How to Think Big? 3

 

How to Think and Dream Creatively

 

To do anything, we must first believe it can be done. Believing something can be done sets the mind in motion to find a way to do it. Example question: How many of you feel that it is possible to eliminate jails within the next thirty years? (This question of eliminating jails is used to make a point). Each of you has come up with reason why we can’t eliminate the need for jails. Now, will you try extra hard for a few minutes to believe we can eliminate jails or assuming we can eliminate jails, how could we begin?,

 “Believe it can be done”, “When you believe, your mind finds ways to do. “When you believe something is impossible, your mind goes to work for you to prove why. But when you believe, really believe, something can be done, your mind goes to work for you and helps you find the ways to do it.” Belief releases creative powers, disbelief puts the brakes on.

You can find ways to like a person if you believe you can. You can discover solutions to personal problems if you believe you can.

 

“Where there’s a will, there is way”

 

Top success is reserved for the I-can-do-it-better kind of person. The I-can-do-better philosophy works magic. When you ask yourself, “How can I do better?” your creative power is switch on and ways for doing things better suggest themselves.

 

Plan a weekly improvement program: Each day before you begin work, devote ten minutes to thinking “How can I do a better job today?” Ask, what can I do today to encourage my employees? What special favour can I do for my customers? How can I increase my personal efficiency?

 

Capacity is a state of mind. How much we can do depends on how much we think we can do. Prove to myself that how much I can do depends on how much I think I can do.

 

Convinced it pays to do more and better? If yes, try this two step procedures:

1. Eagerly accept the opportunity to do more.

2. Concentrate on “How can I do more?”

 

“Big people monopolized the listening, Small people monopolized the talking”

 

Top-level leaders in all walks of life spend much more time requesting advice than they do in giving it. A leader is a decision making human machine. Ideas of others help to spark our own ideas so our mind is more creative.

 

Three stage program to strengthen creativity through asking and listening.

1.  Encourage others to talk. In personal conversation or in group meeting. (Ex. Tell me about your experience, or what do you think should be done about…? What do you think is the key point?) These will double-barrelled victory, your mind soak up raw material that you can use to produce creative thought.

2. Test your own views in the forms of questions. Use the what do you think of this suggestion? approach.

3. Concentrate on what the other person says. Listening means letting what’s said penetrate your mind. Evaluate it, that’s how you collect mind food.

 

Three ways to harness and develop your ideas:

1. Don’t let ideas escape. Write them down. Carry a notebook or small card with you and when you get an idea, write it down because memory is weak.

2.  Review your ideas and file to active file.

3.  Cultivate and fertilize your ideas. Make it grow, think about it, tie it to related ideas, then, when time is ripe, put it to work for yourself, job or future.

  

You Are What You Think You Are

 

1. Look important – it helps you think important.

To be important, we must think we are important, really think so, so others will think so too.

      Here is the logic: “How you think determines how you act, How you act in turn determines   how others react to you”

 

To gain the respect of others, you must first think you deserve respect. And the more respect you have for yourself, the more respect others will have for you.

           

How you look on the outside affects how you think and feel on the inside. Your appearance talks to you, but it also talks to others. It helps determine what others think of you.

 

2. Think your work is important.

Job thinking tells a lot about a person and his potential for larger responsibility. A person who thinks his job is important, receives mental signals on how to do his job better, and a better job means more promotions, more money, more prestige, more happiness. The way we think toward our job determines how our subordinates think toward their job.

 

Two suggestions for getting others to do more for you:

1. Always show positive attitudes toward your job so that your subordinates will pick-up right thinking.
2. As you approach your job each day, ask yourself, “Am I worthy in every respect of being imitated?”, “Are all my habits such that I would be glad to see them in my subordinates?”

 

3. Give yourself a pep talk several times daily.

Practice uplifting self-praise. Don’t practice belittling self-punishment. You are what you think you are. Think more of yourself and there is more of you. Build your own “sell-yourself-to-yourself” commercial.

 

“Tom Stanley, meet Tom Stanley – an important, a really important person. Tom, you’re a big thinker, so think big, Think big about everything. You’ve got plenty of ability to do a first-class job, so do a first class job. Tom, you believe in happiness, progress and prosperity, So: talk only happiness, talk only progress, talk only prosperity. You have lots of drive, Tom, lots of drive. So put that drive to work. Nothing can stop you, Tom, nothing. Tom, you’re enthusiastic. Let your enthusiasm show through. You look good, tom, and you fill good. Stay that way. Tom, you were a great fellow yesterday and you’re going to be an even greater fellow today. Now, go to it, Tom, Go forward.”

