Where Seldom is Heard, A Discouraging Word...

 

The Beatles: 'Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr Epstein'

Here's a quick quiz for you: I'm going to list a few famous names and I want you to tell me what common theme unites them.

• Clint Eastwood
• Audrey Hepburn
• Marilyn Monroe
• Bob Dylan
• Vincent Van Gogh
• Walt Disney.

Did you get the uniting theme? Yes. Each of these now famous entities were informed, by someone who was qualified to know, that they didn't have the looks, attributes, qualities or talent to succeed. 

Some were told to 'get a real job' that they 'don't have the looks' 'The world isn't ready for your work' They were 'On the way out" or 'he's got no future in this business.'

So many talented critics, so many informed opinions, so many dismissive remarks. It's almost as if it is too easy to be a critic isn't it?

Perhaps that is where the problem so many of us face lies. That it is 'too easy' to be negative.

Think about this and ask yourself: "Have I criticised myself so often that now it's 'too easy'?"

I am not suprised if you have answered 'Yes". 

There is a neurological explanation for why we hard-wire certain traits (negative or positive) into our brains. Our brain is evolved (or designed - you pick) to take the path of least resistance. 

This means if you think negatively it will form the neuro-pathways to not only enable you to be negative, but to make it easier the next time you repeat the negative thought with all the negative emotions that accompany it. 

You can never totally eradicate that pathway. However, neuroscience now accepts that we are all gifted with 'neuroplasticity'. The brain has the ability to fix itself - if we are willing to help it. 

So the good news is: you can overlay the negative impulse with positive ones. You can literally form your neural pathways to redesign your thoughts into more positive outlook. 

But how?

• make a promise to yourself - and keep it daily for sixty days.

The positive thing can be something like:

• set up a morning routine
• do go to the gym
• instead of driving past, make that stop and meet that person
• start and keep doing that blog! (mine)

Because, if you think positively it will form the neuro-pathways to not only enable you to be positive, but to make it easier the next time you repeat the positive thought with all the positive emotions that accompany it. 

The accepted 'ballpark' wisdom is it takes approximately sixty days to rewire some aspect of your thinking patterns (which is why I design my coaching packages for 'sixty days'). By the small, incremental, compounding activity of keeping a small promise to yourself daily, you can literally train your brain to stop sabotaging itself.

Don't get me wrong - this is a marathon, not a sprint. However, the rewards are potentially phenomenal.

After all, who amongst us would want to go down in history as the guy who loudly proclaimed that Marilyn Monroe lacked the looks to succeed in Hollywood? 

Or the gal who spent her life telling herself she wasn't 'worth it'? 

Start today. If you want a kick-start, drop me a line: - lee@connect-ed.co.nz