You’re deluded!
Here’s why most of what you think is true
is just plain wrong …
And how getting in touch with reality
can help you turn economic lemons
into sweet lemonade
Dear Business-Builder,
Discouragement …
Feelings of self-doubt, insecurity and vulnerability …
Despair and depression …
Stark fear and blind panic …
It’s no secret that these and many other negative emotions are now haunting many of our prospects’ daydreams and nightmares.
Who knows? Maybe yours, too.
It’s to be expected that so many people would be feeling poorly at a time like this.
But toxic emotions are business-killers … career-killers … income-killers. Because whether we admit it or not those emotions – NOT reason – are the cause of most decisions we make; most things we do. And when we’re feeling negatively, we tend to make poorer decisions: Decisions that result in financial losses, lost jobs, bankruptcies.
Worse: Scientists say toxic emotions also depress our immune systems, significantly increasing the incidence of fatal diseases among depressed people.
And of course, poisonous emotions also cripple us with deadly depression – the primary reason why last year, U.S. suicide rates began rising again for the first time in a decade.
What makes these unthinkable events even more tragic is that they are so needless … pointless … uncalled for … so unnecessary.
Because nearly all of the thoughts and feelings
that trigger these tragedies are outright lies.
I’ve often written about where emotions come from …
- An event – something that happens to you or that you see, hear, taste, smell or remember – occurs.
- Your brain passes information about that event through a “belief filter” you may or may not know you have about events like this one.
- What comes out after your belief filter analyzes the event is called a “thought.” Sometimes, you’re aware of that thought. Other times, it’s gone so fast you never consciously notice it.
Depending on how accurate your belief filters are, that thought can either be fairly rational and accurate or wildly wrong.
- Every thought – right or wrong – leaves a footprint in our bodies by causing our brains to release certain chemicals. You and I experience those chemicals as emotions.
This is important stuff for marketers to know because, as I’m also wont to point out, the vast majority of the purchase decisions our prospects make are based on emotion; NOT on logic.
All they really need to survive is a lean-to, a fire and a recently deceased critter to cook. Pretty much everything else they buy is to satisfy an emotional need.
This is why I often say that copywriters who focus exclusively on making rational arguments …
But who never give a thought to the prospect’s emotional state before, during and after reading a promo …
Are like a gaggle of gunfighters stampeding off to the O.K. Corral but leaving 90% of their ammo back at the saloon.
Now, though, as each of us processes a new daily tidal wave of bad news about the economy, it’s also time to consider how each one of your belief filters – and the thoughts and emotions they’re serving up – are affecting your businesses … your career, your income and your future.
Are your Belief Filters helping you?
Limiting you?
Or maybe even dooming you to failure?
The big secret most shrinks know is that the vast majority of positive emotions are rational; appropriate. But the vast majority of negative emotions are just plain baloney – triggered by false beliefs we have about ourselves and the world around us.
Now, if you know anything at all about me, it’s probably that I am definitely no Pollyanna. I’m hardly known for pulling my punches or gilding the lily.
For more than a year now, I’ve been warning you that the business environment stinks – and that the stench will only become more overwhelming in the months ahead.
Ironically, though, I consider myself an optimist when it comes to how this crisis will ultimately affect my family and my business.
Because I’ve taken inventory of my belief filters.
I’ve discarded beliefs I held that were misleading, false and outright lies. And I’ve replaced them with beliefs that are more accurate and rational and therefore, helpful.
The belief filters I was given by my parents, my school and my church once told my brain that I was inconsequential; powerless in determining my own future.
According to them, I was little more than a pawn. A victim. “Fate” or “the gods” determined the path of my life. Any success I achieved was little more than a lucky break allowed – whether intentionally or accidentally – by Providence.
And that meant it was probably only a matter of time before some outside force would destroy any success I’d achieved, render me a victim and give me what I really deserved: To be dirt poor and alone again, much like I was growing up.
Imagine looking at today’s business environment through those mud-colored glasses! Imagine the toxic emotions I’d be having right now!
Lucky for me, some 20 years ago, my #1 client was sold to a bunch of drooling morons who began systematically killing the company and endangering my sole source of income.
Lucky for me, the disaster got me so depressed, I sought out and found a great man to help me deal with my depression.
Most of all, it was lucky for me that this great man helped me identify my idiotic belief filters … disabuse myself of them … and replace them with rational, realistic, accurate, HELPFUL ones.
