Your mindset is a powerful thing. It has the ability to control you, persuade you and even hold you back from doing or achieving things in your life.
It can even make you feel unhappy, when circumstances seem to prove that you should be happy. Which can be confusing. -- (I'm speaking from personal experience, of course.)
In my series on happiness, or finding your life balance as an entrepreneur, I mentioned mindset. We talked about how changing your mindset can have a huge positive impact on how things go in your life, and in your online business.
But it's really not that simple at all...
Mindset Foo-Foo
I struggled with this whole mindset thing for many years. You know, the whole "think it and it will happen" thing. Or if you want to be happy, just choose to be happy. Or just thinking about losing weight will make you thinner. Blah Blah Blah.
I disagree with a lot of it. I don't care what "science" says.
You and I both know it's harder than that.
If it was as easy peasy as "thinking it" (or changing your thinking) everyone would be happy, successful, skinny, content, healthy etc. And they're not. We're not.
I used to have a saying about thoughts & feelings that went like this: "It is what it is and it ain't what it ain't. You can't change how you feel." That was usually in reference to relationships, but worked in a lot of areas in my life.
You can't make yourself have feelings for someone, no matter how great they are. And you can't make yourself *not* love someone, no matter how horrible they are.
You feel how you feel.
You can't make yourself like broccoli if you don't. You can make yourself eat it, but you can't make yourself like it. If you eat broccoli for 100 days straight... you won't become more fond of it, you'll just be more sick of it. Trust me.
(Plus you'll have major gas for like 3 months)
The thing is, feelings can be seriously fickle! And as flaky as they can be, it's interesting just how much control they have over us.
Sometimes things (thoughts, feelings, circumstances) just change on their own over time. Most of the time they don't. So don't sit around waiting and hoping. The truth is, how you think or feel about something right now is pretty darn hard to change.
For some people, it seems (or feels) downright impossible.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a mindset is a set of assumptions, methods or notations held by one or more people or groups of people which is so established that it creates a powerful incentive within these people or groups to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviors, choices, or tools. source
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Your Mindset
Okay, so I just blew the fun part for you. 😛
But it's true that it's simply not that easy. Fortunately it can be done. You can change your mindset - and the way you think or feel about any given thing.
I've figured out a trick to shift things in the right direction.
The first step to changing your mindset - that powerful pull in your head that forces you to choose even things you know are wrong or negative or bad for you - is to know what your mindset is exactly.
You have a certain mindset about all sorts of things. Your health, your business, your future, success, failure, food, parenting, whatever.
You can try all sorts of tricks to change that mindset. You can hire a coach. You can listen to hypnotic audios. You can think something new till you're blue in the brain. But you believe what you believe, you think what you think, and you feel what you feel. And you're stuck there...
Getting Un-Stuck
First of all, let me backtrack and say that thinking positive things is good. Looking at helpful options (like coaching, products, alternative methods) is good.
They're all good, because they are a sign that you're interested in making change.
But hey, everyone wants change. Right?
So what makes the difference between the people that can pull it off, and the people that are stuck where they are no matter how bad they want to change?
Just wanting is not enough. Wanting + listening to a speaker or coach or DVD is not enough. Wanting + thinking about it is not enough.
You have to DO something.
Its an exchange.
And therein lies the key. The key to changing your mindset, and making lasting positive change in your life. YOU have to take some specific, deliberate action to put things in motion - toward a result that you know, can picture & desire deeply.
You have to commit. And commitment can't be in your mind alone - you have to commit with a definitive action.
Once you take that action, something almost magical happens. Just taking that action starts the shift, and starts to change your mindset. You will feel different. You will see things differently. You will think totally different about something when you're on the other side of the action you took.
Taking Personal Responsibility
It would be nice if it were just a matter of time, or even just a matter of money. If you could pay someone to change your mindset. Or if you could buy a magic pill (or a DVD, or a Seminar pass) that would do it for you.
There are all kinds of people and products that make these claims, by the way. Preying on the fact that you're stuck, you know you're stuck, and you can't figure out how to get un-stuck on your own.
Some of those things can be great tools to assist you in changing your mindset, and making long-term positive change in your life and in your business. But none of them are going to do it for you, or do it without you. No matter how much you pay.
So the big question is: how do you put the wheel in motion?
Well, I can tell you one thing - it's not by buying the latest product. And I'm guessing you've already figured that out. If you're this far in the game, you probably already have everything you need to start moving in the right direction. The only thing missing now is you... moving.
