The Pretender

I don’t drink.

That’s it.

That’s how simple The Pretender technique is. If I am in a situation where it simply won’t do to drink alcohol, I switch on The Pretender. I become a non-drinker.

Of course, I love to drink alcohol. But there are times when it is a nuisance and a hindrance to my performance or to my stamina. I have hosted several parties over the years wherein I served alcohol. I quickly learned that the parties ran more smoothly and I enjoyed myself more if I became a non-drinker.

How it Works

The Pretender technique works very simply. You begin by recognizing your need in a given situation. In the above case, I recognize the need to abstain from alcohol. Next, I simply tell myself, I am not the type of person who drinks alcohol. I repeat the technique as often as necessary in order to make it effective.

The point of using any technique is to use it effectively. Not just to experiment to see whether it works. Merely experimenting with a technique almost guarantees that it will not work. Try experimenting with karate in a real fight, and you’ll understand what I mean.

Applications of The Pretender

Some time ago, I had to drive an hour to a karate match. I had plenty of time to think along the way. I began to get nervous, of course. By that time in my fighting career, I was sick and tired of getting nervous before competition. I had never found a way to overcome it. Relaxation didn’t always work. Meditation worked while I was meditating. But I was never able to maintain focus once I came out of the meditation exercise.

On the way to the tournament that day, I began to appy The Pretender. All the way to the tournament, I said, “I am not the kind of guy who gets nervous at a competition.” That felt better. But I didn’t like having the word nervous in the exercise. I changed the technique. I said, “I am the kind of guy who stays relaxed and focused in competition.” That felt even better. I repeated this about every mile or so for the rest of the trip. I felt wonderful. I even added some things. “I am the kind of guy who does his best in every situation.” And, “I am the kind of guy who has what it takes to win.” Just things like that.

It turned out to be a big tournament, and I was competing against people I had never met. I took a first and a second in the first two competitions. Then there was a break before the sparring matches. My fight trainer worked out with me a little bit, but I could see that I was lacking speed. I started to get discouraged. The bracket was big, and most of the competition was younger than I. When my fight trainer left me alone to get focused, I kicked in The Pretender again.

I began to repeat to myself, “I am the kind of guy who stays focused in competition.” I knew that I was going to get tired, so I began saying, “I have plenty of stamina for these matches.” I kept on repeating anything that I needed to focus on doing my best. “I will not give up just because I’m tired. I will give every match my all, and I will not give up, just to rest.”

Long story short, I won all my matches and took first in the bracket. If I gave all the details, I’d tell you how I got the hell beaten out of myself. I got kicked in the Adam’s apple, whiplashed twice, and knocked on my ass and somersaulted backward. The judges were looking a little worried. But I wasn’t bleeding, so they let me continue. And I took first in the bracket. I did not give up. If I had to guess what put me over the top, I would have to say that my stamina never failed. The matches were long, and I was able to take advantage of each opponent’s fatigue late in the match.

Use The Pretender for Success

The Pretender can be applied in any situation from immediate to long-range. For example, you need to save five thousand dollars. Say to yourself, “I have five thousand dollars in savings.” Vary what you say any time you need to. When the time comes to decide whether to spend a hundred bucks on a new rod and reel or twenty bucks on a pack of beer, just say, “I am the kind of guy who has five thousand dollars in savings.” Then drop the rod-and-reel money or the beer in the bank and forget about it.

When the time comes to approach the boss about the new account that you want to work on, say to yourself, “The boss knows that I am perfect for this work.” Say to yourself, “I am the kind of person the boss has been looking for on this account.” Use this any time you are looking for a job. “I am the kind of person that this company is looking for. They are just waiting for me.”

Whether you always succeed or not, you will have gone through the experience with confidence that you looked good and did your best. You will be better able to evaluate your success or failure based on knowing you were at your best. That’s what how2feel.com is really all about. It’s about being your most effective in any situation.

Another example of how “The Pretender” works can be found at the following link in the updates: Using “The Pretender”.

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