WHAT DO YOU WANT? Imagine, Brainstorm...and ACTION

In my practice as a Consulting Hypnotist I work one-on-one to help well people make desired changes to enable them to meet life’s challenges such as: weight management, speaking in public, smoking cessation, managing stress and decreasing anxiety and goal setting amongst other things.

In my capacity as a hypnotist I am one who first and foremost listens.

I also guide clients through the goal setting process; help them clarify their experience and gather information, stated in their own words, from which to formulate the script for the hypnosis session that follows the intake. During the hypnosis session my voice helps clients focus and guides them through their subconscious mind encouraging them to explore, be comfortable in and trust the wisdom of that inner realm. I teach clients the techniques of self-hypnosis to help them lead the life they envision for themselves and become the person they want to be.

A session begins with the question, “What do you want?” not what do others want for you but, what do you want for yourself. This seems simple enough as people generally come to me thinking that they know what their challenge and their goal is. But if you are going to move towards your goal it will take more than thinking. You will need to explore your heart’s desire; it will take imagining.

First ask yourself “What do I want?” Write it down in a simple, positive statement.

On a scale of 1 – 10, how strongly do you desire it? Any answer above 7 shows you’re your desire is strong enough for you to meet your goal with the help of hypnosis. A score of lower than 7 indicates that: you either need to ramp up your desire or, though you have a strong urge for change, you have not yet hit upon exactly what it is that you desire. Don’t despair. In either case, working with imagination will help you clarify and move towards your goals.

Now let’s try it again, only this time I give you permission to recapture that magical childhood pastime of daydreaming. As adults we often claim to be too busy to indulge in daydreams. We judge it as time wasted. Yet, how much time do we spend in front of the T.V. or watching movies allowing ourselves to become immersed in the products of the daydreams of others? Many scientific discoveries began as a daydream – an opening up to the possibility contained within “what if?”

Ask yourself, “What do I want?” and just imagine.

Allow yourself to daydream, use all of your senses in imagining as fully as you can that you have already achieved your goal. Even though you are not formally going into hypnosis with a hypnotist to guide you, by utilizing your imagination the process of self-hypnosis begins.

Imagine what achieving your goal will do for you. Another way of looking at it is to consider what kind of person you will become – if you have a role model in mind recall as fully as possible times and situations in which you admired them. What qualities exactly did you admire? Imagine yourself now possessing all the qualities that impressed you so much. Embellish the scenario further as you explore how your new self interacts with challenges and other aspects and people in your life.

Now, some people imagine by “seeing” scenes playing out in their mind’s eye; others “hear” conversations or words; some simply “feel” and there are those who just “know” without the other senses being very distinct. It is ideal if you can bring as many of your senses to the imagination process: see, hear, feel, smell and taste; but whatever your experience is, it is enough for the process of self-hypnosis to begin. It is enough to allow yourself to feel positively inspired.

Now, after the daydream session is complete answer again, “What do I want?” and before you write anything down, consider your answer.

Has your goal changed or become refined by your daydream? This is perfectly O.K. and is part of the goal setting process. Re-state and write down your goal in a simple, positive statement and re-assess the strength of your desire. Moving closer towards 10 on our scale of desire indicates you are moving in the right direction.

Next step: brainstorming…