Do you know about the "success instinct"? A squirrel does not have to be taught how to gather nuts. Nor does it need to learn that it should store them for the winter. A squirrel born in the spring has never even experienced a winter. Yet in the fall of the year you can observe that squirrel busily storing nuts for the lean winter months. Birds do not take nest-building lessons. They have no ability to read maps, yet they can return to exact locations year after year. These instincts assist the animal to successfully cope with its environment. This is the "success instinct".

You have a success instinct as well. Animal's goals are pre-set; yours are completely up to your creative imagination. An animal's success is limited to its built-in goal-images that we call instincts; your success is unlimited.

You are not a machine, however, you do have a "servo-mechanism". Maxwell Maltz wrote that "...your physical brain and nervous system make up a servo-mechanism which you use, and which operates very much like an electronic computer, and a mechanical goal-seeking device. Your brain and nervous system constitute a goal-striving mechanism, which operates automatically to achieve a certain goal, very much as a self-aiming torpedo or missile seeks out its target and steers its way to it. Your built-in servo-mechanism functions both as a "guidance system' to automatically steer you in the right direction to achieve certain goals, or make correct responses to environment, and also as an "electronic brain" which can function automatically to solve problems, give you needed answers, and provide new ideas or 'inspirations'."

There are two general types of these mechanisms. One functions when the target, goal or answer is know and your objective is to reach or accomplish it, and the other function when the target, goal or answer is not known and the objective is to discover or locate it. Your brain and your nervous system operate in both ways.

When you know your target, you also know when you are on course, and when you are off track. You accomplish your goals by going forward, making errors, and continually correcting them and moving forward once again. Your built-in goal-striving mechanism works for you. Once the pattern is established, it will work for you automatically. The key, however, is in knowing that this mechanism is always working for you. Oh, you don't think so? Well, it is.

You know the story of the "Little Engine that Could", don't you? You'll remember it's affirmation, "I think I can, I think I can." It had a servo-mechanism rooted in positive affirmation. It focused on the goal and engaged fully in accomplishing it without doubt or question. It could have chosen to say to itself, "I don't think I can, I don't think I can." and it would have come to a complete stop. In both cases, the mechanism was trained and it performed. If you are not reaching your goals, look carefully at the training you are giving your servo-mechanism!

Keep It in MIND!