Written by: Karina Stephens, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
No doubt you’re familiar with a typical bell curve, which usually depicts three areas… the bulk of people fitting into the centre section (average), with a smaller number at either end. Our Consistency Bell Curve shows this same trend and explores the number of people in relation to their consistency.
“Consistent action helps us attract what we want in our life.” - David R. Hamilton, Ph.D. – Author of ‘Why Woo Woo Works’
Let’s talk about the six categories from left to right …
1. Numb
These people go through life ignorant and oblivious to the fact that consistency is required. They are never consistent either in what they do or how they do it and are unaware that consistency is the key requirement in behaviours. The only thing they are consistent about is NOT being consistent.
We are not making judgements here. And as our mate, Glenn Capelli quotes, “Wherever there is judgment, let there be empathy.” But the world does include a lot of people who walk around numb from the neck up. They are typically focused on the past, and whinge, whine and complain about their lot in life but are not prepared to do anything to change it. They appear to be stuck in what they have created, and although they complain about it, they are either incapable or not motivated to change their circumstances, often unprepared to even try something different. A colleague of ours in the speaking profession refers to them (when they attend conference seminars) as the ‘cake-eating oxygen thieves’ … a tad harsh, but you get the point. If the marketing people were to create a slogan for these people using the nursery rhyme ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb,’ it would most likely be…
“Mary had a little lamb … it was dead from the neck up!’
We should add that sometimes there is hope for these people as their environment often heavily influences their behaviours. So, in some instances, usually, when they are in a different environment, a ‘light bulb moment’ can occur. The challenge is then to sustain the shift as they tend to easily regress into their ‘status quo world.’ Any investment of your time and energy into this group needs to be quickly assessed through the lens of, “Is this likely to be a sustained benefit or just a flash in the pan?”
The next group on the Consistency Bell Curve typically…
2. Lose
A slightly larger percentage always seems to lose, and life does not go well for them in many areas. They talk about a loser’s game, attract and manifest drama, and typically lose at the game of life. Generally, they have closed minds and are usually in denial. They sometimes are prepared to try different things, although seldom do they think through the consequences, so they rarely succeed long term.
This group tends to be overly opinionated and have strong egos, almost coupling blind ignorance and arrogance. This is their weak point. They don’t take ownership and accountability, instead preferring to blame, rationalize, pass the buck and whinge about things, comparing themselves to others, generally saying how ‘lucky’ the other person is. They manifest and attract being in the wrong place at the wrong time, unaware that the quality of their thinking and mindset is, in fact, the problem.
It is not that they are losers; the word LOSE is simply missing a couple of letters – a ‘C’ at the start, and a ‘D’ at the end, spelling CLOSED. They have a closed mind. The missing ‘C’ stands for CONSCIOUS. It is a hint that they need to be more conscious of their mindset and thoughts and the implications of what they are thinking and doing. The missing ‘D’ stands for DENIAL (although they will deny, they are in denial). Their strong opinions and ego constantly get them into trouble, although they are usually blissfully unaware of this.
“Mary had a little lamb … it ended up an opinionated roast!”
As a fellow speaking professional Amanda Gore says, their thinking doesn’t suck … it’s just missing the letter T. They are stuck. Their thinking and associated behaviours are stuck, and they won’t succeed consistently until they are more open. Investing time in these people on the change journey can be extremely challenging given that they are so opinionated and have a closed mindset – so usually, they don’t recognize either the need or opportunity to change and hence are not prepared to even consider it. As the late Dr. Wayne Dyer encouraged, they need to ‘sell their ego and buy curiosity.’
We recently heard Dean Hutton speak. He was the co-host of ‘The Curiosity Show’ on TV in the 70’s. These people should subscribe to his online show by the same name, which now has subscribers in over 30 countries around the world. Sigurd Olsen said,
“Whilst we are all born with curiosity and wonder, and our early years are full of the adventure they bring, I know such inherent joys are often lost. I also know that being deep within us, their latent glow can be fanned to flame again by awareness and an open mind.”
An open and curious mind reigniting the flame of curiosity and wonder is the key to moving beyond this group in the Consistency Bell Curve, so they can at least become…
3. Average
Here we have the bulk of the population. There is a reason it is called AVERAGE! These people skim through on the surface of life, experiencing a ‘feast and famine’ cycle constantly. They are an ‘interested novice’ at best and largely inconsistent in their behaviours. They typically have the knowledge (or at least think they have, or pretend they have) but live in the gap between knowledge and doing. They fail to implement consistently.
