Quietly Cultivate
Quietly Cultivate

Quietly Cultivate

Yesterday we saw how you get what you subtly believe you will get. A huge part of success in anything is tuning your subtle beliefs, your deep habits of thought, to the idea that it will all work out, that you will succeed. This belief-tuning can be tricky because there is a trap along the way. It’s a trap I’ve fallen into many times.

The trap is the temptation to make yourself think that it will all work out. “I will succeed. It will work out.” You are using your will power to push through any lingering doubt. Using your will power here does the opposite of what you hope: it delays your success. Why?

  • In part because making yourself do anything always causes resistance.
  • In part because the very reason you would force yourself to think you will succeed is that, subtly and deep down, you don’t really believe it. And so things more likely will not work out.

Instead, quietly cultivate that sense that everything will work out. Start by noticing whatever is good around you. Make a list of things, peoples, ideas, structures around you that you appreciate, that are good. Remember: whatever you put on your list is an example something that has already gone well.

In your corner,

Mike

4 Comments

  1. Ramsey Leung

    Hi Mike,

    I just want to say that I really love and appreciate your advice and daily emails which I now look forward to every day. Today’s reminder to Quietly Cultivate resonated so strongly with me and the challenges I am currently dealing with. It also came on the heels, coincidentally, or perhaps not so, of some advice from another author I have been reading, named Osho.

    Anyways, thank you again!

    Ramsey

  2. Debbie

    Mike
    I feel like you are writing this for me! This is amazing and tremendously helpful. I really appreciate the distinction between “making yourself think something” and techniques to “quietly cultivate” the belief.
    Debbie

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