Pat Armitstead - harness your authentic self expression

" Me Highs" for the times when you feel a tad deflated

1/26/2019

Once upon a not so joyful time I did a program with a man who called himself a Maverick. His name was Bill Potter, and his book was called "Mind your own damned business", and half of it was written upside down!!!

He says "The greatest hindrance to creativity and progress, is the ‘same old, same old’ (no change, no change) factor. This is true for your personal life, relationships and business. It is not about your ‘comfort zone’. It’s about your ‘status zone’. For starters, you must clear the ‘olde fartitus’ defined as Getting stuck in the past doing things that used to work."

You have to love the Olde Fartitus !!

Bills motto was...and is...DuitDammit....

Doing his course back then was timely for me as I had been through the wringer with life events ( not so joyful) and was on a recovery path. I left his course with the intention to create a Me Highs folder.....documenting in there at least 150 times in my life when I had been successful.

WHY?

Its a chronology of success
It helps you identify trends and....
Its a powerful anti-depressant - better than Viagra!!

For 12 months on a particular project I added thankyou cards, feedback, and endorsements from other businesses. Its a tome I use to this day to connect people back to their greatness so they can begin to own who they are in the world and their contribution to humanity.

So the invitation today is to begin your own list! I know, the first 50 might seem hard but once you get to that point you will just be in flow!! Pop it all in a folder with plastic sleeves and start adding the endorsements you receive.

Love you to share with me some of your list !! Pop them on my FB page or email me pat@joyology.co.nz

Some of my MeHighs below!

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How do you know when you are a legend?

6/19/2018

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For me the notion began back in the year 2000. Around about the 11th of June. I had become Junior VP of The National Speakers Association of NZ, ( joyous moment ) !and the current President commended me on a piece of written communication I had done. Like she wrote a whole page! And so I kept it and then on the 26th June I received another from a speaking colleague Michelle Comeau. I kept that too! Then Genevieve Westcott
( International Newsreader and TV Journalist ) sent me one after she had interviewed me!

Then speakers bureaus started writing to me! It was at this point I started noticing the feel good factor about all this and put it in a folder. I began to have some compassion for where I had been and experience some joy for what was coming in. 12 months later I had over 1000 including mail from international professional speakers of great note from all over the world!

As I gathered these wonderful tomes they filled a hole for me ; a part of me torn apart by a series of losses, and I started to see my worth reflected in the feedback I received. My first mentor had on his first book cover an endorsement that said "Hutch rocks" And so I called my Legend Collection "Proof that Pat rocks!"

Hard to think back that I needed so much encouragement ....indeed...even coaching, before i found the courage to get the appt with him at the Saatchi and Saatchi Auckland office!!

So my invitation to you all is to begin your own collection. Oh...I hear you saying, You dont have any? As soon as you put yourself into a place of being a contribution people will be compelled to make responses of appreciation. And if you would like support to advance this, please do be in touch. I am up for a conversation about this big time!

You see it brings joy......for both parties!!

Last count there were 5000 and rising !

Phone 0487105785 or email pat@joyology.co.nz

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I am the message

6/6/2018

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CLAIMING THE SPACE AS A VISIONARY ARTIST
Those of you who know me well will be aware that "Doubting Thomas" has been my alter ego. For quite some time! He was my clown persona when I travelled with Patch Adams, and will feature in a childrens book series and animation in the near future.

However today I take great great joy in informing you that Doubting Thomas has met Enduring Faith! I had a creative strategy session with Alexis Cohen today and was able to draw in so much more around my own full creative self expression. I have been dancing it in for many years but its full expression has eluded me till now.

What do I mean by that?

It has been happening in a piecemeal fashion, beginning with using the body painted Monarch, who danced to "You are the wind beneath my wings" in 2002 to close a keynote in Auckland. I still get phone calls from people who were there that day!

And it has grown with other forms being created, like the aboriginal dancer who performed to " I am Australian".

My old coach Sally Anderson said to me "Pat, how would it be if you took on that you are a 21st Century Shaman who is here to raise the consciousness of the planet?"

Then my PR lady said "So Pat really you are like a spiritual midwife delivering people out of the darkness".

Other people can so be a gift to us, by giving us the language to give voice to that which we cant quite grasp on our own sometimes!

So today I add Visionary Artist to my descriptors!

My art has always been informed by my encounters with humanity and for a long time I asked myself :-

" Am I a speaker who paints, or am I an artist who speaks?"

I even made a lecturn to depict that!

There is no answer that question for I am both.

It is time for me to now be witnessed in that place
and to own that "I am the message"

I can't and won't go another year not shining my full light!

