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And, if you’ve never heard of Eckhart Tolle, he wrote the hugely successful book, “The power of Now”. Ah, now it makes sense (!) 
 
It’s been a while since we’ve devoted a whole post to some of the tricks the Little Monster in our heads uses to keep us stuck in the past. Doing the same things over and over again, with all too predictable results. Not only in terms of the outcome itself but, more importantly, preventing us making changes in our lives. 
 
 
And, if this sounds rather over dramatic – and couldn’t possibly apply to you (!) – perhaps you’d like to take a moment to look at how this plays out in your life. Yes, we know you probably won’t want to – and your Little Monster will have lots to say about this simple suggestion – but, if you do, you may learn something useful in the process… Not least, the sudden realisation of how much of your life – and the results you achieve – are repetitive. Happening on autopilot and driven by what happened in the past, rather than what is happening right now. And there are no prizes for guessing who is in the driving seat either. The Little Monster in your head. 
 
So, now we’ve woken you up – for a short time, at least (!) – to what’s been going on in your head without you realising it, we’d like to highlight another of the tricks used by the Little Monster to stop you making progress. It involves two little words we all use when we’re thinking about something we’d like to do and, crucially, whether we’re likely to be successful. 
 
Do you want to guess what they are? 
 
Can. Will
 
Can I do x? 
 
Can I make more money / find a new job / fill in the blank? 
 
Will I be able to do y? 
 
Will I be able to find my soulmate / my perfect home / fill in the blank? 
 
Unfortunately, both of these words take us straight back to our past experiences. What we have – and, just as importantly, haven’t – achieved in the past. And, in turn, the whole catalogue of beliefs these experiences have created or reinforced in our minds as being “true.” Or, more accurately, “true” for us. 
 
From there it’s only a short step to the inevitable answer. “Probably not.” “Doesn’t look promising.” And, so, before we’ve even started, we’ve come to a grinding halt. It’s little wonder we find ourselves repeating the same experiences and mistakes over and over again. 
 
However, the good news is there’s a very simple way to avoid this trap. To keep the past at bay and our attention focussed on the here and now. The only place where ANYTHING is possible UNLESS we’ve already decided there can only be one outcome. And, again, there are no prizes for guessing whose answer that is. The Little Monster in your head. 
 
So, what’s the simple solution? Just add another little word to the start of the question. How
 
How can I do x? 
 
How will I be able to do y? 
 
If you read these questions out loud, you’ll notice they feel and sound very different. 
 
Can I do x? How can I do x? 
 
Will I be able to do y? How will I be able to do y? 
 
Not only are they completely different questions, but produce completely different results. 
 
Why? 
 
For the simple reason, how isn’t bound to the past. Instead, it opens up all the possibilities. Those we’re already aware of those and those we aren’t. It gets the creative juices flowing, opening us up to new ideas. 
 
And, as we all know, once we’ve got a little momentum, the rest is easy. 
 
As always, the choice is yours. 
 
 
 
Photograph by unknown author 
 
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