Have you ever opened up an email from someone you like to follow and then been turned off the minute he/she starts to tell you that you need something? First of all, how does anyone know what you need? Second, it’s wrong to assume and wrong to force your ideas onto anyone. I love following people who inspire me. I put my money into classes and activities where I find value through positive reinforcement – not enticement through fear.
A most common example of this, is the idea of needing “redemption” from Christians promoting their religion. Another is astrologists using fear-based tactics to make you think Mercury Retrograde is really going to burn you this time if you don’t get some help. And even some well-meaning functional medicine doctors can lure you in with everything that’s going wrong in our world (toxic food system, environmental pollutants, fluoride in our water) – all of which is true by the way – but it’s not reinforcing anything positive! Here’s an example of what I would rather read: “Would you like your IBS to clear up, your skin’s complexion to improve, or to lower your anxiety and feel yourself again?” These are some of the more positive points to emphasize vs. “You better get yourself checked out, because I’ve seen people head down hill real fast when they don’t.”
Don’t we have enough fear in our world already? Wouldn’t it be great if every business owner and advertisement could find ways to make people feel good about the possibilities rather than guilt over their inaction? This is just my food for thought for today. I hope you can surround yourself with enough positive people that you do feel motivated and empowered to improve your life in any way you choose.