Emotional Insight Words...

Your emotions color your experiences...so check your crayons! Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Living in disorder or addiction is like existing in a room without air or light. It's time to change things. As I write & teach in this field, I must also walk the walk. It's rather like enforced self-discipline. However, I'm not complaining. Like everyone else, I've been through dark & light experiences in my own life & while it does take work to go towards or stay in the light, this is the way I prefer to pay the piper.

My patients & students come to know that there are 4 steps to self-managing, & while all are equally important, the order of progression is also important. Just like in the game of baseball, first base comes first.

We get out of all disorders or messes in the same way...climbing the same 4 steps, over & over. These include high level nutrition, heightened awareness or focus, thought & emotion managing & interactive self-hypnotic imagery.

But before any climbing, we must wake up....& then we can bring the steps of organization to all the facets of our problems & issues, including addictions.

When one area of a life is in disarray, you won't have to look far to find another. Disorder & stress go hand in hand, bringing imbalance to the mind and body. Addictions become the easy answer for managing the discomfort. We can grow to like, even love our addictions & like any other bad relationship, they can consume us. It is important to understand that while we may have genetic tendencies towards addictions, we do have choices in the matter. We can choose to stop.

Changing disorderly life patterns & addictions means giving up those dangerous relationships while managing stress in new ways. This is where most people make their mistake when looking to stop smoking, drinking, bingeing, etc. First order of business is to have a very good stress management program in place, one that includes the 4 steps of this program.

Managing emotions is key to managing addictions & disorder. From the time you were born, you have been developing your own brand of emotional-patterning. Some of the patterns have been heavily etched & are super-automatic. You may have mentored some of these from others, especially when you were very young & more sponge-like. At that time of life you absorbed everything, even if you didn't like it or agree to it.

A good exercise is to become aware of what you dislike, or what annoys you about your parents or siblings, then look for those tendencies in yourself. You can do the same exercise with your significant other relationship, or your relationship with your children. Try the same mind game with your work relationships. They will be there as well. It's not uncommon to be blind to one's own patterns, as well as to the emotional states that automatically attach to them.

Once a negative pattern has been self-embedded, it must be removed subconsciously. If not, the pattern will have a tendency to adhere to other experiences "in the moment" or even to future experiences..

Let's work with this example.

Suppose you are thinking about meeting someone you know. You have a history of being annoyed with this person's idiosyncrasies. In your present thoughts, your emotional state crayons are already engaged, coloring your expectations. Even if that person isn't demonstrating the irksome traits in the real-time meeting, you will probably find yourself in your old programmed mind-state anyway, responding "as if" there were.

Let's work with a different future-paced example.

Suppose you are going on vacation. On the last vacation you had difficulty adjusting to a non-working relaxed state, finding the vacation finished before you really began enjoying yourself. Even though your current vacation is not for some time, you are already anticipating this, probably playing it in the theater of your mind. This is a special kind of mind program called a negative expectation. If you play this over and over, you will actually pre-program enhanced mind and body tension. Other negative emotions may choose to join in with their negative color crayons. The chances of an enjoyable vacation is becoming slimmer with each negative mind-etching.

If you have been reading this blog, you are familiar with Knowledge Hooks. Let's program one here. Remember, because we have categorized the following in a special mind container, the subconscious mind will file it differently.

KNOWLEDGE HOOK. Working with emotional states is a skill just like anything else. We have emotions that work in a positive way for us & others that don't. These are often called negative emotions, but it's important to keep in mind that even negative ones also have their good points & can be useful in certain situations. You'll come to understand that these emotions can help to open the subconscious mind through releasing.

When looking at emotional states it's a good idea to know that there are hundreds of them. Few people can name more than twenty. . Some emotions are experienced as having negative high-power such as anger. You also have positive high-powered emotions as well, for example ecstasy could be considered in that group. You also have negative lower-powered emotions, for example annoyance & on the positive side you might consider the emotion of being pleasant.
Sometimes the momentary experience is about the choice of emotion & other times it's about the intensity of the crayoning.

Interactive awareness practice helps you to see the details & what is truly unfolding in the moment. How good are your self-observation skills? While most of us can name or describe our high-powered positive & negative emotions, most of us fall short when it comes to the lower-powered ones. This is most unfortunate because these are the emotions that hang around more frequently, coloring daily experiences & are usually the ones responsible for stress related diseases, as well as interfering with goal achievement. We often call them our personality traits, often believing that they can't be changed because "they are who we are."

This in itself conjures up some interesting images. For example, what would happen if one's anger, resentment & failure programs were diminished or removed? Would they evaporate? This is a living example of how "nonsense language" finds it's way into our subconscious mind programs.

MIND EXERCISE

Just imagine how much power you have given to your emotions over the years & still tend to give! Think about today. Can you locate any moment or group of moments forming a remembered experience when your emotional child-self was in charge & not your mature self? Sit back and view this happening on your mind screen? How would you rate this production? The library of your mind is filled with these experiences.

The good news is that if you have been following this blog, you know how to release these programs. If you have missed any blog entries, please click on the BLOG ARCHIVE LINK below. The entire blog is located there.

In future blog entries, we'll climb up to step four, where you will be able to re-edit old mind programs with future-paced images of what you truly want to have & experience.

Here's another KNOWLEDGE HOOK for your subconscious mind:

Most of us are not in touch with our emotions, especially the subtle ones. Emotions can present themselves in a clear fashion, making them easier to identify or name, or they can be muted.. Some trigger big physical sensations, while others tend to play under the surface, but they are there if you look.

Some are regulars and play on automatic pilot. Others are new to a particular experience, often surprising us with their outbursts and connected thought patterns. We can invite emotions through simple conversation, so it is important to watch your patterns.

As you begin to notice the emotions you entertain, you may be surprised. Victim is one of those that is so common place, it reminds me of the flu season. Pay attention to how people tend to moan and groan, even about simple things. Ask the next person you know "how they are doing" Don't be surprised if you meet up with the victim emotion. Listen to the tonality. It can be quite dramatic. Sometimes we dub this "drama queen or king." We all have it !

The more emotions you can spot, the better for you. Make it a life-game. Look for them in yourself, as well as in others. See them in a detached way, as children wearing tee shirts. Some work well for you, while others do not. Remember, they come in different strengths, so stay awake.

Playing with images in this way will not only empower you, but will help you in your relationships with others. When you actively practice disassociation, you separate the emotions in other individuals as well. Then you can program your mind to see the higher parts of that person, as well as the separated negative emotions, making it easier to handle conflicts & negotiations.

ARCHIVED BLOG

I now understand that I choose my emotions, my thoughts, my attitudes & my outcomes...Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Offerings for Publishers, Editors & Agents
Beyond Disorderly Eating...The Truth About Sugar & Bingeing & How to Stop
mindSCRABBLE...The Game of Programming Your Mind for What You Want

Affirmational Plant Words

The most effective way to cope with change is to help to create it....L.W. Lynett

Affirmations are complete mind programs, setting the stage for inner self-interaction & change. You can weave them in many different ways throughout your daily life. Thought-talk is very powerful. What you think is what you get. Earlier on you learned that every thought is a goal waiting to happen. You also know that your thoughts are actual goals, ignited by your emotions and their crayons. The more tools you have, the better for you.

KNOWLEDGE HOOKS are educational mind-programs that attach themselves to subconscious mind files already in place OR file themselves in new file-folders in the library of the mind. Let's work with one here.

Change is always a matter of choice. Awareness or knowledge is usually not enough to motivate change. As you walk through the workshop of the world you will hear people who have identified their problems, but not the tentacles under the surface, having no motivational or action programs to propel them into the actual desire to change. Sometimes they will begin, but if the programs for persistence and consistency are missing from their tools belts, they will end up quitting at the first road-block opportunity.

