It is interesting how powerful a piece of advice can be to completely change our beliefs and actions for the best. Today I will share with you an advice, which is gold for your personal and professional security.

One of my mentors; Bob Proctor; on how the brain works taught it to me:

And even though I do not know who originally said it; it holds so much wisdom and it can be applied to so many fields of improving our lives. One of those fields is definitely security.

In my articles I mentioned it many times and I will not get tired of stressing the importance and value of your behavior and habits related to security as they possess the power to keep you protected or make you susceptible to cyber-attacks, and how being in control of your protection is maintained by your brain capabilities. I realize these are bold statements, but I’m basing all these on facts and proven methodologies.

So, lets analyze how this advice is applied to security.

It is what it is.

If I ask you what the truth is about a certain situation you will tell me a version. If I ask someone else, they will tell a different version. If I ask a third person about the exact same thing, their version will be completely different from the other two. Who is telling the truth? Are they lying? They are all telling THEIR truth. You see, each one of us creates a different version of the same thing in our brain based on the way we perceive reality, and the way we perceive reality is based on multiple filters that are formed inside our brain. Some of them are related to our beliefs, our focus, our blind spots, even our current emotional state. This is why we need to clarify two concepts; facts and story. Each version of the same truth has these two components. Facts are the things that really happened, and story is what we make out of those things that really happened based on the filters we have in our brain.

The best you can do is to distinguish the facts from the story you are telling yourself. Story is one of the greatest blocks we have as human beings. It is what is holding us back because we cannot see the pure truth. Stories have the ability to overcomplicate things, to keep us in an inactive state by taking away our power. Thus, as soon as you realize the facts and clear out the story around it, you will be able to start working out solutions for any situation you need to face in your life.

So, let me give you some examples of facts and stories related to security:

Want a little help?

• The Internet of Things (IoT is a fancy term for the fact that everything is connected to the internet) is a milestone which has increased your threat levels considerably.
• Security threat is not only found in software. You need to consider hardware and physical levels as well.
• Terrorism is funded by cyber-attacks on businesses.
• Your business survival and profit depend on your ability to protect your business from cyber-attacks.
• Even low skilled hackers are equipped with sophisticated tools prepared and sold at very low prices at the dark market of the internet (darknet).
• Passwords possess the power to cancel out all your security measures.
• Reacting to attacks is the worst approach you can take for your personal and business protection.
• Preparation and a solid (clear) plan of action is the best and only way you can effectively protect your business.
• You do not know how to create strong passwords that are memorable, but with the right approach it is easier than you thought.
• Cyber-attacks and public safety are now connected, it’s the first time in history that they are so corelated.
• 7 out of 10 attacks are initiated because a human in a targeted organisation made a mistake.
• Businesses are the number one target of cyber-attacks.

This list is not exhausted, but it is a good way to demonstrate facts.

Now let us look at the most common stories related to security.

·         I do not control the protection of myself and my business.

·         There is no 100% security, so I cannot do anything to stop hackers from attacking me.

·         Hackers will never attack me.

·         I have great systems thus I am protected.

·         Security is complicated and difficult.

·         Security is going to cost me a lot. I cannot afford it.

·         Security is all about systems. I need more systems.

·         Regulations with fees are in place to damage my business.

·         I already know everything about security.

·         I will never be able to remember all my passwords.

·         Security wants me to live in the cave age. If I try to be protected I will lose my convenience.

Let me clarify something about stories. Stories are not only created by you. Someone else might have suggested them and you accepted, or a story might have been a fact in the past, but is no longer valid due to rapid technological changes. The interesting thing about wrong beliefs, which are created by stories you have been unconsciously telling yourself, is that your mind will always find ways to prove you right! That is exactly why wrong beliefs do not serve you. Negative beliefs lead to negative actions and the latter lead to empowering more negative beliefs and, before you know it, you’ve falling into this vicious unending cycle.

Harvest the good, let the rest go.

The great thing about separating the difference between facts and stories in your brain is that you can then do something about it.

Thus, the second component of this quote is what are you going to do about it? It’s all about the actions that you will take. Interestingly, facts are not as bad as the stories you create in your mind about them! Facts are opportunities to claim back your power by initiating a positive action. The so-called awareness is all about facts. Our brain can craft solutions as soon as we have facts and the right knowledge about something. In fact, our brain is the most powerful and smart system that has ever existed. The facts are parameters and, just like in mathematical equations, when you have the right parameters you can solve them correctly. OK, I promise I will not mention mathematics anymore, and I am going to demonstrate to you with a simple example how the same fact can lead to different outcomes, and how you can consciously control the outcome you want to achieve.

Let’s say we have two different people. They go to the doctor and they are both diagnosed with cancer. The first one decides that he is not going to do anything because cancer kills people eventually, thus there is no need to try to do anything. The second one decides to fight it and sees an opportunity to improve his health by becoming more active and eating healthier food. Even though it seems that the first person didn’t make a decision he actually did  – to do nothing about it.

Step #1: Realize the situation as it is, do not make it worse than it is. Just by separating the facts from the story will allow you to achieve that.

Step #2: Accept it as is and allow the awareness built based on these facts lead your decisions.

Step #3: Act on the decisions you made.

Apply what you learn immediately. Download “Naked Security – Facts & Stories” free guide (PDF version).

So, I am now turning it over to you and would like to ask you 4 questions.

1. Have you been telling stories about your security that are keeping you stuck and in high threat risk?
2. Do you feel that if you base your security on facts rather than stories you will be able to achieve better protection?
3. What are you going to do about it to improve your security?
4. Isn’t “It is what it is. Harvest the good, let the rest go” the best advice you got so far?

I cannot wait to hear your comments so leave them below and let’s continue the conversation.