What is NLP & How Does It Work? Neuro Linguistic Programming Basics

Summary

This script introduces Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a methodology for personal development that involves reprogramming one's nervous system through language. Created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, NLP focuses on modeling excellence and offers tools to manage internal states, increase learning speed, and enhance influence within groups. The script delves into the NLP map of information processing, emphasizing that our perception is a subjective map rather than objective reality, highlighting the power of changing our internal representations to alter our experiences and behaviors.

Takeaways

• 📚 NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a method of reprogramming the nervous system through language, developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in 1976.
• 🧠 The creators of NLP, a mathematician and a linguist, sought to model effective communication and teach it to others by studying experts like Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir, and Milton Erickson.
• 🛠️ NLP can be viewed as both a set of modeling tools to reproduce excellence and a collection of processes developed through its modeling history, such as the visual swish and conflict integration.
• 💪 NLP enhances the ability to manage one's internal state, maintain resourcefulness during stress, and increase behavioral flexibility in difficult situations.
• 🚀 NLP can significantly boost learning speed, as demonstrated by the sharpshooting program modeled by Anthony Robbins and Richard Bandler, which improved training efficiency and pass rates.
• 🤝 NLP aids in becoming a more influential member of any team by understanding and applying effective communication strategies.
• 🔍 The technology of NLP is valuable for identifying key elements in systems or processes, allowing for quick modeling, testing, and reproduction of excellence or even 'pathological' behaviors.
• 🌐 The NLP map illustrates how we process information from the world (territory) into our minds, creating a limited and distorted version of reality based on our sensory inputs.
• 🔄 We filter information through deletion, distortion, and generalization based on our personality and experiences, which affects how we interpret and respond to the world.
• 🎨 The meaning we assign to experiences is subjective and can be changed; our physical responses are influenced by the stories we tell ourselves about those experiences.
• 🔑 NLP offers the potential to change limiting beliefs and expand one's view of what is possible, encouraging personal growth and mastery of new skills.

Q & A

What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a method of reprogramming the nervous system through the use of language. It was created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder and involves modeling effective communication behaviors and teaching them to others.

Who were the three individuals that Bandler and Grinder initially studied to develop NLP?

Bandler and Grinder initially studied Fritz Perls, a gestalt therapist; Virginia Satir, a family therapist; and Milton Erickson, a hypnotherapist.

How does NLP relate to hypnosis?

NLP has a connection with hypnosis because one of the individuals Bandler and Grinder studied, Milton Erickson, was a hypnotherapist. This connection is one of the many aspects of NLP that will be explored further.

What are the two ways to think about neuro-linguistic programming mentioned in the script?

The two ways to think about neuro-linguistic programming are as a set of modeling tools for observing, modeling, and reproducing excellence in any field, and as a set of processes that have been archived over the years as a result of the modeling process.

What is one of the main benefits of learning NLP mentioned in the script?

One of the main benefits of learning NLP is its ability to enhance an individual's ability to manage their internal state, stay resourceful during stressful times, and maintain a high degree of behavioral flexibility in difficult situations.

How can NLP increase the speed of learning?

NLP can increase the speed of learning by identifying key elements in a system or process that make a difference, modeling them, testing, and then reproducing them efficiently.

What is the significance of the 'visual swish' and 'auditory swish' in NLP?

The 'visual swish' and 'auditory swish' are specific processes in NLP that are used for changing internal representations, which can lead to changes in behavior and emotional responses.

What is an example of a landmark modeling case in NLP?

An example of a landmark modeling case in NLP is when Anthony Robbins and Richard Bandler were hired by the US government to model the sharpshooting program, which resulted in a dramatic reduction in training time and an increase in the pass rate.

What is the basic NLP map and what does it represent?

The basic NLP map represents how we process information. It starts with the 'territory' or reality outside our minds, which we then filter through our senses to create an internal 'map' or representation of that reality. This map is limited, skewed, and distorted due to the way we delete, distort, and generalize information.