Let's use weight loss as an example. You can buy DVD's. You can sign up for weight loss programs. You can sign up for a gym membership. You can buy exercise equipment from infomercials. But none of those things will take the pounds off.
(Shocking I know, because the sales copy makes you feel like all YOU have to do is lay down a credit card number -lol)
You have to commit to an action. You have to force (uncomfortable) change. You often have to sacrifice something, even. Not your firstborn child, mind you - but maybe your hour of morning television, or your favorite peanut butter cookies.
Most of us will try to shift the responsibility onto someone else. We purchase their product. We buy into their plan. We take their advice. But without a commitment of action behind it, we'll fail. And we blame "someone else" every time.
I can tell you with certainty that the latin dance workout videos did not work for me. Of course, I've never actually done an entire segment all the way through. I did buy the DVD set, I did play it on two different occasions, but I never made a personal commitment to them on my end. Their fault or mine?
(we both know the answer - lol)
Bottom line: don't look to others for the answer. Or to be told what to do next, or which action you should take to get things moving in the right direction. The only reason we ever do that is so we're not responsible for the outcome. So we have someone to blame when WE fail to follow through on our end.
Going Against The Grain
You feel how you feel, think what you think, believe what you believe. Right or wrong. Moving toward your goals may go against some of that. And that's okay. It doesn't make it easy (at all!) but it's okay.
Challenge your current mindset. Take thoughts like this:
- I could never do x
- I want to make a million dollars
- I don't think I'm cut out for this
- I'm not as strong as him/her
- I want to earn $20,000/month
...(or insert your own common thoughts) - and ask yourself WHY.
For the next few days, keep a notepad close and make note of common thoughts or mindset issues that you recognize. And question them. Also take some time to sit down and write out something you want to change in your life (or in your business).
What action can you take against a negative mindset, or toward a specific goal? And if that action is painful (something you dread), ask yourself this:
Is it worth it to achieve the end result?
You can listen to all the foo-foo mindset talk you want (blah blah blah yada yada yada in my book), and you can sit and chant too if you like, but in the end you have to GIVE to get. You have to make the first play for the game to ever start.
And if you commit, and stick to your action, you WILL win.
Like I said, your mindset - and thoughts, feelings, perceptions - will change on the other side of that action you take. Once you jump in with both feet (full commitment, with action to back it up), you'll put something in motion that makes continuing in the right direction much easier than it ever seemed when you were just sitting around thinking about it.
Your move.
*cheers*
About Lynn Terry
Good job Lynn. This is a good read. Something cool I picked up on years ago is this...You are where you are because you CHOSE to be there.
For example: I CHOSE to sleep in on a Tuesday. As a result...my day started in a rush and I was unable to spend time in the morning reading or getting ready for my day, which in turn caused a series of events that lead to more poor choices, one after the other. All of which could have been avoided had I simply woke up earlier, read the motivational book I had that week, exercise before my work and eat healthy breakfast.
Simply put, I CHOOSE to have a positive up beat attitude. So my subconscious mind says "your wish is my command"
Thank you for your upbeat messages Lynn. All the best to you and yours.
Peace,
Shane
Hi Shane,
That's an interesting bit. I was told that years ago - probably 8 years ago - and it really ticked me off. I certain was not where I wanted to be, and I was sure I had not chosen to be where I was at that point in my life.
The more I thought about it, the more mad I would get. I didn't choose for certain people to do the things they did. I didn't choose to get hit by a tornado. I didn't choose for my son to be so sick. I certainly didn't choose to get divorced so unexpectedly and lose everything that defined my life.
After some time, I finally realized that I also did not choose anything deliberately. I was simply taking life as it hit me. I was reacting instead of acting.
It was a major turning point for me.
From that point forward I started making deliberate choices, and pushing through whatever "happened" along the way.
I could not agree more with you. I think another marketer said the same thing: list your negative thoughts on a notepad and ask yourself the question WHY for each of them. Obviously I found that there was no answer to any of my WHYs, which in turn meant that my negative thoughts were just figments of my imagination. 😉
Thanks for reinforcing that thought. 🙂
It usually boils down to perception. And our perception comes from all sorts of input we've had along the way - bits of this and that. Some of it relevant, most of it not.
Being objective is perhaps one of the most important things we can do as we walk through life. Realizing that nobody sees anything exactly the same as anyone else. That everyone has their own "bits" and a unique perception on any given thing.
