of the Adversary, we need to have activities in place that will defend each of these walls.

Many of the people I work with, especially those just beginning their journey towards addiction recovery, tend to primarily protect their Spiritual wall. Most of them feel that if they are doing enough spiritual activities they will be fine. This is a very risky approach to war and there is a story in the Book of Mormon about what happens if we do this.

Towards the end of the war started by Amalickiah and continued by his brother Ammoron, Captain Moroni joins forces with Chief Judge Pahoran and they lay siege to the city of Nephihah. The Lamanites inside the city are too smart to leave their place of protection to attack the Nephites, so Captain Moroni finds another strategy. In the middle of the night he climbs up the city wall and spies on the Lamanite army. The entire army is camped by the Eastern wall, which is where the only way in and out of the city is located, and they are all asleep. Captain Moroni rushes back to his army, wakes everybody, and commands them to hastily prepare ropes and ladders. They then hurry to the Western wall and climb down inside. When the Lamanites wake up they discover the entire Nephite army is inside the city walls, and the only intelligent option available is to abandon the city Nephihah and flee. Captain Moroni and Chief Judge Pahoran retook the city without losing a single soldier while the Lamanites lost the city and many soldiers in the attack. (Alma 62:18-26)

Protecting your spiritual wall is crucial to defending your city, but don't go so far that it is protected at the expense of your other walls. There must be a balance. You must be learning true things, making healthy and meaningful connections with family and others, using your physical body for good, as well as reading your scriptures and saying your prayers. These things need to be done everyday, everyday, everyday.

With that understanding, it is important to know that Captain Moroni didn't fortify Zarahemla in a day. It took a long time to add each new line of defense. First Moroni's soldiers had to dig a large ditch all the way around the city and pile the dirt they dug into a tall mound. Then they built a timber wall on top of the ridge of dirt. When that was done they topped the timber wall with a picket, then built towers, then ways to keep the people in the towers safe, and lastly, they stocked the towers with rocks they could throw at attackers.

It takes time to build an effective personal Border Patrol. It helps to learn from those who came before you, but there will be some trial and error you will need to experience on your own. Analyzing the battles you lose and the close calls you manage to win will be some of your best resources as you develop and personalize your Border Patrol.

I don't want to give too many ideas for specific Border Patrol activities, using your creativity is vital to long-term success, but here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Spiritual:

• Daily prayer
• Daily scripture study
• Regular participation (not the same as attendance) in church meetings
• Frequent participation in temple ordinances

Physical:

• Flagpole drills
• Exercise
• Sport/instrument/art practice

Intellectual:

• Pursue a new hobby/Passion Project
• Study a subject that interests you
• Learn/practice a different language
• Anything that helps you learn principles of truth
• "Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand; Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms" (Doctrine and Covenants 88: 78-79)
• "....seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith;" (Doctrine and Covenants 109:7)

Social:

• Family Home Evening
• Wholesome recreational activities (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)
• Minister to someone

It is also important to note that no intelligent commander of a city would have only one guard on each wall. The best Border Patrols include several small activities for each wall. These activities should be spread throughout the day, rather than clumped together in the evening. A brilliant enemy would surely notice if the guards on the walls only patrolled once a day, but were largely absent the rest of the time. If you were a brilliant military tactician spying on a city you wanted to conquer and saw that sentries only patrolled the walls once a day, at the same time everyday, how would you take advantage of the situation?

One of Satan's primary tactics will be to try and get you to forget about your Border Patrol activities, creating a reminder system will be crucial to long-term success. Many people initially set reminders on their phone, I've discovered that for most people this works well for about three to seven days. After that time many warriors will begin to ignore their reminders, so it is important to change them up. Using physical reminders can be very helpful.

I used to place a large rock in the middle of my bedroom floor to remind me to pray. After my brother stubbed his toes on it three or four times I decided to switch it to a tripwire. I figured that since I woke up earlier than he did it would hurt him less. I also figured that if I forgot to pray then feeling the rope against my ankles would remind me. If I forgot about the rope and tripped then I could pray while I was down on the floor. That plan worked well for me (and let my brother's toes heal). Other physical reminders that work well are bracelets, hanging a string from a doorway at eye-level, notes on pillows or bathroom mirror, or similar things.

