In my previous blog about how to become empowered through NLP, I briefly introduced you to the 5 pillars of empowerment. This blog will explain the first pillar, cause and effect, in depth.

Cause and effect is a framework of thinking that is all about responsibility. It is about taking responsibility so you can hold on to your power rather than give it away, which will leave you feeling more empowered. It is usually represented by the equation C>E. On the left side of the equation, we have results, which is all about creating the results you want. The other side of the equation is where reasons live. 

A major thing to remember is that cause and effect is not about fault or blame. Sometimes when people look at being at cause and talking about cause, they might start to think they’re actually referring to being at fault or blame. If they are at cause and take responsibility, then it’s an open invitation to play the blame game. It’s actually far from that. Being at cause has nothing to do with blaming one’s self for being at fault for things that go wrong. It’s about taking maximum responsibility and knowing that at that seat of responsibility, this gives us the option, the openness and the availability to be able to change and create the results we want to in our everyday lives.

I’ll put it this way: imagine if I’m holding a very heavy kettlebell and dropping it on my foot. I know that I’m the one dropping it on my foot and the fact that I’m aware of that simply means I am at cause. Now, some people live their lives at this side of the equation, at least most of the time, while some people live on the other side of the equation or tend to find themselves there and don’t realize that they actually have a choice to move from that position. Those are the type of people that are saying to themselves, “Oh, who keeps dropping this kettlebell on my foot? Why is this thing on my foot?” But when at cause, I can have a look at my hand and realize that maybe I’m not gripping this thing right or perhaps I need to pay more attention and know that I’m creating this result. Being on the other side of the equation, in this example, creates a world of pain.

Imagine yourself just standing, with the future being right in front of you and the past behind you. In that exact moment, you are the sum of all the decisions that you made in the past and everything you’re thinking about doing in the future. Those two things have collided into what we perceive as now, which means that at some level, you create everything around you even if it was to do with something that we call an accident. You are in control of what you experience, and if you experience something, one thing you’re definitely in charge of is your reaction to it. 

So how does this relate to us in the physical reality? Check out Part 2 of this blog to find out.

1 Of 5 Pillars Of Empowerment: Cause And Effect - Part 2