You might even notice that they appear "happy" to see the road-block, as they have been looking for some excuse along the path to assist in their rationalization of not pushing forward. You will hear it in their language and see it in their expressions, both big and small. If you look closely you might see a secondary emotion underneath the presenting one. For example, in the heat of rationalization look for a glimmer in the eye, or a small "almost smile" sitting on the lips. You may have even felt this in one of your moments!

The higher your awareness, the easier it is to keep the path clear and to stay open to choice. Keep in mind that both conscious and subconscious thought can lead you down the path of unimaginable incredible success if you so choose.

Affirmations, or self-talk help to keep the path clear and aid in the heightening of awareness. These are mini-mind programs that can be utilized independently, right in the moment. For instance, if you want to build motivation in a particular goal area, you might work with affirmations designed for that particular goal.

There are thousands of affirmations already written and ready to be planted. Your local bookstore is filled with choices for you. But, once again, it is not enough to simply read or have knowledge. It's like holding a packet of seeds in your hand. No matter how long you hold it, the flowers will never grow there. They have to be planted and nurtured.

Why do affirmations work for some people and not for others? What can you do to get great results from your affirmation planting? As with everything else, it's best to start at the beginning. If you have worked with affirmations in the past, review in your mind why you decided to do so, as well as how you went about it. Also check out your attitude and energy.

There are some very common mistakes that people make in working with affirmations. It is certainly not sufficient to just say something to yourself over and over. If you were your subconscious mind, how impressed would you be with that delivery?

It is absolutely vital to literally sell the affirmation to the inner mind, conveying belief in what you say and what you want. Without this kind of energy backing the planting, you could go along mumbling affirmations to yourself forever without ever seeing any change at all. If you've given up on affirmations, have another look for they are a great investment in your time.

MIND EXERCISE

In our work here, you will be sending Affirmational Plants to your Inner Librarian & firing them with hot imagery. Always choose one that is meaningful to you. You might also like to write them out on individual cards to be placed within your view throughout the day. Once the accompanying imagery is planted, all you need is a cue card to remind you to play the mini-program. I'll give you some suggestions for imagery, but your own subconscious mind may prefer to build your own , so go along with it as long as it is positive. Never, ever plant a negative affirmation!

Approach each affirmation as if it were a gift sitting on the table, waiting for you to open. it. I suggest you work in the level of deep relax. Each time you sit down to work with affirmational planting, simply place your fingertips on your lower abdomen and allow it to fill with a deep yawn breath. Quietly observe as your fingers ride up and down on your lower abdomen. Now allow your body to become heavy in the chair where you are resting. After reading this paragraph close your eyes gently and tilt them up about 20 degrees, just as if you were sitting in the second row of a movie theater. You will begin feeling the internal changes in your body. This is relaxation.

Your brain waves will have slowed, stress chemicals will have diminished and you will be at the door of your subconscious mind. Stay here for a few moments and enjoy how easy it is for you to go even deeper down, allowing your body to become even heavier than before. You can then open your eyes and choose to feel alert, focused and ready to begin subconscious exploration.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Take your time and don't rush the process. Sell these to your subconscious mind as if you life depended on it. Whatever your mind comes away believing you will achieve! Make certain it is what you truly want!

Let's practice with a simple affirmation:

I AM ADAPTABLE. Ask yourself what it means to you to be adaptable. Think about your work in managing any current problem or issue. Image the word adaptable next to the subject of your work. Verbalize this to yourself internally &also speak out loud. With your eyes tilted up slightly, go back in time and find a memory link where you adapted easily to some situation. Now mind-write the word adaptable over this memory picture. Bring the picture forward, making it brighter. Perhaps see it as a memory-movie. Allow yourself to feel the emotion of self-power as you view this.

Repeat the affirmation with animation and emotion connected. Now future pace. See yourself sometime in the future or in a particular area of your life being adaptable & feeling the emotion of the memory. Image your current problem or issue work & connect the feeling memory file with these images. You have now placed a future mind program into your subconscious mind that is energy and emotion driven.

Try this one. I AM RECEPTIVE TO CHANGE. There are two key words in this affirmation. One is receptive & the other is change. In a way they are two different programs. To be receptive is to welcome. This is a particular action with a certain emotional marinade. It is upbeat & accepting. One must mean what they say. If not, the subconscious mind does not understand what you want. The word tends to be meaningless without the proper chemical code. Let's take receptive separately & go back into your memory base looking for inner files when you were displaying high end receptivity.

Divide your mind screen into two parts and place the example of receptivity on one side. Now let's work with the second word. Change is a super-charged word & for many people this is negative-based. If you tend towards negativity in relation to change, see yourself washing off the word "change." Clean it up.

Go back into your memory bank, finding a file representing a positive change. Place this image up on your mind screen next to receptive. Repeat the affirmation now as you view the double screen, allowing the emotional chemical code to flow in your mind-body. Now place the words representing your problem or issue up on the mind screen, allowing the chemical code to flow over the image, as well as through your body. Feel it. Well done.

ARCHIVED BLOG

I'm learning to work inside my mind images. I perform mind-changes with mental skill & dexterity...Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Excuse Words

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else...Benjamin Franklin

Excuse making is a bad habit & one best brought to heightened awareness & dealt with on a regular basis. Having a habit means that something lives on automatic pilot. Interactive self-hypnosis is a great way to deal with all sorts of habits, but today I'm going to focus on my own excuse catalog & share some of the ways I work with myself introspectively.

My patients are often surprised when I share my own life experiences with them. For some reason they think that I should be without issues or problems, in other words perfect. Sharing battles, lessons learned & strategies for building success works as a good rapport builder. As I mentioned in an early blog entry, we are both teachers & students at the same time.

The need or desire to be perfect is filled with potential for disaster. Much of my experience in excuse making came from the years when I thought that I needed to meet this unattainable position. Growing up in a critical household, along with others who deemed themselves flawless, set the stage for my own journey in this unfortunate direction.

As a young child, I can remember lying through my teeth to self-protect. I was well motivated by internal movies of what would happen to me if my imperfect authentic self was seen for who she was. And so, I became expert at deception & excuse-making. I would happily accept my successes, but find ways to hide my failures, no matter what their size. I clearly remember the fear that surrounded this hiding activity, how it added to my body tension, eventually causing a myraid of physical problems that even lead to hospitalization.

Here's some things that I know after years of working on my own introspection. Making excuses robbed me of self-authenticity. It allowed me to negate responsibility & blocked my path to success in so many areas of my life. I was not free to learn from my mistakes, perceived or real. I became locked in my excuses, instead of being involved in my creative thought processes that could have assisted me in solving the problems, therefore learning more about the world. Obviously, making excuses is a bad habit & one over which we want to have better control.

After awhile, I found that I believed many of the excuses I designed. I saw myself as incapable of doing many things, afraid to begin, so I could avoid failure. That seemed easier than failing & then having to hide it. When I was accused of procrastinating, I simply hid away, hoping that others would just forget about me.....leaving me alone. I'm sure this frequented scenario let to my issues with social anxiety that followed me into adulthood.

Heightened awareness has helped me, over the years, to uncover the fears underneath my excuses. I've asked my subconscious mind librarian to bring these to my attention. I remember placing these suggestions & then being bombarded with fear-awareness. I never realized how much fear I actually had already programmed.

You know the old saying, "be careful what you ask for"..... Part of me wished that I wouldn't see all that I was seeing, but I knew enough to understand that these were gifts from my own inner-self, for in order to diminish an emotion, or to change a mind program, one has to be able to see or own it. I now owned plenty! If fear were money, I was a rich person.