I agree with the points you made on changing mindset. I think education and positive thinking have a lot to play in changing mindset.
And to get where you want, you have to work it out.If the mindset is negative towards your ambition, you have to drop it and pick the what can lead you to achieve your goals.
Hmm. I think that negative feelings (and mindset) can sometimes be very powerful fuel toward reaching certain goals. I know for many years it drove me to succeed against all odds. To prove to "them" that I could. I ultimately got to a point where I could care less what "they" thought. But I wonder that I ever would have pushed so hard without that... anger. Food for thought.
You're always cutting right to the heart of the matter and that's why you help so many people(to help themselves-not on you-LOL!)
Even though just thinking positively isn't enough, I do believe that real change can be affected by *consistently* believing you can make change. Of course, taking action is the only final step to success but I think most people dismiss believing they can be successful too easily.
I think you just have to step out there and "do it" whether you think positive or negative. Whether you believe you'll succeed or not. What do you have to lose, right?
That was me at 23 years old when I quit my last job to start my first business. I said: "what's the worst that can happen?? - I go find another job!"
It's only *after* you step out, no matter what your mindset when you do, that the momentum picks up and positive thinking comes easy.
Hi Lynn.
This is so true. Your weight loss example was right on. For years I was 30-40 pounds overweight, but I didn't want to really see it. If I did try a diet it was just to support a friend or spouse who was trying to lose. Finally, I realized I needed to lose weight for me, but just thinking that didn't work.
After various "tries" with different weight loss methods, I finally "got it." I realized that I not only needed to want to lose weight for me, but I had to work for it. I found a weight loss program and followed it! I also started off slowly, but began working exercise into my routine. It wasn't easy, but once I made one small change and took action - starting taking short walks at lunch instead of taking a nap in my car - I knew I was headed in the right direction.
Once I took action, it took me less than a year to lose 40 pounds. By that time, I already had the actions (eating right and exercising regularly) as part of my life and my mindset had changed. I wasn't just dieting, I was living a healthy lifestyle. I was able to keep those 40 pounds off (give or take 5 pounds) for three years. I recently slipped up and gained back ten of those pounds, but instead of just letting things go, I faced the issue and have started to refocus my efforts. In four weeks, I have lost five of those added ten pounds. Thanks to my previous change in mindset, getting back on track wasn't as difficult.
Thanks for the article and the reminder that this principle can be applied to all aspects of our lives. Good luck!
What a great story. Congratulations!
Weight loss is such a great example, with so many similarities to "Internet Marketing". From hype to pitches to the perception of the market.
I put on 20 pounds in the last couple of years, and it's amazing the lies we can tell ourselves about that. "I deserve this big rich yummy dessert" is a good example. Do I really deserve to feel bloated and physically ill after I eat that entire thing?? What kind of reward is that -lol.
I deserve to FEEL GOOD. The truth is that I feel amazing after a two mile walk. I feel miserable after a 2-plate dinner. Why in the world do we let ourselves talk us into such choices? The mind is a powerful thing...
Today is Day 9 for me without sugar, and with much healthier eating. I feel fabulous, and confident that I can make long-term change. But I didn't feel that way before I woke up a week ago Monday and started this journey - I was dreading it.
Positive mindset comes *after* you take action (do your part)...
Awesome, this is awesome. Like - the first step is HORRIBLE. Do it anyway. Just do it. You only 'think' it's horrible. Just push through that first step, that first action. Then you're in motion. Awesome.
I agree - we only "think" it's horrible, or that we can't do it, or that what we want is impossible. We'll lie to ourselves forever if we let us.
...if we let us.
Haha! I love that, Lynn! Comedically - and motivationally! 😉
BINGO!!! It all begins in the mind but doesn't end there. There are subsequent things that must occur for results to manifest such as good decisions and right actions. A proper mindset does help a lot with the course and helps attract resources and people that assist in getting us to our destination sooner.
Thanks you Lynn. Very nice!!
Hi Lynn for obvious ressons I liked that.
Ian
One thing I've noticed over time is that I can change my mindset simply by hanging around people who have already succeeded at what I'm hoping to achieve.
For example, I'm somewhat new at internet marketing, having spent about three years at it. Each year, I go to a gathering of folks, many of who are internet marketers.
