The Power of Words

Really?  What an interesting word!  Depending on the tone/tenor/delivery it can be so different:

• There’s the “really?” to your kids when they have just done something incredibly dumb.  Yeah, I know I shouldn’t judge them.  And I’m sure I did dumber things myself.  But really?
• There’s the wide eyed fascination “really?”  This one’s where you look on with amazement at some feat that is incredibly impressive — he really pulled it off!
• There’s the sincere questioning “really”.  This one’s where you’re in a conversation and you add the “really” on to an emphasis — do you really think we can accomplish that plan?

What’s interesting is that no matter which really is being used, they all share a common theme:

• There’s some how a doubt in your mind associated with the reality that can or has been created

And that’s why “really” should be a red flag to you.  When you say “really”, what you are saying is that you don’t actually believe.  And that’s just plain not good!  As I’ve shared previously “All things are created twice.  First mentally, then physically” (Steven Covey).

The message today is simple.  Don’t fall in to the “really” trap.  Look at each situation with an open mind and suspend your disbelief.  You just might be surprised at what’s possible when you take this approach.

With that in mind:

Have you ever thought about what a memory is?  Think about it for a minute.  It’s not like it’s something that you can physically pick up, turn over, and hand to another person.  And yet memories have the ability to effect us in incredible ways.  Even though they only exist in our mind’s eye.

What many of us fail to realize is that we can use the power of memories BEFORE the event associated with the memory even exists.  A memory is nothing more than the imprinting of some experience on our mind.  With very, very few exceptions (e.g. a scar from a bad fall), the only physical existence of a memory is deep inside our minds.  That memory is based on how we perceived the experience.  It’s recorded based on how we processed the sight, sound, smell, taste, and feel (both mental and physical) of the experience.  The most vivid memories normally involve intense sensory experiences.   To create a new memory you simply need to “have the experience”.  And that experience can be just as real when it plays out solely in your mind.

That’s why meditation and visualization techniques are so powerful.  That’s why one of my all time favorite quotes is Steven Covey’s “All things are created twice.  First mentally, then physically”.  When you are trying to get to a new place, the best way to shorten the length of travel is to go ahead and “arrive” there in your mind NOW.  Picture the desired end state.  Close your eyes.  Put yourself in the state.  Walk around.  Look.  Hear.  Smell.  Taste.  Feel.  Really, think about what’s going on at this moment.  The most successful people normally have a “vision” of the future.  What they really have is a pre-made memory.  They’ve taken the future and put it in their mind already.  And that’s why folks that have the ability to create memories beforehand have the ability to do incredible things.

With that in mind:

Wouldn’t it would be great if life operated like a train schedule?  You know, graduate HS at 18, college at 22, married at 25, kids out of the house at 50, retire at 65, die at 85.  No uncertainty, just a well scripted, well defined path from beginning to end. Or maybe not….

There’s nothing wrong with developing and sticking to a schedule.  In fact, there are a lot of benefits in doing so.  However, when we get so hung up on operating our lives according to a rigid schedule, we miss so many things.  The only way that we can really maintain a “tight” schedule is to make sure “the tracks of life” go through the same path, every day, without any interruptions.  How boring would that be?

Sometimes you need to toss the schedule aside or at the very least change it up a bit.  It’s those times that you discover new people, new places, new things, and new ideas.  And while you might be a little late in getting to your planned destination, my guess is that you’ll have enjoyed the trip a lot more.

 

It’s easy to get locked in to the “just one more” syndrome.  Just one more bite, just one more ride, just one more dollar.  However, at a certain point in time you come to a question:

• Do I really need more or do I just want more?