The Hidden Step
www.necouncil.org/the
hidden
step
STEP ONE
ignite your inner fre
ingredient three - belief
Exercise #6
what they call an electronic mouse which
can learn its way through a maze.
The frst time through the mouse makes
numerous errors. It constantly bumps into
walls and obstructions. But each time it
bumps into an obstructions, it turns 90 de-
grees and tries again. If it runs into another
wall, it makes another turn, and goes for-
ward again. Eventually, after many, many
errors, stops, and turns, the mouse gets
through the open space in the maze. The
electronic mouse, however, remembers the
turns which were successful, and the next
time through, these successful motions are
played back and the mouse goes through
the open space quickly and effciently.” It
essentially duplicates its success to fnd its
way.
Once a failure is realized and the lesson
is learned, the negative experience should
be forgotten. A failure is merely feedback
which guides you towards your goals.
Automobiles come equipped with negative
indicators placed directly on the dashboard
to tell you when the battery is not charg-
ing, when the fuel is low, etc.
To ignore these negatives might stop your
car from functioning. However, the driver
does not look at the control panel continu-
ously. To do so might be disastrous. He
must focus his gaze through the wind-
shield, and keep his primary attention on
his goal—where he wants to go. He glanc-
es at the negative indicators from time to
time. When he does, he does not dwell
upon them.
As children we are programmed to forget
our failures. Children forget their failures
very quickly, until they are taught how to
worry about them. A child brings home
a report card with all As except for two
Ds. Immediately he is scolded for the Ds
instead of being praised for the successes.
Through this, the child learns to focus on
the failures and ignore the successes.
Of course all parents mean well and want
to make children aware of their mistakes.