The Power of Being Present - with Thomas M. Sterner

Guest Introduction: Thomas M. Sterner is the founder and CEO of The Practicing Mind Institute, and an expert in Present Moment Functioning. He is also a coach and speaker who works with high-performance individuals, helping them to operate effectively within high-stress situations so that they can break through to new levels of mastery. Top media organization such as NPR, Fox News, and Forbes have sought his advice. Tom is the author of two books, including the best-seller “The Practicing Mind,” and his more recent book, “Fully Engaged.” Interview Summary: In this interview, Tom first explains what Present Moment Functioning is, and how being present improves performance levels. We ask him how people can develop this skill and implement it in their lives. Tom explains how to remove ourselves from a stressful situation and become an observer. He describes thought awareness training, and talks about what people might notice when they first start practicing. Tom and Chris also discuss the overstimulation in today's society, and how modern technology is negatively affecting our minds. Next, we ask Tom what positive changes people will experience as they practice thought awareness consistently over time. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on the process and not the product. Then he talks about how mindset and perception affect us. Tom offers advice on how people can optimize their mindsets in order to effectively handle stress and achieve more. He also provides an example of a young athlete he worked with, and how changing her mindset drastically improved her performance. Tom goes on to talk about giving yourself permission to succeed. He explains how habits work, and how self-awareness can help us break bad habits and develop new ones. We ask Tom how thought awareness prepares people for adversity and tough times. He explains how to reframe discomfort to use it to our advantage, and why it's important to embrace our emotions. Finally, Tom reveals some of the common issues that he comes across in his clients. He also describes the process that he goes through with new clients to help them function at their highest level. Find out more about Tom: https://tomsterner.com https://thepracticingmind.com The Craft of Charisma Podcast is also available at: bit.ly/Soundcloud-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/Stitcher-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/iTunes-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/Spotify-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/GooglePlayMusic-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/iHeartRadio-CofC-Podcast