Self-fulfilling prophecies Our beliefs act as a self-fulfilling prophecy. We act in a way that
proves the validity and value of our beliefs to ourselves. If our
beliefs are self-limiting we limit our performance, thus proving
the belief to be “true.” Over time the beliefs become more and
more entrenched as we continue to live them out each day.
However, if we hold empowering beliefs such as the beliefs
of excellence outlined below, we act and behave in a way that
releases our potential and allows us to express our real self.
With NLP we can find the key to generate empowering beliefs
for ourselves so that we can learn and grow and achieve the
things we really want.Only recently the winner of the UK national computer game
competition said that in order to win he believed that the game
was real. Although he knows it is virtual, he believes that in this
combat game he can actually die. He said that by believing this
he played as if the game were not a game at all but a real-life
battle for survival.Have you ever wondered how some people achieve success?
For example:❏ How Christopher Columbus held on to his vision of
discovering a new route around the world and maintained
the courage and tenacity to cross waters that no one had
sailed before?
❏ How the Americans managed to break through the limits of
what seemed possible to land a man on the moon?
❏ How British hostage in the Lebanon Terry Waite retained his
sanity and self-worth when held in solitary confinement
bound, blindfolded, and threatened with death?
❏ How previously unheard of entrepreneurial companies
such as Yahoo! and Amazon became household names
overnight in markets that hadn’t existed a year before?
❏ How Richard Branson carved out a share of the airline
market for Virgin Airlines in a business already dominated
by well-established and powerful organizations?240 NLP AT WORK