ARTICLE
THE MAGIC OF CHANGED THINKING
VALUES OF GOOD THINKING
Philosopher Benjamin Disraeli, once said “Nurture great thoughts, for you will never go higher than your thoughts”. Look at all the successful people in the world, what do they have in common? What is that one thing that separates those who got to the top and those who never get there? “It’s Good Thinking”. If you are wiling to change your thinking, you can change your feelings. If you can change your feelings, you can change your actions. And by changing your actions - based on good thinking - you can change your life.
One’s thinking is shaped by different factors – family, surroundings, circumstances, education, experience etc.. Educational institutions have been shaped to teach people ‘what’ to think, rather than ‘how’ to think. Knowledge is power but knowledge has value only in the hands of someone who has the ability to think positive and well. We must learn how to think well and reach our potential.
Why should you embrace the value of good thinking? David Schwartz, Professor of Georgia State University and the author of ‘The Magic of Thinking Big’ writes “where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches or pounds or college degrees or family background or money; they are measured by the size of their thinking.” Becoming a better thinker is worth your effort because the way you think, really impacts every aspect of your life. It doesn’t matter who or what you are, good thinking will improve your life. It will make you a better person, businessman, parent, teacher, executive or whatever.
Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches or pounds or college degrees or family background or money; they are measured by the size of their thinking**Prof (Dr) David Schwartz
Let me tell you of a few reasons why good thinking is important:
1. Good thinking creates the foundation for good results.
James Allen has written “good thinking (positive thinking) can never produce bad results; bad thoughts (negative thinking) and actions can never produce good results”. You understand this in the natural world, but try to understand this in the mental and moral world, and cooperate with it. You know that poor thinking can produce only negative results, average thinking produces no result, and good thinking produces progress but great thinking produces great progress (great results). You cannot change your results without changing your thinking. Remember the proverb ‘as you sow, so you reap?’ If you need great results, you need to sow great thinking. Why do you think people fall short of achieving their complete dreams? It’s because they are trying to change their results without changing their thinking. The best way to develop good thinking is by surrounding yourself with it. How? You may ask. By reading positive attitude books, listening to positive thinking tapes and being amongst people who have developed the ability to think positive.
2. Good thinking increases your potential.
In every way each of us is a leader – in our school or college, to our family, in our profession, in our community, in our social environment etc. You will become as small as your controlling desire or as great as your dominant aspiration. You are that person as you think in your heart. Our leadership ability determines our level of effectiveness. The lid on your leadership ability is low if you are a poor thinker and that lid is high if you are a great thinker.
3. Good thinking produces more good thinking if you make it a habit.
The problems we face today cannot be solved by thinking in the same way we thought while creating them. Look around you the world keeps getting more complicated. It doesn’t’ have to discourage you. Let me share a great story with you:
I am your greatest companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half of the things you do you might as well just turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly. I am easily managed - you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great men: and alas, of all failures as well. Those who are great, I have made them great. Those who are failures, I have made failures. I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a man. You may run me for profit or run me for ruin — it makes no difference to me. Take me, train me be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you. Who am I? I am HABIT!
The good news here is no matter how complicated life gets or how difficult problems may seem; good thinking can make a difference - if you make it a consistent part of your life. Succes comes to those who habitually do things that unsuccessful people don’t do. The more you engage in good thinking, the more good thoughts you will continue to think. It’s like creating an army of good ideas capable of achieving almost anything. Everyone has the potential to become a good thinker. Remember - unsuccessful people focus their thinking on survival, average people focus their thinking on maintenance, and successful people focus their thinking on progress.
CHANGED THINKING
“We can’t stop you from thinking … but we can start you on it”. What are we thinking? “We are going to turn this team around.” “I am going to turn my results around.” It’s easy to believe that unsuccessful people need to change their thinking. But, how about the people who have achieved some degree of success? Can an individual go to the next level without changing the way they think? Almost every success story I have read tells a similar story. They all failed in the beginning. Some of them many times. They tried to change everything around them, including others. No success. They realized that to change it all they needed to change themselves! Change is an inside job; positive thinking is a continuous process, and not in stop gaps that will show results outwardly but later. Delayed gratification works if the process behind is genuine and right.
Change is an inside job
Why should anyone change their thinking? It’s hard to state the exact value of changing ones thinking. Good thinking can do many things: generate revenue, solve problems and create opportunities. It can take one to a whole new level - personally and professionally. It really can change ones life.
A few things one needs to know about changing thinking:
1. Changed Thinking Is Not Automatic
You know Laurel and Hardy. “Neither of them had any bad thoughts; in fact they had no thoughts at all” – wrote Lary Maxwel. Do many people take after Laurel and Hardy? Yes. A change in thinking doesn’t happen on its own. Ask yourself; do I want my results to be better, do I want to acquire new talents or, do I want my company to be lean, nimble, flexible, responsive, competitive, innovative, efficient, customer focused, and profitable? Good ideas rarely go out and find someone. If you want to find a good idea you must search for it. If you want to become a better thinker you need to work at it. And once you become a better thinker, good ideas keep coming. Never be satisfied with your present results for it will make you complacent. The amount of good thinking you can do at any time depends on how good you want to get, how high you (or your company) want to scale.
