Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

I was recently pondering the word "almost."

We jokingly say "Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." But, the word is actually a double-edged sword. One edge can harm us, while the other can cut a clear path to our goals.
If a mother of three says with regret, "I almost finished college before getting married and having kids" that doesn't have the same empowering meaning as a 21-year-old eager young lady saying, "I'm almost done with college." In fact, it has quite the opposite meaning and effect. We can use the word "almost" to mean that we fell short of a goal, or we can use it to mean that we are close to finishing a current project.

As a person interested in self improvement, you can certainly appreciate the beauty of releasing the past. As an intelligent person, you understand that the way you talk about your possibilities determines your path. I suggest that you let go of the "almost" past that you have been clinging to, whatever it may be. Whatever you "almost" did, you, in fact, did NOT do. How does that feel? It should feel very honest and liberating. It should feel like closure. Or, perhaps it feels like a challenge.

If you want to accomplish that goal, start saying that you have almost completed it and get to work! Otherwise let it go. Why would you want to continue to beat yourself up over it? And nobody really wants to hear about what someone almost did anyway. I know two professors who almost won Nobel Peace Prizes. They tell everyone! But, there is no prize for almost. It's as if they have created a new prize, the "Almost Nobel Peace Prize." I also know several people who almost broke world records, but none of them have DONE it! Where are their names recorded? Nowhere! In each of these cases, these people are clinging to something which does not exist. They are clinging to the idea that their past was not quite good enough, but they wish it was. How disempowering! Almost does NOT EXIST, so let it go.

Now, let's examine the powerful use of this word, the other edge of the sword. If you are actually currently working on achieving a goal, you should say that you are almost there. "But, I thought you just said that almost doesn't exist!" You might say. True, I did say that. And it doesn't exist. But your subconscious mind doesn't understand this. Your subconscious simply takes in what it hears and acts on it. It is very similar to a computer. When you use "almost" to refer to the future, rather than causing frustration as in the case of the past tense, it acts as a link between where you are now and an event in the future which has not yet occurred. The future does not exist. It is simply a concept. Think of "almost," when used in this sense, as your faith in the future. You are reassuring your subconscious mind that, although it has not happened yet, it will, soon. So, you program yourself to move forward with confidence and anticipation of success. And when we move forward in this manner, all sorts of wonderful things happen to us because people respect our leadership, goals, and drive. Others become allies in our goal-reaching process.

'Almost' can also relax us about the future. If a plane has almost landed safely, it has NOT actually landed safely. In fact, it may NOT land safely. But, when I see the ground getting closer and hear the landing gear, I say to myself, "We've almost landed safely. And in a moment, we will have a perfect landing." This immediately creates a picture in my mind of us landing safely and relaxes me. It reassures me that we will land safely. I have no evidence about the success of that particular flight. I don't have a crystal ball. All I have is faith. But the subconscious mind is wired to accept faith as evidence. Here are some other empowering examples of the word almost:

"I've almost completed medical school."

"I'm almost a black belt in Karate."

"I'm almost at my ideal weight."

And, yes, you are almost finished reading this article.

Steve G. Jones, Clinical Hypnotherapist
http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com/