Part V Concentration on the Tennis Court

“How do you wish to be remembered, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, as the 15 year old who beat Venus Williams or a great tennis player?”

So what if you’ve just beaten Venus Williams five times Wimbledon champion? So what if you’re a 15 year-old schoolchild? So what if you’re a black American? So what if got into tennis because of Venus Williams? So what? So what? So what? So what?

Venus Williams is not and definitely will not be the first Wimbledon champion to ceremoniously dumped out of the first round by a rank outsider. The Press and tennis fans may be allowed to go overboard with superlatives and any exaggerated strings of words that billows into their brain after such occasions. Of course you’re naturally ecstatic and delighted with what you did, but not with what you have done. Why? Because you have done nothing yet. Beating Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon is an achievement, but it will only equate as something special if you over the next decade you win enough titles to have your name continually mentioned in the same breath as the great champion you recently demolished in such style.

“How do you wish to be remembered, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, as the 15 year old who beat Venus Williams or a great tennis player?”

Your age is an irrelevancy so hopefully you’re wise enough to pay no heed to those banging on about how young you are and how amazing it is that you’re so composed. To hear those commentators, to read those journalists, to observe your new legion of fans one would think that there’s something strange or extraordinary in you’re ability to remain composed on the tennis court. Perhaps when one considers that a considerable number of adults are a bag or bundle of nerves when under the slightest degree of pressure, it shouldn’t surprise you that so many adults are amazed at the way you held your nerve to dispatch your idol from the tournament. Deep down many of them know that they lack your composure and perhaps feel a twinge of envy at what you appear to possess by the bucketload. Banging on about your age is pointless. Composure and confidence is the marke of champions, and what you will require if you are really to emulate your idol and even surpass her achievements.

“How do you wish to be remembered, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, as the 15 year old who beat Venus Williams or a great tennis player?”

Fantastic as what you did on Tuesday 2nd Juky 2019, unless you replicate the same action against the next opponent and the next opponent and the next opponent and the next opponent and the next opponent, year after year after year. Does that sound impossible? Well, if you are to emulate your idol who inspired you to take up the racket in the first place, you will have no choice but to remain focussed in order to achieve anything worth talking about. Dumping Venus Williams out of the first round at Wimbledon can only hold the public attention or interest for so long. Great tennis champions – we shall not bother to name them here – have been vanquished and turfed unceremoniously out of tournaments they were expected to win. In fact their names were already etched on the trophy in he minds of their legion of fans. Alas, Fate that year had opposite plans.

“How do you wish to be remembered, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, as the 15 year old who beat Venus Williams or a great tennis player?”

But where are their vanquishers? Most of them are forgotten today, unless a rare occasion calls for their name to be ressurected in the public consciousness. Yet, a week or even a month after the major upset were lauded for their achievement, inundated with interviews and guests appearances. Some even had a rise in their bank balance. Notoriety has its price. Did any proceed to win the tournament? Check the tennis history books for that answer. Those tennis players who were blessed with stickitivness and able to replicate their upset, are now in the record books, not for that major upset whenever it was – but for having their name inscribed on a trophy and listed in the record books.

“How do you wish to be remembered, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, as the 15 year old who beat Venus Williams or a great tennis player?”

The fame juggernaut – the biggest distraction at any level – is something that has to be dealt with from the start. You’re not a newling or a newby to planet Earth, and as a child of the social media era you’re aware of what it’s like to be famous or well-known. It’s true that you haven’t experienced it till of late, but there’s still no reason or excuse for doing anything but concentrating on your career. Just because everyone wants a piece of you, it doesn’t mean you have to oblige. Tennis comes first and should never be relegated to second place for anything that isn’t for your long-term benefit. That includes sponsorship deals – important as they are, interviews in newspapers and magazines, and countless invitations to numerous social events. If you choose to overdose on these things then you can’t compound later and claim that you were too young and it all happened so fast. You have enough common sense – provided by Nature if you select to use it – to make correct decisions:

Do I need to appear in Vanity Fair?

Will wearing that Louis Vutton dress really add to who I am?

Do I really have to have my image on that Evian or Volvic bottle of mineral water?

Will that sponsorship deal add any real difference to my bank balance?

Am I really in dire need of any more money?

Do I have to accept the invitation to the premier of the latest James Bond or Star Wars film?

Do I care to be seen in the VIP suite of a West End nightclub?

Questions like the above will help you as your Inbox is inundated with offers and requests from far and wide. The Press need their stories, brands want to sell more products, fans desire whatever they can get away with. Everyone wants something for their own personal gain. So where does that leave you if you haven’t learnt to focus your attention on what matters? Certainly not in the right frame of mind to practise off court never mind concentrate on performing your best on court. If you’re distracted the oncoming Vanity Fair interview, thinking of the famous actor you are going to meet, wondering what to wear at some celebrity’s birthday party, or occupying your mind with other people’s irrelevancies you’ll find it draining and exhausting unless you find some way of coping with the strains and demands of being in the public eye.

“How do you wish to be remembered, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, as the 15 year old who beat Venus Williams or a great tennis player?”

An ability to concentrate will ensure that your career isn’t blighted by constantly having to think of what other people might be thinking for saying about you. Many people welcome public attention initially. It’s flattering to have so many interested in you, isn’t it? Till those same admirers turn nasty and no longer find nice things to say about you. It is at this time that those new to fame and stardom discover the bittersweet pill they have recently swallowed. How they wish they could crawl into a little space and hide from all of it. By then it’s too late, they’ve uttered too much during unnecessary interviews – most of it nothing to do with the game of tennis – and their very words are being used against them. Society has a peculiar idea of how to treat its heroes, switching between throwing or tossing roses or rotten cabbages, and its a form of behaviour that can cause misery or sleepless nights for some.

“How do you wish to be remembered, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, as the 15 year old who beat Venus Williams or a great tennis player?”

Society expects much too much of its stars these days. You have to be race conscious, gender conscious, poverty conscious, saving the planet conscious, and conscious of everything people demand of you. So conscious does one have to be that one becomes unconscious of one’s own conscious feeling. With all the focus on everything outside of oneself, where is the time to concentrate on you and your own personal needs?

If you concentrate solely on you, you will serve your career well. If you concentrate on the things that really mean something to you, you will be doing yourself a great service. But if your attention is focussed on trivial or unimportant things you will be doing your tennis, yourself and your life a great disservice.

After all that’s been said, after all that’s been written, at the end of the day the same question that was asked at the start of this post and repeatedly throughout this post is still being asked and has yet to be answered, since there’s only one person in the entire world capable of providing the correct answer to the question:

“How do you wish to be remembered, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, as the 15 year old who beat Venus Williams or a great tennis player?”

 

Further reading:

Part I Concentration On The Tennis Court

Part I Concentration On The Tennis Court

Part II Concentration on The Tennis Court: Frustration on The Tennis Court

Part II Concentration On The Tennis Court

Part III Concentration On The Tennis Court

Part III Concentration On The Tennis Court

The Tw↑ns: Env↑ronMENTAL Training: The New Mental Game (Part Fourteen)

If you’re new to the world of EnvironMENTAL Training™ and have never done anything like the boring exercises we offer, congratulations. Your brain isn’t used to the dull, monotonous, tedious fare we provide, so bear with it. Don’t force it. Easy does it.

Relaxation whenever you’re performing any EnvironMENTAL Training™ drill, exercise or game is important. In fact, we would go so far as to say that it is vital. It is paramount. The idea of being in a state of relaxation whilst doing a monotonous mental activity is not new. Look at the world of activities, mental or physical, whether it’s chess or cricket, poker or polo, solitaire or swimming, and you’ll notice the common factors linking these disciplines and others: relaxation, confidence and concentration and of course repetition.

