Thought leads to belief, and belief leads to attitudes. Attitudes influence while beliefs inform actions, and ultimately actions become habits which shape character that then forges destiny. This is the growth path that is taken by that powerful entity known as Thought.
But what is a Thought, anyway? Are thoughts things? What constitutes a Thought? What cannot be considered a Thought?
For a thing that occurs about 50,000 times a day in an average person's brain, I have come to believe that there are actually 6 dimensions of thinking and at least 1 way of steering your thoughts so that a desirable destiny can be dictated by you.
This is probably a relief to those of you out there who are nearly going mad over the 26 (or was it 23?) dimensions of quantum physics. Perish that thought! Let us get on with the 6 dimensions of thought, shall we?
The 6 dimensions of thought are divided into 3 pairs of dimensions, and they are:-
1. The 2 Polarities of Thoughts:
- Positive
- Negative
2. The 2 Qualities of Thoughts:
- True
- False
3. The 2 Kinds of Thoughts:
- Questions
- Affirmations
I dub them 6 dimensions and not 6 qualities or 6 types because these are actually elements that construct a thought and some elements can intersect with others from another pair. For example, there can be a False Negative Question such as, 'Why am I such a miserable failure in everything I do?' and there can be a False Positive Affirmation such as, 'I am the wealthiest, most opulent person of all time' (if that person is a shabby, unemployed but fully able-bodied degenerate).
Polarities of thought reveal whether or not a thought would be positive or negative to a person's well-being, or more specifically, if it would be useful, functional and purposeful to a person in any given situation. For example, a surgeon who is performing a brain surgery would categorise (if he still has the capacity to do the mental act of categorisation while performing brain surgery) as Negative or Non-Useful a thought such as, 'I have shaky hands. My hands are shaking. My palms are sweating.' But he would probably welcome (if he is giving any attention to any thought outside his brain surgery procedure at all) thoughts such as, 'I have firm steady hands. I know where to perform the incision. I know what tools to use. I know what exact steps to do, and the back-up steps in case my previous steps fail.'
It is important to note here that the 6 dimensions of thought are qualitative gauges for thoughts after they have been generated. It is possible to know whether or not a present thought is positive or negative, true or false, a question or an affirmation, but it would usually take a measure of time and a measure of practice with the act of observing in order to determine the 6 dimensions of thoughts.
Qualities of thoughts refer to how the thought relates to objective, empirical reality. Despite recent philosophical movements to the contrary, I still believe we cannot reject the fact that objective, empirical reality still exists and is still an important factor to be taken into consideration when making decisions and living Life in general.
There are many ways we can determine whether or not a thought that we generate is true. Even then, there are varying degrees of the truth or falsehood of a thought, despite the Boolean nature of the matter.
There are facts, then there are opinion, and then there are perceptions. Facts are simply observations about phenomena or things that have been made permanent in the mind because of the frequency and consistency of an observation concerning a phenomena or thing (for example, ever since the Earth was still void of Life and until now, the fact remains that triangles have three sides and one plus one equals two).
Opinions too have varying degrees to them - there are deep-rooted beliefs and then there are flexible opinions that would change once an observation has been proven wrong. Opinions are simply a formulation that arises in the mind after observing a thing or phenomena for a number of times, yet there are variable factors and elements yet to be considered that do not qualify that observation to be a fact.
Then there are perceptions. Perceptions are impressions or observations about certain things and how they behave. For example, if you were to live in a time where the concept of gravity has not been explained or introduced yet, you would wonder how or why things stay rooted to the ground or why things fall, but you would not know that it was because of the force called gravity. You would assume that it is just the way things are.
Kinds of thoughts just describe what shape a thought takes - in the form of a Question or an Affirmation.
To give you an analogy, questions are like the keywords you enter into a search engine such as Google, while affirmations are the results that Google generates because of the keywords you had entered.
When you are asking a question, depending on your intention, you are actively seeking out an answer, a truth, a reality that you would either adopt or reject, that you would either hope for or dread. There is that element of surprise still, the element of possibility of things being better or worse (again depending upon your outlook - whether optimistic or pessimistic).
But if you are stating an affirmation, you make it seem as if what you had just said is already true or you strongly believe is true. Therefore, you will always get experiences that confirm or somehow 'prove' to you that what you had just affirmed is true. Objectively speaking, affirmations can be true or false. But to your inner mind, everything is accepted as truth, in one way or another.