 

Here’s how to build your sell-yourself-to-yourself commercial.

1. Select your assets, your points of superiority. Ask yourself, “What are my best qualities?”
2. Put these points down on paper in your own words. Re-read Tom Stanley’s commercial.
3. Practice your commercial out loud in private at least once a day.
4. Read your commercial silently several time every day. Before you tackle anything that demands courage.

 

4. Upgrade your thinking.  Think like important people think. Upgrading your thinking upgrades your actions, and this produces success.

 

How Am I thinking? Checklist:

Situation                      Ask Yourself       

1.When I worry                 Would an important person worry about this?

                                                

2.An Idea                         What would an important person do if he had their idea?

 

3.My appearance             Do I look like someone who has maximum self-respect?

 

4.My language                 Am I using the language of successful people?

 

5.What I read                   Would an important person read this?

 

6.Conversation                 Is this something successful people would discuss?

 

7.When I lose my temper  Would an important person get mad at what I’m mad at?

 

8.My jokes                      Is this the kind of joke an important person would tell?

 

9.My job                         How does an important person describe his job to others?

 

Manage Your Environment: Go First Class

 

Mind food is your environment – all the countless things that influence your conscious and subconscious thought. The kind of mind food we consume determines our habits, attitudes, personality. As the saying goes, you are the product of your environment.

 

1.     Recondition yourself for Success.

 

Most people you know can be classified into three groups:

 First group: Those who surrendered completely – the majority of people are convinced deep down inside that they haven’t got what it takes, that real success, real accomplishment, is for others who are lucky or fortunate in some special respect. You can easily spot these people.

Second group: Those who surrendered partially - this group enter adult life with considerable hope for success. These people prepared themselves, they work, they plan, but, after a decade or so, resistance begins to build up, competition for top-level jobs looks rugged. This group then decides that greater success is not worth the effort. They rationalize, “We’re earning more than the average and we live better than the average. This group developed a set of fears: fear of failure, fear of social disapproval, fear of insecurity, fear of losing what they already have. This group includes many talented, intelligent people afraid to stand-up and run.

Third group: Those who never surrender.  Maybe 2 or 3% of the total. Doesn’t let pessimism dictates, doesn’t believe in surrendering to suppressive forces, these people is the happiest because it accomplishes the most. Let’s be honest, all of us would like to be in the third group.

 

Supposed you tell several of your average friends with the greatest sincerity: “Someday I’m going to be vice president of this company. What will happen? Your friends will probably think you are joking. And if they should believe you mean it, chances are they will say “You poor guy, you sure have a lot to learn”. Now, assume you repeat the same to the president of the company. How will he react? One thing is certain, he will not laugh. He will look at you intently and ask himself, “Does this fellow really mean this?” Because big men do not laugh at big ideas. Or suppose you tell some average people you plan to own an expensive home, and they may laugh at you because they think it’s impossible. But tell your plan to a person already living in an expensive home, and he won’t be surprised. He knows it isn’t impossible, because he’s already done it. Remember this: “People, who tell you it cannot be done almost always are unsuccessful people, are strictly average or mediocre at best in terms of accomplishment”. “Accept negative advice only as a challenge to prove that you can do it.” “Birds of a feather do flock together, so be sure you’re in the flock that thinks right.”

 

2. Make it a rule to seek advice from people who know.

 

Do’s to help your social environment first class:

1. Do circulate in new groups.
2. Do select friends who have views different from your own.
3. Do select friends who stand above petty, unimportant things. Friends who really do want to see you succeed. Find friends who breathe encouragement into your plans and ideas.

 

You can test your proneness to be a gossiper by taking this test: 

1. Do I spread rumors about other people?
2. Do I always have good things to say about others?
3. Do I like to hear reports of a scandal?
4. Do I encourage others to bring their rumors to me?
5. Do I judge others only on the basic of facts?
6. Do I precede my conversations with ‘Don’t tell anybody?
7. Do I keep confidential information confidential?
8. Do I feel guilty about what I say concerning other people?

 

Using verbal axes and grenades on another person doesn’t do one thing to make you a better or me a better me.

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