Words Matter

What if you were to put a new twist on the old idea of positive affirmations? Anyone who’s spent any time in business and especially sales has heard of using positive affirmations to improve their performance, attitude, etc. The problem is most never get much good from them, if they even try.

Consider using positive affirmations as the solution to one of the problems we all deal with on a regular basis. Why not change your passwords to reflect what you want in life and business?

Not An Original Idea

I wish I could claim this were my own idea, but I cannot. The inspiration came from a discussion I was having with my mom. She told me of a young woman she worked with years ago.

It was in the dawning of the tech age, and this woman was an early adapter. She, like most of us at that time, didn’t have a Computer Science Degree, which at the time was still focused on “Super Mini” and “Main Frame” computer science. Most everything she knew about “Tech” was self taught, yet she built and ran the IT department for the company.

Faced with the many daunting challenges of the emerging technology, she was committed to learn, understand and utilize computer technology. Her password…ICanDoThis!

I thought to myself, “What a powerful example and testament her story is. Everyday this young woman faced her challenges with a positive affirmation.”

The story of that young woman became the inspiration for this post.

Four Truths

There are 4 truths with which we all deal.

  1. Positive Affirmations improve our lives
  2. Almost no one purposely uses them
  3. We are all forced to create passwords for practically everything
  4. Everyone hates trying to figure out what to use for their password.

Turn the Problem into the Solution

Suppose we were to combine these issues to create a single solution. What if we were to use Positive Affirmations to solve the Password issues, while using Passwords to solve the Affirmation issues.

The result – Use Affirmations as Passwords.

You have to create and change passwords constantly anyway, so why not make the practice psychologically beneficial?

Rather than –

Password: $MyName123

Try –

Password: Ive_G0t_This!

Both examples fulfill most password requirements for length, Cap’s, Number and Special Characters. The difference is the second is a positive affirmation that will quickly bypass Critical Analysis and the Psychological Reactance (push back) that typically accompany the repetitive reading of positive affirmations.

Consider the Possibilities

Imagine how quickly and easily you could create a constant flow of positive ideas going into your mind if you were to try this simple twist. The possibilities are almost endless. When you think about the number of programs and apps you log into every day. What if the password to each were a positive affirmation.

If you’re in sales you could make your CRM password – TimeT0$ell!or some other sales related affirmation.

You could make your email – I_Enj0y_People!

Your social media – I-Attract-P0$itive-People

If you’d rather, you could just use generally positive affirmations. Use phrases that would make you feel good about you, such as:

  • Be-P0$itive!
  • I_Can_D0_This
  • Ive-G0T-Thi$-Down
  • N0-Negativity!
  • I_Ch00$e

It may sound silly and insignificant, but there is potentially tremendous power in this little hokey change in the way you create your passwords.

Bypassing Your Mental Gatekeepers

One of the biggest challenges in getting the mind to accept new ideas is in getting through the natural “Gatekeepers”. When we begin to feed positive reinforcement messages that are not in sync with what we may actually feel our mind uses it’s natural defense mechanisms to keep the inconsistent message out.

The first Gatekeeper is “Critical Analysis”. If you say to yourself, “I’m a positive person”, The critical faculty of your mind will “fact check” the statement. If, in fact, you have never viewed yourself as a positive person, the new message will be kicked out because it does not pass the fact check.

The second Gatekeeper is “Psychological Reactance”. The mind does not like change. Therefore, when presented with information that the subconscious considers to be an attempt at persuasion, influence, change, etc. The idea will be rejected.

By using something as simple as a password you can sneak a past the Gatekeepers. Because your conscious mind is seeing the input as a password rather than an attempt at influence or change, the information will flow directly into the subconscious unimpeded and unchanged.

As a result, your subconscious will, over time create the neural pathways that will create reality from the suggestions you are giving yourself by simply logging into the programs and apps you are already logging into.