Changing thoughts requires changing music
Written by Tom Richard | | tom@tomrichard.comThirty years ago, SugarHill Gang made history when its song, “Rapper’s Delight,” became the first hip-hop song to become a Top 40 hit. This success gave birth to the hip-hop genre of music and, for the first time in history, there are adults all over the world who have grown up listening to hip-hop music.
How many times have you heard your parents say, “I don’t know how you can listen to that!” and thought the same with regards to your parents’ era of music? Do you still listen to the music enjoyed during your formative years?
Can you believe that the time is near when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and LL Cool J will all be considered “oldies?” For some who didn’t grow up to these beats, it seems ludicrous that these artists are even considered a viable music preference, yet, comparatively, the same was said 30 years ago about KISS, Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead.
Is there really a “best” type of music or is it all a matter of personal preference? The truth lies not in the preferences themselves, but in how these preferences came to exist in the first place. It is natural for people to latch onto the music of their day and immediately (and sincerely) discount the preference of others.
As they develop, individuals experience periods of intellectual and emotional growth. Individuals cling to more than the music they grew up with — they also hang onto the values, work ethics, prejudices and principles they learned within that time.
Much like your favorite music, implementing values, work ethic, prejudices and principles into one’s life is a choice. There will come a time though, especially if you are trying to improve your private life, when you will need to reflect upon those core components and ask if they are helping or hurting your situation. During such reflection, you may be surprised to find that, as hard as you may have tried to leave behind the life you once lived, you are still listening to the same music, using the same tools and thinking the same thought patterns that made you think you were invincible as a child.
Some of the thoughts that are locked into your head from those developmental years may include conflicting feelings about money. Do you feel that you can make money easily, or do you feel that making money is hard? Do you feel that you have all of the resources you need or are you that person who is always begging/borrowing/stealing? Most importantly, do you feel you deserve to live a happy and successful life?
The answers to those and other questions may be different than the ones that are locked inside your head — the thoughts that were formed when you first developed your taste for music.
There are many ways to change your thoughts. All of them are simple, yet none of them are easy to accomplish. Think of your mind as a game of Operation as you focus upon keeping the good thoughts in, while trying not to get zapped by the negativity of the old thoughts. Identify the thoughts you want to think: Do you want to find new customers every day? Do you want to recruit the best employees in the market? Do you want to be able to deliver a strong speech in front of an intimidating crowd? Write them out as if they are already fact.
Take your affirmations with you, privately, everywhere you go. Look at them often, repeat them aloud to yourself in the mirror and feel great about what you’re telling yourself. As time passes, and it will take time, you’ll begin to develop a taste for new music — the sweet music of personal success.
For more ways to change your thoughts go to www.boltfromtheblue.com and enter the word SUGAR into the blueprint box.
Tom Richard is a Toledo-based sales and marketing consultant, keynote speaker, and owner of Bolt from the Blue direct response advertising. For more information, visit www.boltfromtheblue.com or call (419) 441-1005.