Another effective reminder system is to associate Border Patrol activities with things you already do everyday. For example, for as long as I can remember my father has read his scriptures while he was eating his breakfast. By associating those two things he almost never forgets or neglects his personal study of the scriptures.

One other way to help yourself remember is to create a specific time everyday when you will do your Border Patrol. For most of my life my mother would wake up before my siblings and I started getting ready for school so that she had some quiet time that she could communicate with God and study her scriptures. I have many memories of coming to the living room early in the morning to find my mom reading from her scriptures, already filled with red underlines from the years of study she has done.

As you practice these principles of Border Patrol you'll discover what works for you and what doesn't. By consistently living these principles you will be more available and attuned to the promptings of the Holy Ghost because you will more frequently be at a Level 0 on the Chemical Scale. You will find that you will function better in all of your roles, whether that may be parent, student, child, employee, boss, sibling, instructor, or anything else.

To hire me as your life coach where we can create a plan to put the above principles into practice for you, follow this link.  Fighting Like a Dragon - Life Coaching

Chemical Scale - Level 2: Unedifying Emotions

This is the fifth in a series of articles on the Chemical Scale.

We have been counseled often to watch our thoughts to keep ourselves safe. We even learn from several Book of Mormon prophets that we will be held accountable before God for our thoughts. But if all we do is watch our thoughts, we miss the two previous levels that set us up for failure. King Benjamin tells us to "watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds" (Mosiah 4:30). Level 3 is thoughts, Level 4 is words, and Level 5 is deeds. Unless you want to start fighting the battle after Satan has already made two successful assaults, you also need to "watch yourselves" which includes monitoring your emotions.

Level 2 is the Unedifying emotions that set you up for failure. I chose the term "Unedifying Emotions" over "Negative Emotions" or "Bad Feelings" on purpose because it conveys a different message. Firstly, I think there are very few emotions that can fairly be labeled as "bad" and there aren't very many of those. These would include feelings like lust, hate, and envy. While these can be Level 2's, they usually aren't. Secondly, some of the feelings we typically think of as negative can still be uplifting or edifying. For example, we learn in the New Testament that there are times that Jesus is so sad he weeps and others where he is so angry he chases people from the temple with a whip. While it's nice to feel upbeat, content, and positive, we need these "negative emotions" to be emotionally whole. Because of these reasons, I choose to refer to Level 2's as unedifying.

It may also be helpful to think of a Level 2 as some sort of emotional pain or discomfort that we would like relief from. Most people who don't feel pain aren't going to seek a painkiller. In the same way, if Satan tries to tempt us when we are feeling edified and don't need to relieve discomfort then we'll just punch him out and keep walking without even missing a step. He needs to groom us into a vulnerable place to do what we normally wouldn't. I hope you caught the vibe I tried to include in that last sentence. Satan is a pedophile, and he will slowly groom us and whisper lies in our ears until we eventually beat him to a pulp or he seduces us to do something we normally wouldn't.

Common examples of Level 2's are in the acronym B.L.A.S.T.: bored, lazy/lonely, angry/anxious/annoyed, stressed/sad, tired. A sure sign that you are at a Level 2 is when you find the voice of a loved one (mother, spouse, sibling, child, etc.) irritating. There are more than these, but these seem to be the most common ones. Again, these are the unedifying versions of these emotions. Captain Moroni used righteous anger to make the Title of Liberty and protect his people, Amalickiah swore in unrighteous anger to drink Captain Moroni's blood. Five hundred years later the prophet Moroni was anxious that those who read his writings would mock and disbelieve them because of his mistakes, from that anxiety came humility and the conversation where Jesus Christ promises that through His grace weak things can become strong. The ancient prophet Eli was too anxious to call his sons to repentance when they led Israel astray, and all of them perished. Boredom and laziness seem to be corrupt versions of resting.  Sadness often turns to self-pity and destructive actions, on the other hand the God of Heaven was so sad He wept at the wickedness of His children prior to sending the floods to cleanse the Earth.

