Shelf Space
“In the supermarket, there’s a noisy and expensive war going on between Brand A and Brand X. Brand A is the favorite, and they have the money to protect their position, so they spend a lot of it renting the most valuable shelf space: precisely at eye level! And the truth holds: Whatever is seen repeatedly at center stage, SELLS!”
“Whether in the supermarket or the marketplace of ideas; Whether it’s a soft drink, a mutual fund or any idea; it won’t get anywhere without exposure to your attention — shelf space! The supermarket is an easy and obvious metaphor. The media marketplace is a cultural infestation of noise, propaganda and promotion — all contending for a particle of your attention. But ‘Shelf-Space in the Mind’ is a ‘market’ of much greater importance and wholly subject to your personal interests and desires.”
— Jennifer StJohn
My dog hates me! The kids are in revolt. Work is in a state of collapse.
I’m not at fault! Things are just totally messed up! How am I supposed to improve or change my life with all this chaos?
I think God has it in for me. My life is over.
Here’s a concept: your thoughts and interests are yours to create, manage and promote.
Ever had a day when the synapses just don’t fire, the neurons seem clogged and constricted, the eyes can’t quite focus, and the mind is foggy? The internal landscape seems curiously unreal and the external landscape, well… Outsiders seem like enemies, and insiders seem like interruptions just waiting to occur!!
That’s the sub-rational mind — infringing on the available mental shelf space. A problem demanding your attention. A lens that requires cleaning. A viewpoint that has become occluded. An old upset that, over time, becomes a trusted friend.
It remains, and grows, but only if it’s given space.
Cognitive Optimization is “Thinking Better.” More clearly, more cleanly, with no inappropriate overtones. Emotion is reasonable of course, except when it moves in, hangs around and demands accommodation. It’s an act of will, but your life depends entirely on you, and the space you choose to make available out of your limited supply to whatever idea or perspective you deem valuable.
There are big ideas, there are small ones, destructive ones, critical ones, a sense of victimhood or a sense of adventure. Whatever you choose to put “right there at eye level” will claim your attention, and your life.
Choose carefully, and decide which idea and which viewpoint will get shelf space in your mind.
If you’d like a deeper read about Cognitive Optimization (“Thinking Better”), consider reading Jennifer St. John’s book, Holosophy: Conquering Your Fear of Success.
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