Keep on Keeping On

“It matters if you just don’t give up.” – Stephen Hawking

Photo by Sara R. Fogan

Keep On Keeping On

 

 

The February 7, 2015 issue of People magazine features a mini-interview with entertainer Donny Osmond. In it, Osmond describes how he continually does on-line research to stay informed about and keep up with current trends so he can keep his act relevant for today’s audiences. He’s not the only one who does this. Even though he has been an active performer for 50 years, he is aware that his continued success depends on his ability to entertain audiences with fresh and relevant material. If you watch late-night talk shows or Saturday Night Live, etc., you have probably noticed that these successful entertainers incorporate current events as well as references to the media through with they are disseminated in their acts as well.

Musicians often “sample” sounds from nature, urban environments or even a couple bars of another performer’s song to add more texture to their own composition and increase interest in a wider audience. Athletes practice to maintain the effectiveness of current techniques and work with coaches to learn new moves that might help them improve their game during a competition. Who doesn’t feel a vicarious rush of adrenaline when Olympic snowboard champion Shaun White incorporates another death-defying, midair rotation during his run on the SuperPipe? I always look forward to watching Olympic double-gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin perform new choreography for her freestyle dressage tests? Not only do these athletes’ new variations add interest to their performance and competition; they also push the individuals to improve their game. They change, replace or even omit behaviors (techniques) that don’t work for them or impede their personal and professional growth.

Hypnotherapy and therapeutic-guided imagery provide great opportunities to explore these issues and create strategies for achieving and enjoying your accomplishments when they (finally) occur. Indeed, when Malcolm Butler made the game-changing snatch at the end of the Super Bowl XLIX, he told reporters that he had a vision that he would make an important play during the game. The power of this imagery obviously carried forward from his subconscious mind to conscious reality, as the SCM does not know the difference between imaginary and pretend.

While I used celebrities and public figures to demonstrate this model, this principle is true for us all. It is important to regularly take stock of what is going on in every aspect of our life (work, family/relationship, leisure) and continue to strive to improve our “game” in any area that seems to be slacking off. For example, I regularly take specialty-certification classes through the Hypnosis Motivation Institute so I can improve and increase my skill-set as a hypnotherapist. I enjoy helping people achieve new goals using hypnosis and guided imagery because these tools help them slow down and take stock of all areas of their lives while empowering them to accomplish their self-improvement goals.

 What about you? Do you tend to rest on your laurels after a success? Or, do you stop in your tracks to lick your wounds after a defeat? What do you want to do or be doing right now? Next week? Next year? Is your current strategy working to help you achieve that goal? Remember: We are all works in progress. We change, grow and evolve every day. The keys to success lay in noticing and recognizing if or when something needs to change, and the willingness to do something a little (or a lot) differently to make that change occur.

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015