Please do not accept our words as gospel. We’re not selling you dogma or something that can’t be verified or collaborated. Do a little research, for yourself, and you’ll discover if you haven’t realised it already that what’s been written here regarding relaxation, confidence and concentration and yes, repetition is correct.

So keeping all of the above points in mind, be sensible and ensure that whenever you’re doing the exercise below, you’re brimming with confidence and are also relaxed and calm.

Go slowly with each line and avoid the temptation to rush through to the end. It is better to utter slowly, succinctly and clearly, “One from one is zero. One from two is one. One from three is two. One from four is three. One from five is four. One from six is five. One from seven is six…” than to charge through to the end as if one were being pursued by Medusa, Cerberus or a Cyclops.

 

The following instructions are simple to follow:

A.) Read out loud each of the one hundred lines from ‘1 from 1 is 0’ down to ‘1 from 100 is 99’.

B.) Read out loud each of the one hundred lines from ‘1 from 100 is 99’ up to ‘1 from 1 is 0’.

C.) Starting at the top, read out loud ONLY the odd numbered lines: ‘1 from 1 is 0’, ‘1 from 3 is 2’, ‘1 from 5 is 4’, ‘1 from 7 is 6’, etc.

D.) Starting at the top, read out loud ONLY the even numbered lines: ‘1 from 2 is 1’, ‘1 from 4 is 3’, ‘1 from 6 is 5’, ‘1 from 8 is 7’, etc.

E.) Starting from the bottom, read out loud ONLY the odd numbered lines: ‘1 from 99 is 98’, ‘1 from 97 is 96’, ‘1 from 95 is 94’, ‘1 from 93 is 92’, etc.

F.) Starting from the bottom, read out loud ONLY the even numbered lines: ‘1 from 100 is 99’, ‘1 from 98 is 97’, ‘1 from 96 is 95’, ‘1 from 94 is 93′, etc.’

 

1 from 1 is 0

1 from 2 is 1

1 from 3 is 2

1 from 4 is  3

1 from 5 is  4

1 from 6 is 5

1 from 7 is 6

1 from 8 is 7

1 from 9 is 8

1 from 10 is 9

1 from 11 is 10

1 from 12 is 11

1 from 13 is 12

1 from 14 is 13

1 from 15 is 14

1 from 16 is 15

1 from 17 is 16

1 from 18 is 17

1 from 19 is 18

1 from 20 is 19

1 from 21 is 20

1 from 22 is 21

1 from 23 is 22

1 from 24 is 23

1 from 25 is 24

1 from 26 is 25

1 from 27 is 26

1 from 28 is 27

1 from 29 is 28

1 from 30 is 29

1 from 31 is 30

1 from 32 is 31

1 from 33 is 32

1 from 34 is 33

1 from 35 is 34

1 from 36 is 35

1 from 37 is 36

1 from 38 is 37

1 from 39 is 38

1 from 40 is 39

1 from 41 is 40

1 from 42 is 41

1 from 43 is 42

1 from 44 is 43

1 from 45 is 44

1 from 46 is 45

1 from 47 is 46

1 from 48 is 47

1 from 49 is 48

1 from 50 is 49

1 from 51 is 50

1 from 52 is 51

1 from 53 is 52

1 from 54 is 53

1 from 55 is 54

1 from 56 is 55

1 from 57 is 56

1 from 58 is 57

1 from 59 is 58

1 from 60 is 59

1 from 61 is 60

1 from 62 is 61

1 from 63 is 62

1 from 64 is 63

1 from 65 is 64

1 from 66 is 65

1 from 67 is 66

1 from 68 is 67

1 from 69 is 68

1 from 70 is 69

1 from 71 is 70

1 from 72 is 71

1 from 73 is 72

1 from 74 is 73

1 from 75 is 74

1 from 76 is 75

1 from 77 is 76

1 from 78 is 77

1 from 79 is 78

1 from 80 is 79

1 from 81 is 80

1 from 82 is 81

1 from 83 is 82

1 from 84 is 83

1 from 85 is 84

1 from 86 is 85

1 from 87 is 86

1 from 88 is 87

1 from 89 is 88

1 from 90 is 89

1 from 91 is 90

1 from 92 is 91

1 from 93 is 92

1 from 94 is 93

1 from 95 is 94

1 from 96 is 95

1 from 97 is 96

1 from 98 is 97

1 from 99 is 98

1 from 100 is 99

 

If you’re able to complete the above in one sitting, welcome to EnvironMENTAL Training™ and the glorious world of Tedium par Excellence!

The Tw↑ns: Env↑ronMENTAL Training Oxbridge Special: Time Is How Much You Do Not How Much You Spend

 

 

Sungha Jung strums Maurice Ravel’s Bolero

 

Dear Oxbridge Undergraduate,

Your great uncle has asked your mother to invite us to his annual Summer solstice garden party. We’ve accepted his invitation with pleasure. Are you going to be in London for the event, or are you still angry with him for not taking you to Rome last month? Your sister told us that you still haven’t forgiven him, but as far as she’s concerned, it was your own fault that your passport wasn’t renewed in time for you to travel with him. She doesn’t agree with you blaming him and everyone else when it’s evident that your habit of procrastinating is the reason why you missed the trip. She feels your poor timekeeping is a bad characteristic that needs to be addressed,

Last week at the end of the weekend workshop, ‘Time Is How Much You Do Not How Much You Spend’, you asked us to write something for you to refer to when back at college. You will remember that we told you that if you practised at least a quarter of the tedious exercises from the workshop, they would help to keep you on track. However, since you were still insistent that you wanted to have something in writing, that is exactly what we’ve done or attempted to do here.

Please note that all the reading in the world cannot help a person if they don’t think over what they’ve read. So take out time to mull over our words; think over their meaning and how they can or will impact on your life. Question everything and don’t just accept things because they come from a so-called higher authority. We know you’ve enjoyed attending our well-being workshops, but we think it’s important to still question the things we tell you. Never forget the importance of asking questions about everything you’re told, about everything you see and about everything you hear.

Whatever you do please don’t overdo the exercises, especially the ones in the Baa, Baa, Black Sheep videos on our YouTube Channel. We understand that it’s your nature to try to complete as much as you can in as short a period as possible, but it’s not something we encourage. The aim with the monotonous exercises is to experience the sheer monotony and endure the accompanying feeling. Monotony is just a feeling, but it’s interesting to see how the mere thought of it scares many. We can’t help laughing as we recall the reaction of your girlfriend when she attended the afternoon programme on the first day of the workshop. Talk about an over the top reaction. Comparing what we do to a cult or a CIA brainwashing programme isn’t the worse thing that’s ever happened. It’s too long to go into here, but when we see you next month, we’ll tell you the story of the GP whose fiancée threatened to leave him if he didn’t quit his mental training sessions with us. She felt neglected because in her view he was spending too much time in the evenings, counting down from one thousand, counting a dish of dried beans, reading upside down, spelling backwards, visualing a penny coin and a tray of coloured counters, recalling all that he’d seen and done the day before in a notebook. He was only spending three hours a day – ninety minutes in the morning before setting off to work and ninety minutes in the evening after supper. He enjoyed his time because the exercises, dull as he found most of them, helped him to improve his memory and more important to develop his powers of attention and observation. To be honest, his future spouse was annoyed that he no longer played video games with her in the evenings. Sometimes when we’re trying to master ourselves, that is when friends and relatives suddenly become concerned about our mental health. Yet, they never seem that bothered when we’re following the accepted norm.

