Welcome to reThink Your Perspective’s blog. Helping you to unlock your potential, empower your mindset, create productive habits, and boost your motivation. Today’s topic is the 333 Idea.
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The 333 Idea
The 333 Idea: How one word can change the course of your success.
Even against impossible odds, this idea shows that one word can solve any problem.
But what is that word?
Keep reading to find out!
What Is The 333 Idea?
The article I want to share today comes from the Proctor Gallagher Institute, and covers the story of a radio broadcaster who wanted to raise $3million in three hours, in three days’ time. He wanted to give the money to a town that had been devastated by a Tornado and took the idea to his company.
To hear me read this story watch the video below.
The 333 Story
Bob Proctor was conducting a seminar, which ran from Thursday night to Sunday, at the Deerhurst Lodge, which is a resort approximately a hundred miles north of Toronto in Canada. On the Friday night a tornado swept through Barrie, Ontario, a town about 40 miles south of Deerhurst. The tornado killed a dozen people and did millions of dollars’ worth of damage. On the Sunday night, as he was coming home, Bob stopped the car when he got to Barrie. He got out on the side of the highway and looked around. It was a mess. Everywhere he looked there were smashed houses and cars turned upside down.
That same night, another gentleman, Bob Templeton, was driving down the same highway. Templeton and Bob had never met; however, an idea from Bob’s seminar was about to bring them together in a lasting friendship. Bob Templeton stopped to look at the disaster, just as Bob Proctor had, only his thoughts were different than Bob’s. Templeton was the vice president of Telemedia Communications, a company which owns a string of radio stations in Ontario and Quebec. As he stood there viewing the disaster, he thought there must be something he could do for these people using the radio stations he had. The thought kept returning to his mind that night and all of the next day.
A New Relationship Was Born
The following night Bob Proctor was doing another seminar in Toronto. Templeton and Bob Johnson, another vice president from Telemedia, came in and stood at the back of the room, they were evaluating the seminar trying to decide if Proctor could help their company reach its goals, which he ultimately did. From Templeton’s influence, Bob subsequently worked for the entire Canadian broadcasting industry. Templeton loved what Bob was doing in his seminars because it was in harmony with his way of thinking.
Templeton became fascinated with the laws of the universe particularly the Law Of Polarity or as it is referred to, the Law Of Opposites. This law clearly states that everything has an opposite. You cannot have an up without a down, hot without cold, or in without out. By the same token, if you can’t figure out why something you want to do cannot be done, by law, you must be able to figure out how it can be done. People who accomplish great things are aware of the negative; however, they give all of their mental energy to the positive.
After the seminar Templeton went back to his office. He told Proctor it was late but this one idea he picked up had him excited. It also had him committed to the idea of raising millions of dollars and giving it to the people who’d been caught in the tornado. Templeton was going to raise the money immediately! Furthermore, he was not remotely interested in why he couldn’t.
The 333 Idea Was Born
The following Friday he called all of his executives at Telemedia into his office. At the top of a flip chart in bold letters, he wrote three 3s. He said to his Executives,
“How would you like to raise 3 million dollars, 3 days from now, in just 3 hours and give the money to the people in Barrie?”
There was nothing but silence in the room.
Finally, someone said,
“Templeton you’re crazy. There is absolutely no way we could raise 3 million dollars, in 3 hours, 3 days from now!”
Templeton said,
“Wait a minute. I didn’t ask you if we could or even if we should. I just asked you if you would like to.”
Templeton was wise; he was appealing to the charitable side of their nature. It was important for those present to openly admit that this was something they wanted to do. Templeton knew that his new idea could show anyone how to accomplish anything they wanted by working with the law.
They all said, “sure we’d like to.” He then drew a large T under the 333. On one side he wrote “Why We Can’t,” On the other side he wrote “How we can.”
Templeton drew a large X under the words why we can’t and as he placed the X on the flip chart he said,
“Now there is no place to record the ideas we think of which could explain why we can’t raise 3 million dollars, in 3 hours, 3 days from now, regardless of how valid they might be.”
How Does The 333 Idea Work?
He continued by explaining,
“When anyone calls out an idea which suggests why we can’t, everyone else must yell out as loud as they can, NEXT! That will be our command to go to the next idea. Ideas are like the cars on a train, one always follows the other. We will keep saying next until a positive idea arises.”
For a quick overview see this reel!
