When working towards successful outcomes, attitude can be everything. Attitudes are like marinades, determining both emotional & physical tonality of life. Perhaps this is one of the major reasons why certain goals, especially those in the lifestyle change arena, are difficult to achieve...the marinate is bitter & hard to swallow. Here we are working with the "difficult childSelf" who tends to have a whole stockpile of issues, some going way, way back. Bringing these out of the closet & into the light is key to self-management. And, it's the responsible thing to do. This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
NOTE TO NEW READERS:
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events.
SAVORY & UNSAVORY MARINADES
The childSelf speaks in our thoughts & through our verbalization. It also speaks through our attitudes that can also be read in the level of tension in the body. Since it's difficult for us to see ourselves, it helps to be an observer of others & their attitudes. Then, we can ask our own Therapeutic Self or subconscious mind to classify those attitudes we want versus those that we don't want. Sometimes that's all it takes to "shift" out of darkness & into the light. Like anything else, it takes practice, but you will not be disappointed. As attitudes or moods shift, thoughts change & motivation is enhanced. Remember, it only takes 1/200th of a second to change anything & everything. This is not about judging others; it's about making it very clear to your own Self, as to the direction in which you choose to follow. Here we have chosen to travel towards health & away from disease.
Emotional marinades are also shared in both directions. Your mood or attitude flows towards others, including your environment. You might notice it in your level of organization or tendency towards messiness or clutter. The same happens with moods & attitudes of others. As these flow towards you, your body literally absorbs them.......unless you know how to protect yourself from being dipped in unsavory marinade. I think it's very important to keep an eye on the marinade you are producing, not only because it will reflect back to you in even larger portions, but it blocks your entrance into the "hall of creativity." This is a place we'll be visiting later on in our work together.
When changing lifestyle behaviors, it's so important to stay in good emotional balance. When the unbalanced Self & negative emotional states are running the "show", the body & mind work against the newly installed behaviors. There is a huge tendency to go back to old, destructive mind programs, many of them on auto-pilot. These can be sensed by a compulsive pull towards disorderly behaviors, including bingeing, over-eating, making poor food choices & even secret eating issues. If these are reinforced, they simply become stronger & more difficult to break. The subconscious mind actually believes that this is what you want & the new behaviors you have adopted, are simply not the way you choose to go. Obviously, nothing could be further from the truth, especially if you're reading this book. Who would choose to take the path towards disease or destruction? No one I know.
THE UNDISCIPLINED CHILDSELF & IT'S NASTY MOUTH
Unfortunately, we can get easily zapped by the undisciplined childSelf who can have a very nasty tongue. Some thoughts that get played out in the mind were placed a very long time ago, perhaps by others or by yourSelf. All thoughts have emotional marinade, so if you play a nasty thought, the marinade is bitter. Instead, play a healthy, motivational thought, thereby treating your total mind & body to a delicious bite in the moment. Remember, an emotionalized image is worth hours of therapy. Making your life more pleasant while continually going towards healthy outcomes is all within your power. Let's go ahead & direct some discipline that will allow you to "shift" out of a distasteful marinade & into another more tasty version.
ACT 3 SCENE 1
ARUGULA SUCKS !
Enter the Theater of the Mind & take your Directorial Seat, knowing intuitively that you are in charge here & that you have the power to change what doesn't work & to design your life as you choose it to be. Sense that power now. Even though you are just reading these words, your subconscious mind is busy following your suggestions or commands. It's as simple as that. Your power is hidden in the moments that flow....as you emply Heightened Awareness, the moments are seen with clarity, thereby giving you the opportunity to "shift" & then move forward. Moments following "shifting" are especially creative because they are re-fired with new energy that has been transmuted from the old, tired energy. You can make as many of these power-filled moments as you choose.
Ask the curtain to open now & notice that your Unbalanced Self has ushered in certain emotional children that have foul-mouths. Remember that your Unbalanced Self is now on your side. You have befriended this part of you & it is now open to being helpful, realizing that you are not going to criticize or beat-up on this part of you. Never underestimate the power of this part who knows all the little dark corners that need to be cleaned out for high level success to be achieved. Now tune into the vulgarities of the negative-based emotional children. Some have been ushered to a healthy eating table. You can hear them, as well as read their thoughts. "Arugula sucks! I choke on green stuff. I won't eat any of this !@#$. I want what I want. I'll throw up if I have to eat this." Just a few examples. Others might be a bit more tame, but don't be fooled. "I'll eat it but I won't like it. I'll get something else later. I will go out for a newspaper & eat cookies in the car. No one will know. I'll pretend to be good, but only I know the truth about how incapable I am of eating healthy & exercising. I'll never succeed & I'll never be a healthy weight. I'm a lost cause."
You already know that arguing & fighting doesn't work, so what does work? Notice that your Therapeutic Self has entered. Sense the "shift" of energy. This part of yourSelf is balanced & assertive. Pay attention to the interaction with the emotional children. Peace & gentleness being delivered. The Therapeutic Self engages the Higher Self or Power & healing light fills the stage. Black drops exit the fingers of the unbalanced emotional states & a glow fills them. Sense it yourSelf. In the practice of hypnotherapy, we can change or shift very quickly. This is a powerful exercise & I suggest that you utilize "in the moment" each time you notice an unsavory marinade playing out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.
http://www.hypnosis-audio.com
http://www.sugar-addiction.com
http://www.international-medical-health-writers.com