We shan’t comment further on your girlfriend’s behaviour, there’s no point. What she thinks of you doing tedious mental exercises is of no consequence. She can’t interfere with your training as long as you don’t try to force her to join you. You’re fortunate that your godparents have an interest in Eastern mind control techniques, so you don’t have them fearful that one boring game too many is going to send you into a state of manic depression. The both of them have been amazing mentors and have encouraged you to explore your mind and to learn how it works, by direct experience, self-instruction books and practical exercises, and to never rely on or accept pet theories thought up by individuals in a lab. For a pair with several doctorates between them, they’re extremely open-minded. The book they bought you last Christmas, ’How to Use Herbs, Nutrients & Yoga in Mental Health Care’ is typical of the kind of material they’ve exposed you to over the years.

As was impressed upon everyone at the workshop, there is no such thing as information overload. There’s a lot of information offline and online, a great deal of it repetitive and probably unnecessary, but too much, certainly not. If you as an individual wish to pay attention to every piece of trivia that passes your eyes, then that’s your own fault and no one else’s. Forget about blaming the scourge of the Internet or the newspapers or anything else for your lack of self-discipline. You and solely you are responsible for the way you think and operate. It’s so easy to pass the responsibility for your actions onto something or someone else. Blaming others absolves us of facing the fact that we have selected to act in a particular way, and rather than owning up, we’re happy to blame an outside entity or external conditions, i.e. our environment. Go ahead and think like that if you honestly think it’ll make you feel better, but remember that such self-delusion won’t help you master yourself.

Remember that social media is social media and does exactly what social media was designed for/to do. You do not have to have a Faceboook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter account. If you have them it’s because you desire to have them. You have not been forced, cajoled, tricked or bullied into signing up for any of these platforms. Whatever your reason for having an account, you do not have to enable notifications, and you don’t need to log on every week, day, hour or minute. If you find yourself doing so it is because you want to or feel you ought to. No one and nothing is compelling your actions but you. So let psychologists, journalists, bloggers and others pen whatever they wish about the scourge of social media, and focus on disciplining your own mind to act in a way that is beneficial to you and for you.

There’s no difficulty or big deal about not using social media. You either use it or don’t. There are people who no longer sign into their social media accounts. Not because they’re protesting against the purported dangers, but because they’ve bored of them, or have found other forms of stimuli. If one person can cease using social media, so can another, and another and another and another. Don’t blame social media for disrupting your life; use it if you wish to and don’t use it if you don’t want to. If there’s any disruption in your life, that’s your (own) fault. Rectify it and don’t look for excuses. Making or looking for excuses for your inability to run or control various aspects of your life isn’t going to help you.

All the psychology papers in the world cannot assist an individual to sort out their own head. Peer reviewed or not, many of them are just empty (unintelligible or meaningless) words, or at best a mass of fancy jargon. Not even our words (i.e. EnvironMENTAL Training™) can make a single difference, so don’t rely on them. The only one who can make any difference to you is you and you alone. Rely on you to discipline your mind and not upon others. Using advice, methods or techniques for self-discipline can be of help if practised as instructed, but they will only work if it’s you undertaking the exercise(s) rather than depending on someone else to do things for you. The violin tutor shows the student the bowing technique for *Niccolò Paginini’s Caprice No.24 in A Minor, the piano teacher instructs the pupil on the finger technique for ^Frank Litz’s La Campanella, the percussionist demonstrates to the pupil the necessary patience and concentration required to play ~Maurice Ravel’s Boléro on the snare drum. Fine as any tutor or technique may be, only the pupil can master the technique(s) for themself. No one can do it for them and no one can do it for you. Learn this fact, understand this fact, and remember this fact the next time you feel inclined to blame social media platforms (you voluntarily joined, remember?) for consuming your time.

If you do change your mind and decide to come down to London, we can meet up in the morning for a few hours before your grandfather’s event. But if you’re still in an unforgiving mood and refusing to attend/turn up, we can always reschedule for another time.

 

All the best.

Yours sincerely,

Chuka Okonkwo & Dubem Okonkwo (The Tw↑ns)
Env↑ronMENTAL Training Agents

 

 

Further reading and listening with perhaps a little playing for the more accomplished musician:

*Niccolò Paginini Caprice No.24 in A Minor

*Niccolò Paginini Caprice No.24 in A Minor (Score)

Click to access paganini-niccolo-caprice-for-violin-424.pdf

^La Campanella – Franz Litz

^La Campanella – Franz Litz piano score

Click to access Liszt_Paganini_Etude_No3_Campanella.pdf

~Bolero snare drum score

Click to access IMSLP299518-PMLP03667-Ravel-Bolero_SnareDrums.pdf

~Bolero – Classic FM
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/ravel/guides/snare-drum-bolero/

~Solo Aspects in the Snare Drum in Bolero by Maurice Ravel

Click to access 01_BULARCA.pdf

~New Haven Symphony Percussionist preps for Bolero
https://www.nhregister.com/entertainment/articleComments/New-Haven-Symphony-percussionist-preps-for-11353846.php

 

~Bolero Ravel Tambour

 

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part C)

Part C.

Dear Angst-ridden teenage Billionaire,

How are you doing this week? Have you recovered from the flu you recently had. Did you manage to get extra tickets for the May Ball? You said a good friend of yours promised to get some for you. Did they keep his word? If they didn’t and if you have nothing to do that evening, you might wish to come down to London to hear the private talk we’re giving on lapses of concentration in every day life. Tell us in time and we’ll reserve a place for you. Remember the two cousins who are medical students? They’re in London for a family event and are going to try to come. They asked whether you’ll be there.

As you can see, we thought it sensible to divide the exercise into two parts, so we were delighted to receive your message that you managed to make out time to complete Exercise One to Six. That’s fantastic. Now you’re ready for the remaining six. Exercise Seven to Twelve should be done in the same way as the previous ones, taking your time in order to assimilate the full meaning of what’s been written.

You’re familiär with points to remember and the importance of restarting an exercise, but we thought it best to send them with these exercises.

 

 

Points to bear in mind:

a) When doing the set of exercises below, be sure to concentrate. Concentrate to the best of your ability.

b) During an exercise, if you lose where you are, it is important that you start the exercise all over again.*

c) Take your time with each exercise and avoid any temptation to rush through an exercise or to take shortcuts.

d) Do not perform or continue with an exercise if feeling tired. It’s pointless to do so and more harm is done than good.

e) Quit. This means taking a break and coming back another time. There’s absolutely no shame in pausing temporarily to rest, recuperate and recharge your mental batteries.

*The importance of restarting an exercise from the beginnng cannot be overemphasised. It is the best way of training your mind to focus and concentrate from the beginning of any task to the end. The discipline of a focussed concentration from the beginning until the end of any activity, whether it’s the simple act of counting or reading a book is invaluable. Imagine if you were in a cinema watching the latest blockbuster and a hundred people rose from their seats and left one after the other twenty or thirty minutes into the film. How much screen time would you miss if this were to occur throughout the screening and you were forced to look at each departing cinemagoer?

 

 

Exercise Seven

7. Donning a pink shirt, wearing a pin or badge, marching in a group waving a placard, or signing petitions isn’t going to prevent bullying of any kind. There are several legislations, rules, regulations and laws, each set in place to prevent bullying, yet each failing to deliver anything meaningful. If these state interventions and organisations cannot stop someone from posting venom online, is it worth relying on them? Surely, it’s time to take your own personal stance against what you believe is happening to you?

Write out all the two letter words.

