A lot has been written about mindset and personal growth in our lifetime. It feels like over the past decade this topic has picked up some serious steam. I think that's due to a shift in our collective consciousness (we're continuing to grow and evolve as a people). I also think the power of the internet displays itself here, allowing thoughts and ideas to spread and brainstorm and grow across the world at an extraordinary pace.
In all my years working online and coaching, I have always tried to dedicate some time to mindset. Working on my own mindset and guiding others in learning about their own. No matter how much time we spend on the details of growing our businesses, if the mind is not right, everything else can come crashing down. Or worse "“ everything can be going well and you just can't seem to enjoy it.
Reverse Imagination
It's personally helped me to think of negative thoughts as ' reverse imagination '. When we think of imagination, I think a lot of us tend to think of dreams and fantasy. We imagine that we can fly. We imagine the life we want. We can imagine just about anything. There really are no limits.
The same goes for negative thoughts. We can imagine going broke. We can imagine failing. We can imagine just about everything going wrong. We can get angry or sad or frustrated or anxious just by imagining something. Not thinking about something that happened to you in the past "“ imagining something. Creating it entirely in your mind. Anyone who has been a parent or had a parent (that's most of you, right?) is familiar with the talk that happens when the kid comes home real late one night without calling.
Where have you been?
We were worried sick!
We thought something happened to you!!
Now obviously, the anger, frustration and worry in that example is legit. But think of all the things that could potentially be going through a parent's mind while they wait. All that worry "“ and worry, they should.
The same thing happens when you worry about your business, about your job, about anything really. You start having that dialogue in your head.
What if…?
Can I do this?
What if it doesn't work out?
What if I fail?
I'm going to fail…
I can't do this…
Everyone's going to laugh
It's not worth trying…
Can you see the progression? Can you see how you could plug just about anything into those examples above? It's all imagination "“ something that has not happened, something that you're creating into your mind. But you allow yourself to believe it's real.
Reverse Imagination. Negative Imagination.
Your Mind, The Computer
Your mind is the most obedient servant you will ever have. It does what it's told 100% of the time. The one crucial thing that most people never understand is that the mind does everything that it's told. It doesn't discriminate. It doesn't judge. It doesn't refuse orders that are bad for you.
In the same way that a computer wlil not corerect your speliling for you "“ (it's just following commands, what ever you type is what it will provide), your mind won't stop you from thinking negative thoughts . It's up to you to you to figure out what you want, and what the correct command is to get it.
Please don't let me fail is not the same as I'm going to succeed is not the same as I'm a success .
Hoping something negative doesn't happen is the same as worrying about something bad happening. You might say 'Well hold on, I'm thinking about it NOT happening!'
True, but you're still thinking about it. You're feeding that negative thought "“ that reverse imagination into your mind. And that's all your mind understands. Your mind doesn't take context into account.
Just like a computer.
Why do we have spell check, grammar check, the delete button, etc? To correct the mistakes that WE make "“ not the mistakes the computer makes. Our own .
The mind is impulsive and instinctive in all creatures on earth. What sets humans apart, what allowed us to evolve is our ability to monitor our thoughts and feeling. Our ability to manage that gap between thought and action. We are able to manage our thoughts and we are able to choose how to act upon those thoughts. Animals cannot do that.
We have to be our own spell check. Our own delete button. We have to understand (and practice, practice, practice!) the difference between a positive thought "“ a positive, correct command "“ and a negative thought. We have to understand that hoping against something negative is still a negative thought.
Your mind is a computer. Take the time to learn how it works and to learn how to work it. It'll go a long way in every aspect of your life.
To Your Success,
Adel Refai
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