Right now, somewhere in the world, it’s likely that someone is listening to Bob Griswold’s The Love Tapes. Since 1976, this series of audio self-help programs has helped over a million people reprogram negative thoughts and unleash their potential. When they were first created, the tapes were literally cassette tapes. But the idea of the “tape” also relates to negative messages that become embedded in people’s brains.
“The idea for the Love Tapes came to me when I was jogging one day,” begins Griswold. After working in insurance, theatrical
Bob Griswold, Founder
productions, and rock music promotion, Griswold wanted to make a change in his life. “I had a wife and four children and worked in a stressful business. I had ulcers and migraine headaches and I was looking for answers. I’d read books about positive thinking, but I’d put the books down and go back to the same habits. I realized you have to internalize it. You don’t read about riding a bike and then ride – you have to experience it.” It led him to create his own programs.
“The tapes, which are now available as CDs, MP3 downloads, and mobile apps, are designed to overcome negativity and provide self help for self-esteem which includes loving yourself,” continues Griswold. “When you love yourself, it’s easier for others to love you and easier for you to love them. We’re told to love our neighbors as ourselves, not more than or instead of.” When asked why he chose “love” as his theme, he offers, “It just made sense to me. Love is a basic need. Everyone needs love. No matter how independent, macho, wealthy or successful a person is, without love there’s no self-actualization. These audio programs can help you get more in touch with the great power of love. Love is an energy and this energy can bring you more happiness, health, peace of mind and better more loving relationships. People also say they love to experience them and they love the great results.”
In the decades since they were released, the Love Tapes are still popular and selling well. “We have tons and tons of letters, emails, and phone calls. People have done miraculous things with their lives. They’ve lost a hundred or more pounds, they’ve improved their relationships, their marriages and income. You could call them the miracle tapes. But the real miracle is that people have fantastic potential and the Love Tapes help unlock that potential.”
One of the First Love Tapes Catalog Covers
Fear is one of the biggest obstacles preventing people from realizing their full potential. When confronted with new or challenging situations, we often respond with a worst-case scenario. “We’ve been taught to fear,” says Griswold. “Most negative things in our lives have been taught to us. We’ve been programmed from childhood to feel fear, to feel shame, to feel we’re inadequate. These tapes help you conquer fear and believe in yourself. Through the proper use of guided visualizations, positive affirmations, and other techniques, these programs engage all your senses. That’s what’s needed to “unlearn” the negative behaviors and thought habits you acquire through your life.”
Does being positive mean we can avoid tough times? “We all go through tough times. The main thing to keep in mind is that it’s temporary. There’s a silver lining to every cloud. Obstacles should be seen as opportunities to grow. Every problem has a gift. We just have to look for it. Sometimes you lose a job and you feel down and low and you dwell on that. But that just makes the situation more difficult. I had a student who was programming for a better situation at work. He came back a week later and said he was fired. I said maybe there’s something good in that. A week later he got another job that he wouldn’t have been exposed to if he hadn’t lost the first job.”
“In several of my audio programs, I teach goal setting. People have to take action. If we occupy ourselves with wishful thinking, that doesn’t really help that much. Here’s the way I look at it. Many years ago I was stressed out financially and I found myself projecting forward in time and feeling happy that things were much better. It was as if I moved forward in time. And when I was there, I looked back and saw the steps necessary to get back to that point. Every inventor does that. All people who create things are dreamers, but it’s constructive dreaming. They take action. Sometimes people wish for things and when it happens, they realize it’s not what they really wanted. It’s why we do a lot of self-examination in our courses. It’s important to get in touch with what’s really important to you, through introspection.”
One testament the power of Bob Griswold’s voice and message is that decades later, people still listen to their original copies of the Love Tapes. It’s the power of love.
audio programs and the brain science behind self-help self-esteem.