My invitation is for you to join me on the journey
and step into your own light

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Over 300,000 views on 101010 Pill or Perception

6/2/2018

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In 2010 I was invited to be a guest on this documentary produced and directed by Theresa Grainger. 8 years on and the content is equally as valuable for anybody wanting to manage the stressors in their life and examine other ways to achieve wellbeing.

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April 05th, 2018

4/5/2018

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By Bruce Daisley

4 April 2018Could laughing be a way to build a stronger, more creative team culture in the workplace?
Since the global economic downturn in 2008, many of us may feel that laughing in the office might send a signal that we don’t have enough to do. Discussions that might previously have been conducted in person at a colleague’s desk increasingly take place over e-mail or Slack.

In that context, office chatter can at times seem unnecessary.  But what if, rather than signalling inactivity, laughing together is something that improves team collaboration and stimulates innovation?
After years of not paying much attention to laughter, scientists are starting to reach that very conclusion.

Funny science
So what is laughter? In the past two decades, probably the most work to understand this has been done by American neuroscientist Robert Provine, currently a professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He reminds us that laughter is akin to our animal call sign, saying in his 2001 book Laughter: A Scientific Investigation: “Laughter is the quintessential human social signal. Laughter is about relationships.”

We are 30 times more likely to laugh when we are with other people than when we’re alone
Provine studied when we laugh, and found that we are 30 times more likely to laugh when we are with other people than when we’re alone. In his book, Provine’s critical point is this: “We tend to overlook the fact that laughter evolved because of its effect on others, not to improve our mood or health.”

When do we laugh, in Provine’s work it often tended to follow fairly mundane office conversation. It came after comments like “we can handle this”, “I think I'm done” or “there you go”. Most of us reading those triggers can probably recognise how our own office conversation might similarly be followed with laughter. These aren’t jokes so much as moments of connection – reaching out to colleagues to show relaxation.

Laughter is a subconscious signal that we’re in a state of relaxation and safety, says professor Sophie Scott from University College London. For instance, many mammals exhibit laughter-type reactions – but that they can be stopped by certain emotional states.

Professor Sophie Scott found that rats stop laughing if they feel anxious (Credit: Getty Images)

“Rats stop laughing if they feel anxious,” she says. “Humans do the same thing. It’s a sign if people are laughing that they’re not in that anxious state. It’s a marker than the group is in a good place”.
In other words, if a group is laughing together, then it suggests that our protective guard is down.
This matters because there’s research to suggest that when our brains are relaxed, we more easily achieve free idea association, which can lead to creativity.

Flashes of inspiration
Mark Beeman from Drexel University and John Kounios from Northwestern University wanted to see whether laughter could help people solve tricky logic puzzles.
They showed subjects Robin Williams delivering comedy zingers in a stand-up routine and then asked them test questions. They were interested to see whether laughter would facilitate more flashes of inspiration in the superior anterior temporal gyrus (a part of the brain just above your right ear which is associated with connecting distantly-connected ideas).

Researchers Mark Beeman and John Kounios found people who laughed at Robin Williams comedy clips were better at solving puzzles (Credit: Getty Images)

A short laugh at a comedy clip was shown to increase puzzle-solving by 20%. Why would this be? Beeman and Kounios say this laughter-linked lack of focus appears to allow our minds to juggle and connect concepts in a way that rigid concentration does not.  A laughter-linked lack of focus appears to allow our minds to juggle and connect concepts in a way that rigid concentration does not

Maybe laughter just helps us remove stress from our workplaces. Teresa Amabile is a Harvard professor who has spent 40 years building an understanding of when we’re most creative. Her observations – some of the most widely cited in the field of work psychology – are that a positive working environment is more creative than a stressful one. Stress is the enemy of inventiveness. A well-known work of hers dramatically asserted: “When creativity is under the gun, it usually ends up getting killed”.

‘Laugh-ready attitude'
Laughter then has multiple functions. It makes us feel more bonded as a team and as a consequence our creative guards come down, leading to more expansive idea generation. So how would we achieve more of this?
Provine suggests that we attempt to adopt a “laugh-ready attitude” – which means being more open to laughter. “You can voluntarily choose to laugh more by lowering your threshold for amusement. Just be willing and prepared to laugh,” he wrote.
He also suggests arranging more social events – company gatherings that are intended just to get people to together, rather than to hammer through 30 PowerPoint slides.

