Risk & Business Magazine Hardenbergh Magazine - Fall 2019 | Page 9

CULTURE
fear presents itself is the game your
mind 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.
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
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.
This should be an obvious one, yet far
too many people diminish the media’s
influence on the mind-set and ability to
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.
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.
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.
Defend your time and mind carefully
when allowing the media to influence
you or your customers. Yes, whether we
like it or not, they do influence a lot of
*Reprinted with Permission
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