There are many ways that a Level 2 can start. Sometimes it is instructive to backtrack and discover how and where the Level 2 began, but it may be better to do this after you have won the battle. By identifying how and where the unedifying emotion began you can figure out what things you are vulnerable to and need to avoid whenever possible. This can also help you identify what I call your "Achilles Heel Emotion." Everyone has one or more emotion that just makes them extra vulnerable to losing a battle. For many high school aged teens, it may be boredom. I met several guys who struggle to win when they are angry. I do some really stupid stuff when I am sleepy.

It can be very helpful to try and name the feeling you are experiencing, particularly for men. At an early age both boys and girls experience most emotion deep in the middle portion of the brain where there are few connections to the language parts of the brain. This is part of why it is difficult for small children to articulate how they are feeling. As girls mature into women, many of those emotions migrate to the surface where there are many language connections making it easier to communicate how they feel. For men, the majority of emotion is still experienced deep in the brain and it is much more effortful for them to articulate what they are feeling. By giving names to those feelings, it becomes a little easier to communicate but also helps them "flag" them so they can recognize these feelings later and any vulnerabilities that may come with them.

If we use the same example we have for the other articles, perhaps you are sitting at your desk at work and are just bored to tears. Your eyes flick to the cookies, "Dude! Those look really good right now."

"No, I promised myself I wouldn't."

"You didn't really mean that. Besides, it was so nice of Jennifer to bring them. You don't want to hurt her feelings by not eating one."

"Stop! I know where this is going."

"You don't have to eat one. Just think about how it would taste. Pick one up and smell it. That might satisfy you and you can put it right back."

"I shouldn't, but…."

I hope by now you were able to recognize the transitions from Level 2 to 3 and from Level 3 to 4 in that conversation. In our example, if this person doesn't do something drastic immediately they will quickly reach Level 5, then Crash.

The conversation would be different if you were anxious because you had to meet a deadline, but the result may be the same. Whatever your Achilles Heel Emotion is, Satan will use it against you to persuade you to eat the cookie.

There are several ways to win a mood battle, which is a bother term for fighting at Level 2. One of the most helpful is running your Flagpole. If you are fighting an "I don't feel like it" battle, then the key is "Don't think, don't feel, just do." If you pause to check how you're feeling before doing what you know you should, you'll discover that you very rarely actually feel like doing what you committed to do.

Another way to win a mood battle is "Notice it, Name it, Flip it, Find it." In this strategy you notice the Level 2 you are experiencing, you analyze it, and you give it a name. Then you flip it, or consider what it's opposite and edifying version might be. Once you have identified the edifying version, you find a plan or a first step to  begin doing what people who feel that way do. "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness" (2 Nephi 5:27). If you are seeking peace, live after the manner of peace. If you want to be patient, live after the manner of patience. Your heart will follow your body and you will begin to feel the way you are acting.

As a disclaimer, I should note that it is very difficult to use "Find it, Name it, Flip it" during a panic attack. After all, who can act peaceful when you feel a crushing weight on your chest and literally cannot breathe properly? The same is true for anxiety attacks, as well as manic or depressive episodes. In each of these extreme cases, and others like them, Level 2 battles are far more intense than most of us will have to deal with. Winning here is possible, but it may take the coaching of a qualified counselor.

How easy it is to win a battle at Level 2 is mostly dependent upon the intensity of the emotion.  Most battles for most people will involve very subtle unedifying emotions such as being just a little bored, or a little sleepy, or a little stressed.  For most people, relatively few battles will involve the world-shattering emotions of grief, depression, panic and anxiety attacks, and so on.  Whether intense or subtle, these battles can be won and winning here is so much better than trying to fight at a Level 5.

In the next and last article in this series, we will explore Level 1: the Chemical Drip and Level 0: In Control.

