Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
~ Steve Jobs

What are you telling yourself? Pay attention to your thoughts and how they affect your body. If it doesn’t feel good, choose another thought.

Think about what you want. Think only in terms of the positive. It is far more powerful to be in favor of something positive rather than to be against something negative. Be “for” peace instead of “against” violence. Be “for” prosperity instead of “against” lack.

2. Praise Yourself

Eliminate negative self-talk! Appreciate your talents and gifts. Acknowledge your skills and abilities; your strengths and positive attributes. Treat yourself with the same loving respect you give to others. Love and accept yourself as you are right now.

Appreciate your body and how it serves you. Daydream and imagine yourself as the ideal…physically, emotionally, mentally. If you can see it, you can be it. The mind doesn’t know the difference between what you imagine and what you perceive as reality.

When you see yourself as healthy and successful, your mind becomes comfortable with it. Your confidence is boosted and you are able to achieve your goals.

3. Practice Gratitude

Note five things every night that you are grateful for. The essence of all you appreciate is constantly flowing into your reality. “This. I want more of this.”

Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, vitality and life satisfaction and lower levels of depression and stress. They tend to exercise more and feel better physically.

Robert Emmons, a psych professor at UC Davis found that a 21-day gratitude intervention produced high energy, positive moods, greater sense of feeling connected, more optimistic ratings of one’s life and better sleep duration and quality.

4. Focus on the solution, not the problem.

Einstein said that all of his most important and productive thinking was done by “combinatory play” with “images” in his mind. Thought experiments. Ask a question, Visualize a situation and perform experimental action.

Whatever you are thinking about is literally planning for the future. When you are worrying and doubtful, you are planning for and attracting something you don’t want. Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what is thought about. Choose the good thoughts.

5. Be present in the Now.

Stay focused on the present moment. Life begins now. Life is happening right now. If you are thinking about the past, you are thinking about it now. If you are thinking about the future, you are thinking about it now. The past and future exist in our thoughts.
Life exists in the moment.

Life is a series of moments. Each and every moment is an opportunity for choice.Focus on what you can do today, right now.
Breathe. All is well.

but that you live the reality of what you expect.

What are you expecting?

Remember that the future only exists in your thoughts. We are making it up as we go. We tell ourselves a story about what might happen. Sometimes it’s a good story and we feel good. When we allow ourselves to imagine and experience a positive expectation, we benefit from those thoughts. We are more prepared and at ease in new situations.

Sometimes we tell ourselves a very bad story which makes us feel out of control. We experience fear and anxiety about things which don’t even exist! When you’re worrying about the future, you are literally planning for things you don’t want to happen. All the time and energy you spend in this negative emotional state is working against you. You are literally creating your worst fears. And your physical body is suffering from those thoughts!

Why not spend your time and energy focusing on your desires instead of your fears? Imagine the best case scenario. Focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want! Just that shift in thinking will make a difference about how you feel and how you react. In that moment, you actively take part in the creation of your life. You take control of the situation.

Take Time to Smell the Roses

If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.”

~ Robert F. Bennett

Are you aware of an even better system of keeping yourself going in the right direction? It’s factory-installed with every unit and it’s absolutely free of charge! You have a personal and powerful Emotional Guidance System (EGS). To access the system, all you need do is pay attention to what you are thinking and how you are feeling. If you pay attention to your emotions, you will always know if you are traveling on the right road.

EGS sends you down the right road.

Your “home” or your “natural” state of being, is a condition of well-being and joy. Consider a baby. Whether a human baby, a puppy, a kitten…all exhibit a state of ecstatic joy. When you are thinking thoughts which bring about the feeling of joy, you are traveling on the right road. Your EGS is pointing you to exactly where you want to go! You are happily in alignment with who you are. Of course, it’s not always possible to be thinking joyful thoughts every moment of the day! Life happens. But your awareness will allow you to make the conscious shift to a better thought. It’s a choice you can make.

