HOW ALL THE PIECES FIT TOGETHER AND REINFORCE EACH OTHER
IN THE REMINDERS NOTEBOOK AND IN THE WHOLE BUILDING PROCESS
NOT JUST A PILE, NOT JUST "ADDITIVE"
At first glance, the tabs for each section and the contents to be inserted into them seem to be a bunch of subjects gathered together and taking alot of work to do so. But the effects are not linear, not additive. As you add each section they end up reinforcing or building a number of other sections, so the benefits grow geometrically. When one adds 2 + 2 and it totals to 5, one has somehow magically produced an extra benefit of 1 by mixing the others together to produce a total that is "greater than the sum of its parts". (See Using Synergy To Rapidly Gain In Life, Rather Than Living Additively.)
In a way this is how studying psychology works in general, with each part supplementing and raising the other parts...
THE REASON FOR THE NOTEBOOK
The notebook and its companion notebooks (most under the banner of LifeNotebooks or simply LifeBooks) are for the purpose of forming "structure" to your life, so that you can bring back to mind that which you need to benefit your life. It is for the purpose of having an added mind/memory device at our disposal, to provide an "addition" to our overall "memory", since we can't keep it all in physical body memory.
HOW EACH PIECE AFFECTS AND REINFORCES OTHER PIECES
(It helps if you print out the table of contents so you can refer to it to see how it all fits together as I explain it here.)
Although there are more combinations of pieces and how they affect each other, I will limit myself to a few, so that you can get the idea and see how the greater effects happen.
THE EFFECT OF "STRUCTURE"
First of all, as we introduce structure into our lives we "feel" like life has a more solid foundation and is more workable. And, of course, that not only actually impacts our effectiveness in life but it also adds to one's confidence that one can manage and handle one's life - and increased confidence, in turn, makes one more effective, since one is less afraid of screw ups and since one will go forward on many things and not stop due to faux fears.
THE EFFECT OF EACH PIECE UPON THE OTHERS
Everything in life occurs in a causal chain, where a cause creates an effect and then that effect becomes a cause for the next item in the chain, until the "end result" is attained.
In the area of psychology, the chain does not look like a straight line but looks more like a train track with lots of side rail tracks coming into it to effect the "core" line.
And many times the side rail tracks have other side rail tracks feeding into them.
And there are also "self-reinforcing" upward spirals that create a particular effect that then, in turn, affects something else.
If we change one of our habits, say sleeping enough instead of shortchanging ourselves, we feel more energy for the day and our mood goes up, which then relaxes us, which then cause us to have less stress, which then makes us less tired, which then has us not be so exhausted so that we then sleep better, then the next day we get up more rested and more refreshed, and the spiral starts again - and it looks like a rising spiral - and then our health gets better, we feel better so it is easier to exercise, our moods are better and...
Each part has an effect on other parts, which then have an effect on the other parts and then everything cycles around to the original cause, in what is called a "virtuous circle" where the benefits are constantly getting better. (This contrasts with the "vicious circle", where we start doing something that is harmful and start a downward, mutually reinforcing spiral.) See Restoring Emotional Balance When Human Go Into A Self-Reinforcing Spiral.
AN EXAMPLE OF INTERACTION IN THE REMINDERS NOTEBOOK
There are 4 "perspective for the day" pieces. If you looked at the components for happiness, you'd see that these are essentially the same.
When one feels "safe" in life (or safer) by using these pieces, then one is not as much caught up in fears about safety. (Duh!) But this is one area that deeply affects the disabling effects in life of safety or security fears. So, this is the first piece in the 4 above, but the next section adds in pieces that help establish a solid base in life, so that there is less to worry about but also more to feel is solidly there, such that you won't fall into the pits of hell and anxiety when the "bonus" things in life fall apart.
From being safer, we have fewer worries to deal about or to cause "doubts", so we become more confident (or less unconfident). As we become more confident, we tend to feel safer. This is a big reinforcing upward spiral! (It's hard to "get" that until you've experienced its dynamics.)
Then the "my affirmations, mantras" section pieces, affirm the solidness of the base of my life, including gratitude pieces which greatly affect my happiness in life (proven) which in turn has me worry less, which in turn creates more confidence, which in turn allow me to worry less, which in turn has me be happier, which in turn...
