Training Session2013-12-17

1 Thing That Prevents You From Being Successful

Eben Pagan reveals the key obstacle preventing success: projecting past experiences into future visions and resisting unwanted outcomes. He teaches how to create transformation by envisioning a blank canvas future and letting go of resistance.

coaching confidence coaching techniquescoaching sessionsresistance principledual transformation practiceritual-based transformationpast-based future planningresistance focusnegative command thinking

Key Moments · 1/6

Humans have the miraculous ability to envision a more evolved version of themselves and make it reality through conscious transformation▶ 0:30

Teachings 4

Most people sabotage their future by painting it as an extension of their past rather than creating from a blank canvas
Jerry Ballinger taught Eben the metaphor that 'life is like a painting that you're constantly painting' and most people are 'painting our future based on what happened in the past...literally living into our future but we're just extending the past'
past-based future planning
The unconscious mind cannot process negative commands, making resistance counterproductive
Eben demonstrates with the pink elephant example: 'don't think of a big pink elephant with green polka dots...you can't not okay it's impossible' - showing how resistance creates unconscious focus on unwanted outcomes
coaching techniques negative command thinking
Transformation requires two combined practices: releasing past-based future planning and letting go of resistance
Eben outlines the dual approach: 'letting go of the past not needing to be identified with the story...being able to look at a blank canvas' combined with 'letting go of resistance...only focus on that great outcome'
coaching confidence coaching techniques dual transformation practice
Sustainable transformation requires turning new mental practices into consistent rituals
Eben emphasizes implementation: 'to do them of course you have to turn them into rituals you have to turn them into things that you do on a regular basis' and promises 'an exercise...to really create a ritual that will help you do these consistently'
coaching sessions ritual-based transformation

Perspectives 1

Resistance to unwanted outcomes actually gives them energy and makes them persist in your life
Carl Jung's principle 'what you resist persists' - Eben gives specific examples: 'people who say I'm trying to lose weight wind up not able to lose weight, people who say I'm trying to quit smoking...can't quit smoking...because they're resisting it'

Quotable Moments 4

“I think that possibly the most miraculous thing about being human is that we have the ability to see a more evolved version of ourselves in our mind and then make it come true”
— Eben Pagan
“what you resist persists”
— Eben Pagan
“we're painting our future based on what happened in the past we're literally living into our future but we're just extending the past”
— Eben Pagan
“looking at the future and seeing a blank canvas and saying I can create anything I want”
— Eben Pagan

How to Break Free from Past-Based Future Planning

A two-part process to create genuine transformation by releasing past limitations and resistance patterns

1
Notice Past-Based Future Planning
Recognize where you're imagining future scenarios that are just like what happened in the past, making past experiences the foundation for future expectations
2
Adopt Blank Canvas Thinking
Look at the future as a blank canvas and say 'I can create anything I want' without needing to reference past experiences
3
Identify Resistance Patterns
Notice things in life you are resisting or trying to prevent, which gives them energy and makes them persist
4
Let Go of Resistance
Stop putting negative energy into resisting unwanted outcomes and focus only on the great outcome you want to create
5
Create Transformation Rituals
Turn these practices into regular rituals and consistent habits to sustain transformation over time

Questions Answered

What prevents people from being successful according to Eben Pagan?

“what most of us are doing is we're kind of going along painting the painting of our life...but we're painting our future based on what happened in the past we're literally living into our future but we're just extending the past”
— Eben Pagan▶ 2:14

The main thing preventing success is projecting past experiences into future visions and resisting unwanted outcomes, which gives negative patterns energy to persist.

Why does resistance make problems persist?

“what you resist persists whatever it is that you resist persists”
— Eben Pagan▶ 4:01

Resistance makes problems persist because the unconscious mind cannot process negative commands, so fighting against something actually makes you focus on it and give it energy.

How do you create transformation according to Eben Pagan?

“this combination of two things of letting go of the past...being able to look at a blank canvas and say I want to be able to create whatever I want to create...and then the other side of the coin of letting go of resistance”
— Eben Pagan▶ 5:17

Transformation requires two practices: looking at the future as a blank canvas without past limitations, and letting go of resistance to focus only on desired outcomes.

What is the miraculous human ability Eben Pagan describes?

“I think that possibly the most miraculous thing about being human is that we have the ability to see a more evolved version of ourselves in our mind and then make it come true”
— Eben Pagan▶ 0:30

The miraculous human ability is being able to envision a more evolved version of yourself in your mind and then make it come true in reality.

How do you stop projecting the past into the future?

“you got to notice where you're imagining things happening in the future that are going to be just like what happened in the past”
— Eben Pagan▶ 3:10

Stop projecting the past by recognizing when you're imagining future scenarios based on past experiences, and instead approach the future as a blank canvas where you can create anything.

Summary

The Miraculous Human Ability to Transform

Eben opens by exploring humanity's unique capacity to envision evolved versions of ourselves and make them reality. He emphasizes how most people don't recognize or utilize this profound transformational power.

The Past-Future Projection Problem

Using his mentor Jerry Ballinger's painting metaphor, Eben reveals how people sabotage transformation by painting their futures as extensions of past experiences. He shares insights from Tony Robbins and Werner Erhard about breaking this limiting pattern.

Why Resistance Makes Problems Persist

Drawing on Carl Jung's wisdom, Eben explains how resistance to unwanted outcomes actually energizes them. He demonstrates this principle through relatable examples like weight loss and smoking cessation struggles, showing how the unconscious mind processes resistance.

The Dual Path to Transformation

Eben outlines the two-part solution: releasing past-based future planning while letting go of resistance patterns. He emphasizes the need to turn these insights into consistent rituals for sustainable transformation.

1 Thing That Prevents You From Being Successful

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Counterpoint

Claim: “The past determines what's possible in the future”

Reframe: The future should be created from a blank canvas without past limitations

Tony Robbins quote 'the past does not equal the future' and Werner Erhard's insight that most people are 'putting our past into our future' which makes 'more of what happened in the past come true'

Claim: “Fighting against unwanted outcomes helps eliminate them”

Reframe: Resistance to unwanted outcomes gives them energy and makes them persist

Carl Jung's principle 'what you resist persists' demonstrated through examples of people unable to lose weight or quit smoking because they're resisting rather than focusing on positive outcomes