In any given day I have the opportunity to work with my fears, my excuses & my rationalizations. They are all in the same negative bank account. Each time one surfaces, I can transition it & then deposit it in a more favorable account, preferably one of creativity & success.

It's quite easy to transition an emotion or a behavior with interactive self-hypnosis. The first step is to be willing to see it & own it. The second step is to release it, either totally or in small segments. This is the most common way, especially if the fear or behavior is big, or has been around for awhile. Next, relax deeply & access the mind programming screen. If you tilt your closed eyes up about 20 degrees, it's sitting right there, just as if you were in a movie theater.

Image what you want on the screen as if you already had it. Energize it with positive & powerful emotion & there....you have transitioned a negative into a positive!

ARCHIVED BLOG

I welcome the noticing of my fears, excuses & rationalizations. I systematically release & transition them in goal-orientated active images. I'm taking care of myself in new ways..... Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Authentic Words

Our eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing...Publius Syrus

Each of us has our own optical collection.

We see things through the lenses we have collected over the years. Some were given to us by others when we were very young. As we became older we produced additional lenses from our experiences, but these often contained particles or frames from those earlier lenses.

Each day we continue to etch lenses. If we tend to be a follower, those lenses seem to appear automatically in our collection, often without even checking them out. We begin to think like those in our circle, even if this way of being is opposite to our authenic self.

This type of lense conflict often causes great stress in the mind & body, as we are pulled by the opposing forces. This is easily seen in teens & young adults who want to belong to their peer group, no matter what the cost, but still want to be close to family. You can also spot this happening when someone moves to a new job or even to a new neighborhood. It's like they are two completely different people. Pay attention to this tendency in your Self. While we all have it, what's important is the degree. Yes, we want to fit it, but no, we don't want to lose our authentic Self.

I remember looking in the mirror one day & not knowing who was looking back at me. After a moment I realized that I was looking at myself. That moment still stings me. I came to know that I truly had lost touch with me. Somewhere along the line I had grown old & so serious.

A rather peculiar thought entered my mind. When was the last time I played hop-scotch? What ever happened to my pogo-stick? Where were my skates? I don't remember making a conscious choice to rid my life of these things. When was the last time I sang out loud, just for my own enjoyment, without even thinking what other's would think? Where did that part of me go?

So, do we ever know when we are doing something for the last time? Do we take the time to honor these important aspects of our lives? Do we even consider their importance?

These thoughts began some change reaction thinking on my part, some of it a bit un-nerving. The end result was that I realized the level to which I had ignored or lost my authentic Self. Once again, how can someone not recognize their reflection in a mirror?

In my private practice I meet up with lost people every day. As my patients are telling me the complications of their situations, I can actually see the young child who became disengaged, just as I had become. When did the child despair & turn to alcohol? Why did the child stop eating healthy foods that allowed him to run so fast & jump so high? Why wasn't that important anymore? When & why did life get so heavy that the child had to run for cover? Where is the child now & what has to happen to bring the child out of hiding & to integrate with his authentic self?

Working with interactive heightened awareness & interactive self-hypnosis gives us many frames to do just this. As the body & mind relax deeply, it is easier to enter the images of the past & to reclaim the authentic child. In an earlier blog entry we did just this. But taking possession of the child, is just the beginning.

Next we must learn to love & care for our young authentic self at the deepest & most subtle levels. Besides loving & honoring, we must provide the practical things of life, including nutrition, deep relaxation, care of emotions, as well as delivering healthy, detailed images to work towards. We know these as goals. Each goal, big or small, is seen as a gift to be studied & cultivated.

In interactive imagery we can clean up the past. In a previous exercise we removed layers that had been placed by others. Now, as we stay in heightened awareness, we can easily see & sense further details, perhaps habits & behaviors that are like dirt under the fingernails. Not for our authentic self !! The more we become aware, the more power we have & as we release these seemingly small, but important specks of dirt, we are free to look at the detailed goals that we've designed as gifts for ourselves.

ARCHIVED BLOG

I keep my fingernails clean. My goals are gifts that open their details before me.... Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Self-Observing Words

It is necessary to try to surpass one's self always; this occupation ought to last as long as life....Queen Christina


Self-observations from yesterday....it was a day like all the rest, but it was also completely different from any day I've ever had.

This is a truism for all of us. Days may appear to be the same on the surface, but they are never the same. We are entertained by different happenings, different thoughts & always different emotional visitors or marinades. We meet up with different people, or the same people who share different words & different moods. We always learn new things & hopefully teach new things as well. Remember, we are all students & teachers at the same time.

Self-observing is a major key to self-growth. If we fail to pay attention to the day at hand, it has the tendency to slip through our fingers, taking the gifts of the day with it. Sometimes gifts of the day are wrapped in strange ways & so only the most keen observer can spot them. These are usually the most powerful gifts & so developing a high level of awareness both for your Self & in relation to others has the potential for changing life in big ways.

So, how do you go about doing this when the day only has 24 hours & for some reason, it is always completely filled with things to do? Enter your own inner-coaching system or your cooperative & powerful subconscious mind.

I might have mentioned in an early blog entry that less than 2% of the population knows how to utilize the power of the subconscious mind to any great degree. This is very sad, because it isn't all that difficult. In a more perfect world, children would learn these mind-tools in school & as they matured, they would teach their own children, establishing a new pattern of parenting. Back in the 80's I did some of this teaching in our local school system & remember how eager the children were, as well as how well they did. Unfortunately, the funds were not there & so the program fizzled.

One begins awareness training by practicing stillness. In my private practice, once the initial interview with the patient is completed, I begin to teach this first step. It never ceases to amaze me how much resistance there is to becoming still & quiet. Even if the individual wants to, the body & mind may set up a parade of reasons why they cannot do this.

Pay attention to how much noise we entertain & how much we invite into our lives. I remember my first meditation teacher telling me to keep my house free of invited noise for the first hour or so after waking. This meant no television or radio. I remember my own personal resistance to this. At that time I had a television or radio in every room, including one in the shower. The idea of listening to my own thoughts was actually frightening to me. I was shocked to find this out about myself. To this day I keep all invited noise out of my life until I'm in my office, or if I'm at home, none for the first few hours.

Driving to work without radio or CD playing allows my mind to present creative ideas. The same happens in the shower or on a morning walk. If you belong to a gym, observe how many people need to be entertained my music or even television programs piped into the treadmill. The message this delivers to the subconscious mind is similar to a parent who is always too busy to listen to their child. If the mind cannot find space to communicate, it simply will stop doing that.

And so, the first part of our awareness work is to build in quiet places, not just in the morning, but throughout the day. In my work I call this fractionation. These are simply mini-islands of purposeful quiet or stillness. Once one becomes adept at doing these, it is possible to enter a mini-island at any time, even in front of others or while in conversation. This is like having direct contact with your most powerful source or heightened intuition, right in the middle of any moment at all.
When we have established this type of inner-self rapport, we are free to request whatever we want or need, or to ask the subconsicous mind to present us with plans or details, as well as to put them in order for us.

Suppose for a moment that you were writing an article or a chapter in a book & you experienced some blocking. How would you like it if your personal inner-assistant would take over your creative process for you, not only making it good, but even better. Suppose the words simply flowed off the ends of your fingers, just as if someone else were placing them on your computer screen or paper. We have all had this experience. It's called focus & flow or being in the groove, etc. How would you like it, if you could have this focus-flow state on demand?