This suggestion seems to be backed up by one of the pioneering studiers of workplace dynamics, MIT professor Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland. Pentland is clear that the modern office owes most of its productivity to the oldest forms of interaction. In a 2014 talk at Google, he said “email has very little to do productivity or creative output”. But rich channels of communication, such as face-to-face discussion, have a huge amount to do with productivity: “conversation predicts 30 and sometimes 40% of the productivity in work groups”.

In straitened economic times, the notion of prioritising discussion and laughter as one of the most important things to do as a team might seem superfluous and trivial, if not to yourself, then to others. But remember that science is on your side – and perhaps, the next time you laugh, inspiration will strike.

Bruce Daisley is the European Vice President of Twitter. He runs Eat Sleep Work Repeat, a weekly podcast on improving work culture.  To comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, please head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.

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What the best science says about depression today !

3/21/2018

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For almost the past 100 years, mental health professionals have told us that that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. However, there's a much more realistic theory that depression happens due to an imbalance happening outside of your cranium. Johann Hari, author of "Lost Connections", believes that depression these days stem from societal issues. Johann offers some staggering statistics showing that antidepressants seem to be doing much more harm than good — among them, that one out of every four middle-aged women in the United States is taking a chemical antidepressant in any given year.

If we want to get rid of modern-day depression, he says, we have to change society.

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International Day of Happiness - 20 March

3/15/2018

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SHARE HAPPINESS AND BE PART OF SOMETHING AMAZING

Take part in the International Day of Happiness 2018.
This year's theme is Share Happiness - focusing on the importance of relationships, kindness and helping each other.

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Could your story be an essential driver of change ?

3/11/2018

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Without even knowing you in this moment I am going to say "Yes" to the above question!
I have the temerity to do that because I have had occasion now to reflect on my own stories and thousands of "others stories" and see the impact stories make on the listener !

Being able to relate in story form the significant events in our lives and their relationship to furthering our own path or the path of others gives people such a sense of connection. It is not that you have all had the same experiences but the patterns may be the same and they essentially "nod" thinking "that kind of thing happened to me !"

"When you tell a story to a friend, you can transfer experiences directly to their brain. They feel what you feel. They empathize. What's more, when communicating most effectively, you can get a group of people's brains to synchronize their activity. As you relate someone's desires through a story, they become the desires of the audience. When trouble develops, they gasp in unison, and when desires are fulfilled they smile together.

For as long as you've got your audience's attention, they are in your mind. When you hear a good story, you develop empathy with the teller because you experience the events for yourself. This makes sense. Stories should be powerful." https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-illuminated/201106/why-sharing-stories-brings-people-together

If you are interested to develop and refine these skills please be in touch and book a FREE 30 minute discovery session

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Overcoming Flirtophobia

2/7/2018

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I flirt therefore I sell....or I flirt therefore I date?
Descartes was not thinking about Valentines Day when he said “ I think therefore I am” .

Pat Armitstead , the worlds first Joyologist, holds the notion that " I flirt therefore I sell", and says if that is the truth then the same can be true for "I flirt therefore I date?"

With Valentines on our doorstep Pat says we can bring a little love into our business and our lives by looking at what it means to flirt.

A large number of people hold some fear around flirting. They despair of finding a new partner, and wished they did not feel so awkward amongst strangers. Perhaps we can dig deep and explore flirting, and help overcome some initial barriers. So, for starters, lets not call it flirting. Lets think of it as using our own inbuilt charm! Olde world charm and modern day flirting are perfect partners. Exuding charm is a social skill. It can be learned and as you practice it you get better. Then one day you don't need to flirt because you have found your partner!
True or false?

Well I will halt you right there because I think you need it always. Just because you have found a partner and are no longer "hunting" does not mean you stop being charming and flirtaceous. To do so would be to stop being friendly. And since when was that an option? So, flirting needs to be put in context. Our many daily encounters provide opportunities to flirt and have fun. Yet we let the mundance and ho-hum take over sometimes.

So...what is this thing called flirting then? I think it is putting your best foot forward to encourage interest in another. It is the first step towards building a new relationship. It is the reparte that tests the water and identifies when the others interest is sparked. With out the banter and a hint of naughtiness....just cheeky fun, everybody loses interest.
Ah...I see i have your interest! Why the naughtiness? Well in romance if it is too plain and ordinary there will be no spark. Without the spark there is nothing to ignite the flame. Without the flame there is no passion. Flirting requires so little effort, just simple diligence to the task.

The only thing that stands in the way is our memory of old hurts....and the possibility of rejection. When we concentrate on treating others with care we appear alive and attractive.
There are only 2 positions in the flirting game. You can either say you flirt....or you say you can't. You work out which choice you will make...and, even if you are a tad nervous....then "fake it till you make it". You are really just being friendly! And flirting is a solitary activity, and nobody else will know if you "fail".

