Aerodynamically, the bumble 

bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but 

the bumble bee doesn’t know it 

so it keeps on flying.

–MARY KAY ASH (Founder, Mary Kay Cosmetics)

     A class exercise I’ve done in many management training programs, including a week ago with a diverse team of BURRIS LOGISTICS company leaders has participants stand arms distance from others and follow three simple 1-minute sets of instructions.  It is worth 3 minutes to be Mary Kay’s bumble bee!

(Not for use while driving or operating heavy equipment or on a rooftop or edge of a cliff, or if drunk or with 2 broken arms, or if you’re standing in the path of a buffalo stampede 😉

     I also suggest you get someone (preferably with a soothing voice) to read these 3 steps to you and that you step back from the computer and simply do as asked.  I promise these next 3 minutes can change your life for the better, immediately!

1)  Stand relaxed, feet apart, hands at your sides. Take a couple of deep breaths. Go ahead. Breathe… good.  Now, slowly let your arm (either one) rise slowly from your side until it’s out in front of you and parallel to the ground.  Next, without lowering your arm, bring your arm slowly to the side, and keep moving it back still parallel to the floor to a point where it starts to feel uncomfortable, then stop. 

Good, now take inventory of where your arm ended up.  Next, bring your arm slowly back until it’s out in front again, then slowly back down to your side.  Good.  Challenging stuff here, huh?

2)  Now imagine that you are going to do the exact same thing again, but this time with your eyes closed . . . and just pretending to do it.  Take a couple of deep breaths and close your eyes.  Eyes closed now, imagine that you slowly let the same arm raise itself from your side until it’s out in front of you and parallel to the ground.  Good. 

Next, imagine that your arm is again moving slowly to the side, still parallel to the floor and imagine you are still slowly moving it back, and back some more and that you go right through that point where you’d stopped before and you just keep going, very easily and with no discomfort — to a new point that’s far past where you stopped the first time, and you keep going until that new spot starts to feel a little bit uncomfortable, and you stop there.  Good. 

Now, eyes still closed, pretend you are taking inventory again of where this new stopping place is and then imagine that you slowly return your arm back to that spot in front of you, and slowly lower it back down to your side.  Okay open your eyes again, now.  Wow!  Good job!  We’re two-thirds done!

3)  Okay, now, here’s the last step.  Just as we’ve already done, take a couple of deep breaths.  Good.  Now, eyes open, slowly let the same arm raise itself from your side until it’s out in front of you and parallel to the ground.  Good. 

Next, let your arm move slowly to the side as you did before, still parallel to the floor and that you are still slowly moving it back, and back some more and then just like you did with your eyes closed, that you go right through that point where you’d stopped before and you just keep going, very easily and with no discomfort — to a new point that’s far past where you stopped the first time, and you keep going until that new spot starts to feel a little bit uncomfortable, and you stop there.  Good.

Now, eyes still open, take inventory again of where this new stopping place is . . . got it? . . . and then slowly return your arm back to that spot in front of you, and slowly lower it back down to your side.

     You did what?  You surpassed yourself!  You exceeded the point you went to the first time by simply imagining that you could in fact perform much better.  You didn’t need me.  I was just your coach.

     The bottom line here is that you can surpass yourself and your own expectations of what you are capable of doing simply by relaxing your mind and your muscles (with deep breathing in this case) by imagining yourself accomplishing what you want, by visualizing yourself as succeeding.

     Try this with someone who needs a little lift (or an entire class if you’re a teacher or trainer).  If you practice it and take your time with it and sound encouraging, you will be astonished with the kinds of results this exercise produces for others as well as yourself.  Try it.  It works.  Call me if it doesn’t, or if you want more info (931.854.0474) or leave a comment below.  Happy arm exercise!

# # #

Hal@Businessworks.US

Open Minds Open Doors