So yesterday my brain said no about being smart.
Which is totally cool btw.
We can’t be expected to be operating at 100% all the time and that’s what seems to be happening out in the real world all too often.
We’re over exposed and overstimulated to such a massive degree that we feel lost and inside of being lost, we also feel empty and aimless. Like we’re just treading through mud and everything feels like a slog.
Over the last few days I’ve had a few people reach out of via DM and in email to ask what in a nutshells is just “How do I start”
Start being the key word.
To start doing anything we need to start unlearning a lot of what was either taught to us or what has been ingrained in us since we were kids. Yes the people who might’ve told us certain things might’ve done it out of love and protection from us getting hurt. Sadly they never knew better. So we can’t really blame them.
But where did personal development originate from?
It’s tough to truly pin down as it’s been around since forever.
Back in Ancient Greece. The maxim “Know thyself” from the Temple of Apollo at Delphi represents one of the earliest formal calls for self improvement. To Eastern Philosophy (500-400 BCE) where Buddhist and Confucian teachings emphasised self cultivation and moral development.
To all the new age stuff from Jim Rohn to Anthony Robbins we’re all neatly wrapped inside a weird world which can pull you in every distance.
Psycho Cybernetics is one of the first books I put people on to.
The TL;DR version of the book is:
Focusing on Self image. Where your actions, feelings, and behaviours align with the image you have of yourself.
Mental visualisation. Which uses detailed mental rehearsal to achieve goals.
An automatic goal seeking mechanism. Where the brain is used as a “success mechanism” that can be programmed.
Followed by negative feedback, which uses mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures.
When you mix that all together you are left with the ability to truly unfuck your mind and your life.
It’s was considered one of the first works to connect cybernetic principles (the science of self regulating systems) with human psychology and achievement.
So if you’re willing to really get down into the nitty gritty of sorting things out. You can’t go wrong with that.
You’re not going to learn about yourself while watching Netflix.
But if you’re not scared to go down the rabbit hole of yourself. I’d highly suggest picking it up and going through it multiple times.
Stephen Walker.