As a motivational speaker and consultant, (during my inspirational speeches) I often ask: How often do you become conscious of the side of your own nose? And, if you wear specs, when was the last time you were distracted by the frames? I would guess that your answer to both questions is “not very often”. Am I correct?
This observation is actually surprising when you consider that both your nose and eyeglasses are within your field of view. (My inspirational and motivational speaker audiences are by and large very taken aback.) Which raises the question, because they impinge upon your visual field, how come your nose and glasses aren’t a visual distraction? Here’s the reason why: It’s because your brain filters them out.
In truth, only a minuscule portion of the vast amount of sensory information detected by your senses ever reaches your awareness. Trying to assimilate all this sensory content would be completely impractical. Filtering out all the ‘unimportant’ sensory information, including your nose and glasses, is a key brain activity.
How come – as a motivational speaker - did I think it was important to bring this freaky visual anomaly to your attention? Answer: Simply because (in basic terms) it raises a fundamental issue. This biological oddity got me thinking, does a limited perspective mean limited success? Bottom line, numerous characteristics of our brain filter have a direct effect on our success. For instance, it directs our attention towards our expectations. In this report I’m going to consider a extremely important element of the brain sieve, how it tends towards the negative.
A Negative Focus
The brain sieve focuses your mind towards the negative elements of your circumstances. Need convincing? Then try this easy experiment. (Incidentally I routinely advocate this exercise in my inspirational healthcare programs.)
Draw a line down the middle of a sheet of paper. Now, for the rest of the day, when you “think positive” sketch a “Smiley Face” on one side of the line. Conversely, every time you have a downbeat notion, mark a cross on the other side. Try this test and note which half of the paper you cover first. Most people cover the negative side of the paper much more rapidly than the other side.
What we require is a wider perspective, the ability to perceive the optimistic aspects of a circumstance so we can counterbalance our natural predisposition to drift towards the pessimistic. Why is this important? For the reason that a positive outlook is predictive of success in many areas from sales to sports.
A Motivational Speaker’s Answer…
If you find a downbeat thought pops into your skull, attempt these straightforward action steps:
Tip 1: Recognize the possibility that you’re not considering an similarly valid, more optimistic outlook.
Tip 2: Then, seek a broader, more neutral perspective.
Tip 3: Ask yourself straightforward questions. For example: How bad is this irritation really? Will I still care about it in three years time?
Finally, being conscious of your brain sieve will help you to seize control of your emotions. Take control of your thinking and keep an eye on what happens. Take it from a motivational speaker, you’ll be shocked!