Hi there,

I purchased the ES course some time ago, but haven't completed it yet. A few weeks ago I decided to start the course again as i am motivated to learn what Jack and Paul is teaching.
I am half way through course two, and there appears to be many daily (and weekly etc) rituals:

creating your day
daily review
evening review
meditating
visualisation
exercise
reading
expressing gratitude
victory log
to name the ones I immediately remember...

I know the course talks about these in wonderful detail, but is there a comprehensive reference list/summary somewhere in the course that neatly summarises all the rituals (daily, weekly etc)? I want to use the list to remind me of the exercises i can be doing without going backwards through the course in order to remember various exercises.

Thanks for your help in advance!
Writing in the course manual helps make this all yours so it becomes easier to remember. If for some reason you don't want to write into the course manual create a journal. That will help you own the daily habits you want to own.

Alex
Hello there Intentional One,
I remember you from the first time round. I keep coming back to this forum and ES because it is good for me. Also I reckon my sharing may benefit others, so in the spirit of sharing here are my findings over the past year.

If you look back over posts in '09 and '10 there are others (including me) who were inspired by all the wonderful daily practices, yet found the greatest challenge was in actually implementing such an array of uplifting techniques.

Post ES, I have spent the past 12 months deconstructing several of these practices - I wanted to know not just how to do them, but what was going on in the background, what changes I could expect from doing them etc.

To this end, I find Rick Hanson's "Buddha's Brain" completely enlightening. He mingles Eastern Buddhist teachings with neuropsychology and subsequently explains what is going on in our brains neurochemically. Now I can look at the list you wrote and understand exactly what neurological purpose each of these daily practices fulfills.

Just to show off a bit - and demonstrate to myself that I am learning and implementing what I read, not merely consuming yet another feel-good-technique to no real avail....

Well, if I were to do the Evening Review now (post 'Buddha's Brain) I would be aware that reviewing my day gives me the opportunity to mindfully (with concentration and focus) peruse what happened/didn't happen that day. When not so positive stuff comes up, I could overplay the negative feelings by overplaying it with a positive / reinforcing memory ensuring I create positive 'explicit memory' and not sub-conscious, vague 'implicit' memories. I could review and rerun what went well and ensure it was stored in my memory in a way that builds happiness reserves and dissolves pain. I know which neurochemicals are in play and exactly how they make me feel and how to make them work for me (in creating a more joyful, satisfied life).

This may sound technical, but the book is simple to read and explains exactly what is happening in our brain during positive and negative events.

Today, when I look at your list, I am able to decide for myself which of these daily practices are right for me at any given moment. As my time is limited, I can roll the Expressing Gratitude and Victory Log into one. I do my Gratitude Log every morning and can include the little (or not so little) victories into it simultaneously.

Also 'Creating your day', 'Daily review', 'Evening Review', visualising and meditating are much of a muchness. I don't mean to criticise ES. However I think that if Jack Canfield really practiced all these techniques every day, he wouldn't have time to make all those millions he is intent on doing in his business arena.

On my first ES journey I got bogged down (but joyfully bogged) too, as there was so much to do. Now I think horses for courses, and cherry pick whatever best meets my current developmental requirements.

If I were you, I would look at the list, see which daily practices resonate deeply with you and get my teeth into them. One at a time. Experience it fully, savour it, be mindful and see what it brings/doesn't deliver. Keep what works, shed the rest. And from there to the next one. You are a genius in your own right, so it is OK to view these practices like an artist's pallet - or a box of chocolates - people differ, our needs differ across time. So trust yourself and get deeply involved with at least one daily practice and then PRACTICE IT DAILY.

I wish everyone on this forum a truly inspirational day.
Adieu de la belle France!
French Claire
Thanks Alex and French Claire for your replies as they were appreciated!

I will start a journal even though it initially feels strange writing thoughts down which are deeply personal (and can be read by others). And then there is the fact of knowing what exactly to write.. I will work on that one.

I have decided to start the course again (again), and this time I have photocopied the course material so I can write and rewrite whenever without ruining the course manual. I started again because it feels as though i have run too fast for my effortless success feet. Repetition is the mother of skill after all...

I will keep track of exactly what i need to do each day and how, starting with the create your day and daily review, and build upon that. Thanks for that suggestion French Claire

Also, while copying the manual, i found the index pages which alphabetically lists all the course exercises/mediations and where to find them on the cd's. Very cool.

Thanks again for your replies.
Hey there again Intentional One,
Just sharing my experience with journaling. If it is to remain private, you can always take steps to ensure it doesn't get into other peoples' hands.
Journaling benefits me because it keeps me honest. I can lie to myself (the sin of delusion in Buddhist teachings - self-delusion that is) in my thoughts as they fly through my undisciplined mind. However writing things down forces me to focus and be honest and true to myself. Also there is a much greater learning effect in the written word - so has been my experience. It is more difficult to procrastinate and make excuses for not doing 'X' if I write it in my journal, as the very next day I see it in glowing neon colours as not achieved even though I committed to doing it the previous day.

Enjoy your journey!
Hello

First time on the forum. Only just pulling myself out of various inner conflicts and a lot of apathy. I've been interested in Jacks material for a few years and tried to bombard myself with all the processes several times. I'm now coming to the conclusion that I'll be drawn to do what's right for me at the time. I know that trying to force myself to do it all from the start is a waste of time - will power really isn't me thing. So I'm starting by just doing whatever exercise feels ok, feels like it will help, feels like I can do it with relative ease. i've been writing something every day for about 10 days, which is an absolute record for me. I understand the theory behind why to do the exercises but I really feel that as I'm working my way up the vibrational sscale ts important for me to FEEL the process and its benefits rather than just plough through them and wait till the penny drops. This is working fr me so far (and I'm very pleased that its starting to fel like routine already. I feel that the really hard part is learning to allow myself to really feel whatever I feel and accept it so that I can release it. This is fundamental to me. Whatever supports that is good.

Best of luck!

Karen
Welcome to the forum Karen!
I really like it when people share - without sharing there is no forum! I drop in from time to time too and try to share what's going on for me. That way there is always something to read, it feels like a community, and motivates me.
Seems as if you are coming from a very good space for personal growth: pulling out of apathy and conflict;doing what you feel drawn to and trusting your process.
I'm interested in your idea of having to feel and accept in order to release it. Why are you releasing? what are you releasing? How do you release?
Adieu,
French Claire
Karen, Let us know how you go with this technique. II get the sense like you might be a kinaesthetic learner? The hands on experience is important.

Going into the feeling is an excellent releasing technique. smile
Alex
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