Neuro Linguistic Programming

22 Part I: Introducing NLP

People respond according to their map of the world

Like all humans, you respond in accordance with the map of the world you

hold in your head. This map is based on what you believe about your identity

and on your values and beliefs as well as your attitudes, memories, and cul-

tural background.

Sometimes, the map of the world from which one person operates may not

make sense to you. However, a little understanding and tolerance can help to

enrich your life.

When Dr Diwan was a junior doctor, she used to visit a psychiatric hospital.

One of the patients was a very well-spoken, highly educated professor of

English. One of the professor’s little foibles was to walk around at night with

an open umbrella. He was convinced that the rays of the moon would give him

‘moon madness’. However, the professor took great delight in sharing his pas-

sion for English literature with members of staff, whose lives were certainly

enriched by their daily interactions with him.

If the staff had been intolerant of the ‘mad professor’ and ignored or sidelined

him, they may not have realised but their lives would have been impoverished

without the richness of his literary stories and his sense of humour – he often

referred to himself as the ‘impatient patient’.

There is no failure, only feedback

This presupposition is a very powerful one by which to live your life.

Everyone makes mistakes and experiences setbacks. You have a choice

between allowing yourself to be waylaid by your undesirable results or taking

on-board the lessons that present themselves, dusting yourself off, and

having another shot at jumping the hurdle.

A child’s map of the world

A child’s map of the world can sometimes make

an adult think again! This truth is neatly illus-

trated by the following delightful snippet.

A policeman was sitting in his police van with

his canine partner when he noticed a little boy

staring in at them. The boy asked if that was a

dog in the van. The policeman confirmed that

the other occupant of the van was indeed a

dog. The little boy got extremely puzzled and

asked, ‘What’s he done to get arrested?’