I had an interesting thought pop in the other day: “I was stupid until I wasn’t.”

To me that meant I was locked in to stupid before I wasn’t. There was a learning experience waiting on the other side of stupid, I just didn’t notice it, until I did.

That prompted this fill-in-the-blank: I was ________ until I wasn’t.

What are you locked into? There is a key to your lock. But it takes some reflection to find it.

The operative word in the fill-in-the-blank statement is “was.”

Notice that “was” indicates it’s in the past. The reflective exercise is this: Refer to what you were locked into as being “in the past.”

“In the past” is a concept I learned from Dr. Dave Dobson. Below is an excerpt from a free ebook I offer on success that illustrates Dave’s teaching:

“In the past” is a phrase that works its own magic when continuously applied. If it is your habit to say, “I’m not very artistic,” say something like this instead. “In the past, I haven’t been very artistic.” The consistent referencing of the observation as “In the past,” is a pattern interrupt. The pattern interrupt, “In the past,” sets the stage for your mind to come up with additional options that will move you forward.”

There is magic in the phrase “in the past.” You just have to practice the trick often enough so you have it down pat.

“In the past” is the key to the lock. Practice using the phrase until you open up unseen options – options that free you from the limiting concept that seemed like a life sentence.

I was unaware of this technique until I wasn’t.

Now it’s your turn to turn “is” into “was.” It’s a simple matter of practicing the English rules for tense that you learned a long time ago.

Is “in the past” the key to your lock? Jiggle it a few times and find out, first hand, what’s on the other side of “was.”

All the best,

John