Go placidly amid the noise & haste & remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly & clearly and listen to others, even the dull & ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud & aggressive persons, they are a vexation to the spirit. If you compare yourself to others, you may become vain & bitter; for always there will be greater & lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of our times. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity & disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in the face of sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue & loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees & the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether it is clear to you or not no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors & aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
anonymous, found in Baltimore dated 1692
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
THE INNER SELF
Last blog I wrote about our inner child. How we have varying aged parts of ourself that may have some influence over our behavior & good & not so good patterns based upon the experiences & perceptions of us as children at varied stages of development.
To digress, I apologize (to myself mostly) for not writing the past couple of weeks. My best friend, Peaches, who is my horse, developed a photosensitivity to something & I was really taking care of a burn patient for about 4 weeks straight. We have turned it around now & she is healing nicely and I am finally feeling a part of my life once again. I am just happy she is healing & not in pain anymore etc....Nothing like a 1100lb animal to care for. You girls think your hubbies are awful when they are ill.... However my equine friend was an awesome patient & did everything right to help care for herself. Except today when she rolled her sores in the mud.
Very simply put our Inner Self is the part that we need to listen to so as to make the correct choices in our life. Our intuition might be another word for this part of ourselves. It is where our inner truth will be.
Some people are quite in touch with this inner self/truth. Others are very disconnected from that part.
Some ways of reconnecting would be through meditation, hypnotherapy, yoga, introspection & through the spiritual & personal growth process.
Less simply put, this truth within ourselves is connected to a higher truth. Maybe connected to the "source" or God or whatever that is for each individual. This inner self is connected to the more universal truth.
Possibly there are those who do not believe in any higher power but are very connected to their truth and what is correct for them. They have certainty on their path and feel quite content in their belief or lack of belief. This is perfect. They do not necessarily have the need for a God or higher power or for the search for one. These people might be quite practical and capable and confident. They arent going to hell. They are on their path just the way they are supposed to be. When I have these people as hypno clients they usually totally relate to that deeper inner self part of themselves. They just do not connect it to anything other than that . But they are very aware of that truth within themself that leads them in the correct direction.
On the other hand I have many clients who are on a spiritual or personal growth quest and they are not always connected to their true self. They might have a truly difficult time making decisions (they can not find their truth) or they are always searching for something outside themselves to help them in life. Lives might be more in disarray and troubled etc...
So we really can not have any judgement about who is really more connected to their truth. But I can say that being in touch with what is true for you is a simpler & less confusing place to be.
Often if you will really pay attention to the first answer you get when asking yourself what to do (this is not always easy) you will be better off because that would be your inner truth or self communicating with you.
If you feel adventurous you might want to discover the pendulum for getting clearer answers. There are plenty of places I am sure that can teach you to use a pendulum. It is fascinating. I do however advise not getting dependent upon it for all your decisions. It should help you get closer to your ability to know your inner truth...not take you farther away from that ability.
I for one am pretty connected to my truth but when i am REALLY stuck for a decision I sometimes ask God to be connected to the coin I'm about to flip.....don't tell anyone i do that....then I have to decide whether to listen to the coin's answer (I usually do)....but it might tell me something that my personality doesnt really like...
Well, enjoy the week. A good idea for the week is to write down some of the times you made decisions based upon your truth & sometimes when you did not. Don't judge yourself. Just observe what you did or didn't do. Notice when you are connected to your inner truth & when you might not be as connceted.
Blessings to all...Sandy
To digress, I apologize (to myself mostly) for not writing the past couple of weeks. My best friend, Peaches, who is my horse, developed a photosensitivity to something & I was really taking care of a burn patient for about 4 weeks straight. We have turned it around now & she is healing nicely and I am finally feeling a part of my life once again. I am just happy she is healing & not in pain anymore etc....Nothing like a 1100lb animal to care for. You girls think your hubbies are awful when they are ill.... However my equine friend was an awesome patient & did everything right to help care for herself. Except today when she rolled her sores in the mud.