Write out all the nine letter words.

Write out all the four letter words.

Write out all the seven letter words.

Write out all the eight letter words.

Write out all the three letter words.

Write out all the ten letter words.

Write out all the six letter words.

Count out loud all the words from the first word.

Count out loud all the words from the last word.

Spell (aloud) every word forwards.

Spell (aloud) every word backwards.

Spell (aloud) every word backwards and forwards.

Spell (aloud) every word forwards and backwards.

 

 

Exercise Eight

8. We’re not talking about the #standing up to bullying that’s doing the rounds on the Internet. The very place where so much bullying is facilitated by even the advocates of anti-bullying policies. Every time we abuse a politician or someone holding a different political view, insult a stranger on a forum because their opinion differs from ours, post a malicious comment about an actor, director, singer or any public figure because we dislike their output, this can be considered to be a form of bullying? It usually isn’t, but why shouldn’t it be?

Write out all the two letter words.

Write out all the nine letter words.

Write out all the four letter words.

Write out all the seven letter words.

Write out all the eight letter words.

Write out all the three letter words.

Write out all the ten letter words.

Write out all the six letter words.

Count out loud all the words from the first word.

Count out loud all the words from the last word.

Spell every word forwards and out loud.

Spell every word backwards and out loud.

Spell every word backwards and forwards and out loud.

Spell every word forwards and backwards and out loud.

 

 

Exercise Nine

9. What is seen as a divine right to have and express an opinion can be downright rudeness or worse still nasty behaviour. Certain groups deem one type of behaviour against one group as bullying, yet tolerate the same behaviour targeting another group or individual as legitimate. Bullying is considered to be morally offensive, yet the constant abuse of an elected leader not only by members of his own nation but also by the members of other nations is not seen as bullying in any way, but accepted as a legitimate freedom of expression. In the case of this leader, who many feel deserves the vitriol from so many quarters, he gives as good as he gets and is in a position to rile his detractors and abusers more than they can ever upset him.

From the left to right mentally read the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right read in your head the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right read at a whisper the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right read aloud the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right mentally read all the vowels in the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right read at a whisper all the vowels in the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right read aloud all the vowels in the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right mentally read the consonants in the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right read at a whisper the consonants in the unwinding passage (3x):

From the left to right read aloud the consonants in the unwinding passage (3x):

 

 

Exercise Ten

10. Recently we were told of a successful British art professor who loathes the leader of a particular country and everything he stands for; yet, his loathing doesn’t prevent him from spending some time every day searching online to see what the head of state is up to. The professor admits that he can’t help his actions despite knowing full well that he has no respect or love for the leader. If an educated academic can’t control the impulse that leads him to behave in this way  – admittedly he doesn’t post comments, derogratoy or otherwise, then what can be really expected of a bully? A bully, like our art professor, is only giving in to an impulse and, lacking the education of the art professor, can only give in to drive that compels or impels them to act the way they do. Should the academic’s behaviour be excused or condoned, whilst that of the uneducated individual is criticised and condemned?

 

From the left to right mentally read the wellness passage (3x):

From the left to right read at a whisper the wellness passage (3x):

From the left to right read aloud the wellness passage (3x):

From the left to right mentally read all the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

From the left to right read at a whisper the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

From the left to right read aloud the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

From the left to right mentally read all the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

From the left to right read at a whisper all the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

From the left to right read aloud all the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

 

 

Exercise Eleven

11. Believe it or not – though this aspect of bullying doesn’t make the headlines – self-bullying is one of the worst forms of this kind behaviour. Many of us bully ourselves every day, though we would rarely admit it. We tell ourselves that we can’t achieve this or that goal or desire, and undermine whatever effort we make to accomplish things. Doubt and self-condemnation does not receive the #stand up to bullying, but in many ways it’s the worst kind of bullying because it’s self-inflicted. Society likes to excuse our transgressions if they harm solely us, but condemn them when they harm others. Excusing our internal bullying or self-inflicted bullying and blaming it on society, whilst at the same time condemning the behaviour of external bullying helps nobody: neither the bully nor the bullied.

Read backwards in your head the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards at a whisper the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards aloud the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards in your head the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards at a whisper the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards aloud the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards in your head the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards at a whisper the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards aloud the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

 

 

Exercise Twelve

12. If you can’t prevent yourself or find it impossible to refrain from saying nasty things to yourself, then why should you be surprised if there are some who are unable to prevent themselves saying nasty things to you. Contrary to the “I can’t help myself generation”, over the centuries, practitioners of spiritual traditions in the East and West have always advocated self-mastery. This philosophy may not be to the taste of every mind, but that choice is up to the individual. You either learn to master your mind, your thoughts and emotions, or you allow them to rule over you. The saying that the mind is a good servant but makes a terrible master is as true today in the 21st Century as it ever was.

Read backwards in your head the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards at a whisper the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards aloud the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards in your head the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards at a whisper the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards aloud the vowels in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards in your head the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards at a whisper the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

Read backwards aloud the consonants in the wellness passage (3x):

Thanks for the images of you in cap and gown. You and your fellow students look as if you’re having a fun time. Is that Magdalene College in the background?

 

Have a great week.

All the best.

 

Yours sincerely,

Chuka Okonkwo & Dubem Okonkwo (The Tw↑ns)
Env↑ronMENTAL Training Agents

Further reading:

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part B)

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part B)

 

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.4

It’s that time of the travel nightmare, whether you’re travelling for business reasons or social reasons, when your patience has been stretched to the limits. So far you’ve refrained from joining the angry mob venting its frustration on hapless airport staff. Your preference has been to quietly accept the updates and assurances that everything is being done to get you under way. Not that there is any indication whatsoever of when exactly you’ll be airbourne.

However, by the look of things you’re hopeful that you may be in time for the banquet that has been laid on for all delegates. Your colleagues and business associates have spent many days prior to this event enjoying the beauty of the city. Unlike them, unfinished business kept you behind, for had this not been the case you would not be seated or feel trapped in the departure lounge amidst a sea of disgruntled passengers. There is only so much complimentary this, that or the other before one gets the feeling that one is being taken for a ride, despite the smiling faces and soothing tones that the best is being done to get you on your way.

Yes, this trip may not be starting the way you expected, but at least you have a number of monotonous mental drills to sharpen your mind and keep your emotions in check. You don’t want to end up like the businessman from somewhere up North who has had to converse with the police because his frustrated protest has ended with the airport security being called to deal with his bad behaviour. Understanding as you are about his predicament, – how can you not be? – being held in the iron grip of muscular individuals and ordered to calm down is not a travel memory you wish to experience.

The latest Airport Game (No. 4 in the series) is one definitely worth keeping for future excursions. Preferably not whiling away the time in an airport lounge, but enjoying the view in the business class several thousand feet above sea level. EnvironMENTAL Training™ games are wonderful and can be done anywhere – in the sky, on land, on a luxury yacht or in a submersible. We kid you not. These underwater playthings do exist and can be yours to do whatever you like. So if passing your time with any of our tedious mental games is what adds that special touch to your environment, then that is entirely up to you.

A few points before you begin Airport Game (No. 4). Memorise the simple key below. It will help you to carry out what is essentially a game requiring no prior knowledge. All you really need to successfully carry out the game is the ability to concentrate. You will learn as you do each exercise that good concentration powers will foster accuracy and save you from the effects of poor concentration.

The ten letters (a b c d e f g h i j) stand for the numbers below:

a = 1; b = 2; c = 3; d = 4; e = 5; f = 6; g = 7; h = 8; i = 9; j = 0

Using the key above, change the letters below to their equivalent numbers.

