The way a person thinks can be a trigger for more of the same. It comes down to what they think about and how they think about it.

Consider the following slot machine analogy:

There is a slot machine that takes pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. There are penny quality thoughts and when you put penny in the slot machine you get tons of pennies, all the time, but somehow you always feel penniless. There are nickel quality thoughts and when you insert a nickel you get many nickels but not as many as pennies and you still feel like you never have won much but you get to keep a bit. When you insert the dime thoughts it seems as if you get less quantity return but you feel like you are winning something more substantial and there is a sense of personal satisfaction that you are heading in the right direction. However, when you get to quarter quality thoughts and you insert quarters into the slot machine it seems that you get very little short-term return, but when you check what you have, you realize that you have much more than you thought. Furthermore, you get to keep your profits, they accrue handsome interest and you have a growing sense of personal fulfillment. You begin to realize your personal brilliance and surprise yourself by what you can do.

So what’s that slot machine? The best way to try to explain it is that it is a place where thinking energy collects, if you like a bank of thinking energy, where you get what you put into it, with interest.

What that means is that when people all think the same penny thoughts, nickel thoughts, dime thoughts or quarter thoughts they will get more of the same. This will define their decision making ability, leadership capacity and their ability to think out of the box. Ultimately, the quality of thinking shapes people’s attitude, how they think about themselves, how they think about others and… how others will think about them.

So what are penny quality thoughts?- I am good, I am bad, they like me, they don’t like me, I hate this, they hate me, aren’t I wonderful, I am so worthless, I am stupid, he is stupid, she is stupid… and on and on.

What are nickel quality thoughts?- How can I get by, what is the least I should do to get better results, how can I become more liked, etc.- more quality than penny thoughts but still based in I & ME.

What are dime quality thoughts?-These kind of thoughts revolve more on what can be done to improve all around performance and conditions, skill improvement, how to help others improve, willing to learn new things and… put them to practice even if it means daring to stretch one’s comfort zone and breathe the fresh air that is out of the box.

What are quarter quality thoughts?-Here we enter a new realm of thoughts where needs are considered, how to become an example to others and lead from the front, staying positive in spite of challenges and difficulties, motivating your self and others, having a value system that does not waiver because of gain and loss considerations, a level of thinking that always finds new opportunities and does not get put off.

And if you are a quarter quality person, it does not mean that you never have penny, nickel or dime quality thoughts- it just means that the quarter slot machine is where you place most of the bets that you make.

Finally, it is absolutely crucial to admit to the fact that "you are the author of your own story" whereby, the way you think will trigger more of the same! So, think consciously what you want more of, do so repetitively, and you’ll find that you trigger what you want to become- That’s why lasting changes start from within and not from without!

Eli Harari
The Thinking Coach