The Time to Take Action

I just read about the Air Traffic Controller
who was watching a movie while working, and
the article discussed other traffic control
concerns.

When I read it, there were several things that
came to mind, not the least of which is a
metaphor for things that are happening in the
world in which we live in right now, here in
the US.

The controllers have only had 8 hours in between
shifts up until now. Many people need that many
hours to function properly, so the fact that they
need some of those hours to commute and take care
of things doesn't seem to me to be a good thing.

How often do we do with less of something that
should be good for us? How often do we hurt
ourselves in the pursuit of something?

Have the controllers spoken up? I don't know,
but I have to wonder. How often do we speak up
when something is not working? How often are
we at the effect of someone else's decisions
and choices which in turn can affect another's
decisions and choices?

These controllers are sleeping through "important"
moments in their lives and the lives of others.
At a minimum, a nuisance or inconvenience, at
a maximum, it could be catastrophic.

How often do we sleep walk through our own lives,
or sleep through (metaphorically, or otherwise)
the important moments in our lives?

While the issue may very well be an issue of
sleep - or, rather a lack of sleep - if we focus
on it alone there may be other things that run
deeper and are missed. The fact that someone
was watching a movie - someone who had to be
aware of the trouble the others had been in -
someone who knew the rules and broke them -
someone who knew their actions could adversely
affect others - tells me that there is more
going on, and given the way things are going,
we would do ourselves a favor by taking a look
at the bigger picture and asking ourselves
questions instead of focusing on just this one
industry/series of events.

In order to change, we have to first be willing
to look at what is, and we don't all have a
governing body looking over our shoulder calling
attention to perceived problems and difficulties.
It also means that that are likely to be times
that we alone are also responsible for the pickles
we get ourselves into, as there is no one telling
us what to do, or how to do it.

The harder it is to look, the more likely cleaning
up the potential mess afterward is going to be a
lot harder than if you had faced what needed to be
faced in the first place.

It is much better to create dynamics that help
us rather than create a patchwork that appears
to work - but we know it's just a quick fix.
Not many things can be patched over and over
and maintain their strength and integrity. In
addition a fix made with love and forethought
is likely to have a better and longer lasting
impact than one that is just slapped together
and expected to last a lifetime.

Air Controllers aren't the only ones who are
having issues, and the sooner that we in our
own personal lives and in our lives as co-
citizens on this planet are willing to look
at how things are, the sooner we can make
changes and potentially avert disasters in
other words start ACTING and stop REACTING.

The time to take action is before you need to;
you'll have a much better chance of preserving
whatever that thing is that you value than if
you wait. That applies to Liberty and Health
and Relationships and Money, and...

 

Change

I heard someone today say,
"change requires changing."

It is kinda like a "duh,"
don't you think? And yet
when things aren't working
out the way we want them to,
and we know that what we're
doing isn't helping or working,
we still often remain the same.

Why is that?

It's because we are comfortable
in the familiar surroundings.
How we are is like home to us,
and because of that we keep
wanting to get home by our actions.

The only way we're going to change
is to move, or to in some way
create a new place to come home to.
We could change the furnishings,
and our environment isn't the same.

Some things are drastic, others more
subtle. If you want to make a change
(see a need for one) then it is
important to find the way that works
for you...and odds are, it is the
way that is unlike the one you've
been doing.

One last thought...we have an easier
time making changes when WE personally
see the need to make them. If you're
having difficulties making a change
ask yourself if YOU really want to or
if it is someone else's desire for you.

Some battles can end right there.

Have a great week!
 

The Greatest Thing | Video | Music

A friend of mine shared this song with me
a few years ago. As old as the song is,
it seems timeless in its message.

A contestant from American Idol pulled it
out and dusted it off for people who likely
never heard it before last night.

Hearing about the news is what reminded me
about it.

In addition, kudos to Casey for sticking to
his guns and going with what felt right to
him. Yes it was atypical, and that is
likely what was so great about it.

It says a lot about the greatness that can
come from going with the beat of our own
inner drummer, or outer bass (LOL).

