Cathie draws the short straw and experiences the Magnetic Lifestyle!
If you have read the WELCOME page, you will realize that this blog is slightly different in that we are using the acronym MAGNETIC LIFESTYLE to present some ideas and insights which we hope will help you attract the lifestyle you choose.
The first 8 posts for the acronym MAGNETIC are foundational and are intended as a ‘map’ to help you apply the subsequent 9 posts for LIFESTYLE in a fun, effortless and enjoyable way.
In the post IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT it was explained that when you describe what you see in the world ‘out there’, you are not describing true reality, but a dramatically filtered version of reality created through your own personal beliefs. This is a key understanding because it means that as well as looking at the world you see, you have to look at the lens through which you see the world, your belief system or your own internal ‘map of reality’.
The following analogy may help. In celebration of the publishing of the MAGNETIC posts, ‘techie queen’ Cathie and her husband Dave are jetting off to Thailand for 22 days stopping at Bangkok, Phi Phi & Krabi Islands & Phuket.
Now imagine that the travel agent sends Cathie a street map marked ‘Bangkok’ but due to a printing error it’s actually a map of Nonthaburi (2nd largest city in Thailand). When Cathie arrives in Bangkok she gets the street map out and is immediately confused. So she calls up the travel agent and explains that she can’t make sense of any of the street names. The travel agent representative, who has been brought up to believe in the importance of diligence and perseverance, politely tells Cathie to ‘try harder’. So Cathie, who is renowned for never giving up, sets off with Dave with a quickness in their step, determined to find their hotel. The result – they now get lost twice as fast!
Feeling worse than ever, Cathie rings the travel agent again. Realising Cathie’s attitude and spirit are very low, the travel representative tells Cathie not to get disheartened and to think more positively and asks her where she is. Cathie says she’s outside a bookshop and the travel agent tells her to go in and pick up all the books she can on Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). So Cathie goes in, purchases a couple of books and reviews them with Dave. Now they’re both so psyched up and feeling so positive that you can’t stop them. They set off again and because of their new positive attitude, they don’t even mind that they’re lost and can’t find their hotel! They smile and accept the reality of the situation.
Although this may seem a silly analogy, how many times do we try to change our behaviour and attitude without questioning the accuracy of the ‘map’ from which our behaviour and attitude automatically flow? This is not to say that a good positive attitude is not important. It most certainly is, but you still need a correct map if you are to successfully navigate your way in life and achieve the changes you desire.
Cathie takes up the story by sharing her own personal insights on the importance of a correct map….
For over 50 years I’ve lived with the belief that to be successful, I had to work hard and that nothing came easy. Although my family and friends know me as a very positive, determined and hardworking person, I was continuously being asked why I wasn’t getting anywhere, even though I believed I would ‘someday’. Being a very passionate person, I’ve always given 100% to everything I attempt, yet I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing that would get me to my ‘destination’.
Like many people, my life has been a mixture of good and bad experiences. But the significant and big changes in my life only began when I took the time to really examine my own map of reality. I had always had a positive attitude and yet I was still not achieving the results I wanted. Why? It was because I had an inaccurate map. It was only when I started to challenge my current thoughts and beliefs about who I was and what I was capable of, that I realised that my ‘map’ or the lens through which I saw the world and myself was completely untrue.
As I began to create a more accurate map, based on the truth of who I am and what I can achieve, my new behaviour, attitude, actions and results changed automatically. It is the best investment of time I’ve ever made.
For more information read About Cathie
In order to allow YOU sufficient time to really examine your own map or the lens or beliefs through which you see the world, we have decided to defer publishing the 9 posts on LIFESTYLE until Cathie’s return. This will give you the opportunity to complete all the ACTION Steps and Belief Study Workbook published so far.