How does our personality profile influence what we delete, distort, and generalize?

Our personality profile determines what we find important or relevant, which in turn influences what information we choose to delete, distort, or generalize. This means that each person's perception and interpretation of reality can be significantly different based on their unique personality traits.

What is the main takeaway from understanding the NLP map of how we process information?

The main takeaway is that we respond to our map of reality, not reality itself. This means that all meaning is subjective and open to interpretation, suggesting that our feelings and responses to situations can be changed by altering our internal representations.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

This paragraph introduces the concept of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a method of reprogramming the nervous system through language. It was founded by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in 1976, with the aim of modeling effective communication techniques. The paragraph explains that NLP can be viewed as both a set of tools for observing, modeling, and reproducing excellence, and a collection of processes developed through this modeling. It emphasizes the benefits of NLP for managing internal states, maintaining resourcefulness during stress, enhancing behavioral flexibility, and increasing learning speed. The paragraph also mentions a notable application of NLP in improving the US government's sharpshooting program, showcasing its potential for excellence modeling.

05:01

🧠 The NLP Map of Information Processing

This paragraph delves into the NLP model of how we process information. It starts by discussing the 'territory,' which represents reality and the vast amount of information available to us. The speaker explains that we only absorb a fraction of this information, creating a 'map' in our minds based on our sensory inputs. The paragraph describes how we delete, distort, and generalize information to form our internal representations, which are influenced by our unique personalities. It also explores the idea that our responses are based on our personal 'map' of reality rather than reality itself, highlighting the subjective nature of meaning.

10:01

🔍 The Impact of Personal Bias on Information Interpretation

The speaker discusses how personal biases and preconceived notions influence the way we interpret information. Using the example of witnessing a person being hit, the paragraph illustrates how different individuals can create entirely different narratives based on their own experiences and internal representations. It emphasizes the role of our personality profiles in determining what information we deem relevant and how this, in turn, affects our interpretation and response to situations.

15:02

🎢 The Similarity of Physical Sensations in Different Emotions

This paragraph explores the physical aspects of emotions, pointing out that the physical sensations associated with fear and excitement are similar. It uses the example of the physical response to a roller coaster ride versus driving off a cliff to illustrate this point. The speaker stresses that it's not the physical sensations themselves that should be feared, but rather the meanings we assign to them. The paragraph also touches on the idea that our focus is limited, and we tend to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs.

20:02

🤰 Personal Anecdotes on Perception and Focus

The speaker shares personal anecdotes to illustrate how our focus can be directed by our current interests or life events. When his wife was pregnant, he suddenly noticed pregnancy-related signs and services he had previously overlooked. Similarly, when he was interested in running, he sought out information and role models that contradicted his previous beliefs about his ability to run due to flat feet. These stories emphasize the power of selective attention and the potential for change when we become aware of our biases.

25:04

🏃‍♂️ Overcoming Limiting Beliefs with NLP

In this paragraph, the speaker recounts his journey of overcoming limiting beliefs about his ability to run due to flat feet, using NLP techniques. He describes how by studying videos of Olympians and applying NLP tools, he was able to change his internal map and run marathons successfully. This story serves as an example of how NLP can help individuals challenge and change their limiting beliefs, opening up new possibilities and opportunities.

🚀 Expanding Possibilities with NLP

The final paragraph encourages the audience to consider the limitations they have set for themselves and to question the validity of those beliefs. It suggests that with NLP, one can expand their view of what is possible and capable, leading to a broader range of choices and opportunities. The speaker reflects on the transformative power of NLP, inspiring the audience to explore new possibilities and to challenge their self-imposed constraints.

Keywords

💡NLP

NLP, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming, is a psychological approach that involves reprogramming one's nervous system through language. It is a set of tools and processes aimed at modeling excellence and improving personal development. In the video, NLP is discussed as a method for managing internal states, increasing learning speed, and enhancing influence within a group. The script mentions the founders of NLP, Richard Bandler and John Grinder, and their initial work in modeling communication effectiveness.