Let’s explore a passage from David R. Hamilton, PhD’s book ‘Why Woo Woo Works’. It summarises this group of people perfectly…
“Sometimes, we don’t attract the things we want in life because we fail to maintain a consistent focus on them. We chop and change, going from wishing to achieve something to thinking it’s not possible, to wishing it again and then doubting ourselves once more, to eventually forgetting about it altogether, only to think about it again several years later and lament that we never achieved it.”
This group is what we refer to as the ‘Teflon People’ – nothing sticks! They may attend programs and read books, but they generally fail to put their knowledge into action. Their focus is on both the past and the present, and yet they rarely consider the future. They often ‘fall into things’, including their environment and career. They are mostly reactive to life instead of proactively creating the future they want. This group generally has a foot planted in each bucket and, to paint a picture for you, that leaves their private parts in ‘no man’s land’!
Bob Procter, a well-known speaker in the USA, says most people are tiptoeing through life waiting to die. He is describing this group.
“Mary had a little lamb … it was made of Teflon and nothing stuck!”
What a lost opportunity this group of the population represents! Imagine the effect on the planet if only we could positively influence 10% of this group to move to the next group on the Consistency Bell Curve to…
4. Win
A much smaller proportion of the population seems to win. This is because their actions and associated behaviours are at least consciously consistent. They have had those moments where they have achieved above-average results and have put two and two together and worked out that consistency was the key to their results being achieved. The key is in their attitude. They have an open mind and tend to have a future orientation, focused on the NOW and the NEXT. They are present in the NOW, which, by the way, spelled backwards is WON! They learn from and build off the past—their experiences, their relationships, their studies, and their environment. In fact, the word WIN stands for ‘What’s Important Next?’ They have clear intentions and objectives, and this motivates them and drives their ambition. They know where they want to go and what they want to do in both the shorter and longer terms. They come to realise and live Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote:
‘The successful person is merely the average person focused.’
These people are also prepared to seek out guidance and feedback from others. And… they observe and learn from what others are doing or have done – especially things that have proven to be successful. This group takes action – they get things done, and their persistence in both managing their mindset and creating traction pays off. They are also realistic. They know what they can do (including how they can afford to do what they want to do) and get on and do it. This group is best summarised by the slogan,
“Mary had a little lamb … with its attitude it was sure to win!”
If this group could take their consistency in mindset and behaviours to the next level, they would arrive at…
5. Mastery
An even smaller group progress to this level on the Consistency Bell Curve. They have practiced their mindset mastery for some time and are now at subconscious consistency. They no longer need to consciously remember to be consistent. It is subconscious now and comes to them naturally. Their positive behaviours are embedded and occur instinctively.
Life still happens and yet, when the so-called ‘bad’ things happen, these people immediately represent the events through an opportunity filter. They know with certainty there is a silver lining to the event or circumstances, and deliberately look for it. And by looking for it, they usually find it and make positive things happen as a result of finding the ‘silver lining’. Their focus is on the ‘now’ and the ‘next’, however, they have a greater level of confidence, faith and intuitiveness that it will happen compared with the ‘WIN’ group.
These people are present in the ‘now moment’ and thinking about what’s next. This group also seeks out (or attracts) others who are like-minded and work together in both identifying opportunities and acting on (or delivering) them. They adopt the adage that a problem shared is a problem halved or solved. They propose various ideas and goals to the Universe and allow room for their desires to turn up.
“Mary had a little lamb … it made it look so easy.”
With continued persistence, they will arrive at …
6. Artistry
Limited to a few, this small band on the Consistency Bell Curve is consistent without being obsessed about it! It is effortless consistency coupled with a finely-honed ability to do all the right things from all the wrong places, even when the environment or conditions are against them.
This is the world-class pianist doing an outdoor concert – the wind is blowing a gale, the rain is pouring and his or her fellow musician guitarist has failed to show. And yet he or she can adjust at a moment’s notice, hit every note with precision, and still take the crowd on a magical musical experience that lifts their spirits. It appears like artistry in action. They operate in a sublime space which makes them unique and noticeable. They are in flow. They take high ownership, accountability and responsibility for themselves and their mindset.
