This is what I’m talkin’ about:
In my last “Ben Settle Show” I took a little flack for preaching the negative thinking gospel as opposed to the usual “just think happy unicorn & rainbow thoughts and you’ll ‘manifest’ everything you want” bs taught in “The Secret” and other positive-thinking tomes of nonsense.
Well, guess what?
Take a gander at this response:
(From someone who can’t afford to rely on woo-woo “feel good” theories in his line of work, or he could die…)
Hey Ben,
I don’t know if this email will get to your inbox or not, but I have to mention something about your recent podcast and how it rings true to harnessing negative energy as a driving force.
First off, I want to say thanks for sharing that.
I get it. I really do. Negative energy, for a lack of better terms, is my primary driving force. It’s good to hear someone else that is more successful than I am state that.
I’m active duty military right now. I’m and infantryman. I’m also a bit of a nerd and introverted. Now, in an Infantryman’s world, smart is not the best thing, especially if you don’t have good social skills from being and introvert. You standard infantryman consist of strong socially confident people that are not afraid to assert themselves in any situation. That’s just the way you have to be, and it’s why a lot of people don’t really make the cut so to speak. Doesn’t mean you can’t be the nerd, you just have to conform if you want to fit in.
Needless to say, I had a lot of negative energy thrown at me by my leadership. But that is just the way the military is and it’s how you get someone to conform. A lot of people don’t get that. The concept behind getting yelled at and pushed beyond what you thought you were physically capable of is the point behind the military training concept.
You are forced to learn how to take that negative energy, and harness it to so you can perform at the same level of the group. To put it plainly you have to be capable of walking long distances with weight and shooting a guy in the face; and then after spending hours on the scene of the fight, walk your ass the 5 miles back to base.
As you might imagine, that takes a lot of drive. That drive comes from mostly the fear of not being socially reprimanded by your peers that you have come to respect. You definitely do not do that shit, by “thinking positive”.
However, now of days, that’s not how things are turning out. Now, as I am older in the military, I am responsible for training new individuals. Which reminds me of your MLM story. Instead of me being allowed to “break them down” and learn how to harness that negative energy into something positive that will help them stay alive. I have to coddle them. Which is why I’m out. That’s pretty much bullshit if you ask me. I don’t believe in abuse of another person, but I promise you this, the last place you want to learn how to deal negative shit and harness it into laser guided focus to staying alive is when you are already in a War Zone.
I haven’t started my entrepreneurship or “antipreneurship” path yet. I’m plaining and learning now. I’ve spent a better part of the last year and some change looking at other individuals out there and figuring out what I want to do.
I’m not sure if email marketing only is the path I’d like to go. I’ve thought about it. I’m also not going to fill you full of shit and tell you I will join your email players list. Not that I don’t think you have value or insight. Just not sure it’s the route I want to go yet. Plus, personally, my financial house is not the in right order to do so. I’ve been bitten by a few “sabertooth tigers” and “sharks” the last year as well. Great learning lesson.
I do appreciate your show though, sometimes just listening to someone that shares a similar outlook on life, especially someone that is successful outside of the military, is very helpful.
I can assure you of one thing. My driver, getting up every day, isn’t positive thinking. It’s the fear of being a failure, it’s the determination to show others where I am at now, that learning how to be successful isn’t a fools task. It’s the possibility of being able to rub in their face when I do achieve the success I’m looking for.
Sure, I realize that to achieve that I have to be an honest and helpful person. But that “positive energy” isn’t what gets me out of bed a 5 am ready to take on the world.
Thanks again for a realistic approach and honesty.
Dan
(NOTE: Last name withheld by request for obvious reasons)
That’s all I’m sayin’.
If you want to hear the show he talks about, go here:
Go to episode #20.
(titled “BSA 20”)
Angrily yours,
Ben Settle
