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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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There's Wanting & Hoping, then there's Believing

by Rick Baker
On Mar 9, 2016

I am fascinated by the English language. Perhaps, some could say I get bogged down in thinking about it. For example, we have so many variations to describe our aspirations and desires...and that causes me to stop and think. This post is about sorting out thinking around those words for aspirations and desires...with a focus on the verbs: with a focus on the verbs 'want', 'hope' and 'believe'.

These verbs, naturally (at least in my mind), raise consideration of the of the 'Law of Attraction'. In the past, I have posted some thoughts about the Law I of Attraction.

Want: Want is in an incredibly common word. Almost everybody says it frequently. It's a word we use to describe a wide range of things we desire. These things can range from fleeting desires to major life goals. The word lines at the low end of the "expectation scale": maybe we will get what we want, maybe we won't. When we use the word we are not signaling our expectation of success.

Hope: When we use the word Hope we send stronger signals. We signal that we think there is a possibility we will obtain the object of our desire. So, the word Hope combines the word Want with at least a small expectation of achievement.

Believe: When we use the word Believe we send even stronger signals of our expectations. We tell people we think our desire will be achieved. That aligns with confidence and bolsters conviction.

Napoleon Hill taught, "What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

As hinted at above, there are are many good reasons to reduce our use of the words 'want' and 'hope' and replace them with increased use of the word 'believe'.

Tags:

Abundance | Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude

Be There, Be Positive.

by Rick Baker
On Feb 8, 2016

Sure, we can be distracted or negative but let's remember we have these other two choices: being there and being positive.

If you are not naturally inclined to ‘be there’ and ‘be positive’ it will take some time and effort to adjust your mindset into those zones. 

Being There: It is easier to 'be there' when you are curious, tolerant, and truly interested in other people.

Being Positive: It is easier to 'be positive' when you are genetically predisposed toward optimism, hopeful about the future, and creative enough to envision alternatives and possibilities.

Perhaps, you are not at this time blessed with any of these traits.

Regardless, you can become an expert at 'being there' and 'being positive'.

Yes, any normal human being can become an expert at 'being there' and 'being positive'. It will, of course, require some effort. It will require some thought. It will require some education - ideally, self-education over a patient period of time. In addition, it will require a desire to grow and excel as a person. And, a good sense of humour will help you along the way.

There is no perfect approach to developing the abilities to 'be there' and 'be present'. These abilities are built over time, by trial and error, and you will make missteps along the way.

It seems to me one of the most important considerations is 'control'. To fully succeed you must understand and (wholeheartedly) believe you can control yourself. To fully succeed you must understand and (unconditionally) accept you cannot control other people or situations. The more you believe in and practice self-control the greater your ability to 'be there' and 'be positive'. The more you accept the limitations around your ability to control other people and situations the greater your ability to 'be there' and 'be positive'.

To be clear - I'm not talking about 'fundamentalist' perfectionism...or about taking huge leaps or about making major sacrifices.  I'm talking about taking some initial small steps aimed at 'experiencing the moment' as an observer. I'm talking about setting personal desires/goals aside for brief moments...long enough to listen to one other human being. I'm talking about imagining another possibility that isn't laced with annoyances (or doom-and-gloom thinking). I'm talking about trusting others. I'm talking about thinking between the lines of other people's comments/actions rather than jumping all over them and proving you are right and they are wrong.

 

PS: Now this all makes sense doesn't it? I mean, it makes sense at least until all that adrenalin and cortisol kicks in.

Wouldn’t you like to possess Placebo Empowerment?

by Rick Baker
On Jan 29, 2016

Most people accept the fact placebo medications sometimes/often bring about improvements in patients’ medical conditions. Somehow, the process of receiving a medication from a professional helps patients overcome illness…even if the medication is a placebo, i.e., a ‘fake’ medication. For the placebo to work, something has happened in the patient’s mind. The patient, either consciously or subconsciously or [likely] both believes the medication will work.

And, the psychologists’ conclusion is: the mind has the power to promote self-healing.

Or, at last, some people’s minds have the ability to promote self-healing. If they believe a pill will help them then the pill helps them…even if the pill is a fake.

