How to get out of bed in the morning and resist the chocolate cake 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 meant to represent the energy that a challenging day depletes from us. The question is: How do you refill the bottle when it's empty? On Wednesday evening, Gassert, a speaker and coach, is a guest at the Francke Foundations in Halle. He is leading 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 in partnership with the foundations 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. He begins by talking 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." In the fully packed Freylinghausen Hall of the Foundations, he promises the audience "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, along with his wife Petra, has booked all eight events of "MZ.Wissen," and gives an example: "Can you resist reaching for the box of chocolates in the evening?" He himself believes he can do that quite well. Sebastian and Doreen Simoch from Goseck (Burgenland district) work as a male nurse and a female nurse. "The topic appeals to us," he says. "Disciplining oneself is quite important, especially for advancing in our demanding professions." The visitors are not disappointed. Gassert relates to them in everyday situations: Sunday evening, when one sometimes thinks, "Help, tomorrow is Monday again!" The morning when getting out of bed is a struggle. The chocolate cake that one can't resist after a stressful day at work.

Clapping the Shower Wall

Because willpower is lacking, says Gassert. But, according to his theory, willpower can be trained "like a muscle." Then the bottle will also be filled with energy again. But how? A few tips: Don't complain! "It only costs energy." Drop the subjunctive: "Not 'I should...', but 'I must...' And then do it!" Celebrate even small successes, such as getting out of bed in the morning when it's usually difficult for you. "Clap the shower wall for that if you want. It releases dopamine, you'll feel better." Such vividly presented, humorously delivered 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 his legs apart, squat down, and hold that position for three minutes. A clock times it. The subject tries not to show any signs of strain, but you can see: It's tough. He endures, and there is a huge round of applause. "This exercise was introduced in Shaolin 2,500 years ago to train people in endurance," explains Gassert. He recommends doing the exercise at home in the living room: "You don't have to do it for three minutes. Do it for as long as you want, and then a little 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]