’Reality Distortion Field’

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07th February, 2023

A reality distortion field (RDF) involves the ability to block out distractions, fears, and doubts in an effort to focus on a nearly impossible goal. Business leaders and entrepreneurs use this personal force to persuade their teams into working on difficult tasks.

Reality distortion field is a term first used by Bud Tribble at Apple Computer in 1981, to describe company co-founder Steve Jobs’ charisma and its effects on the developers working on the Macintosh project.

Steve Jobs’ reality distortion field was his refusal to accept limitations and challenges that came in way of his ideas and to believe in himself that any difficulty can be overcome. The field is strong enough to convince others that they could achieve the impossible.

In a sense, by projecting hard things to look easy and attainable, Jobs ‘tricked’ his employees into believing that difficult tasks could actually be completed successfully according to the plans of their demanding boss.

The reality distortion field became a central feature of Steve’s life. It worked like a personal force field; blocking out the fears, doubts, distractions and negative thoughts that prevent most people from accomplishing their dreams. It also acted like a lens, reshaping Steve’s perception of reality so that the impossible actually seemed probable.

Steve used the power of his reality distortion field to change the world around him in remarkable ways and turn Apple into the company we know today.

By harnessing the power of your own personal reality distortion field, you may find your own transformation and achieve far more than you ever thought possible in your life and in your career.

Henry Ford is attributed for saying, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t; you are right.”

In a world where negative external forces constantly exert pressure on your perspective, you must remember that you ultimately hold the keys to how you interpret your circumstances. This can be very difficult at times. Reality is malleable, but can often seem very concrete. 

Believing that your positive thoughts can overpower external reality is the central concept of the RDF. To prove and practice this idea, ask yourself the following questions.

How is your biggest current challenge actually an amazing opportunity?

What problem in your life can you reduce or resolve simply by changing how you think about it?

What conflict might improve if you looked at it from your opposition’s point of view?

Jobs used his reality distortion field to become the person he wanted to be and to attract the reality he wanted most, and so can you. Many influential leaders echo this idea. Their wisdom offers the key to changing your circumstances with your thoughts.

In his work, ‘As a Man Thinketh,’ James Allen explains, “All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.” Later, he reiterates, “As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.”

Zig Ziglar shares: “You are what you are and you are where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You change what you are and you change where you are by changing what goes into your mind.”

Test and apply this truth by asking yourself the following questions.

Is your inner dialogue consistent with your desired reality?

In what ways are you inadvertently creating undesirable circumstances in your life with your thoughts?

If your regular thoughts manifested themselves into reality, would you be happy with the result?

What good is your very own reality distortion field if you don’t use it? If your reality distortion field gives you the ability to choose your reality, why not choose the reality you want most? What do you want most in your life and career? Who do you want to ultimately become?

If you want it, then go ahead and activate your reality distortion field and move toward it and stay blessed forever.