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CHAPTER 1 / FORGET JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU WERE EVER TOLD ABOUT POSITIVE THINKING22 NO B.S. Guide to Succeeding in Business by Breaking All the Rulesgoverning images of inability. Maltz was adamant that consciously set goals and consciously held positive thoughts have little power and no chance of lasting impact if they are not congruent with the images and beliefs embedded in the subconscious, and he went on to develop unique %u201cmental training exercises%u201d to identify what is in your self-image and to modify it as you choose. These %u201cmental training exercises%u201d have been used and endorsed by countless famous Olympic and pro athletes, authors, entertainment personalities, business leaders, and others. In the Vince Lombardi years, the entire Green Bay Packers team was studying Psycho-Cybernetics.My own experience with Psycho-Cybernetics began in my teen years, where Maltz%u2019s discoveries and methods helped me conquer a severe stuttering problem where all other attempts to resolve it had failed. This stuttering kid became one of the highest paid professional business speakers in America, including, for 9 years, a spot on the #1 public seminar tour, in 25 to 27 cities a year, with audiences of 15,000 to 25,000, sharing the stage with four former U.S. presidents, many celebrities, and other top business speakers of that day, including Zig Ziglar. While Dr. Maltz and Dr. Peale were friendly, Dr. Maltz revealed a chief flaw in %u201cthe power of positive thinking%u201d that is vital to understand: trying to consciously force yourself to act in conflict or contradiction with the kind of person you see yourself as%u2014i.e., your self-image%u2014is futile.Why %u201cGetting Motivated%u201d Is All Too Often an IllusionI tell a true story about the life insurance industry. In Akron, Ohio, where I grew up, a bunch of insurance companies all had their offices lined up on Market Street, very near to a little shopping center in which there was a popular breakfast joint called The Egg Castle. Every morning, the insurance reps gathered in their morning meetings and repeated positive affirmations, sung the company songs, marched around the table,