It’s that time of year when many of us start making our list of who’s been naughty and nice. Then we wrack our brains as to what to get them for the holiday. This list can be both fun and stressful but it should be put aside for now. Focus on a gift that you can give yourself; not just some trinket that you pick up while shopping for others, but one that will last for many holidays to come.
How about the gift of confidence? Or the gift of releasing grief, or healing an old emotional wound that’s been festering for too long? What about getting rid of your IBS so you can live a full, free life without having to worry about where the nearest bathroom is? Or having a lot of money in the bank? How about a hand to hold by clearing your blocks to abundance? Or true love? Perhaps bringing your performance to the next level? Getting rid of the fear of public speaking that’s been holding back your advancement at work? What would be the most meaningful gift you could give yourself this holiday season? What’s the thing that’s most in the way of your happiness and well-being? Is it constant worry? Being overwhelmed? Feeling like you’ve lost your love for life or having a short fuse?
Put the magazine down and give this a moment of thought – this could be the moment that creates significant positive change in your life, because you’ve taken the time to identify a limitation and set the intention to clear it. You’ve put a healthier destination into your mental GPS. Right in this moment, because your subconscious mind is action-oriented, you are already starting to head in that more positive direction. The first step can sometimes be as simple as identifying what’s in your way, envisioning how great life would be in its absence, and deciding to take one positive step in that direction.
Some of you are probably wondering, “What could possibly help with all of those issues?” While others are thinking, “There’s nothing that can help with all of those issues. Whatever ‘this’ is, it’s too good to be true.” I understand because I used to think the exact same thing. I was a huge skeptic. If I hadn’t experienced more positive shifts in myself and in my life, I wouldn’t believe it either. Let me count the ways. I’ve given myself the gift of being smoke-free for the past 13 years, I’ve shed 35 lbs and have kept them off, gotten over my fear of succeeding and of public speaking, said goodbye to my GERD, IBS, migraines, hot flashes, healed a tough break-up or two, and countless others that have made my life far better than it would have been otherwise. I’ve also been privileged to witness the transformation of thousands of people, which has brought a tremendous sense of fulfillment to my life. If I hadn’t experienced it for myself and witnessed it in so many others, I wouldn’t believe it either, but I have and I do. I not only believe, but know with 100% certainty that, if you allow it, your subconscious can create incredible positive shifts in your life.
So what is this thing called the subconscious and how can it help? The subconscious mind lives behind our conscious mind and is referred to as “the brains behind the operation.” It’s the part of the mind that takes all of our conscious mind’s decisions and forms them into habits or mental programming. For example, the conscious mind decides to have a glass of wine with dinner, try a cigarette, hit the snooze button, blow off a workout, doubt your decision, or opt, “I don’t know.” Once the conscious mind makes that decision a handful of times over the course of a week or two, the subconscious mind says, “Let me help, I’ll make it easy for you by making that into a mental habit so you don’t have to expend the energy to decide.” Then you find yourself in the habit of having wine every night, smoking, getting to work late, and packing on the pounds. Because energy gains momentum, those habits will expand so that you’re having wine before and maybe even after dinner, smoking a pack instead of half of a pack, struggling to get out of bed, letting dust collect on the workout equipment, becoming riddled with self-doubt, and unable to make a decision. Not pretty.
Literally everything is habituated programming to the subconscious mind. Whether it’s a repetitive thoughts like, “I can’t” and “I don’t know,” or the beliefs, “I’m not good enough,” and “I’m not lovable, worthy or deserving.” There’re also the feelings of doubt, fear, and sadness, as well as a decision to do or not do. It’s all habit. The conscious mind makes a decision and the subconscious starts running it in a loop, never assessing whether the decision is constructive or destructive. The conscious mind is the boss and the subconscious mind doesn’t question, it just does. Once the habit is formed, because the subconscious mind processes information a million times faster than the conscious mind, it becomes difficult for the conscious mind to intercept or change.
We become stuck in the same groove. Sometimes we’re aware that our habit loops are unhealthy, and sometimes it takes someone else to point it out. It can be so subconscious or “below consciousness” that we’re not aware of unhealthy habits.
Hypnosis can help because it allows direct access to the subconscious mind. Trance state moves the conscious mind aside and enables you to understand all the programming that’s running below your surface. Better yet, it enables you to change the programing to something that’s healthier and more constructive to your life. Hypnosis literally re-writes your software. Some of you are probably thinking, “Well that sounds great but I don’t think I can be hypnotized because I’m in the mental habit loop,” or “I can’t do it.” But rest assured you can and you have a thousand times already. Go take the “Can I be Hypnotized?” quiz. You may be concerned that the new programming will come from your hypnotist and that you’ll be under their control. This is not true. Any hypnotist worth their salt will thoroughly review your goals and work with you to develop the suggestions your subconscious mind needs to receive, or better yet, work directly with the subconscious to allow the suggestions to come up from your core of truth.
The bottom line is that you have a choice. Leave things exactly the way they are (you’re welcome to project forward to see what life would look and feel like if you do), or create one positive change after another. You can put yourself on a whole new path that will lead to a much better place. Give yourself the meaningful gift of positive change. It really is a gift that keeps on giving.
Lisa Zaccheo, MA, BCH, BC is the owner, lead hypnotist, and hypnosis instructor at Mind Matters Hypnosis Centers in Avon, Rocky Hill, Guilford, and North Branford, Connecticut. She is Board Certified by the National Guild of Hypnotists and has numerous additional certifications in all aspects of hypnosis and the subconscious. In addition, she’s a sought-after lecturer and high-level Executive Hypno-Coach. For more information or to schedule a lecture, workshop, or appointment, call Mind Matters Hypnosis Center at (860)-693-6448 or visit MindMattersHypnosis.com.