How to be an inspiration

Consider this: By developing the power of suggestion, you will learn how to influence without authority, motivate without incentive, and inspire everyone with whom you interact.

Remember in Star Wars how the young padawans train to become Jedi? Their ability to influence and inspire others comes from their ability to master themselves. In fact, yogic masters have been using this “power” to influence, inspire and guide people since time immemorial. It is the power of suggestion. But it is not just reserved for yogic masters; with practice, it can be used by everyone. I wish you to learn this method, so that you can accomplish your life and career goals more effectively.

The power of suggestion will give you influence without any need for authority or control. You will speak less and are be heard more, you will use less force to be more persuasive, you will instruct minimally and see more initiative being taken.

How to develop this?

There are two aspects:

The way a message is verbalised;

The way a message is received and processed.

You will see this with children. If you try to control screen time with your child by speaking forcefully, not only will you get an angry reaction, your child might learn to be dishonest. If you speak forcefully, she will always react negatively. What if, instead, you suggest that the whole family develops a philosophy around screen time: what are the boundaries, and what are the reasons and driving factors in developing the family guidelines? By suggesting and including her, she will be more amenable to listening.

Many parents struggle with older children who fall into addiction, and refuse to listen to parents about the consequences. Again, force never works, but gentle suggestions will open the door for change.

(This is the first part of a two-part series, to be continued…)