An Introduction to Neuro Linguistic Programming

by: KurtSchmitt
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In the 1970s, John Grinder and Richard Bandler set out to study what set highly effective psychotherapists apart from the others in their field. What they ended up with was a methodology for self-improvement all its own, known as neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

NLP focuses on what works, sometimes disregards what we might believe to be true or false, and works off of certain presuppositions. This makes it different from traditional self-growth and positive thinking methods, as well as psychotherapy.

For example, it presupposes that if you want to make a change in your life, that you have all the resources that you need. Other presuppositions include things like there is no such thing as failure. As Tony Robbins tells us, you're either getting the results you want or you're not, but failure doesn't really exist.

As long as it is useful, it doesn't matter whether or not the presupposition is actually true. For example, you don't ask whether or not a tool is true before you use it. You simply pick up a hammer and a nail and use it.

NLP also assumes that people are not broken. In fact, they work perfectly. Even burglars, thieves, and alcoholics work perfectly.

Some therapies seem to operate on the premise that there is something wrong with people and they need to be repaired in some way. This can be disempowering and tends to turn people into victims by reinforcing a belief that they're in some way damaged or broken. This, in turn, gives people an excuse to repeat negative behavior in the future.

Take, for example, the case of someone who has a self-limiting belief that they're a bad learner. They've been told all of their life that they have bad study habits or can't learn a particular subject (I'm bad at math). They become a victim of a limitation that they've set for themselves and avoid learning new things in this area.

With neuro-linguistic programming, you would simply accept that whatever your results with learning have been in the past, it has been perfect. Remember also that another presupposition of NLP is that you have all the resources at your disposal to make a change. In other words, you can learn anything you want to learn right now, regardless of past results.

Professionals in the life coaching field utilize a similar concept that says that the present is perfect. This allows you to accept that things are as they should be and gives you the power to make changes in your life.

Another principle of success used in NLP is the belief that if someone can achieve a certain result, then you can too by modeling their process. It's also flexible enough to embrace the concept that if what you've been doing isn't working for you, then you should change your methods until you get the desired results.

Neuro-linguistic programming was adapted and put into practice by one of its most well known students, Tony Robbins. Tony made himself famous using his own brand of NLP-based self-improvement to show people how to cure phobias and turn their lives around in a very short time frame.

If you're looking for a practical, positive approach to life change, then NLP may just be for you. There are a number of free resources online where you can learn the basic techniques and principles, and many practitioners you can work with to take things to the next level.

About the Author

Kurt Schmitt writes for a website on inspirational sayings and motivation with a number of articles on how to learn neuro-linguistic programming  

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