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.

The Los Angeles Times reports a new study about children with Tourette syndrome has been published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. By using sessions of self-hypnosis for help with their tics, 79% of the participants said their tic control had improved to a degree that they were satisfied with the technique.

Tourette syndrome is typically treated with medication. With all medication there are side effects. With pharmaceutical treatment comes the possibility of mild to severe side effects such as anxiety, weight gain and sluggishness. Teaching children relaxation techniques to create a state of self-hypnosis has no negative side effects. It does, however, have many, many positive effects. The confidence and self-esteem which results in being more in control of your behavior is priceless.

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!

Dr. Masaru Emoto, author of Hidden Messages in Water, has done extensive research about the characteristics of water and how, among other things, water physically responds to emotions. In light of the disaster, he has proposed the following prayer for the Gulf situation.

“I send the energy of love and gratitude to the water and all the living creatures in the Gulf of Mexico and its surroundings.

To the whales, dolphins, pelicans, fish, shellfish, planktons, corals, algae and all living creatures…..I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.”

We are not powerless. We are powerful. Our united energy, speaking this prayer daily…multiple times daily….can literally create a shift in the balance of destruction. Thoughts create things.

We don’t need to understand “how”. We just need to believe in the power of love, which is greater than any power active in the Universe today.

O lny srmat poelpe can raed tihs. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty  uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig  to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rgh it pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.   

Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

“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?

“EFT offers great healing benefits.” ~ Deepak Chopra, Author of more than fifty books and co-creator of the Chopra Center.

“What’s interesting about EFT is that it is a process that really, in some sense engages… like super learning. And super learning is like pushing the record button on the subconscious mind.” Bruce Lipton, Author of “The Biology of Belief” – Internationally recognized speaker in bridging science and spirit

“EFT is destined to be the top healing tool for the 21st century.” ~ Cheryl Richardson, Author of “Stand Up for Your Life,” “Take Time for Your Life” and “Life Makeovers”

“I’ve used Tapping for years and highly recommend it!” ~ Joe Vitale, Bestselling author and one of the stars of the hit movie “The Secret”

“I have been Tapping for years and have found it to be a pivotal tool in creating the life of my dreams. This information is essential if you want to live your best life!” ~ Jack Canfield, Co-author of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series and one of the stars of the hit movie “The Secret”

 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

or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience

and greed, but lack of faith. 

Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. 

Patience and faith.                   

One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach

--waiting for a gift from the sea."   ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

All prosperity begins in the mind and is dependent only upon the full use of our creative imagination.                 ~ Ruth Ross

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins…not through strength but by perseverance. 

~ H. Jackson Brown

The article further states that “imagery has documented physiologic effects: It can lower blood pressure, decrease heart rate, and affect brain wave activity, oxygen supply to the tissues, vascular constriction, skin temperature, cochlear and pupillary reflexes, skin response, salivation, and gastrointestinal activity.

Have in your mind that which would constitute a miracle for you. Get the vision. Suspend disbelief and skepticism. Allow yourself to take the journey toward real magic.  ~ Wayne Dyer

The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to take one step at a time.

What you tell yourself has the greatest of power over your life.What you tell yourself ultimately determines what you are and are not able to do.

What are you telling yourself?

Begin by being specific in defining your personal vision of success. Take a few moments each day to visualize what you want. Daydream. You are clearly defining success, not keeping it some vague, unknown entity. Get in touch with the emotional connection to a particular goal. As you visualize, bring to mind the feeling of success and accomplishment. When you connect with your feelings about your goal, it sets the creative process in motion.

You must believe it is possible. “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.” John and Lyn St. Clair Thomas.

You must accept that it will happen. When you tell yourself you can and you will, you have taken the first step towards accomplishing what you want to accomplish. And you will find that you can and you will accomplish your goal. Conscious action alone does not create change. Successful change requires planning. By creating changes in your thoughts, you are reinforcing your idea of success. Success also requires self-acceptance; a positive attitude and the ability to concentrate on and develop your strengths.

There is no limitation to mind power and the ability to direct it to make positive things happen. Set your goals high. Create positive images. Project the best of yourself. Your efforts are always important to your success. Think about what you want, not what you don’t want! And remember, anything you set your mind to accomplish is possible.

Life isn't about finding yourself. 

Life is about creating yourself.

~ George Bernard Shaw  (1856-1950, Irish-born British Dramatist)

Life is a lot like photography.

 In order to capture the moment… to get the results we want…     

Sometimes we need to change our point of view – to look at things from different perspectives.    

Sometimes we need to focus in really close on the details…and

Sometimes we need to step back to see the big picture – the whole picture – in order to get a more balanced perception.

Sometimes we need to step up to a challenge and take a risk…and Sometimes we need to step out of the way.

Sometimes we need to put our focus on the important things and let the insignificant things blur out in the background…or fade away.

Sometimes we need to become aware of something we’ve missed… and

Sometimes we need to know when to ask for help.

But ALWAYS we need to take ACTION or the opportunity is lost.

And the actions we take create a lasting impression on this experience …this series of moments we call “life”.

When we change our focus or move in a different direction (even just a little bit!!!) we change our experience. We change our habits…our relationships…our health…our prosperity…our life.

We take actions every moment of the day…most of them subconsciously motivated. Are you aware that your behaviors are directed and controlled by your subconscious mind…your past programming?  Your conscious awareness is only effective for about 90 minutes. After that your behavior is dictated by the “knowns” of your subconscious mind… the 88% of your mind that makes the decisions about your actions… as well as your re-actions.