Of course, the true verdict remains to be
seen with the voting, but I gotta believe
regardless of the outcome, he is sitting
in a better place for it.

For some it will be about the trophy,
which does have its own rewards, but for
others winning is about the reward of
finding oneself and the valuable things
that come along with that - things that
no one else can give you which, for that
reason, may just be inherently more
valuable.

If you haven't heard the song,
here's your opportunity.



and Casey's Version


 

on MSG | Recipe | Homemade Bouillon

I have heard that MSG can affect our minds,
among other things. Search the internet and
you will find a myriad of not-so-good info
about it.

In general, I try to create things from
scratch, when possible, and especially
when I hear that there are things reportedly
that have a particular effect that is
detrimental. I don't know about you, but
I got enough stuff messing with my mind,
without chemicals coming into the mix.

Of course, there are various sides to any
story, and there will be those who will
say that MSG is safe, however, I would
much rather go for something that has a
better chance of being safe because I
made it.

At one point I was using a lot of bouillon,
and discovered that it, too, had MSG, so
I decided to see what I could find as
a substitute.

I found a recipe that is vegetarian
(maybe vegan?) that seems to be working
quite well as a substitute. I use it in
boiling water as I would use bouillon,
sprinkle it on various foods, like eggs
and popcorn, and have made soup with it.

On top of everything else, I would
suspect that the recipe has less
sodium content than the kind of
bouillon you buy in the store. For
anyone who is watching their intake,
I would imagine that could be a very
good thing.

I share the recipe with you, in case you
may be inclined to give it a try. If you
do, let me know what you think!

Homemade Bouillon

1c. Nutritional Yeast Flakes
1T. salt
1/2 t. ginger
1t. pepper
1t. marjoram
1t. tarragon
1t. paprika
1t. rosemary
2t. sage
2t. thyme
2t. celery seed
1T. garlic powder
1T. onion powder

I put all of the above into a
small blender/mixer and make
into a find powder.

You can figure 1T per cup of
water if you are looking for
a ratio suited to a bouillon
cube.

I bet you can find some great
uses for it, and you can
certainly mix up the ingredients
to suit your own tastes.

As a side note, Nutritional
Yeast Flakes are considered
a Super Food, rich in Vitamin B,
that have been used as a
substitute for those who do
not eat cheese. For some, it
is a very inferior substitute,
however I have tried it on
homemade pizza and omelets
and would have to say it is
not bad at all...for the
sake of the flavor, as it
certainly will not have the
grease or texture of actual
cheese.

Enjoy!
 

Have you ever really wanted something really bad?

Have you ever really wanted something really bad?

Have you done all that you could to make it happen,
even if didn't? Have you said all there is to say?

If so, you might appreciate the following
statement I made to someone:

"I have done all that I can. I have exhausted
every avenue, every option, every street, every
thing...so much so I stand here feeling empty
and yet complete."

The beauty is that it was a situation that I
very much wanted to turn out differently than it
did; however, despite the outcome, I found
peace in the fact that I said and did everything
I could.

Communication is a beautiful and powerful and
freeing thing.
 

Believe in Past Lives?

Did you know that the process of
Past Life Regression is a hypnotic state?

Perhaps you don't believe in it,
or it's not for you.
That is understandable.
Many people believe that we get
one shot at life and, then, that's it.

As far as I am concerned, if that's
all you believe, maybe you are right,
and that is truly all there is. To me,
what comes before and after this moment
is not nearly as important as THIS
moment.

There is a great saying about what the
PRESENT is. If we are paying attention
in the moment, every moment has the
opportunity to be a gift - if we are
are paying attention.

What is helpful to recognize about
Past Life Regression is that it is
a hypnotic state, which means that
it is one that is more open than
our conscious state. For that reason,
it is often better able to give us
the answers we might be looking for,
and sometimes answers to questions
we didn't even know we had.

There have been some pretty amazing
stories that have come via people's
experiences with the idea of their
own past lives.

Those I have led through past life
regressions have found what seems
to be some correlation in their
experience to their current life-
at least in THEIR case.

