"Thought Breaks" from The Acorn Principle by Jim Cathcart

The following provocative questions are taken directly from the book and summarized here for your use in personal reflection or group discussions.

Introduction: How To Use This Book

Thought Break:
Are you today the kind of person that as a child you thought you would be? How are you different from what you expected? How will you be different in the future if you make good choices along the way?

Chapter 1 - Never Stop Learning About Yourself

Thought Break:
How would you have felt after graduating medical school if you realized that you didn't really want to become a doctor? What would you have done about it? Would you have become depressed and stopped growing or. . . would you have reached out in new ways to apply what you knew and who you were?

Chapter 4 - The Living Systems In You and Around You

Thought Break:
How many systems are you a part of?
How many systems are a part of you?
List as many as you can. Discuss your list with others.

Chapter 5 - Discover What You Care About-

The Seven Natural Values

Thought Break:
What values from the list of seven did you identify with strongest?
What top values would you say your parents had?
What values do you demonstrate in your work environment? How?
Are they the same ones you demonstrate outside work?
How can you better nurture your values?
What are your top three values? Bottom three?
How do your top values differ from your closest family member?

Chapter 6 - Find Your Zone Of Optimum Personal Velocity

Thought Break:
Do you ever wish you had a different velocity? Why?
How does your personal velocity currently affect your quality of life?

Chapter 7- How Are You Smart-

Multiple Intelligences In You

Thought Break:
Which of the seven intelligences do you most identify with?
Think of someone close to you, your spouse or partner, a parent, a child.
What do you think their strongest intelligences are?
Is that intelligence different from yours?
If so, do you have a hard time communicating or connecting with them?
Can you see their special gift?

Chapter 8 - Explore How You Think-

Your Intellectual Bandwidth

Thought Break:
Do you think you're smart? Why? Why not?
Would you like to change? How? Why?
What's your natural bandwidth? Describe how you know that.
How can you most easily improve your thinking ability?
Where will you start?
Think of someone you know or work with.
Using the eight indicators of bandwidth as your guide, assess the overall bandwidth of that person.

Chapter 9 - See How You Come Across To Others-

Behavioral Style

Thought Break:
Which style do you exhibit most often?
When does it work? When does it need to be tempered?
What style is your spouse or partner? Is it different than yours?
How do you decide things between you to make your relationship work?

Chapter 10 - Understand Your Background Imprint

Thought Break:
If you didn't have your background you couldn't be who you currently are. What pluses have come from your negative experiences?

Thought Break:
Make a list of the influences that shaped you. Note the people, events, experiences, feelings, and statements that were impactful to you. Take some time and give serious thought. Make the list as long as you like. Good and bad. Important and trivial. If it matters to you, it counts.

Next, look over your list and rank the strength of influence each person or thing had on you. Note C for moderate impact, B for significant impact and A for profound impact. Don't fret over your rankings, just separate the items as best you can for now.

Thought Break:
What level of the ladder have you been operating from lately?
What could you do that would make you like yourself better?
How could you help make the world a better place?
If you were to spend an extra hour each day studying one subject, what would it be?

Chapter 11 - Assemble Your Own Acorn Profile

Thought Break:
To start reconnecting with your natural possibilities, ask yourself, how could I be more me? How would I dress? Where would I live?
How would I structure my typical day? What would I do for a living? Who would my friends be? What books would I read? What foods would I eat? What would people say about me?

Only you can create your future. Is it time now to make some re-alignments? How could you tailor your life to be a little better fit for you?
What do you like most about yourself? What would you like to change?
Can you see more of the Acorn in others?
How can that help your relationship with them?

Chapter 12 - Your Relationships Define You- Your Inner Circle

Thought Break:
Who's in your inner circle?
What role do they play in your life?
What role do you play in theirs?
How do they complement you, balance you?
Who do you need in your inner circle? What might be missing?
How will you go about attracting those relationships to you?

Chapter 13 - Your Search For Meaning- Outside And Inside

Thought Break:
What do you find fulfilling?
Here is a quick questionnaire to help you isolate the elements that lie along your natural path to fulfillment:

• When was the last time you got caught up in your actions or thoughts and lost track of time?
• What do you like to do for people?
• What has been the work you've most enjoyed over the years?
• When was a time you felt fully alive?
• Describe your idea of the perfect job.
• Who do you admire and why

Thought Break:
Which sources of truth do you refer to first?
Do you rely more on outside authorities or inner knowing?
How will you remind yourself to notice more?
How can you expose yourself to more information and expand your life experiences?

Chapter 15 - The Fulfillment Grid- Two Things That Determine Your Life

Thought Break:
When will you know you've won?

Chapter 16 - The Future You See Defines The Person You'll Be

Thought Break:

• What words would best describe the person you'd truly like to be?
• What character traits would you like for others to see in you?
• What subjects would you like to know much more about?
• What skills would you like to acquire?
• How would you like to be regarded by others?
• In what places or groups would you like to be accepted and feel comfortable?
• What life experiences would you like to have?
• What credentials would you like to acquire?
• What would you like to do for the world?
• How would the person you'd like to be do what you are about to do?

Thought Break:
How many of the eight areas of your life have you developed today?
Where will you keep your Thought Diet card?

The Thought Breaks can also be used to learn and master the messages on The Acorn Principle audio tapes. This album contains twelve recordings focused on the elements in the book. For a high impact multiple media learning experience; read the book, listen to the audios and discuss these questions with others. Your understanding of yourself and others will be permanently enhanced.