2. Changing thinking is simple but not easy
The only people who believe that ones thinking is easy are those who habitually don’t engage in it. “Thinking is hard work, that’s why so few do it” - Albert Einstein. Because thinking is difficult, you must use anything that will help you improve the process and master the process of intentional positive thinking.
3. Become a Possibility Thinker
**The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge. When do we come to the end of our possibilities? It’s the moment we believe that we’ve learned everything we need to know. It isn’t what we don’t know that stops us from succeeding but what we think we do know. Become a lifelong learner, and you will never run out of possibilities.**dr robert schuller
Psychologists tell us that about ten thousand ideas or thoughts go through an average human mind every day. Unfortunately most of them are negative. The absence of positive thoughts is what makes possibility thinking so hard to most. Possibility thinking is the management of ideas. Management is control of resources to minimise wastes and maximise productivity or develop latent possibilities. Possibility thinking is the disciplined separation of positive ideas from the negative thoughts. Positive thoughts are those that hold undeveloped potential for good.
There are two kinds of thinkers: the possibility thinker and the impossibility thinker. How do you identify which one is you? Nothing will have a greater impact on your future than the choices you make today – neither the state or condition of the government or society, the health of the economy, nor the people or circumstances around you. All these things are outside your control. What is under your control is what you choose to do – or not to do. Each time you make a choice, you move a little farther in a particular direction, for better or for worse. Choose wisely, and the bridge you build will take you to the future you desire. One of the most important choices you will ever make is how you will approach life on a day-to-day basis. You can sit back and wait for things to happen, or you can go out and make them happen. The choice is yours.
4 Changed Thinking Is Worth The Investment
More gold has been mined from the thoughts of man than has ever been taken from the earthnapoleon hill
When you take the time to learn how to change your thinking and become a better thinker, you are investing in yourself. Gold mines tap out. Stock markets crash. Businesses shut down. Real estate investments go sour. But a human mind with the ability to think well is like a diamond mine that never runs out. It’s priceless.
4. Changed Thinking Is The Best Gift You Can Give Others
“My guess is that well over eighty percent of human race goes through life without a single original thought” - author H. L. Mencken. When people change the way they think (to being positive), they not only improve their own life but also the lives of all the people they impact (in their organization, family, social circles etc.) Learning to think well is a great investment in yourself - but it’s also the greatest present you can give someone else, because it represents the gift of unlimited potential. I have been asked many hundreds of times, “what happened to Mysore Kirloskar?” Perhaps the best answer is “they changed their thinking - the wrong way”. When you are succeeding as an organization, you need to take your thinking to the next level, and not climb down. The right changed thinking is the best gift you can give.
IMPACT OF CHANGED THINKING
Most people who don’t feel content with their lives don’t know the reason why. They suspect the circumstances or blame other people. Even honest and self-aware individuals who know the problem lies inside of them still may have trouble getting to the root of the issue. They ask themselves, “Why am I this way?” They desire to change, but don’t do anything differently and find a pathway to change. They merely hope things will turnout all right - and they become frustrated when it doesn’t. Nobody can change another unless one wants to imbibe change from within. We are responsible to people but not for them. As a leader you need to teach the value of changed thinking and how to make those necessary changes; but the people themselves are responsible to make those changes.
Let’s see how one can bring change to themselves by taking responsibility and changing their thinking:
Step 1: Changing Your Thinking Changes Your Beliefs
“In our society, people who are out of shape mentally usually fall victim to ideas and systems that are destructive to the human spirit and to human relationships. They may be victimised for not being taught how to think, nor have they set themselves to the lifelong pursuit of the growth of the mind. Not having the facility for a strong mind, they grow dependent upon the thoughts and opinions of others. Rather than deal with ideas and issues, they reduce themselves to live full of rules, regulations, and programs” - author Gordon MacDonald. Or, they may simply give up. Here is the good news: even if one lacks a “strong mind” there is no reason to give up or live an unfulfilling life. The human mind can change. In fact that’s one of the things it does best - if one is willing to put in the effort to change ones thinking. As you strive to change tell yourself three things:
Change is personal - I need to change / we need to change.
Change is possible - I am able to change / we are able to change.
Change is profitable - I’ll be rewarded by change / we’ll be rewarded by change.
Remember, no matter how old you are or what your circumstances may be, you can change your thinking. And when you change your thinking, you change your beliefs.
Step 2: Changing Your Beliefs Changes Your Expectation
The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible. A belief should not just be an idea that you possess, it should be the idea that possesses you. A belief holds great power, because it changes an individual’s expectation. “The first and the most important step towards success is the expectation that we can succeed” - Nelson Boswell.
