It amazed me when I learned of a study where a person was offering a $20 bill in exchange for a $5 bill and no one would take him up on it. They figured it had to be some sort of a scam.
As I see it one of the greatest faults of the human race is that we have been conditioned to not trust other people or ourselves. We are skeptical about just about everything. It’s amazing that we are so willing to breathe for fear that the air we breathe may kill us. I guess it’s a good thing that breathing is automatic. At least our subconscious knows enough to trust that we need to breathe and that unless something is added to the air it is perfectly safe to breathe.
A couple of months ago I offered a number of people a plan that would not fail, providing they would spend about 30 minutes a day following simple instructions. In addition to their 30 minutes a day investment, they also had to invest $5. In exchange they had the potential to earn hundreds of dollars. Unfortunately their amygdala kicked in and they became fearful of their own potential success.
Oh, sorry. You aren’t familiar with the word amygdala. I wasn’t either until I purchased a course by Doug Bench on how the brain works. I learned that the amygdala is that part of our brain that in the prehistoric times kept cave men safe form danger. Any time potential danger appeared their amygdala caused them to run the other way.
We don’t really need our amygdala in today’s world because we are pretty savvy to what is dangerous and what isn’t. Besides mankind has become the most feared animal on the planet so we need not worry about predators (except other humans). I learned through my studies how to override my amygdala so that I am back in control of my actions. (Now all I need to do is put it into practice.)
The year 2009 is almost here and it can be a great year for us or a devastating year. It will depend on how we look at and react to what is happening all around us. Most people will see the glass half empty and bury their heads in the sand hoping somehow that the recession will not find them. A select few will seize the moment and take advantage of what is happening around them and see the glass as half full and go about filling up the other half. Which person will you be?