Laugh, Even When You Don’t Feel Like Laughing!
I consider Psycho-Cybernetics to be the best self-improvement method ever discovered.
Psycho-Cybernetics was invented by a plastic surgeon named, Dr. Maxwell Maltz back in the 1950’s. While it takes a while to learn how to do it, this month, I will discuss one of the principles Dr. Maltz taught us.
(By the way, you should all have a copy of the most recent version of his 30 million copy selling book called, “The New Psycho-Cybernetics”. If you haven’t read it yet, you need to do so right now!)
See, Dr. Maltz was the first guy to uncover how our self-image is the controlling influence in our life. That we can never be anything other than what our self image says we can be.
And…that we all have the easy to use power to change our self image…and thus change what we become!
For example, if you think that you’re the kind of guy who can only make $50,000 a year…then you are right! You ARE the kind of the guy who can only make $50,000 a year, if that’s what your self image guides you to.
On the other hand, if your self image tells you you’re the kind of guy who makes $50,000 a month…then you are right! You ARE the kind of the guy who can make $50,000 a month, if that’s what your self image guides you to!
Anyway, one of the most amazing principles of Dr. Maltz’s Psycho-Cybernetics is the results you can achieve without having to “force” things, or to need incredible will power to overcome obstacles!
Here’s why I say this.
See, when you have to “force” yourself to do something, you will almost surely fail in the long run.
(Usually, you won’t even make it through the short run!)
If you want to lose weight, or gain economic advantages, or overcome bad relationships, or whatever…you will hardly ever succeed if you have to fight with yourself.
You won’t make it happen if you have to constantly talk to yourself and remind yourself how you’re supposed to do this, or not to do that. This bickering with your nature and internal personality is just as ineffective as bickering with your spouse, boss or kids. It’s a ticket to nowhere land.
Dr. Maltz figured out the most remarkable thing!
He asked why bother fighting with our inner self, when we can simply and quickly change the inner self to be the one we’re looking for, and therefore automatically eliminate the need to fight with yourself!
What a genius!
So how does the concept of a sense of humor fit into Psycho-Cybernetics?
Well, just like everything else Dr. Maltz figured out, it has to do with creating an automatic servomechanism that gets results without effort!
Let me explain.
When’s the hardest time to laugh, to crack a joke with someone, to make a sarcastic comment, to goof around with your spouse or kids or co-workers, to watch a Seinfeld episode and laugh, or whatever?
When you’re dealing with one or more very irritating, scary or distressing problems sticking in your face! When you really don’t feel like laughing about anything.
Why’s it important to laugh when you more often feel like crying?
Well, like all other Psycho-Cybernetics principles, your inner mind, your subconscious mind cannot distinguish fantasy from reality.
It doesn’t know that an experience is real or imagined.
It only receives the feedback and information it gets from our outer, conscious mind, and accepts it as being the reality of our existence. And, whatever the inner mind accepts as reality alters the self image we have of ourselves, which leads to automatic outer changes!
It’s such an amazing system!
So, when you have one or more serious problems to deal with, when you feel low some or all of the time, your self image is one of an unhappy person worthy of pity, and one who’s life just won’t ever get better or on the track you want it to. You my feel depressed, frustrated, sad, lonely, rejected, jealous, or any number of similarly negative and destructive emotions. And the longer the problems persist, the worse they get and the more new bad problems surface, just to add insult to injury.
So what do you do? You start smiling and laughing. Yes, you heard me. You develop a sense of humor, and display it any time and every time you can!
When you make a joke and smile, even if you’re faking it big time, your inner mind will accept that you’re actually in a good mood…and alter your outer mind and demeanor accordingly.
Yes, sometimes “faking it” is a really good idea!
Your mind cannot think negatively or get caught up on the “poor me” syndrome when it thinks you’re in a good mood.
If you fake the good humor, in no time at all…the good humor will be real, and eliminate the need to fake it! It works so fast, it’s amazing!
And, when you are in the fake or soon to follow real good mood, you’ll start attracting positiveness like a duck comes to water, or politicians come to bribes!
The world is attracted to happy people who emanate a positive and glowing attitude!
Success in personal development, love, business, relationships with kids, etc., all get better real quick when everyone perceives you as a pleasant, happy and humor filled individual. People are effortlessly drawn to you.
You become a person everyone wants to be around.
Your good humor infects everyone you come in contact with, and even though they may not be able to articulate it, they get out of their doldrums from your infectious humor, and subconsciously want to help you and assist you in getting to where you want to go!
The “Theater of the Mind” is a great place to practice when you’re alone with your negative thoughts and sad feelings permeating your soul. Take the time to read the “New Psycho-Cybernetics” book so you can learn the simple methods of watching the right movie in your mind’s eye, one filled with laughter and fun!
In no time, you’ll see positive results, which will reinforce this concept of changing your self image of an unhappy person to one who can be happy and humorous even when the shit’s hitting the fan!
Also, keeping a sense of humor allows a clear thinking head. It puts things in perspective and allows you to see the problems for what they are. In most cases, with the exception of the death of a loved one, a divorce, or really, really bad things, the problems you perceive as being so bad and overwhelming are anything but, when seen through the eyes of a humorous and laughing person.
The humor brings such a clarity, that you can become more accurate in your thinking, which also helps rid yourself of the problems quicker and with less hassle!
Think about this. When you feel bad, try actually SMILING for a minute or two. Try smiling all day long! You’ll find yourself even laughing at the problems when they get worse or incredibly annoying. Hell, you might hear bad news and actually LAUGH!
Also, you should know what I’ve learned the hard way. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Why? Because it’s ALL small stuff!
Laugh it off. It’s not worth worrying yourself to death about.
Now understand, that I have plenty bad moments myself. Just like you and everyone else, I have times when the sun shines, the birds sing and rainbows appear outside my English garden. And, other times, I have business problems, personal problems, relationship problems, losing people to death, etc., and I can get down too. It’s only natural.
But here’s what I’ve learned. The getting down part is natural. In fact, if you didn’t get upset at some stuff that flies in your face, you wouldn’t be human.
But the difference, the key, the real answer, is the DURATION of your foul mood! You really have to allow yourself the luxury of feeling bad for five minutes or so, and then turn on your humor mechanism. (Yes, even if you have to act and fake it.)
Once you turn it on, the Psycho-Cybernetics laws will take over, and in no time you’ll be making jokes about the stock market and other popular objects of ridicule!
Please pay attention to this. It will really help you accomplish short term improvements, and lead you to your real goals and to be the person you want to be! Don’t sluff this off and say it’s a pile of B.S.
That just faking smiles or joking changing your entire life is a joke in and of itself.
Well, I know from lots of first hand experience that joking around is very serious business, and you’d better start lightening up!
OK?
Just chill a bit and appreciate the fact that you’re alive and that you can laugh, no matter how dark the clouds hanging over you are! Try it, you’ll like it!
So…next month, we’ll continue with real life techniques on how to change your thinking, your self-image…and thus change your life IMMEDIATELY without needing willpower, without fighting with yourself! Here’s to your BEST year ever!
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