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?

Black font - March 3, 2014

Blue font – January 28, 2015

Wouldn’t it be interesting if perfectionists would allow us to walk step-by-step with them as they perform their perfectionist role. When they are being the perfectionist - do they think much, or are they simply compelled to do...and do...and do?

It seems clear, perfectionism is either similar [or the same as] the compulsions experienced by people who experience obsessive-compulsive tendency or disorder. Their compulsions/rituals are performed to reduce anxiety…anxiety triggered by discomforting thoughts. Perhaps, likely, the discomforting thoughts involve fear of criticism.

When perfectionists think, is their thinking confined to ruts where thoughts keep repeating while actions are stalled?

Yes, [obsessive] thoughts are concerned with fear of making errors and [compulsive] behaviours are aimed at ensuring errors do not happen. Actions appear stalled, however, a better description than ‘ruts’ is ‘circles’ and a better description than ‘stalled’ is ‘repetitive’.

When perfectionists think, what are they thinking? Are their thoughts like those of non-perfectionists except more textured or broader in scope? Or are perfectionists' thoughts nonsensical or scattered or bizarre?

Perfections thoughts are troubled…worried about making errors, worried about the implications of future errors, and fear-filled.

To what extent are perfectionists’ thoughts being dragged along by feelings of need or worry or criticism? Are perfectionists' thoughts always dragged along by negative feelings? Or, are perfectionists' thoughts sometimes laced with positive feelings...or mania?

Perfectionists’ thoughts are consumed with fear.

To what degree are perfectionists driven to create? Is perfectionist-behaviour aligned with building value or is it simply driven by an extra-strong interest in doing things right?

Perfectionists’ thoughts are so consumed in fear there is little chance for creativity. And, building value takes a back seat to fear-filled actions aimed at doing things right…actually, doing things perfectly right.

Perhaps an in-depth understanding of perfectionists’ mindsets and thought processes would put us in a much better position to help them…assuming they need, want, and are ready to accept our help.

Yes – we need to understand perfectionism is an anxiety disorder. We need to help perfectionists learn skills that bring anxiety under control.

***

Or...for another post

Is perfectionism in business a dysfunction by its very name?

Is perfectionism a dysfunction that a leader simply cannot ignore...a signal that corrective action is a must?

In business, doing things right is a good thing. Like everything in business, there are costs associated with doing things right...at the least, there are the costs of time spent. And, perfectionists overspend their time. Others know this. That's likely how the label 'perfectionist' came about in the first place. So, perfectionists are inclined to spend too much time on things as they work to do those things the right way. That sounds conflicted.

Where does perfectionism end and indecision start?

Or - do these 2 things overlap?

Or - is perfectionism an exaggerated form of indecision...one destined to to thwart both good decisions and delegation?

Questioned another way...

Is perfectionism the antidote for decisiveness?

If so, as we work at doing things right in business, can indecision help us achieve better results?

Stress is one of our natural response mechanisms.

But, what exactly is stress?

There are a huge range of definitions. Stress is what you feel/think in reaction to things ranging from little annoyances [such as slow-moving lines in grocery stores] to major life events [such as deaths in the family]. Stress is linked to anxiety and a number of other psychological and physiological things.

Even the experts cannot agree on a definition of stress. When it comes to defining stress, I expect it is best to ignore the experts.

Regardless, don't get tied up in efforts to define stress: you know what stress is. At least, you know what stress means to you. You know how you feel about stress. And, if you are like the vast majority of people you don’t feel good about stress. You view stress as a problem. If you are like the vast majority of people then for you stress is, at best, a necessary evil…a persistent problem you must cope with.

If you believe in The Law of Attraction [i.e., either in a general way or in a hard-core way] then you must accept that viewing stress as a problem enhances the likelihood stress will be a problem. Even if you don’t believe in The Law of Attraction, you might agree that negative thinking tends to exacerbate problems.

That said – perhaps, you can adjust your thinking to believe stress is a not-all-bad fact of life.

Sure, stress may bring about psychological problems like anxiety and depression. Sure, stress may increase the risk of disease and death. Those are possibilities. Those are logical-supported conclusions. However, they do not create very helpful mindsets. In fact, they make for rather troubling and possibly self-destructive mindsets.

When we stew over stresses, we cannot at the same time hold thoughts and feelings of self-confidence.

Without self-confidence, we have little to offer ourselves or others.

For this reason alone, we must believe stress is a not-all-bad fact of life.

When we believe this, we approach life’s problems [both the small ones and the major ones] with a different mindset…a more-productive attitude. Opportunities become visible.

And, we ingrain the habits required for peace of mind.