You're good enough, strong enough and dog-gone-it people like you. Feel better now? Well it appears that is the point of the new Web 2.0 application called bmindful. The site allows you the ability to sign-up and create a profile of affirmations about yourself. Each affirmation then associates a tag to your username. So basically, you are tagging yourself based on your character traits. I guess the point is to make you feel good about yourself. According to the site's help section:
"There are very few that doubt affirmations actually work but opinions vary widely when it comes to exactly why or how. Fundamentally affirmations work because you are repeatedly telling yourself that you would like to feel or act a particular way or take on a certain character trait. This repetition subtly reminds you of this and you take steps in that direction. At first these steps are conscious however with time they become unconscious, hence affirmations are a way of reprogramming the unconscious mind."
I think positive thinking and envisioning yourself doing different things works, especially in athletics since doubt is often the biggest obstacle. However, I just came away from using bmindful feeling confused and wondering what else the application had to offer. As a positive thinker I feel the spirit of the idea is great but I just wonder if users will actually register for the site and continue to come back and add affirmations to their profile. I guess we will find out, because if it makes them feel better about themselves they will come back. I will mindfully observe and find out.
For more blogosphere analysis of bmindful check out these posts on Be Excellent, Out of Bounds, Ian's Messy Desk and CompTek.net.
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Hi there Frank,
Thanks for the write up and honest comments!
I spent some time working on the web site to address the issues you brought up, I would love for you to take a look and let me know what you think now.
Thanks Frank!
Posted by: Lee | Sunday, December 11, 2005 at 02:21 AM