BEYOND POSITIVE THINKING

"right" for believing and acting the way he does. This process is called clustering.

Unfortunately, when we seek to prove we are right for being the way we are or choosing what we choose, we block out information that may be useful to us in making rational decisions, essentially blinding ourselves to other options. When we lock onto an idea or a reason as to why something won't work, the solution does not get through.

Solutions Instead of Problems Because we can't see a solution, it doesn’t mean that it’s not there. If you tell yourself that there is no way to expand your business, no way to complete this or that project, no way to get something done or get what you want, you focus on the problem instead of the solution.

You can use your subconscious to help you gain answers and solutions, or you can use the same subconscious to come up with reasons or rationalizations why it can't be done. The choice is always there, and the choice is always yours.

An example of this is when you want to buy something. Most people shop around for the lowest price. Once they've found the item they want, they usually will try to come up with creative ways to cut back on expenses or do without something else so they can afford it. But what they don’t realize is that they could use the same creative energy to figure out a way to keep what they have and earn more money to buy what they want. In other words, they can use the same creative energy to move backward or move forward.

When fear sets in, we very easily rationalize why we should retreat, give up, cut back, or why we can't do something. Are you using 63