Right spirit in the mind to be right to a right dream

765 - Live like a child with right spirit

Creation of the right spirit in the in our mind is another prerequisite in managing managers and therefore the life. A mean spirit turns out mean persons and whereas a great spirit produces great personalities. 

The purpose of human mind is to make common men do uncommon things. It is the test of an individual to neutralize the weaknesses of mind minute by minute. 

For example many great organizations do have programs and coaches to bring out the strengths of individuals to enable the ordinary people produce more and better. The focus is to be on what one can do rather than on what can not be done. Good spirit implies ensuring full potential for individual excellence and providing recognition, reward as well as encouragement. 

Further it also means that enabling individuals as well as groups to constantly improve performance so that yesterday’s good performance becomes the minimum achievement level for today and yesterday’s excellence turns out to be the average standard for today. Further one has to focus on excelling rather than conformance all the time.

“You are making history, bloody it is your fate to deal with challenges” – Dr V V  Rao

In ancient Greek mythology Pygmalion, a sculptor and king of Cyprus, carved a statue of the ideal woman, fell in love with his creation, and through the strength of his own will and assistance of the goddess Venus, brought it to life.

Centuries later, George Bernard Shaw wrote a play, Pygmalion, using this theme of transformation. He told of how the will, effort and confidence of Professor Henry Higgins transformed a tattered, ill-mannered Cockney flower girl into a beautiful, sophisticated lady capable of making her own way in London society. [Robert W Goddard]

Since the time of Ovid the self-fulfilling prophecy or Pygmalion Effect has been central to our social and psychological existence. Innumerable research studies show that what we see reflected in many objects, situations or people are what we put there with our own expectations.

We create images of how things should be, and if these things are believed, they become self –fulfilling prophecies.

Modern behavioral science provides an abundance of evidence that people learn from the structure of their environment and react the way the environment suggests they should. Self-image, other words, is the key to human behavior and sets boundaries of individual accomplishment. Thus your attitude towards, and subsequent treatment of, someone has the power to transform that person. Your expectation alone can bring about change in the behavior.

Think back to your childhood. If you were given loving parental messages, such as “You are so smart,” “You are so beautiful,” and “We love you,” you probably developed into an adult who believes you are intelligent, beautiful and lovable.

Conversely, if you received negative messages, such as “You’re a pest” or “You are a dummy,” you have a high probability of being an adult who feels you do not quite measure up.

Two MIT researchers for example, analyzed the careers of 49 American Telephone and Telegraph managers and discovered that their success, as measured by promotions, salary increases and performance appraisals, was directly proportional to the company’s expectations of them as individuals.    

At an Army command training center 10o+ soldiers tested for aptitude and randomly assigned to three expectancy categories: high, regular and unknown command potential. Trainees of whom instructors expected better performance score significantly higher.

As an individual, you can use the self-fulfilling prophecy positively by being aware of how and why your expectations affect your own growth and performance of your own dream. If you demonstrate through words and actions that you have confidence in yourself and expect superior performance you will probably raise your own bar to accomplish your dream to a reality.