Keep in mind that today you will have the opportunity to receive lots of gifts from those you meet during your day. Practice being still, paying close attention, observing & listening. Look for the gifts. They are there. See if you can spot them & identify them. Ask your own inner-assistant to help you do this. Simply relax deeply, right now.......take a few cleansing breaths & contact this part of yourself. Think what you need or want & do remember to say please & thank you.

I don't have barriers, only wake-up calls to release & learn... Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Self-Image Building Words


Inward ho!...Christopher Morley


Whether you are developing characters for your latest novel or working on your own self-development, it's important to go inside, for that's where all the goodies are located.


Since beginning this blog, I've heard from many of you who have questions about how you can utilize self-hypnosis in different areas of life & especially in your creative endeavors. I certainly welcome your questions & I'm more than happy to build a blog entry around any that you might have. It's not necessary for you to utilize the comment area if you don't want to. You can just write to me directly.


Someone asked me what I considered the single most important focus in the area of self-development. I would have to say, without a doubt, the area of self-image & self-esteem. Of course, self-worth is included in those areas.


In yesterday's blog entry I included a link to an mp3 CD download that does focus on self-image. I hope that you have the opportunity to either listen online or to download this track. This would also give you the opportunity of observing how interactive self-hypnosis is designed & how specific metaphors are utilized. It's just another way of writing & utilizing the power of words & images.


As you see yourself, so you are. As mentioned above, self-image is perhaps the single most important force directing your life, as well as determining what you can & cannot do. It determines whether you walk towards failure or success, fulfillment or frustration, illness or health. There is little that isn't touched by your self-image. Your relationships, your work, your financial position, even your mental, emotiona & physical well-being are under direct control of the pictures & connected beliefs that you have stored in your subconscious mind.


When designing programs, or working directly with patients or students, I must teach them how to enhance & diminish subconscious mind programs. On the mp3 you will come to know how to do the same. In the future, I'll post some additional mp3 techniques for this most important aspect of self-development & high level achievement, especially if someone reminds me.


Once we have this under our belt, we want to have an inner look at the development of our personal self-image, including how it was layered over the years, who layered it, as well as how those layers may continue to influence our lives as we live them today. We can work directly within these metaphorical images & learn to self-examine the layers, then deciding which ones to keep & which ones to toss out.


We can also become aware of which ones do not belong to us & most likely never did. We all have plenty of these. Those were attached, layer upon layer, by those who mentored or parented us in our earliest years & perhaps right up through today, especially if our self-image, self-esteem & self-worth are not in good stead. If you know anyone who grew up in a dysfunctional type of family, you can easily see some of those early layers still playing out, no matter what the chronological age of the person.


When we work with self-image imagery, it's not about blame or guilt or shame. It's about getting it right, once & for all. It's also about deciding what new layers you might like to apply to yourself. Here, within these images, you envision the life you have decided to live & experience. So, in short, this is your life & you are the writer, director & producer.


If you are a writer of fiction, these are ideal techniques for building additional facets for your characters. If you are a non-fiction writer, such as myself, then you want to clear up any old business that may be keeping you hostage & out of the flow of writing. No one needs old layers telling you want is not possible because of this, that or the other reason.


A question I am often asked by my clients & students is how do I choose what I might want to have for myself. For me, this is a very sad question. This individual hasn't even window-shopped in life, much less experienced life out of the shadows.


So, we must come up with some simple questions to present to the subconscious mind, such as... What characteristics do you admire in others? Start to think about role models for yourself. In interactive self-hypnosis, you can choose different aspects from different models. Sort of like building a Mr. Potato Head....but instead of choosing a nose, eyes & hair, you are going to choose aspects of personality & behavior, including some new strengths.


Consider all aspects of your life including work, relationships, personal, financial, spiritual & any others that come to mind. Take quiet time for yourself & truly expect to enjoy this work. My clients & students work in journals utilizing automatic writing for this purpose.


I'm going to utilize the rest of my space today with a particular subconscious mind exercise that is very beneficial to opening the mind for change in the area of self-image.


Relax deeply into the chair where you are resting. Let your body be heavy in the chair, as if magnets were pulling you down. We are going to work in one of my containment images of a goal-den path.


Take some quiet time and enter the door leading to your goal-den path. As you enjoy a short stroll through the gardens, locate a table on your right. There sits your big white book. It has a leather cover with your name written in gold embossed letters. Place your hand on your name and feel it.


Open the book to the first page. This is the day of your birth. There is a picture there of a woman holding a baby wrapped in a blanket. The father sits by the side of the mother. If you only had one parent present at your birth, you may choose to only see that parent. If a parent was missing, but you would like to image that parent, please do so. In reality, the other parent is present because he/she was instrumental in your conception.
You may enter the picture in the book. Simply tap on the upper right hand corner, get the attention of the parents and notice your are standing in front of them. Tell them who you are and where you come from in the life of their child.

Sit in the chair provided. Your Mother will place the baby in your arms. Feel the weight. Smell the smell. Touch the skin, feeling it's softness. The baby is wrapped in a flannel blanket. Open the blanket, observing the baby in its nakedness. See how perfect it is. Admire and touch the baby gently. This is you on the day of your birth.......pure and whole.


Take the baby, placing it's heart over yours. Feel the heartbeat touching you. Hold the baby firmly to your heart, allowing the image to enter. Feel it entering, imaging the baby in your heart. You have now taken control over the management of your inner baby.


As you continue your work the baby will grow strong, without incumbrances. From this time forward, you will make all choices as to what is acceptable to cover your baby.


This is an ideal moment to place some affirmations such as, I'm in control now. I'm designing a life for myself & my earliest self. I've taken back my power. I decide what layers are placed on my baby.


Even if the images sound a bit rediculous & unlike the way you would normally speak, do move past these mind obstacles. Remember, this is communication with the subconscious or child-mind. You are not at a board meeting in the office !


We are all multi-layered, but the choice in layers is up to us. ....Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Creative Thinking Words


Thinking is the art & craft of the human brain....Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht


This is a continuation of the earlier blog on creativity. Like the lungs, heart, stomach, etc., the brain has work to do & one of it's jobs is transforming energy. We feed the brain, along with our other body departments, through high level nutrition ( hopefully ). This is carried through the blood. We also feed the brain through high level ideas....what we read in books, observe on TV, learn from other people & experience in sight, sound, touch, smell, movement & emotion.


Every stimulus throuout our lives is stored in the subconscious mind, waiting to be accessed. Now about stimulus...few would argue that what goes into our mouths, affects our over-all health & well-being. However, fewer seem convinced that what goes into & comes out of our minds is every bit as important. We are repulsed by rotten food, stagnant water, air pollution, etc., but we tolerate a good deal of rotten, stangnant & polluted thinking.


It is important to remember that the images & energies that fill our minds will change our body physiology, as well as influence the people around us & tends to move the world at large. Wellness in thinking means attuning ourselves to the life-giving or death-dealing of our thoughts.


Our thought processes are influenced by many factors in our environment. This is a form of self-hypnosis or automatic-pilot. We have learned to pay attention to some things, while being inattentive to others. Most of the day we are asleep to our thoughts & the emotions that marinade them. This can turn out to be quite dangerous. Remember that creative thought can either help or hinder you. Now I'm suggesting that it can give you life or bring on poor health, perhaps even death.
We have extraordinary choice in life. Most of us stay unaware of our possibilities & this is very sad. Less than 2% of our population understands how to access their own creative process & edit it for high level health & performance. For example, you have a part in choosing which factors will influence you in different arenas of your life, including your thought arena.


