For centuries people have sought excellence for themselves, striving to do the best they could, searching for ways to be the best they could be. Many messages have been delivered through the philosophers, teachers and so-called ‘prophets’ of their times. And while many of these made sense, they haven’t really been able to affect people’s behaviours and emotions in ways that would be long lasting. In the 1800s and 1900s interest in the psyche of people grew and more theories developed. In the 1970s a myriad of groups emerged offering theories, ideas and seminars that promised the elusive journey to excellence. Almost forty years later the one that continues to withstand the test of time successfully is NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
NLP focuses more on asking ‘how’ rather than ‘why’ and on applications rather than theories. Based on models, language and behaviour, NLP has proven to be unparalleled in its application when used as it was intended to be used so many years ago. It has also spawned many ‘techniques’ by people all over the world and, as any other well-founded technology, has been compromised by some that have wandered off the proven path of simplicity.
NLP is often challenged by academics and others who view its lack of scientific testing as some kind of failure. But the proof of NLP and its efficacy is in the success of those who have been able to change their lives, learn to achieve their goals and communicate more effectively with their loved ones, not in the labs of intellectuals. It is important to remember when reading this book that NLP was never an intellectual exercise, it is an interactive one. It requires ‘doing’, not just knowing. This book has exercises for you to ‘do’.
The essence of this work is to be happy, making it a habit. More and more evidence is being published about the effects of people being happy and affecting their lives in a positive way mentally, physically and spiritually. Brian is offering you many ways to achieve this. What you have here is a very easy to read, easy to follow and easy to use book that Brian has used his experience and expertise to put together. Enjoy it and feel good!
John La Valle
Co-author of Persuasion Engineering® with Dr Richard Bandler, and President of The Society of NLP ™