Step 3: Changing Your Expectation Changes Your Attitude
A man walked into the tent of a fortuneteller in a carnival and paid his money to have his palm read. “You will be poor until the age of 45”, said the fortuneteller. The man was dejected. Then he had a thought “what will happen after I am 45?” he asked. “You’ll get used to it,” she said. Our expectations have a tremendous impact on our attitudes. “Blessed are those who expect nothing, for he shall receive it” - Ben Franklin. Negative expectations are a quick route to dead end thinking. How many successful people do you know who are apathetic or negative? Positive expectations bring a positive attitude. The excitement, conviction, desire, confidence, commitment, patience, perseverance and energy - all characteristics that help a person produce success. If you would like to possess these qualities in great abundance then raise your expectations.
Step 4: Changing Your Attitude Changes Your Behavior
Have you ever observed how your mood affects the way you act? When you feel particularly happy, are you more energized? Are you more likely to be kind to others? Do you take on tasks more readily and complete them with competence and confidence? How about when you are having a really bad day? Do you get less work done? Are you less patient with your family and friends? Does everything seem like a chore? “Our emotions are the driving powers of our lives” - clergyman Earl Riney.
What is an attitude? It is the advance man of our true selves. Its roots are inward but its fruits are outward. It is our best friend or our worst enemy. It is more honest and more consistent than our words. It is an outward look based on past experiences. It is a thing that draws people to us or repels them. It is never content until it is expressed. It is the librarian of our past. It is the speaker of our present time. It is the prophet of our future. john maxwell
An attitude is little more than a mood or predominant emotion sustained over time. “That which holds our attention, determines our action” - psychologist William James. In other words, your behavior follows your attitude. The two cannot be separated. “How can you know what’s in your heart? Look at your behavior” - writes Leroy Elms.
Step 5: Changing Your Behavior Changes Your Performance
A golfers game was suffering from many reasons, mostly his grip (the way he held the golf club). He went to the pro for help. “You are using a baseball grip,” said the pro. “You’re never going to improve until you change it”. The golfer tried the new grip and said, “this feels terrible is this right?” “That’s it,” said the pro. The golfer complained, “I’ll never be able to do it this way,” complained the golfer. “Its’ up to you, you can do it the old way but you’ll never get any better”. The golfers performance depends on the change in his behavior. Don’t be too impressed with goal setting; be impressed with goal getting. Reaching new goals and moving to a higher level of performance always requires change, and change feels awkward. But, take comfort in the knowledge that if a change doesn’t feel uncomfortable, then it’s probably not really a change.
Step 6: Changing Your Performance Changes Your Life
When you change your performance - what you do on a consistent basis —then you have the power to change your life. In all my personal successes to achieve a change in my performance, I first had to change my thinking. I knew that I could not approach success in the same way mentally as I was doing before and still perform differently. I was lucky to have a great life coach – my wife, who helped rearrange my mental attitudes. I also read hundreds of books that would help me change my thinking. I began to practice success attitudes. I have got better, but this is a journey not a destination. I continued to explore more broadly. I began studying people on a level of skill beyond anyone in my circle. This may sound odd, but it took me some time to learn how to be myself. The whole process challenged me and at times I felt terribly lonely. I felt that I was the only person in the world who had to suffer through all these changes, even though intellectually I knew that I wasn’t. Becoming better required a whole new way of thinking, and it felt uncomfortable. I did it anyway. I continue to work on honing my skills and competence. I consider myself still a student of all the great teachers I have - whose books I read, whose counsel I seek and whom I would like to emulate. I learn from people better than I am – younger or elder. My thinking continues to evolve. I am not perfect. I know that if I continue to improve my thinking, it will impact my beliefs which change my expectations, which affect my attitude, which changes my behavior and improve my performance. And that will change my life.
THE NEXT LEVEL
Progress always requires change. Going to a new level always requires changing one thinking. You may know that intuitively, but you need to make that idea foundational to the way you “do” life. If you want to live on a new level, you have to think on a new level. Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars once observed, ” In the end, clear and inspired thinking is the only way to change things for the better. Someone once asked me when I succeeded at a project I had failed before “What did you change?” and I answered “I changed my thinking.”
When Mysore Kirloskar (MKL) or BPMT Indonesia turned around from a situation of closure, the fundamental change was in their changed thinking. They addressed change with an open mind, had strong beliefs and great expectations about success. It helped them change their attitudes and behavioral patterns that brought in performance, which exceeded all expectations. At every stage they lifted their own bar and moved to the next level.
Don’t compare. Comparison can lead to dissatisfaction, unhappiness or failure.
Set your own goals. Comparative results turn you blind to seeing what you could have added to that bottom line if only you had not paid attention to those unnecessaries. In times of success, you must more consciously lift your thinking to the next level. Do you want to succeed where you have failed before? Do you want to go to a level you never even dreamed possible? Do you want to become the person you always hoped to be? If you do, don’t try to start by trying to change you actions. Start by changing your thinking, change your mind. Nothing else you do will have as great an impact. Realise the impact of changed thinking.