Very simply put our Inner Self is the part that we need to listen to so as to make the correct choices in our life. Our intuition might be another word for this part of ourselves. It is where our inner truth will be.
Some people are quite in touch with this inner self/truth. Others are very disconnected from that part.
Some ways of reconnecting would be through meditation, hypnotherapy, yoga, introspection & through the spiritual & personal growth process.
Less simply put, this truth within ourselves is connected to a higher truth. Maybe connected to the "source" or God or whatever that is for each individual. This inner self is connected to the more universal truth.
Possibly there are those who do not believe in any higher power but are very connected to their truth and what is correct for them. They have certainty on their path and feel quite content in their belief or lack of belief. This is perfect. They do not necessarily have the need for a God or higher power or for the search for one. These people might be quite practical and capable and confident. They arent going to hell. They are on their path just the way they are supposed to be. When I have these people as hypno clients they usually totally relate to that deeper inner self part of themselves. They just do not connect it to anything other than that . But they are very aware of that truth within themself that leads them in the correct direction.
On the other hand I have many clients who are on a spiritual or personal growth quest and they are not always connected to their true self. They might have a truly difficult time making decisions (they can not find their truth) or they are always searching for something outside themselves to help them in life. Lives might be more in disarray and troubled etc...
So we really can not have any judgement about who is really more connected to their truth. But I can say that being in touch with what is true for you is a simpler & less confusing place to be.
Often if you will really pay attention to the first answer you get when asking yourself what to do (this is not always easy) you will be better off because that would be your inner truth or self communicating with you.
If you feel adventurous you might want to discover the pendulum for getting clearer answers. There are plenty of places I am sure that can teach you to use a pendulum. It is fascinating. I do however advise not getting dependent upon it for all your decisions. It should help you get closer to your ability to know your inner truth...not take you farther away from that ability.
I for one am pretty connected to my truth but when i am REALLY stuck for a decision I sometimes ask God to be connected to the coin I'm about to flip.....don't tell anyone i do that....then I have to decide whether to listen to the coin's answer (I usually do)....but it might tell me something that my personality doesnt really like...
Well, enjoy the week. A good idea for the week is to write down some of the times you made decisions based upon your truth & sometimes when you did not. Don't judge yourself. Just observe what you did or didn't do. Notice when you are connected to your inner truth & when you might not be as connceted.
Blessings to all...Sandy
Sunday, August 29, 2010
OUR INNER CHILD
It's Sunday night & I decided to write instead of watch the old Alfred Hitchcock shows that the T.V. is tuned to. Great old shows of course. Part of my personal childhood. Loved Alfred Hitchcock Hour every week.
Our inner self, our higher self, our inner child...what are all these parts (and more)??
Our inner child is a term used to describe the part of ourself which is the parts & the sum of our childhood experiences & perceptions of those experiences. Young children are VERY literal. So when an adult says something to them they take it literally & possibly differently than we may have meant it. We might use a metaphor or example & they might take that literally. An example which i recently cited to someone...When I was teaching preschool I once was helping a 4 yr old get his shoes on. I was really struggling to get the first one on his foot and I said "Does your mother have this much trouble getting these shoes on?" And he replied "My mother doesn't wear these shoes" Ha Ha it was very funny, however a great example of how little ones perceive things. So anyhow...all those jillions of things your parents & teachers said and did to & for and about us are all in our subconscious' and are possibly affecting our lives in many ways. Current experiences may trigger some of those old experiences and perceptions from childhood. And we get upset or things go badly over & over again. That's the inner child in a nutshell. Hypnosis is an appropriate avenue for speedily cleaning up some of that and learning to protect and care for that part of ourselves the way no one ever did for us when we were young.