You can choose to change the genre of thoughts that come forward, designing them to benefit you, instead of taking you away from what you want to achieve. Just because a thought comes, it doesn't mean that you have to entertain it. Think of a thought as being a guest who is ringing your doorbell. Would you invite in someone who is going to harm your mind & body? I think not. So, it is the same with thoughts. We learn to train the mind to be thought selective. This is accomplished through interactive heightened awareness & interactive self-hypnosis.


It is easy to get stuck in genres that don't work for us. So many challenges of life are about getting unstuck. Stuck is like finding a brick wall on your life-path & then retracing your steps only to find that you took the same old path. This is where creativity comes into play. If you are used to limiting your options to what has, perhaps, worked in the past, then you might feel that you don't have other alternatives. Perhaps you feel safe, even though safe has a resemblance to procrastination.


You may have even developed a habit of being stuck or getting stuck. Maybe your program your mind to do just this. Listen to the language of your thought processes, as well as how you address others in daily conversation. Become a good detection of Self. What can you find out about you? Have a look at useless values, fear of risk, negative brain storming or even false ego. What keeps you locked up in your jail cell? We all have these tendencies, so stay out of victim mode. Those who are willing to see, will succeed in climbing the mountain.


Breaking habitual ways of thinking can get you unstuck. In addition, whenever you break a habit of sorts, positive & powerful energy is released. You can now apply this to whatever images you want to enhance. Perhaps to a project you are involved in creating, maybe to a relationship, or to any other achievement that is on the drawing board of your life plans.


I've thought about placing a link to some self-hypnosis mp3 programs I have online for my patients & clients. The links will change, perhaps each week, so to find the latest link, look to the latest blog posting. Here is the one that is currently available.


Self-Image Download Link - Track 1


This audio is designed to guide you on an inner journey of change where you will enhance your self-image, the inner programming for how you see yourself. You will be working with your inner coach on your personal development. You will be introduced to many new tools that will open new perspectives. You will go into the files of your mind where your self-image was formed. There you will be able to see how this unfolded, who placed what messages in your file & how appropriate these messages are for you now. You will work as the writer/producer/director & edit all files in relation to the formation of your self-image.


You will learn to be aware of inner messages you currently place during your day & how these color experiences, both past & present. Your work on your inner-time line will allow you to take power stamps from the past memory bank & apply these to future goals, even those in the distant future. You will be learning new tools that will assist you in utilizing these powerful images & affirmations for enhancing your self esteem. Includes stress management, thought & emotional management, as well as mental biofeedback training.


ARCHIVED BLOG


The golden opportunity I am seeking resides inside myself in this very moment in time. I can work to access this opportunity....Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Creative Words


You are a creative being. Open your mind & have a look.....Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht


Who is creative & who is not? I often need to answer this question in my work as a clinical hypnotherapist. Beliefs in this area, are like beliefs in any other. They either help or hinder. So, let's get some things straight from from the get-go...


Creativity is within everyone. We are born with it. Those who choose to wake up & utilize it through balance will climb to the lop of the ladder without burning out. So first we must locate theladder & then begin the upward climb.


For most people, the word creativity is more easily applicable to art than to business. In addition, it is rare for one to think of creativity when looking to manage disorderly eating, addiction issues, or any other personal problem. It's important to understand that wherever you find yourself, you are currently working with dynamic & creative mind tools. Just keep in mind that they are either working for you or against you, but they are working.


These tools have lives of their own, so to take conscious ownership of them, to work with them, to recognize them in new & different ways, turns out to be a very creative process. Whether your field of endeavor be painting, writing, publishing, business development, bookkeeping, computer programming, parenting, or managing your own lifestyle behaviors, the tools remain the same.


And so, let me repeat this here... Creativity is within everyone. We are born with it. Sometimes we create problems by allowing our creativity to stay dormant, by not offering it the means of subconscious release. I hope that this blog entry helps you to wake up in this regard.


If you are like any of my patients or students, you might be asking, "What happened to my early creativity? Where did it actually go?" These are important questions, because when we understand the past, we can apply that knowledge to the present & future. Let's explore this a bit. Sometimes we are taught to be uncreative by our parents, teachers, our society, our workplace or our home environment.


So, how is was this accomplished? Here are a few examples for you to extrapolate. Often we are told to stay in the lines or that there is only one right answer or that play is frivolous. We may have even been told that we are not creative & that creativity doesn't belong in our job description. Of course, these are lies!


Let's practice some awareness work & see if we can recognize a creative person in action. Creative people become totally immersed in expressing their inner visions, knowing that their chief challenge is to organize familiar materials in a fresh way. They are curious, adventurous, experimental, willing to take risks. You will find them absorbed in meeting the challenges of their working day.


Creativity is a way of life. It is an ongoing process, not a series of isolated aberrations. It is a productive attitude developed by individuals throughout their lifetimes, not a random good idea that happens to work.


I always tell my patients & students that they can live their life as a work of art. In fact, during hypnosis I often utilize work of art images such as having the person paint images of their own success, or chisel themselves out of a block of carrera marble. It's important for them to realize that creativity is not a destination, but a journey. And so, their weight loss, smoking cessation, behavioral management is all part of a creative journey. This active image now takes on it's own life, breaking up any idea of being hopeless & helpless, instead bringing the individual into an upward spiral of success.


To be creative is a physical & emotional need. When patients ask me why it's important to be creative, they need to know that creativity keeps stress chemical production low & that is excellent news. Over 65% of disease states are known to be stress-connected. So creativity must thrive at all levels in the workplace if it is to be health & achievement orientated. Managers must accept that everyone can be creative & should be encouraged. It's in the best interest of both employer & employee.


So what if you work in a place that does not foster creativity? Obviously, it is much easier to practice creativity in a company whose policies invite it, but corporate policy is not a requirement for individual creative expression. One can bring creative thought & application to any moment of life, whether at work or at home or anywhere else. It's simply a matter of developing some creative mind programs & placing them into the subconscious mind library.


More to come on this subject....


ARCHIVED BLOG


I design my world in the theater of my mind. I am the writer, director & producer of my chosen outcomes.....Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Prosperous Words

In adversity assume the countenance of prosperity, and in prosperity moderate the temper and desires. Livy


I've never met anyone who didn't want to prosper & while they might not verbalize it as such, it will be there if one knows how & where to look. However, it's not uncommon to think small & to negate receiving, especially if one has a low self-worth & self-image. If one grew up in a home where there was a combination of abusive, addiction & lack, then chances are that individual will have less thoughts of prosperity. Those are homes where the child merely looks to survive.


If you were to visit such experiences, you might sense a prosperous feeling when the abuse stops for a period of time. These are recorded as pure joy & reason for celebration. Another example is when the child or even an adult, in such a family of origin is given a very small token or gift resulting in an out-pouring of gratitude. Sometimes the gift may be intangible, such as a smile or kind joke ..... a semblance of normality.


Most of us have no problem giving, but find it difficult to receive. Again, this is attached to low self-worth. It can also be connected to co-dependent living. In the practice of interactive self-hypnosis, we can change these patterns, even if they are very deeply mind-etched from childhood. It's important to remember that old & deeply etched patterns continue to play out no matter how old or even mature the individual may appear.


There is, indeed, a secret inner life within all of us. We may not present this Self to the outside world, but it is there & it is always active. We all live behind masks, but in our privacy we come to know what truly is real for us. That is why it is so important to stay awake, aware, ready to forgive the Self, have compassion for the Self & be ready, willing & able to work with specialized mind & body tools for inner change.


As writers, getting to see beyond the mask makes us better at our craft. It is certainly more difficult, if not impossible, to get truly inside a character, if indeed we haven't done our own awareness work. For me, that is why writing is so therapeutic. Of course, when I work directly with patients, it is absolutely necessary for me to open my own subconscious mind, if I am to help any of my patients open theirs.