For example, an affirmation such as, 'things fall to the ground because of gravity' is a truthful one and a useful one because it keeps you from thinking you can fly off tall buildings; whereas a false affirmation such as, 'there is no such thing as gravity' is an extremely dangerous and harmful one especially if a person intends to act upon such beliefs.
Ideally, there should be a healthy mix and balance of thoughts comprising the varying elements of the 6 dimensions.
In this case, I hold to the school of thought that Truth should, above all, outweigh the positive. I prefer Reality to Delusion. But then I also prefer Possibility to Grim Pessimism.
Strive always to seek out the truth behind what you think you know. Find the truth behind the truth. Once you have found it, find the truth behind the truth behind the truth. Until you are satisfied with a conclusion that is functional and useful for your working model of the world.
Let Truth and Positive Possibility both guide your beliefs, decisions and actions. Let not Positive Expectancy cloud your perception of what is true and real.
One habit that employs both Truth and Positive Possibility in a balanced and healthy mix, that is constructive and offers hope for improvement, is that of asking Positive, Objective, Constructive and True Questions.
When you have formulated a Question that is all at once positive, constructive, objective, truthful and does not deny reality in any way, you have a potent tool for transformation that no amount of affirmations-chanting can hope to do.
The habit of asking the right, most useful and truthful questions are what helped prisoners of war and sufferers of concentration camps survive their ordeals and live to tell their stories and be an inspiration to millions, not just positive expectancy or consistent optimism.
Asking the most perfect questions is not a thing that can be learned or acquired. It is already in-born, just that we were retrained and reprogrammed to be deficient and ineffective in wielding it (because we were often chastised for asking too many questions of our teachers). It is not a matter of suddenly deciding that we should start asking positive, effective questions from now on. It should come naturally, from a sincere desire to know the truth and reality of things as well as the most positive, most constructive and most possible way of changing things to our liking and shape the Life that we want. Did you enjoy this blog? If So please take our free mindset crash course at Passion Purpose Mindset Academy!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
5 Tips To Supercharge Your Motivation
Motivation is the driving force behind life-enhancing change. It comes from knowing exactly what you want to do and having an insatiable, burning desire to do what’s necessary to get it. It keeps your dream on track as it is the power of motivation that keeps you going when the going gets tough.
Here’s 5 top tips to help you supercharge your motivation:
1. Create a picture board and fill it with images of your desired goals. The car you want to own, the house you want to live in, the area where you want to live yes, they’re the obvious ones. Others could be pictures of holiday destinations, trophies, first-class travel tickets, clothes you want to buy, fine restaurants you want to frequent – whatever you can think of that gets your pulse racing.
2. GET ANGRY. If you want to change your life for the better then get angry about where you’re at now. Having a blasé attitude towards change isn't what’s needed and it won’t create a strong desire within you. So ask: “Why do I want to change?” Is it because you’re FED UP with debts? Does your job DRIVE YOU CRAZY? Is your life DULL AND PREDICTABLE? Are you SICK AND TIRED of doing the same thing week in week out? Are you BORED BEYOND BELIEF by the dull, uninspiring, unhappy people you associate with? THEN GET ANGRY ABOUT IT. And I mean REAL ANGRY. Write it all down, all of the frustrating, unrewarding, miserable lot of it that makes every day a dull slog until your final days. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?
3. Speaking of your final days, start to appreciate the value of time. Time is one of the most precious resources you have and it is also a NON RENEWABLE resource. You can either use it fully or squander it. If you want to create change you’re going to have to invest a lot of time to make it happen. Start to reduce the time you waste on irrelevancies: Television, newspapers, lie-ins, weekends spent shopping, partying, dining out, visiting an endless line of relatives and friends – these won’t help you get what you want and all of them will rob time from you. Valuable time that you can use much more effectively by investing it in YOU. Remember this: You have a finite amount of time here on Earth. You don’t know how much time you have – no one does. But it’s how you use the time you have that counts. So make your time count and that means starting from right NOW.
4. Conformity. Are you a mindless little sheep who’s way too timid to pursue your own way? Do you have to follow where everyone else goes, doing exactly what everyone else does and therefore, who gets the same levels of happiness as all the other little sheep? Seriously, does this describe YOU? Are you too frightened to be different than all of the other sheep because they wouldn't like it if you decided to follow a different path? So you dutifully trot along following all the other sheep because if they’re doing it then that’s how it is right? But if you do what everyone else does you’ll just get what everyone else gets. Do you want to be a mindless, timid little sheep who blindly follows all the other sheep? Or do you want to be a leader, a warrior who possesses the courage to be uniquely you and to do what you want to do and make your dreams happen? If so then this means you have to be more like a tiger than a sheep. Do you really want to be a sheep? I mean, haven’t we got enough sheep already?