You will see that these are the people who not only identify the actions required but consistently deliver on them – and to a high quality. You might have heard the adage, ‘If you want something done then give it to a busy person’. This group has an immense appetite to learn more, do more and deliver more whilst doing it effortlessly – and they mix and work with people who have a similar attitude and mindset. This group can be represented by…
“Mary had a little lamb … its effortless mastery did show!”
People often refer to these few as being the elite in their fields and as ‘a genius’. And yet, never forget what Professor Albert Einstein said about genius, ‘Genius is just simplicity done consistently.’ We take so much solace from this quote, and could we invite you to do likewise?
Why is this one of my favourite quotes? Because Einstein points out that genius is within reach for all of us, given it is just the simple things done consistently.
Dr. John F. Demartini shares a delightful nuance in his classic book, ‘How to Make a Hell of a Profit and Still Get to Heaven’…
“To be a genius means listening to the voice of your soul, your inner being, and following its enlightened guidance.”
People who play consistently in the ARTISTRY end of the Consistency Bell Curve have this trait; they have followed the promptings of their soul, using their innate skills and talents, coupled with the guts to act on the promptings of those quiet whisperings.
Acclaimed artist Piet Mondrian said, “The position of the artist is humble. He is essentially a channel.”
People in this group have dedicated thousands and thousands of hours to mastering their craft. From the eye of the person witnessing them in action, it appears like magic. And yet we love the quote, “Magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone would reasonably expect.”
Some Final Thoughts and Suggestions
Whilst the environment that a person operates in, or finds themselves in, can contribute to where they fit on the curve, the keys are their attitude and behaviours.
People can move around the curve during their lifetime, progressing or regressing at different times. The challenge is to up-level the band which is your ‘centre of gravity.’
Where do you play most on the curve? What would be the positive implications if you could consciously move yourself along the curve and only regress occasionally?
External influences, like family, friends, work or location, can all play a part to some extent in influencing where people fit on the curve. What has influenced you?
Observing and learning from others is a good tool to use. The old adage that ‘Good people mix with and get along with good people’ might apply here.
Call to Action:
Make ‘bite-sized changes.’ Don’t try to move from one extreme (end of the curve) to the other end of the curve, either in one giant step or too quickly. Identify the change you want to make and how you want to achieve it. And then do it. The key is to retain your movement towards the right on the bell curve. Make this new position on the curve your centre of gravity, your new norm, and then continue to focus on opportunities to move along the curve. It's all about bite-sized chunks, which are easy to do. The added bonus is an increase in desire and motivation as you start to see the results.
Reflection is a key component of any movement in behaviour. Whilst you always want to be moving forward, reflection is a useful tool to enable a ‘check-in’ regarding your progress and the next steps along the Consistency Bell Curve. And I use the word reflection deliberately. Reflection is not about looking back for too long. All you achieve is a sore neck! You also risk regressing and losing the change that has occurred.
Finally, be practical (not too theoretical) in identifying and acting on any changes you want to achieve.
Take action. Action ignites a shift that helps rewire your thinking. And when your thinking changes, miracles show up in a real and tangible way. Progress towards your goals and aspirations is maximised, even accelerated.
A presupposition of the science of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is, ‘If it is possible for others, it is possible for you. It is just a question of how’. Making ‘mastery’ or ‘artistry’ your centre of gravity is possible for you, given others are already there.
Those who know others are intelligent; those who know themselves are truly wise. Those who master others are strong; those who master themselves have true power. – Lao-Tzu
Co-authored with Ian Stephens
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Karina Stephens, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Karina Stephens is an award-winning entrepreneur, author of The Pace of Grace, and creator of The Modern Day Alchemist Academy. She founded the award-winning enRich Retreat & Spa in 2012, winning the industry award for the best day spa in Australasia after only eight months. In her book, The Pace of Grace, Karina shares her personal story of completely healing from Adrenal Fatigue and guides readers on how to transform their energy in order to avoid being burnt out, stressed out, maxed out, and checked out. She is a transformational speaker and writer, sharing stories, philosophies, tools, and strategies on living life from an energetic perspective, focusing on frequency, vibration, and life force.
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