Being "in the zone" - that perfect balance of focus and relaxation that allows us to perform at our best - is not just a vague feeling. It's a powerful, concrete state of mind that many creative types recognize instantly. That said, it can still be incredibly elusive. Accessing this sweet spot means shifting focus to the active present, and being unfettered by impediments like judgement, anxiety, and analysis. This is particularly burdensome to the Overthinker, for whom banishing unwanted thoughts is already Sisyphean. For the singer, the challenges of the craft mutate daily along with our changing bodies. How to make The Zone one's home base? Is imagining the volume of one's big toe the answer? Or is it terror-driven tunnel vision the only reliable approach to achieving optimum creativity? FIND OUT HERE!*-=- Show notes-=-YouTube: Carcassonne: TableTop, with Wil Wheatonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6VpW4Vljr8with Jesse Cox, Nika Harper, Kimail NanjianiBook: The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, by Neil Strausshttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/900.The_GameArticle: 10 Steps to Mastering the Art of NLP, by Joel Brown at Addicted2Successhttp://addicted2success.com/success-advice/10-steps-to-mastering-the-art-of-nlp-used-by-tony-robbins-derren-brown-paul-mckenna/Article: Change your Thinking with NLP, by Penny Tompkins and James Lawleyhttp://www.cleanlanguage.co.uk/nlpthink.htmlDon't think about Blue FrogsOpera NUOVA Training Program and Vocal Festivalhttp://www.operanuova.ca/opera-trainingBook: The Open-Focus Brain, by Les Fehmi & Jim Robbinshttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1066013.The_Open_Focus_BrainWebsite - Open Focushttp://openfocus.com/home/YouTube: Jerry Hadley - Lonely House - Street Scene, by Kurt Weillhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QJa1RrxlHgArticle: Want to Stop Anxious Thoughts? Thank Them, by Dina Overland | elephant journal:http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/07/want-to-stop-anxious-thoughts-thank-them/Image: Phteven the Doghttp://www.overthoughtpodcast.com/images/phteventhedog.pngArticle: Metaphor, Simile and Analogy: What’s the Difference?, by Brian Clark - Copybloggerhttp://www.copyblogger.com/metaphor-simile-and-analogy-what%E2%80%99s-the-difference/Theme Music: Slyvius Leopold Weiss's Preludio in E Major, played by Jeff Carter https://musopen.org/music/181/sylvius-leopold-weiss/ponce-preludio-in-e-major/The Jazz Evangelist: how Ella Fitzgerald's mistake made her a Grammy winner on CBC Music, by Tim Tamashirohttp://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2013/2/The-Jazz-Evangelist-how-Ella-Fitzgeralds-mistake-made-her-a-Grammy-winner