Airport Game No. 4

(1.) b c d i e f g h j a

(2.) g a h j b c i d e f

(3.) d e f g h a i j b c

(4.) e g j c h a i b f d

(5.) d f j a e i b g c h

(6.) i a f c g d h e b j

(7.) b e j f g d h a i c

(8.) j e a h i c b g d f

(9.) i b e g f a j d h c

(10.) a j d i e h c f b g

(11.) e c a i d j g h b f

(12.) d h g i a c f b e j

(13.) c g e j f i d a h b

(14.) f i e b d h a c j g

(15.) c j f a g b e h d i

(16.) d h a j e b i c f g

(17.) c g f j a i e b d h

(18.) h g f c e i b d a j

(19.) e g i c h a j d f b

(20.) c e b i a h g j d f

(21.) d f j g e i c a b h

(22.) c a d j b d i f e g

(23.) h a i c e g j f d b

(24.) c f i e h b a g d j

(25.) g b j e h i d f a c

(26.) f i g a d j c e b h

(27.) g c b h a d f j e i

(28.) j e b g i c h a f d

(29.) b i f d h a e c g j

(30.) e j d g b f h a i c

(31.) c e i d h j b f a g

(32.) f g i d j a h b e c

(33.) a c f g i e h b d j

(34.) f j b d i a g h c e

(35.) d h g i b e a j f c

(36.) b f i e j a d h c g

(37.) h d e j a c i g b

(38.) j g a c f d b i e h

(39.) d e j c i g a f h b

(40.) g c f h e a i b j d

Tedium par Excellence never felt better.

 

 

Further reading for anyone seeking peace of mind at any airport in the world when anything and everything that can go horribly wrong has done exactly that – gone horribly, horribly wrong. Which as you will know if you’re a seasoned globetrotting air mile devotee is every passenger’s nightmare:

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.3

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.3

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.2

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game (No.2)

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.1

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game (No.1)

 

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part B)

Part B.

Dear Angst-ridden teenage Billionaire,

Read what we have to say about bullying and do all the exercises. There’ll be the temptation to skip the exercises, but please don’t. They’ve been placed here for a specific reason, which will be apparent once you’ve completed all of them. Go through them as instructed, first reading the preceding paragraph before carrying out the instructions.

Exercise One

1. Anti-bullying campaigners, anti-racist campaigners, anti-sexism campaigners will assure you that their campaigns are for your good and they are fighting a necessary battle. This may have some truth in it, but it’s a falsehood that deceives even as it attempts to reassure you. All the campaigns in the world will not prevent people from being abusive online, so instead of wasting your time complaining or grumbling about being abused by people you don’t know, you ought to try a different approach.

How many five letter words?
How many two letter words?
How many seven letter words?
How many six letter words?
How many nine letter words?
How many three letter words?
How many eight letter words?
How many four letter words?

Exercise Two

2. If someone has written inflammatory comments online about your skin colour, gender or sexual orientation, it is there to create something unpleasant. Let’s put aside the morality point of the argument and focus on your reaction to what has been posted. You can ignore it or you can complain about it. After all, some may say that they’re only words and words on their own are merely words. There is no evidence that every word uttered or written is going to be carried out. For many trolls the satisfaction is gained purely from the reaction to their words.

How many five letter words?
How many two letter words?
How many seven letter words?
How many six letter words?
How many nine letter words?
How many three letter words?
How many eight letter words?
How many four letter word?

Exercise Three

3. If you’re on the receiving end of online abuse, besides confronting your abuser, if you can identify them, there is very little you can do to prevent them from thinking as they do. In fact, the more you attempt to challenge them, the more you fuel not only them but also others to take up the challenge of making your life a misery. Sometimes we humans love being mean and nasty just for the sheer delight of knowing that someone else is going to feel miserable as a result of something we’ve said or written.

Vowels: a e i o u

Consonants: b d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z

How many words end with a vowel?
How many words end with a consonant?
How many words begin with a vowel?
How many words begin with a consonant?
How many words begin and end with a vowel?
How many words begin and end with a consonant?
How many words begin with a vowel but end with a consonant?
How many words begin with a consonant but end with a vowel?

Exercise Four

4. The various societies and organisations formed over the last decade to prevent one of the worst sides of human behaviour have not succeeded in preventing online bullying. Instead the number of abusers is on the increase and the numbers abused is multiplying if we are to believe stories appearing in the media about it. Does it mean because the number of abusers and abused is rising rather than falling that these societies and organisations should cease their efforts? If their service is actually helping those who require help it would not be correct to suggest they should end their work.

Vowels: a e i o u

Consonants: b d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z

How many words end with a vowel?
How many words end with a consonant?
How many words begin with a vowel?
How many words begin with a consonant?
How many words begin and end with a vowel?
How many words begin and end with a consonant?
How many words begin with a vowel but end with a consonant?
How many words begin with a consonant but end with a vowel?

Exercise Five

5. But does the constant talking about bullying in the school playground, bullying in the workplace, bullying online actually make any positive difference? Encouraging individuals to come out to discuss their anguish is only reinforcing that pain over and over again, and giving them a false hope that sharing is caring. Is sharing really caring? Does joining a forum to discuss a nasty line manager, an unidentified troll or malicious teasing in the school playground address the issues surrounding this type of behaviour.

How many mono syllabled words?
How many two syllabled words?
How many three syllabled words?
How many four syllabled words?

Hoŵ many words with one vowel?
Hoŵ many words with two vowels?
Hoŵ many words with three vowels?
Hoŵ many words with four vowels?

Hoŵ many words with one consonant?
Hoŵ many words with two consonants?
Hoŵ many words with three consonants?
Hoŵ many words with four consonants?
Hoŵ many words with five consonants?

How many capital letters?
How many lower case letters?
How many punctuation marks?

Exercise Six

6. In all this discussion what about the sufferer’s role in the matter? For bullying to take place there has to a victim. Someone to play the part of the bullied in order to give the bully a source to vent out whatever frustration, anger or bitterness that leads them to engage in such behaviour. Broadcasting incidents of bullying are said to raise awareness. Raise awareness to whom and for whom? The bully or bullied know who they’re bullying; the bullied may not have that privilege. But knowing or not knowing who has got it in for you doesn’t help the situation in some cases. A visit to the bullying page on Wikipedia does not imbue one with the confidence that the global bullying prevention campaigns and events e.g. Anti-Bullying Day, Anti-Bullying Week, International Day of Pink, International STAND UP to Bullying Day and National Bullying Prevention Month are that useful and one wonders whether their philosophy is inadvertently doing harm and not that much good.

How many mono syllabled words?
How many two syllabled words?
How many three syllabled words?
How many four syllabled words?

Hoŵ many words with one vowel?
Hoŵ many words with two vowels?
Hoŵ many words with three vowels?
Hoŵ many words with four vowels?

Hoŵ many words with one consonant?
Hoŵ many words with two consonants?
Hoŵ many words with three consonants?
Hoŵ many words with four consonants?
Hoŵ many words with five consonants?

How many capital letters?
How many lower case letters?
How many punctuation marks?

 

Points to bear in mind:

a) When doing the set of exercises below, be sure to concentrate. Concentrate to the best of your ability.

b) During an exercise, if you lose where you are, it is important that you start the exercise all over again.*

c) Take your time with each exercise and avoid any temptation to rush through an exercise or to take shortcuts.

d) Do not perform or continue with an exercise if feeling tired. It’s pointless to do so and more harm is done than good.

e) Quit. Which means taking a break and coming back another time. There’s absolutely no shame in pausing temporarily to rest, recuperate and recharge your mental batteries.