There are really no “good” or “bad” emotions. All emotions serve a purpose. All emotions are valuable because they are an expression of you. Honor your emotions. When you try to ignore or swallow your emotions, your EGS will send out an alarm! A distress signal of nausea or headache. Even the “bad” emotions, such as anger, serve a purpose and are to be recognized and then let go. When you’re thinking the thoughts that are creating the feelings of anger, you may not be able to just “let go”.  Again, it’s a choice you can make. Be aware of the thoughts which are creating the emotions. Choose a different thought.

Your EGS can direct your thoughts to a higher state. What if you took a turn towards disappointment instead of anger? That feels better. Perhaps your anger is really because someone acted in a way other than you expected. You feel doubtful and hurt. And then maybe your EGS would help you to consider that the disappointment was triggered by boredom. Are you angry because your plans have been changed? And you have nothing to do? Boredom doesn’t feel as “bad” as anger, does it? And you have control over your own boredom, don’t you? Maybe if you recognized that you were bored, your EGS would tell you to go entertain yourself. If you thought about entertaining yourself, you would turn directly to enthusiasm, which would feel really “good”. And once you were feeling that enthusiasm, you could consider what activity would bring you joy.

Your journey from anger to joy doesn’t have to take a long time. You can avoid the traffic jams. The only roadblocks are the ones you create. Your EGS will show them to you by making you feel “bad”.  And it will direct you around the barriers by pointing the way to feel “good”. It helps you to find the way when you don’t know how to get to where you want to go. You can always find your way home…to your state of ecstatic joy!

We all have our own unique beliefs. Unfortunately, some of our beliefs are false. They are the result of negative thoughts. We become attached to these negative thoughts each time we repeat them. Sometimes, we even embellish them to make ourselves feel worse!

You may hold the negative belief that you have no control over your life. But that is a false belief. You always have control over what you are thinking. Your thoughts may come and go in a constant stream of consciousness, but you make the choice about what thought to focus upon.

If something in your life needs healing – your physical health, your financial wealth – perhaps you have focused your thoughts upon lack.  Lack of money, lack of health, lack of happiness. How about if you begin to focus your thoughts on well-being instead of sickness? Fitness instead of “feeling fat”? How about thinking about prosperity instead of poverty? It is far more powerful to be “for” something than to be “against” something.

When you change the way you think about things, the things you think about will change. When you change your thoughts, you change your beliefs. When your beliefs change, you invite new experiences into your life. A new way of being begins and healing happens.

When you are experiencing a problem or difficulty or challenge, the most productive thing you can do is to let go of the focus on that problem. Instead, focus on the solution. Think about it often. Think about it as if it has happened. Your thoughts are powerful. Your thoughts create. As you become more familiar with the solution and more aligned with it, you bring forth the resources to create it. Your thoughts create your beliefs. Your beliefs create your experiences.

I know and believe that 2011 will be a prosperous and joyful year. What do you choose to believe?

A Time To Believe

To believe is to know that every day is a new beginning. To believe is to trust that miracles happen, and dreams really do come true.

To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds, to know the wonder of a stardust sky and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart, the innocence of a child’s eyes, and the beauty of an aging hand, for it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe is to find the strength and courage that lies within us,
when it’s time to pick up the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know we are not alone,
That life is a gift
and this is our time to cherish it.

To believe is to know that wonderful surprises are just waiting to happen,
And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

If only we believe.

                                                                                      by B.J. Morbitzer

In September, I was introduced to an event called “Thrill the World”. It is a worldwide record attempt to simultaneously dance a five minute version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The event is used to raise funds for charity. Being a fan of Halloween, dressing up in scary zombie costumes and dancing, I was “in”.  I joined a class of zombies who would perform in Santa Barbara. And then I began to gather others to dance for my favorite charity OwieBowWowie and Friends.

Learning the dance required attending a few classes and practicing, practicing, practicing with videos…literally one step at a time. I now truly appreciate the efforts of the contestants on Dancing with the Stars! Even though there are a lot of repeat steps, the order changes and it’s a five minute dance. It requires some re-wiring and muscle memory and conscious memory. It requires teaching an old dog new tricks. Did I mention practicing?

