We have all heard the expression, "the mind is a terrible thing to waste", which was a part of a campaign slogan used by the United Negro College Fund in 1972 and today is used widely by educators to stress the importance of education.
But do any of us take a moment to really think about the relationship of this statement to how we see ourselves as women in business? 
The fact is what you think is critical to your success. If you spend time with negative thoughts, and most specifically, negative thoughts about yourself -- what you think WILL be your reality.
In order for you to believe this suggestion, think about the last time you were planning on buying a car. You decide that Toyota is the brand you are interested in and you want to afford the Lexus. As you move through your day everywhere you look everyone on the road seems to be driving a Lexus. Now, clearly the dealerships in your area didn't know that you were considering a Lexus - if they were that savvy selling to women they wouldn't have such as bad rap (but I digress) - the fact is your brain is focusing on your desire. Yes, your brain is actually filtering out all the other vehicles on the road and spotlighting the Lexus vehicles for your inspection.
Another example that resonated this concept for me was the time in my life (mid 1970s) that I was desperate to become pregnant. All my friends were having babies and I wanted a baby so badly I felt I couldn't breathe. Everywhere I went women around me were pregnant. It was as though the world had decided every women on the planet should be pregnant but me. How unfair I believed at the time! Why them and not me! Of course, not every women was pregnant but my brain was focused on my desire and my eyes were unable to focus on anything else at the time.
From that time on, I realized I had the power, the special gift, of a brain that could magnify my desire to a point where I could make it work for me not against me.
Just imagine if what you think about, what you truly desire, became your reality.
You, women in business who climb the ladder seeking advancement and acceptance every rung of the way, what stops you from getting to the top?
You, women entrepreneurs who risk it all to launch your own business, work around the clock to generate revenues and reach a level at which further growth seems impossible, what happens?
What if you were told that it is all a matter of what you think about? What if you could be convinced that the problem is not external but internal?
What if all you had to do to change the direction of your work life, your home life, your world is to change your thinking? WOULD YOU DO IT? COULD YOU DO IT?
Just because the solution to your problem sounds simple does not make it simple. Thinking something and actually believing something are very different. But, as I said at the beginning of this blog - the mind is a terrible thing to waste and it is an amazing gift if used wisely.
3 tips for women in business on what to think about
(1) Attention to detail - as Deepak Chopra says in the link article here - be mindful not mind full. Focused awareness is critically important if you are going to change your life by what you think.
(2) Believe what you think. It is not enough to think about something if you truly don't believe it. You will never be successful if down in your gut you don't believe it. I have worked with many a woman in business with the desire to reach the top of her profession all the while hearing how she doesn't believe she will succeed there. If you don't believe it you WON'T achieve it. It really is that simple.
(3) Start each day with a time of reflection. What are you thinking about today? If you are thinking about all that can go wrong with the day, then - well I think you know what I'm going to say about that. What you think about is what WILL unfold. Plan your thinking - write down what you want to think about. Review it over and over again. Allow your brain to accept your thoughts and your beliefs so that become part of your being. What you think about will become what happens.
By the way, it is no surprise that I drive a Lexus and yes, I did get pregnant in 1976 and that baby just celebrated his 36th birthday on May 3rd. Happy Birthday David, Love, MOM