💡Modeling

Modeling in the context of NLP refers to the process of identifying and replicating the strategies and behaviors of individuals who excel in a particular area. The script explains that Bandler and Grinder studied effective communicators like Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir, and Milton Erickson to create models that could be taught to others, demonstrating the application of NLP in capturing and disseminating excellence.

💡Internal State

The term 'internal state' pertains to an individual's emotional and mental condition at any given time. The video emphasizes NLP's utility in managing one's internal state, especially during stressful situations, by maintaining resourcefulness and preventing the narrowing of behavioral flexibility. It suggests that NLP can help individuals stay eloquent and adaptable even under pressure.

💡Behavioral Flexibility

Behavioral flexibility is the ability to adapt one's actions and responses to different situations effectively. The script uses this concept to describe how NLP can help individuals maintain a wide range of responses to problems, rather than becoming limited as stress increases, thus providing more choices in how to handle challenges.

💡Anthony Robbins

Anthony Robbins is a well-known motivational speaker and author who was mentioned in the script as having been modeled by Richard Bandler and NLP. The video discusses a case where Robbins and Bandler were hired by the US government to model a sharpshooting program, demonstrating the practical application of NLP in improving performance and efficiency.

💡Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, and the script establishes a connection between NLP and hypnosis through Milton Erickson, one of the individuals modeled by Bandler and Grinder. Hypnosis is one of the techniques that NLP practitioners may draw upon in their work, indicating the multidisciplinary nature of NLP.

💡Personality Profile

A personality profile in the video refers to the unique set of characteristics that determine how an individual processes information and what they find relevant. The script explains that this profile influences what information is deleted, distorted, or generalized, and thus shapes the individual's perception and response to the world.

💡Map of Reality

The 'map of reality' is a concept used in the script to describe the mental model or representation that individuals create based on the limited information they absorb from their environment. It illustrates how people construct their own version of reality through the process of deletion, distortion, and generalization, which is central to the theme of subjective experience in NLP.

💡Deletion, Distortion, and Generalization

These three terms are key components of how individuals process information according to the NLP model presented in the video. Deletion refers to the omission of information, distortion is the alteration of information, and generalization involves making broad assumptions. The script uses these concepts to explain how people create their unique 'map of reality' from the vast amount of available sensory input.

💡Subjective Experience

The concept of subjective experience is fundamental to the video's message, emphasizing that individuals respond to their personal interpretation of reality rather than an objective reality. The script suggests that by understanding this, one can change their internal state and behavior, highlighting the power of perception in shaping one's life.

💡Enriching the Map

Enriching the map in NLP means expanding one's mental model to include new perspectives and information. The speaker in the video shares a personal story of how using NLP to enrich his map allowed him to overcome the belief that he couldn't run due to flat feet, demonstrating the transformative potential of broadening one's understanding of what is possible.

Highlights

NLP, or Neuro Linguistic Programming, is a method for reprogramming the nervous system through language.

NLP was founded by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in 1976, focusing on modeling effective communication.

NLP can be viewed as both a set of modeling tools and a collection of processes derived from excellence in various fields.

NLP enhances the ability to manage internal states and remain resourceful during stressful times.

NLP increases behavioral flexibility in difficult situations, providing more choices in response to stress.

NLP accelerates learning speed and can be applied to various fields, including personal development and professional skills.

NLP can make one a more influential member within a team or group, enhancing communication and leadership.

A famous NLP application involved modeling a sharpshooting program, significantly improving training efficiency and pass rates.

NLP can model both excellence and 'pathology', repurposing strategies for positive outcomes.

The NLP map illustrates how we process information from the world, creating a 'map' in our minds based on sensory input.

We delete, distort, and generalize information to construct our mental map of reality.

Personality profiles determine what information we consider important and store for comparison, affecting our interpretation of reality.

Physical sensations are neutral; it's the meaning we assign to them that influences our emotional response.

