TEARS, STD’s and Winners

Of ALL the things you think about, do you ever think about – what you think about? Have you ever thought that it matters?

Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, W. Clement Stone and others understood what Earl Nightingale called “The Greatest Secret” — the power of the mind to change, achieve, conquer, and create. They understood the biblical injunction found in Proverbs – both a declaration of the human condition and the great promise of its change – that “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

What you tell yourself – not only matters – it absolutely controls your life. It determines the quality of your life and the results you’ll experience. A rose by any other name may not “be” a rose at all – but what someone else tells you it is, or what you think it is. The same holds true for us. We must constantly watch our self-talk — the most important feedback of all.

Dr. Maxwell Maltz made the landmark discovery he documented in his book “PsychoCybernetics” that the sub-conscious mind, and the body, can’t distinguish between reality and what is vividly imagined. Countless experiments have been conducted through the years that verify this.

I refer to the principles that encompass this whole phenomena as the T.E.A.R.S. syndrome: Thoughts give rise to Emotions which lead to Actions that generate Results which are Symptoms (both positive and negative – of either success or sorrow) of what we were thinking about.

It’s well known among experts of human achievement and performance that we move toward our dominant thought – we become what we continually think about. Well, this ALMOST always holds true. As I heard Brian Tracy once remark, if it were always true then most young men would become young women by age 20 and people that love to overeat would become a pizza!

Our dominant thoughts are often determined by who we listen to. Who do YOU LISTEN to? Why them? Often, others put you down to make themselves feel better, saying things like, “Don’t waste your time. I was going to try that, but I realized it wouldn’t work!” or “If it was that doable, then don’t you think everybody would be doing it?” (NO, because everybody else may be afraid of trying or hearing these “put downs”!)

Some well known examples of people that come to mind are Lucille Ball, Michael Jordan, and Walt Disney. Lucy was told by her first acting teacher to do anything with her life but act, and especially not comedy. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Walt Disney was told by the editor of the newspaper that he worked for that he should do something else because he just didn’t have any imagination! Thank goodness for all of us that they didn’t listen to these other people but persisted in nurturing their own dominant thoughts.

Do you ever feel that other people, circumstances or “things” are blocking your path to success? While they may contribute, these are merely external environmental factors. The distance between us and everything we want is only 6 inches – the 6 inches between our ears.

STD’s

There is a distinct difference between what Winners see, think and do compared with others. Winners See Touch Downs – Losers Self Talk Down.

Winners see with or through a “vision.” Winners see opportunities and openings in obstacles. They see chances and choices for change in challenges and they see triumph in trials and tests.

Winners watch what they think – is it empowering or disempowering? Does it help them focus on and move closer to achieving their goals or hold them back? If it holds them back, they let go of it quickly and replace it just as quickly with a winning thought.

Haven’t you ever felt that you have much more potential than you’re experiencing? You’re right – you do! What do you need to do to “get out of the way” of your own success?

Think differently – think different thoughts. Think, learn, be and do things differently – as well as do different things – so you can achieve different results.

Much like a Michelangelo working with a plain looking piece of marble and converting it into a masterpiece, I KNOW there’s a winner inside each of you – just waiting to be discovered and let out. But YOU are the sculptor – YOU hold the key.

No doubt you’ve heard the sentiment expressed that one of the saddest things in life is when someone “dies with their music still in them.” What keeps you from singing YOUR song? What are you thinking? Can you understand better the saying, “Whether you think you can or you can’t – you’re right!”?

Of ALL the things you think about, do you ever think about – what you think about? It’s critical! T.E.A.R.S. of success or of sorrow. It’s all up to YOU. And THAT’s something to think about!

ACTION STEPS

Here are two action steps you can take to immediately go to work and start to master your thoughts to help create habits of success that will lead to your desired results:

First, study the T.E.A.R.S. concept until you “get hold” of it. Understand that even random Thoughts give rise to Emotions which lead to Actions that generate Results that are Symptoms (positive or negative – of success or sorrow) of what you were thinking about. Look at what you are experiencing. Is it what you want? Start with whatever point stands out and “work” backward and forward through the event chain to identify each of the aspect of the T.E.A.R.S. equation in that particular circumstance. This will increase your awareness of the power of this cause-and-effect relationship.

Next, when you face a challenging situation, ask yourself this simple question, “What would a Winner See, Think and Do?” in this circumstance and then immediately “Do it!” This will help your self-confidence and begin developing the habit of embracing empowering thoughts.

Until next time, all the best and keep winning!

Larry Gassin