When I thought I'd never see $5/day, someone there told me they had the same thoughts a year ago. Sure enough, a few months later, I was at $5/day. Then, $10. Then, $20, etc.
By hanging with folks who have done what you hope to do, you go from "hoping" to "believing". And belief makes things happen.
This year, I'm determined to get to NAMS in August. That's a group I hope to start believing in!
Thanks for all you do, Lynn.
Bob
I love this post! <3 It's definitely not easy to change your thinking when something is engrained in your mind and you're trying to make big changes in your life. It can be an ongoing lifelong process that takes years to accomplish. It's the trying and the journey that matter the most.
Hi Lynn
You’re right about ‘change’ we certainly have to take action to make a difference for ourselves. And it can take a long time to bring that change about, similar to when being coached where the process asks pertinent questions that encourage you to dig in and agree action-steps within a certain time-frame, it’s a slow process but it makes a person accountable and that’s fine if that's all they need.
However, there are other tools out there, not so whacky as I first thought all those years ago before I got involved as a health practitioner. Current yes that word ‘scientific’ thinking ☺ is proving that the world is not square, yet again, and within the next 10-15 yrs 'I believe' that such tools will be as much the ‘norm’ for both personal development as well as health and wellness issues, such as chronic pain, serious disease, even that taboo subject mental health.
But lets take NLP for example, which has been fully embraced within the corporate world as a training tool. In the right hands this allows quick change but is massively under-utilized because business trainers don’t necessarily have enough opportunity to explore its potential and it can be clumsy in delivery if there isn’t a fuller understanding of what lies behind it.
But what is NLP anyway, it simply harnesses the amazing imagination we’re all born with which in itself is a hugely untapped resource that we regularly ignore and in some cases suppress.
NLP shows our behaviours are laid down in the neural pathways (part of the nervous system) and pattern our habits. Yet they are EASY to 'alter' especially when we allow some additional tools to move the job along … and why would we want to make it such hard work, it’s mostly because we’ve been taught things like:
‘You don’t get anything worthwhile without having to work for it’
‘Life is hard’ etc you know how this goes!
But anyone reading here is involved to a greater or lesser degree in the online world and already knows that although there are no magic solutions to earning $500/day by installing this ‘quick-fix’ system or pressing a button, what we have learned over recent years is that we don’t have to work at things as hard as we did in the past … this is the new-age after all… and the same philosophy applies to making change.
So maybe its time to start harnessing some of the easy-to-apply tools that will make the job of change that much quicker once we have decided we want it and are prepared to have a few stumbles where we may even hold two opposing views (in the subconscious) that need to be worked through.
And think about this! During the 1900’s we had a century that saw incredibly great and fast change with amazing developments in space travel, technology, medicine and science. So why would we even begin to believe that the world we live in is of itself the finished article. Perhaps its only just begun!
Who knows where we're headed, I certainly don’t, but I'm loving the adventure for sure! And being open to changing your mindset is a really great starting point.
Oh and thanks for the topic Lynn as its definitely one of my favourite ... 🙂
Thanks Lynn,
Great post. I am facing a difficult decision this week and your post reminds me that taking action - any action - is a huge mindset modifier.
I appreciate it,
Russ
good title, you receive what you think of. I always attract negative in my life by having the wrong mindset
Hi Lynn, I read the changing your mindset and I must say I'm one of them. I have that attitude that "Never give up until you succeed"
I had experiences where I just don't know why I'm failing but somehow I just tried to understand that failure and I just move on and learn from it.
I truly believe that anyone can make a million dollars if they really put their mind, body and soul into it.
The only thing you have to find is your true self and that great hunger that's living inside of you.
Once you have that "determination" it makes everything easy and you can accomplish anything.
I know many people who are deeply affected by their negative mindset, sometimes it appears to be a confidence thing and even things like applying for jobs are out of bounds for them. A positive approach to things can make such a difference in your life.
Good article!
Mark
Your thesis that you have to take action to change your mindset is being validated in the recent advances made in neuroplasticity. One area that I find interesting is whether or not you have to take physical action or can you just take mental action? Although from a practical point of view I think taking physical action - whether it be in areas of health, education, or internet marketing- is a cornerstone of achieving any goal, there is now fairly strong evidence that repetitive visualization of a SPECIFIC task recruits very similar neurons that actual physical practice does ( the classic example is piano playing: you can actually increase active motor neurons for your fingers by just thinking about particular keystrokes). Whether or not you can repetitively think good thoughts and improve your GENERAL well being I find more doubtful unless these thoughts are coupled with physical action, but it is an area of active research.
