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W H O L E B R A I N L I V I N G A U D I O B O O K S U P P L E M E N TA L M AT E R I A L

FOUR CHARACTERS

Left Brain Right Brain

CHARACTER 1 THINKING CHARACTER 4

CHARACTER 2 CHARACTER 3

EMOTIONAL

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TWO EMOTIONAL BRAINS

Left Brain Right Brain

Character 2 Character 3

ANTERIOR
CINGULATE

HIPPOCAMPUS
AMYGDALA

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WHOLE BRAIN COMMUNICATION

Left Brain Right Brain

CHARACTER 1 THINKING CHARACTER 4

CHARACTER 2 CHARACTER 3

EMOTIONAL

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How Your Four Characters Think and Feel

Here is a brief list of some of the attributes exhibited by the Left
Thinking Character 1 and Right Thinking Character 4 parts of our
brain. Notice that these two thinking characters are virtually oppo-
site in how they perceive and process information:

Left Thinking Character 1 Right Thinking Character 4

(Serial Processor) (Parallel Processor)
Verbal Nonverbal
Thinks in language Thinks in pictures
Thinks linearly Thinks experientially
Past/future based Present moment–based
Analytical Kinesthetic/body
Focuses on details Looks holistically at the big picture
Seeks differences Seeks similarities
Judgmental Compassionate
Punctual Lost in the flow of time
Individual Collective
Concise/precise Flexible/resilient
Fixed Open to possibilities
Focus on ME Focus on WE
Busy Available
Conscious Unconscious
Structure/order Fluid/flow

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Here is a brief list of some of the attributes exhibited by our Left

Emotional Character 2 and Right Emotional Character 3 parts of our
brain. Notice that these two emotional characters are also virtually
opposite in how they feel when they experience emotion:

Left Emotional Character 2 Right Emotional Character 3

Constricted Expansive
Rigid Open
Cautious Risk taking
Fear based Fearless
Stern Friendly
Loves conditionally Loves unconditionally
Doubts Trusts
Bullies Supports
Righteous Grateful
Manipulates Goes with the flow
Tried and true Creative/innovative
Independent Collective
Selfish Sharing
Critical Kind
Superior/inferior Equality
Right/wrong, good/bad Contextual

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Breathe and focus on your breath. This enables you to hit

the pause button, interrupt your emotional reactivity, and bring
your mind to the present moment with a focus on yourself.

Recognize which of the Four Characters’ circuitry you are

running in the present moment.

Appreciate whichever character you find yourself exhibit-

ing, and appreciate the fact that you have all Four Characters
available to you at any moment.

Inquire within and invite all Four Characters into the hud-
dle so they can collectively and consciously strategize your
next move.

Navigate your new reality, with all Four Characters bringing

their best game.

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Cheat Sheet: Get to Know Your Character 1

1. Do you recognize your Character 1? Pause for a moment and

imagine yourself doing Character 1 tasks whereby you are creat-
ing order. Picture yourself in your office, or planning an event, or
organizing things in your home.

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2. What does Character 1 feel like inside of your body? Do you feel
relaxed or excited when you are busy tending to details? Do you
stand differently, or does your voice change? Do you feel tension
in your chest, gut, or maybe in your jaw?

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3. What if you don’t recognize this part of yourself?

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4. Assuming you can identify your Left Thinking Character 1, how

much of the time do you let this character run your life, and
under what circumstances?

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5. As you think about your Left Thinking Character 1, can you come
up with an appropriate name for it?

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6. Who are some of the Character 1s in other people over the course
of your life who have influenced you, in positive or negative
ways? Was your Character 1 emboldened by their Character 1,
or repressed?

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7. Who in your life appreciates, cares for, identifies with, and wants to
hang out with your Character 1? What are those relationships like?

___________________________________________________________________

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8. Who in your life does not get along with your Character 1?

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9. What kind of parent, partner, or friend is your Character 1?

___________________________________________________________________

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10. How kind is the relationship inside your head between your
Character 1 and your other characters?

___________________________________________________________________

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Cheat Sheet: Get to Know Your Character 2

1. Do you recognize your Character 2? Pause for a moment and imag-

ine yourself engaging in Character 2 behaviors. Picture yourself
feeling resentment or jealousy, or whatever your core issues are. A
lot of different emotions are masked as anger. Do you have strate-
gies to calm this circuitry, or does your Character 2 tend to seep out
into your life in unloving ways?

