From Procrastination to Motivation

Why do some people procrastinate when putting things off eats up their peace of mind and vitality? Most of us put things off because they are too difficult, time-consuming, or unpleasant. Yet putting them off results in more stuff to keep track of and worry about.

The two types of motivation

Fundamental to dealing with procrastination is knowing how best to motivate yourself.

Towards Motivation emphasizes the benefits of doing something, paying attention to the pleasant feelings, such as achievement, success, enjoyment, and status, experienced as a result of taking action. This is commonly referred to as the "carrot" method.

Away From Motivation focuses more on the consequences to be avoided, the feelings experienced from inaction. This is sometimes referred to as the 'stick' approach to motivation and is frequently considered to be the 'negative' way of motivating.

Both of these types can produce motivation. The trick is to know which one works best for you. Neither is necessarily better than the other.

A very 'positive' Towards motivational approach, in which you focus on all the benefits of doing something, will rarely work in dealing with your own procrastination. Using an Away From approach, by focusing on the consequences of inaction you're much more likely to get things done.

Six steps for dealing with Procrastination

1. Consider something you like to start procrastinating on. Make sure this is something you could have acted upon before now. Set aside about 15 minutes or so for the following exercise.
   
2. Take a few minutes to feel just how much stress putting this off has already caused you.
   
3. Consider and feel just how much stress procrastinating is really causing you, in every way. Are you feeling guilty for your inaction, etc?
4. How much discomfort it will cause you if you continue to do nothing about it for another few months?
5. Now, let's switch gears and uncover how it will fee to have taken action and completed your project.
6. Compare the cost of taking action (in terms of energy, effort, time) with the cost of not taking action. Write it down.
   
7. Once you recognize how much you're losing by not doing it, and how much time and energy you'll save yourself, ACT!
8. Begin taking action right this minute. Commit to seeing it through to completion.
   

Motivating yourself is an emotional rather than an intellectual exercise. So take the time to really feel both the Towards and the Away From emotions rather than simply making lists of feelings. Deal with just one procrastinating issue at a time. It's easier to focus your attention and your motivation this way.

Immediately you've completed the task, make some notes on the same sheets of paper about how you feel. Reading through it now and then will remind you of the discomfort and distress that you cause yourself each time you procrastinate and on the benefits of adopting a new 'do it now' attitude.

Secrets of Changing Minds

How is it possible to turn tragedy into prosperity, depression in joy, and chaos into success?

In this article I will introduce you to the power of changing beliefs, including step by step NLP strategies.

How is it that two people can face the same challenge, and one ends up fumbling it while the other glides through it like a pro? Is there a difference and if so, what is it?

If someone believes that he doesn't have the ability to change his situation, you can teach him new strategies that can help him make changes. But if he still believes that he is powerless, no change will take place.

3 Warning Signs of a Self-Sabotaging Belief

When you want to change someone's mind over a problem, whether it's about their lives, their relationships or your product, how do you know when the belief is more problematic than the problem itself?

1) Personal - Believing you are the problem
2) Pervasive - The problem isn't the problem, your whole life is the problem
3) Permanent - No resolution is possible

If you notice when someone feels this way about their problems, you know you have core underlying beliefs about that problem that you need to bust.

What Is The Root Belief Of All Limiting Beliefs?

All limiting beliefs can be grouped into these categories; I am broken, or the situation is broken.
On the other hand, healthy beliefs have their roots in the belief that people are not broken, that people have the resources they need to overcome any challenge or they have the ability to get those resources.

The key, then, is to shift the belief that you are broken into a belief that you are whole, that problems are not personal, pervasive or permanent, but impersonal, in one area of life and temporary.

How Do You Change a Belief?