Here's another example. I had a young adult friend who kept telling her 2 yr old he was "bad" when he did something "wrong". I went a little ballistic over it because I have seen and experienced the damage that word can cause. The really interesting part came when the young mom accused me of calling her a "bad" mom. I actually had told her to simply tell him it was unacceptable behavior. And that calling him "bad" was unacceptable. The whole thing was proof of what I was saying to her. She felt "bad" because she was probably told she was "bad" just as she was telling her child .
In the long run I accepted the idea that this behavior is what keeps me in business. I am sure we have almost all experienced the feeling of doing something bad or being a bad person or however that takes form for each of us. I can not tell you how many clients I have seen who seem to have a vague feeling of being bad. Or that they have done something "wrong".
Well, I had planned on writing about our "inner self" in this blog but it seems the inner child needed to be heard!!! So next time....
Have a great week. Get lots of rest & do something that your younger you might like to do. Something SAFE & FUN !
Our inner self, our higher self, our inner child...what are all these parts (and more)??
Our inner child is a term used to describe the part of ourself which is the parts & the sum of our childhood experiences & perceptions of those experiences. Young children are VERY literal. So when an adult says something to them they take it literally & possibly differently than we may have meant it. We might use a metaphor or example & they might take that literally. An example which i recently cited to someone...When I was teaching preschool I once was helping a 4 yr old get his shoes on. I was really struggling to get the first one on his foot and I said "Does your mother have this much trouble getting these shoes on?" And he replied "My mother doesn't wear these shoes" Ha Ha it was very funny, however a great example of how little ones perceive things. So anyhow...all those jillions of things your parents & teachers said and did to & for and about us are all in our subconscious' and are possibly affecting our lives in many ways. Current experiences may trigger some of those old experiences and perceptions from childhood. And we get upset or things go badly over & over again. That's the inner child in a nutshell. Hypnosis is an appropriate avenue for speedily cleaning up some of that and learning to protect and care for that part of ourselves the way no one ever did for us when we were young.
Here's another example. I had a young adult friend who kept telling her 2 yr old he was "bad" when he did something "wrong". I went a little ballistic over it because I have seen and experienced the damage that word can cause. The really interesting part came when the young mom accused me of calling her a "bad" mom. I actually had told her to simply tell him it was unacceptable behavior. And that calling him "bad" was unacceptable. The whole thing was proof of what I was saying to her. She felt "bad" because she was probably told she was "bad" just as she was telling her child .
In the long run I accepted the idea that this behavior is what keeps me in business. I am sure we have almost all experienced the feeling of doing something bad or being a bad person or however that takes form for each of us. I can not tell you how many clients I have seen who seem to have a vague feeling of being bad. Or that they have done something "wrong".
Well, I had planned on writing about our "inner self" in this blog but it seems the inner child needed to be heard!!! So next time....
Have a great week. Get lots of rest & do something that your younger you might like to do. Something SAFE & FUN !
Monday, August 23, 2010
Quitting Smoking
Good Monday Morning!!! Before writing on the topic at hand I thought i would share my own personal growth in the area of self-discipline. Being born under the sign of Sagittarius I am not by nature inclined to having a lot of self discipline. There are many areas in my life where that needs improvement and I now discover that doing this blog will be a wonderful opportunity for me to dig in a little deeper for the discipline of weekly (or more) blog writing. So be it known that this is a growth experience for myself on many levels, one of them being self-discipline.
Ah, quitting smoking...when I began as a Hypnotherapist I didn't really want to deal with people quitting smoking. They might smell, they aren't that motivated...lots of preconceptions etc... It turns out I LOVE helping people quit smoking. What better service can be done than to get one more person un-addicted to that nasty, disease & death causing, corporate profiteering, money wasting, life wasting, painful death, hate ourself for doing it weed. It is rewarding for me and I find that other Hypnotherapists in my area (Mendocino Coast of CA) send me many people trying to quit because they do not want to deal with it. It isn't quite as "romantic" as helping someone release childhood traumas (altho oft times there are those with my smoking cessation clients).
