A short while ago I met briefly with a manager in a large downtown energy company who, with much rolling of his eyes, told me of a meeting he was required to attend later that morning at which his division vice-president was going review results for the present year and unveil his plans for next year.

He told me that this meeting – an annual event – was an incredible waste of time. The same insincere thanks for a job well done that is doled out each year followed by promises of new, wondrous, exciting and innovative changes for the new year that are delivered with the full knowledge of all present that they will never be kept.

Attendance at this meeting was mandatory and so he would go along and suffer through this painful ordeal which was only going to further validate how inept management really is.

A few minutes later I ran into someone else I know well.

He apologized for not having time to stop and chat but he was on his way to a meeting.

And he was anxious to get there.

He hurriedly explained that his division vice-president was holding a meeting to review results for the present year and unveil his plans for next year.

He went onto say that this meeting – an annual event – was one he looked forward to each and every year. He truly appreciated the vice-president taking the time to sincerely thank all of his managers for a job well done and he was excited at the prospect of new, wondrous, exciting and innovative changes for the new year that the VP always outlined at these meetings.

He apologized again for having to run off and then turned and disappeared down the hall.

A few days later I met up with our first friend at a coffee place in the lobby of his office building.

Naturally I asked about the meeting. He sadly shook his head slowly from side to side, demonstrated another effortless eye roll and told me that the meeting was exactly as he had predicted.

The VP rambled on and on about this year’s results and how proud he was of his team. He muttered his usual thanks with all the sincerity of a politician telling his constituents that he is there to serve them and then wasted an inordinate amount of time going on and on about new, wondrous, exciting and innovative changes for next year that everyone knows is just a bunch of baloney.

He ended with an acknowledgement of his prophetic abilities. “I told you it was going to be a waste of time and I was absolutely right.”

Early the next morning the phone rang and it was friend number two calling to arrange a meeting. We booked the time and then I asked the question. I had to. “So, how was the meeting the other day?”

The answer that came through the phone was upbeat and enthusiastic. “It was fantastic. We all worked incredibly hard this year and the VP went to great lengths to thank us for our effort. He went out of his way to heap lavish praise on all of us and not a single person in the room doubted his sincerity. He’s a great guy who genuinely appreciates his folks and we all felt like a million bucks.

And that was before he told us of his plans for next year. We are going to be given an opportunity to do some new, wondrous, exciting and innovative stuff and I can’t wait to get started. The new stuff he gave us for this year was great but next year’s is even more awesome. I just love going to those meetings. I always feel so pumped afterwards. He’s such a great boss.”

Did I mention that friends one and two are colleagues and peers both toiling away in the same division of the same company?

And both attended the same meeting.

Interesting, don’t you think?

How could the same meeting leave two people with such different thoughts and feelings?

The answer is simple.

It didn’t.

The meeting had nothing to do with how either of them thought or felt.

They did that all by themselves.

They used a powerful technique called “Creating your own reality.”

Perhaps you’ve heard of it.

Maybe even used it once or twice.

It works like this.

1. You think of something pending in your future (maybe attending a meeting with your VP).
2. You immediately choose how you feel about it.
3. You practice that feeling each time you think about it.
4. It happens (you go to the meeting).
5. Voila! You were right.

Works every time.

If you have ever done this you are immensely talented.

You have successfully predicted the future.

Now keep this to yourself. If you tell others then everyone will want to know how to do this.

Too late.  They already know it and practice it.

I think it was published on Wikileaks.

So now that we know that our future is being formed by our thoughts and feelings right now, doesn’t it make sense that we only create futures that excite and inspire us.

Kinda like friend number two.

What say you?

Till we read again.