That done, I suddenly realized that I have enormous powers of self-determination. While outside events and other people may have some influence on my life, I and I alone have the greatest say – by far – in its ultimate outcome.
I also realized that the vast majority of events that others think are negative are really only chances for a new beginning … exciting changes … and new, probably even greater opportunities.
And most importantly, I realized that at any given moment in my life, I am far better equipped to deal with and triumph over even The Worst-Case Scenario than I was 40 years ago, ten years ago, or even yesterday.
The glass, she is much more than half full …
It would be dangerous enough if the problem was all in our heads. If simply exchanging inaccurate belief filters for accurate ones was enough to vaporize depression and give us the positive outlook we need to succeed.
But in most cases, the events we witness are not even real events!
Think about it: The simple truth is our perception of the world is almost entirely derived from what we see on TV, hear on the radio and read in the papers.
And because the media relies on sensationalism to sell subscriptions and get ratings …
And because negative news is far more sensational than positive news …
It’s no wonder that most of us have a distorted perception of what’s really going on around us!
Have you ever taken a moment to consider how many times politicians and the media have screamed “CRISIS!” at us during our lifetimes?
Well, let’s see …
In my lifetime, there was The Cold War crisis … the Cuban Missile Crisis … the Arab Oil Embargo Crisis … the Kennedy, Kennedy and King Crises … the Vietnam Crisis … the Summer of Crisis in ’68 … the Inflation Crisis of the ‘70s … the Iranian Hostage Crisis … the Reagan Budget crisis … the stock market crisis of ’87 … the AIDS crisis … the global warming crisis of the ‘90s … the crisis in Bosnia … the “Asian Contagion” crisis … the Oklahoma City bombing crisis … the bursting of the tech bubble crisis … the 9/11 crisis … the anthrax crisis … the twin war on terror crises in Iraq and Afghanistan … and now, of course, “The greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression.”
Wow. That’s a LOT of crises! And I even left out some.
I’ll bet, if you were an alien looking at this list, you’d probably wonder how we managed to survive them all …
Let alone the impending crises that dominate cable TV; the “comet-or-asteroid-hits Earth” crisis … the “Yellowstone-super-volcano could erupt-crisis … the “massive-earthquake-could-render-all-life-in-the-Pacific-Rim-extinct” crisis … and more.
I’ll bet you all those crises have caused plenty of aliens to abandon their plans to invade and dominate Earth.
For one thing, the place is clearly a death trap. And for another, they figure any species that could survive all those crises would surely kick their slimy little green arses all over the solar system!
Want to know a secret fantasy of mine? OK, here goes: I’d love to get hold of a major news outlet for one day just to see what effect reporting the positive side of the news might have …
- NEWS EVENT: The Commerce Department reports that retailers are cutting prices to attract customers and that profits are declining …
MY HEADLINE: Consumers snapping up the bargains of a lifetime! Saving 50% or more every time they open their wallets! Most retailers still turning a profit!
- NEWS EVENT: Car companies and high-end retailers issue their earnings reports; they’re losing money …
MY HEADLINE: Profits SURGING at job search companies like Monster.com … home-based business firms like Avon … and discount retailers like Amazon.com!
- NEWS EVENT: The Labor Department reports that unemployment has just hit 7.2%. 11.1 million American workers are now unemployed …
MY HEADLINE: 92.8% of American workers getting paychecks! 139.9 MILLION are bringing home the bacon AND being paid up to 90% more than their counterparts overseas!
My point: The vast majority of all events are neutral. It’s the media’s incessantly negative spin combined with our own negative belief filters that delude us into accepting a negative view of the world in general and our future in particular.
And that negative outlook and the toxic emotions that spring from it paralyze us … sap our creative energy … make us afraid to take risks … discourage us from doing what we must to triumph.
Everything changes once you change your focus. Look for the silver lining; it’ll be there. Look for opportunity when others are panicking; chances are, you’ll find it.
Become obsessed with finding the bright side; you’re gonna need shades!
Something to think about…
Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often,
Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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14 Comments »
Join the Discussion!
Let us know what you think. Or ask us anything. Or offer your own sage advice.
The only rule: RESPECT THIS HOUSE! Postings that contain abusive language and/or personal attacks will be cheerfully VAPORIZED. One cross word and – POOF! – your well-thought-out post will be gone in a puff of smoke.