5. Fear your fear. Fear is the force that is determined to stop you in your tracks and rob your dreams from you. But it can only do this if you let it. Are you going to let this cruel destructive charlatan trample on your dreams, steal your happiness and crush your spirit? Imagine this thought haunting your final days: “I didn't do the things I wanted because I was too frightened to live”. And by then, it’ll be far too late to conquer fear. Refuse to let fear spoil your life and start taking action – now!
The world is waiting for your unique gifts. Why keep it waiting any longer? Did you like this information? If so you will love Passion Purpose Mindset Academy!
Here’s 5 top tips to help you supercharge your motivation:
1. Create a picture board and fill it with images of your desired goals. The car you want to own, the house you want to live in, the area where you want to live yes, they’re the obvious ones. Others could be pictures of holiday destinations, trophies, first-class travel tickets, clothes you want to buy, fine restaurants you want to frequent – whatever you can think of that gets your pulse racing.
2. GET ANGRY. If you want to change your life for the better then get angry about where you’re at now. Having a blasé attitude towards change isn't what’s needed and it won’t create a strong desire within you. So ask: “Why do I want to change?” Is it because you’re FED UP with debts? Does your job DRIVE YOU CRAZY? Is your life DULL AND PREDICTABLE? Are you SICK AND TIRED of doing the same thing week in week out? Are you BORED BEYOND BELIEF by the dull, uninspiring, unhappy people you associate with? THEN GET ANGRY ABOUT IT. And I mean REAL ANGRY. Write it all down, all of the frustrating, unrewarding, miserable lot of it that makes every day a dull slog until your final days. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?
3. Speaking of your final days, start to appreciate the value of time. Time is one of the most precious resources you have and it is also a NON RENEWABLE resource. You can either use it fully or squander it. If you want to create change you’re going to have to invest a lot of time to make it happen. Start to reduce the time you waste on irrelevancies: Television, newspapers, lie-ins, weekends spent shopping, partying, dining out, visiting an endless line of relatives and friends – these won’t help you get what you want and all of them will rob time from you. Valuable time that you can use much more effectively by investing it in YOU. Remember this: You have a finite amount of time here on Earth. You don’t know how much time you have – no one does. But it’s how you use the time you have that counts. So make your time count and that means starting from right NOW.
4. Conformity. Are you a mindless little sheep who’s way too timid to pursue your own way? Do you have to follow where everyone else goes, doing exactly what everyone else does and therefore, who gets the same levels of happiness as all the other little sheep? Seriously, does this describe YOU? Are you too frightened to be different than all of the other sheep because they wouldn't like it if you decided to follow a different path? So you dutifully trot along following all the other sheep because if they’re doing it then that’s how it is right? But if you do what everyone else does you’ll just get what everyone else gets. Do you want to be a mindless, timid little sheep who blindly follows all the other sheep? Or do you want to be a leader, a warrior who possesses the courage to be uniquely you and to do what you want to do and make your dreams happen? If so then this means you have to be more like a tiger than a sheep. Do you really want to be a sheep? I mean, haven’t we got enough sheep already?
5. Fear your fear. Fear is the force that is determined to stop you in your tracks and rob your dreams from you. But it can only do this if you let it. Are you going to let this cruel destructive charlatan trample on your dreams, steal your happiness and crush your spirit? Imagine this thought haunting your final days: “I didn't do the things I wanted because I was too frightened to live”. And by then, it’ll be far too late to conquer fear. Refuse to let fear spoil your life and start taking action – now!
The world is waiting for your unique gifts. Why keep it waiting any longer? Did you like this information? If so you will love Passion Purpose Mindset Academy!
Thursday, April 23, 2015
A Leadership Secret: Appreciating The Difficult People
For decades, every summer, welcoming his scholarship players, Alabama coaching legend, Paul "Bear" Bryant, asked: "Have you called your folks to thank them? No one ever got to this level of excellence in football without the help of others."
Bryant didn't just appreciate the importance of other people in the development of a young athlete; he wanted the athletes to appreciate it too. Such appreciation is also a lesson in leadership. Nobody becomes a successful leader unless others want you to be; you need help; and part of your growth as a leader is to recognize and show appreciation for that help.