Templeton smiled and continued to explain that,
“Opposite the X on the other side of the flip chart, directly under the words, ‘How We Can’, I will write down every idea that we can come up with on how we can raise 3 million dollars, in 3 hours, in 3 days’ time.”
He also suggested in a very serious tone of voice that everyone remain in the room until they figured it out.
“We are not only going to think of how we can raise 3 million dollars immediately, after we originate the ideas we are going to execute them!”
There was silence again.
Finally, someone said, “We could do a radio show across Canada.”
Templeton said “That’s a great idea,” and wrote it down underneath ‘How We Can’.
Before he had written on the right-hand side of the flip chart, someone said, “You can’t do a radio show across Canada. We don’t have radio stations across Canada!”
Since Telemedia only had stations in Ontario and Quebec, you must admit that was a pretty valid objection. However, someone in the back of the room in a rather soft tone said,
“Next.”
Nexting Gives Birth To New Ideas
Templeton replied, “Doing a radio show is how we can. That idea stays.” But this truly did sound like a ridiculous idea, because radio stations are very competitive. They usually don’t work together and to get them to do so would be virtually impossible according to the standard way of thinking.
All of a sudden someone suggested, “You could get Harvey Kirk and Lloyd Robertson, the biggest names in Canadian broadcasting to anchor the show.” These gentlemen were anchors of national statue in the Canadian television industry.
Someone clearly spoke out saying, “They’re not going to go on radio.” But at that point the group yelled…
“NEXT!”
The Energy Shifting And The 333 Idea Was Embraced
Templeton said that that was when the energy shifted; everyone got involved and it was absolutely amazing how fast and furious the creative ideas began to flow.
That was on a Friday. The following Tuesday they had a radiothon, where 50 radio stations, from all across the country, agreed to work in harmony for such a good cause. They felt it didn’t matter who got the credit, as long as the people in Barrie got the money. Harvey Kirk and Lloyd Robertson anchored the show, and they succeeded in raising 3 million dollars, in 3 hours, within 3 business days!
You see, you can have whatever you want; all things are possible when you put your focus on how you can and “NEXT!” every idea telling you why you can’t.
This may be a difficult exercise in the beginning; however when you persist “Nexting” any and all negative concepts, the flow of positive ideas will roar into your marvellous mind.
Alfred Adler, the renowned psychologist, coined the extraordinary phrase,
“I am grateful to the idea that has used me.”
There can be no doubt that creative, forward-thinking ideas literally breathe new life into every fibre of your being. They awaken a part of you that you never even knew was sleeping.
Did Templeton Get What He Wanted?
Templeton never received five cents for the leadership role he played in marshalling 50 radio stations from right across Canada, to raise the 3 million dollars for the people of Barrie, Ontario in Canada. However, you must remember that this is truly an orderly universe; when you put good out it must come back.
Bob Proctor shared this story with two good friends of his, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. They were so intrigued by the story, they published it in their book Chicken Soup for the Soul.
A while back Bob was doing a satellite television broadcast for Re-Max Real Estate with Mark Victor Hanson and he was telling Bob that, at last count, they had sold six million copies of their book. He also told him they are constantly receiving letters from people who read the 333 story and use it to perform similar mental magic in their lives.
Think of it, millions upon millions of people are making positive things happen in their lives because Templeton would not listen to the reasons why he and his staff could not raise 3 million dollars, in 3 hours, in just 3 days after they began to brainstorm the idea.
By the way, Templeton also told Bob that he and his staff have formed the habit of ‘333ing’ their wants. As a result, he has gone on to become the President of NewCap Broadcasting Company a highly profitable corporation, with stations right across Canada. It is Bob’s opinion that Templeton set up a force for good that will follow him wherever he goes. Profit has become his second name.
Begin at once to 333 all of your wants and profit will follow you as well!
What Do You Think?
The moral of the 333 idea story is that ideas are forthcoming if we are open to them. If we dismiss an idea, especially in a group, another will come forward. And another, and another, until the solution to whatever the problem is appears. We do not have to focus on the reasons why something won’t work, just move on!
We are all capable of this approach, and it is very powerful!
What negative ideas and reasons are you focusing on that are telling you that you can’t do something?
Next them and be open for a new idea!
If this resonates with you and you want to discuss it further, then get in touch today. Either here or through any of my social medias or schedule a call to discuss it with me directly.
I love hearing from my readers and finding more ways to help them individually! I look forward to speaking with you soon and hope this post helps you to start living to your fullest potential.
Have a great rest of your day!
To your success,
Jaiye