– Clayton
Comment by Lori Snyder — June 14, 2010 @ 9:15 am
Thank you Clayton for that fresh perspective. It’s easy to get bogged down in what we hear. I remember learning in statistics class how easy it is to “spin” numbers to make a point. I’m printing your post and sticking it to the wall for the next time I need a pick me up!
Comment by Dave Meir — June 14, 2010 @ 9:24 am
Awesome stuff Clayton. I’m 52 and I’ve heard your argument again and again (from different people - Zig, Brian Tracey, Denis Waitley, etc…) over the years.
Please continue to “argue”. Because even though I’m fortunate to have been exposed to people like you (and the others mentioned above)we/I still need to hear what you have to say - on a daily basis.
As Jim Rohn used to say, “We need to stand guard at the door to our mind every day.”
Have a fantastic week!
Comment by Doberman Dan — June 14, 2010 @ 9:39 am
This came at just the right time. A lot of people needed to hear this… including little old me!
It’s kinda funny… every time I look for evidence of things going to hell in a hand basket, I find it.
And every time I look for evidence that things are going well and getting better… and people are positive about the future… I find that, too.
All the best,
Doberman Dan
Comment by Paul Guzman — June 14, 2010 @ 9:47 am
Clayton…you forgot the dot com crisis. I’d be interested to hear what your “headline” would be on that one!
Paul
Comment by Margaret — June 14, 2010 @ 10:11 am
Clayton,
I try to read your newsletter everyday but get behind some and try to catch up. Your article today is awesome because I have been following the news etc for awhile, it seems that there is nothing positive but I know that there is on my mind anyway. I believe in being positive and try to always have a smile for everyone-no matter how I feel or how the day is going. I think that there are too many people who don’t do it enough.
So here is a smile for you today and hope it makes your day better. You are a great writer and I like your point of view on most of what you write about. Keep up the good work.
Comment by Ron Schmidt — June 14, 2010 @ 10:14 am
Hey Clayton,
So appreciate your mind-changing optimism Clayton.
Wanted to jump up on your soap box for a minute and leave a brief thought (yes it’s quite a little contrary belief system that goes like this) - the worse things get, the better I like it.
Huh, you say?
Well, it’s really a very simple concept, that is, if you’re one of the PROBLEM SOLVERS.
When times are going great guns, NO ONE’S LOOKING FOR THE PROBLEM SOLVERS, are they?
Everyone’s fat, dumb and happy.
Huh?
But when times aren’t going so good, everyone is looking for the PROBLEM SOLVERS - abd that’s basically what we all get paid to do, isn’t it?
Think about it, the bigger problem you can solve, the more you get paid!
How would you like to be able to solve the Gulf oil situation?
Yikes!
BP would be backing up the trucks to your door filled with cold hard cash to get that problem solved, wouldn’t they?
On the other hand, just imagine the immense value of someone, like us, who are able to create sales and profits with nothing more than his or her mouth, the stroke of a pen or with the click of a keyboard!
What a great life we live! Amen and Amen.
Basically ALL of us are in the PROBLEM SOLVING BUSINESS - each one of us, some better than others, some are even PART OF THE PROBLEM (fill in the blank with your choice ___________)but we won’t go right yet.
But, when things aren’t going very smoothly or it’s getting a little rough out there on the high seas, that’s great for all of us who are THE PROBLEM SOLVERS to rise to the top!
Clayton, thanks for the opportunity to add my $.50 on your soap box.
Be Blessed!
Ron
PS Keep up the great work Clayton! And by the way, there are two surprises headed your way. They’ll be coming from Florida and I know you and your staff will enjoy them every time you use them.
Comment by Warwick — June 14, 2010 @ 11:47 am
Thanks Clayton, I needed that.I feel it’s not the news so much as our reliance on outside forces to set our agendas. We want to be lead, coddled, and taken care of. I raise my hand as a leader in that category.
Keep the reality checks coming. (The Total Package) I”ll keep cashing them.
Warwick
Comment by Wize Time — June 14, 2010 @ 12:57 pm
I thank you very much for this article! It was just the right article for me right now - I was getting into the “woe is me” syndrome - and I could hear “them” in my head - you’re right - we are “programmed” into concentrating and reacting to the negative rather than the positive - it’s odd that you mentioned the numbers of people receiving pay - I said that to someone recently and it shocked them!
Comment by Wayne Kronz — June 14, 2010 @ 4:20 pm
Clayton,
About once a month you do a post that dazzles me. Your optimism is just what we all need to hear. We don’t get this kind of message from many people, , , certianly not the media.
