To understand the process of waning enthusiasm for altering habitual destinies is to no longer be a victim of the process. Understanding – rather than knee-jerk reactions of judgment, guilt and resignation to the onset of old habits or resistance – is the first step to taking back your life in this new year (or anytime you desire to begin anew). As a hypnotherapist, I understand all too well the “two minds” that operate simultaneously in our daily processing of living as my work is to facilitate the alignment of the two for maximum progress. Here are a few insights that potently prepare you to successfully – maybe for the first time – retrieve your life from the throws of subconscious conditioning. Following the insights outlined here will enable the traction on the resolve you valiantly desire to apprehend.
TBYL (Take Back Your Life) Insight #1 – The Novelty Principle
Understand the motivation for anything of interest that is new – including a new or renewed resolve to accomplish something – is actually supposed to start off with a bang – and then ‘peter out’(?!!). [Not casting aspersion on all the ‘Peter’s’ reading out there – just a figure of speech!]. “What?!” you say, “Am I doomed to cycles of fits and spurts rather than gaining real traction in consistency?” You succumb to this only if you do not understand the nature of things concerning this phenomena. The brain is enamored with the “newness” of something – I am calling it, “The Novelty Principle,” – anything novel to the mind captures more enthusiasm, focus and interest by virtue of the “shinny penny” concept. As the novelty begins inevitably to dissolve most peoples’ enthusiasm – and commitment and resolve – tends to as well. Why does this occur and how do you transcend it? Glad you asked! It is normal for the excitement of anything “new” – whether it is a new resolve to work out, a new article of apparel or a new boyfriend – to dissipate. Note that there is a paramount difference between excitement, the hallmark of novelty, and enthusiasm, the energy of resolve; the former is temporary and typically incited from exterior happenings (the beginning of a new year) and the latter is sustaining, and emerges from an internal orientation. Quite simply, the dissipation of novelty occurs so the brain is available to absorb more novel or new stuff! In any given moment the brain is registering countless – literally countless – recognitions via the five functional senses (and the other more subtle senses too). The brain would go into physiological overload if everything mentally absorbed remained novel in the brain, so it has to release the concerted focus of “new” to continue absorbing, processing and storing data and phenomena as well as functioning. This “novelty dumping” keeps you sane (even though you may beg to differ!) As you understand that excitement is supposed to give way to enthusiasm then your motivation – not being tethered to excitement – does not dissipate with this natural occurrence.
TBYL (Take Back Your Life) Insight #2 – Rome Was not Built in a Day
Although your conscious awareness is aware of the optimism of what the beginning of a new year or new intention portends, your subconscious awareness – comprised of the associations you’ve made about yourself and life from your experiences – is not in the least bit “aware” of a new year or new intention. This is why as the newness of a new year or intention begins to ebb old habits resume their domination. Simple awareness of this fact enables you not to become shortsightedly defeated at the slightest hint of resistance, lapse or setback. As you appreciate that mental wiring or re-wiring is necessary to secure a new habit – and that it is a process – you are much less prone to default into the resignation that seals the fate of your enthusiasm before it takes over from the excitement of novelty. As you soberly – and compassionately – recognize the days missed on your new workout or eating resolve or your motivation waning for getting organized, owes more to lack of wired programming then to lack of willpower, you avoid the quicksand of judgment and doubt about your capacity to succeed. You no longer become daunted because you missed a few days of the committed intention; your motivation does not become usurped from the appearance of things. Note that you are applying insightful understanding rather than legitimizing an excuse with this approach. You then find you are able to resume the resolve – and actions – with enthusiasm and motivation intact and the necessary wiring for consistent commitment begins to occur. As you resume the engagement free of the weight of judgment (via insight into the wiring process in play) you consequently become successful in empowering the resolve necessary to establish a desired habit or fuel follow-through.