Great Post!
Matthew what you describe with the piano is exactly what happens with the top sportspeople, where they are encouraged to visualize IT. By visualizing an outcome, re-trains the brain for when lets say a professional footballer (soccer) is under immense pressure to take a free-kick of a penalty and they do it with ease, think David Beckham. This is part of their coaching now at world-class level and it re-programs the neural-pathways that you alluded to.
And if they can do it ... what's stopping the rest of us?
Jane 🙂
No matter how you look at it, having a good mindset is one of the basic foundations of building a business. If you don't have one, it will be very difficult for you to overcome the obstacles that you face.
Thanks for sharing a lot of great tips. 😀
Good article.. its motivated me.... 🙂
You always hit the nail on the head, Lynn. What a clear explanation on why so many people get stuck, and can’t figure out how to get unstuck. So many of us suffer from the “shiny new object syndrome”. In the end we’re looking for simple solutions, and for a way to avoid stepping outside our comfort zone. You’re so right – it’s all about choices. We can choose to stay comfortable – or we can choose to take a new direction.
The most useful piece of advice I ever got was that my mood was under my control. I can't control other people's actions, but I can control how I react to them. That made a huge change to my life. But changing you mood isn't so easy. When I get really stuck, I smile. It's simple and anyone can do it, but there's something about it - when you smile, and I mean physically, turn that frown upside down, something happens. It wont make you feel instantly great, or cure the world of all known diseases, but you will be able to look at things in a more positive way, and from there, changing your mood isn't so hard.
I would say that two things happened before you took action: you made the decision to change AND you believed it was possible. The change in action followed the change in mindset 🙂 It's not as easy as ONLY changing your thinking; you have to reinforce the change in thinking with a change in action but I don't think the action CREATES the change in mindset.
I know you don't like Law of Attraction stuff 🙂 but LOA doesn't say you can change your life just by thinking something different, it says you can change your life by thinking something different CONSISTENTLY. And you can't change your beliefs/thoughts consistently without changing the actions that accompany them 🙂
Hi Isobel,
I am actually a HUGE fan of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. And have been for years. I like his thinking about getting totally obsessed with a goal (my wording, not his) to the point that it becomes a driving force. This is one of the main reasons I recommend selecting a niche in the manner I do.
In my particular experience, which is limited for many reasons, I did not always have faith or believe it was possible upfront. Starting my first business for example. Changing my eating habits recently too. Often I have to step out, accepting that I don't know the outcome for sure, and be willing to have failures or learn lessons.
It's only when I step out and find solid footing and start seeing results that faith and confidence "manifest". It's the taking action that brings on a positive mindset about any given thing I'm doing (or trying) - in my personal (again, limited) experience of course.
Hi Lynn,
Being around positive people certainly helps. Sometimes, you have distance yourself from friends, co-workers and even family members who pull you down or really do not want you to succeed.
Still, it all comes down to yourself. I read a news article about six months ago stating that over 95% of of self talk is negative. The author encouraged "positive self talk" to motivate yourself and to change your mindset.
Greg
Well, its been relationships or bad omens going at work. At one moment everything just seems slipping out of hand and we start getting disappointed and our decisions start going haywire. But one definite key of survival is keeping your mind open and positive. It does sound easy, but is as hard to implement, but believe me once you master this art, there is nothing in this world that can stop you.
Thanks for such a great motivational post!
I've been struggling lately with changing my "mindset" in order to walk on the path of my own happiness and success. It is hard to go further than the thinking and hoping stages, but I kept focusing on the end result I profoundly desire and today am happy to say I took the first step in the realization of my goal(s) : TRULY believe I can create what I want for myself!
I am now in the "taking actions" stage as there is no more time for hoping & wishing. Life is too short...
My actions brings confidence in myself and I know, without a doubt, that I will get "there"...no matter what! 🙂
All the very best Lynn,
Janice
Very useful and informative.. no doubt about it. It's always a good idea to have a strong mindset to keep you going. Don't even start the day without reviewing your goals.. Thanks
Loved this article!! I agree that we can change our mindset but we have to WANT to and then have a plan most definitely. I have made many changes in my life in a positive direction and it would not have happened a few years ago!
If you want to be successful, you have to believe it is possible and never accept failure as an option. I think your article should be read many times to really absorb all the key points!!