What actions are you taking to create your life… your image of success and happiness?

What opportunities…or lack of opportunities… are you creating by the actions you are taking?

I’d like you to ask yourself this question …

Right now, what is the one thing I could…start doing…stop doing…or do differently…that would most improve the quality of my life?

Take a moment to consider all aspects of your life…your health and level of physical fitness…your mental acuity and ability to focus and concentrate…your financial stability…your sense of emotional well-being…your level of joy and happiness in your relationship with self, others and spirit.

When you have identified that one action that would create a better life…tell yourself that you can do it. And then just do it!

 Now, I’d like you to consider this…

 On a scale of 1 to 10… rate your life satisfaction level. Are you happy with that number? If you are not, perhaps you need to access the “goal-achieving feature” of your subconscious mind.  

In my practice of helping people take action to create a better life, I have implemented synergistic methods which teach how to set goals and provide motivation to achieve those goals.

Whether it is pain management, weight loss or smoking cessation…whether it is finding or healing a relationship or a career…whether it is the simple and priceless gift of achieving a new level of self confidence, I can help you to take action…to create the opportunities and get the results you want.

The need to make art is a basic human urge. It is a trait as natural as language and sex. Early writing often consisted of pictures. Ancient humans used art not only to decorate but to create magic, to protect themselves from evil and harm, to express and control powerful emotions and to prepare themselves for coming events.

Images are the language of emotions. The language of visual art – colors, shapes, lines and textures – speaks to us in ways that words do not. Art is a means of connecting our thoughts, feelings and perceptions with our life experiences.

Art is more than ornamentation. Cultures through the ages have been defined and understood by their art. Art tells our personal stories.  We make our feelings, thoughts, experiences, values and beliefs, visible through art. In the process, we are offered a way to know ourselves from a new perspective and an opportunity to transform that perspective.

Did you know that art and hypnotherapy have a lot in common? Painting, sketching or even scribbling are simple activities that can soothe you, release stress and give pleasure. These methods of self-expression can change your state of being and tap your intuitive and creative powers. Art and hypnosis both alter your consciousness.

Both art and hypnosis are ancient forms of healing. Each can help to solve problems, release powerful emotions, or alleviate pain. Each promotes growth, self-expression and transformation. Both are powerful tools.

I am an artist, but my focus has broadened. I’ve learned some things along the way. I’ve learned the art of teaching people not only lessons in art but lessons in life. I’ve learned to teach people how to achieve their dreams.

Hypnotherapy can change behaviors and perceptions. It can change your tomorrows by simply changing your programming today. Hypnotherapy is a method of communicating your conscious desires and dreams directly to the subconscious mind, your personal goal-achieving machine, the 88% of your mind that controls your behavior.

In ancient Greece, Pythagoras, who discovered that music could be expressed in numbers and mathematical theories, founded a school where students were trained to release worry, fear, anger and sorrow through singing and playing musical instruments.    

Music is a fundamental part of all religions, from hymns to mantras to chants, because it encourages higher states of consciousness. Dr. Alfred Tomatis, known as the “Einstein of sound”, theorizes that sacred chants actually “charge” the cortex of the brain. Tomatis believes “all cranial nerves lead to the ear, which explains why soothing musical harmonics not only induce states of deep relaxation, but directly affect breathing, the voice, the heart rate and digestion.”  (Vegetarian Times, “The Sound of Healing” Suzanne Gerber, March, 1998)

Dr Mitchell Gaynor, director of medical oncology and integrative medicine at New York’s Strang Cancer Prevention Center, uses guided imagery, meditation and sound, voice and tone. Believing that breathing is critical to well-being, he states, “Besides their vibrational impact, voice and tone are just another way to get the therapeutic value of breathing.” (Vegetarian Times, “The Sound of Healing” Suzanne Gerber, March, 1998)

Our bodies are rhythmic. Our hearts beat. Our blood flows. Our lungs breathe in patterns. It comes as no surprise that our bodies respond to the rhythms of music. Pulses of sound correspond with brain-wave frequencies. The frequency of the beats affects our level of consciousness.

We are driven to express ourselves and elevate our consciousness through the arts. It is a powerful and compelling need. The people of Sarajevo proved this when despite constant shelling and sniper fire, “they held concerts, maintained orchestras and choirs, and at one point, turned a destroyed theater into an exhibition space for art created out of materials from the city’s destruction.” (Cathy Malchiodi, “The Art Therapy Sourcebook” Lowell House, 1998)

Art helps us to transcend daily life. It brings wholeness and personal satisfaction to our lives. Creative outlets help you develop and better understand yourself. Art is a way of sharing your self with others, a way of sharing your truth.

If you are feeling “out of sync”, unable to keep up with the pressures of your busy lifestyle, consider the healing benefits of expressing yourself through the arts. Being creative is not just for artists, musicians or writers. Everyone has the potential to do things in a new way.

Your subconscious mind, the 88% of your mind that controls your behavior, can provide you with new insights. Hypnotherapy can help you to access your creative spirit.  It can help you move to a whole new beat. When you listen to your inner voice, your heart will sing.

Be Impeccable with Your Word

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Don’t Take Anything Personally

Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a protection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

Don’t make Assumptions

Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always Do Your Best

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best and you will avoid self judgment, self-abuse and regret.

(The Four Agreements Companion Book by Don Miguel Ruiz, pg. ix)

All my life I’ve wanted to be somebody. But I see now I should have been more specific.   ~Jane Wagner