1) Offer counter-examples. A belief can be built because the person has never seen evidence to the contrary. If someone has never seen a TV, they'll never believe that when you turn it on little people will appear in it. Bring them to a TV, and switch it on.
2) Break the belief down into tiny little bits. Use questions, but do it with kindness and compassion. Every generalization will break itself at some point, including that one. All generalizations? All the time? According to whom? How do you know that? Ever had a time when it never happened? What would happen if it didn't?
3) Re-frame the belief. It's not that you can't learn, it's that no one has ever shown you how. It's not that there's no such thing as a TV, only that you haven't seen one before. It's not that you can't change beliefs, it's that you've never noticed you do it all the time.

Until limiting beliefs are shifted, any attempts to change minds will be blocked by these beliefs. It's like walking into a room with the door shut; it's not going to happen. The wonderful thing about going after beliefs rather than problems is that once beliefs are transformed, changes are usually generative: resources are freed up and solutions are often thought of on their own.

Why Fast Track to NLP?

There are a lot of options out there for NLP training. It's the scheduling, teaching techniques, and environment that really make the difference. Studies have shown that the brain learns better and faster when you are totally immersed in the subject matter.

Our Fast Track program provides you with leadership training, management skills, communication skills, health care processes, and personal development. Here is an overview of what you'll learn.

• Set goals in a way that ensures your success
• Create and use personal states of excellence
• How to ask the right questions
  
• How to use influential language patterns
• Enhance your communication skills
  
• Listen to how your clients say things rather than what they say
• Discover in minutes what motivates someone
• Change unwanted behaviors
• Use people's representation of time to ensure they reach their goals
• How to use hypnosis, covertly and/or openly
  

By learning the secrets of human operation and potential found in Neuro-Linguistics, you can be trained to easily and influentially communicate with anyone at any time. Our instructors have studied for years to gather the "best of the best" techniques in order to offer them to you. The Best of exceptional individuals like Milton Erickson, Richard Bandler, Tony Robbins and others are distilled for you. Here is the stuff that really works!

Healers Have Been Healed

The healers are back from Costa Rica! We had an amazing time receiving healings and getting adventurous in the jungle. Most of all, we enjoyed the opportunity to get to know each other on an even deeper level. Between the shamanic soul retrieval, reiki circles, and salsa dancing we lounged in the pool and climbed waterfalls. And it was all good!

I just had to thank everyone again for making this retreat so amazing! Here is a comment from one of our participants.

"I loved, loved, loved the trip. I loved the combination of healing and adventure. The group gelled well together. I loved healing on the 7 planes. The openness of the setting and the participants, the flow between activities made it hard for me to squish myself back into my office’s four walls. I liked to connection to nature, the warmth, the water, the cicadas, the birds, the trees, the vistas, the sky. The casitas were nicely appointed and well nestled in the hillside for privacy and a feel of fauna. I thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of activities and how you wove them all together. I was definitely ready for an afternoon nap by Wednesday and did sleep for 3 hours!.

You were an awesome leader: guiding with no air of superiority, and very generous with your time and spirit. I hope you received back as much as you gave."

Lightwork Activist

(Janis with Gary Zukav)

In his talk at the Green Festival in San Francisco, Gary Zukav reminded us that a true activist acts from a place of love, rather than from anger. Because there are only two true emotions, fear and love, he invited us to examine our emotions of fear, anger, and sadness and ask ourselves, "What am I afraid of that is perpetuating this feeling in me?"

Earth Stewardship

Spirituality is a difficult word to pin down and define. But, if it could be summed up in a single word, it might be consciousness. The essence of life is consciousness, the goal of our efforts is an increase of consciousness, the solution to our challenges is a shift in consciousness.

The greatest creative force is consciousness. And, of course, as spiritually-minded NLP practitioners and hypnotists we expand that term to include the vast storehouse of the unconscious, which holds potentially conscious information that just doesn't happen to be in the awareness at a given moment.

Increasingly rising into the awareness of popular culture is an accelerating environmental crisis, but also the power of our choices and intentions to heal the Earth. It's not surprising that the greatest, most important step in reversing damage to the environment is to be conscious of how our lifestyles impact the planet. Only from a position of consciousness can we reevaluate these choices and make positive changes to embrace our role, as individuals and as a species, of Earth stewardship.

