The Trick to Instant Transformation

In This Issue:

The Trick to Instant Transformation

Use this to take on any personality trait you need

Tools and Talismans

• Are you a strange loop?

• How to fix an exhausted brain

• Join me on an adventure to challenge my skepticism

The Trick to Instant Transformation

Shortly before he turned 80, Burt Goldman decided to take up painting and photography.

With no prior experience, he soon produced a stunning number of beautiful works. He developed a new photography method, and within four years his creations were on display in galleries around the world.

He attributes this rapid learning to a process called “Quantum Jumping.” It involves apparently contacting other versions of yourself in parallel universes.

Google it if you want to, but I’ve got a more down-to-earth way of achieving the same results.

The Wizardry of an Instant Extrovert

Have you ever put on a costume and played a role?

Maybe you’ve performed on a stage or screen, but that’s not all I’m talking about. Let me give you an example.

When I was barely 15 years old, I dressed up and went out trick-or-treating for the very last time. It felt special, and I decided to really get into it.

I was dressed as a wizard, and I engaged in mock spell duels with my friends. I “conjured” otherworldly beings who appeared as children dressed as monsters. I put a powerful curse on the teenagers who hurled water balloons at us from a passing car.

Of course there were magical “treasure-finding” spells that caused chocolate and other treats to materialize in our bags.

I was a geek. But I wasn’t usually that much of a geek. What I learned that night was magical.

I was a shy, awkward, introverted kid. But that night I realized I could play the role of someone else, anytime I wanted.

I learned how to instantly become an extrovert as easily as turning on a switch. All I had to do was put on a costume and become someone else.

When you’re playing a role, it changes how you think and behave, and it even changes how people treat you.

I’ve used this trick many times as an adult:

• Getting in front of a classroom to teach English and biology

• Crushing it in job interviews by “becoming” a competent professional

• To gather a crowd in the Roman Forum and give a free tour before selling a paid tour for a commission

• While making cold calls to sell my services as a copywriter and marketing consultant

• Speaking out for a local ecosystem at public meetings with government officials

And yes, occasionally singing or acting on a stage.

You see, you can instantly change your behavior, attitudes, and even some of your thoughts and beliefs by taking on a role and adopting the identity of another type of person.

The human psyche loves congruence. If you identify as a certain type of person, you’re more inclined to adopt the behaviors of that person.

There’s not much more to it than simply telling yourself that you are a

• Teacher

• Athlete

• Parent

• Leader

• Sales professional

• Entrepreneur

• Husband/wife

• Healer

• Warrior

• Sage

Enhancing Your Identity with a Costume

If you want to make your transformation even stronger, all you have to do is “dress the part.”

You don’t have to wait for Halloween or the next open auditions to suit up.

People in virtually every culture put on masks and special costumes in order to play a role. Athletes put on a uniform. Healthcare workers put on scrubs.

Wedding dresses, hiking boots, and certain brands of clothing all help you take on a new identity.

Chose a symbolic “mask” to identify as the person you want to be in a given situation.

Get yourself a special tie, a hat, or pair of shoes. You could also use a meaningful prop. For example, I have an expensive pen that I only use for certain kinds of writing.

Whenever you’re facing a significant challenge, ask yourself, “what kind of person would I have to become for this to be possible, or even easy?”

Tools and Talismans

An asterisk * means I have a relationship with the resource mentioned, and I may recieve compensation if you click on the link.

Are you a strange loop? In the spirit of playing different roles, this philosophical rant goes deep into the weeds with the idea that “each of us is a more than just a self; we are a collection of selves.” BTW this article refers to Godel, Escher Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, one of the best books on AI even though it was written in the 70s.

How to fix the exhausted brain. “People rarely leave your presence neutral. They will either leave your presence engaged, or depleted.” Brady Wilson shows you how to connect with people and put their energy through the roof in this TED Talk.

Save $100 on Mindvalley.* Curious about quantum jumping? I’m going to check out the Mindvalley course on it, and you can join me. Get 30% off a year-long smorgasbord of courses on meditation, Qi Gong, fitness, personal branding, and even some weird stuff at this link.

That wraps it up for this week.

If you’re enjoying these rants, lessons, tools and talismans I would love to hear from you. If you’re not, I would like to hear from you even more.

Reply to this email and tell me what you think, what you’d like to see in the future, or just to drop me a line about your cat.

I don’t always have the time to reply to your message, but I read every one of them.

Jacob