Negative thinking—it'll kill us.
In January we often hear the phrase "New Year, New You." Well, it takes more than turning the calendar to make a new me. It requires a change in thinking. And this certainly isn't new. The Bible teaches to "transform the mind" while Henry Ford famously said, "Whether you think you can or you can't — you’re right!"
But just how do we change our thinking? The answer: Displacement.
The human mind can only hold one thought at a time. We believe it holds more because the human brain functions so rapidly, but actually there's only one thought held in the brain each moment. Thus, it can be displaced. Remember what happened in that 8th grade science class experiment to the water in the full glass as another glass was pushed down into it? All the original water came out. That's what we learned in school, and that's what each of us can do now. Each negative thought can be displaced with a better one. Here's a process to employ. Using the acrostic AIM (My aim is to change!), let's explore it now.
Awareness
Insertion
Maintenance
The first step is Awareness. If I'm not aware of thoughts like these, how can I displace them?
- "She'll/He'll never change."
- "Nobody cares as much as I do."
- "I can't lose weight."
- "My boss ignores me."
- "I just can't make friends."
- "Why don't I ever get a break?"
- "I have no time to exercise."
- "I'll never get out of debt."
- "He/she never listens."
- "My kids don't respect me."
- "I will change me today."
- "I want to do my best."
- "I can eat healthier."
- "I will strive for excellence."
- "I will be a better friend."
- "I am not a victim."
- "I can make time to exercise."
- "I will take small steps toward my financial goals."
- "I need to better understand him/her."
- "I will work to become a more effective parent."
When my dad was the Cornell U. wrestling coach, he had hanging on the wall of the wrestling room for his men to see, a poem titled "The Man Who Thinks He Can." It was there all the years I was growing up — and it sums this QuickNote up.
THE MAN WHO THINKS HE CAN
by Walter D. Wintle
If you think you're beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost;
For out in the world we find
Success being with a person's will;
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you're outclassed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself
Before you can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But soon or late, the one who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!
In reality, we have already won when we "think we can." It's only then that we have taken true ownership of a wonderful gift we were given: Our mind. Go ahead, AIM to change today and have a winning 2007.
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John G. Miller
Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch
www.QBQ.com
John@QBQ.com