Personal Commitment

In this world of instant gratification, high speed technology and a 'quick fix' mentality it seems that many people have abdicated responsibility for taking care of themselves. This is evidenced by the growing obesity rate, the rise in substance abuse and even the number of stress related dis-eases that take their toll every year. These may include high blood pressure, heart disease/attacks, diabetes and lung disease from smoking.

In my practice I've worked with many people, whose first words are, "I'm here, fix me"! My response is always the same, "I don't have a magic wand and I can't make you do anything that you don't want to do". As a counselor and coach, I guide people to venture into their own inner awareness, to touch the 'wise one' deep inside (the subconscious mind) and offer suggestions that can help them implement change. The rest is up to the client. There must be a personal commitment to do the work necessary to achieve their goals. People need to have a true desire for evolution and growth in their lives.

Many people know something is wrong or lacking in their lives but they are so out of touch with their higher self, the issue(s) cannot even be verbalized. They may say, "I just can't put my finger on it", or a phrase similar. They may be quite clear about what they don't want but in many cases have no real idea about what they do want, and it is this dilemma that leads to confusion and inaction. Even when they believe they are clear and say they are coming for weight management or smoking cessation it is often something much deeper that emerges once the 'inner' work begins.

Unfortunately, many people fear delving to deeply and don't really want to change. This can show up as a myriad of excuses and self-sabotage. Sometimes old clichés surface (which are usually a product of much earlier conditioning) i.e. "better the devil you know, than the devil you don't". Change is frightening to many, because people are creatures of habit and prefer what is familiar, even when it is counter-productive to what they 'say' is wanted. For example, a person weighing 250 pounds may 'say' "I want to get down to 175" and then proceed to 'do' everything to sabotage getting those results. They may continue to overeat at mealtime, sit in front of the TV or computer snacking all day or just never get around to exercising.

The reason(s) for the disruption between intention and reality are usually deeply rooted in the subconscious mind and that is where they need to be addressed to produce lasting change. It's the conscious mind that 'says' what is wanted or desired, but it's the subconscious where habits, behaviours and emotions are housed and therefore, where any blockages need to be cleared. Until both parts of the mind are on the same page, any changes that are accomplished are generally short term (this may sound familiar if you've ever made a New Year's resolution).

"It takes a big person to accept full responsibility for
 their own happiness. It takes an even bigger person to accept
 full responsibility for their own unhappiness".

Quote from Mike Dooley - Founder of  http://www.tut.com/
 ~ a great inspirational website ~

Don’t Just Set Goals – Achieve Them!

Recently we have heard a great deal about goal setting and the power of clearly defined and written goals. It is well documented that people throughout history that we view as successful have had written goals. Abraham Lincoln said “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing”.

We know that thoughts that are committed to paper are far more tangible and likely to be manifested than thoughts that are kept to oneself or held only in the conscious mind. The famous author of several books, Norman Vincent Peale said, “change your thoughts and you change your world”. Saying you are going to do something and actually doing it are very different. People constantly set goals and make promises to themselves and then break them almost right away – remember the New Year’s resolutions?

In the movie, The Secret, John Assaraf; spoke about creating a ‘vision board’ to help describe what you want in life. This is a visual representation (using pictures from magazines) of the ‘things’ we desire to have. For example a yacht, a mansion or an expensive sports car. However, when I speak of goals with my clients it’s not necessarily material possessions that I refer to, but rather personal achievements and the direction they want their life to take.

Sadly, a great number of people spend more time planning a vacation than thinking about what they want to create or achieve during their lifetime. When I work with clients; only part of what we discuss are their immediate goals – what they want to achieve in their program. But it goes much deeper than that. Often, clients will have realizations about their life. Perhaps dreams that they had let pass them by resurface, those lost opportunities to be more or do more with their life. Maybe they have been doing work for years at a job they don’t like or don’t believe in because someone said ‘you can’t make money doing that’ or ‘go to school and get a real job’! Don’t let anyone rob you of your dreams and aspirations. Be true to yourself.

Many goals are not achieved simply because they are not compelling or powerful enough. Set BIG exciting goals. Michael Gerber in his book, the E-Myth talks about BHAG’s, which stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Break out of your comfort zone. Set goals that will challenge you to grow and be a better person. Let your goals stir something great within you and then take the necessary action to make them a reality. Motivational speaker and author, Stephen R. Covey said “The more we use and magnify our present talents, the more talents we are given and the greater our capacity becomes”.

There is a power deep within everyone that holds unlimited resources, and that power is the subconscious mind. Many of today’s motivational speakers, their books and CD’s speak about the hidden power within. It is the subconscious part of the mind they are referring to. For it is that part of everyone that holds unlimited possibilities. Let me show you how to tap into those resources and utilize the force within you to magnify your innate talents and express your excellence.