The connection between spirituality and Earth stewardship was recently made explicit at the Bioneers Conference by Evon Peter, chairman of the Native Movement, whose very presence onstage with a host of other indigenous Americans from various tribes was a reminder that we are all guests on this planet and that our connection to the forces of creation, the Great Spirit, come up through our relationship with the land and our bodies, not in spite of them.

It was in this spirit that Janis and I recently attended the Bioneers Conference and Green Festival in the San Francisco Bay area. It was truly remarkable to see how the environmental movement has grown from a few very expensive and inconvenient items that required great sacrifice, to a loving community with its own alternative economy of easy to use products literally covering every aspect of daily life from clothes, food and pet care to furniture, cleansers, media and office equipment. It's not just about alternative energy (though that's important, too)! With the holiday shopping season now upon us, this is a fantastic time to learn about these new companies and their products, and to share this knowledge through our gift-giving.

These two recent events were experiences we cherish and will never forget. We hope you'll take the time to explore this email, save it as a reference, and share in the effort to raise awareness about the environment and fair trade practices. Support our commitment to improving the world through conscious intent -- join us on purpose!

Joe Nicholson
San Rafael, CA
November 2007

Healing the Healer in Costa Rica

I hope this finds you healthy and enjoying this beautiful season. Because I'm very excited and can hardly wait, I'm sending you this invitation now to join Joe Nicholson and I in gorgeous Costa Rica next February! Our plans are finalized, and we're looking forward to taking a group of healers on a journey of healing, exploration, and transformation.

Take a moment to reflect on whether or not you've taken ample time this year to relax and receive energy from others. I know many of us have a tendency to give too much, and we need to be reminded to slow down and take some time for ourselves. If it's time to recharge, meet new people, and have some exciting adventures, consider Healing the Healer.

Healing the Healer in Costa Rica!

DATES: February 9-15, 2008
LOCATION: Ama Tierra Retreat, Costa Rica
OPTIONAL ADDITION: February 16th at Manuel Antonio State Park before heading to San Jose Airport

If you have requested more information on this retreat, we will be sending you a packet in the mail with all the details you need, including an itinerary and a list of what to bring. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Janis (415-491-1122) or Renata (707-694-2691).

Space is limited and we can only take 16 people with us to this beautiful place. Many people have already expressed excitement over this retreat, so be sure to get in early!

December 9th is the last day to register.

In light,
Janis

Spider Handling with NLP

Although Halloween has come and gone, it still seems an appropriate time to address a common, but often ignored, issue- arachnophobia.

Is your first reaction when seeing a spider usually one of fear? If your answer is yes, then you're not alone -- fear of spiders affects millions of people. A survey in England suggests that size, color and leg length are important reasons offered for the fright, with the threat of sudden movement by a spider being the most important, and most chilling, aspect.

Now, arachnophobia can be a mild, inconvenient nagging, or it can be so intense as to trigger a full-blown panic attack. These strongest responses are an automatic, unconscious response, meaning it is completely beyond conscious control. These responses are often the result of a distressing encounter with a spider in childhood, though the original incident may be long forgotten.

So, what can you do to stop this fear? Until recently, desensitization was the typical approach, involving gradual exposure to spiders. Another, newer, approach is to relive the moment when the spider phobia was accidentally acquired and remove the negative feeling. While this is less painful than desensitization, it can still be unpleasant.

Here is a simple formula that will work miracles without any discomfort. Try it on yourself, or call an NLP professional for a session.

1. Put yourself in a really comfortable and safe place. Breathe deeply and rhythmically.

2. In your mind's eye, imagine a spider flashing on a white screen for a second. Keep breathing and imagine relaxing.

3. Let another spider flash in your imagination for 2 seconds. Relax and breathe evenly.

4. Think of the friendliest, most harmless creature you can envision.

5. Slowly morph it into a spider, while keeping the feeling of harmlessness in your mind.

6. Keep going back and forth between the friendly creature and the spider until you can imagine the spider without any fear. If any of the fear remains, call an NLP Practitioner!

