“It is no exaggeration to say that every human being is hypnotized to some extent, either by ideas he has uncritically accepted from others, or ideas he has repeated to himself or convinced himself are true.”
– Psycho-Cybernetics, Updated and Expanded – by Maxwell Maltz, M.D.
Here’s how quickly the above plays itself out in everyday life:
Student comes home from school. She fails a chemistry exam. This is the first time she has ever failed a test. She begins to tell herself that she “is not good at chemistry.” She repeats this to herself. She believes it. And it becomes true.
A ball player averages 70% in free throw shooting. The coaches, players and family of the player tell him that he “sucks at free throw shooting.” The player believes they are correct and he never improves.
Salesperson reports for duty. It’s his or her first day on the job. Every attempt to sell something falls short. Salesperson concludes he cannot sell, that he’s not cut out for it. From one day on the job.
Person wants to write a book. Begins to write until it gets tough. Procrastination sets it. Worry about whether anyone will buy what he’s written sets in. Self-doubt creeps to the forefront. Would-be writer concludes: “I’m not good at writing. No one would ever buy what I wrote.”
Reality: In every scenario shown above, people who had the same (or worse) experience, but told themselves something fundamentally different, something positive, something good, had very different outcomes.
While the failure concludes that he or she can’t – the successful person concludes that even though he failed, he can and will still win.
What do you tell yourself after you make a mistake?
What do you tell yourself after a failure or letdown?
Your answers will reveal your future.
And if you’ve been telling yourself the wrong things, sending the wrong messages to yourself, or believing the crap that other people have fed you about yourself – YES, you can turn it all around. It’s done everyday by people who BELIEVE.
See it. Believe it. Do it.
Matt Furey
Oh, by the way, have you listened to my – 7-hour best-seller, Theatre of the Mind, yet?
