Sausage Machine
We met Tom Cassidy of e2a+ last week while he was on vacation from his home in London. Tom married a Texan, and they were back in Austin to visit family. He contacted us when he happened to see the article in the JobsPlus section of the Austin American Statesman.
Tom explained he works with clients in England who are going through career change. His process, however, brings in his background in science. He had us on the edge of our seat when he was explaining (in very simple terms) the quantum theory behind The Secret, a script by which we run everything through, and the sausage machine.
The Sausage Machine
We laughed as Tom made a fascinating analogy. We start our day grumbling to be waking up so early. Maybe we stub our toe. Or, coffee is too cold, and it’s too cold outside. We put all these complaints and junk in, yet we expect to get out a great day at work, loving family, and a white picket fence. According to Tom, it’s really like a sausage machine. You put in pork into one end, and you get pork on the other end. You wouldn’t expect to get beef sausage if you put in pork! But that is precisely what we do. We put negativity in our sausage machine, and we get out negativity. When you catch yourself making negative statements or complaints, then put in twice as much positive and praise.
The Script
Building on the sausage machine analogy, Tom went on to explain that everyone has a desire to be happy. However, we continue to find ourselves in situations where we are unhappy — not only in career, but also in relationships, physical fitness, and many other aspects of our life.
Holding up two loose fists with his wrists up, Tom asks a simple question. Holding his right fist a little higher than his left Tom asks, ”If we could choose to be happy”, he begins as he now raises his left fist higher than the right, “then why would we choose to be unhappy?”
We sit there with blank stares at first. We don’t get it. We know the answer is simple, and Tom repeats the question again gesturing exactly the same way. He’s asking a simple question about choice. We all believe that we can choose to be happy. We can choose our career or our mate, then why do we choose something that makes us unhappy?
Finally we get it. It’s because we aren’t choosing to be unhappy. In fact, we aren’t choosing at all. We are playing a “script“. This script is the program we run throughout our lives. The script contains all of our beliefs that we’ve developed from our upbringing, religion….everything. Then we play the script. Maybe the script says something like: ”In this economy, I’m lucky to have a job. I should stay where I am and just grin and bear it.” Or, “I knew she would eventually leave me. All my ex’s eventually leave me.” These scripts run our life.
The Good News
Scripts can hold you back if you are unaware of them, but now you are aware. Now, once you hear your script telling you your not good enough, smart enough, successful enough, good looking enough, or whatever….you’ll know that script is flawed. Then you can re-write that script….and this time, make it a Broadway play!
He is oh so right. I have advised clients to pump themselves up before walking into an interview. If they feel good about themselves then it will ooze out. If they have negative thoughts those will ooze out. It is a choice. This is called Positive Mental Attitude or PMA which is by the way much better than PMS!
I couldn’t agree more, Marc. Negativity in the interview will kill an interview - whether spoken or unspoken. With all the candidates in the market, hiring managers will simply moved to the next candidate in the stack if they get a “bad vibe”. Pumping yourself up before an interview is great advice. One technique I saw used was to stand with heels and shoulders against a wall, and then step off. You actually stand up straighter and taller when you take that step off. What a way to enter the interview - tall & confident!
-Jay