Why I chose to study NLP

Last week I had another weekend of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) training. During lunch break one day we had a discussion on what our motivation was to start studying NLP. And while I was listening to my fellow students, it struck me that their motivation was different than mine. Rooted in the same desire to help people, but from an entirely different perspective.

Solving problems
My fellow students have translated their desire to help people into a problem solving mode. They want to work with people who got into trouble and help them take care of it by guiding them through the process of solving it. Along the way they want to teach them some skills and techniques that can help in the future to make sure that the problem stays solved.

The problems need not be very complex emotional or behavioral problems, but might also deal with everyday stuff like getting a job, or staying in one. Yet all of my fellow students had their desire to help rooted in a problem situation, a situation that makes people unhappy.

Growing possibilities
My desire to help people is rooted in a fascination for human potential. People are so much more talented and gifted than they realize, they are powerful beyond measure. Yet something is holding them back, and most of the time people are holding themselves back. This is where my motivation comes from, I want to help people discover that potential and live their life to the fullest. How they do that or what ‘the fullest’ means for people differs from person to person, but the desire to achieve it is a common factor in people.

I don’t focus on problem situations and solving them, I focus on future situations and achieving them. NLP is a great technique to help people discover their limiting beliefs and overcoming them. The interaction between language and the way our brains responds to it is fascinating. And this process provides a lot of opportunities to consciously work on putting that interaction to work for you, unconsciously.

Both approaches are viable and they both serve their purpose. The second approach matches my character best, so that’s the approach I choose. Which would you choose?