Just for some interesting reasons why people begin smoking...there is the "usual" reason of being rebellious from parents and of fitting in with peers. This is quite common. Some are a little more interesting .. I had one client who's parents told him that only grown-ups could smoke. So his young mind of course wanting to be more grown up...starting smoking because only grown- up's could. Watch what you tell your kids!!
My personal fave I have come a cross about 4 times...Young men in the army, in schoolroom class training. They were told if they were smokers they could go out & have a break to smoke. If you didn't smoke you didn't get a break. I get pretty angry at that one.
There are many different approaches in Hypnotherapy for helping people get off the nasty habit. There are those that do a full day of group sessions and people sometimes quit in just one day. I find that 5 or so sessions is effective in both building confidence for quitting and weaning off cigarettes a bit slower. Different processes work for different people, both Hypnotherapist and client. I used to play a little game with myself and when i had a few clients simultaneously having appointments for quitting, I would guess who'd quit first, or who would actually succeed, who'd have the easier time etc... I was usually wrong. I'd think one person would be easy and it would not happen that way. I don't play that game with myself anymore. Not long ago I had a couple both quitting and one of them told me he thought he would best quit suddenly & not gradually. His girlfriend told me the opposite...you guessed it...they even did the opposite of what they thought they would. She quit all of a sudden & he had a heck of a time even easing off. Each of our inner conscious' knows what to do better than we think we do.
Many people want to quit on their own ( I did) and that is great. I'm going to give some hints here to help with that and hope it helps someone. I do think some type of support system is of help. A smoking cessation group can be of help (check your local hospitals for those). I think there are 800 numbers that are advertised for helping people quit. I do not find these to be that helpful as reported by clients who have tried them. But it IS worth a try & they are usually free. Patches, gum, Rx drugs are all available. I will not see someone while they are on the patch or gum. I find that when they are done smoking and using patch or gum...they are still addicted to the nicotine. So there is still way too much chance for smoking again. I have some serious reservations about the Rx drugs as the side effects sound pretty nasty to me. I am not totally anti drug but I do stand on the side of serious caution in using them. I do not think there is a magic pill out there for quitting smoking...Hypnotherapy included. There is still some work and often a battle or two to win. It is easier for some and easier at sometimes more than others. But those are the issues & areas where hypnosis can really help. Getting to the deeper blocks, finding creative ways to help, boosting confidence & self-esteem, lending a lot of support, are all ways in which a Hypnotherapist can be of help.
So what can you do to either begin quitting or quit? The very first step when you feel you are ready to quit is to begin changing some of the habits that go with the smoking. Smoke in a different place at a different time. Smoke a different brand. Store them in a different place. Begin changing those neural pathways you have created as ritual around the habit. Learn to take a break without smoking !!
Cutting down the number of cigs each day is a start. I sometimes have my clients allot themselves a certain number of cigs for the day. Like 10 for starters. Those have to be stretched out & that's all you get for the day. Then cut it down by 1 or 2 each day until you are only smoking 2 for a couple of days. This is when there can be a bit of a struggle. Quitting those final 2 takes some conviction, commitment, will power and some tools to feel good about oneself and to substitute more positive & healthy things for the cigs...ie...ice tea, fresh water, meditation, stretching, hobbies, walking, gardening instead of poison in the lungs.
Keeping a positive confident attitude is important. Knowing the difference between how you feel about yourself as a smoker or as a non-smoker. Which way do you like yourself more? Which way makes you feel successful & good about your choice? Do you like yourself more when you smoke or when you don't smoke?
And very important is to truly see yourself as a non smoker. This is key. Non smokers do not smoke. This is how I quit with only that strong thought.
Well, that's it for today. Have an awesome week. Get help when you need it!!
