Super-powers or a super essay. It's all in the mind, so use it!

Have you ever daydreamed about how truly fantastic it would be if you could fly? I have! I mean, that horrid morning commute would be replaced with a speedy flight with a fantastic view. No longer will I deal with the frustration of Mr Bad-driver, who thinks that obeying rules of the road is just something that happens to everyone else. Instead, the only frustration you'd have is the occasional greenfly in the face. DIY would be a doddle. A stair lift in my old age? No need, thanks. The opportunities for a spectacular practical joke multiply ten-fold! Anyone else think about this? Just me? Ok then.

But that aside, there's so many superpowers I could use that would be fantastic. Not all of them, mind. I wouldn't want to hear what people were thinking; what I heard would probably make me quite mad and I wouldn't be able to explain to anyone why. Being able to move things with my mind, however, would increase the potential of my laziness to a whole new level. If you're sprawled out on the sofa in front of the TV, why not go the whole hog and make the Doritos come to you? What about time travel? I'd be so rich by just somehow happening to know which company to invest in. "What was that, Bill Gates? You need some money to get you off the ground with your new business? Hmm, I'll see what I can do". You get the picture.

Sadly, some things are completely impossible. I can't see how time travel can realistically work (at least, to that extent) as no doubt we'd break something in the past that will end up messing everything up today. However, I wouldn't totally write off moving things with my mind. We can control machines with our brain-waves using something called "Brain-Computer Interface". I know this, as I saw an episode of The Gadget Show where they picked up a car with a huge magnet, moved it a few metres, and put it down, all by thinking about it. It was fantastic to watch. Who knows; those lazyman Doritos might not be too far away.

Junk-food convenience aside, it does make me wonder about how the brain works. Ironically it's so amazing, it's almost impossible to comprehend. There are more connections in your brain than there are stars in our galaxy, and if you read last week's blog, you'll get how massive that is. That, added with determination, is an amazing mix. Collectively, our brains have given us the iPhone, the automobile, the DVD player, the Dyson, the washing machine and the traffic light. So, you'll appreciate why I find it very boring to hear people say "Oh, I can't do it". Why not? I'm not talking here about walking through walls or popping for afternoon tea with Henry VIII's dog sitter, I'm talking about people working on a simple project. Well, do you know what: You're absolutely right. If you sit there and say "I can't do it", then you can't. Not because you actually cannot achieve it, but because you've set yourself up into the failure mindset. If you convince yourself that what you are doing is not possible, why would you then bother trying? You're going to fail, according to you, so you might as well give up now. No! Silly silly person.

How many people are bored of working for a crummy salary and want to branch out on their own, but have convinced themselves it's too complex, too hard, they're going to fail in front of everyone so why bother? Congratulations, genius, you've gone and proved yourself right. You're a failure, so why start? How long is that mindset going to keep you happy? Until you're too old to do anything about it? You remember that guy who drove past you in a Ferrari the other day, or that couple celebrating the purchase of their beautiful country house, or that lady whose hard work and determination means that she can spend her mid-40's onwards relaxing and enjoying her life? Do you think they got where they are because they told themselves it's too hard? No, they got up, decided what their goals were, and pursued them with utter determination until they were successful. Of course, you might not be looking to take over the business world. You might just be trying to complete an essay that is proving far more challenging than you thought. Either way, it doesn't matter. What does matter, is how you use that amazing brain of yours to convince yourself how incredible it is, and something as relatively simple as some work is no match.

So take a few moments out. Decide what you want, go for it... and most importantly, know that you can do it. Henry Ford said "whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right". And when you've completed your essay or sold your milti-squillion pound company, relax. By that point, you might not be able to paint your house by flying, but you'll be able to afford a machine that will do it for you that uses the power of your mind, then gets you a beer.

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