*The importance of restarting an exercise from the beginnng cannot be overemphasised. It is the best way of training your mind to focus and concentrate from the beginning of any task to the end. The discipline of a focussed concentration from the beginning until the end of any activity, whether it’s the simple act of counting or reading a book is invaluable. Imagine if you were in a cinema watching the latest blockbuster and a hundred people rose from their seats and left one after the other twenty or thirty minutes into the film. How much screen time would you miss if this were to occur throughout the screening and you were forced to look at each departing cinemagoer?

All the best.

Yours sincerely,

Chuka Okonkwo & Dubem Okonkwo (The Tw↑ns)
Env↑ronMENTAL Training Agents

 

 

Further reading:

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part C)

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part C)

 

 

 

 

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.3

Here’s another game that can be played at the airport whenever there’s a delay of any kind. As you know airports can be very busy places, so much buzz and atmosphere, yet at the same time they can be boring centres of inactivity with absolutely nothing to do but wait and wait and wait. Waiting can be so tedious and monotonous that your every yawn becomes a bore to your poor self. So why wait. Just bring out your mobile and set to work and get to grips with the exercises below.

Don’t ever listen or give any attention whatsoever to anyone who tells you that your mobile is controlling your mind. What tosh. What rubbish. Your mobile is a marvellous piece of technology and you’re ever so proud to own it. Like anything created by humans it can be used for good or evil, That choice – what to do with your smartphone – lies entirely in your hands. What to do at the airport when there’s been a delay or cancellation of your flight is your choice and yours only to make. No one is responsible for what you select to do: a boring EnvironMENTAL Training™ mental drill or Pokemon, Angry Birds or Assassins Creed, Grand Auto Theft or Minecraft. You’re evidently here because despite the plethora of entertaining activities on the Internet, your brain has informed you that our selection of tedious mental drills is the best way to occupy your time at the airport.

Game 1

From left to right add the digits of your/any mobile number ( Repeat x10)

From right to left add the digits in your/any mobile number (Repeat x10)

 

Game 2

In the next exercise add ONLY the number of digits requested and omit the rest.

From left to right:
Add the first 2 digits
Add the first 4 digits
Add the first 6 digits
Add the first 8 digits
Add the first 10 digits

Add the first 3digits
Add the first 5 digits
Add the first 7 digits
Add the first 9 digits

 

From right to left:
Add the last 2 digits
Add the last 4 digits
Add the last 6 digits
Add the last 8 digits
Add the last 10 digits

Add the last 3digits
Add the last 5 digits
Add the last 7 digits
Add the last 9 digits

 

 

Points to note in the next exercise.

(a) Using your/any 11 digit mobile number, move the digits exactly as instructed
(b) Add all the digits from left to right*
(c) Add all the digits from right to left*

 

*The instructions in (b) & (c) mean that you are to add every single digit of each new number.

 

Game 3

Move 1st digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

 

Move the 1st digit to the 10th position; move 10th digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

 

Move the 1st digit to the 9th position; move 9th digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

Move the 1st digit to the 8th position; move 8th digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

Move the 1st digit to the 7th position; move 7th digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

Move the 1st digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

Move 1st digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

 

Move 1st digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

Move 1st digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right left

Move 1st digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 1st position
Read the new number 3-5x
Add all the digits from left to right
Add all the digits from right to left

 

#Read the new number 3-5x
*Add all the digits from left to right
^Add all the digits from right to left

 

Game 4

Move 2nd digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 10th position; move 10th digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 9th position; move 9th digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 8th position; move 8th digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 7th position; move 7th digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 2nd position#*^
Move 2nd digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 2nd position#*^

 

Game 5

Move 3rd digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 10th position; move 10th digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 9th position; move 9th digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 8th position; move 8th digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 7th position; move 7th digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 3rd position#*^
Move 3rd digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 3rd position#*^

 

 

Game 6

Move 4th digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 10th position; move 10th digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 9th position; move 9th digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 8th position; move 8th digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 7th position; move 7th digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 4th position#*^
Move 4th digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 4th position#*^

 

 

Game 7

Move 5th digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 10th position; move 10th digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 9th position; move 9th digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 8th position; move 8th digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 7th position; move 7th digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 5th position#*^
Move 5th digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 5th position#*^

 

 

Game 8

Move 6th digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 10th position; move 10th digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 9th position; move 9th digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 8th position; move 8th digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 7th position; move 7th digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 6th position#*^
Move 6th digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 2nd position#*^

 

Game 9

Move 7th digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 10th position; move 10th digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 9th position; move 9th digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 8th position; move 8th digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 7th position#*^
Move 7th digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 7th position#*^

 

Game 10

Move 8th digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 10th position; move 10th digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 9th position; move 9th digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 7th position; move 7th digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 8th position#*^
Move 8th digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 8th position#*^

 

Game 11

Move 9th digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 10th position; move 10th digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 8th position; move 8th digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 7th position; move 7th digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 9th position#*^
Move 9th digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 9th position#*^

 

 

Game 12

Move 10th digit to 11th position; move 11th digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 9th position; move 9th digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 8th position; move 8th digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 7th position; move 7th digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 6th position; move 6th digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 5th position; move 5th digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 4th position; move 4th digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 3rd position; move 3rd digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 2nd position; move 2nd digit to 10th position#*^
Move 10th digit to 1st position; move 1st digit to 10th position#*^

 

 

Further reading for anyone seeking peace of mind at any airport in the world when anything and everything that can go horribly wrong has done exactly that – gone horribly, horribly wrong. Which as you will know if you’re a seasoned globetrotting air mile devotee is every passenger’s nightmare:
The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.4

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.4

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.2

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game (No.2)

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.1

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game (No.1)

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game (No.2)

An unexplained scare has taken place at an airport somewhere in South America, which has scuppered your plans to return in time for your cousin’s wedding. Annoying as this there’s very little you can do. Your trip to South America has been a complete success, with numerous deals struck that will see your company grow quickly in 2019. There’s nothing like a good business deal or deals to remind you of why you quit medicine after two or three years in the NHS and decided on a complete career change. Your choice may not have gone down well with a family that has had physicians for four generations, but as your own master, you feel answerable to none but yourself.

So this little hold-up in one of the hottest regions of South America isn’t about to unnerve you or make you begin to curse the airport authorities around you. The only thing you’ve been concerned about is how the hours can be occupied. Fortunately, before departing your wife was kind enough to load up Airport Game No.2 onto your iPad Pro. You haven’t had time to look at it, but will certainly do so now. With a glass of the local speciality provided courtesy of a apologising individual, the exercise below is what shall engage you for some time or at least till sunset, when you will know for certain if you are to board an aircraft for London or be booked into a hotel for the night.

 

Use your/any mobile number to do this exercise.

In this exercise add ONLY the number of digits requested and omit the remaining. Add 2 digits, 4 digits or 7 digits means exactly that.

Have your/any mobile number before you all the time whilst doing the exercise.

Good clear impressions are necessary for the smooth running of the exercise, so you wish to avoid any action that leads to eye or brain strain.

Easy does it is the watchword.