Animals at Play

Here's a short video that simply tells a beautiful story that warmed our hearts. Maybe the message is just that no matter what we're supposed to do, we can always choose to just get along. Or maybe it's that fun and play are as important as survival. Click the picture below, watch the video, and tell me what you think!

Fire the Grid

On July 17, 2007 at 11:11pm Greenwich Mean Time, thousand of individuals will be gathering in meditation to improve the state of chaos currently enveloping the earth. These are people disturbed by the rapid deterioration of our oceans and the pollution choking land, sea and air. These are people disgusted by the war and anger that seem all too prevalent today, people appalled at the extreme poverty and hunger rampant in developing nations. These are people ready to "Fire the Grid."

It's now known that within the next twenty-five years there will not be enough clean water, wood or fossil fuels left to sustain the pace of our consumption. Simply put, Earth can no longer support our present habits. But together on July 17 we will reset Mother Earth with a bio-electric "SURGE OF LOVE" from the root of humanity.

Firing the grid will accomplish two things. First, it will pulse healing energy into the center of the earth and regenerate the core, or the heart of the planet. It will also rebuild the flow of energy between ourselves and Nature, and from person to person. Human thought and intention is like a lightening rod, channeling energy to the planet. In recent years, our thoughts have been attracting destruction and scarcity, but now we have the opportunity to come together and create a different world, one where we work together to take care of our planet and each other.

When we sit in meditation and simultaneously hold the intention for a healthy planet and union with our source and environment, we unite our worlds in love, peace, harmony and collective cooperation for a better today and tomorrow. So, please take an hour out of your day next Tuesday and do your part and participate in healing our planet. Thank you!

For more information, please visit Fire the Grid.

Sicko

I began my professional career as a social worker in a small town outside Seattle. Most of my clients were either homeless or on the brink of becoming homeless, and nearly 50% of them were in financial trouble because of outrageous medical bills. So when I first heard about Michael Moore's new film, Sicko, I knew I had to see it.

On opening night I prepared myself for a gut-wrenching look into the American health care system, of which I personally have had a variety of experiences. What I saw was not only shocking, but horrifying. Having been a supporter of Universal Health Care since I first learned of it from friends in England, I was surprised by how many countries are truly using it effectively.

So, I've decided to offer some interesting facts and figures from the film, to encourage you to see the film. It is important for every individual that is self-employed, a healing arts practitioner, and anyone that has any contact with insurance companies. You will not be disappointed!

• There were 44.8 million people without health insurance in 2005. By now the number of non-elderly uninsured by this date clearly would be nearly 50 million.
• 18,000 Americans will die this year simply because they're uninsured.
• America is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage.
• On February 18, 1971, Richard Nixon called for a "new national health strategy" that had four points for expanding the proliferation of health maintenance organizations, or HMOs.
• The United States is ranked #37 as a health system by the World Health Organization.
• Four of the largest health industry companies are accused of wrongdoing in Sicko.
• There are four times as many health care lobbyists as there are members of Congress.
• A majority of senior citizens pay over $2000 a year for coverage.
• Canadians live three years longer than we do.
  
• Drugs in England only cost $10.
• In a study of older Americans and Brits, the Brits had less of almost every major disease. Even the poorest Brit can expect to live longer than the richest American.
• A baby born in El Salvador has a better chance of surviving than a baby born in Detroit.
• Like Canadians and Brits, the French live longer than we do.
• The productivity rate per hour in France is higher than in America.
• There is a company in France which will perform doctor house calls at any time.
• The government initially refused to pay for the health care of 9/11 volunteers, because they were not on the government payroll. It remains difficult for the volunteers to access the $50 million fund that has been appropriated for their care.
• In Cuba, access to health care is universal. And, Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate and a longer average lifespan than the United States.

Go see SiCKO and see for yourself how life in this country could truly be great.

