Attitudes of Gratitude: Thanksgiving 2016

Image courtesy of Microsoft

As many people prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, I decided to share some sentiments and philosophies that specifically address gratitude in this evening’s blog. I hope you have a beautiful day tomorrow!

• “Gratitude is the heart’s memory.” – French proverb
• “The more you practice gratitude, the more you see how much there is to be grateful for, and your life becomes a celebration of joy and happiness.” – Don Miguel Ruiz
• “Shift to an attitude of gratitude and shift your mindset to happiness.” – Dr. Romie Mushtaq
• “It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude. It’s gratitude that brings us happiness.” – Unknown
• "Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos—the trees, the clouds, everything." – Thich Nhat Hanh
• “Attitude of gratitude is best because it makes [the] Heart humble. A humble heart is always open, receptive to the higher expressions of Truth.” – Mooji
• “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
• “A man is very apt to complain of the ingratitude of those who have risen far above him.” – Oscar Wilde
• “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayers.” – Maya Angelou
•  “Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos—the trees, the clouds, everything.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

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/.

© 2016     

Pack It Away

Photo by Rick Hustead

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it is increasingly difficult for a lot of us to focus on work and other responsibilities without our minds drifting to the celebration—and preparation for the celebration—ahead. Fortunately, I have an imagery suggestion that should help you concentrate on what you need to do until you have time and resources to address holiday preparations when you aren’t at work. 

In my blog titled The Red Box, I described how Great Britain’s Queen Victoria liked to place important documents in a red box on her desk. This box served as a “to-do” box/in-tray; anything that made it into this container was considered urgent and needed the monarch’s attention right away. Of course, at the beginning of her reign all sorts of papers and petitions found their way in, which overloaded and frustrated the queen and her husband, Prince Albert. It turned out that comparatively few of the items in the box were truly urgent or even deserved her attention, at all. However, until the documents were sorted and prioritized, she had to treat them as if they were.

A similar process happens to most of us at some time or another, when stray thoughts, memories, daydreams/fantasies or worries drift into the conscious mind when we are—or should be—busy handling something else. Suddenly, the mind is filled with these distracting ideas that prevent us from focusing on the task at hand. Of course, the more we tell ourselves to focus and ignore that pesky idea that is starting to blossom in our imagination, the more difficult it is to do just that: Did I buy enough cranberry sauce? I need to rent more chairs from the party-supply store. Should there be a separate kids’ table, or do the children get to hang out with the grown-ups this year?

In cases like this, I like to suggest that the intrusive image or thought is being moved into a metaphoric version of Queen Victoria’s red box, in the subconscious mind. This suggestion will be literal and direct or metaphoric, depending on the person’s suggestibility. I remind the individual that this box is only for temporary storage to allow him or her to continue to work (or play) without interruption. The information can be easily accessed and retrieved whenever the time is right to address this issue. Meanwhile, it is being stored safely out of the way until the client can and wants to deal with it. 

The great thing about this kind of imagery is that even the concept of a red box can easily be replaced with an object or even an element the person likes better. If you do a lot of work with computers and on the Internet, perhaps the idea of storing this information on a cloud or even invisible strands of energy around your head is more effective. If a memory of a previous family celebration or a fantasy about who you want to sit beside is particularly distracting, it may feel more comfortable and safer to metaphorically lock that thought in a metaphoric iron box. To strengthen this concept, you can even make a motion with your hand to turn a key in that lock to keep it out of your conscious mind until you want or are ready to address it.

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/.

© 2016

Why Are New Ideas Scary?

(This blog was originally posted on February 9, 2015)

Photo by Rick Hustead

Last week, I saw a brilliant television advertisement for General Electric. Titled “Ideas Are Scary,” it shows how people react when introduced to a new idea: “Ideas are frightening, because they threaten what is known. They are the natural-born enemy of the way things are,” the narrator explains.

According to Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D.’s Theory of Mind, the longer you have held a belief or been practicing a behavior, the more deeply you ingrain it in your mind. Eventually, it becomes a default, a comfort zone, a known. Every time you repeat that behavior or habit, you send another positive message to the SCM that reinforces your comfortable association with what you are doing. In his Theory of Mind, John Kappas, Ph.D., refers to the subconscious mind categorizing certain events or stimuli as “pleasure.” In this context, pleasure is something the person identifies as familiar or known, but not necessarily “pleasurable.” In other words, you are equally likely to continue to behave in a particular way even if it is uncomfortable, because that behavior is what you know and where your subconscious mind tells you that you are safe. However, anything “new” is initially considered painful; the subconscious mind will continue to reject it until repeated exposure to the stimulus makes it familiar (known) and can be accepted in the subconscious mind.

I have summarized the plot of this ad in the context of Dr. Kappas’s model, below:

• The new idea is introduced as a hairy, unrecognizable creature lying on its back in a baby bed in a neonatal ward. Nurses huddle against the walls, pointing and talking to each other (presumably) about the unusual creature in their midst. Once out of the ward, the “ugly, messy” idea wanders around alone on the street. (Unknown: pain)

• People throw objects at it from car windows; pedestrians stare, grimace and hurry past. The Idea is ushered out of businesses and even evicted from a café where it has stopped to rest. Sad music plays in the background as it shuffles out of the restaurant. With its shoulders slumped, the Idea finally curls up in a cardboard box on the street. (Rejection)

• When it finally ventures back onto the street, the Idea passes General Electric, where an employee opens the glass front door and welcomes it inside. Here the Idea is finally, no longer scary. It is no longer messy or a threat to the status quo. The innovators and inventors at General Electric seek out and create new ideas, themselves. After all, new ideas are familiar, comfortable and “knowns” for them. They are ready and willing to nurture this fragile creature into an established concept or belief: (Repetition creates comfort)

• By the end of the advertisement the Idea has been cleaned up: Its once limp and lank coat and tail and head feathers are now fluffed and their color returned to their former luster. The now-receptive audience gives Idea a standing ovation as it steps behind the podium on a stage to present its message to others: “But under the proper care, they become something beautiful,” the narrator concludes. (Acceptance of a new known in the subconscious mental script.)