To hire me as your life coach where we can create a plan to put the above principles into practice for you, follow this link.  Fighting Like a Dragon - Life Coaching

Chemical Scale - Level 3: "Dude!" Moment

This is the fourth in a series of articles on the Chemical Scale

Level 3 is the first moment of temptation. This is when the actual thought to do something against your value system occurs. By this point we want some form of relief from our stresses or bothers.

You can experience Level 3 several times before you reach the Irrational Conversation at Level 4. You will likely keep receiving these tempting thoughts until you either win the battle or sink down to Level 4.

We call this "The 'Dude!' Moment" because Satan seems to use that kind of false comradery when he tempts young men. He'll act like your best bud while leading you into a snake pit. "Dude! Nobody's home, you know what we could do right now?"

"Dude! It's been a while since you've taken a break. You've been working hard, you deserve to treat yourself."

Using our cookies at work example from the previous articles, this is the first time the thought "Those cookies really look good" enters your mind. Other possible examples might be: "Dude! Those cookies look so good! It would be rude not to have one." Or maybe, "Dude! You're starving! You could use a snack.”

It may even be so subtle that you find yourself reaching for a cookie almost without knowing it. With patience and practice you can become more aware of these shifts. As you get better at detecting Level 2 and Level 1, "Dude! Moments" will become more obvious.

When you are trying to learn how to recognize your Level 3’s it is helpful to try and identify recent ones that you have had.  As you find them, try to identify patterns that Satan is using against you. You will likely discover that Satan uses the same tactic against you over and over again.  Look for a common time.  Does the temptation come when you are closer to waking up, closer to going to bed, or somewhere in between?  Look for common locations.  Does Satan attack you in front of the TV, in the break room at work, at school?  Is there a common tactic that he uses?

In my own battles, Satan often attacks me a little before I need to go to bed.  He knows that I make poor decisions when I am tired.  If he can convince me that I am utterly exhausted and then present me with something that is against my value system, I am more likely to do something stupid or that I will regret later.

When you are this far into the Chemical Scale, it is best to run to your Flagpole or do something else that raises your heart rate. Sometimes that isn't an option. Perhaps you are in a class or meeting where standing up and leaving would not be appropriate. This would be a good time to use a Thought Shield. A Thought Shield is a picture or note you carry with you that is both meaningful to you and helps bring you back to a good place. Many people use a favorite picture of Jesus Christ, a note card with their reasons for fighting or a scripture they are memorizing, or perhaps a picture of their family. You carry this item with you at all times, and when you are tempted you pull it out, look at it, and say "This is my Thought Shield."

Next we will focus on Level 2: UnedifyingEmotions.

To hire me as your life coach where we can create a plan to put the above principles into practice for you, follow this link.  Fighting Like a Dragon - Life Coaching

Chemical Scale - Level 5: "Forget It!"

This is the second in a series of articles on the Chemical Scale. 

Level 5 is what we call the "Forget it!" moment. This is the most obvious of the lower levels of the chemical scale, and can often be recognized easily once you know what to look for.

Level 5 is the point where you give up, but haven't actually lost yet. This is when you choose to stop fighting and give in to the pressure and temptation to act against your value system.

We've all experienced a Level 5 at some point, though you may not be able to remember a specific instance right now. I like to explain is as that time you were working on a project late at night, trying to beat a deadline. You're stressed and things aren't going the way you want them to. After another thing goes wrong you just get so frustrated that you decide you don't care anymore and storm off to bed. That is Level 5, the point where there is so much pressure that you don't care about the consequences anymore and do what you know you shouldn't.

Using the coin donation funnel analogy, this is when the coin is over halfway down the funnel and begins to pick up speed.  It isn't deep in the throat yet, but it will get there soon.

Going back to the cookie at work example from the last article, this is when you've been staring at and resisting the cookies for what feels like forever. Then, when you feel like you just can't help it anymore, you choose to ignore your goal and reach for a cookie.

It is possible to win a battle at this stage, but it rarely happens and is immensely difficult. Winning at this stage usually requires intervention from someone else.  Someone could slap your hand as you reach for the cookie, a quick snatch could rescue the coin, but if there is no external intervention then the battle will almost certainly be lost.

In the next article, we will explore Level 4 of the Chemical Scale, the Irrational Conversation. 

