The Power of Choice

March 9, 2011 By

Choice is a powerful concept.  We make choices everyday.  But have you ever considered the fact that the choices you make are an integral part of who you are and will become?

Many people may think that their personality is the result of genetics and the influences of their life and yes, these are important players in the creation of your personality.

But there is another component and that is “free will” or “choice “.  Now some who do not understand hypnosis may wonder why a hypnotherapist is talking about free will…. In reality hypnosis increases your ability to make better choices and increases your willpower.

You can and do choose your thoughts on a daily basis.  Sometimes it might not feel that way but if you become more conscious of your thought patterns and self talk you will begin to notice that you can change them.  There lies the power of hypnosis.  Hypnosis makes you aware of what you think and gives you choice as to what you do with the thoughts you have.

All behavior begins with thought and hypnosis  puts you more in control of your behavior and therefore your life.

Filed Under: Health & Hypnosis, Hypnosis & Depression, Hypnosis & Performance Tagged With: , , ,

Fear and Peak Performance

October 21, 2010 By

Fear will stop you from performing at your peak.  Fear will paralyze you.  “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” FDR.   This is another incredibly powerful statement of the power that fear exerts over all of us.

So what is it about fear that makes it such a powerful emotion??  Its power lies in our instinct to survive.  That primal, basic part of the brain, the limbic system sounds the alarm and then a cascade of neurological activity follows.  The fear response is based upon our memories and experiences, our learned fears from the past.  However worries and anxieties are out in our future.  So obviously since it helps us to survive we need it, right?  Yes, we need fear as a call to action when something dangerous to our survival happens. However as FDR so succinctly stated, fear is something to be feared as well.  The problem lies in too much fear.  Unrelenting chronic fear that is based on the possibility of danger causes stress and is derogatory to our health and well-being. It creates high levels of stress hormones and that creates disease and other problems.  Also unrealistic fears or phobias are capable of taking control of our lives.

So what else can we learn about fear?  It is based on the past and we can trigger it by worrying about the future.  But right now there is no fear. If we stay in the present moment and we let go of old memories and fears from our past and stop focusing on the possibility of terrible things happening in our future the fear disappears.  In order to do this we need to change the way we think.  We need to take back some of the control because fear is an out of control emotion.

If you let circumstances control you when good things happen then you will also allow fear and negativity to rule your life when things are not going well. As reasonable people we need to be living in reality.  If things are really in a negative place in your life then thinking to yourself that your life is great is a delusion.  However when things are going well in life and we spend our free time worrying about what might happen to change our life for the negative, that is also deluded thinking.  People who tend to be on an “emotional rollercoaster” are an example of too much focus on momentary success and not enough on the process or the overall desired outcome.

When dealing with the concept of “peak performance” fear is the first thing that has to be addressed.  To perform the best you can entails getting you out of your way.  Whether it’s performing in sports, stage sales, academics or simply in life itself, fear stops clear focused action. Fear is the root cause of all negative emotions and behaviors.  Procrastination, limiting beliefs and self-sabotage are examples of mental thought processes  that are rooted in fear.   The two main fears are fear of failure and fear of success.  Most other fears like fear of public speaking, performance Anxiety or cold call reluctance can all be traced back to these two main performance fears.

I use hypnosis, and Neuro-linguistics(NLP) to take my clients past old fears and to create the ability to focus more on the present moment and the future that they desire.   When you get out of old fears and focus on the here and now you will be able to see the future more clearly.  This will move you to take action and the fear will truly be a thing of the past.

Filed Under: Academic performance, Hypnosis & Performance, Hypnosis FAQ, Sales & Hypnosis, Sports Performance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Overcoming Self-Sabotage

September 28, 2010 By

Does it sometimes feel as though you are two very different people?  Well that’s because you are. Self-sabotage is at the most basic level a tug-of- war between the conscious and subconscious minds.

The conscious mind is the part of your mind that sets goals, analyzes information and then takes action using will-power and self-discipline.  The problem arises when the subconscious mind is not on board with the action you want to take. The subconscious is the part of your mind where feelings and emotions come from, so if you want to reach a sales goal consciously, but your feelings are not aligned with that goal they will stop you from moving forward.  Self sabotage is ultimately due to lack of self worth, self-esteem, and self confidence.

The specific ways that people sabotage themselves probably falls into one of these 4 categories.

  • Fear of success. Deep inside, there can be numerous reasons you do not want to succeed.  These are referred to as limiting beliefs.  You must overcome these limiting beliefs and break free from your fear of success.
  • Unworthiness. Unworthiness is the belief or feeling that you do not deserve success.  This is due to low self-esteem and or a poor self-image. Build your self-esteem and realize that you are not only worthy of success, but it is your right to live in abundance and pursue happiness.
  • Lack of belief in abilities. Do you not believe that you have what it takes to succeed?  Do you think your goals are too far-fetched or unrealistic?  Rather than lower your goals, increase your self-confidence and your belief in your ability to succeed.
  • Working against true desires. Many people never figure out what their true desires in life are. These are the people who think they know what they want, but never end up getting it due to self-sabotage.  Well known examples are college drop-outs who choose majors based on what a parent wants them to do or employees who work for paychecks rather than the love of the work.  Take the time to figure out what you really want in life and then focus your entire mind on moving towards your true desire.

If you recognize yourself in any of these categories, it’s time to do something to break free of self-sabotage.  Resolving the conflict between conscious goals and subconscious feelings is a great place to start.  By using hypnosis and NLP you can efficiently and effectively make the changes you desire.

Filed Under: Hypnosis & Performance Tagged With: , , ,

What Makes a Better Salesperson?

February 11, 2009 By

There are many traits that make up someone who is the consummate salesperson.  Things like confidence, elegant communication, empathy, the closing instinct and the ability to motivate oneself without instant gratification.

So you are not a “salesperson”.  Why should you keep reading? Because anyone who is an entrepreneur or just wants to be more successful in personal relationships can benefit by being better at influencing others.  I could go into the details at length of how to be better at selling.  In fact I will go into some of those details next time.  But today I am going to tell you the one thing that sets the average sales person, entrepreneur or business person apart from those who really succeed.  That thing is the desire to constantly improve. 

Whether it’s improving your close ratio or your attitude.  The best sales people are the ones who constantly learn the techniques that will set them apart from the rest.  They don’t “try” anything.  What they do is take committed action.

 I recently conducted a sales training for a large bank.  I taught them techniques from NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) which they could use to up there close ratio and also tools to keep a consistent positive attitude. Afterwards I had several account executives come to me for more info on my sales performance program. When I spoke to their national sales manager at the close of the seminar, she mentioned how it was the top reps who were interested in the program.  She wondered how to get the average reps to be more motivated.  This is a common dilemma, without the desire to learn and improve those sales reps will remain average.

So the question is do you want to be average?  If not then get up, get out and learn or do something new.  Because if you do what you have always done you will get the same results you have always gotten.

Filed Under: Hypnosis FAQ Tagged With: , , , , ,