I never believe anything is bad or
good...however, I think information
can be a helpful thing. The times
I did the regressions, the information
that came up was helpful to the person
I was speaking with.

To be fair, it doesn't take much for
the mind to build relationships and
associations. It could very well be
something that came from a childhood
experience (or any experience really)
that was reinforced many times.

However, there are a couple of pieces here.
One is that the earlier the interest,
especially if it is strong, the more interesting
(in my mind) it is to look at from a
past life perspective possibility. Ever see
very young children who have seeming
inexplicable talents? Might past life
possibilities be a potential explanantion?

The other part to this is that every person
and experience is unique. What is it
about that person at that time in that
circumstance that gives birth to that
particular dynamic? Why is it that for
one it will "stick" and for another it
is inconsequential?

Could it be there is something more?

Perhaps it is something to think about.

Perhaps it will do nothing more than
just give you an appreciation for what
you have now.

Perhaps you have another option.

Any which way you go, it's all good.

If this is of interest to you, feel free
to write me about your interest, your
opinions, and to ask any questions you
might have.

Thanks for listening.
Have a great day!
 

A (Humorous) Tale of Two Brains | Video

Men and Women are different.

Nothing new there.

People are always
attempting to explain it.

Anyone who can do it with humor,
and in a way that is helpful,
in my opinion,
is definitely a person to
consider listening to.

With that in mind,
I share the following video.
If you like his approach,
there are others on YouTube,
you can also view.

A Shift | Video

In the last entry I wrote about how
perspectives can empower or be
destructive. On the heels of that
I saw this video. I believe it is
a remake of sorts of another video
that was in Italian(?)

Actions are often stopped or taken
by the meaning behind the words
we use, and their resulting meaning.

Just like the previous blog, I am
looking more at the perspective
shift that is possible, the one
that is able to empower a seemingly
disabled situation.

I suspect is much more possible in
our day-to-day lives, if we are
willing to be more aware and alter
how we go about the things we need
to do.

If you have a minute, check it out,
and let me know what you think.

Need Help?

I heard something today to the effect
that men are humbled by the time they
seek out someone to help them. Those
who are willing to seek out the help
usually find that it is done as a last
resort because they can't seem to
accomplish what they need to on their
own. As a result, some will label
themselves as weak.

I find that interesting, as it is
something that there would be those
who would want to manipulate that
would use that as an argument.
"You are obviously a weak man, and
you need my guidance."

(While this person was speaking
specifically of men, I believe
that the same could hold true
for women. In general, I try
to stay away from making broad,
sweeping generalizations based
on a label, such as a gender.)

It is also interesting for me to
sometimes sit back and observe how
arguments are made and won by how
they are presented. Is someone
weak, or are they just a human
being who is in need of some
assistance?

If every human being that was in
need of assistance was weak, we'd
all have to go by that label.
Then, once labelled that way, we
judge ourselves as inferior, and
the downward spiral would continue.

On the other side of things one
could make the argument that a
smart person knows when assistance
is needed to accomplish a goal.
And this smart person is empowered
by seeking out that help.

If life is lived in the focus
that we have, then almost anything
could be configured in a way that
empowers or is destructive.

If you are in one place and you
want to get somewhere else, but
haven't been able to on your own,
I might be able to help.

You would be surprised how
seamless things can be with the
right kind of assistance, and
it doesn't necessarily need to
be a long, drawn out ordeal.

I realize that it may be something
that consciously is difficult to
grasp, however it makes more sense
than you may be able to grasp which
would make sense because if you had
grasped it, things would have been
different already.

You could go to a city on your own,
or you could go to a city and visit
with an expert guide. By yourself
you may find things interesting that
the guide would gloss over. With
the guide, your attention may be
drawn to something you would have
missed.

There are pluses and minuses with
the choices we make. The mistake
we can sometimes make is to label
them in a way that is positive or
negative or right or wrong when,
in fact, it is just "different."

One last thought on the idea of
"help." A person may have the skill
to be able to build a building on
their own, and might be able to
do just that. The thing is, though,
the destination - a completed
building - will likely be reached
that much more quickly with some
help. Does that mean that person
is weak or inferior?