Blessings, Sandy
Ah, quitting smoking...when I began as a Hypnotherapist I didn't really want to deal with people quitting smoking. They might smell, they aren't that motivated...lots of preconceptions etc... It turns out I LOVE helping people quit smoking. What better service can be done than to get one more person un-addicted to that nasty, disease & death causing, corporate profiteering, money wasting, life wasting, painful death, hate ourself for doing it weed. It is rewarding for me and I find that other Hypnotherapists in my area (Mendocino Coast of CA) send me many people trying to quit because they do not want to deal with it. It isn't quite as "romantic" as helping someone release childhood traumas (altho oft times there are those with my smoking cessation clients).
Just for some interesting reasons why people begin smoking...there is the "usual" reason of being rebellious from parents and of fitting in with peers. This is quite common. Some are a little more interesting .. I had one client who's parents told him that only grown-ups could smoke. So his young mind of course wanting to be more grown up...starting smoking because only grown- up's could. Watch what you tell your kids!!
My personal fave I have come a cross about 4 times...Young men in the army, in schoolroom class training. They were told if they were smokers they could go out & have a break to smoke. If you didn't smoke you didn't get a break. I get pretty angry at that one.
There are many different approaches in Hypnotherapy for helping people get off the nasty habit. There are those that do a full day of group sessions and people sometimes quit in just one day. I find that 5 or so sessions is effective in both building confidence for quitting and weaning off cigarettes a bit slower. Different processes work for different people, both Hypnotherapist and client. I used to play a little game with myself and when i had a few clients simultaneously having appointments for quitting, I would guess who'd quit first, or who would actually succeed, who'd have the easier time etc... I was usually wrong. I'd think one person would be easy and it would not happen that way. I don't play that game with myself anymore. Not long ago I had a couple both quitting and one of them told me he thought he would best quit suddenly & not gradually. His girlfriend told me the opposite...you guessed it...they even did the opposite of what they thought they would. She quit all of a sudden & he had a heck of a time even easing off. Each of our inner conscious' knows what to do better than we think we do.
Many people want to quit on their own ( I did) and that is great. I'm going to give some hints here to help with that and hope it helps someone. I do think some type of support system is of help. A smoking cessation group can be of help (check your local hospitals for those). I think there are 800 numbers that are advertised for helping people quit. I do not find these to be that helpful as reported by clients who have tried them. But it IS worth a try & they are usually free. Patches, gum, Rx drugs are all available. I will not see someone while they are on the patch or gum. I find that when they are done smoking and using patch or gum...they are still addicted to the nicotine. So there is still way too much chance for smoking again. I have some serious reservations about the Rx drugs as the side effects sound pretty nasty to me. I am not totally anti drug but I do stand on the side of serious caution in using them. I do not think there is a magic pill out there for quitting smoking...Hypnotherapy included. There is still some work and often a battle or two to win. It is easier for some and easier at sometimes more than others. But those are the issues & areas where hypnosis can really help. Getting to the deeper blocks, finding creative ways to help, boosting confidence & self-esteem, lending a lot of support, are all ways in which a Hypnotherapist can be of help.
So what can you do to either begin quitting or quit? The very first step when you feel you are ready to quit is to begin changing some of the habits that go with the smoking. Smoke in a different place at a different time. Smoke a different brand. Store them in a different place. Begin changing those neural pathways you have created as ritual around the habit. Learn to take a break without smoking !!
Cutting down the number of cigs each day is a start. I sometimes have my clients allot themselves a certain number of cigs for the day. Like 10 for starters. Those have to be stretched out & that's all you get for the day. Then cut it down by 1 or 2 each day until you are only smoking 2 for a couple of days. This is when there can be a bit of a struggle. Quitting those final 2 takes some conviction, commitment, will power and some tools to feel good about oneself and to substitute more positive & healthy things for the cigs...ie...ice tea, fresh water, meditation, stretching, hobbies, walking, gardening instead of poison in the lungs.
