I find Dr Maltz's astute observation very interesting, and that it has wider applications.

In the field of NLP or neuro-linguistics programming, we call it pattern interrupt, which is a way to change a person's state or strategy.

Using a pattern interrupt allows us to step out of bad habits, change our behaviour, or even influence another person's behaviour.

It can be a physical or verbal change that disrupts some unwanted behaviour.

New perspectives are also a valuable tool for disrupting patterns.

The late creativity maestro Dr Edward de Bono had often used, as an integral part of his lateral thinking repertoire, such an approach to sustain a culture of innovative thinking in organisations. 

As I read to process what Matt Furey is actually thinking about when he is making this astute observation, it brings back memory of a vital lesson from Dr Maxwell Maltz, with regard to the power of recalling pleasant thoughts in such a situation:

Here's a quick recap:

• "If you wait until circumstances justify your thinking pleasant thoughts, you are likely to wait forever."
• "Happiness is simply a state of mind in which our thinking is pleasant a good share of the time."
• "Skill in any performance... consists not in painfully and consciously thinking out each action as it is performed but in relaxing and letting the job do itself through you... "
• "Within you, whoever you may be, regardless of how big a failure you may think yourself to be, is the ability and the power to do whatever you need to do to be happy and successful."
• "I am a firm believer in 'negative thinking' when used correctly. We need to be AWARE of negatives so that we can steer clear of them... "
• "Your automatic creative mechanism is teleological. That is, it operates in terms of goals and end results... "You" supply the goal by thinking in terms of end results. Your automatic mechanism then supplies the means whereby."
• "Your nervous system... reacts automatically to information which you give to it from your forebrain [Remember, that's the CEO of your brain!]. Your nervous system reacts appropriately to what you THINK or IMAGINE to be 'true.[Remember, that's the CEO of your brain!]. Your nervous system reacts appropriately to what you THINK or IMAGINE to be 'true."
• "Happiness is native to the human mind and its physical machine. We think better, perform better, feel better, and are healthier when we are happy."

Tactically, it's also a way of executing a pattern interrupt!

Bravissimo!

As I read to process what Matt Furey, President off the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation,  is actually thinking about when he is making this astute observation, it brings back memory of a vital lesson from Dr Maxwell Maltz, with regard to the power of recalling pleasant thoughts in such a situation:

Here's a quick recap:

• "If you wait until circumstances justify your thinking pleasant thoughts, you are likely to wait forever."
• "Happiness is simply a state of mind in which our thinking is pleasant a good share of the time."
• "Skill in any performance... consists not in painfully and consciously thinking out each action as it is performed but in relaxing and letting the job do itself through you... "
• "Within you, whoever you may be, regardless of how big a failure you may think yourself to be, is the ability and the power to do whatever you need to do to be happy and successful."
• "I am a firm believer in 'negative thinking' when used correctly. We need to be AWARE of negatives so that we can steer clear of them... "
• "Your automatic creative mechanism is teleological. That is, it operates in terms of goals and end results... "You" supply the goal by thinking in terms of end results. Your automatic mechanism then supplies the means whereby."
• "Your nervous system... reacts automatically to information which you give to it from your forebrain [Remember, that's the CEO of your brain!]. Your nervous system reacts appropriately to what you THINK or IMAGINE to be 'true.[Remember, that's the CEO of your brain!]. Your nervous system reacts appropriately to what you THINK or IMAGINE to be 'true."
• "Happiness is native to the human mind and its physical machine. We think better, perform better, feel better, and are healthier when we are happy."

Tactically, it's also a way of executing a pattern interrupt!

Bravissimo!