Keep up the good work.
I took just a couple of paragraphs and created what I call a mysical model called, Where Do Emotion Come From. You can enjoy it at my blog, MethodMap.blogspot.com
Wayne
Comment by Sharon A. — June 14, 2010 @ 5:29 pm
Awesome, Clayton! And so true. I wonder what your headline would be about the oil spill in the Gulf?
That always drives me crazy about 9-11. All the media does every year is talk about the people who were lost. I agree it’s important to remember, BUT, where’s the stories about all the people who came together to help each other? You never hear anything about that. All the news broadcasts ever show is the sad stuff. I don’t even bother turning on the TV anymore.
Amen about those belief filters—if I listened to everything I’d been taught about myself I’d have been in the ground years ago. My biggest “fault” then was simply existing–never mind what else I was told.—I am seen as physically “disabled” by those who don’t know me, but that has nothing to do with me. If you tell me what I can’t do, you better stand back while I do it. I have survived a fire, a serious car accident, two tornadoes, and seven years of homelessness, and now I’m dealing with a chronic illness, but nothing is going to stop me. I may get things done slower than some, but I will get there. Then, when I do, I’m going to look back at all those doubters and say, #$%! all of you—how do you like me now?
Whew—time to jump off the soapbox. Thanks for a great article. I am printing it out and hanging it over my desk!
Comment by James — June 14, 2010 @ 9:01 pm
YOUR’E THE MAN
The gloom and doom merchants rule the air waves like in the movie rocky the fight for mind control is on.
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows.
It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.
You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.
But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward.
That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth.
But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!
Rocky …
Enough said
regards james
Comment by Barbara — June 14, 2010 @ 9:33 pm
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you for putting things back into perspective!
The other thing we should be diligent about is the
polical polls that give the small number of respondents
as though they are in the majority. For example,
35% of people believe the sky is falling. If we’re not careful we accept this and believe that most people believe
the sky is falling. Someone once said (when asked how
the economy is going) that it depends on how the people
believe it is. Quite an astute comment, huh?
Also qudos (spelling) to Ron who reminds us that we,
the problem solvers, are indeed in a very, very good place.
Barbara
Comment by John Forde — June 15, 2010 @ 9:41 am
Ha… Clayton, loved the article… especially the idea that any right-minded alien would steer clear of Earth as a “death trap”… but of course, for the intelligently positive re-focus.
I have to admit, there was a moment there when you rewrote the news events that I couldn’t help thinking of you working for those guys who lit Orwell’s screens in 1984… and being damn good at it… but in truth, it’s clear you’re absolutely right.
I don’t watch the news anymore, at least not the network stuff, because it’s flat-out exhausting to keep up with their enthusiasm for chaos. Everything has to be a disaster that’s bigger and worse than the last.
On the other hand, here I am in Europe as I write this… and, despite all my sympathies for the Greeks and the EU, I feel like I’m getting richer as my dollars implode less quickly than they Euro.
(Translation: The best time to travel in Europe in years: Some of the world’s best restaurants, most beautiful sites and cities, even top notch hotels are BEGGING for your business!)
Thanks again for yet another top-notch insight.
P.S. Some in these comments mentioned both the BP crisis and the dotcom bomb. I don’t have the re-headlines for these, but there’s definitely good that came out of/will come out of both.
For dotcoms, we definitely saw a lot of stupid money get sizzled in the markets… but remember, we also saw private industry online explode. The online infrastructure grew up, too. iPods, etc. wouldn’t be possible if some hand come and gone in the digital download space, trading of MP3s, etc. And we also got Google, Amazon, and more.
For BP, it’s an environmental mess and at least a temporary blow to offshore drilling, along with fishing, etc. But for the green crowd, this could be the event that makes real research into green-tech energy finally get rolling in earnest. So will the research into getting new oil out of fading fields.
Plus, anybody who knows anything about oil knows that, frankly, in the medium and long-term the seas are the only fertile grounds left for oil discovery. We’ll have to plow ahead, because the need is just that great.
So we might as well do so with some real knowledge of what the risks are… not to mention, with all the new technology we’re sure to develop now to make those future offshore discoveries safer and more efficient.
A crisis? Maybe.
But think how much further ahead we’ll be tomorrow than we are right now.
Comment by Chris — June 15, 2010 @ 12:41 pm
Ain’t that the TRUTH! ;o)
Thanks, Clayton.