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Getting the beliefs right
 People’s
innermost beliefs are the fundamental cognitive contents of their brain that
they hold to be true. Or to put it another way, they are the psychological results
of perception, learning, and reasoning. What we are talking about here is knowledge
in its purest form.
If you “know” something to be true, it will form part of your belief
system. You will simply “believe” it to be so.
When we begin examining our beliefs, we are dealing with the things at the very
core of our existence. You see, we base our entire value system on our beliefs.
And collectively, we base our whole society on these shared values. Freedom
of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion are just some basic
cornerstones of our whole way of life. They are fundamental values that have
been enshrined because of what we believe in as a nation.
Not all people believe in the same fundamental principles. That’s why we
have different nations and different “societies” on this planet. We
are who we are because of our beliefs, our values, and the skills we have. These
three attributes combine to give us our identity.
It should become apparent to you now that if you want to change your behavior,
you really need to reconsider or alter your beliefs first. Doing this is the
surest way of achieving lasting and meaningful change. You see, once you have
changed your beliefs, you basically change who you are. And a “new”
you will act or behave in a different way to the “old” you.
Make sense
It all has to do with your mind, because that’s the domain of your belief
system. It’s where your thoughts reside.
I am now going to spend some time discussing the brain and how it works, because
once you have a general understanding of this, you will find it very much easier
to work with different people as you strive to develop your dream team.
What I am aiming at here is making certain that you adopt the right attitude
towards your life, your existence, and your business. What I am talking about
lies at the very core of positive thinking. It’s fundamental to everything
we do if we want to be successful.
Still not quite with me? Then ask yourself this: Are you one of those who say
the glass is half empty? Or do you say it’s half full?
It’s more than simply a question of being either a pessimist or an optimist.
These are nothing more than the outward manifestations of something much deeper—something
more fundamental and profound. You need to get straight to the core of your
very being, and then to prepare it so it will accept the challenges that lie
ahead in such a way that living the life you really want to lead will simply
happen. I am talking here about really turning dreams into reality through the
power of your mind.
So where do you start?
Right here. And right now.
Are you a victor or a victim?
To start with, we need to exercise the brain. It’s time to get imaginative
for a while.
Think of the world as consisting of two distinct groups of people. Think of
these two groups as those who see the glass half full and those who see it half
empty. Not think of them as being separated from each other by a horizontal
line. One group lives above the line while the other lives below it.
I call these groups victors and victims.
Everyone is either a victor or a victim. There are no in-betweens. They play
the game (it can be any game; it can be the game of life, business, sports,
or parenthood) below the line or above it.
Victor
- Ownership
- Accountable
- Responsible
Victim
The first thing those who play below the line do is to blame other people. They
come up with excuses. They deny what they are doing or what is going on. They
blame the economy for their poor performance in business, they use their difficult
boss as an excuse for their lack of progress, or they deny their marriage breakup
had anything to do with them. If this sounds like people you know, it means
they are playing the role of victims.
Those who play above the line say, “Ok, let’s take ownership of our
situation. Let’s take responsibility for our actions. Let’s be accountable.”
If you play above the line, you are basically taking responsibility for your
life. You are saying you are accountable for your results. You are saying you
are not a victim; you are a victor. You are saying you are in charge of your
life.
You might be surprised to learn that 95 percent of people live their lives below
the line.
Most people just stumble along, blaming others for their lot in life. They go
through life in denial. They have always got a good excuse why they haven’t
been able to succeed at whatever it is they are doing.
Shift the zone
If those who live below the line want to succeed, they have got to shift into
the zone above the line. That may take a quantum shift in their belief patterns.
It may also require them to challenge the way they view life. But they have
to do whatever it takes if they want to take control of their lives; once they
assume responsibility, they will be amazed at how they suddenly start making
progress towards achieving the things that they previously only dreamed of—and
so can you!
To fail is human. And we are all human. Often the difference between a victor
and a victim is not the number of failures we make, but how we have chosen to
deal with them. Victors take control of their lives; victims let life control
them.
Remember, perfection leads to pain and standing still. Strive for excellence
instead. Be a victor and enjoy the financial abundance your winning attitude
will bring. Success is the constant process of moving toward your goals no matter
what obstacles life throws in your way. Play above the line, take control of
your future, and make it all it can be.
From ‘Instant Team Building’ by Bradley J Sugars.
Reproduced with permission © 2007, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company
Limited. Price: Rs 299. E-mail: Vishwanath_Ghanekar@mcgraw-hill.com
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