“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.
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
