(This blog was originally posted on July 28,
2014)
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| Photo courtesy of Microsoft |
What is the
clearest indication that time—and the year—is really is flying by? When catalogs
for school clothing, Halloween
decorations/costumes and Christmas gifts start to arrive! But that begs two
questions: Where has the year gone in the first place? And why are we in such a
rush for the next season to arrive when we’re barely in the middle of the
current one? It’s still September (albeit, barely)! When did the world start moving so quickly that it
wasn’t enough to live in the moment and enjoy (or deal with) whatever is going
on in our lives right now? Doesn’t anyone take time to smell the roses anymore?
Time passes no
matter what we are doing—or not. Adults notice that time seems to move much
more quickly than we remember it doing when we were young children or
teenagers. But that is just a perception, not reality. The more activities we
have to do and the more responsibilities we have to fulfill, the more message
units bombard and even overload our conscious minds. One common and very
natural product of this mental overload is “hypnosis.” We are aware of our
surroundings as we go about our day-to-day activities and fulfill our
responsibilities. However, a very common characteristic of this state is
varying degrees of amnesia and/or time-distortion; we don’t necessarily
remember every detail of those days which contributes to the illusion of time
rushing by or seeming to stand still.
Other than
signs in nature that the seasons are changing—hot summer temperatures followed
by changing colors of the foliage—the arrival of holiday catalogs is one of the
most significant indicators that time is flying by. I understand why vendors send
catalogs to promote their wares and attract their customers’ attention about
upcoming products. However, it seems like they are arriving in our regular or
electronic mailboxes earlier and earlier, typically with several months until
the holiday actually arrives. Am I the only one who loses interest and even
feels burned-out looking at, seeing and reading advertisement for Jack ’o
Lanterns and winter clothing starting from the middle of July?
Whether you are
consciously aware of this or not, these catalogs and their associated
promotions induce stress: Should I buy this item now or wait until it
goes on sale? What if the company sells out of it before I have a change to
order it? What if so-and-so doesn’t like the gift I selected? The merchant
is ostensibly promoting a product that you, the customer, wants/needs/may enjoy
and improve the holiday celebration; however, their goal is ultimately to
persuade you to make a purchase. The shiny paper, energetic product
descriptions and “special deal” marketed in the catalog facilitates those sales
by overloading the readers’ subconscious mind and, yes, increasing their
suggestibility to buy one or several of those items.
Om.
I can’t turn
back the clock to a time when I was younger and the days rolled leisurely by
without a care in the world. However, my hypnotherapy training has helped me learn
how to relax and slow waaaaay down so I don’t keep rushing mindlessly from
event to event during the year. I am more aware of the ways my body benefits
from being physically relaxed so I can focus on what I want to do. This relaxed
state and increased awareness enables me to effectively resist the temptation
of purchasing items I do not need or want while opening my senses to the
timeless beauty of the changing seasons. I want to enjoy and celebrate the
beauty and bounty that every day has to offer, not just days that the economy
and major retail stores dictate are more important or deserve more attention
than others. Furthermore, when every day is precious, I am happy to wait to
celebrate a holiday until the actual date rolls around on the calendar 39 days
from today.
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®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/
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