Some readers of this blog have asked me for specific examples of how to do this type of self-introspection. I am certainly happy to do so, as space allows. The two most important tools are something I call interactive heightened awareness & interactive self-hypnosis . We can also deem this active imagery or imaginology. Let's go ahead & apply these two keys to the subject of prosperity.


In the practice of interactive self-hypnosis, it is important to relax the mind & the body. This is very different from sitting in front of the TV or playing solitare on your computer. We want to purposefully slow the brain waves to the alpha level. If you have practiced meditation or yoga, you may have experienced this level of brain wave activity. Once you have trained your mind & body, you can actually change brain wave speed in 1/200th of a second. This is often practiced by athletes or others in competitive play or performance. Obviously, if one is having performance anxiety, it's usually not the moment to go into a deep meditative or self-hypnotic trance.


Once the brain waves are slowed, then the door to the subconscious mind is open & available. Since we are working with prosperity, we will want to design some active imagery for this purpose. I like to develop my mind stage-sets around powerful affirmations. They form the frame-work for the stage-sets. Here is a clip from a CD program I designed to enhance prosperity. Keep in mind that the participant is deeply relaxed & already into the subconscious mind library. As the individual participates, the new images are being etched or installed into the subconscious mind.


.....in the clearing we will find the right path leading to the Crystal Cathedral....as we go up the few steps leading to the Cathedral, focus on the rainbows embedded in the crystal blocks....these are rainbows of prosperity....choose one of the blocks & press the palm of your hand against it....real hard now like you are taking a hand print....now find the little pot of gold...remove it gently & notice you can take the coins out, one by one....they are beautifully engraved. I'm giving you a magnifying glass so you can read the inscriptions & as you do, these will enter your own mind library for they are now yours...


I am now seeing new ways of living & new methods of working....I am not confined to the ways & methods of the past...prosperity touches all parts of my life & in ways never experienced before. Titly your eys up just about 20 degrees & locate the screning cloud over there....the cloud opens & you can see yourself in this beautiful new production.....observe your new ways or living.....& now, locate the cloud ladder & climb up....enter the stage & engage yourself in the cloud activity.


We can have anything we can mentally accept, but first we must be able to mentally accept it. Working with interactive self-hypnosis not only gives us this opportunity, but it also allows the subconscious mind to connect to any & all old mind etching that may not have been supporting prosperity & re-program those. Remember that the subconscious mind will take the most recent mind program & super-impose that over any old programs.


ARCHIVED BLOG

The air around me twinkles with gold dust....confidence dust....properity dust. It feels so good to be touched in this way.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Pleasure Words


Do not bite at the bait of pleasure till you know there is no hook beneath it. Thomas Jefferson


It's so easy to fall in love.....& with so many choices, one must be careful to look for that hook. As a clinical hypnotherapist, I work all day, removing hooks & healing the wounds. Some people are so in love with a particular brand of hook, that they actually go out to find another one just like the one that was previously removed. This can even happen before the old wounds are healed, as if the new one will help that process along.


While the love-ordained bait may change, one's hook-preference often remains the same. This is very common in the realm of addictions, be they chemical, food-related or even in relationships. Stop smoking & eat sugar. Stop drinking & drink more coffee. Cut out the coffee & increase the soda. Stop buying shoes & hang out in the book store. Divorce an abusive mate & find another one.


People find pleasure in the strangest things. One of my anorexic patients finds her joy in keeping her weight as low as possible. It doesn't seem to matter that her body is suffering & some of the damage she is causing is permanent, or is setting her up for plenty of displeasure down the road. For her, it is unacceptable to change this hook for a healthier one.


Helping this patient to move away from this pleasure-state & into something would be much more difficult without utilizing hypnotherapy. In hypnotic trance the patient's resistance & defensiveness can be lowered. Here is where the power of choice words & metaphor comes into play.


Fear of letting go the hook is always a hypnotherapeutic consideration. It's not uncommon for pleasure-words to cover this particular emotional barrier. The individual can actually set up a belief that the activity or behavior is pleasurable, when subconsciously they are simply frightened of letting go of it.


I have experienced this myself, in relation to a few of my own pleasures. Shopping was one of these. It wasn't until I self-examined my shopping behaviors & habits that I uncovered how truly tense they made me. Certainly that tension increased when my credit card arrived. Working with spending habits often opens the subconscious library for indepth personal development work. What one finds beneath the surface is often quite illuminating.


Why do so many people have unhealthy pleasures? That's a question I've often asked myself & especially when I meet up with such a vast variety of these in my office practice. An answer, or at least a partial answer, to this question can be found in lack of knowledge & practice of stress management. Take a look at how you release your stress on a given day. You will find the patterns there. Check if they are healthy or harmful. Try to be honest.


While stopping for a drink on the way home may not appear to be a big thing, check this behavior for frequency, as well as the level of desire. How would you respond if you couldn't do it anymore? I heard a lady tell her friend that she would absolutely die if she couldn't binge on popcorn in the movie theater. While that might sound like an exaggeration, this is not the first time I've heard words such as these connected to stopping a potentially harmful behavior.


So, check out your pleasures & give them the litmus test. If they need some cleaning up, decide how you will go about doing this for yourself. At the same time, make certain that you are developing new stress management techniques that will grow into healthy pleasures......if you give them a fair shot.


ARCHIVED BLOG


My mind is my most important digestive organ. If I put junk food in my mind, I will be malnourished. I'm willing to let go & to make changes. It's time.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Successful Words

The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success. Talent is only a starting point in business. You've got to keep working that talent. Irving Berlin

The whole idea of needing to work at something is quite unpopular. Individuals who seek my help as a clinical hypnotherapist often come with the hope that I have a magic wand in my closet. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. While self-hypnosis is a powerful resource, it is not magic. One must build skill, practice regularly & also work to build heightened awareness of Self. It helps to fall in love with the process.

I hear a lot about wanting to be successful at this, that or the other. There are those who want to lose weight or to be motivated to exercise, or to write a book, or to perform in some sport, perhaps professionally. It's so easy & enjoyable to chat about being successful. I enjoy observing these conversations, especially when the deliverer is very animated about what they want or how they view the actual success. Money & fame seems to flow with little or no obstruction. Few, if any, discuss the consistent & persistent work that will be involved.

Yesterday I received a call from someone who was thinking about becoming a hypnotherapist. They had visited my websites & thought that they might like to develop CD programs, as I have done. They wanted to know how to go about all of this & here is the punch line.........how long it would take because they really need to generate some income, like yesterday.

Ouch....

Whenever I hear this question, I do know that the person on the other end of the question isn't going to be a happy camper when they receive the answer. Success takes time. Ideas need to germinate. Creating with a gun to the head usually doesn't work. The idea of working continually for ten to fifteen years on something is not usually what someone has in mind when wanting to experience success.

It's the same with weight loss & management. How long do I have to eat like this? My automatic response to this is usually " how about forever." The idea that the body & mind only need high level nutrition some of the time is a totally rediculous comment, yet I hear it over & over.

Once again, it's easy to talk about success in the realm of weight management & the practice of disorderly eating. If you were a fly on the wall in my office, here are some of the things you would overhear.

I want to be a size 6. I want to weigh 110 pounds. My daughter is getting married & I need to look good for the wedding. Summer is coming & I want to wear my bikini. I need to get this over & done with. How long will it take to drop 2 sizes?

And then...