Keeping a positive confident attitude is important. Knowing the difference between how you feel about yourself as a smoker or as a non-smoker. Which way do you like yourself more? Which way makes you feel successful & good about your choice? Do you like yourself more when you smoke or when you don't smoke?
And very important is to truly see yourself as a non smoker. This is key. Non smokers do not smoke. This is how I quit with only that strong thought.
Well, that's it for today. Have an awesome week. Get help when you need it!!
Blessings, Sandy
Monday, August 16, 2010
My First Blog..."Woundedness"
In deciding my first post to this blog I pondered a lot on what the topic could be. Our shared experiences of being wounded both emotionally & physically kept coming to mind...so here I am to share those thoughts. There will be so many topics to discuss & I really look forward to it all. I will be attempting a new post 2 times a week. Please do comment and share your thoughts also. I look forward to that too. Topics of interest to you are welcome as suggestions for discussion.
Since I am a Hypnotherapist part of my views will be based upon that science/art. But much of it is simply human experience and the ponderings of someone who believes that neverending self improvement is the only option. We have the responsibility to improve ourselves as much as possible. The Universe or Supreme Being or whatever you believe is at work will give us unlimited opportunity to do just that.
Now for the topic at hand..."Woundedness". Now we have all experienced childhood wounds and trauma to varying degrees. From the very horrendous to the dysfunctions of family life. These childhhod emotional wounds are the perfect subjects for work in Hypnotherapy. Releasing & healing as many of these wounds as possible can really lighten the load and allow for huge changes in our lives. If you ever have the chance or can create the opportunity to work with an experienced Hypnotherapist on healing the inner child you will most likely have great benefit from the process. You can learn to more effectively protect those deeply vulnerable parts of your psyche and also to be able to better care for that part of yourself.
What appears to be more difficult in many respects are the ongoing wounds we incur throughout the rest of our lives. Difficulties between family members, misunderstandings between friends, relationship difficulties, communication problems, traumatic events, caring for loved ones who need our help, war, political strife, physical injury and the emotional toll that takes, loved ones in pain, drugs, alchohol....and on & on...
It can get pretty grim. I was really struck once by hearing the Rev. Billy Graham in an interview. He was asked if he had any regrets. He commented on how after all the work he had done and tried to do, he felt the planet was in way worse shape than when he began. Here was a person who felt he had something to give & could help..even if we don't subscribe to his beliefs etc...and he was in his later years saying he didn't help much at all. There is SO MUCH woundedness out there that people are more & more despondent and rageful than ever. It is not getting better although we can always hold the hope of improvement.
The point of this communication is 2 fold. We must as individuals uphold our responsibility to improve ourselves so we do not become a part of the problem AND to give some ideas on how to take care of ourselves emotionally in healthy & safe ways.
Improving ourselves...there are so many ways of walking this path. Spirituality, counseling, creativity, meditation, prayer, love, forgiveness, exercise and so much more. Hopefully anyone reading this is somehow involved in improving themselves. It is an awesome journey. It is empowering and insightful, compassionate and truthful.
*A helpful hint of the day...change 1 thing this week to make your life better. Or simply change 1 thing. Brush your teeth with the other hand, make out a check differently...DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
The ongoing wounds of life can build up and create many difficulties for us...just feeling exhausted from dealing with it all. Same thing day after day. Life taking a traumatic turn and changing in the blink of an eye. HOW do we deal with these ongoing stresses and wounds. Of course support from loved ones & friends. Again, prayer and meditation & examining one's spiritual or personal beliefs. But it is most important to just make some time for relaxation and relief from it all. Take a walk on the beach, a nap, get a massage or do a hot tub, just a hot shower can help. Spend time with animals if you love them. Draw, paint, write, sing...
Take at least an hour each day to do something for yourself. You will certainly feel better and will be better able to face any stresses in your life. Get help if you are stuck. We all need help at times. I always say I wouldn't be stuck if I could get myself out of it. If you are really stuck, get some help.
