Success comes in cans, not in can’ts. From a purely psychological perspective, what happens right after we tell ourselves we can’t? The next step after “I can’t” is, “I won’t even try. I’m done. Finished. Defeated.” “I can’t” is a toggle switch on the side of our brain that turns our creative mind off. It is […]
Success Comes in Cans Read More »
Walt Disney was one of the most imaginative and visionary creators of our time. After the enormous success of Disneyland in California, Walt envisioned another park on the East Coast to compliment the one in California. Walt Disney passed away from lung cancer in 1966, almost 6 years prior to the opening of Walt Disney
Believing is Seeing Read More »
The motivational master, Earl Nightingale promoted Pathological Positivity when he suggested that we learn to habitually respond to even devastating circumstances by saying “that’s good” – then engage our marvelous minds to discover or create what’s good about it. As a psychologist, I see the power in this strategy. Our mind will dutifully fulfill our
Questions are power tools of change. Power tools work best when plugged in and turned on. Sometimes the questions we ask are not really questions. My friend and creative editor, Tom Cantrell, called me on this recently when he asked, “Was that a question, or a statement disguised as a question?” Here’s a common example: “How can I
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Is there a program or process that propels us predictably to unprecedented personal power, productivity, and profit? Yes. Pathological Positivity. Our planet is plagued with a pandemic of poisonous pessimism. The popular perception of painful or perturbing problems is pathogenically paralyzing. Pathological Positivity programs and positions us to perceive positive possibilities in problems. It inspires and provokes people to
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What is the biggest barrier to happiness, success, prosperity? Fear and worry. Fear gets in our way more than anything else I know. When we feel fear, we have a natural avoidance response. It is built in – automatic. Avoidance brings with it short term relief, but in the long run makes the fear worse. After we
When you turn on a flashlight, you see a little spot of light projected wherever you point the device. Have you ever seen a flashdark? This is a device that projects a little spot of dark wherever you point it. Not! Similarly, what happens when you open a dark closet in a brightly lit room?
There’s No Such Thing as a Flashdark Read More »
Following the devastating events at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown Connecticut, a number of friends, clients, even strangers, approach me wondering how to deal with this tragedy. The conversations focus initially on the Sandy Hook tragedy itself, then generally expand to address the question of how to deal with tragedy and trauma in general. My
What is the biggest barrier to success, happiness, great relationships? Anxiety and fear. Try this experiment: – Take in a deep, slow, intentional breath through your nose. – Hold that breath for a moment, allowing yourself to feel the stretch. – Release slowly, through the mouth. – Repeat two or three more times. Notice what
Perceiving problems as problems is the problem. Positivity is a practical approach to solve every problem. Pathological Positivity is not ignoring or avoiding reality, but intentionally and doggedly insisting on seeing possibilities in problems and finding or creating constructive tools to handle inevitable challenges. Imagine hearing a big commotion in your front yard. You open your door
Do About versus Do With Read More »
