In 2005, Jessica Witt studied athletes to assess how perceptions can shape reality. After a game, Witt showed them images of softballs of various sizes and asked them to select the ball that was closest to the one they played with. Victorious players identified balls that were bigger than the one used in game-play, while athletes who missed shots believed that the actual softball was smaller. Witt concluded that our experiences can shape our perceptions, and therefore, our reality.

The way in which we interact with the world is determined by perceptions of ourselves and our environment. For instance, in a 2013 study, scientists found that patients with anorexia will turn sideways and hunch their shoulders as they walk through wide doorways. Their self-image was projected onto their surroundings and led them to believe that they could not easily fit through the door.

Negative perceptions are detrimental. They prevent us from seizing an opportunity that might make us grow, and if a rebel entrepreneur yields to them, they jeopardise their business. Having said that, it is possible to reprogram our minds to restructure our perceived reality. This Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) technique is known as content reframing, and it provides rebel entrepreneurs with the ability to overcome challenges with optimism.

The process involves a conscious effort to reframe circumstances from a positive perspective. Let’s say you lost your job. Negative perceptions can make you feel like you’re incompetent. However, with content reframing, this situation is not seen as a defining moment, but as an opportunity for you to take control of your destiny and start a business of your own. A rebel entrepreneur will not allow the situation to make them feel helpless. They will view it as a sign that that particular job was never meant for them in the first place. This stops a person from wallowing in self-pity and programs them to shift their perspective and become proactive.

Through content reframing, rebel entrepreneurs can restructure the architecture of their minds. Their perceptions change and their reality becomes more optimistic. In this, they guard themselves with a mindset that renders progress inevitable.