How to Get Out of Bed Well in the Morning and Resist the Chocolate Tart in the Evening

The secret star of the evening is a full bottle of mineral water. Throughout the evening, Marc Gassert will pour some water from it repeatedly. The water is supposed to represent the energy that a challenging day takes away from us. The question is: How do you refill the bottle when it's empty? On Wednesday evening, Gassert, a speaker and coach, will be a guest at the Francke Foundations in Halle. He will be presenting the fourth part of the event series "MZ.Wissen 2018." The Mediengruppe Mitteldeutsche Zeitung aims to convey knowledge in an entertaining way on eight evenings with the Foundations as partners and the event agency Sprecherhaus Wissen. Gassert's topic is discipline. He says that disciplining oneself is something that can be learned. The "blonde Shaolin," as he calls himself, has studied with the Shaolin monks in China, the birthplace of martial arts. Gassert holds black belts in Taekwondo, Karate, and Shaolin Kung Fu. Initially, he talks about his time with the monks - how they manage to train hard for 17 hours after a 21-kilometer run. How he managed to do it. That alone makes the evening worthwhile.

The Inner Pig Dog

Gassert combines insights from Eastern teachings with scientific findings from the Western world. He says, "There are many similarities." To the audience in the fully occupied Freylinghausen Hall of the Foundations, he promises "tips, tricks, and tools to overcome the inner pig dog." Frank Hindtsche also hopes for such advice. "It all starts with small things," says the man from Möhlau (Wittenberg district), who has booked all eight events of "MZ.Wissen" with his wife Petra, and gives an example: "Can you resist reaching into the chocolate box in the evening?" He himself believes he can do that quite well. Sebastian and Doreen Simoch from Goseck (Burgenland district) work as a male and female nurse. "The topic appeals to us," he says. "Disciplining oneself is quite important, especially in our demanding professions, to move forward." The visitors are not disappointed. Gassert meets them in everyday situations: Sunday evening, when you sometimes think, "Help, tomorrow is Monday again!" The morning when you can't get out of bed well. The chocolate tart you can't resist after a stressful day at work.

Patting the Shower Wall

Because willpower is lacking, says Gassert. But, according to his theory, it can be trained, "like a muscle." Then the bottle will also be refilled with energy. But how? A few tips: Don't complain! "It just costs energy." Drop the subjunctive: "Not 'I should...' but 'I must...' And then do it!" Celebrate even small successes, for example, for getting out of bed in the morning when it's usually difficult. "Pat the shower wall for that if you want. It releases dopamine, you'll feel better." Such vivid, humorously presented examples are well received by the audience, and there is a lot of laughter. For those who find these tips insufficient, the coach has another exercise ready: He brings a young man onto the stage. The man has to stand with legs apart, squat down, and hold that position for three minutes. A clock times it. The participant tries not to show any signs of struggle, but you can see: it's challenging. He perseveres, and there is a huge round of applause. "In Shaolin, this exercise was introduced 2,500 years ago to train people in endurance," explains Gassert. He recommends the exercise for imitation in one's own living room: "You don't have to do three minutes. Do it as long as you want, and then a bit longer." This way, performance can be increased. And willpower. With Marc Gassert's lecture, "MZ.Wissen" goes on a summer break. The series has been so well received that all the remaining four events are already fully booked.   Learn more about our Top 100 Speaker Marc Gassert:https://www.speakers-excellence.de/redner/marc-gassert-disziplin-und-balance.html [Article published on 25.05.2018 in the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung]