What is NLP?

What is NLP?

NLP is an acronym that stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. This term was coined by NLP co-founders John Grinder and Richard Bandler in the mid-70s.

NLP explores the relationships between how we think (Neuro), how we communicate (Linguistic), and our behavioral and emotional patterns (Programs).

I view NLP as the art of achieving excellence by programming our (and other’s) minds using (verbal and non-verbal) language.

You may have also heard some other ways of describing NLP.

NLP has been called many things. Just to name a few, NLP has been called the:

• Life tool box
• Brain owner’s manual
• Study of success
• Science of excellence
• Science of modeling
• Art of communication
• Journey of discovery
• Study of subjective experience
• Science of personal achievement
• Technology of personal development

NLP is all of these, and more than these.

And in whatever way it is described, NLP’s objective is always about human excellence and how all of us can attain it by programming our minds with language patterns.

NLP is extremely attractive because anyone can learn the basics, and immediately put it to use and enjoy its tangible benefits, right away.

NLP also has the depth and breath for a lifetime of personal growth, discovery and innovation.

Richard Bandler had elegantly described NLP as “An attitude and a methodology leading to a trail of techniques”

Seen in this way, NLP is a way of life characterized by lifelong experiential learning, discovery, continuous improvement, and the habit of taking action.

A NLP practitioner has an attitude of insatiable curiosity about how to achieve excellence. In her quest for the secret of excellence, the NLP practitioner is adverturous, unafraid to experiment, and to try new ways and new things.

The NLP methodology is about modeling. Modeling is a method of extracting the thoughts and behaviors of excellent performers. Modeling of excellence is practical, creative, and action oriented. It is more about how to produce excellent results, than merely philosophizing about why excellent results are produced.

When we combine the NLP attitude of curiosity and adventurous spirit of experimentation with the NLP methodology of modeling, we create a a trail of NLP techniques.

 
The curiosity and adventure driven creativity of NLP has generated many NLP techniques such as anchoring, sensory acuity and calibration, reframing, representational systems, the two Language Models, the personal change techniques such as the New Behavioural Generator and Change Personal History, and many more.

There is at least one NLP technique for every endeavour you are looking at.