The Pygmalion Effect

February 22, 2008

I was at the St. Louis airport on Tuesday, returning home after giving a luncheon presentation to an association meeting there.  At the security checkpoint, I gave the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) official my boarding pass and driver’s license, looked her in the eye, smiled and greeted her with a non-descript “How are you today?”  At first I didn’t understand her reply.  Shaking her head, she said, “It must be in the water… All you Texans are always smiling and friendly.”  I didn’t know what to say, so I mumbled something like, “It’s all that Texas sunshine, I guess.”   

I was flattered and proud that she thought that I and all my fellow Texans are friendly people – it doesn’t always appear that way when you live here!  But I was especially pleased that she noticed that I was being pleasant and friendly. You see, the truth is that traveling is bittersweet for me.  I’m a big ole homebody that hates to leave home and family, but thrills to be going new places and meeting new people. I love to hate – or hate to love – traveling! About a year ago, it finally dawned on me that grumbling and chafing at air travel’s inevitable delays, hassles and crowds really does not make the plane fly faster or the crews more agreeable.  With that realization and my new-found wisdom about the law of attraction, I’ve made a concerted effort to travel with a smile on my face.  I always have something nice to say to each TSA officer I meet, I greet the flight attendants with a smile and a hello, and I always thank the crew as I disembark from the plane.  “Thanks for a good flight” or “Thanks for getting us here safely” expresses the gratitude I have for all the flights I take and have lived to tell about, which is 100% so far! 

I am happy to report that travel goes more smoothly for me now.  I swear that I experience fewer delays, cancellations and surly gate agents than I did before.  But perhaps it’s just the inside of me that changed.  I consciously set my expectations that my travels will be easy, and they are. 

The power of setting intentions is old, old stuff.  Remember the Pygmalion effect?  The popular musical “My Fair Lady” is based on the play “Pygmalion” by George Barnard Shaw, which demonstrates the power of expecting someone to improve – in this case, Professor Henry Higgins’ expectations that Eliza Doolittle could be trained to speak like a lady.  The Pygmalion effect posits that people will perform or act better because a teacher or mentor expects them to. The Pygmalion effect works for me with air travel – I expect things to go smoothly and they do.   

What tests your patience?  For me, it’s air travel.  For you, it may be driving in commuter traffic, difficult bosses or unruly co-workers.  Play with this: Set an intention for a positive outcome in your next patience-testing situation. Before entering into the situation, picture a positive outcome or affirm to yourself what outcomes you’d like.  Don’t give up if the first time it doesn’t work well.  Keep trying by setting your intentions and be grateful for whatever shows up.


Related Articles

Posted by krisrob02 | Filed Under Intentions, Newest Posts 

Comments

Got something to say?