La, la, la, la, la, la bamba!

La-la-la-la-la-la Bamba!!
A Latin Approach to Growing Your Business

Cogito, ergo sum: "I think, therefore I am." Makes sense really. It is stating that if someone is wondering whether or not he or she exists, that is in and of itself proof that he or she DOES exist. But this foundation of Western Philosophy is also known in the sales industry as "Fake it till you make it," or in the modern sub-culture, a foundation that the movie "The Secret," is based on... the principle that if we want something, we can manifest it by simply believing it to be so.

As hokey as it sounds, it holds some merit. To illustrate the malleability of the human brain, an Oxford University neuroscientist, Dr. Greenfield, cites a startling Harvard Medical School study involving volunteers who could not play the piano. The participants were divided into three groups: the first group was given intensive piano practice for five days, the second was taken into an identical room with an identical piano but had nothing to do with the piano, and the third group was taken into an identical room with an identical piano and were told that to just imagine they were practicing piano exercises for the next five days.

The resulting brain scans were extraordinary. As expected, the brains of those who only sat in the same room as the piano had not changed at all. Equally unsurprising was the results that those who had performed the piano exercises saw marked structural changes in the area of the brain associated with finger movement.

But what was truly shocking was that the group who had merely imagined doing the piano exercises saw remarkable changes in brain structure that were almost as pronounced as those that had actually taken the piano lessons. “The power of imagination is not a metaphor, it seems; it's real, and has a physical basis in your brain,” said Greenfield.

When I read this story, I was impressed and ready to put it into action. I play the guitar... well, I TRY to play the guitar. My first Christmas with Marty back in 2001, he bought me a guitar. It was a dream come true, as I had wanted to play the guitar all my life. Interestingly enough, teaching myself was going well for about six months - until I hit a huge snag and realized I was stuck without true instruction. So instead of persevering, I hung up my guitar. Each year since then, I pull my guitar out of its case and try to pick up where I left off. Each time I have to work around the clock to build up my calluses, stretch my fingers, and relearn all the notes.

These past three or four weeks I have been at that point. In fact, as I type this, I am struggling to hit the letters on the keypad due to the enormous water blisters that engulf all my left digits. This month, as I sat there struggling to play, something pretty depressing struck me. I realized that it had been almost seven full years since I received my guitar. If I had continued playing all those years and pushing forth when I would hit a snag - I would probably be living my dream... being able to play the guitar.

In reading the article about Dr. Greenfield, I decided to try something different in my strategy in learning to play. When my fingers would throb and the muscles in my hands would be screaming in pain - instead of stopping entirely, I would sit and imagine that my fingers were still playing. I would imagine my fingers effortlessly reaching that ever-elusive F-sharp. I would visualize my fingers making barre chords without strain, and I would imagine that it was in perfect pitch... and it worked!! After only a few weeks of painful practice coupled with visualizations, I am playing better than I ever played before - and enjoying it more.

What does this have to do with your business?

Your mind is an amazing piece of engineering - but you must exercise it to gain expected results. If you fear doing presentations, visualize them over and over again and imagine them going off without a hitch. If you fear speaking in public - visualize them being successful and rewarding. When your brain starts saying things like, "You don't have time for this" or "You won't ever make money doing this," stop it in its tracks! Visualize yourself successful, imagine that you are making time and enjoying yourself, visualize yourself making money, visualize your dreams manifesting ... and stop beating yourself up with negativity!

Cogito, ergo sum... I think, therefore I am.

Say to yourself:

I am beautiful.
I am deserving.
I am successful.
I am happy.
I am wonderful.
I am kind and generous.
I am healthy.
I am loved.
I am special.

Meanwhile... CARPE DIEM, MY FRIENDS!! :-)


REFERENCE:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1380264/technology_and_drugs_are_changing_brain_function/