Please Remember

     How many times a day do you think we say to our children, spouses, or partners statements that begin with the word “Don’t”?  Examples would be:  “Don’t run”, “Don’t forget the bread on the way home”, or “Don’t spill your milk”.  Our brains have a difficult time computing words like “Don’t”.  Rather, the brain can easily compute operative words that are often the very thing that we do not want to have happen.  These are words like “run”, “forget”, or “spill”.  These words produce the mental images in our children or adults that we want them to avoid doing.  How many times have you told yourself, “Don’t forget my cell phone” or other similar-type statements?  Do these statements insure that what we want to have happen does occur?

     So, rather than using statements starting with the word “Don’t”, try using statements that produce a positive mental image.  The statements above would be revised by saying, “Please walk”, “Please remember the bread on the way home”, and “Please be careful with your milk”.  The operative words that are now creating a more positive mental image are “walk”, “remember”, and “be careful”. 

     Using phrases that produce positive images may seem trite or insignificant, but you just might find that these statements improve the behavior or actions that we wish to occur.  Try using more positive statements for a week, on others and yourself, and see if there is any improvement.  

     And one more thing…Please remember this blog posting :)