Minggu, 11 September 2011

Understanding the Power of Creating Meaningful Experiences

Throughout your life, you have both positive and negative experiences. During your day-to-day routine, you continually associate meaning with those experiences.

Humans are meaning-making machines. We put our own meanings on our life experiences. Many factors contribute to these meanings. They can determine whether an experience is positive or negative. For example, if your dad doesn’t say he loves you when he ends a phone conversation, you may feel that you are not accepted and you may attach a meaning that you are unlovable or worthless. On the other hand, you could make the meaning that your dad was busy and was just concentrating on some other important task. You could also make it mean that your dad was secure in your love and didn’t always need to say he loved you.

It is important to look at life from many different angles. If you continue to look at things the same way, you will believe that there is only one meaning to a situation and that it is the only way to think about it.

Beliefs can be either strengths or limitations. Search for limiting beliefs that stop you from success. Begin to recognize the meanings you are making and notice what happens when you change the meaning. My friend didn’t call me today means she doesn’t like me. Change the meaning to: My friend didn’t call me today because she must be super busy. Better still: don’t make it mean anything because most likely your meaning won’t be right anyway!

What does it mean when the person you were giving a presentation to decides to do business with someone else? Here are some possible meanings you can use:

• Your product was not a match.
• They were given this same product for their birthday.
• They may have lost your number.
• They may have bought from a family member.
• They would be an annoying customer anyway and it saved you time and energy.
• Make it mean that you have other opportunities now!

Of course, you could simply call the customer and ask them why they did not do business from you. Then you wouldn’t need to hallucinate all the wrong meanings. Most of the time the meanings people make are not correct.

Meaning Machine Exercise: Since people are so good at making meanings, we must also be able to shift the meanings. Think of a scenario where you made a meaning that is bothersome to you. Look at this situation from someone else’s point of view.

1. What are five other meanings you could have made?
2. How does this open your mind to other possible meanings?
3. What will you now make this scenario mean?

Beliefs are formed as you develop and grow, beginning at your conception and continuing throughout your life. Your meanings impact how you live and work each and every day. What meanings will you make today?


Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/self_improvement_and_motivation/article_5138.shtml

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