If you’ve been listening carefully, you’ve probably heard them already. Those two little voices inside your head. One that’s positive, optimistic, bullish—let’s call it the ‘I can’ voice. And the other, the negative, pessimistic, bearish one—the ‘I can’t’ voice.
One says, ‘Come on, you can do it. Go for it!’ And the other says, ‘Oh, you unlucky sod. You won’t make it. So why even bother trying!’ Winners and losers, leaders and followers—all of us have the two voices jousting inside our heads. The difference lies in which of those voices is winning. Unfortunately, for many of us, when reports last came in, the ‘I can’t’ seemed to be in the lead!
Winners and leaders have the ‘I can’ attitude, the confidence and belief in themselves and their teams. That makes all the difference.
How do you ensure that the ‘I can’ voice wins? How can we break our mental barrier that says, ‘I can’t’? Here’s a little story that might just help you unravel the secret behind winning mindsets.
There was a man in Alaska who had two dogs, a black one and a white one. His dogfights attracted large crowds. Every week people would bet on which dog would win. Sometimes the black dog won, while at other times, the white one was the victor. One lady noticed that no matter which dog won, the owner invariably bet on the right dog and won each week. When the man retired the two dogs, the lady asked him the secret.
‘Simple,’ said the man. ‘I always bet on the dog I had been feeding all week.’
So, whether ‘I can’t’ wins or ‘I can’ depends on which thought you are feeding in your mind. The thought you feed grows! Feed the ‘I can’ dog in your mind. Focus on your strengths and they will grow. Or keep brooding over your weaknesses and fears, and unfortunately, they’ll grow too.
How do you feed the positive thought? Think positive—even in the small everyday things in life. Set yourself mini-goals and savour the joy of achieving those targets. Get inspired by reading about achievers and successful people. Spend time with hard-working and optimistic folks and keep your distance from the sceptics and naysayers. Do that often enough and it will soon be a habit. A habit that puts you on the path to winning every day.
As you go through the ups and downs of life, it is a good idea to pause occasionally, take a deep breath and ask yourself this question: ‘Which dog am I feeding today?’
Winners and losers, leaders and followers—all of us have two voices jousting inside our heads. One says, ‘I can’. The other says, ‘I can’t’. The difference lies in which of those voices is winning. So, whether ‘I can’t’ wins or ‘I can’ depends on which thought you are feeding in your mind. The thought you feed grows!