<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
p.Level1, li.Level1, div.Level1
{mso-style-name:"Level 1";
mso-style-priority:99;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.SYSHYPERTEXT
{mso-style-name:SYS_HYPERTEXT;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
@page WordSection2
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection2
{page:WordSection2;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:-2;
mso-list-type:simple;
mso-list-template-ids:-1710174512;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-start-at:0;
mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:*;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
margin-left:0in;
text-indent:0in;}
@list l0:level1 lfo1
{mso-level-start-at:1;
mso-level-numbering:continue;
mso-level-text:\2022;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
mso-level-legacy:yes;
mso-level-legacy-indent:.05pt;
mso-level-legacy-space:0in;
margin-left:.05pt;
text-indent:-.05pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="2050" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>L. Michael Hall, </span></font></b><font size=3><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:meta@acsol.net"><span class=SYSHYPERTEXT><b><u><font color=blue><span style='font-weight:bold'>meta@acsol.net</span></font></u></b></span></a><b><span style='font-weight:bold'> <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>2026 Neurons #12<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>March 9, 2026</span></font></b><font size=3><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>Problem Solving Expertise #12</span></font></i><font size=3><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=5 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-weight:bold'>“IT’S THE THINKING, SILLY”</span></font></b><font size=3><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>“It’s the economy, stupid!” </span></font></i><font size=3><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>was the winning slogan that played a big role in getting Bill Clinton elected as president. James Carvell, one of his political advisers came up with it and, once they found that it won the minds and hearts of people, they invested millions of dollars into spreading it like a thought-virus. And it worked. It worked to focus on a simple and dominating idea—the problem is the economy and the person who seems to be able to do the best with the economy has an upper hand.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>That gave me an idea the other day. I was asked numerous questions about the <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Thinking for Humans </span></i>trainings<i><span style='font-style:italic'>. </span></i>In response I reiterated a number of the things which I normally say to drive home the importance of thinking—about how critical thinking is in our lives:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'></span></font><div class=WordSection2><p class=Level1 style='text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>•<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><i><span style='font-style:italic'>The Quality of your Thinking is the Quality of your Life.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p><p class=Level1 style='text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>•<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]>To become a millionaire or an expert in any area, you have <i><span style='font-style:italic'>to think </span></i>like a millionaire.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=Level1 style='text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>•<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]>Everything about your—your identity, emotions, values, lifestyle, etc.—is a function of your thinking.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=Level1 style='text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>•<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><i><span style='font-style:italic'>“As you think, so you are.”</span></i><o:p></o:p></p><p class=Level1 style='text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>•<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]>What makes successful people unique: They think differently from how others think.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>At that point I was asked about a number of specific areas— wealth creation, health, fitness, school, learning, leadership, etc. And after again and again emphasizing that it all comes down to <i><span style='font-style:italic'>how you are thinking, </span></i>I realized that I could phrase it in this challenging way: <i><span style='font-style:italic'>“It’s the Thinking, Stupid!” </span></i>or to be kinder, <i><span style='font-style:italic'>“It’s the Thinking, Silly!”</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The purpose of the phrase is not to do name calling, but to point out something that is so obvious. In Bill Clinton’s case, “It is the economy.” For me, “It is the thinking!” What most fundamentally distinguishes human beings from animals is <i><span style='font-style:italic'>thinking—</span></i>we can truly and actually ‘think.’ We can ‘entertain an idea in our mind to understand it for the purpose of acting upon it.” And further, we can <i><span style='font-style:italic'>think-about-our-thinking</span></i>. When we do that it means we can now choose not only <i><span style='font-style:italic'>what</span></i> to think but <i><span style='font-style:italic'>how to think. </span></i>And that meta-thinking puts us in charge of the process so that we can keep learning how to enhance our thinking and develop better ways to think. How incredible is that?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Shakespeare in Hamlet succinctly described the creative power of thinking when he wrote “...for there is nothing either good or bad, but <i><span style='font-style:italic'>thinking makes it so</span></i>.” By thinking, you <i><span style='font-style:italic'>invent </span></i>what for you is either good or bad, what is fearful or exciting, what is a value or a disvalue, something to love or hate. By your thinking, you <i><span style='font-style:italic'>create </span></i>all of the constructs which you hold in mind about yourself, others, life, work, fun, exercise, food, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Thinking is your inner creative power that makes or breaks things. It is your most fundamental power ... yet a power that has to be developed and trained. Untrained, <i><span style='font-style:italic'>thinking is utterly dangerous to your health and well-being.</span></i> Untrained, you will think yourself into all sorts of problems and prisons. Untrained, you will use the childish cognitive distortions, not even realizing the misery for yourself and others which you are constructing. That makes <i><span style='font-style:italic'>untrained thinking really, really dangerous, doesn’t it?</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>One of the most amazing things about thinking, and something that is mostly completely unknown, is that <i><span style='font-style:italic'>everything human depends on the quality of our thinking.</span></i> And what are all of these “things human?” Well, everything that we construct as part of our human adventure— our values, beliefs, understandings, knowledge, science, civilization, schools, religion, relationships, communication, organizations, leadership, management, ethics, and the list goes on and on. <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Everything human</span></i> <i><span style='font-style:italic'>is derived from what and how we think.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Therefore we can have no better lives, relationships, work, productivity, efficiency, homes, schools, government, world, than our thinking allows. Limit the thinking, we limit the quality of our lives. Downgrade our thinking, and we downgrade the very essence of our humanity. Perhaps now you are catching the power of that shocking declaration, <i><span style='font-style:italic'>“It’s the thinking, stupid!”</span></i> To the extent that we do not pay attention to our thinking—to that extent we do not pay attention to the greatest leverage we have in changing our lives for the better and changing the world for the better.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><i><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>“It’s the thinking, stupid or silly!”</span></font></i><font size=3><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> alerts us to the critical importance of thinking and the need for <i><span style='font-style:italic'>The Art of Clear Precise Thinking</span></i>. It shouts out loud about the importance of <i><span style='font-style:italic'>training in thinking skills. </span></i> And where can you get that kind of training? Neuro-Semantics! And especially in <b><i><span style='font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Thinking for Humans </span></i></b>which is Brain Camp I. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:skip'><font size=3 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Executive Director, ISNS<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:bold'>738 Beaver Lodge<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Grand Jct., CO. 81505 USA<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>meta@acsol.net<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><img border=0 width=177 height=253 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01DCB517.0ECDB5F0"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="https://www.neurosemantics.com/product/thinking-for-humans/"><font color=blue><span style='color:blue'>https://www.neurosemantics.com/product/thinking-for-humans/</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p></div></body></html>