Our ability to focus is limited, and we selectively attend to information that aligns with our current mindset or beliefs.

NLP can help identify and change limiting beliefs and patterns, expanding one's view of what is possible.

The speaker's personal experience with NLP led to overcoming physical limitations and achieving personal goals, such as running marathons.

Learning NLP can inspire individuals to question their self-imposed limitations and explore new possibilities.

The core takeaway from NLP is that we respond to our internal map of reality, not reality itself, emphasizing the subjectivity of meaning.

Transcripts

our everyone.welcome so this is basic

NLP for professionals and what that

means is neuro linguistic programming

simple way to think about that is

reprogramming your nervous system

through the use of language okay so what

is NLP NLP was created by Richard

Bandler and John grinder in the Santa

Cruz Mountains in 1976 now Richard

Bandler was a mathematician he studied

formulas he was actually the teaching

assistant for John grinder who was a

linguist and he studied the structure of

language so the two of them got together

and thought to themselves wouldn't it be

wild if we could find a way to model

what people who are really effective

with communication do and reproduce that

model and teach it to other people so

they studied three people in particular

and they modeled them and we'll get into

what modeling is down the road they

studied Fritz Perls who was a gestalt

therapist Virginia Satir who was a

family therapist and Milton Erickson who

was a hypnotherapist and there in lies

the connection between NLP and hypnosis

one of the many that we'll come to find

out now there's two ways that you can

think about neuro linguistic programming

the first way is a set of modeling tools

that you can use to observe model and

reproduce excellence in any field and

the second way is a set of processes

that have been archived over the years

as a result of that modeling process so

down the road we'll be talking about

different processes such as the visual

swish or the auditory swish or the

six-step reframe or a conflict

integration there's also a belief change

process now what is it good for this is

an important reason to get you fired up

about learning

neuro-linguistic programming NLP is good

for your ability to manage your internal

state how you feel inside it's great for

helping you to stay resourceful during

normally stressful times these could be

personal professional and what-have-you

and it gives you a high degree of

behavioral flexibility in difficult

situations notice most of the

time as we get increasingly stressed

with the situation our bandwidth shrinks

and our ability to be eloquent and have

different ways of handling the problem

different ways of you know communicating

gets narrow and narrower and narrower as

time goes on so it helps you keep that

high degree of behavioral flexibility so

that you have more choice essentially

it's also an NLP can really increase the

speed with which you learn dramatically

that's one of the you know very popular

applications of NLP and I'm going to

talk about a very famous example of that

in just a moment it also helps you to

become a more influential member of your

team now your team could be your family

it could be your group of friends it

could be your mastermind group it could

be your networking group it could be

your professional circle it could be

other colleagues that you interact with

any group that you are a part of and

it's a a tool that you can use to model

and reproduce excellence in any field so

one of the kind of landmark modeling

cases that was done in the early days of

NLP was with Anthony Robbins and Richard

Bandler they got hired by the US

government to model the sharpshooting

program and at the time it took

approximately four weeks to do the

training with about a twenty percent

pass rate and I'm not exactly sure on

the exact numbers but was approximately

that what they did was they asked for

the top five sharp shooters and they

modeled using NLP with the top five

sharp shooters did differently than

everyone else not just in terms of what

they did differently with their body but

what they were seeing what they're

hearing what they're feeling what

they're picturing in their mind how they

talk to themselves the emotional state

that they were in and their will to take

that program and shrink it down to about

a quarter of the time about seven days

with more than an 80% password that is

dramatic and so NOP is great for

identifying the key elements in a system

or in a process that really make the

difference

quickly figuring out what that is

modeling it testing it and then

reproducing it and you can actually use

NLP to model not just something that

someone does well some you know example

of excellence but you can use it to

model what some people would consider a

pathology and one way to think of a

pathology like a panic attack is it's

actually a really useful strategy and if

you take that same strategy that's used

to produce a panic attack and put

different content in there that isn't

scary you can actually use it to create

intense motivation for something I mean

think about it for a moment someone who