Add the first two digits from left to right
Add the first two digits from right to left

Add the last two digits from right to left
Add the last two digits from left to right

Add the first three digits from left to right
Add the first three digits from right to left

Add the last three digits from right to left
Add the last three digits from left to right

Add the first four digits from right to left
Add the first four digits from left to right

Add last four digits from right to left
Add the last four digits from left to right

Add the first five digits from left to right
Add the first five digits from right to left

Add the last five digits from right to left
Add the last five digits form left to right

Add the first six digits form left to right
Add the first six digits from right to left

Add the last six digits from right to left
Add the last six digits from left to right

Add the first seven digits from left to right
Add the first seven digits from right to left

Add the last seven digits from right to left
Add the last seven digits from left to right

Add the first eight digits from left to right
Add the first eight digits from right to left

Add the last eight digits from right to left
Add the last eight digits from left to right

Add the first nine digits from left to right
Add the first nine digits from right to left

Add the last nine digits from left to right
Add the last nine digits from right to left

Add the first ten digits from left to right
Add the first ten digits from right to left

Add the last ten digits from left to right
Add the last ten digits from right to left

If you feel that your power of concentration can cope with the above exercise, we believe that there’ll be sufficient time before you depart for London to do the entire exercises in your mind. Why not try it?

Just close your eyes, visualise the mobile number and perform the entire exercise again.

Of course you should ensure you’re totally relaxed and let your inner eye roam over the eleven digits, shifting digits from one location to the next. Doing the above exercise in the mind is tantalisingly challenging and wonderful to perform whilst sipping one of your favourite South American drinks. Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky you.

 

 

Further reading for anyone seeking peace of mind at any airport in the world when anything and everything that can go horribly wrong has done exactly that – gone horribly, horribly wrong. Which as you will know if you’re a seasoned globetrotting air mile devotee is every passenger’s nightmare:

 
The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.4

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.4

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.3

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.3

 
The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game No.1

The Env↑ronMENTAL Training™ Airport Game (No.1)

 

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part A)

Part A.

 

Dear Angst-ridden teenage Billionaire,

Your aunt told us of how your life was made a misery at the volunteering camp you went to last summer, and as a result you’re not willing to be involved in more charity work this coming summer. Your aunt feels it’s a pity if you don’t do any volunteering work in the summer, and is concerned that you’ll be missing out on things that will develop you before you start at Harvard. She understands that a number of your co-workers turned nasty when they found out whom your father is, and wrong as it was for the organisers to have revealed what was no one’s business, she still feels that not returning there in the summer is a mistake. Being a bit of a stoic, she believes that one must face the sticks and stones of life without complaint. It’s easy to see why she doesn’t get on with your mother whose natural tendency is to make her feelings known to anyone and everyone.

 

When we spoke to you at your uncle’s wedding anniversary party, we promised to write back if you wrote requesting our help or advice. We told you of our philosophy, so the fact you’ve written is evidence that you understand where we’re coming from. We didn’t suggest that you leave yourself exposed to more mockery by revealing how hurt you felt, then again we didn’t advocate getting into a brawl with people who take a dislike to you, nor did we advocate spending time thinking about them. Too much time is wasted discussing bullies instead of assisting the bullied to assert themselves. They may need help and advice, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak and helpless. Anyone portraying you as a poor victim – no matter how well-meaning – isn’t helping or protecting you against future bullying. Instead the poor-poor-you, you poor-poor-victim approach makes you fearful, and being fearful only makes life intolerable. Living in constant terror of what might happen to you is only making you susceptible to those who enjoy bullying anyone considered weaker than them.

 

Despite how your feel, it’s important to remember that every experience in life, whether good or bad, liked or disliked, loved or hated, has to be used to develop you as a human being. Distasteful as this may sound to many, it’s a fact. Self-mastership comes from within. No one can master yourself but you. So for the while place to one side what you’ve heard about anti-bullying campaigns, pink shirts, hashtags, Facebook prevention hubs and the collection of groups and societies all with one aim, which is to stand up to bullying wherever it occurs in today’s society. That is whether the bullying is in the work place, the family, the playground, on the streets, or online.

 

Look around you at some of the members of your family and you will see the different states of mind on display. Your godfather is a successful businessman, having made his money in property, but look how he treats his wife. Yes, he showers her in expensive gifts and takes her to the best places on the planet, yet their marriage is a sham. You’ve often wondered why they don’t get divorced. Each is dependent on the other according to your aunt who has known them since her days at Cambridge. What about your father’s second cousin who lives as a total recluse somewhere in Sri Lanka. He inherited a lot of money plus property off an uncle who is suspected of ordering the assissnation of his business partner. Rumour has it that he has not spent a penny of his fortune, and has selected to live in poverty. Your sister is a successful model, but as far as she is concerned she’s the ugliest woman in the world. Success hasn’t done anything for her self-esteem. Misery accompanies her wherever she goes and appears to be her constant mindset. Her therapist collects a lucrative weekly salary for doing what your aunt believes is absolutely nothing. We can’t comment on the therapist, having never seen her at work. But your sister isn’t the only case we’ve heard of where the therapist appears to be milking a wealthy family for all its worth.

 

At first glance it looks as if your family is full of screwballs to paraphrase the poem your little brother was so eager to submit for the poetry competition at his prep school. We agree with your aunt that no one reading it would have guessed that it was his own family that your brother was savaging so skilfully. Your aunt’s a great laugh and understands you better than your mother; your father’s quiet and can’t be happier than when he’s in his studio painting nudes; your eldest sister is doing very well with Médecins Sans Frontières, and appears to be unphased from living in conflict zones. You would do well to note her sense of humour, even when things aren’t going well. The cousin on your mother’s side, the documentary maker not the producer is a positive influence. He admires you a lot and is someone you should be looking to as an example of how to deal with the various scenarios life throws at us. He’s always supportive of you and was influential in dissuading your mother from preventing you from taking up skateboarding again after your accident. So as you can see, you have enough positive people in that family of yours, that seems to be full of so many contradictions, to inspire you.

 

Focus on the best that life has to offer you and steer clear – no matter how tempting it may be – of negative things that can contribute nothing but pain and suffering. Receiving past troubles is a recipe for disaster. Anyone encouraging you to continually or habitually revise dark periods in your life will not be present to go through them with you. The much ignored practice of forgiveness ad letting go of the past and all its problems would do many more good than joining all the well-meaning anti-bullying forums in the world.

 

As you can see from what we’ve written here, the choice is yours: you either give in to the thoughts and feelings about being bullied or you take steps to eradicate them from your consciousness. Mental mastership is a little more challenging than donning a pink top or joining a forum to discuss our problem with others. If you choose to subscribe to the latter, that choice is entirely yours and one for you to make not us.

We’ll be writing to you again very soon, so keep an eye out in your pigeon hole.

All the best.

 

Yours sincerely,

Chuka Okonkwo & Dubem Okonkwo (The Tw↑ns)
Env↑ronMENTAL Training Agents

 

 

Further reading:

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part B)

Be The Master of your Mind or A Slave of your Mind: The choice is yours alone to make and no one else’s. (Part B)

The Tw↑ns: Env↑ronMENTAL Training: The New Mental Game (Part Thirteen)

Dear Angst-Ridden Teenage Heir To Billions,

Your mother has asked us to write to you, hence this email. We were most reluctant to do so because of the brattish way you behaved at your uncle’s birthday party. We can’t quite make out whether you’re really a Marxist or whether you’re pretending to be one. It doesn’t matter. Rudeness is rudeness, whether one is a capitalist or socialist, so there can be no excuse for the way you behaved. You let yourself down and it’s doubtful if your schoolfriends were impressed with someone they admire behaving in such a churlish manner.

