I’d hope you were at least curious… I’d even welcome scepticism!

And I would definitely want to share it with you – because it has personally helped me so much that I feel it is one of the most valuable tools you can have in your daily toolkit.

So, what is this mystery skill? It is called EFT, or emotional freedom technique.

It is simple to use, quick to learn and can be applied to almost any situation or issue.

You may have heard of acupuncture or acupressure, which stimulate the body’s energy system by applying needles or pressure to key points (or meridians) along the body’s energy channels. EFT works similarly through gentle tapping on the meridians making it less invasive – and is sometimes referred to as “psychological acupressure”.

I am very grateful that I was introduced to it about 12 years ago by two Aussie masters (thanks guys!) who have contributed some brilliant variations of the technique and helped make it more accessible.

If you want more info on the history of the technique or mechanics of it first, I’ve recorded a short audio extract giving an overview of what it is and why it should be used; and for more details including videos and research studies, EFT Downunder is a great place to start.

But if you are keen to dive straight in, a key resource that can help you start using this amazing technique immediately is Brad Yates’ YouTube Channel – which has ~200 short videos on different issues you can apply EFT to, so that you can easily follow along with his tapping.

EFT has reduced my arachnophobia responses from hysterical (off-the-scales) to a point where I was recently able to get a beer glass over a spider that was bigger than my palm; so imagine what it could do for you!

I’ve decided to try something new too, and have created a special video* (below) – to accompany this blog post making it even easier for you to get started. Plus, I’ve got a couple of great action challenges for you to try:

• Each day for a week, pick one of Brad Yates’ videos and tap along to it. Use the same video or a range of different ones, and just pay attention to whether anything changes and how you feel.
• Or, try either the Karate Chop or Finger Sequence (SET) that I share in my video for one day – using it for one minute every hour or any time you’re a bit stressed – and just notice how you feel.

Now remember – you don’t need to be convinced that it will work. I find it even more amazing because it can help you in everyday life no matter whether you believe it will work or not! Just put it into action for a day or a week and see what happens!

It might take a bit of time before it becomes your default response to a stressful or emotional situation, but it doesn’t take much for it to provide lasting relief.

Share with us whether you’ve taken up one of my challenges, and what your experience was like : do you remain a sceptic or have you just discovered a technique that could change your life?

* I was even able to use these unobtrusive tapping tools to cope with an intensely emotional funeral this week too.

Recently Paul challenged Chris and Sam to record a 1 minute video each day. As this wasn’t something we do frequently, it was a great way for us to test the waters and see what resistance our inner voice can come up with (Note from Paul: “sometimes I like to think of it as my inner ‘jerk’!”).

It’s truly amazing how resistant you can become to trying something new, and yet once you actually get into the swing of it, you begin to wonder why as it seems so simple and natural.

During this podcast Paul and Chris talk about some of the ways you can challenge yourself, and if you listen right to the very end, you can also challenge the presenters themselves!

Sam and Gina discuss their own challenges with getting things done and explore breaking things down into chucks and having “medium milestones” to help keep things on track

Paul and Sam explore the possibilities of asking “How to…?” do something – whether it is drawing, cooking or starting a podcast! From opening a Pandora’s box on Google, to discussing the merits of having a clear goal (or picture) vs simply knowing where to start; different styles can even affect our self-criticism!

Join us for this teddy-bears’ picnic! (And do share your drawing on our Facebook page if you take up the How-to-draw-a-Bear Challenge!)

Paul's How-to-draw-a-bear!

Sam's How-to-draw-a-bear!

And here’s a sneaky video of Paul’s drawing in action!

If you have downloaded the podcast from iTunes remember to post a review and visit our website at ActionPodcast.com to leave a comment or contact one of the presenters directly. Sign up to receive the podcast directly to your inbox, plus an additional weekly blog post! You’ll also be the first to receive a copy of our new e-Book.

If you have downloaded the podcast from iTunes remember to post a review and visit our website at ActionPodcast.com to leave a comment or contact one of the presenters directly. Sign up for our newsletter to receive the podcast directly to your inbox, plus an additional weekly blog post!

What lessons can we take from this extreme episode?

Calling this a miracle does not give enough credit to the pilot and crew. This was purely a case of hundreds of hours of training, preparation, quick decision and ok, a bit of luck with a calm river with no water traffic on the makeshift landing strip.  When something this unexpected happens, you don’t have time to go through your usual pace of planning, analysis, identifying and evaluation options, decide to take action, and execute. Of course, all that did happen but in an extraordinarily short time frame given the size of the situation and the implications. While pilots understand their machines can fail, even the best of the best will tell you they never expect it will happen to them.

While investigators try to find out what went wrong, they are also looking at what went right. And so many are pointing to pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger III and how he controlled the situation. This is a fantastic reminder of how to overcome unexpected events that bring tremendous challenge to your life:

Manage your state. It is understandable that people can become overwhelmed with negative emotions when facing an extreme challenge such as a in-flight emergency….or a sudden illness, an unexpected financial challenge, or an unforeseen job loss. Yet progress and success come most rapidly from managing to turn or keep your state with empowering emotions and thoughts that give you focus, confidence and determination to make the right decisions. The greater the challenge, the greater the importance of managing your state.

Focus on what you can control. When a pilot’s equipment fails, his ‘mechanic controls’ can be eliminated or he’s left with limited tools of the aircraft. It would be unthinkable for the pilot to sit and complain about what’s not working or spend any time worrying about the problem. He must immediately turn to the solutions and use all his mental skills to remain calm, focused and determined. The most successful people tend to spend 5% of their time on the problem and 95% on the solution. Regardless of the tragedy or challenge in your life, your way out is to understand what you can control and turn those resources into the solution that you most desire. And with a bit of persistence, you will be successful.

Ask for help. While the pilot is truly the one to steer the plane, he needed total support from his crew and air traffic control. The result would have been totally different if Mr. Sullenberger tried to figure it out all himself or was ‘too embarrassed’ to seek help. His crew are additional resources to implement the solution and the air traffic control provides a different perspective to help guide him to success. Like in life, success comes from getting the right help at the right time. A life coach is an ideal partner providing a different perspective, additional resources and much needed encouragement to propel you out of a challenge and on to the landing strip you need to continue a happy, healthy and wise way forward.

Contact one of our Action Coaches today to find out how we can help you create miracles in your life.