Many people form very limited concepts of what their abilities are. For instance, it's common for people to decide in, say, first grade, that they are not very good at math. Often, what happens is that a person will have a bit of difficulty with the material and notice that some other people are not having that difficulty. Perhaps it's insecurity speaking, or perhaps there really is another person in the classroom who seems to grasp the material effortlessly.
But maybe that person has a dad who played math games with him or her from very early childhood or a mom who has a PhD in math and who teaches at a local college. That person showed up in school having mastered material that you were covering for the first time. Instead of understanding the reasons why that person is ahead of you, you simply assume you're stupid or not very good at math.
It often happens that people file away that unquestioned assumption about themselves and spend the rest of their lives saying "I'm terrible at math" or whatever other negative self-assessment they have formed. And since people feel bad when they tackle a subject that makes them feel stupid, they avoid that subject, studying it as little as possible. So over and over again, they reinforce the concept of "I'm terrible at math." They expect to fail, so in many cases, they do fail at learning math or another subject.
Imagine setting aside the internal conversation, the labels you pin on yourself, and imagine suspending judgment. Instead of saying, "I've always stunk at math," can you at least accept the possibility that you might overcome that concept?
If you can accept that possibility and you are willing to put in some time, you might well discover that you are better at the subject now than you ever thought you would be, that you're definitely not stupid, and that your command of the subject can become much more substantial, much more successful.
But you have to be willing to stop the internal patter of assessing yourself negatively, and that often takes an act of will, since it's so automatic for you to say "I'm terrible at math." You probably don't even notice you're saying it unless people are sitting around discussing math class or how good or bad they are at math.
Imagine a person who's been overweight for years. He doesn't remember a time when he's been thin, and after a while he comes to think of himself as "a fat person." And since he thinks that's what he is, he doesn't bother dieting or exercising, because "What's the point?" If he's a fat person, nothing will change that, according to this frozen form of thinking.
But what if the person starts thinking, "Well, I've been overweight for years, but that is simply my past. It doesn't mean that I can't be different in the future." At this point, it becomes a possibility mentally that the person can change. But until a person can accept the possibility of change, it's very easy to say, "What's the point?"
So, back to you. If you're a student getting a 4.3 average in the toughest classes in the school, none of this may apply to you. But for those of you who are getting lower grades and test scores, who honestly think you are not smart in this subject or that, are you willing at least to consider the possibility that your thinking is getting in the way?
Right now, maybe you think you're an average student or even a below-average student. Maybe you get Bs and the occasional A or C. You might even be quite happy with the level at which you're operating. But what if, with a change in self-concept and habits, you could become a straight A student? What if you could open up a new world of possibilities for yourself? Are there ever times you think you'd like to pick a certain career, but you don't think you could do some of the course work or don't think you're smart enough to handle that major or career?
But what if you are capable? Someday you'll be 50 or 80 years old, looking back at your life, and you don't want it to be filled with "might-have-beens," with the sense that you could have achieved more and done something more to your liking, except that you were too scared or insecure to try.
You're Smarter Than You Think!® means opening your mind to the possibility that you have untapped potential.
It used to be thought that the brain was fully formed at about age 3, which is why there's so much emphasis on early childhood education and stimulation of the brains of babies. But there is increasing evidence that in the teenage years, and even into the early 20s, there is another window of opportunity. The habits and involvements people pick when they are teenagers affect who they become for the rest of their lives. So one can say, only half-facetiously, that there's a second chance to become a genius.
Personally, I suspect that the brain is amenable to changes all during life. There is already compelling evidence that people who exercise their brains by solving puzzles, reading and balancing their checkbooks, do not develop the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease nearly as often as expected, even when they have a family history of Alzheimer's. There's ample evidence of use-it-or-lose-it with the brain, just as there is with muscles that either stay fit because people exercise or atrophy because people are sedentary.
Now exercising your brain doesn't mean that you have to forego all other aspects of your life and simply geek out! It means that you are willing to put some effort into making your brain more fit, more agile, more capable of doing what you ask it to do. We can help you realize that