You may be looking to get somewhere
in your life. And you may just be
able to get there on your own.
But you might get there quicker and
with a better use of your resources
if you have some assistance.

You're a smart person. I know you
will choose wisely, and what is
best for you...you do know that,
don't you? If you didn't, I hope
with what I have said, you will
reconsider who you think yourself
to be and the options you choose.
Sometimes having good company
along the way can make things
seem so much more simple and
effortless.

I am available to be a part of your
crew...if interested, let me know
when I can start! :)

Have a great day!
 

Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! | Manipulation

Ever since I have been learning more about
language in my role as a hypnotist, I have
found myself much more aware of when people
are talking to me in a manipulative way.

Once I got a call wanting to pitch me
a vacation. I immediately said I wasn't
interested. But then, the person wanted
to at least tell me what I was saying no
to. She offered me a short version.

Since I knew she had a job to do, I thought
I would at least humor her. The way that
the offer was worded was so manipulative,
and didn't even sound like an offer. The
way it was worded there were certain inherent
assumptions.

I laughed.

She asked what was so funny (I could tell
from her tone she didn't get the "humor").
I told her that I was a hypnotist and was
aware of NLP and how a lot of what she was
saying was assumptive. She seemed to have
no idea what I was saying.

I bet she was just reading a script, and
had no idea that she was reading was
manipulative in nature (at least I'll give
her the benefit of the doubt, as many
wouldn't recognize it, either).

At that point there was no point in continuing,
so I politely extracted myself, wished her a
great day, and hung up the phone.

I know there was a time I wasn't aware like I
am now, and was drawn in by how these people
speak. Many times I wasn't happy with my
decision because it wasn't what I really
wanted. I was just manipulated into it.

You can often tell when you are manipulated
into something when you are one, not happy
with your decision and/or two, find yourself
justifying your choice(s).

So the next time you are feeling uncomfortable
with a conversation, take a step back and
consider what is happening. While there could
be many reasons for how you feel, one of them
could be that the person is consciously (or
unconsciously) trying to manipulate you. If
you do that, you may be less likely to react
what is happening or being said.

It is one thing to ask to be manipulated
(such as in someone who is looking to help
you - perhaps like a personal trainer). It
is a totally different other thing when
someone comes along and does it for their
own benefit, and your potential detriment.

Of course, they'll never say it that way,
and of course it's always a good thing for
you...and that is just part of the potential
manipulative ploy that is being played.

Not all things are manipulation, but being
aware and conscious are two things that can
help prevent regret by declining actions
that may not be the right ones for us, in
the face of someone nudging us in a direction
we may not want to go.

At least some manipulation can be
wonderfully pleasant with the right
person. :D But that is for YOU to decide,
not for another to decide for you.

(Can I just say one more time - YUCK!!!)
 

Your Personal Tipping Point

I was once in a relationship that I couldn't
leave. I should have left (and did) many
times. We weren't even married, and yet
I so much wanted it to work out, and it
was to great emotional cost to stay. It
was around the time that things finally
broke up for the last time that I realized
that one could be lonelier in a relationship
than by oneself.

It is difficult for anyone to understand a
dynamic that keeps two unhappy people in
a relationship together. Many who have
never had that dynamic think it is easy
to just walk away. If it was that easy,
many of those I talk to would. Instead,
it seems easier to cover up the wounds
and pretend like everything is OK.

The problem is that the source of the
issue is never addressed, and it can
create new wounds, and coping that way
comes at a greater and greater cost.

Eventually I was able to finally take a
stand for myself, and it took everything
I had to walk away. It just so happened
I got to my personal tipping point. I
had had enough, and I felt that I deserved
more than what I was getting (interestingly
those around me had agreed in that regard
a long time before I ever acted).

No relationship or person will ever be
perfect, but if you aren't able to be
who you are, consciously living a life
that you love, then it might be something
to really look at as it would be akin to
just handing over all of your money to
someone and saying, "Here take all this
money. It's OK if it doesn't belong to
you. I am giving you permission to walk
away with it. I like being trapped here
with you."