Oh, and here's some tips for the readers/viewers.

Be the bearer of good news
Be a good listener
Go out of your way to meet new people
Pick up the telephone
Learn when to be quiet

There is a myth about mirth in business. It sounds a bit like this..." You are in business to make money, not have fun"
Using humour and a flirtaceous manner in business does not mean you are being a clown. It shows you are a warm, responsive, intelligent and considerate person. I put it to you that humour is the most effective human resource, and lets us inform, educate, enhance personalities and entertain. It's been proven to boost morale and productivity....and therefore profits!!

"You can't lift your bottom line if your people are down"

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Evolving consciousness on Australia Day

1/25/2018

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26/1/2018 -
I have been vilified for daring to paint this piece !!

26/1/2018 - I have been villified for daring to paint this piece.

It seemed appropriate today to talk about that!

The vision for this was channelled at a healing ceremony conducted by Beverley Iffla in Auckland. She played the crystal bowls and channeled aboriginal chanting. I sat in the audience and just wept for the miracle I was seeing in my minds eye as she chanted and harmonised.

I went home and in the next 24 hours painted this piece called The Rise of Indigenous Humour.

NB. On the same day my son in Australia sent me a newspaper clipping notifying of Dr Pearl Duncan's completion of her thesis on Aboriginal Humour !!

The image is depicting the following:-
The central figure is the voice of humour rising from a 3D lump of land at the bottom of the canvas. While we all have our own individual "laugh", the componants of a laugh are the same in everybody!

The genial spirit and soul of laughter is rising, moving through night and day - expressed in blue and brown circles- and across nations. The spirit of everyones laughter rises to meet the sun, projecting the same warmth and healing embrace as the sun itself.

The 2 figures are Mimis or mischievous spirits, present always to "give rise" to humour.

The hands are those of a Maori lady embracing all as one. awhi katoa e he

I studied aboriginal culture and art extensively and have worked for many years with the Bundjalung tribe on NSW north coast. I was privileged to capture history from 4 elders 20 years ago, walking with them on a 10 day intensive into the past. I know the symbolism and resonate with it.

Irene Daley, Troy Cassar Daleys mother, wrote this to me after my tour with Patch Adams.

“I owe you a hug for being so brave to do what you have done …lesser persons would crumble! I love what you have done in Russia and wish I could do the same. Maria Elsyeva’s plea left me screaming to the world …let our children be free of the shackles of domination. “
Irene Daley, Aboriginal Artist NSW, Australia

In the book Power versus Force it lists the gradings of how our consciousness now expresses itself.

All levels below 200 are destructive of life and society.

Shame 20
Guilt 30
Apathy 50
Fear 100
Desire 125
Anger 150
Pride 175
Courage 200
Neautrality 250
Willingness 310
Acceptance 350
Reason 400
Love 500
Joy 540
Peace 600
Enlightenment 700 - 1000

An aboriginal lady recently challenged me for daring to paint Aboriginal style, saying I had no right, and that she would report me.

For me this has been a gift from spirit and nothing to do with cultural theft. I was channelled this piece as part of my outflow to be a voice for all that is joyful about humanity. I believe it is "inclusive thinking and practice" that will support our rise in consciousness and build strong nations.

The low level of consciousness of our predecessors does not have a place in our consciousness now!

I painted this person and the canvas as an entry in one of the NZ Body Art awards.

As you will see in the imagery it is the co-creation that gives a thing energy. If my model had not been able to internalise and "walk in the shoes of the aboriginal Man' the portrayal would not have received the ovation it did.

I always wanted to be an artist and my mother said "get a proper job".

Today my art is informed by my encounters with humanity and reflects the intimacy of true communion with spirit

Will you join me today in rising up for all of humanity to step into this new way of being?

"I can no longer get up as the same person that sat down"
Dr Joe Dispenza

In the book Power versus Force it lists the gradings of how our consciousness now expresses itself. All levels below 200 are destructive of life and society.
Shame 20
Guilt 30
Apathy 50
Fear 100
Desire 125
Anger 150
Pride 175
Courage 200
Neautrality 250
Willingness 310
Acceptance 350
REason 400
Love 500
Joy 540
Peace 600
Enlightenment 700 - 1000

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" Me Highs" for the times when you feel a tad deflated

How do you know when you are a legend?

I am the message

Over 300,000 views on 101010 Pill or Perception

April 05th, 2018

What the best science says about depression today !

International Day of Happiness - 20 March

Could your story be an essential driver of change ?

Overcoming Flirtophobia

Evolving consciousness on Australia Day

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