Some of them affect one's health, which in turn affects one's mood and energy, which in turn affects confidence...and happiness...and effectiveness...and...
The affirmations soon become installed into the primitive mind to bring up when one is experiencing a negative or fear emotion of some sort and it assuages or soothes or directly offsets the effects of the fear or self criticism.
The "statements" section has one making declarative statements and being more clear and definitive about life, which makes one less fearful and definitely more confident, as the statements are all "confident" in nature!!!
When you declare how you will live your life "now and forever", your confidence is affected, yes, but also you tend to direct your life better as the "instructions" to your primitive mind help guide the mind's choices.
One of the ones I love the most is "My 'Ground Of Being'", which helps me to see myself in many ways, going through life walking confidently with a relaxed pace...and so on.
THE OVERALL VIEW
Looking specifically at the table of contents of the Reminders Notebook (link to the table from the main page):
If we look at the My Rules, Standards, Boundaries section, we can see how that would add structure in the form of guidelines and decisions we will have made from our higher brain, but which we can look up every time we need them (after installing them also) to guide our primitive mind or to just re-mind us of what to do!!!
The What I Choose/Declare/Stand For section can be a powerful tool that causes one to, well, feel more powerful. It increases one's intentions and gives one a more solid base from which to operate in life. These are formed when we are in our higher brain and very alert and "smart", but as we install them and refer to them when needed our power is restored and heightened. Of course, this greatly increases our confidence while at the same time making things more definite and more solid!
I love, from Section II, the My Power Life Statement, which I recommend you read every day for awhile and then regularly weekly. A view at the summary of your life philosophy again solidifies the basis for your life, as a guideline and a collection of beliefs and truths that will increase your confidence and competence (and then competence circles back and increases your confidence!).
And, then, when you go out of whack (get unbalance or dysfunctional), it is useful to do the pieces in the Calming And Re-Centering, Regrounding section so that you can return to being calm and centered and feeling much better. Everybody should have a "quick shift" process (use one of the one's on the site, such as in the "what to do when" section).
The Dreams, Vision, Goals, Commitments section is hugely motivational (or at least reminds people of the higher parts of life) but also very strengthening, as you review what is truly of value in life and, hugely effective, your strongly stated commitments - without the latter people are weak and do not achieve the goals they want to have in life. The latter are the bridge between "wishing" and "getting". A clear picture of who you would like to be and who you might most like to be like makes life clearer and more definite and more guided.
Under the Philosophy section, one forms a more solid foundation by reviewing the realities of life and the perspective on life from reading your summary piece of the philosophy of your life - just formulating the latter is an incredibly empowering, clarifying exercise. It gives one certainty, which in turn creates less doubt and more confidence. Although spread into different sections, inserting and reading the Certainty Generators makes one more certain and, of course, more confident!!!! (The certainty generators, you might notice, includes The Positives Portfolio which generates more certainty and a more solid basis for confidence in life.
Many of the sections contribute your having more clarity and definiteness, which hugely contributes to having confidence and direction (and direction leads to more confidence!). "Who I choose to be" and "how I choose to live" are vital parts of that, plus it is essential that you clarify "who I am"!!!!
The Reminders About My Life (and the related Reminders About Me And Who I Am) creates a way of inducing happiness by having a quick easy reminder of great memories, which we often lose sight of. So when you want a boost you visit the Memories Book or, especially for a "rainy day", look at your log or your storage place for the thank you's and acknowledgements you've received plus review your log of good deeds and good things you've done, supplementing that perhaps with the Positives Portfolio piece where you record your life successes (which is great to re-read and re-mind oneself of, which, of course, affects one's confidence and one's happiness.
Establishing your basis for security is also vital, vital, vital to reducing your fears, plus noting down your perspectives on things which you might have feared, in the Fears, Security Base section.
All of these are of value and there are lots of reinforcements as you build and put them together and implement them in your life to create a great, confident, fearless life of gratitude on a sound, solid basis you can rely on to reach out and get all of what one wants in life, especially the big prize: enduring, unconditional happiness.
