I can’t explain it any better than this.

Lance Armstrong motivates Vince Vaughn in the film Dodgeball by invoking negative emotions that Vince feels a compulsion to move away from. Or maybe it’s just silly and funny.

Now this is actually a technique that some people use to get themselves moving in the direction they want to. It seems that for many people the lure of something better isn’t actually enough to get them taking action. In this case really imagining what they don’t want (broadly defined as pain) can give them the initial spur to move towards what they do want (broadly defined as pleasure).

Be careful however as this way of motivation has two problems. The first is that you need something compelling to move towards otherwise you will only move forward until you are no longer feeling pain, then you fall back into your old habits and don’t take action again until you’re experiencing pain again. (This is the classic pattern of the yo-yo dieter. Diet until you are thin, no pain from being overweight, start eating again, feel pain, start diet again, etc.)

The second issue with this way of motivating yourself is that it’s not a good thing to focus on things you don’t want as that’s inevitably what you’ll end up with. So use this sparingly!

My friend Magnus (creator of Tapping.com) has created an EFT Practitioner Directory, judging by his other popular web sites it will soon be the best place to find an EFT Practitioner in your area.

EFT Practitioner Directory

My apologies for continually harping on about money and economic matters, but the reason why the western economies are in such as mess is down in part to confused ideas about money and wealth. A good example is the terms we use to describe certain kinds of money or ways that money or wealth are represented.

For example; why is it that credit cards (credit has positive connotations if you look it up in a dictionary) actually put you in debt to the bank? While debit cards (with which you can pay with your own money) actually use your own credit.

Even from the banks point of view, using a credit card leaves you indebted to them while using your debit card allows you to use the credit that you have stored with them.

And does owning a large amount of mortgages mean you have accumulated many assets (yes, if you keep collecting interest) or a liability (when people start to default on their mortgages).

So when you buy a house, have you invested in property as an asset (when house prices increase), or have you taken on a liability (maintenance, bills and increasing cost of mortgage repayments)?

The answers aren’t black and white, it’s up to you to make up your mind depending on the circumstances. It’s just more evidence that you have to question the prevailing ways of describing the world.