This is by far the best illustration of the Theory of Mind that I have ever seen. I encourage you to click on the Ideas Are Scary link to watch this clever advertisement and see how it illustrates Dr. Kappas’s concept. For more information and examples of the Theory of Mind, I invite you to read more of my blogs at www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com.

             

Reference “ugly” and “scary” new ideas, per the General Electric television advertisement and Dr. Kappas’s Theory of Mind https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfmQvc6tB1o

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/.

© 2016

Thoughts of the Day

Photo by Sara Fogan

      Every now and then I like (and need) to take a few moments and remind myself about what is really important to me, in my life. If you follow me on my Calminsense Hypnotherapy Facebook page you may have seen some of these quotes before on this page, or will in the future. Many of these Quotes of the Day are beautiful examples and illustrations of the work I do as a hypnotherapist, so I will probably draw on them in future essays.

• “Count your rainbows, not your thunderstorms.” – Unknown

• “If you have time to whine and complain about something, then you have time to do something about it!” – Bruce Van Horn

• “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” – Rumi

• “Passion is a feeling that tells you: this is the right thing to do. Nothing can stand in my way.” – Wayne Dyer

• “You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.” – Mandy Hale

• “The power of words, used with artfulness and skill, can be immeasurable.” – Surrythe Minstrel

• “If the career you have chosen has some unexpected inconvenience, console yourself by reflecting that no career is without them.” – Jane Fonda

• "On a deeper level you are already complete. When you realize that, there is a joyous energy behind what you do." – Eckhart  Tolle

• “Confusion takes place when we do not like the answer we are given.” – Lolly Daskal

• “There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.” – Lady Blessington

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/.

© 2016     

Dealing With Post-Election Anxiety

Photo by Rick Hustead

Just over one week ago, American voters cast their ballots and elected a new president of the United States. The election was one of the most acrimonious such events the country has ever had and many, many citizens are still reeling from the results. Indeed, every night since then several major cities in the United States have seen protests; there has even been some violence and riot police have been called out to try to control the crowds. Fear is the cause of this, too. But, why is there so much (more) fear about this election, compared to others we have had in the past?

I think a lot of it stems from all the “unknowns” in this election cycle. Whereas one candidate was very establishment, the other—now, President-Elect—was outside just about every theoretical and behavioral model of a politician we have ever seen or heard. We had grown used to the way certain things are and were done, and expected to enjoy (or suffer) more of the same for at least another four years. To everyone’s great surprise, American citizens’ collective frustration, anger and even fear of that prospect becoming a reality motivated millions of them to vote for the person who promised to make the changes his constituents want to see.

It might surprise you to learn that even getting what you want can be scary. The two major political parties in the United States may share similar ideals for how to make the United States the best country it can be, but their strategies and plans to attain those goals are often very different. We have become used to one way of doing things; now, we must shift gears again and open our minds and even hearts to a new approach and a new style of getting all that done. Already, some of the political rhetoric is raising eyebrows and defenses. A lot is about to change, and these events may feel and seem out of your control. But that doesn’t mean all the other areas of your life have to follow suit. Following are some practical suggestions to help you negotiate this transition:

• Eat well: Good nutrition is a very important tool to help keep anxiety down. Drops in blood-sugar levels can affect mood, increasing levels of frustration and anxiety. Be sure to eat healthy, nutritious and delicious meals that include some form of protein (meat or plant-based are both okay) to keep your energy level up and minimize those negative emotions.

• Get enough rest: Sleep is very important because this is the time your body gets to rest and your subconscious mind has a chance to release (vent) the emotional baggage you have been carrying around all day. This process occurs during the early-morning venting dream. When you do not let go of all that “stuff” in a dream, you are at increased risk of stimulus overload and a subsequent loss of the critical thinking/reasoning process. This, in turn, makes you more vulnerable to making impulsive or even risky or dangerous decisions that could put you in physical danger: e.g., dozing at the wheel while driving or even getting into an altercation with someone whose temper is also flared.

• Just breathe: If and when you notice that you are becoming frustrated or angry, practice taking slow, deep breaths to slow down your racing mind and (likely) increased pulse. Diaphragmatic breathing entails drawing a slow, deep breath through your nose; holding it four three or four seconds and then releasing the air through your mouth. This technique relaxes the tension in your physical body as well as provides a tangible example (proof) that you can control a specific physical behavior. Repeat this exercise several times until you notice that your pulse/heartbeat returns to its normal (resting) rate. Power breathing is another great tool to help release negative emotions through forceful exhalation of the breath.

• Change your perspective. Or, as Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder Dr. John Kappas liked to say, take the negative aspects of the situation and turn it around. Even when you can’t change what’s actually going on, it is usually true that changing the way you look at that situation change the way you ultimately experience it. For example, even if your candidate did not win this election, look for some trait/characteristic or political ideal he espouses that you can respect or even admire. Or, focus on the political process that allows American citizens an opportunity and freedom to choose a leader they want to represent them and their dreams, in the first place.

Finally, keep living your life. Love your partner or spouse. Spend time with your family. Enjoy favorite hobbies, listen to your favorite music, read books or magazines, etc. that you like. Continue to make plans and dream, and pursue all those leads to see your dreams come true, too.

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/.

© 2016