But you'll give your leadership and ultimately your career a real boost by extending your appreciation not just to the people you like and who are on your side but also to the people you may dislike: the difficult people in your life, those people who for right or wrong reasons cause you grief.
One of the most effective ways of dealing with them is to appreciate them. I mean truly appreciate them. When you do, you may find that you are dealing with them in surprisingly productive ways.
The word "appreciation" comes from a Latin root meaning "to apprehend the value." In other words, your appreciation of difficult people must be centered on your genuine understanding of the value they offer you and your organization.
You are not just understanding their point of view. You are actually appreciating it; and you are using that appreciation as a tool to get more results, more results than if the difficult people had not entered your life. Otherwise, your appreciation, at least as far as leadership is concerned, is a waste of time.
Here's a four step process to make appreciation a results-generator.
(1) Team up. To get appreciation rolling, know that you must be a team, you and the difficult person, in the development of it. Mind you, you're not trying to get the difficult person to appreciate you. You have little control over the other's appreciation. You do, however, have control over yours. So, focus on cultivating yours. That cultivation happens only in a relationship -- a team relationship with the other person, not necessarily a personal relationship. In a team-relationship, you don't have to like the other person. You simply have to work with them -- actively and wholeheartedly, irrespective of personal feelings. And the goal of your team is to forge out of the difficulties you're having with one another a leadership process that achieves results.
(2) Identify. When you're dealing with a difficult person, you're often entangled in strong emotions. The first thing to do is, with the person's help in a face-to-face meeting, get at the precise causes of the difficulties. Try to remove yourself from your emotional entanglements. "Break down" what's happening the way football coaches break down the plays of opposing teams studying game films. This breaking down is a collaborative process, and it should go like this: First, have the person describe the exact moments when you were having trouble with each other. It's important to keep focused simply on the physical facts of those moments. What were the specific actions and words that triggered the emotions? When the person gives h/her side of the story then and only then can you give yours. Only when both of you are clear as to those moments and agree on what took place can you start to talk with each other about your feelings connected to those moments of physical action.
For instance, that person may contend you are not listening to what h/she says to you. Have the person describe the exact moment when you were not listening. Where were you? What was being said? Precisely, what gave that person that impression?
(3) Agree. You and the person must agree on what is important in regard to the difficulties you are having. A gap between what you think is important and what the other person thinks must be closed. The test in closing it is results. Does the difficulty you are having with the person go right to the heart of the results you need to achieve?
The person says you don't listen. Do you agree? Is that person's perception important? Until you can come to agreement as to whether you were or were not listening and the importance of that, you'll continue to have difficulties. Which means you won't be able to go to the next, and most important, step.
(4)Transform. Transform the specific into a results process, a process that will get you increases in results. Without such a process, the previous steps are useless. For instance, let's say you both come to an agreement that you need to be more attentive when the person is speaking. Then, you might develop a "listening process." Such a process may involve applying "continuers." This is a process taught in medical schools to help overbearing doctors be more empathetic with their patients. When interacting with patients, the doctors are taught to say, "uh huh" three times when the other person is talking before saying a word.
Of course, "continuers" are one of many listening processes you can draw on. And clearly, "not listening" is one of many problems one might have with the people you lead. Whatever process you come upon in whatever difficulty you are having with people, that process must achieve specific increases in results -- more results than if you had not used the process.
As for the "not listening" example: You may pick out one actionable item from what was being said that can lead to results increases. I worked with a leader who did this. Several people he led accused him of ignoring them, and consequently those people were bucking his leadership. They all sat down around a conference table and went through this four-step process. They developed a process to actively and systematically listen to one another and come to agreement on what was spoken and what was heard. Then they selected actionable particulars that came out of their communication. They made sure they followed through on implementing those particulars to achieve increases in hard, measured results.
Like the poor, the people who cause us difficulties will always be with us. No matter how experienced and successful you are as a leader, difficult people will always be lined up outside your door, wanting into your life. Moreover, there are probably a lot of them inside the door too, trying to cut you down to size, thwart your plans, besmirch your reputation.
Instead of clashing with them or avoiding them, try appreciating them. When you use this process, you may find that they're not liabilities but assets.
2006 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Bryant didn't just appreciate the importance of other people in the development of a young athlete; he wanted the athletes to appreciate it too. Such appreciation is also a lesson in leadership. Nobody becomes a successful leader unless others want you to be; you need help; and part of your growth as a leader is to recognize and show appreciation for that help.