Casting the Net

Everything that exists in our modern world was first conceived in the mind. The power of imagination is evident in the modern world all around us. We recognize and acknowledge it so readily art and music, and yet we most often forget that imagination also directs the way we live our lives.

Albert Einstein understood the faculty of imagination. He knew that dwelling on what was purely "realistic" negated the magic of limitless possibility. And thus a not particularly good student working in the U.S. patent office became an icon for intelligence and imagination. Roger Bannister was the first person to run a four-minute mile. If he’d believed everyone who said it wasn’t possible, he would never have broken the world record.

Exceptional people have the courage to dream big. The first step to success in any endeavor, whether the goal is to achieve your desired weight, start a new business, or improve your marriage, is to imagine what it will be like when you are there. Take a couple minutes for yourself and follow these steps:

1. Bring to mind something that you really want, but don't fully believe you can have, or deserve.
2. Pretend it's one year from now, and that you have achieved the best possible outcome. How do you look, feel, or act? Experience what is it like to have succeeded.
3. Now, take this information, and write it down, sketch it out, or tell someone about it!

This short exercise activates your imagination, which is, in essence, directing the flow of energy. By imagining your ideal, you set in motion a chain of events that lead to your success. My maternal grandmother, a successful entrepreneur, used to say to me, "Think longer, think smarter, think BIGGER!"

Home Sweet Home

We've just returned from our May series of NLP and Hypnosis classes in sunny South Florida. What a success! I want to extend another heartfelt "Thank You" to all of our participants. You made all the hard work and long hours seem like a breeze. I am personally looking forward to working with all of you again.

In the meantime, we are catching up on our calls and emails and getting ready for the next series this summer. Reiki classes begin this weekend in CA, and more NLP and Hypnosis are coming up in July. Joe is working on our distance learning program, and I'm working on my book. It's a busy month, and we love it!

Here's to an exceptionally successful June!

Broken Mirrors

After interviewing 3,200 women in 10 countries, a 2004 study found that only 2% considered themselves beautiful, and nearly 50% believed they were too fat.

There's an obvious link between how you see yourself and how you feel about yourself, but your body image can actually have a powerful effect on your health, too. Eating disorders, for example, can be complex issues with many causes and many symptoms, but one constant between them is body image. In a recent German study of 56 people with eating disorders, each anorexic and bulimic overestimated their actual body mass.

While there is uncertainty as to what exactly precipitates the development of a distorted body image, it is clearly related to insecurity and self-worth. Our view of ourselves comes primarily from the outside world, including media, role models, peers, and family. In my private practice with clients, I've found that body image gets distorted over time through a process of frequent comparisons to others.

My method for treating eating disorders and body image distortion uses NLP and hypnosis to neutralize the representations created through harmful comparisons. The seven steps below use basic principles to normalize the body image and create positive feelings about self.

1. Elicit the current self-image (size, shape, location of image)
   
2. Regress to cause of the image distortion (use hypnosis or time lines)
   
3. Elicit and anchor resource states of safety, acceptance, love, and "good enough"
4. Link resource states to imprint memory & give supportive suggestions
   
5. Progress into the future and conduct an "As-If" frame (how did you overcome this issue?)
6. In the present time, holding an accurate picture of the client, begin to code the old self-representation to match
7. Fire off resource anchors again as they view the accurate self-representation
   

After completing these processes over a period of time, additional clean-up may be necessary. Be sure to address behaviors, such as binging and food choices, utilizing anchoring and hypnosis. You may also consider creating a new identity that involves healthy eating and emotions.

Support Freedom in Health Care

Created in 1962 by the United Nations, Codex Alimentarius (Latin for "food code") is the set of global standards governing every aspect of food production, distribution and trade.

However, Codex Alimentarius threatens to dramatically reduce our health freedoms. Health-conscious consumers may lose the ability to purchase many of the organic foods, nutritional supplements, and herbs we take for granted. Sixty percent of the world's population that depend upon herbal medicines will not be able to afford pharmaceutical drugs to replace them. And, the new laws requiring genetically modified crops, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in foods will be cost-prohibitive to people living in developing nations, leaving billions of people to die as a result of these policies.