Zombie Roar

Gathering the materials to create a costume was another step along the way. A visit to a thrift store for the perfect dress, something stylish and worthy of being buried in, yet comfortable enough for dancing. And then the process of enhancing it with a knife, coffee grounds, hair dye and baby powder to aid in the zombification of the outfit.  Add beads, makeup and fake skin and I was good to go!

On October 23 at 4:00 PT, we danced and we laughed and we raised a few dollars and declared it all good. And next year we will do it bigger and better. And we will give others the opportunity to take on something new and challenging.

Thrill the World OwieBowWowie Dancers

Since I had the costume, I knew the steps and I can’t get the music out of my head, I just had to dance some more. On Saturday, I joined with a flash mob of Santa Barbara zombies and I danced and I danced and I danced. And because I took that first step, I was able to enjoy the end of the journey.

When was the last time you set a goal to do something out of the ordinary? Maybe something just for fun? Or maybe something outside of your comfort zone? A challenge?

How about learning to “booty bounce”? There’s time to take that step before next Halloween!

Marcus Aurelius believed happiness was to be achieved by living “according to nature” in harmony with the principle which orders the universe. A Roman emperor and philosopher who composed bits of wisdom in a work called Meditations, he believed that the serenity of someone who lived in the present moment could not be affected by misfortunes of the past or the fear of the future. 

Have you considered this? When you’re thinking about the past, you’re thinking about it now. When you’re thinking about the future, you’re thinking about it now. There is only the now.

Your thoughts are a constant stream of consciousness. They exist in the moment. And you are in control of your thoughts…in the moment. When you think about things in the past that disturb you, you create the same vibrational energy that you felt during that time in the past. Law of Attraction responds to your vibrational thought energy right now. The Universe responds to your focus and how you are feeling about it. Do you want to re-create past problems?

You get what you’re thinking about. When you think about things in the past that make you happy, you get the benefit of re-creating that vibrational energy now. When you’re thinking the happy thoughts in the present, it insures that you will be receiving more happy thoughts in the future! 

“The only way to deal with the future is to function efficiently in the now.” ~ Gina Bellin

A study was conducted on ninety-six overweight or obese adults. Half of the participants were taught EFT right away; while the other half did whatever they ordinarily did to control food cravings for four weeks. The “wait list” group was the control (comparison) group.

Prior to conducting the research, the subjects were given a series of tests to determine the intensity of their food cravings and measure how strong an influence food exerted over them. The researchers also investigated the degree of restraint these people showed when faced with tempting food, and the number of psychological symptoms of stress they were experiencing. Everyone in the study was measured to determine their BMI (Body Mass Index), an indication of how the body stores and distributes fat.

At the end of four weeks, the subjects were re-tested. It was found that those who had first learned EFT showed: significantly lowered food cravings;  had improved significantly in the degree to which they were able to restrain themselves when confronted by tempting foods;  and an improvement in the degree to which the food tempted them.

The same subjects were studied again at the end of 12 months. Demonstrating the holding power of this technique, it was noted that the intensity of food cravings and the pull of the temptation to a particular food, remained significantly improved at the end of one year in those who had been practicing EFT, Also, the Body Mass Index was also significantly reduced at the end of one year.

This study shows that EFT can have an immediate effect on reducing food cravings and also result in maintenance of these reduced cravings over a long period of time. In addition it shows that EFT impacts favorably on The Body Mass Index. The researchers suggest that EFT may contribute to the ability of weight loss/dieting programs to assist people to achieve reduced food cravings and therefore lose weight.

 *This study was conducted by Stapleton, Sheldon, Porter & Whitty,  2009-2010. It was funded by a grant from the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP).

Well-being makes you jump for joy!

Listening to TheMindMatters:Nourishment and TheMindMatters:Movement will allow you to relax and visit your inner space, your place of creation, where you can choose positive thoughts and emotions which will motivate and inspire you. The Meditations are a soothing and relaxing way to communicate with your subconscious mind. You are reaching the most powerful part of your mind and so, this time, you will succeed in achieving your fitness goals.

