Self-imposed boundaries or limitations are often present because of established beliefs. Once beliefs are accepted as fact, only a paradigm shift will shape a change.
95% of your behavior is a result of patterns and habits, most of which you acquired when you were very young. Most of us grew up with ineffective study habits. Why? Because our educators and caregivers didn't know any better. Those thousands of wasted hours sitting in classrooms and studying at home have often yielded frustration, self-limiting beliefs, and low self-esteem. Don't take it anymore! No matter what your age, you can learn with success and delight.
As you progress through my book "Unleashing Your Brilliance" you'll discover that, although your conscious mind has an important role to play, learning has a great deal more to do withsubconscious processing than conscious thought. The chief responsibility of the mind is to protect; in fact, to survive. Remember this as you learn how to nourish and develop your mind.
Let me use an analogy to explain the power of the subconscious mind. If your feet are flat on the floor, the area under your feet corresponds to the processing ability of your conscious mind. The floor area in the room not covered by your feet represents the power of your subconscious mind. Your conscious mind operates at about 126 bits per second, while your subconscious mind is 10,000 times faster than that. As you can see, the power is really in the subconscious. That is the common thread you will find in my book.
Elephant trainers use a very interesting technique to harness their animals. When the elephant is still very young, the trainers attach one end of a strong chain to one of the elephant's legs, and the other end to a stake firmly driven into the ground. This allows the animal the freedom of a very defined circle. While harnessed day after day, the elephant learns that this circle is its only territory. As the years go by, the chain is exchanged for thinner and thinner ropes. The trainers know that the elephant could walk away at any time, but the elephant doesn't catch on, and so remains within the defined circle.
What's your circle? What are your self-limiting beliefs?
Let me tell you a short story about a newly-wed couple. It was their first thanksgiving dinner together and the new "Mrs." wanted to show off her culinary skills. When the turkey was brought to the table, the hubby asked, "Why is the end of the turkey cut off?" She said that this was the way to cook a turkey. Asked where she got that idea, she answered that her mother always cooked it that way. When her mother was asked to explain this method, she simply said that her mother always did it that way. When the grandmother was asked why she cut the end of the turkey, she simply said, "My pan was too small."
Now, here is a last thought about beliefs. How often have you heard someone rationalize incomplete action by saying, "Well, I tried"? To try is a cop-out. It's an escape hatch. Try is one word that I would like you to remove from your vocabulary, unless you are talking about legal trials. When we promise to do something by saying that we'll try, we're setting ourselves up for failure. Listen to news reports or the speeches of politicians. They are rife with that word. Be prepared to put your reputation on the line. Instead of using that word, say "I'll do my best..." Can you feel the difference?
Born in the U.K. and raised near Montreal, Brian Walsh was a part-time journalist and broadcaster before joining a major international company. For much of his 30-year career he was involved in human resources, specifically training. His Ph.D. dissertation, which focused on accelerated learning techniques, inspired his passion and this book. "Unleashing Your Brilliance" is filled with tips and tools for using your brain to its maximum potential. It is not like any other learning book out there. A reviewer said, "If you only read one self-improvement book in 2006, Unleashing Your Brilliance would be a good choice." Go to...
"Unleashing Your Brilliance"
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