Your mother showed us your supposed apology. It’s not our idea of contrition, especially when you’ve made a public nuisance of yourself, embarrassing not only yourself but your parents. For an intelligent person you have a strange idea of what a note of apology should look like. An expensive private school education and you haven’t learnt not to scream at people, chuck food at catering staff, throw wine over them or boo the entertainers and insult half of your parents’ guests. The list goes on and doesn’t sound anything like the mature individual your cousin spoke about.

Either your cousin was exaggerating or you’re all they said you are. If so, we expect to learn within the next two weeks that you’ve apologised properly to your folks and taken steps to make amends for your behaviour. We’re not your parents, and it’s not for us to lecture your on etiquette or good manners. However, since your cousin has intimated that you’re keen to begin mental training with us, we’d like to make it clear that we don’t encourage spoilt brat syndrome and never tolerate spoilt brats. We have none on our books: neither the adult, teenage, child or infant variety.

If you’re seriously going to undergo our boring training regime, you need to keep a control of your mind. Your parents have already agreed to pay for your lessons – we’re not cheap – but we don’t want to have a big toddler as a client. We don’t want stuff thrown around or over us; we don’t wish to be screamed at, and we don’t want to be in a position where we have to request an apology from you. Your behaviour has to be exemplary if you want to be our client. We’re not your parents or your schoolteachers whom you’ve recently got into the habit of insulting whenever the mood takes you. Neither are we shrinks or therapists.

If you’ve got mental health issues, and this we’ve made clear to your parents, and your cousin who spoke so highly of you, we’re not interested in dealing with an emotionally challenged brat. The country’s packed with therapists and counsellors who will – once a fat fee has been paid into their account – indulge whatever teenage growing pains you’re going through. Sorry, but we’re not into that form of therapy. We’re of the philosophy that the mind must be disciplined to behave as our servant not our master. We do not follow the school of thought that subscribes to the belief that teenagers these days are under far too much pressure, are trying to find their feet in the world, and are confused as to whom they are. That may be so, but any teenager seeking our service has to quickly understand how we operate. It’s not that we don’t care about the emotional plight of today’s teenagers growing up in the 21st Century; we just don’t care enough to change or alter the service we offer just to cater to their angsty needs. Besides, why enter a cluttered market when there’s so much room and space to operate in the boring mental training arena? No thanks. We’re ever so thrilled to be prominent names in the delivery of monotonous mind control exercises.

So please note that you’ve got two weeks to complete the latest set of exercises in The New Mental Game series. It’s a delightfully tedious game and you’re only the fourth person to see post it. If we don’t hear from you in that time, and hear that you’ve got off that high horse of yours and apologised to your folks, then forget any talk of following your cousin and becoming a client. We’re not so short of clients or desperate for money that we’ll willingly take on a nuisance. We don’t stand for any spoilt behaviour from adults – no matter how successful they are – so can see no reason why we should start doing so with a teenager in 2019.

The written apology is for your parents not us. What we expect you to do within the next fortnight are the simple exercises below. Your mother said that at the party you kept shouting at the guests did they know whom you were. Talk about vanity, or is it arrogance? You haven’t accomplished anything that can be deemed to be world shattering, yet you’re already expecting people, who are and have been top of their game for decades, to know who you are. It’s time to get a rein on your mind, don’t you think?

 

Tips for Exercise One

Sentence Case: Surname

lower case: surname

UPPER CASE: SURNAME

Surname backwards, alternate between lower and upper case: eMaNrUs

Surname backwards, alternate between upper and lower case: EmAnRuS

Surname forwards, alternate between lower and upper case: sUrNaMe

Surname forwards, alternate between upper and lower case: SuRnAmE

 

Exercise One

Read your surname aloud x20

Spell your surname backwards x20

Spell your surname forwards x20

Write your surname backwards in sentence case x20

Write your surname forwards in sentence case x20

Write your surname backwards in lower case x20

Write your surname forwards in lower case x20

Write your surname backwards in upper case x20

Write your surname forwards in upper case x20

Write your surname backwards, alternating between lower and upper case x20

Write your surname backwards, alternating between upper and lower case x20

Write your surname forwards, alternating between lower and upper case x20

Write your surname forwards, alternating between upper and lower case x20

 

 

Tips for Exercise Two

Sentence Case: Forename

lower case: forename

UPPER CASE: FORENAME

Forename backwards, alternate between lower and upper case: eMaNeRoF

Forename backwards, alternate between upper and lower case: EmAnErOf

Forename forwards, alternate between lower and upper case: fOrEnAmE

Forename forwards, alternate between upper and lower case: FoReNaMe

 

Exercise Two

Read your forename aloud x20

Spell your forename backwards x20

Spell your forename forwards x20

Write your forename backwards in sentence case x20

Write your forename forwards in sentence case x20

Write your forename backwards in lower case x20

Write your forename forwards in lower case x20

Write your forename backwards in upper case x20

Write your forename forwards in upper case x20

Write your forename backwards, alternating between lower and upper case x20

Write your forename backwards, alternating between upper and lower case x20

Write your forename forwards, alternating between lower and upper case x20

Write your forename forwards, alternating between upper and lower case x20

 

 

Tips for Exercise Three

Sentence Case: Surname Forename

lower case: surname forename

UPPER CASE: SURNAME FORENAME

Surname Forename forwards, alternate between lower and upper case: sUrNaMe FoReNaMe

Surname Forename forwards, alternate between upper and lower case: SuRnAmE fOrEnAmE

Surname Forename backwards, alternate between lower and upper case: eMaNrUs EmAnErOf

Surname Forename backwards, alternate between upper and lower case: EmAnRuS eMaNeRoF

Exercise Three

Read your full name: surname and forename aloud x20

Spell your full name: surname and forename forwards x20

Spell your full name: surname and forename backwards x20

Write your full name: surname and forename forwards in sentence case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename backwards in sentence case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename forwards in lower case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename backwards in lower case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename forwards in upper case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename backwards in upper case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename backwards, alternating between lower and upper case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename backwards, alternating between upper and lower case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename forwards, alternating between lower and upper case x20

Write your full name: surname and forename forwards, alternating between upper and lower case x20

 

 

 

Tips for Exercise Four

Sentence Case: Forename Surname

lower case: forename surname

UPPER CASE: FORENAME SURNAME

Forename Surname backwards, alternate between lower and upper case: EnAmErOf eMaNrUs

Forename Surname backwards, alternate between upper and lower case: eNaMeRoF sUrNaMe

Forename Surname forwards, alternate between lower and upper case: fOrEnAmE sUrNaMe

Forename Surname forwards, alternate between upper and lower case: FoReNaMe SuRnAmE

Exercise Four

Read your full name: forename and surname aloud x20

Spell your full name: forename and surname backwards x20

Spell your full name: forename and surname forwards x20

Write your full name: forename and surname backwards in sentence case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname forwards in sentence case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname backwards in lower case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname forwards in lower case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname backwards in upper case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname forwards in upper case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname backwards, alternating between lower and upper case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname backwards, alternating between upper and lower case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname forwards, alternating between lower and upper case x20

Write your full name: forename and surname forwards, alternating between upper and lower case x20

 

The exercises are tedious; they’re not supposed to be entertaining. Practise them every day for the next two weeks; they’ll prepare your mind for what’s in store. Google The Twins: EnvironMENTAL Training™ WordPress, Slideshare, Tumblr and YouTube if you want to learn more about our service, if you haven’t done so already. We haven’t bothered to send you any links; do feel free to get them from your cousin if you wish.

All the best.

Yours sincerely,

Chuka Okonkwo & Dubem Okonkwo (The Tw↑ns)
Env↑ronMENTAL Training Agents