By your actions, are you doing things that
are trapping you and limiting your options
in regard to another? If you love someone
and feel that you'd be taking away from them
by separating, there are ways to make
things work at a distance. Sometimes it
it is a loving act to separate.

All too often society will tell us what
we should want, what we should think,
what we should accept. Perhaps all of
the time you have spent unhappy will be
the foundation for a version of you that
can have the happiness deep down you know
you deserve (odds are good you wouldn't
be trying to escape if you didn't think
you deserved more).

It is possible that the lessons we learn
in life are the things that help us to
become the person who is able to be the
kind of person who can be the ideal partner
and attract one. However for that to happen,
there are things to say, and risks to take.

If you are escaping, and feel compromised,
perhaps you can consider that there are
other options. Sometimes hypnosis can
help, too, as it may be able to help you
identify what is unconsciously tying you
to your situation.

If you're willing to go that route...and
want a guide/partner, let's talk. It's
not about me helping you to leave, but
rather assisting you to discover yourself
and what is best for you. When you
discover things you might not have known,
you may even find things shifting in your
current situation.

No one can stand up for you - except you,
and when the time is right for shifts and
changes, you will find your own personal
tipping point, and when you get to the
other side don't be surprised to hear
yourself cheering for who you have become. :)
 

Friends that Disagree

A friend once told me about a time
in college when a long time friend told
him he was going to get married, and
that he wanted my friend to be his Best
Man.

My friend always knew that is what his
friend wanted and intended when the time
came but, in this particular case, he
felt the choice wasn't one that he could
support, and told his friend that if he
married her, he could not be his Best Man.

His friend was pissed. His friend also
is now happily married to someone else,
and has a couple of kids. He chose not
to marry the other woman.

Did my friend have anything to do with
his choice? Who knows what happened
exactly? However, when the conversation
was had my friend pointed to some very
serious issues and considerations and
took a stand for the sake of his friend.

I once watched an interview with Lisa
Marie (Presley) in which she said she
was upset with how those in her dad's
life didn't help him until she realized
that he had (in essence) an "agree
with me" or "get away" attitude. She
also noted that Michael Jackson had a
similar situation as well, surrounding
himself apparently with "yes" men.

While it is important for us to be true
to ourselves, it is also important that
we have friends who will stand up for
us in spite of what the consequences
might be. Someone might stand up and
be wrong in regard to what is indeed
right for us, but that friend might also
be a saving grace in some circumstances.

Who knows what the right balance is, as
it will vary from person to person and
situation to situation, so knowing what
the "right" thing to do falls again on
being connected with oneself and respectful
of another and his/her choices.

We can be at odds and be combative, or we
can be at odds and be respectful. There
is a big difference between the two, and
the difference can make or break a
relationship between people, organizations,
countries.

A challenge to what we believe and what we
want can really suck, but it can also be
the very thing that gets us where we need
to be.

Silencing those who look at things differently
than we do can be one of the greatest things
we can do to cause ourself harm, and so is
being swayed too easily by another's idea of
what is right for us.

Who ever said being human made sense, or
was easy? LOL. But the "funny" thing is
that it is easier than we think it is. It
just so happens that being human often
includes making things complicated.

But...odds are this would never apply
to YOU now, would it? :P
 

You Sounded Annoyed (On Clear Communication)

I was speaking with someone once who hadn't
called in a few months, and the silence had
started after the last call we had.

He remembered what we were talking about, and
suggested that my response at the time had a
feeling of being annoyed attached to it.

When he told me what it was, I told him that
I wasn't annoyed. If he heard anything, it
was just my own internal frustration about
the subject.

He didn't stay away the whole time because of
it, but the misinterpretation is what initially
had him refrain from calling.

I suggested that in the future he confirm with
me his interpretations if they were to affect
our communications. His response was something
to the effect to that it was something akin to
calling someone on something, and how no one
likes that.

While that is true, if we don't communicate what
we suspect, then we'll never know if we're
incorrect. To make matters worse, if we act on
our incorrect notions, then we are creating
another level of the issue.