You are absolutely right. As far as i know changing your mindset and the way you look at things is the only factor which will change your entire life. These days people concentrate on other aspects rather then changing their mindset and that's why most of them fail at being successful.
I know that it is not easy for people to change instantly their negative thinking because it depends on many factors, but with the right education and practice, we could look at things from a positive perspective. Great educational article, thanks
Great article, Lynn. I've worked with more than one client who want a system, nothing wrong with that. But then they want the system to "do everything" for them without their digging in to implement the system. It boils down to finding the energy to take the action - even just one SMALL action - and change comes from that point onward.
Great article. I love it.
Hi Lynn, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on mindset and I am always amazed at how real everything you say is. Mindset has been one of the hardest things for me over the last couple of years and it really can make you feel very unhappy when you know you shouldn't feel that way.
Sometimes it's easy to feel sorry for ourselves for what we have lost or what we never had when instead we should look inside ourselves to appreciate the loved ones and friends we do have in our lives. The ability that we do have to change things.
My mindset is something I have been trying to change for sometime now and your thoughts couldn't have come at a better time. This has given me some new thoughts on where I go from today and I believe that it will start when I get my mindset right.Thanks for helping me do that.
Sometimes when we look at things other people have or have accomplished in their lives it's easy to assume that it came to them easy, which in most causes may be far from the truth.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to know you and know your story. Thanks for not only being someone to learn from but for being a good friend.You are inspiration to the people around you and I just wanted to say thank you for giving so freely of yourself,your thoughts and information you give to so many people.
WOW! How timely is this! It doesn't matter what age you are or what you've been through in life, if you fall into helplessness and panic, things will just get worse. This is where I am now! I have learned that ADHD has been running my life from early childhood, and I have paid a dear price for this undiagnosed condition!!! Now my friend & colleague, MaryJo Wagner, Ph.D has provided me hope with her new course, http:overwhelmedtoaction.com. Check it out if you have this issue. Speaking for myself, I'm in my 60's and am confronting my demons. This is not a sales pitch...don't wait till you're my age to get help!
"So the big question is: how do you put the wheel in motion?"
Yes this is the vital question!
Real change can only come from within us, I totally agree. But sometimes when lives' scenarios are too difficult, it's fine with me to get some tools that help. Just pushing hard through life can be awfully exhausting. Or at least this is my experience.
I am not into buying new age books, etc, but a few years ago I bought an ebook called Cybernetic Transposition by Stuart Lichtman and I still work with it when I need it. Do you know it? It goes way beyond the law of attraction and positive thinking in a very structured practical way.
Cybernetic Transposition helps you to connect to, or educate if you will, your unconscious mind. Mr Lichtman is very serious about helping you change, and his step-by-step system works if you put the effort. People use it for weight loss, getting things done, health issues, making important decisions, earning more money, but obviously not getting 2 millions tomorrow! You really get what you put into the system. It has helped me many times to really focus, which many times is half of the problems one has.
(It's as if I am selling something, but as you can see I am not as there is no link here.)
When I bought it, it was very cheap, now I don't know.
Another technique I use to help me go about life online and offline with the right mind set is Kundalini Yoga. Although I don't do it as regularly as I should, it's amazingly powerful. It just makes you more positive in a natural way; after a few sessions it's as if you could see the positive changes in front of you. Kundalini Yoga goes even one step deeper than Cybernetic Transposition and reaches the subconscious mind, which in turn helps you take action in a more harmonic way.
Lynn, I have been following you for quite a long time and never commented, but today was the day, apparently!
Love the article. This mindset discussion is really fascinating. While I am a fan of The Secret and other such material, I do find it hard to accept that if I think and believe in something strongly enough, then it will be manifested. I don't think it is that simple and I believe The Secret, which I rally did enjoy, also left out a lot.
I do believe that it is critical for us to shift our mindset. Having a positive mindset is not about only seeing good and positive things, because that is not life - life is full of good and bad things. What matters is our mindset - particularly to the bad things. But if my mindset is that something positive will come from everything, no matter how bad it is, then I can face it and deal with it, knowing that I will grow as a result of it. Difficult to do in some circumstances, but that is what growing as a human being is all about. You cannot achieve this without a shift in mindset.
Love it, Lynn, so keep these coming
Hi Lynn
Great article and really mindset is how you wish to perceive your situation. As an engineer I have always hated the tree hugging community and their mystic inner nonsense.
