I have known Gordon Bryan (left) for many years, at least 7 or 8 now, so when he offered to write a guest post for us here at ClickNewz... I couldn't resist sharing it with you!
What follows is a fun and thought-provoking exercise to help you improve yourself, and your mindset, on your journey toward creating a life you love & enjoy...
Guest Post by Gordon Bryan
I read a couple of interesting posts on Lynn’s blog about mindset, and it reminded me of something I wrote about in my book way back in 2003, covering theories I have used since way back to the early 80s! Reading Lynn’s post prompted me to revisit the idea, and I love to use the phenomenon of blushing as an example…
You may not be blushing as you read this. True, it’s possible that you *are*, but not likely. I bet you don’t have to think hard though, to remember a time when you did blush. In fact, for the purpose of this article, do it now - think back to an incident that had you blushing like a tomato.
It might be that the memory will make you start to blush now, and that takes us close to the point I’m making, which is this - If blushing is a physical response to a thought (which it obviously is), then doesn’t it follow that we can harness that relationship for our benefit?
My belief is that yes, we can, and here’s how…
A lot of people dismiss the idea of positive thinking, that it doesn’t apply to ‘real’ life, that’s it’s a manufactured idea that only has a place in happy-clappy seminars. Not true. We can direct our thoughts, change them, not only to release chemicals in our body, but to change our mental approach. This can be the approach to a specific goal, or the approach to life in general.
Changing our thoughts changes our attitude, and that change in attitude leads to changes in action. Changes in action leads to changes in results. In fact I would argue that change in results will not happen without having that change in thought at the start of the process.
Tapping into this huge potential between our ears can reduce the stress we believe we endure, and it isn’t long before you start to notice people around you still putting up with stress that you have left behind.
That will encourage you to go further, because it does take practice. It’s not something that can be accomplished overnight, but it certainly is something that can at least be started overnight, right now in fact.
You will feel more positive, more ambitious, more hopeful, and those thoughts will release chemicals which will take the whole circle upwards, a complete opposite to a circle of thought taking you down.
The next time you find yourself blushing, have a big wide smile about it, and let it be a reminder of you harnessing your brainwaves to make huge progress.
Don’t even wait until the next time you blush, repeat the exercise I suggested earlier, and think back to a time in the past when you blushed.
That physical change resulting from a thought is a powerful, powerful force that you can now tap into.
That’s how blushing can help to achieve your personal development!
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Gordon Bryan writes the Great Gordino Newsletter, and his writing has been described as 'motivational magic'. Read more and grab his free 8 step goal achievement formula at thegreatgordino.com
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I found this fun exercise to be very thought-provoking, myself! Consider that for a moment, how a single thought can evoke a physical response (such as blushing).
I know that when it comes to achieving my goals, thinking about the outcome gets me excited and motivated. Take the fact that I am publishing a book this year.
There is A LOT of work involved. If I focus on the tasks I immediately feel overwhelmed and stressed. But if I focus on the end goal, holding my book in my hands and seeing it on Amazon, I feel inspired and motivated.
Can we train ourselves to be more productive, happier, more social even (for us introverts!)... simply by thinking strategically? I think so! While "positive thinking" is not at all a new concept, I love the tangible example Gordon offered. It really puts the idea of "quick, achievable results" in very simple terms...
I have always enjoyed Gordon for that - he makes me think. 😀
I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Best,
About Lynn Terry
Change your thoughts and you change your world in order to impact on the world. Such a great post!
"It is your attitude (a compilation of thoughts, emotions and behaviors) not your aptitude that determines your altitude." Zig Ziglar - so true, great post! 🙂
This is one thing i noticed: if you're depressed and keep thinking you're depressed, then you'll continue to be depressed.
Thinking positive even when bad things happen can help you recover faster. It's hard to do this at first, but it can be done in time, and the benefits are worth it.
Thanks for the comments, glad you enjoyed it.
Antonia it's interesting you mention if someone is depressed.
I had depression back in the late 1990s, took a long time to recover. Part of that recovery process invovlved understanding how the brain works.
Depression is another example where the brain releases chemicals in response to thought.
Like blushing, if we realise it's a phenomenon bringing a physical result we *don't* want, we can just as well use it to bring a result we *do* want!
Cheers,
Gordon
Sure, it's the same method, the brain controls the body and in exchange the body helps the brain "change its mood" 🙂
I love psychology, i just don't have the time to study it.
Our world is always changing. So, as the people who lived in Earth, we have to change our thoughts or behaviors in order to cope up with the world. It is very difficult to survive if you don’t have that capability to change.
The important thing is to show your clients you're sincere. If that means blushing for it, then it's worth it. Showing feelings can make a difference when you sell because salesmen are usually very direct and tend to fall into stereotypes everybody's tired of.
Blimey, the psychology of a salesman is a whole new kettle of fish! You make a valid point though, that just as the technique can be used for personal development, there is no reason why it cannot be used in other arenas, like selling.
Turning on a blush in a sales environment would be quite the skill!
Hi Gordon,
Blushing is a physical reaction to external stimuli, that's why it's always good to have some training in reading people when you sell something. You want to read their feeling on their face to see what tactic you should adopt next.
Blushing is just an example of this. Off course, if you know the things when you sell you can also take advantage when you buy, you can influence the seller.