has a panic attack when they come into

my office and talk about I have it I

have this panic attack that's happening

I'm doing a skill assessment I don't

look at them like there's something

wrong with them I'm doing a skill

assessment I'm thinking about what

skills must this person possess in order

to produce this response and when we get

into presuppositions we'll talk about

this a little bit more but realize in my

opinion and I think in the opinion of

most neuro linguistic programming like a

panic attack or stress it requires

certain skills I don't know anyone who

can have a panic attack without a very

strong internal dialogue and without the

ability to make very vivid compelling

images in their mind and have a strong

emotional reaction to it so those are

great skills and if we put good content

in there you might be surprised what you

can actually do with it so this is the

most complicated diagram I will ever

show you if you get this it is all

downhill from here so this is what we

call the basic NLP map how we process

information so here we have the world

this is reality this is what's actually

going on outside of your mind and

scientists estimate there's about two

million bits of information we can

possibly absorb at any one second in NLP

we call this the territory this is

what's actually going on outside of our

minds this is why two people will see

the same event and have a totally

different response this is the territory

this is what's going on outside of us

now out of that two million the same

scientists estimate and I don't know who

comes up

these numbers that there's about a

hundred and thirty four thousand of

those two million bits that we can

actually absorb from any one second and

we in our minds create this collage or

you could also call it a map of what's

going on outside now how do we take data

in to our minds to construct this well

we take in pictures we take in sounds

smells tastes touch and sensation that's

how we take data in and we create a map

of what's going on outside the territory

now as you can see there's two million

available to us we're only absorbed in

about one hundred thirty-four thousand

so how do we go from two million down to

one hundred thirty-four thousand well we

delete tons of information we distort

tons of information and we generalize

tons of information all men are this all

women are that all sales men are this

all business professionals are that we

make lots of generalizations we delete

tons of information and one of the

things we'll get into down the road is

how we determine what to delete and what

not and what you'll find is that based

on your own unique personality certain

things will be relevant to you or will

feel relevant to you and certain things

won't and as a result of that you will

miss huge chunks of information that you

would have gotten otherwise huge chunks

of information that someone else might

immediately notice right off the bat but

you won't so what we do is we make this

map this limited skewed distorted tiny

tiny version of what's going on out here

and then we got to figure out what to do

with it right now it's just data in our

minds it's just data that's why I like

to use the example I'm going to give you

a very limited set of data and what I

would like you in the audience to do is

fill in the blanks make up the story

you're the author you're the director of

this it can be anything you want there

is no wrong answer so there's two people

person a and person B person a runs up

to person B and hits them that's all I'm

going to give you now I'm not going to

tell you if it's a man if it's a woman

if it's an adult a child and alien or

Sasquatch you make it up you

make up the story in your mind right now

and notice what's the first story that

comes to mind okay

now whatever story you came up with

realize there's a way you got to that

and here's what happens we make this map

or this collage in our mind with the

pictures the sounds the smells the

tastes the touches that we feel are

relevant to us and relevant to our

experience right now and then we compare

it we compare that collage or in NLP we

call it an internal representation we're

internally re presenting the information

to ourselves and we're comparing that to

other collages from the past or other

internal representations from the past

that we have stored in our mind and

realize what you have in your library

Marc might be very different than what

you have in your library Bob in your

mind we all have a different library of

things that are important and are

relevant to us again according to our

personality and so what we essentially

do is we make up a map and then we go is

it like this no is it like this no is it

like this yes that's exactly what it's

like once we find a comparison that

matches then and only then we can

determine what it actually means

what we are going to make it mean this

means blank ok now until we define what

something really means we have no idea

how we are going to feel about it and

how we're altom utley going to act as a

response now something that's worth

mentioning is realize this your physical

state so think about times when you're

really stressed versus times when you're

really relaxed can also affect the

meaning that you make from moment to