Givng up on yourself is not an option. It only represses the issues, and the problems will tend to increase & get worse when we do not face them or take care of ourselves properly. Giving up on ourselves increases everyone else's stress. You will be creating problems for those around you & society in general if you give up on yourself.
OK...that is my first blog. Remember to change something this week!!! I'll be baaackk....
Since I am a Hypnotherapist part of my views will be based upon that science/art. But much of it is simply human experience and the ponderings of someone who believes that neverending self improvement is the only option. We have the responsibility to improve ourselves as much as possible. The Universe or Supreme Being or whatever you believe is at work will give us unlimited opportunity to do just that.
Now for the topic at hand..."Woundedness". Now we have all experienced childhood wounds and trauma to varying degrees. From the very horrendous to the dysfunctions of family life. These childhhod emotional wounds are the perfect subjects for work in Hypnotherapy. Releasing & healing as many of these wounds as possible can really lighten the load and allow for huge changes in our lives. If you ever have the chance or can create the opportunity to work with an experienced Hypnotherapist on healing the inner child you will most likely have great benefit from the process. You can learn to more effectively protect those deeply vulnerable parts of your psyche and also to be able to better care for that part of yourself.
What appears to be more difficult in many respects are the ongoing wounds we incur throughout the rest of our lives. Difficulties between family members, misunderstandings between friends, relationship difficulties, communication problems, traumatic events, caring for loved ones who need our help, war, political strife, physical injury and the emotional toll that takes, loved ones in pain, drugs, alchohol....and on & on...
It can get pretty grim. I was really struck once by hearing the Rev. Billy Graham in an interview. He was asked if he had any regrets. He commented on how after all the work he had done and tried to do, he felt the planet was in way worse shape than when he began. Here was a person who felt he had something to give & could help..even if we don't subscribe to his beliefs etc...and he was in his later years saying he didn't help much at all. There is SO MUCH woundedness out there that people are more & more despondent and rageful than ever. It is not getting better although we can always hold the hope of improvement.
The point of this communication is 2 fold. We must as individuals uphold our responsibility to improve ourselves so we do not become a part of the problem AND to give some ideas on how to take care of ourselves emotionally in healthy & safe ways.
Improving ourselves...there are so many ways of walking this path. Spirituality, counseling, creativity, meditation, prayer, love, forgiveness, exercise and so much more. Hopefully anyone reading this is somehow involved in improving themselves. It is an awesome journey. It is empowering and insightful, compassionate and truthful.
*A helpful hint of the day...change 1 thing this week to make your life better. Or simply change 1 thing. Brush your teeth with the other hand, make out a check differently...DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
The ongoing wounds of life can build up and create many difficulties for us...just feeling exhausted from dealing with it all. Same thing day after day. Life taking a traumatic turn and changing in the blink of an eye. HOW do we deal with these ongoing stresses and wounds. Of course support from loved ones & friends. Again, prayer and meditation & examining one's spiritual or personal beliefs. But it is most important to just make some time for relaxation and relief from it all. Take a walk on the beach, a nap, get a massage or do a hot tub, just a hot shower can help. Spend time with animals if you love them. Draw, paint, write, sing...
Take at least an hour each day to do something for yourself. You will certainly feel better and will be better able to face any stresses in your life. Get help if you are stuck. We all need help at times. I always say I wouldn't be stuck if I could get myself out of it. If you are really stuck, get some help.
Givng up on yourself is not an option. It only represses the issues, and the problems will tend to increase & get worse when we do not face them or take care of ourselves properly. Giving up on ourselves increases everyone else's stress. You will be creating problems for those around you & society in general if you give up on yourself.
OK...that is my first blog. Remember to change something this week!!! I'll be baaackk....
Monday, August 9, 2010
Hypnotherapy and Healing on the Coast for 20 Years
As a long-time health practitioner on the coast, I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with you!
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