I need to be able to eat what my husband eats, because I don't have time to cook twice. I don't know how to cook & I have no time to do so. I don't like healthy food. I can't swallow vegetables. There is candy in my office. Others bring in cookies & cakes. I go to lots of parties & I have to eat what the hostess prepares. I don't have any control about food choices because of my family. I have to go out to lunch every day & all that is available is fast food. I can't exercise because I'm too busy, it's too hot, it's dark in the morning, it's dark in the evening, I need a partner, I don't like it, etc.

And then....

Can't you just hypnotize me so the weight comes off, so I lose my belly, so my hips desolve, so my thighs don't rub, etc. etc.? So what do you think of those fat burning pills that work when you sleep. That's sounds about right for me.

While I've been finger-pointing at my disorderly eating groupies, I find the same mindset to successful achieving in just about all areas of desire.

It's one thing to want & quite another to work continually to get it. Whether one wants to write & publish a book, or to win the Olympics, the rules remain the same. Follow Irving Berlin's quote at the top of the blog. It's not enough to just have talent. If you want to be a writer, you have to write. If you want to publish your writing, you need to do the things necessary to accomplish that. Want to win the Olympics? Well, first you need to lace your skates & step on the ice or do whatever your sport of choice demands...... And, you must do these things over & over, as well as fall in love with Self competition.

So what about success in other areas of life, like relationships? Mr. Berlin's advice fits the bill here as well. In every relationship there are at least three separate relationships. And so... stay in awareness of what you need, as well as the needs of the other or others & what you need as a relationship unit.

So magic is out...........awareness & consistent work is in. This is the road to success.

Today is the day I start on the road to success. The seeds to my success are in my imagination in this very moment. I work within those seeds & materialize strong roots.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Regenerative Words


Ideas are the mightiest influence on earth. One great thought breathed into a man may regenerate him. William Ellery Channing


How wonderful it is to be in a field of endeavor that has the potential for touching so many minds & bodies. I've always loved being a nurse & can't remember a day when I didn't delight in going to work. While that might sound a bit "Pollyanna-ish", it truly isn't. I started in my education & career in psychiatric nursing, moving to oncology following graduation. The meeting of those two specialties took me towards my current career as a hypnotherapist.


Working with the power of suggestion & the multiple applications of interactive self-hypnosis are absolute treats. No matter how difficult the patient, there is always tremendous hope for imparting change on the wings of a well defined & delivered set of words. I've seen these changes "in the moment", some of them potential life-savers when delivered in the emergency room, OR, or following an accident. I've witnessed fear moving to the side, so a baby could be born with less pain for the mother. Today I watched a partially locked-jaw open for the first time in two years.


I've observed individuals with addictions accepting the straw of freedom, as they are given tools to release their basically useless guilt & shame. I'm rather fond of addicted people, as well as those with eating disorders. It will always excite me to build an image for someone who has failed repeatedly at something, or has lost faith in his or her own power.


Writers can & do experience the same. Real people with real problems & issues will hold your very words in their hands. Simple words can make huge changes. We are never fully aware of what a simple phrase or image will do & how a life will change because you thought to write it. If you are a writer & not feeling the human connection to your potential readers, I'd suggest that you work with creative self-hypnosis to achieve this. It truly doesn't matter what you are writing. If someone is going to read it, you do want to feel that connection as you create.


Today I had the pleasure of working with a young writer who has been experiencing creative blocking. She is very talented, but her blocks tend to be big, besides harboring aggressive behavior. During our session today, the blocks were actually conversing with me....of course through the patient. It was, indeed, my pleasure to work with her in their dismantling them & in so doing we were able to free her creative work from the prison where it had been held hostage by the poorly behaved blocks.


As I mentioned before in this blog, I have my own creative & emotional blocks that would love to have their way with me. Fortunately, I'm able to spot them quite easily now, before they get too settled in. Once I spot-light them, they are mine for the duration that I allow them to remain. My power returns, just like a genie. I'm now free to diminish them, and/or open them for the presentation of inner clues. All negative, all blocks do contain worthwhile positive aspects. As one learns to harvest these, creativity soars.


ARCHIVED BLOG


I consider myself on a very long journey. I sustain my personal vision of success until I achieve it....and then I continue right along.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Tired Words


Woe unto them that are thired of everything, for everything will certainly be tired of them.
CK. Chesterton


The landscaper placed some new plants in the front of our home. Like a new doting parent, I wanted to know everything about helping the young plant towards a long & healthy life.

After going through the feeding & watering schedule, he reminded me to pay attention for any signs of plant-tiring. This certainly caught the attention of the new mother. "What does that mean?" "Simply put"...said the landcaper, "the plant isn't getting what it needs & so that must be corrected. Remember to pay attention to the small details. Watch how the leaves turn inward, rolling on themselves. Feel them. Notice if any mold has appeared."

I'm not new to tiredness. In any given day, I am surrounded by a multitude of tired people & this in itself can be a tiring experience. It's so easy to be sucked up in a sea of tired words or physical expression, especially when presented by experts in the field of being tired. Perhaps you know some of them. Even the word "hello" can be drenched in the stuff.

I have some patients who phone me regularly. It takes all the strength I can muster to stay out of their drowning pool. One woman, in particular, has a very toxic voice- tonality. When she speaks, I can sense my own neurological system going out of balance. As the hormones surge, my back & shoulders tense. My heart beat quickens, along with my respirations. It's all I can do to sit still. This is a living example of the true mind-body connection & as a health care professional, I do know to pay attention.

Stress chemicals are stored in the body, rather like a bank account. The body doesn't forget. Changes are always taking place. Some things we sense immediately & others will not present themselves until some time down the road. This is how stress-related diseases come to be. Few of us are without these, including myself. As the old cliche goes, if I new then what I know now, things would be different.

Back to the tired plant & the wisdom of the landscaper. "Give it what it needs."

My inner voice absorbs this & connects it to myself. What do I need & where do I get it?
It's brought to my attention that "As for the plants, one needs to provide that for them because they can't up-root & go to get what they need. But being a self-responsible adult, I can find out what I need & provide it to myself. "

Few of us think in this way. We tend towards dependence, like the plant, waiting for someone to notice that we are uncomfortable or needy & then blaming or resenting if our needs are not meant. We become tired of it all.

This is stressful living.

Individuals who choose to follow this path usually go on to practice unhealthy release, mainly through addiction of some sort, or the presentation of emotional imbalance. Walking around, housing unsavory emotions & sharing them with others is one form of this. At the very least, it is unpleasant, rather like serving spoiled food to your guests. It is also an attempt at controlling. And, if you are alone with your spoiled food, you are simply serving it to yourself.

Make no mistake....the body & mind will be responding, both now & down the path. The piper will be paid.

I just looked at my schedule for today.....and yes, it is filled with tired people & so I'll have special needs to provide for myself. Paying attention to my own inner chemistry & responding accordingly. Remembering the inner bank account & not wanting to over-draw on my reserves. Actually writing my blog entry has already helped me. I'm focused & in heightened awareness of the possible elements that will make my day.

ARCHIVED BLOG

I learn to face my difficulties directly & I always win. I easily empower myself.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Persevering Words


Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air. John Quincy Adams


In the practice of clinical hypnotherapy it is important to energize words with emotionally-cured active imagery/imaginology that truly cause them to take on their own life. Otherwise, the words tend to flow through the mind, without taking hold.


Be they positive or negative, emotions are powerful anchors. If one has experienced negative anchoring, especially over-time or toxic exposure, it becomes more difficult to stay in a healthy & productive persevering mind state. It helps to think of experiences being etched into the subconscious mind by way of emotional exposure. It's really quite logical........but in the real world we have to actually "work the experience," enhancing what we want & diminishing what we don't want. This is the song of the individual working with the powerful tools of interactive self-hypnosis.