In the United Stated our health-care rights and freedoms are currently protected by a Federal law enacted in 1994 called Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). DSHEA considers nutritional supplements and herbs to be foods and as such, there is no upper limit on dosages. This act protects our rights as consumers and guarantees the rights we currently have.

There is a good chance that without consumer participation, the US Congress will adopt Codex Alimentarius for our import and export standards, and act to repeal or significantly weaken DSHEA.

Here are a few facts about Codex from Rima Laibow, MD:

• Codex requires that all meats, poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables must be irradiated by Dec. 31, 2009.
• Codex requires that all dairy cattle are to be given Monsanto bovine growth hormone by Dec. 31, 2009.
• Codex reclassifies vitamin and mineral supplements as toxins and dramatically limits their dosage and availability.
• Many nations have already harmonized their laws with Codex making it their de facto law. This has already been approved by the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and others.
• Codex allows significant trade sanctions to be levied against noncompliant nations.
• In 2005 there were five bills submitted to congress to weaken or eliminate DSHEA.

It was only through the awareness and actions of the American consumers that DSHEA was passed in 1994. Please act now to support freedom in health care!

Incidents at Virginia Tech

Not often do I feel the need to comment on gun violence, but this event has struck too close to home. Not only is Virginia Tech my alma mater, it is a place that I hold near to my heart. I chose to attend Tech the moment I first drove into town. I grew up in the suburbs of Ft. Lauderdale, and I had no idea that such beauty and serenity existed in any community, especially a small town like Blacksburg. In the 4 years I spent at the school, I always felt safe and secure. Doors were never locked, and everyone got along.

When my sister called yesterday to tell me the news (I rarely watch), I was in disbelief. After spending several hours trying to contact my friends that still live and work in Blacksburg, I spent some time watching the footage online. The idyllic background hardly seems like the setting for a tragedy such as this.

I ask and encourage each one of you to take a few moments and send love and blessings to the town, its residents, and the families affected by the events. Now is the time for lightwork, not for grief or self-indulgent sadness. Let's raise the vibration for healing for those who really need it. Thanks for reading and for your loving thoughts.

The 90 / 10 Principle

"The secret of life isn't what happens to you, it's what you do with what happens to you."
-Norman Vincent Peale

What would be different for you if you knew that your life is decided, not by the things that happen to you, but by your reactions to them?

If we were to examine our lives, we'd recognize that we have little to no control over 10% of what happens to us. Cars break down, planes arrive late, and spills happen. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different, because you have a choice in your reaction. You may not be able to control a red light, but you can control your reaction to it. And although it may not appear to be possible, you can control how you react to anything.

Our responses to the world around us are learned behaviors, not accidents. And because they're learned, we have the opportunity to unlearn them and make a new conscious choice.

For example, imagine eating breakfast with your family before heading to work. One of your kids knocks over a cup of coffee onto your shirt. While you have no control over what just happened, what happens next will be determined by how you react. In one scenario you curse and blame everyone at the table for your misfortune. You storm upstairs, change your shirt and come back down to leave for work. Your kids are too upset to get ready for school and so miss the bus. You rush to the car and drive your kids to school, but because you are late, you drive 15 miles over the speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and a traffic ticket, you arrive at school. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse.

Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it? C) Did the policeman cause it?
B) Did your kids cause it? D) Did you cause it?

Not surprisingly, the answer is "D" . You had no control over what happened with the coffee, but how you reacted in those next 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. So, let's try on another option.

Coffee splashes over you. Your kids are about to cry. You gently say, "It's OK. Please just be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs. After changing your shirt and picking up your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your kids getting on the bus. You arrive at your office on time, and look forward to going home to your family at the end of the day.

Two different scenarios with the same beginning and different endings. Which would you prefer?

Remember the 90/10 principle, and stop worrying! Use the leftover energy for something more positive and uplifting. And remember, 90% of life is made up by the choices we make every day. Choose well, and have an amazing month!