Are we really in control?
28/Jan/10 13:54 Filed in: Life Balance
| Careers
Do you ever
wonder why, with all our attempts to create order and
control in our lives, we so often find ourselves
feeling remarkably OUT of control? While there can be
many reasons for this, I've always been fascinated by
the concept of steadfastly moving in one direction,
only to find out that due to larger forces, you're
actually moving in the opposite direction. Sometimes
no matter what we seem to do, we never reach our
destination and can watch it fading into the
distance.
Many believe that this is due to the subconscious working at odds with our conscious mind. I ran across this excerpt recently, which I think gives a great visual image as to what is going on in these situations. These are fun puzzles to work out - when you get the ant and the elephant finally moving in the same direction, amazing things start to happen.
Excerpted from The Ant and the Elephant by Vince Poscente Before anyone can reach his full potential as a leader, he must first be a leader to himself. He must capitalize on innate talents and strengths, challenge the habits that hinder his growth and manage the fears and negative emotions that frequently keep him from realizing his goals. As you know, our minds function in two distinct spaces—conscious and subconscious thought. Our “ant” is the intentional part of the brain—houses our critical, analytical thoughts. Our “elephant,” however, is the instinctual, impulsive part of the brain—it houses emotions and memories and even guides the body to perform its vital functions. While we tend to know our conscious minds—or ants—rather well, we often overlook the power of our elephantine subconscious minds. Unfortunately, when we do, we squander a wellspring of human potential. Imagine a tiny ant on the back of a massive African elephant. No matter how diligently that ant marches east, if the elephant he sits upon travels in the opposite direction, the ant will end up even farther west than his starting point. Similarly, we will find ourselves receding from our goals if our conscious and subconscious minds are not aligned. What elephant-like aspects of our personalities hold us back from meeting challenges? How do our emotions get in the way of our ability to act and communicate effectively? What does it truly mean to commit to realize a dream? A good leader may recognize that he indulges elephant-like habits that keep him shy of his goal—but a great leader does something about it. He confronts the behaviors and routines that keep his subconscious stuck. He works to refashion deep-seated beliefs, attitudes and truths so that they support his conscious efforts. The great leader conquers his hidden fears, antes up and makes an emotional investment in his vision to show others the way to success.
Many believe that this is due to the subconscious working at odds with our conscious mind. I ran across this excerpt recently, which I think gives a great visual image as to what is going on in these situations. These are fun puzzles to work out - when you get the ant and the elephant finally moving in the same direction, amazing things start to happen.
Excerpted from The Ant and the Elephant by Vince Poscente Before anyone can reach his full potential as a leader, he must first be a leader to himself. He must capitalize on innate talents and strengths, challenge the habits that hinder his growth and manage the fears and negative emotions that frequently keep him from realizing his goals. As you know, our minds function in two distinct spaces—conscious and subconscious thought. Our “ant” is the intentional part of the brain—houses our critical, analytical thoughts. Our “elephant,” however, is the instinctual, impulsive part of the brain—it houses emotions and memories and even guides the body to perform its vital functions. While we tend to know our conscious minds—or ants—rather well, we often overlook the power of our elephantine subconscious minds. Unfortunately, when we do, we squander a wellspring of human potential. Imagine a tiny ant on the back of a massive African elephant. No matter how diligently that ant marches east, if the elephant he sits upon travels in the opposite direction, the ant will end up even farther west than his starting point. Similarly, we will find ourselves receding from our goals if our conscious and subconscious minds are not aligned. What elephant-like aspects of our personalities hold us back from meeting challenges? How do our emotions get in the way of our ability to act and communicate effectively? What does it truly mean to commit to realize a dream? A good leader may recognize that he indulges elephant-like habits that keep him shy of his goal—but a great leader does something about it. He confronts the behaviors and routines that keep his subconscious stuck. He works to refashion deep-seated beliefs, attitudes and truths so that they support his conscious efforts. The great leader conquers his hidden fears, antes up and makes an emotional investment in his vision to show others the way to success.