moment ok and so if you're in a very

challenged emotional state whether it's

emotional or whether it's physical from

sickness or emotional from stress or

what-have-you that can also alter how we

make the meaning so this is a little bit

interactive here but for simplicity

realize until we make that comparison we

don't know what it means

and so it's all about the story that we

write in our minds what we make

something mean now it's important to

also mention here that when we talk

about the meaning there's a big

difference between a physical sensation

in your body and what you make that

physical sensation mean most people are

very afraid of having certain feelings

and they'll do anything they can to

avoid it but here's something to

consider the actual physical sensation

of terror and excitement are identical

they're about the same that heart rate

gets elevated the blood pressure goes up

sometimes the palms can get a little

sweaty another way to look at is the

physical sensation of driving your car

off a cliff to your fiery death is going

to feel the same that dropping feeling

that gravitational pull is going to be

the same as going down the first hill of

your favorite roller coaster only one's

energizing and euphoric and exciting and

one should you survive it would probably

wreck your adrenal glands make you

stressed out maybe make your hair fall

out okay the butterflies you get when

you're getting ready to get into your

first schoolyard fight or confrontation

is identical to the butterflies you

might get from asking out someone for

the first time or asking someone to

dance and so the reason I mentioned that

is that the physical sensations going on

in your body in and of themselves are

never anything to actually be afraid of

what makes them scary is the meaning we

make about it okay when a person starts

to have a panic attack it's not the fact

that they're you know blood pressure has

gone up a little bit or that the heart

rate has gone up a little bit that's a

problem it's certainly not the fact that

their palms might get a little sweaty as

the problem the problem is what they

tell themselves that means in their mind

what they think this could lead to oh my

god this means I'm going to black out

behind the wheel and wreck the car would

have it's the story they tell themselves

so it's always going to come back to the

story now if you've ever wondered why

your phone number has a - every couple

of digits in your social security number

it's because essentially we have the

attention span of a gnat okay and that's

fine that's a good thing we can use that

to our advantage

right but we can only track seven plus

or minus two things at one time now

realize that out of two million we could

possibly absorb we can only actually pay

attention to on track maybe seven at a

time roughly speaking and so imagine if

you go to Google and you're looking for

how bad things happen to good people

you would instantly get about a half a

billion responses and probably a half a

second if you then google the exact

opposite how good things happen to good

people you would get actually even more

examples of how that's possible

in about a half a second in this day and

age I'm sure you could imagine with

Google you could find evidence to

support almost anything that you choose

to believe okay no matter what it is so

since we can only pay attention to a

very small amount of information at one

time and with such a vast amount of

information available to us at our

fingertips more readily available than

ever before it's logical to assume that

whatever we are looking for we will find

and that's exactly what happens so

realize this think of your brain as like

a stereo receiver now right now around

us there's jazz there's hip-hop there's

classical there's conservative radio

there's liberal talk radio and there's

all these different channels available

to us but we can only tune into one at a

time and whichever one we tune into we

tune in to that channel to the exclusion

of everything else so if we tune in the

country it's all going to be about dead

dogs broken-down trucks and getting

drunk right which means we're going to

miss everything else but if we turn in

that R&B on that Friday night with the

candlelight right it's going to be a

whole different vibe okay and this is

what we do and you do this whether

you're conscious of it or not on a daily

basis to give you a realistic example of

how we're walking around with this

filter that we're looking for when my

wife Stephanie became pregnant with our

first son Dashiell the next morning all

I was thinking about was going to work

and getting him a cup of coffee on the

way to work like a norm

so I'm driving down the road heading to

Starbucks and sure enough is I'm driving

I see a pregnant woman inside the road

I'm like that's weird she's pregnant -

pregnant coincidence keep driving I'll

send the minivan pulls in front of me

with a science's baby on board of my

class wild wonderful in a minivan one

day which I do they're actually much

better than I thought they're going to

be right but I keep driving they see a

guy the jogs stroll Oh

jog stroke maybe I'll get one of those I

go to the Starbucks that had gone to

every day for five years and on that day