I could have been annoyed, but so what? He
could have also have asked me if I was, and
I could have lied and said, "No." Perhaps
I could have said no out of denial. Any number
of possibilities would have existed, and do
exist daily, with those we interact with.

A person should be able to get clarification
without the other person being offended or
feeling defensive. A person should also be
able to accept whatever answer is given without
having to push or pry.

This is not to say that if someone lies to you
it's ok, however sometimes people don't know
they're even lying to themselves. We need to
be willing to accept people's honest answers
if we want to encourage them to give them. In
many cases deceit is intentional out of a fear
of some sort of rejection.

We also need to be able to say the things we
need to say. If I had been annoyed I could
have said I was, and explained why or perhaps
have apologized, or just said, "I am sorry but
I just don't want to talk about this right now."

We also need to be able to remain silent at
times, as it allows us to figure things out
without the adding complication of bringing
someone into the drama in our head while at
the same time realizing that the drama might
just be self inflicted.

Being able to have an effective conversation
means being as clear as one can be about what
is being said, or about what is left unsaid.

There are ways to say things in a responsible
manner. For instance in the above regard the
person could have said, "When we were talking
about ___, it sounded to me like you were
annoyed by something I said. Can you tell me
what it was, or tell me if I might have
misinterpreted your reaction?"

Or he could have said, "When we were talking
about ___, you sounded annoyed. Did I say
something to annoy you? If so, I wanted to
apologize, because that certainly was not my
intent."

It's like a dance - one most of us never learned
to do. We might think we know how to communicate
because we interact and talk, but sometimes - many
times - those interactions and words only get in
the way of communication.

We don't need to walk around questioning everything,
but in cases where the meaning may be unclear, it
might be best to refrain from assuming, especially
if it means a further break down of communication or
the furthering of a disagreement.

If you're going to get mad or upset or take something
personally, wouldn't it be better to know that what
you thought was true indeed was instead of something
you made up in your own mind?

(You do know how good
at that you are, don't you?)
 

What a Difference a Degree Makes | Video

This, in my opinion, is an awesome
video on a very simple concept. It
could apply to any number of things.

I know that there are many managers/
business-folk among my callers, so
perhaps this will even be something
you can share with those you work with.

I share it, in part, too because I
can see how it relates to one's
hypnotic experience. It is yet
another way to explain what happens
as one is hypnotized.

Metaphorically someone could be
hypnotized 211 times and on the 212th
time, he could find his environment
radically changed.

Watch the video, and see what you
get out of it, and as always, I'd
love to know what'ya think!

Have a good one.
 

Fear

I was once speaking with someone who had
made a difficult decision after a long delay.

It was nice to be able to help that person
hypnotically, as we've been speaking on and
off for several years now.

One of the interesting things that came up was
the topic of fear. My client came to realize
that they were less comfortable with the fear
of staying in the situation than the fear they
had of the fear of the unknown. As a result,
after a long and trying time (years), this
person reluctantly (and optimistically and
hesitantly) decided to move forward in spite
of the unknown.

It's interesting to note that we are very
often motivated by pain and pleasure. When
someone wants to get us to do something, all
they have to do is make certain that we
focus on the right thing in the correct
measure.

They can either get us to focus on the pleasure,
and draw us in, or have us focus on the pain
(or possibility of pain that we want to avert)
to motivate us in the way they want us to be
motivated. Many sales are based on this idea,
as well as many other aspects of our life.

It doesn't have to be that way - but it takes
being consciously aware to avert the pitfalls
of this type of thing - and that is probably
one of the most difficult things to do in
the situations that are the most emotionally
charged for us.

However, it CAN be done.

I offered to help this person in any way I can
to help support them through the trying
transition, and would likely do the same for
anyone else who really wanted (and would use)
the help. If you're in a predicament, and
could use some support like what I can give
(and if you know me, you know it is likely to
be more than just hypnosis) reach out, and
let's talk.

Nothing is worse than having a problem and
feeling by yourself, not sure where to turn.