620. Expert Interview: We Bring About What We Talk About

Thomas Blackwell

Thomas Blackwell travels the world as a high demand speaker and inspires people to become their best. He has given more than 1,000 talks and presentations to corporations, executives, entrepreneurs, sales teams, athletes, and students. He has owned and operated a successful seven-figure insurance agency with over 100 agents and 3 different locations. Above all Thomas Blackwell is a husband and a father of four beautiful girls. In this interview, he shares from his recent book, “The Liberty of Our Language Revealed: We Bring About What We Talk About.”

We Bring About What We Talk About

“We create our own reality by the words we use and the thoughts behind them. Too often, those thoughts are unconscious, largely picked up from our environment and our past. You can make an immediate shift in your life just by recognizing what you’re unconsciously saying. It’s a basic principle of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), and you can easily use it and quickly see results.”

Why Is This Important?

“Think of your mind and speech as the captain of your life, and your body and environment as your crew. Your crew only knows to obey what the captain says; it is not the critical thinker or decision-maker. So, if the captain says, ‘OK, let’s sail toward the Promised Land,’ the crew goes straight to work on that. On the other hand, if the captain says, ‘Sink this ship,’ the crew only knows to sink the ship, and goes to work on that. There is no filter. So, as the captain, you’d better only be saying the things you actually want to happen. Be conscious of what’s coming out of your mouth.”

What Are the Key Lessons Learned Here?

“Be conscious of what comes out of your mouth. Think about all the things you say in a day, often without thinking. If you become conscious and start saying only the things you actually want to happen, your results will begin to change immediately and will continue to improve as you consistently practice. Start by noticing your first thoughts in the morning. Do they reflect the kind of day you want to create? Chances are, they don’t. Begin by becoming conscious of your thoughts as you start your day. Intentionally change them to what you want, then choose words that are congruent with the thoughts you have chosen.”