Your food choices, portions, cravings and eating habits are motivated by subconscious programming. We seek “comfort food” when we have stress or anxiety. We indulge in treats when we are lonely or bored. We crave foods for the sensual feelings we experience while we eat. We feed our emotions. We swallow our unexpressed feelings. We are weighed down by our emotional burdens. When you love and accept yourself, you are better able to express your emotions and needs. You have a healthier relationship with your feelings which creates the ability to make better choices in how you nourish yourself.

When you listen to TheMindMatters:Nourishment, you access the power of your subconscious mind, the 88% of your mind which controls your behavior. You will succeed in letting go of the unwanted excess weight and you will keep it off for the rest of your life. You will set a realistic goal and carry it out successfully. You will achieve and maintain your ideal weight, size and shape with the power of the MindBody connection. The time to start is now!

Your desire and motivation to exercise and be physically active is based on your past subconscious programming. Negative thought patterns are created in many ways. By accessing your subconscious mind, positive thought patterns can be created to replace the negative ones. You will succeed in creating and maintaining an enjoyable exercise program which will keep you fit and flexible for the rest of your long, healthy life.

When you listen to TheMindMatters:Movement, you re-program your mind to accept and be motivated by the benefits of exercise and physical activity. The benefits include but are not limited to: reduce stress; increase energy, strength and flexibility; build healthy immune system; cleanse and de-toxify; boost metabolism; tone & firm muscles; cardio-vascular health; youthful & healthy appearance; longer and healthier life.

What you tell yourself has the greatest power over your life. What you tell yourself determines what you can and can not do. Tell yourself that you deserve to have a strong and healthy body. Tell yourself that the time to start to honor and respect your body is now! It’s a choice you make.

 Choose Your Thoughts…Choose Your Body

When I became mindful and asked for direction, I picked up a book, held it for a moment and opened the page to this….  

Observe your place in the Universe.

“Be very very still and allow every new experience to take place in your life without any resis-tance whatsoever. You do not have to do anything, you simply have to be and let things happen.”     ~ Eileen Caddy, Footprints on the Path

It was a powerful reminder that I am human being not a human doing. And that it is absolutely okay to allow myself to just be. I will never get it all done. I’m going to give myself permission “to be and let things happen”. I wanted to share that so maybe you’ll give yourself permission too.

We are often in a place of critical self-judgment and self-imposed overwhelm, considering that we should be doing this or we should have accomplished that by now.

When we allow ourselves to slow down to savor the moment, we are reminded that it really is a beautiful moment. It is a now moment. And all we really have is this now moment. Life is easy. Life is joyful. Just be.

Uncle Sam celebrates Independence Day with Patricia

Do you recognize and rejoice in your own personal liberty? Or do you feel trapped or limited? Will you allow yourself the freedom to make the right choices to create joy in your life? Or will you make up some reason why it’s not possible? Do you embrace self-rule and self-government? Or are you influenced by the choices or restrictions of others?

Like all beliefs, your view of personal freedom and liberty is a perception of your subconscious mind. It is a thought that you keep practicing. You can choose to change the thought at any time.

You are completely in control of your freedom as well as your limitations. You set your own boundaries. What limitations have you set on your success and happiness? Would you like to be free of self-imposed limitations? Would you like to create your own Independence Day?

We live our lives based on our perceptions and beliefs, often unaware that there may be a new and different way to approach a situation. Einstein tells us “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.”

Our founding fathers created a new way of government and a new way of thinking. They imagined “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. We have benefited from their vision and their beliefs.

Why not approach a situation in a different way? Explore the use of powerful mindbody energy techniques to let go of self-imposed limitations. Access the power of your subconscious mind to imagine a future of self-mastery and a new way of being. You deserve to pursue happiness. It’s an inalienable right. Happy Independence Day!

