The Mother-of-All-Tapes

During the last few weeks, I posted some comments on behavioral tapes in general and a few comments on specific tapes that might cause problems with your spouse, your children, your relationship with money, etc. This week I am going to keep things short and tell you about the mother-of-all-behavioral-tapes. I'll leave it to you to decide if and how this tape might be influencing your behavior. Mild versions of this tape are relatively normal. If you are human, you've probably got some version of this tape. A strong version of this tape can create serious problems in your life. Here it is:

"Everybody ought to love me all the time."

This is a classic example of irrational thinking. Yes, it would be nice if everyone loved us all the time. Nice, but not realistic. If this tape is constantly playing in your head, how do you think it influences your ability to:

• Be an effective leader/manager?
• Be an effective salesperson?
• Be an effective speaker or writer?
• Be an effective teacher or coach?
• Be an effective parent?
• Be an effective human being?

Do you know anyone with a strong version of this tape? How effective are they? How enjoyable is it to be around them?

How are you doing with your version of this mother-of-all-behavioral tapes?

Think about it!