Now, isn’t that interesting. That conclusion jives with Napoleon Hill’s teaching: “What the mind can conceive, and believe, the mind can achieve.” It jives with ‘The Law of Attraction’ [whether or not you believe The Law of Attraction has limitations].

This brings to mind the quote, attributed to Henry Ford –

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.

A Placebo update -

According to recent psychologist-authors, the power of the placebo goes beyond the points presented above. Here’s what new research has confirmed:

  • when ill people are not aware they are receiving a placebo pill, some of them improve as if they had received a proven-successful drug [i.e., as described above]
  • when ill people are told they are receiving a placebo pill, that has no proven ability to do anything to help their illness, they too improve as if they had received a proven-successful drug

In the first situation…the mind conceives and believes the pill will work then helps the body achieve improved health

In the second situation…then mind suspends belief that the pill has no curing power then proceeds to conceive, believe the pill will work and help the body achieve improved health

Now, isn’t that even more interesting!

*** 

Can you conceive the power of your mind?

Do you believe your mind can help your body?

What would you like your mind to help your body achieve? For work? For play? For life?

***

Wouldn’t you like to possess Placebo Empowerment?

Tags:

Abundance | Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Brain: about the Human Brain

If we build it better, they will come.

by Rick Baker
On Dec 10, 2015

The question is, Can we build it better

And, the answer must be, Yes, of course we can make improvements and build it better.

First, we must put on their shoes and walk a mile in them. Seeing things clearly, from their perspective, will ensure the changes we make will be improvements.

When we build improvements & better value, they will come.

Branding, marketing, hype, buzz, relationship calls, and sales arm-twists…sure these things have some push, pull, and magnetism. If we do these things they may come.

On the other hand…

If we build it better, they will come.

Tags:

Abundance | Marketing | Sales

More About Perfectionists

by Rick Baker
On Nov 19, 2015

A year and a half ago I wrote some thoughts and questions About Perfectionists

Since writing that Thought Post, I have read psychologists' views describing the linkages between anxiety and perfectionism. Psychologists, at least some of them, believe anxieties can build around thoughts about the need to perform work well. These thoughts are held until the anxieties 'take over' and the mindset becomes one of perfectionism. Criticism is a play here...in the perfectionist's mind. Perhaps, it appears to be self-criticism. However, it seems to me that 'self-criticism' does not develop in the absence of prior 'external criticism'. Likely, the external criticism began many years before perfectionism appeared. Excessive criticism of children by parents or other authority figures likely is the major contributor to if not the root cause of perfectionism. That external criticism might have been real. Or, I suppose, it could be perceived.

Then, as the saying goes, perception is reality...so, it likely doesn't make any difference if external criticism was real or perceived/imagined. What matters is criticisms have generated heightened anxieties and, over time, those heightened anxieties have gained a high level of control over the mind. And, the combinations of criticism and anxiety have led to perfectionism. 

That is plausible.

That provides some clues as to how leaders should react to perfectionism.

Leaders must take care when they observe perfectionism in action.

Leaders should avoid reactions/actions that could expand anxieties experienced by perfectionists. 

Leaders must understand they may need help from professionals who are trained to help people who experience excessive anxiety.


Tags:

Abundance | Brain: about the Human Brain | Emotions & Feelings @ Work

The pros and cons of crastination

by Rick Baker
On Oct 22, 2015

It seems to me we ought to re-define procrastination. While dictionaries generally define it as delaying or putting off doing something, in day-to-day conversation procrastination has a bad reputation. 

Most people think procrastination is a bad thing...so they admonish themselves and others who do it [actually, at a more granular level, I mean 'don't do it']. 

Anyhow, because it has evolved with such a negative image I think it is time to re-define procrastination as follows:

If you put things off and feel good about it - I mean, if you feel only good and never bad about it - that's procrastination.

If you put things off and feel bad about it - I mean, if you feel anxiety or worry or some other negative feeling - that's concrastination.

Then, putting things off and feeling neither good nor bad becomes crastination...[which, I acknowledge, requires some care in pronunciation...and perhaps spell-checking too?]. 

***

Regardless...

There's no question - procrastination has its pros and cons.

In fact, I continue to see value in procrastinating for success.

Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.