However I am an optomist at heart and thus although I am getting divorced, currently of no fixed abode - not homeless as I am still contracted, not making money online and thus going to spend my 40th birthday in digs away from my children, I refuse to be take the easy option and be miserable.
Luck has always thrown me a lifeline as long as I have made attempts to move forwards and I know that this latest series of challenges is just another opportunity to focus my mind at making progress online.
Luck and opportunity will help you if you give them something to work with, thus taking that first step maybe the hardest but travelling in any direction is better than standing still.
Yeah, it's funny how "the mind" is so extremely small we can't even weigh it...yet it can hold back a 200 pound man from "taking the next step" in business. Or the 130 pound woman from knowing she's beautiful.
We're "free" will humans. That means it doesn't cost anything to use it. And the return could be incalculable.
Very inspirational. I will print this article for future reading and reminders.
"Bottom line: don’t look to others for the answer. Or to be told what to do next, or which action you should take to get things moving in the right direction. The only reason we ever do that is so we’re not responsible for the outcome. So we have someone to blame when WE fail to follow through on our end."
I just watched a very long video from Rich Schefren which was the best I have seen in years on his coaching program. All the millionaires in IMland I know today were trained by him.
So how do I get to where I want to be if I don't follow someone else?
If someone is at a higher level than you, copy what they do to get where you want to be.
Very interesting article. I trying always stay motivated but it's hard. This article really been inspirational and will refer to as needed. Thank you!
It does take more than thinking positive to make things happen. You also have to feel positive too. I find that when I feel positive it helps out a lot. When things are going well it's easy to feel positive, but when they're not that's when the challenges come in. Also, I know sometimes when I focus on what I have achieved and what I do have instead of what I haven't achieved and don't have. I feel a lot better.
I have found that my mindset has put me in the place where I am at now. I need to change it if I want to be in a better place.
Change is inevitable thing in this world and change in any wake of life is possible by the change of your mind set. Diversion towards positive thoughts can always leads you towards progress.
A great topic because this is such an important thing. And considerably more subtle than it appears on the surface. Having some insight into the habits and patterns of thoughts we have is helpful.
For me the real magic is the doing. Any doing. If you are stuck in a negative rut go for a run or hike, clear your mind and empower yourself.
Thanks for the great post Lynn!
A book that I've read in the past, which does provide part of the picture is The Science of Getting Rich. It is similar to LOA books. But all these books never give the full pic. It's ok to pursue financial success but not when it overrides other more important things in life.
I quite agree! Recently, my mindset changed. I can almost pinpoint the exact time. It was when I said out loud, "Yes, I know my stuff. I know what I'm talking about. I can help others. I've learned for 3 years and found out what works and what doesn't."
Don't take me wrong - there's still a lot for me to learn, but I'm so much more confident now - and it makes such a difference!
What a great post. Very well written Lynn. I work as a consultant and one of the most over used and least understood concept is this idea of 'mindset change'. People talk a lot about it andthey can't say what it is when I ask what they mean by it.
Taking action is the foundation of all change. Thinking about it helps though I sometimes think that the more we think about it, the less action we will end up thinking. There's a quote from Da Vinci that I always use which says, 'Motion is created by the destruction of balance'. The interesting thing is that our mind and body is totally geared up to achieve balance in order to survive (see homeostasis).
Thanks for the food for thought....
It definitely struck cord, Lynn.
I've been going through a major writer's block recently, to the point where I didn't want to open my computer let alone write something for my blog.
I am still going through it, but now it's more willpower driven than anything else.
It can be done and it needs to be done.
Ana
Thanks Lynn, nice post. Sometimes it's just not that easy. I agree with all that you have written, but I think DOING it is the toughest part. We tend (at least, me) to get shifted away from doing the right thing and we do feel devastated at times, and I reckon this is the moment when the so-called negative mindset conquers our mind. Anyway, I'm glad I found this post today and I will apply your tips to my daily life.
cheers.
Hi Lynn, thank you so much for laying out for us how to deal with our negative emotions and mindsets. We should realize more that there is a law of gravity in this world that even attacks our thoughts. We have to streatch to go up and upward. Thanks!!
"You have to commit. And commitment can’t be in your mind alone – you have to commit with a definitive action." I love what you say here. You are pretty right on You have to commit and cant be in your mind alone. its just saying yes to a favor but doing nothing. When you commit put it all that its should be have an action after next that should be done.