as I was leaving I realized for the very

first time there was a daycare center

right next door I never seen it before

it had been at the whole time

suddenly the fact that I can never get

parked in between 7:30 and 8:00 made

sense because I saw the sign that said

drop-off between 7:30 and 8:00 suddenly

the fact that I could never get parking

and there's all those minivans in the

parking lot made sense suddenly the fact

that I could always hear kids yelling

and screaming a plane made sense and

suddenly it all registered but I never

seen it before because it just wasn't

tuned in to kids now as I'm driving to

work that day I saw a Children's

Hospital a playground a school and a

kids are us that I had never seen before

and they also had been there the whole

time

so whatever we're tuned into that's what

we get and that's what we find to the

exclusion of everything else and so the

question is how do we determine what to

delete distort and generalize and it's

your personality profile that determines

what's important so for example if

someone is more security based they are

thinking about when presented with the

new experience is this safe or is it not

safe safe not safe safe not safe okay

but if their freedom if their more

freedom oriented and they tend to think

in terms of options or limitations

they're not thinking safety at all when

presented with the new opportunity

they're thinking will this give me more

options or is it's going to limit me in

some way if someone's more what we call

belonging they're going to be thinking

well this experience will help me to

feel more included more a part of a team

or is going to help me feel more

excluded or potentially rejected if

they're what we call competency-based

then

first thought that they're going to have

is well this new experience helped to

elevate me to another level accomplish

something get further along or is it

going to you know cause me to feel like

I'm wasting my time or to feel rejected

or disrespected or stupid in any kind of

way because these people are chasing

validation and feeling smart and feeling

accomplished and if the person's self

expressive their first response that new

experiences is this unique and special

is this going to help me feel more

unique and special and elevate me in

that way or is it just going to make me

into just another one of the Joneses in

which case they're not interested at

your personality profile that determines

what you store in your library to use as

comparison and it's your personality

profile that ultimately determines the

meaning so a great example of this is I

remember being about eight years old and

I knew that about a mile down the road

from the daycare center was a huge rope

swing over a massive ravine and I knew

the owner wasn't going to be home that

day and I realized I already asked him

to let me do this rope swing and he said

no because it was too dangerous so we

snuck out of daycare that day and I had

to go down there because all I could

think about in my mind being freedom was

swinging on that rope like Tarzan

one-arm beat in my chest you know like

the man of the jungle and that's all I

could think about now my friends when we

got there they looked at how high it was

over such a big ravine and they kind of

froze up with fear a little bit but I

grabbed that rope and I swung out and it

never even occurred to me that I could

get hurt until I fell and broke my arm

in two places it never crossed my mind a

few years later I got invited to my

first church ski trip and I got there I

got my boots I got my skis I got on the

lift I went up the tallest lift I could

find I figure the longer you know the

higher the lift the longer the ride that

makes sense right and all I could think

about prior to this trip was how great

it was going to feel to rush down the

hill with the wind in my hair and to

feel this you know the skis cutting in

the snow and as I'm flying down next to

my buddy I look over him I say hey how

do you stop it he looked over me like

are you Seri

and I ended up back in the hospital a

few minutes later because it never even

occurred to me or crossed my mind that

my safety could be a concern that's the

difference between what you're sorting

for what you're paying attention to and

what you're not okay and see the reality

of is we never want to believe we're

going to miss something totally obvious

which is why we're going to show you the

awareness test here in a minute we don't

want to believe it if if I told you what

was going to happen you would not

believe that you would miss something so

incredibly obvious what happens is we

all do we all do why because we're all

on an agenda we're all on a self

prophesizing agenda all of the time and

it's not a bad thing at all your own

unique differences are just like

different wildflowers thank God we have

some variety it makes the landscape more

beautiful but when you can identify that

we call it thought pattern

identification when you can step back

and see that pattern of behavior and how

that works like a current to pull you in

one direction or another now you have

more choice as to what to do with it so

begin to ask yourself what's the real

takeaway of this whole map here if we

don't respond our own internal distorted

