What we allow ourselves to see, watch and read has a powerful influence shaping our brains and thus our lives.  There is great power in positive vicarious models.  An amazing experience happened in Mexico City a number of years ago to prove this point.  As you may be aware Mexico City has a huge population that struggles with illiteracy.  Attempt after attempt was made to encourage and motivate citizens to become more literate but to no avail.  Citizens knew that it would be a good thing to become more literate but there was no model to show them how to do it and hence the power of a vicarious model.

A television producer by the name of Miguel Sabido created a five-day-a-week soap opera called Ven Conmigo ("Come with Me").  At one point, a protagonist struggled over the daily problems that stemmed from his illiteracy.  In this soap opera several of the characters decided to visit their local adult education headquarters where they'd receive free literacy materials.  Now, here is the point of this story.  Whereas, before this program aired every attempt to get people motivated to change had failed.  The very next day after this particular episode was on, over a quarter of a million people poured into the streets of Lexical City trying to get their own literacy booklets.

Be very mindful and aware of what you allow yourself to watch in the media.  By completing your daily planning sheet you can become more pro-active in this process.  You can become more aware of what influences you are placing yourself around on a daily basis.  I am not one to advocate, "killing the television" because there are many good programs to watch but be mindful and careful.  We are all influenced more easily than we would like to believe.  

Every day we are vulnerable to our surroundings, learn to control your brain, you learn to control your habits and addictions. The brain is one of the most powerful tools in helping us as individuals both physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially but we must learn to control and harness that power in order to have it work for us.

"The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking."

- Robert H. Schuller