Resolutions for 2008

Peace on Earth and Happy New Year to all!

For self-hypnosis tips on how to keep your New Year's Resolutions, please come to the Tarpon Springs Library on January 4 at 4 pm.

Think of it this way, if you accomplish those resolutions once and for all, you can resolve never to make New Year's Resolutions again!

Hypnosis Hypothesis

I just posted a poem called the night before an NLP Christmas on my other blog, http://verbalimpact.blogspot.com/.

I think it is quite funny, but I wonder if most people will know what NLP is?

NLP stands for neurolinguistic programming. It's a very intimidating word! It means the science and study of how the brain processes language. Most hypnotists and hypnotherapists use it all the time, without even realizing it. Many will further their education and expertise by learning more about it. NLP and hypnotism are very powerful tools for behavior change! NLP combined with hypnosis is absolutely phenomal! I mean, hypnotists use words to make suggestions that the subconscious mind can accept. And NLP kinda helps the conscious mind believe that the changes are reasonable and can be implemented quickly. The conscious mind contains a critical factor which is the voice that often discourages us from trying something new, like "this is never going to work! You can't change! It's too good to be true!

That critical voice provides an unsurmountable barrier for some. That's how hypnosis works. It bypasses the critical factor, then you can use the imagination and other internal resources to move forward.

Choices

Do your thoughts build you up or beat you up?

You have a choice, you know. You can use your thoughts for worrying, analyzing, chastising, criticizing, or engaging in Woulda-Shoulda-Coulda. Or you may choose to give yourself a break and think about your successful accomplishments whenever you have a chance. You may admit you have made mistakes in the past and probably will in the future, but they never turn out to be as dire as you imagine. You may ruminate about good times, good friends and good memories. You may even choose to reward yourself just for being you. It seems that the latter thoughts produce more good results. And even if they don't, you will have experienced more joy, choosing to concentrate on rewards, blessings and sweet memories.

There are many different ways to express the same thing. This is sometimes called tact or diplomacy. But even in ordinary situations, you can choose your words. For example, you can try to keep hula-hoop spinning around your hips, or you can rotate your solar plexus continuously, or you can practice belly-dancing. All of these describe the same motion. Which sounds most appealing to you?

Parents are aware of how their words affect their children, managers are aware of how their words affect their staff, and hypnotists are aware of how their words affect their clients. So just think for a moment how your own words influence you. So when you think, choose wards that empower you, rather than bring you down. This used to be called positive thinking or learned optimism. Now it seems like that elusive commodity called common sense.

Glistening and Gleaming Holidays

I know the holidays are coming. (Happy Chanukah if you are celebrating already!) The temperature is cool and kids are wearing socks with their flip-flops. They might even wear a sweat shirt with their shorts, or even long pants!

I heard Bing Crosby singing on the radio this morning. A local channel is playing ALL Christmas songs, ALL the time. You see, they have to. Even with the pink flamingoes wearing santa hats, it is just so easy to forget that Christmas will be here in less than 3 weeks!

Sleigh Bells ring, are you listening, in the lane snow is glistening...

You never hear that word, “glistening” except for Christmastime. It’s a sweet word. It carries an image with it. I can see a drop of dew glistening on a leaf. There is no snow here to glisten in the lane.

I also like gleam, glitter and glimmer. I would guess they are Dutch or Germanic in origin. They all mean something like sparkle or shine. Sparkle, now there is a cute word!

Happy Holidays! Hope your holidays glisten and your outfit sparkles and there’s a glimmer in your spouse's eyes when they see you on New Year’s Eve.!

I don't know if that sounds right, but my wish for you is that your most glimmering dreams come true in 2008!

Weighty Issues

Weighty issues

I read an article Sunday that asserted that the relationship between stress and weight gain is stronger than we thought. It’s not only that people eat more during times of stress. And is there someone out there who does not experience stress during the “holiday season?” A recent study has revealed that mice under stress gain extra weight even if their calorie intake is the same as the mice without stress. So even if you do not eat more, you may gain weight!! That is true! Think about the skinnies you know who eat so much more than the chubbies you know. IT’S NOT THE CALORIES!!!

Another study showed that if premature babies are given the same amount of formula at every feeding, the ones who are physically touched more often gain more weight in the same amount of time. This is a desirable thing for premature babies. It means that Touch, not Food was the significant factor in development.

Stress causes fat cells to grow and multiply regardless of calorie intake. And this fat usually is stored around the waist, which is the most dangerous place for it to be, since it increases the risk of heart disease and other medical conditions.

Exercise lowers the hormones associated with stress. So does relaxation. So does hypnosis. Self-hypnosis done on a regular basis, at least once per day, has the following benefits:

Physiological changes such as decreased metabolism, heart rate, and breathing rate, in addition to distinctively slower brain waves.
Emotional changes such as feelings of calm and a decrease in anxiety.
Behavioral changes such as better sleep, more energy and improved concentration are also reported.

I have read about some studies which show that relaxation, such as hypnosis or meditation, can be used to lower blood pressure when done twice daily (for only 15 minutes)!

Another quotation

"There is a difference between happiness and a mere absence of depression."

This is a quotation from Howard C. Cutler in The Art of Happiness at Work.

Dr. Cutler wrote 2 books in coordination with the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is listed as one of the authors, since Dr. Cutler interviews him and asks him questions about the Buddhist and Tibetan perspectives, which are so different from the Western view.

In this book, the Dalai Lama was asked what he does for a living. He answered, Nothing, I do nothing. Isn't that a perfect job? His life is so entwined with his work (teaching, meditating, counseling, and diplomacy), that there is no difference between working and not working. There is no effort. He is working all the time, yet he perceives it as just being. It's so simple and elegant.What a great way to live.

It seems that Work is more than just the absence of recreation. Excuse me, I have to get back to work.