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2. What does Character 2 feel like inside of your body? Do you feel
anger, anxiety, or panic very often? How do you hold your body
or change your voice when Character 2 comes online? What does
that upset feel like inside of your body?

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3. We have already noted that our Character 2 reflects the Jungian

archetype of the Shadow, which is by definition the most primi-
tive part of our brain. Our Character 2 is a part of our unconscious
brain that may be unknown or outright rejected by our conscious
Character 1. If you tend to keep your emotions under wraps, you
may not recognize your Character 2 at all.

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4. Assuming you can identify your left-brain emotional Character 2,

do you value this character, or does this part of your brain scare
you? How much of the time do you let this character run your
life, and under what circumstances?

___________________________________________________________________

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5. As you think about your Left Emotional Character 2, can you

assign it an appropriate name?

___________________________________________________________________

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6. Who are some of the Character 2s over the course of your life
who have influenced you, in positive or negative ways? Were you
emboldened by those encounters or repressed by them?

___________________________________________________________________

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7. Who in your life appreciates, cares for, identifies with, and wants to
hang out with your Character 2? What are those relationships like?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

8. Who in your life does not get along with your Character 2?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

9. What kind of parent, partner, or friend is your Character 2?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

10. Again, I don’t mean to jump too far ahead of myself, but it is
important to consider: What is the relationship like inside your
head between your Character 2 and your other characters? Does
your Character 2 respect and value your other characters, or does
it relish disagreeing with and antagonizing them?

___________________________________________________________________

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Cheat Sheet: Get to Know Your Character 3

1. Do you recognize your Character 3? Pause for a moment and

imagine yourself being in this present-moment character. Let your
left brain drift into the background as you bring your attention to
the right here, right now and explore the immediate sounds, tex-
tures, sights, and smells. How easy is it for you to make this shift?

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2. What does Character 3 feel like inside of your body? Do you feel
your heart expand? Do you stand more on your tippy-toes as
though you are lighter? Does your voice disappear because it’s not
about output but just about bringing it all in? What does your
Character 3 feel like when you are having an experience right
here, right now?

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3. But what if you don’t recognize your right-brain emotional Char-

acter 3?

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4. Assuming you can identify your right-brain emotional Character

3, do you like how this character expresses itself inside of you?
How much of the time do you let your Character 3 run your life,
and under what circumstances?

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___________________________________________________________________

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5. As you think about your Right Emotional Character 3, can you

assign it an appropriate name? In addition, now that you are
more familiar with your left-brain Characters 1 and 2, are you
satisfied with the names you assigned to them earlier?

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6. Who are some of the Character 3s who have influenced you over
the course of your life, in positive or negative ways? Was your
Character 3 emboldened by their Character 3 or repressed by it?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

7. Who in your life appreciates, cares for, identifies with, and wants to
hang out with your Character 3? What are those relationships like?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

8. Who in your life does not get along with your Character 3?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

9. What kind of parent, partner, or friend is your Character 3?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

10. Although we have not yet fully examined Character 4, it is

important to consider how kind the relationship between your
characters inside your head is. How does your Character 3 relate
to your other characters?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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Cheat Sheet: Get to Know Your Character 4

1. Do you recognize your Character 4? Pause for a moment and

imagine yourself being this part of yourself.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. What does Character 4 feel like inside of your body? How does this
character hold your body, and what does your voice sound like?

___________________________________________________________________

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3. What if you don’t recognize this character inside you?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. Assuming you can identify your right-brain thinking Character 4,

how do you let this character express itself? How much time do
you spend in your Character 4, and what is that like for you?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

5. As you think about your right-brain thinking Character 4, can you

assign it an appropriate name?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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6. Who are some of the Character 4s who have influenced you over
the course of your life, in positive or negative ways? Was your
Character 4 emboldened by their Character 4 or repressed by it?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

7. Who in your life appreciates, cares for, identifies with, and wants to
hang out with your Character 4? What are those relationships like?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

8. Who in your life does not get along with your Character 4?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

9. What kind of parent, partner, or friend is your Character 4?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

10. How kind is the relationship inside your head between your char-
acters? How does your Character 4 relate to your other characters?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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