But you'll give your leadership and ultimately your career a real boost by extending your appreciation not just to the people you like and who are on your side but also to the people you may dislike: the difficult people in your life, those people who for right or wrong reasons cause you grief.
One of the most effective ways of dealing with them is to appreciate them. I mean truly appreciate them. When you do, you may find that you are dealing with them in surprisingly productive ways.
The word "appreciation" comes from a Latin root meaning "to apprehend the value." In other words, your appreciation of difficult people must be centered on your genuine understanding of the value they offer you and your organization.
You are not just understanding their point of view. You are actually appreciating it; and you are using that appreciation as a tool to get more results, more results than if the difficult people had not entered your life. Otherwise, your appreciation, at least as far as leadership is concerned, is a waste of time.
Here's a four step process to make appreciation a results-generator.
(1) Team up. To get appreciation rolling, know that you must be a team, you and the difficult person, in the development of it. Mind you, you're not trying to get the difficult person to appreciate you. You have little control over the other's appreciation. You do, however, have control over yours. So, focus on cultivating yours. That cultivation happens only in a relationship -- a team relationship with the other person, not necessarily a personal relationship. In a team-relationship, you don't have to like the other person. You simply have to work with them -- actively and wholeheartedly, irrespective of personal feelings. And the goal of your team is to forge out of the difficulties you're having with one another a leadership process that achieves results.
(2) Identify. When you're dealing with a difficult person, you're often entangled in strong emotions. The first thing to do is, with the person's help in a face-to-face meeting, get at the precise causes of the difficulties. Try to remove yourself from your emotional entanglements. "Break down" what's happening the way football coaches break down the plays of opposing teams studying game films. This breaking down is a collaborative process, and it should go like this: First, have the person describe the exact moments when you were having trouble with each other. It's important to keep focused simply on the physical facts of those moments. What were the specific actions and words that triggered the emotions? When the person gives h/her side of the story then and only then can you give yours. Only when both of you are clear as to those moments and agree on what took place can you start to talk with each other about your feelings connected to those moments of physical action.
For instance, that person may contend you are not listening to what h/she says to you. Have the person describe the exact moment when you were not listening. Where were you? What was being said? Precisely, what gave that person that impression?
(3) Agree. You and the person must agree on what is important in regard to the difficulties you are having. A gap between what you think is important and what the other person thinks must be closed. The test in closing it is results. Does the difficulty you are having with the person go right to the heart of the results you need to achieve?
The person says you don't listen. Do you agree? Is that person's perception important? Until you can come to agreement as to whether you were or were not listening and the importance of that, you'll continue to have difficulties. Which means you won't be able to go to the next, and most important, step.
(4)Transform. Transform the specific into a results process, a process that will get you increases in results. Without such a process, the previous steps are useless. For instance, let's say you both come to an agreement that you need to be more attentive when the person is speaking. Then, you might develop a "listening process." Such a process may involve applying "continuers." This is a process taught in medical schools to help overbearing doctors be more empathetic with their patients. When interacting with patients, the doctors are taught to say, "uh huh" three times when the other person is talking before saying a word.
Of course, "continuers" are one of many listening processes you can draw on. And clearly, "not listening" is one of many problems one might have with the people you lead. Whatever process you come upon in whatever difficulty you are having with people, that process must achieve specific increases in results -- more results than if you had not used the process.
As for the "not listening" example: You may pick out one actionable item from what was being said that can lead to results increases. I worked with a leader who did this. Several people he led accused him of ignoring them, and consequently those people were bucking his leadership. They all sat down around a conference table and went through this four-step process. They developed a process to actively and systematically listen to one another and come to agreement on what was spoken and what was heard. Then they selected actionable particulars that came out of their communication. They made sure they followed through on implementing those particulars to achieve increases in hard, measured results.
Like the poor, the people who cause us difficulties will always be with us. No matter how experienced and successful you are as a leader, difficult people will always be lined up outside your door, wanting into your life. Moreover, there are probably a lot of them inside the door too, trying to cut you down to size, thwart your plans, besmirch your reputation.
Instead of clashing with them or avoiding them, try appreciating them. When you use this process, you may find that they're not liabilities but assets.
2006 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Monday, April 20, 2015
Know Your Numbers For Your Business Or You Will Be Out Of Business!
Know Your Numbers For Your Business Or You Will Be Out Of Business!
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
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