skewed made up version of reality right

and if it's all dependent upon how we

put together that collage or that map

what we compare it to and the meaning we

ultimately author about it what does

that really mean what is the big

takeaway and here it is the big takeaway

is we respond to our map of reality not

reality itself which means all meaning

is subjective it truly is fiction it is

open to interpretation what does that

mean what's the big takeaway there if

you will like the way you feel about

something you can actually change it and

that's what we're here to learn this

weekend as you start to learn this

amazing technology of neuro linguistic

programming is just because you may have

for years and year

years every time you went through one

experience you saw it a certain way and

you felt a certain way about it and you

had that happen maybe one time or maybe

two times or maybe three times for some

of you it may have been five times or

ten times this is what we call a reality

strategy but after a period of time you

just decided whether you're aware of it

or not that's just the way it is right

some of us believe that you know we

really enjoy working out and some of us

believe we don't some people believe I'm

really great public speaking other

people believe they're not some people

believe they're social people they like

going to parties other people believe

they're not and I'm not saying that it's

going to be incredibly easy to change

but it can be changed that's the first

piece you want to get it can be changed

and using a technology like neural

acoustic program can help you change

that more effectively more quickly and

more rapidly than any other technology

I've ever found and I'm often asked by

clients you know how did you get into

this how did you get interested in neuro

linguistic programming and it's real

simple when I was eighteen years old it

was a very challenging time of my life I

found a book as many people have by

Anthony Robbins called unlimited power

and another book called awaken the giant

within I read those books and it opened

my mind it made me begin to question

what was possible it made me begin to

question the assumptions I made not only

about myself and my life but about

others as well and then because I

started to identify certain patterns of

thinking that were happening over and

over again that allowed me to step back

and consider looking at it another way

getting another perspective enriching my

map as we say in NLP because when we

enrich our map when we change our map we

ultimately change our experience and

that's exactly what we did

I remember being told by several doctors

that because I have flat feet on both my

instep and across the arch of my foot

that I would never be able to run and

every time I tried to run until that

point it hurt when I would go and try to

get shoes to

help me run more easily the shoes would

hurt they're like cast these like

orthopaedic shoes they put on me but

after I learned NLP I went to the

college library and I got videos of

Olympians running long distance runners

running marathon runners running I

figured they might know more than the

average bear about running and I watched

video after video after video I watched

animals running and I studied it and I

started thinking well what you know if

anything was possible maybe there's a

different way to go about it and by

using some basic tools of neural

linguistic programming what I found out

was not only could I run and I'm not

that fast but I could run like Forrest

Gump I've run several marathons now and

it's enjoyable and it's fun and I've

never had a running injury and I was

able to overcome that and so this is an

opportunity to really inspire yourself

in question all those things that you

decided maybe years ago that you can't

do you shouldn't try it's going to be

too hard or just doesn't naturally come

to what if you started to reconsider the

validity of that whether or not that's

really true or not and what if using a

technology like this you discovered that

maybe there is another way maybe there

is another way to learn maybe there's

another way to acquire that skill then

you can begin to imagine it could make

the entire world your oyster and this is

a very common thing that I've seen over

the years when teaching NLP to people is

that you go from like this very limited

set of what you think is possible and

what you think you can do in the world -

suddenly your new problem is my god I

got to choose something because I

believe that I could be capable and

competent and accomplishing all these

different things that interest me and so

now the new challenge is picking one and

staying focused and following that until

you get that mastery so this is the

basic NLP map and I encourage you to

study to learn it to consider the deep

implications of what it means for you in

your life okay and what I really hope it

does is it really installs the belief in

your mind today just because I feel a

certain way about something

doesn't mean it's true so what if all

those little stories I told myself over

the years about what I can and can't do

weren't true what would that mean to you

now what would you do with that where

would you go with that in the future