To hire me as your life coach where we can create a plan to put the above principles into practice for you, follow this link.  Fighting Like a Dragon - Life Coaching

Chemical Scale - Overview

This is the first in a series of articles about the Chemical Scale.

Understanding the Chemical Scale is an important part of learning how to fight your spiritual battles. We win our spiritual battles when we continue to make choices dictated by our value system, what matters most to us. We lose battles when we allow our moods to make our choices for us. Learning how to recognize what level you are at can help you understand what techniques are necessary to win a battle. It can also help you recognize when you are under attack earlier in the battle, which often makes it easier to win. Like learning almost any skill, this takes effort and practice.

What we refer to as the Chemical Scale is something that describes how "stoned" or how "past feeling" (1 Nephi 17:45) someone is. It goes from 0 to 10, with 10 being the moment where the person does something they believe to be wrong, or that they have committed not to do. In other words, this is how people who are usually intelligent and self-disciplined end up doing something contrary to their value system.

From a more science-y perspective, this is how energy moves from the prefrontal cortex of the brain (where planning, judgments, values, and moral decisions are made) to the middle portion of the brain (where all that matters are things like food, water, reproducing, sleep, etc.).  At each level of the Chemical Scale, the judgment/value center of the brain loses energy and the basic drive (natural man) part of the brain gains power.

It may be helpful to think of the chemical scale as one of those large funnel-shaped coin donation wells that you see at malls and museums. You place the coin on the little ramp, then let it roll around the large plastic funnel. At first, the coin stays near the top, making large circuits that are relatively slow. The coin gradually rolls further in, moving faster and faster. Eventually, the coin is completely horizontal, moving so fast around the small throat at the bottom of the funnel that it blurs into what looks like a ring instead of a coin. Then, the coin drops out of sight and with a small "clink" is out of your possession for good.

Before the coin is released down the ramp, it is within your full control and your choices are determined by your values. Once the coin begins its journey around the funnel, biochemicals enter your system that will begin to pull your mental energy away from the moral-based decision area of your brain back towards the "animal brain." Unless something interrupts the coin as it rolls around the funnel, it will drop through the bottom and be lost. Similarly, unless you do something to interrupt the chemicals dripping into your system, you will find yourself doing something against your value system.

It is easiest to learn about and understand the individual levels of the Chemical Scale in reverse order. We will start with the most obvious and work backward to the most subtle. You can also view them in levels of difficulty. It is easiest to win a battle at Level 0, it is too late to win at Level 10 because the battle has already been lost.

The levels in the Chemical Scale are:

10- Crash

9-6- Spiraling out of control

5- "Forget it!"

4- Irrational conversation

3- "Dude!" moment

2- Unedifying emotion(s)

1- Chemical spill

0- In control

Level 10 is when you actually do the thing you know is against your value system. We'll use a relatively common example. Let's say you are trying to be more conscious about what you eat and how much. You have set the goal to not eat snacks or treats while you are at work. Today a coworker brought homemade chocolate chip cookies (or some other treat that you really enjoy) and they invited everyone to have some. They set the cookies on your desk because your workspace is near the center of the office. After trying hard to resist for a while, you give in and eat a cookie even though you have committed to yourself that you wouldn't. "The Crash" does not occur until you have eaten a bite of the cookie. All of the fighting and resisting occurs in the earlier levels and any guilt or remorse will happen later. "The Crash" is simply the event of doing something you believe is wrong, or that you committed not to do. At this point, the fight is over and the battle is lost. Now you have to learn from the loss and begin to fight again. 

Explained another way with the coin donation funnel from earlier, this is when the coin drops down through the hole at the bottom of the funnel.  The coin/battle is gone and you now have to look towards the future and what you will do with your next coin.

In levels 9 through 6 you are just spiraling out of control, but have not yet actually eaten the cookie or done the thing against your value system.  This is when the coin is deep within the funnel and is rapidly picking up speed, but hasn't dropped through the hole yet. There is not much in these levels to discuss. It is possible to come back from a Level 6, or even a Level 9, and win but it almost never happens. Winning at these levels almost always requires external intervention, often both divine and mortal.

