What people should be aware of

As you make progress in expanding your ability to change your internal experience, and therefor your automatic thoughts, habits, actions and their results in reality, you need to remember to always consider the Ecology of these changes. What does the word Ecology mean to you?

Here’s an example of Ecology in the world of NLP. Submitted for your approval is Ben, a husband with a loving wife and three children, who repairs automobiles for a living.  Ben lives adequately, but he would like more of a disposable income.  One day, his supervisor announces in a group meeting that there would be a plethora of overtime opportunities over the summer.  Of course, he signs up for as many as possible, and, when he receives his first paycheck with that overtime, he is delighted.  However, he also notices other things as well.  Namely, two of his youngest children have become more distant from him.  Those two long for the days they could have spent lazy afternoons with their father.  By the end of summer, Ben wonders whether the change in his work schedule has been worth it in the end.  What Ben has come to ponder is the ecology of the situation.

A human system does not necessarily optimally adjust to a change in it, just like the human body may suffer side-effects from a change in prescription.  A human system includes professional relationships, but it also includes familial relationships as well.  It felt to two of Ben’s children that he was neglecting the latter.  This is an example of external ecology, which is concerned with human systems that consist of other people. What examples of external ecology can you give, from your own life?

However. you could also have examples of internal ecology, which is concerned with whether a person’s action feels right to himself or herself.  For example, before signing up for those opportunities, Ben might have felt conflicted over whether he would have been able to survive the increased workload or not.  He also might have felt as though these opportunities just were not for him. What examples of internal ecology can you give, from your own life?

NLP makes no overtones as to whether someone should make a change or not.  What it does assert, on the other hand, is that people should be aware of ecological considerations.  It is up to the individual to do a risk-benefit analysis over whether an action is worth it, but he or she should do so before committing to the change, not after it, like Ben. How do you think Ben could have ‘checked the ecology’ of his choices ahead of time?