Just back from Canada after facilitating an "Everything's Negotiable" workshop for ALL the procurement specialists for ALL Canada's major universities.
Great time and glad to be back home!
I was just thumbing through one of my favorite books of all time...
"The Magic of Thinking Big" by the legendary Dr. David J. Schwartz.
In this book, he discusses what is called "Excusitis."
The disease of failure.
You know people who suffer from this, as they always have an excuse for everything that goes wrong and naturally it is never their own fault. (They blame their spouses, parents, kids, bosses, friends, neighbors, colleagues, the list goes on and on and on.)
I may be a little rough on people (like I am myself), but I have to admit, I cannot take much of these people. 99.9% of the time these people do not even truly want help - it is much easier to stay infected by "Excusitis" and use it to fall back on as they fail miserably in their lives.
What most people fail to realize that the ONE constant in all these relationships and scenarios is themselves. (Does that help you get a clue?)
I recently was doing some research online on success and failure, and came across an article that was fascinating by The Kenmarc Company called...
Excusitis – The disease that undermines achievement
Here is is verbatim...
Excusitis – The disease that undermines achievement.
Are you suffering from ''Excusitis"? Excusitis is the “If only …” disease.
SYMPTOMS
If only I had more money; If only I had a better education; If only I were healthier;
If only I were younger; If only I were older; If only I were luckier; If only I were
brought up in a different family; If only I didn’t have a problem spouse. This is the
mental process a victim of this thought-disease goes through.
Like all diseases, Excusitis grows worse if it is not treated properly. Typically, the
victims are unaware that they are suffering from the disease. The very nature of
Excusitis is to produce the mind-deadening thought, "I am not doing as well as I should. What can I use as an alibi that will help me save face?”
Once the victim of this disease has selected a "good" excuse, he lives with it. Then he relies on it to explain to himself and to others why he is not going forward. And each time the victim makes the excuse; the excuse becomes imbedded deeper within his sub-conscious mind.
At first the victim of Excusitis knows his alibi is more or less a lie. But the more
frequently he repeats it, the more convinced he becomes that it is completely true, and that the alibi is the real reason for his not being the success he should be. Thoughts, positive or negative, grow stronger when fertilized with constant repetition.
PERSCRIPTION
To be successful, one must cure the disease that causes failure, Excusitis. To cure it, a proven prescription is required. Fortunately, the prescription exists; it is the emotional antioxidant, “Optimistic Response.”
It is widely known that certain antioxidants found in foods, notably leafy vegetables have a positive impact on the immune system by dramatically reducing risks of cancers as well as other diseases. For this reason, antioxidant vitamins are the most popular and universally respected nutritional supplements.
The Optimistic Response, on the other hand, is a positive visualization process, that manufactures the emotional antioxidant inside the mind, and then pumps it through the bloodstream, and throughout the entire body!
What exactly is the Optimistic Response? Simply stated, Optimistic Response is a habitual way of constructively explaining individual personal setbacks. It is a simple method of thinking and continually re-programming the self-image to yield comprehensive benefits. This approach to thinking heightens the immunity to negative and detrimental influences of all kinds, both physical and mental.
EXCUSITIS vs. OPTIMISTIC RESPONSE
People with “Excusitis” habitually blame undesirable experiences or outcomes on permanent conditions. For example, someone who delivers a speech badly, stumbles over words, and is not well received then says to his or her self-image: 'I'm just not good at speaking in front of groups. 'This turns the unpleasant incident into a permanent condition. The self-image will subsequently turn this into an instruction given to the individual every time this person steps to a podium to deliver a talk – self-fulfilling prophecy.
People that on the prescription “Optimistic Response” acknowledge the existence of a permanent disadvantage but only very reluctantly, and only in the face of overwhelming evidence, so, in the same situation, he or she would be more likely to say to the self-image: 'I did not succeed with my speech, but I can learn to do better the next time. 'Then would go ahead and evaluate how he or she was introduced, organized material, spoke, used humor, dress, and so on, in search of ways to be better and do better. This is the habit of “Optimistic Response” in action.
HABIT OF OPTIMISTIC RESPONSE
1. When you feel frustrated-STOP! Ask yourself if you are giving the power of permanence to something that can be changed. Are you struggling with an unpleasant incident, a temporary set of circumstances, or a permanent condition? Rarely will you be able to support the notion of a permanent condition.
2. Tell your self-image: 'I can figure this out."
3. Remind your self-image of your past achievements that indicate you can figure this out, that you can do better in this situation.
4. Be alert for behavior patterns, doing the same thing the same way, when doing so has been producing unsatisfactory results. Break the pattern!
One Common Sense Truism™ states, “An excuse is never as good as a result”. Utilizing the magic of the Optimistic Response, one cannot only cure the disease of Excusitis, but to achieve virtually unlimited success in any aspect of life.
WOW! Tough stuff! Well maybe not.
Change really can happen in an instant - you just have to decide what you really want obsessively - make the decision that you are moving forward no matter what the consequences - you will make no more excuses - and take small or large steps everyday toward what you want.
And if this does not work for you - go on being miserable. Just stop complaining to others about it - because in the end - NOBODY cares or feels sorry for someone not willing to help themselves.
Enough on that.
Make sure and watch for the new audio versions of...
- Negotiate Your Way to Riches
- Buying Secrets Retailer's DON'T Want You To Know About
Both being released in the next four weeks on Audible.com and iTunes.
Also, I'm making progress on my new book - will be done this Summer. Details to follow!
Getting ready to spend four days with Dr. Joe Vitale, strategizing in a top secret location. Maybe here in Chicago! Maybe near you! You never know.
Gotta run - much to do!
Until next time...
Peter
http://www.peterwink.com/
PS...To get a copy of "Buying Secrets Retailers DON'T Want You to Know About" - please click here.
PPS...To get a copy of my bestselling book "Negotiate Your Way to Riches" - please click here.
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