Each of the other Levels will be explored in depth in their own article. Next, we will focus on Level 5, the "Forget it!" moment.

If you'd like me to be your coach and help you put these principles into action, click this link to schedule a time to meet. onidah.youcanbook.me

Chemical Scale - Level 4: Irrational Conversation

This is the third in a series of articles on the Chemical Scale.

Level 4 is what we call the Irrational (or Stupid) Conversation. I like to explain that this is a lot like a scene from the Disney movie, "The Emperor's New Groove." In the movie there is a character named Kronk who has a shoulder angel and a shoulder devil. At one point he wrestles with the dilemma of obey his boss or save a life. Shoulder angel and devil show up to help, but the conversation makes no sense.  When Kronk tries to ask why the shoulder devil’s arguments are relevant, the shoulder angel says, “No, no, he has a point.”

The reason this example can be helpful is that when we review these conversations later, they sound so ridiculous.  We often don’t dare to repeat any part of these arguments out loud because of how stupid they sound.  BUT, in the moment and inside of our heads they make sense!

Our own personal Irrational Conversations may not involve one-handed hand-stands, but they are often nearly as ridiculous as the one that Kronk had.  Our conversations normally include elements such as, “You know where this is going” “You should stop now” “A little more won’t hurt” “I’ll stop soon” or “I can stop myself in time/before I go too far.”  Looking back at a time when you did something you regret; can you identify parts of your Irrational Conversation?  It may take some practice. Remember, we are working from most obvious to most subtle on the Chemical Scale. If you find yourself at a Level 5 with no memory of an Irrational Conversation, you likely just need to practice looking for some of the parts of that conversation. 

Going back to our cookies at work example from the last two articles, let’s identify what a Level 4 might sound like.  To clarify, this conversation takes place AFTER the initial moment of temptation.  You’ve possibly thought about having a cookie a couple of times but haven’t eaten one yet.  You may have even told yourself “no” several times.  You might catch yourself reaching for a cookie and then pull back at the last second.

Shoulder Devil: They look so good.  They probably taste even better than they look.

Shoulder Angel: You are trying to take better care of your body.  Ignore them.  Focus on your work.

Shoulder Devil: I can’t, they’re right there in front of me.  And they smell so good!  It would be rude to not at least try one.

Shoulder Angel: Remember what happened last time you just “tried one?”  Look away, think about what you want to accomplish by not eating these snacks.

Shoulder Devil: But I can always start again later.  I’ll probably end up messing up tonight anyway.  I might as well do it now while I can enjoy it.

This conversation can last a few seconds, or it can go on for days, depending on what the temptation is.  You may also have noticed that the Shoulder Angel normally speaks TO you, but the Shoulder Devil speaks as if they ARE you.  Satan is an excellent ventriloquist and he will speak to you in your own voice inside your head.  He will try to make it seem like he was never there, and you made the poor decision all on your own.

With practice, it is relatively easy to identify when you are at a Level 4.  If you catch yourself arguing with “yourself” about whether or not you should do something, you are most likely at a Level 4.

Winning these battles are tough, but doable.  They almost always require physical action, even exertion.  Using the cookie example, if you just sit there and stare at or try to ignore the cookies you will most likely end up eating one.  Even ignoring them is insufficient.  The cookies will hover there in your peripheral vision, just on the edge of your consciousness.  If you don’t get up and move, you will lose.  That may mean running to your Flagpole, doing pushups in the breakroom, or even moving the cookies to someone else’s desk.

This takes courage and determination, but if you don’t use your body then you will lose.  You can’t beat Satan in psychological warfare.  He’s been practicing it for over 7,000 years.  If you try to beat him using only your brain, you will lose.  You have to take the battle to a battlefield where you have an advantage. Get up and move, get your heart rate up, and you will win almost every time.

In our next article, we will look more closely at Level 3: The Dude! Moment.

To hire me as your life coach where we can create a plan to put the above principles into practice for you, follow this link.  Fighting Like a Dragon - Life Coaching