4/10/16
Chapter 3
★ For most, the fear of loss is much greater than the desire of gain. Example: Approaching a girl. You know it would benefit you but in that moment you associate more pain than to doing what's necessary than missing the opportunity.
- If massive pain is linked to any behavior, we will avoid indulging it at all costs.
- Direct your own associations to pain & pleasure. Don't live like an animal. What you link pain and pleasure to will shape your destiny.
- link pain to eating shit so that we no longer desire it. Link pleasure to foods that nourish us.
- We can condition our minds, beliefs & emotions to link pain or pleasure to whatever we choose.
- By changing what we link pain & pleasure to, we can instantly change our behaviors.
- Advertisers understand sensations that we link to their product. Anchor new feelings to an idea.
- ★ Take control of your life in a moment. Link pain/pleasure to certain things. Link pain to behaviors we want to stop at such a high level of emotional intensity that we won't even consider those behaviors anymore. Think of something you would never do & link those same feelings to behaviors you want to avoid. You'll never do them again. Then link pleasure to the new behavior you desire for yourself. Through repetition & emotional intensity, you can condition these behaviors within yourself until they are automatic.
- ★ Procrastination — You believe taking action in this moment would be more painful than putting it off... until you feel the pressure, then the opposite is true.
- ★★ The problem is that most base decisions on what to do on what's going to create pain/pleasure in the short term, rather than long-term. Break through the wall of short-term pain in order to have long-term pleasure.
- Make decision to overcome pain. You can always decide to override pain in the moment. Then follow up by conditioning yourself.
- live in the present. Respond to things that are real, not fears.
Awaken the Giant within — Page 71
Keep using this!!Make some changes now
Exercise: Choose four actions you have been putting off and examine the pain and pleasure you associate with each one.
For each action:
- Name the action.
- Why haven’t you taken it, and what pain do you associate with taking it?
- What immediate pleasure do you get from continuing the current pattern?
- What will it cost you if you don’t change now?
- What pleasure will you gain by taking action now?