This is one of the most favorite questions that I get often from people who do a quick research on ‘NLP’.
Do the Founders of NLP Dr. John Grinder and Dr. Richard Bandler use NLP in their Life?

The quick answer, Yes, Absolutely!

(I am curious to know how you use NLP in your life. Do share your experience in the comments below)

Here are 10 Ways in which the Founders used NLP most effectively

1. Spread NLP – Think about the various wonderful things around you, that do not have the recognition they deserve. How many of them become a Billion Dollar global industry with recognition in every field? The founders used NLP to spread NLP. It is not easy. And no other ‘field’ has made such growth in awareness in just 30 years.

2. Stay Healthy – John Grinder is about 70 years old. He can climb mountains and still does trekking actively. He rides horses and can read without a reading glass. Now, that is Excellence, I would assume. Also, given all the serious health conditions Richard Bandler went through, including diabetes and a Brain Stroke that resulted in partial paralysis where doctors said he can never walk again, he is still rocking and walking well.

3. Learn fast – John teaches and practices how to learn a new language in 3 days. In a way that it leads to Native Diction. At his age he still learns new and a variety of different stuff with precision. I cannot quantify Learning. But if you have any exposure to either of them, the vast amount of depth and knowledge is astonishing. In fact, they used NLP to learn the behaviors of excellent sales people. Most ‘top’ influence programs in the World have bits of their learning ingrained in the training.

4. Changing habits – I leave this for your own research. There is plenty of evidence out there which demonstrates Richard changing a lot of his  dangerous  habits. I do not want to comment on them here.

5. Being trendsetters – It was not easy. They had potential legal issues. Possible Financial struggles? They were saying something the whole continent seemed to oppose. The thinking was radical. And yet, they made it happen. Standing against All Odds.

6. Being alive – How many people continue to develop their ‘inner’ self and contribute to the world in their 70s. John and Richard are remarkable examples of people who are continuing to get smarter and better with their contributions when for most people growing old would mean reducing what they do.

7. Happy family – Not much here to say. The little I know is that John enjoys his time with his grandchildren and children and has enough time, health, and attention for each one of them.

8. Empowering successors – At least in India we have so many examples of super geniuses with amazing knowledge and wisdom that disappears when the ‘Guru’ dies. The disciples may know fractions of something but they may not be able to even remotely get the same results. John and Richard have both empowered enough individuals to carry their lineage amongst a millions who try to.

9. Business – In the 1970s even before NLP was as famous as it is today, 150 students paid $1,000 each for a ten-day workshop. That is quite some business acumen there. According to a court documentation, Bandler made more than $800,000 in 1980 from workshop and book sales.

10. Being a good human

I have my sincere gratitude for both of them, for both teaching me and developing this wonderful field. My moments with Richard are rare and precious. What I have learnt from John is precious, priceless and most adorable. It has been two years since John started coaching me and guiding me on NLP. And what I can say other than Thanks.

I remember John’s words when I thanked him so much for helping me with ‘Phani Kumar‘.

I think the above line speaks for itself on how the founders use NLP on themselves.

There are lots of critics who claim – use NLP to resolve the differences John and Richard had. The truth is they have. They have decided to part ways, which is at times the most optimal and useful resolution. When you interact with both of them, they both acknowledge at some level the contribution of the other.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
― Albert Einstein

At this moment, I remember the verse from the Bible where the Pharisees say to Jesus as he is hanging in the cross and about to die, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him”

Jesus did save himself but not in the way the crowd ‘expected’ but in other ways they couldn’t understand.