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.”                           — Karen Kaiser Clark

Life is constantly changing due to many factors beyond our control. We can not stop time. Imagine yourself five years from now. Do you appear the same? Do you have the same level of wealth? Do you see yourself as sick or destitute? Do you imagine yourself as healthy and successful? In essence, you can stay the same; you can suffer and be a failure; you can enjoy great abundance and prosperity. Most would consciously choose abundance and prosperity. Unfortunately, some of us, subconsciously, are choosing to stay stagnant or worse!

You have the power to decide how you live your life. You determine the level of joy you experience. It’s all as simple as choosing your thoughts. Choose to focus on what you want, NOT on what you don’t want! If you’re worrying about something, you’re planning for something you don’t want to happen. When you focus on solutions, you solve problems. Decide on a positive outcome and take the necessary steps to achieve it.

Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can choose to harvest flowers or choose to grow weeds. Spring is a time of new beginnings and growth. It’s a time to prepare our gardens for a bountiful harvest. What are you planting?

He was completely consciously aware, and spent days and nights visualizing how it would feel to walk out of the hospital with his own legs. During the months spent at the hospital he kept telling himself that he would be out of it “before Christmas”. And that’s exactly what happened, just before Christmas.

The doctors dubbed him “The Miracle Man”, and never understood how what they witnessed was possible.

There are many documented cases of people who, with the power of positive thinking and positive feelings, have eliminated deadly physical conditions. Medicine is unable to explain it scientifically, but at the same time doctors and scientists accept it as a fact: “miracles” happen.

Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle”.

Either way you decide to live, you are right. You create your reality.

I can help you to use the power of your subconscious mind, the 88% of your mind that controls your behavior. I can help you to focus on positive thoughts and positive emotions to create a more positive reality. I can help you to tell yourself that anything you set your mind to accomplish is possible.

Be realistic; plan for a miracle.

 Anything can be your reality once you make the decision to create it. Let the first thought be, “Yes”.

Nothing more is needed to begin. One step at a time,  one choice at a time,  one thought at a time… until you are there.

~ Patricia Lynn Belkowitz

Significantly More Methadone Addicts Quit with Hypnosis. 94% Remained Narcotic Free

Significant differences were found on all measures. The experimental group had significantly less discomfort and illicit drug use, and a significantly greater amount of cessation. At six month follow up, 94% of the subjects in the experimental group who had achieved cessation remained narcotic free.

A comparative study of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy in the treatment of methadone addicts. Manganiello AJ, American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 1984; 26(4): 273-9.

Hypnosis Shows 77 Percent Success Rate for Drug Addiction

Treatment has been used with 18 clients over the last 7 years and has shown a 77 percent success rate for at least a 1-year follow-up. 15 were being seen for alcoholism or alcohol abuse, 2 clients were being seen for cocaine addiction, and 1 client had a marijuana addiction

Intensive Therapy: Utilizing Hypnosis in the Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders. Potter, Greg, American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Jul 2004.

Raised Self-esteem & Serenity. Lowered Impulsivity and Anger

In a research study on self-hypnosis for relapse prevention training with chronic drug/alcohol users. Participants were 261 veterans admitted to Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (SARRTPs). individuals who used repeated self-hypnosis “at least 3 to 5 times a week,” at 7-week follow-up, reported the highest levels of self-esteem and serenity, and the least anger/impulsivity, in comparison to the minimal-practice and control groups.

American Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy (a publication of the American Psychological Association)
2004 Apr;46(4):281-97)

Hypnosis For Cocaine Addiction Documented Case Study

Hypnosis was successfully used to overcome a $500 (five grams) per day cocaine addiction. The subject was a female in her twenties. After approximately 8 months of addiction, she decided to use hypnosis in an attempt to overcome the addiction itself. Over the next 4 months, she used hypnosis three times a day and at the end of this period, her addiction was broken, and she has been drug free for the past 9 years. Hypnosis was the only intervention, and no support network of any kind was available.

The use of hypnosis in cocaine addiction. Page RA, Handley GW, Ohio State University, Lima, OH USA 45804. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 1993 Oct;36(2):120-3.