Langleymass,
Couple things here.
First, I never expressed any resentment towards NLP. I presented my experience and assessment with those I've discussed it with - people who both use it and teach it. I certainly don't resent it. Resent is a very strong word.
In fact, I indicate that if your objectives with NLP are not "underhanded" to go at it. It doesn't bother me. It is the idea of being "covertly" manipulative that bothers me. It implies an dishonesty.
Second, I don't even know where the pollyanna comment is coming from. Except to say that I am certainly an optimist. But pretending that bad things don't happen is not part of my psyche or vernacular. In fact, I just blogged this morning on coming home and finding a flood inside our house.
It wasn't a good thing - although, the work we did as a family to correct it and our attitude towards it was - I must admit - good. And I drew a positive from it - not because it wasn't inconvenient or that it won't cost us some money and time - both very valuable commodities. But because we really only have three choices in our response. One, be upset and angry about the whole thing. Two, be emotioanlly aloof about it. Three, find some positive element while we correct the damage.
We chose option 3.
If that is a Pollyanna attitude, I'll maintain that it beats the alternatives.
Regarding getting lucky - man, I think luck is a great thing. But I also believe your preparedness is a great luck enhancer. I don't play the lottery, I don't gamble, etc. So I am going to have to have "luck" in more substantive things. One way to make luck a more normal part of your everyday is to do lots of things.
This means, get exposed to opportunities and have a means of analyzing them so you can make a rapid decision on them. When I started consulting in the Phoenix area, I visited 300 companies over 6-7 weeks. I ended up with 4 good clients - the type of client that fits my profile of a good client. It generates 10K per month pretty easily.
Was I lucky? Uh guess. But only with 4 our of 300 potential clients. Was I unlukcy with the rest? I don't even view it that way. Lucky versus unlucky. One client suggested that it was quite a coincidence that I met up with them when I did - they needed document assembly experience in the insurance and legal industries - I have both.
I told him that if you visit 300 companies in a few weeks you will have a coincidence or two.
I've relayed this story before. It is true (at least in my Pollyanna nostalgic childhood recollection).
When I was about 8 years old there was a kid named Andrew in our neighborhood. Nothing particularly special about Andrew in most regards. But Andrew found money all the time. Everywhere we went. A quarter here, a couple dimes there, even dollar bills. Sometimes it was a bunch of Orange Crush recycylable bottles.
He was unselfish and shared his "wealth" as it were. We'd go the store and buy candy bars, soda, whatever.
But it was aggravating too. We all wanted to find money, just like Andrew.
One day, after he had found some money - again... I asked him, "Andrew, how do you find money all the time."
He thought about it for a minute and answered, "I look at the ground when I walk."
That was it? That was the secret? It seemed way too simple. But the funny thing is I remember that Andrew walked with his head down - always scanning the ground.
I don't think it was for money per se because in remembering Andrew, he found all sorts of things. Some good, some bad.
I used the lesson later to explain how I always found clients and business opportunities. I simply looked where those opportunities existed. Much of the time, nothing. But you only need one or two good ones to appear lucky.
Once again, if NLP helps you, great! No resentment. Am I sceptical, sure, not because I care whether or not people pursue it but because I am convinced there are simpler answers to the results.
From a pragmatic standpoint, if someone finds that eating 10 Blueberries and a granola bar helps them achieve more, they should do it.
The truth is that everyone will experience more luck if they do more directed guided activity in an areas of interest and take action on a few things.
Also, that they view setbacks (flooded houses) as par for the course. It is what occurs in life. Therefore, you are not devestated when it does and you don't spend a lot of time on those events - correct it, learn from it, and move on.
Eventually, a situation you put yourself into will take a posiitive turn. When it does, someone will indicate that you are so lucky. And you will remember all the things that didn't go right, all the guided/directed work that you did, and you will nod politely because what else can you say.
Matthew Moran
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Todo esta bien.. Todo esta divertido (it's all good, it's all fun)