TBYL Insight #3 – Redirect Energy
“Energy does not dissipate.” Essentially, everything is some expression of energy, this includes the type of emotions we are feeling, actions engaged, even thoughts thought – it is all energy activity. Since energy has nowhere to “go,” it either remains stagnate – in a particular “configuration” (positive coagulation or negative depending on the nature of a feeling about a thing) or energy is being transformed into other states of coagulation (the situations unfolding in your life called experiences). You have the innate wherewithal to redirect any debilitating energy state from the simple awareness that you do! You exercise this inherent capacity by recognizing any negative feelings about something (yourself, your prospects, about another, a situation, etc) and then taking a deep breath, and as the breath is released replace the thought, perception or idea about that thing with an empowered thought about the situation, and then continue some conscious breaths with that empowered re-framing in mind while you begin to notice a shift – literally – in your energy (how you feel about the matter is energy ruminating). This works all the time, except – when you do not want to release the negative feelings about something. (Some have an unconscious resistance to releasing negativity because it is what they know; what they are familiar with – and in not wanting to let go of the familiar they hold on to negativity at all cost – including well-being). As you become more and more adept at shifting negative feelings you begin to exercise dominion – not control (often motivated by fear) – over the direction your energy is propelling. You emerge from being victimized by the psychological conditioning of your past experience or conventional restrictions.
TBYL Insight #4 – Independence Myth
Contrary to assumptions and beliefs – for the most part – things do not happen to you – they happen as you! “You” are not just the biological imperative of your physical nature; most would also agree that emotional states, occupations, purposes and desires are an integral part of identity too. Your identity also extends into what happens seemingly “to” you as well. Understand that you are not independent from what is demonstrated – or not – in your life. Many individuals are waiting for something “good” or positive to happen “to them” when in reality any good experienced is an extension of the ‘you,’ which you are being and is happening as a part of you! This means that as your consider, plan, desire, and hope for positive outcomes that you do not forget or omit your “personal role” in the unfoldment of the things you desire. Ask yourself, “What must I empower or release for the thing desired to be “welcomed” into my experience?” As you intuit the response(s) from this self-inquiry, get active in your role in the demonstration! Not only will this expedite your desires into fruition, but you Take Back Your Life from the oppressive perception of being a victim of circumstance. Empowering indeed!
TBYL Insight #5 – Release the Need to be Right
Issues hold on to you as long as you hold on to them. You’ve assessed – or judged – what is holding you back – perhaps behavior reflects procrastination, or low esteem, doubt or other undermining dynamics. As long as you labor under the negative labels you’ve identified with, you confirm “ownership” of characteristics that settle into that “owned” position; remaining in play by virtue of ownership. You do not ignore the labels (issues) identified but rather redirect (see Insight #3) through releasing ownership and investing energy in desired focus and direction. Whatever gets attention is what thrives – its a law witnessed throughout life; wherever attention is withdraw the consequence of that matter loses its ability to remain relevant. Here is a deceptively innocuous tactic to begin disengaging from the attachment to undesired dynamics: Begin replacing the word, “my” in reference to communicating or thinking of debilitating issues, with “the” issue whenever discussing, exploring or referencing undermining behavior or issues. This is a profound means of subconsciously divesting yourself from ownership of debilitating dynamics or issues.
TBYL Insight #6 – Vision Empowered
A vision is an illustration; an illustration, in this context, of a desired purpose or reality. Give yourself permission to embrace, discover and explore the vision for your purpose and life direction. The Vision for your intention becomes the blueprint that your re-directed, re-focused energy coagulates into reflecting the essence of the illustration (desire) expressed. The mind only knows to bring into fruition what it constantly consumes via perceptions and focus – why not give it desired “data” rather than unwitting constriction via mis-directed focus and attention on worries, problems and concerns. Ultimately, you are not engaging efforts to make things turn out with the specificity of your vision but the essence of it; where you feel the developments resonate with the alignment of your desire. You may find that a desired vision takes a completely unexpected means and route in its expression, yet, exceeding the expectation of any specific course of unfoldment.
Employing this Take Back Your Life strategy with committed, re-wring resolve, cultivates the welcoming environment for your authentic desires to reveal the truth of their possibility. You are always more than what has happened to you – take back your life.
