Neuro Linguistic Programming for Dummies

"To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are." - Muhammad Ali.

These words reflect the motivation of the speaker, who has proved himself to be the greatest boxer of the century. Neuro linguistic programming is all about developing this attitude. Positive thinking results in success, maybe not always, however it teaches one to learn from failure and not repeat the same mistake while deciding on another approach to achieve success. In a few words, "the right attitude" is an approximate definition of neuro linguistic programming for dummies.

Neuro Linguistic Programming

If the term 'neuro linguistic programming' is broken, then each word taken individually means, neuro-mental, linguistic-language and programming-setting/coding, i.e. setting the mental language. Our brains are programmed in such a way that whenever we see a rose, we conclude that it 'looks' beautiful and 'smells' good. The same way, a common reaction to a foul smell will be to cover-up the nose. If we were to mentally program someone to perform the opposite analysis for the two situations, he would do so, giving an impression to the people around that he has lost his sanity.

Many people in the world tend to have a few negative traits in their personality. So the question is, 'Are all of them mentally ill?' The answer is obviously NO! There are some people who put in their best efforts to achieve something, but receive little in return. Such people gradually tend to develop a negative perception about life. A simple trait, like a negative attitude, is considered a serious issue in the psychological world. A negative attitude can make a person lose everything he has. Neuro linguistic programming (NLP) helps to 'change the equation' by changing a negative attitude to a positive one.

In short, neuro linguistic programming for dummies is about building a winning attitude through motivation. Some people are self-counselors, while others need professional psychotherapists. However, many people shy away from the possibility of visiting a psychiatrist, thinking that they will be tagged as mentally unstable and therefore, will be boycotted from the society. The attitude of the society towards mentally disabled people has always been critical. Over the years, doctors have highlighted the fact that mental disability does not always relate to madness or insanity.

'Neuro linguistic programming' or NLP, was first introduced by Richard Bandler, when he was a student at the University of California. With the help of John Grinder, a linguist and a lecturer at the same university, Richard created a meta-model of a language of influential word-structures and their working. In her book 'Neuro Linguistic Programming for Dummies', Romilla Ready explains that neuro linguistic programming comes in handy, not only in driving away the negative thoughts, but also in bringing about the following changes in a person.

Rapport Building: When we enter new surroundings, it's unlikely that we become friends with everyone we meet. We connect to some people instantly whereas we cannot team up with a few others. Ignoring the people we dislike, is impossible hence, an adjusting rapport has to be created with those people to maintain a peaceful environment.

Sensory Awareness: We should always keep a firm control over our physical senses. Observing carefully, listening with complete attention and speaking only after thinking, prove to be very effective in the long run. Keeping all your senses alert is always beneficial.

Outcome Thinking: When we expect a specific outcome in a certain situation, the action has to be taken in such a way that the desired outcome is achieved. There should be no doubt after the outcome.

Behavioral Flexibility: If a result of an event is not as per your wish, to achieve the expected outcome you need to find other options. The more flexibly you choose an option, higher the chances of accomplishing your goal.

The 2001 released Hollywood movie "Shallow Hal", is the story of a guy who judges people from their outer appearance. One day, he accidentally crosses path with a life coach, who hypnotizes him and programs his mind to see the internal beauty of people. After that day, his life changes entirely. Though this romantic comedy was not intended to explain NLP, it did so, in an unobvious way.

The corporate and management world have taken an important notice of NLP and are training their employees according to its norms. It has changed many lives with its 'positive effect'. In the years to follow, neuro linguistic programming will surely gain more impetus. Currently, this therapy is known to very few, however, it will soon be known to the dummies.