Where does your attention go naturally? Do you tend to see problems or are you someone that sees possibility? Is it possible to influence our own mind so that it pays attention in a way that can get you better results?
NLP explains this notion quite nicely through the communication model. I will explain a small portion of the model that I believe will answer the above noted questions.
The bulk of the information that is available to us in any given second is so overwhelming that we must delete most of it in order to function. In fact, some believe that there are over 2 million bits of information available each second and we can only consciously absorb 7 of them. Admittedly, it may be difficult to accept the accuracy of these numbers however it is still a very useful model to understand just how we create our version of reality. The deletion of the vast majority of information can become evident in interesting ways.
A client recently told me that she just discovered Dragon Fruit in the grocery store. She regularly buys various kinds of fruit but somehow she had never come across this particular fruit and had no idea of it existed. Once she discovered it, she saw it everywhere. She visited her usual aisle to pick up fruit juice that she bought regularly and all of a sudden there it was.....Dragon Fruit Juice. Was this juice available all along? Did she really visit that aisle dozens of times in the past and just not see this particular variety of juice?
People can have a similar experience when they buy a new car. It seems the day they drive their car off the lot a whole slew of people went out and bought the identical model in the same colour. Of course, there are no more black Honda Civics on the road the day after you bought your black Civic but it can certainly appear that way.
The truth is, our mind only allows in information that it feels is pertinent to us. This allows us to function without becoming overwhelmed. The downside is that this information that our mind deems pertinent comes at the expense of all other available information. What if some of this deleted information may have been helpful to us?
There are many ways in which you can gain some control over which 7 bits of information you consistently allow in. One way is to choose your friends carefully because they will influence what you pay attention to. The information that you are allowing in will shape your life and you are not in control of it to the extent you may think. You can gain some control by monitoring more closely what information you are exposed to. This applies to your friends, which books you read, what programs you watch, whose Facebook posts you read......etc.
A good way to look at it is that the new information that comes in must have some place to attach itself. If there is nothing there for it to attach itself to, it passes you by. If you spend your time socializing with negative people that are always talking about all the things that are wrong with the world, what information do you suppose you are allowing in? More importantly, what information are you deleting?
Positive change requires a change in your unconscious mind. Understanding a concept intellectually is not enough. Once you begin to practice it you will gain wisdom around it and begin to understand at a deeper level why it works. This is how you can change your unconscious patterns that are producing your current results.
I have helped many people make positive change and one of the things my clients gain is an understanding of how important it is to monitor and influence their own thoughts.
Losing weight, quitting smoking, avoiding certain foods or gaining control over your emotional state is not as hard as you think it is. Shifting your predominant thoughts in a way that allows in the information necessary to easily break bad habits is a great place to start. The process of replacing bad habits with good ones is not only painless but it is actually quite enjoyable when you enlist the help of your unconscious mind.
This is why I sometimes refer to myself as an "Unconscious Coach." My clients have everything they need to resolve their issue within them. My role is to connect them with the solution they already possess. Their predominant thoughts have convinced them that the challenge is much bigger than it actually is.
Have you considered what information you are allowing in and how it may be contributing to the results you are getting in life?
