Risk & Business Magazine General Insurance Services Spring 2020 | Page 11

CULTURE
begins to play. Your self-talk will begin
to either support you or bring you down.
Most people, when presented with an
opportunity or fresh idea, will begin to
shoot it down and come up with a list of
reasons why it can’t be done, it may not
work, or it is simply “too risky.” With
the rapid changes in the economy and
world of work, many of the old rules of
engagement and thinking need to be
thrown out the door.
The glaring problem most people have
in the pursuit of their inner genius—
and I base this on how few people
within society are living fully engaged
and on purpose—is that their inside
and outside mental programming
causes them to focus and default back
to worst case scenarios over and over.
Sadly, they often have no idea they’re
even doing it.
Deflecting opportunities is a horrible
habit to possess. Buried below the layers
of negative behavior and programming,
opportunity is sadly a foreign word
in most people’s vocabulary. I believe
that fear is the silent, yet #1, enemy to
most people on their journey to a life
of significance. It’s a convenient and
comfortable trick of the mind which
sets up the next dangerous habit known
as excuse making. Fear and excuse
making are closely linked together.
shape public opinion. The old adage
in media rooms of “If it bleeds, it leads”
has taken over and dominated most
news outlets. It’s simply amazing to
watch how news has been twisted into
not only gossip and entertainment
but also a forum to complain, plant
fear, and focus much more time than
should be allowed on what’s wrong
with society and rarely on what we’re
doing well.
As I move in and out of airports, I
occasionally catch fellow travelers
(aka: zombies) glued upward watching
the TV for the daily debate, “situation,”
protest, or latest idiotic high-speed
chase being covered from a chopper
in the air high above a major city.
Many also rotate between the large
screens above and the smaller ones
they hold in the palm of their hands.
Most of these folks do not look excited
or happy as they view the visual
parade of fear and human stupidity
attempting to take over their time and
more importantly their mind. It’s not
uncommon to see many shaking their
head or mumbling under their breath
with disgust.
With the 2020 American election
coming up in full-swing and the
countless fear-based ads trying to hook
our minds, I’m going to look at the first
primary fear peddler, the media, and
put them on the hot seat. When I’m teaching groups or meeting
with retainer clients, I advise them
that ignoring the media and its
influence is foolish. Who do you
want educating your customers and
prospects? You or them (the media)?
This is an easy answer, but many firms
do little if any “counter-programming”
to ensure that they have a voice and
educate their customers. There are
always two sides to every story, and
you must aggressively make positive
publicity a part of your marketing and
promotional efforts. Now, with social
media, blogs, and email, it’s easier
than ever to position against the fear-
peddling media and share what best
puts you, your company, your industry,
or your key message in a positive light.
Balance is required.
This should be an obvious one, yet far
too many people diminish the media’s
influence on the mind-set and ability to Defend your time and mind carefully
when allowing the media to influence
you or your customers. Yes, whether
THE THREE PRIMARY FEAR PEDDLERS
YOU MUST BE ON GUARD TO DEFEND
FROM STEALING YOUR MIND AND
YOUR INNER GENIUS
1. The media
2. Your associations
3. The marketplace
we like it or not, they do influence a lot
of opinion, and more times than not, it’s
built on controversy, hype, and bottom
line: fear. It’s a smart idea to have your
own game plan ready and share it often
to counter the fear and present the other
side of the story as well. +
Tony Rubleski is the bestselling
creator of the Mind Capture book
series. He is also an in-demand
keynote speaker, strategic business
coach, and global event promoter.
His work has been featured in various
media outlets ranging from Bottom
Line Magazine, The Detroit Free
Press, the FOX TV network, ABC, to
CNN Radio, NPR and Entrepreneur
Magazine Radio.
MindCaptureGroup.com.
*Reprinted with Permission
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