Hypnotherapy allows us to work in highly creative ways with our experiences & the emotions that coat them. We are able to take very minute portions of the whole & allow the subconscious mind to work it's magic.


As a clinical hypnotherapist, I get to do this all day long, whether working with patients or writing CD scripts, books or articles. However, this isn't the same as doing my own Self development work. In fact, there are times when I'm working with someone on a particular issue & part of me senses the critical finger pointing directly at me. In the past this used to blow my mind, as it can be truly spooky, but now I consider it a finger-string-reminder & I am grateful for this less than subtle wake-up call.


As a parent, I remember asking my sons, "How many times do I have to tell you the same thing?" How difficult it is to persevere in real life!


I just finished a session with parents of an anorexic patient of mine who is in recovery. The father told me that all he wants to know is "How many times he will have to tell his daughter the same thing?" How difficult it is to persevere, even when we love the other person & only want the best for them.


Today I find myself in the same boat, needing to persevere, but having inner Self arguments.

Here's the scenario.


I happen to have some very emotionally negative mind etching in the area of publishing my work. These programs play even louder when my desk is clear of clutter. The more organized I become, the louder those programs play. The accompanying images aren't very pretty either.


It takes quite a bit of courage to confront this kind of mindSCRABBLE & to diminish what inner garbage doesn't fit the desired end-goal, which of course, is to see my books on the best seller list. I also have to grow the images, keeping in mind that thinking big is part of subconscious mind programming. In the midst of negative mind-etching, this is rather like doing a double back flip on a full stomach.


Thinking something isn't enough. I wish it was, but it simply isn't. In clinical hypnosis we go behind the finished goal-image & walk the action path. We may not see the plants on the side of the path that represent each needed activity, but just knowing that they are present is enough to program the subconscious mind for action. This type of image also lets the mind know that you would like the action-steps to be presented in order. The mind works backwards. First, one enters the end goal & then walks the action steps back to front.


The most challenging part of this activity is to find the courage to meet the problem & face off with it. This is where the parents of my patient are having their difficulty. They are still finger-pointing & blame-tossing. This is the same as negative mind-etching. Over time it becomes even more difficult to move into the positive imaginology & walk the plan path. To complicate matters, working with another individual in the same problem area tends to multiply & snarl the offending weeds. We know this as "power-playing."


And so, I see/sense my own publishing issues today & enter the image of my books being on the best seller list. I've mind-clipped the list & framed it. It's now located on the inner-wall of my subconscious mind library. I'm about to open the door & go down the action path. It will be interesting for me to see how I will spend the rest of my work day.


ARCHIVED BLOG


I cherish my dreams & respect their purpose. My dreams are the blueprints to my ultimate success.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Decision Words - Yes & No


Quick decisions are unsafe decisions. Sophocles


I've spent a good part of today thinking about decision making. Since I'm prone, like most of us, to procrastinating, I "decided" to review my patterns/beliefs/behaviors in this genre of my mindSCRABBLING.
Here are some questions I have for mySelf. What kinds of thoughts live in my mind bank & how are they organized? Are there particular "words" that generate action or send me running for cover? How do I view decisions of others? Am I open to learning or do I just think that I observe from my automatic-pilot, waking-sleep state?


Yesterday a local man made a bad decision that ended his life. He decided to cool off in a local river after cutting the lawn. According to the newspaper, a 1200 pound alligator ate him.


Just the thought of this makes me ill. I'm a northern-suburban girl living in the south. I had no idea that alligators came that big. Also, I can't imagine jumping into any water down here. Even wading in the Gulf of Mexico has proved to be deadly at this time of year when the sharks seem more aggressive.


I once took care of a young woman, just eighteen years old, who made a bad decision that changed her life forever. She dove into a swimming pool with insufficient water & ended up a quadriplegic. I remember her telling me about the moment before she decided to dive. A voice told her not to do it. In that split second she could have moved away from decision & into deliberation. I believe that voice was her intuition or subconscious mind attempting to guide her. Unfortunately she decided not to pay attention. I was wondering if the man who jumped into the river had a moment of self-communication with his intuition or was he just driven by the heat & humidity?


I need to question my Self again. What is the state of my own intuition? What can I do to enhance my inner communication levels? I've been thinking about how easy it is to do something totally foolish & seemingly small that can impact so greatly. On the other hand, I don't want to live a life on procrastination-hold. Where can I find this balance?


I was remembering the audio CD programs I designed on decision making Sometimes I'm so busy that I forget about my own programs. Sounds like the plumber with a leaky faucet.


Of course.... I need to work on my concentration & focus, remembering to practice moving out of automatic-pilot & into sensory imaging outcomes. My skill level used to be pretty good with these tools, but I've become a bit complacent over the years.


I remember how the sensory imaging also enhanced my levels of creativity, not only in work, but in relationships & in my sports performance. Concentration combined with the right amount of relaxation, both mentally & physically holds the key to enhanced intuition. The subconscious mind is a great safety & guide, as long as the channels open to allow the communication.


The negative aspects of my mind are trying to debate this conversation I'm having with myself. I'm being reminded that I am far too busy for this kind of self-work. I have programs to write, patients to see, classes to organize & teach. I already know that "I can't do everything", so why not just stop this nonsense & do what's sitting on my desk. "Now, that would be a good decision, wouldn't it?"


How many times I've fallen prey to this part of my mindSCRABBLE. I see this in my patients & students. Always feverishly tasking. Never giving the Self permission to stop & review, assess, plan & then incorporate action steps into motivation-imagery.


My negative mind-states are not going to win today. And....that is good news for me, as well as for my projects waiting for me on my desk. They will be there when I'm finished taking care of myself.


I enhance my intuition by building a strong relationship with my subconscious mind librarian. I relax & see outcomes before they happen. I make wise decisions.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Future Words

If you do not think about the future, you cannot have one. John Galsworthy


My manuscript in progress is grateful today, for the Florida storms are big & never-ending. Weather like this means that it is comfortable to be glued to the computer, for the mind has few places to suggest going. Usual weekend garden work can't call out. Even the snakes are searching for the high ground. While I'm not a fan of snakes, I do admire how they innovate & motivate themselves. I don't know anyone who ever saw a snake procrastinating when the moment was right. Should we or shouldn't we? simply isn't a part of snake vocabulary. We can learn much if we just open our eyes & observe those around us, reptiles or not.


My book manuscript, Beyond Disorderly Eating: The Truth About Sugar & Bingeing & How to Stop is completed. It sits on the "finished for the moment" shelf, next to Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. They remind me of two girls waiting to be asked to the prom, only instead of desiring a date with the coveted football team quarterback, they are hoping for a "come hither glance" from a creative & energetic editor who will fall deeply in love with them.


Sometimes they don't "get it." Why wouldn't a publisher, editor, or agent want to connect up with their subject matter that is so pertinent to the major problems of life? It's not like there isn't a market or people who need/want to know what is between their pages. A walk in any mall or a look in just about any shopping cart will put that idea to rest.


No....it's not that at all. Instead, it's about their author who isn't known "on the street." She may have worked in the clinical field for over 30 years, but she doesn't have a book on the shelf in a major bookstore. I often hear them discussing how to accomplish this "on their own." Sometimes I think I'll walk into Barnes & Noble & find them sitting there, waiting to brag about how they did this for me.


I don't like rejection words on my mindSCRABBLE board. I used to have lots of them, but one day I simply dumped the board & disallowed all letters to form words that weren't in keeping with what I want. Sometimes I notice that I don't have enough success words at my fingertips. Old regulars seem to have lost their emotional punch, either from blind-usage or complete disuse. Time to open the Thesaurus & refurbish the word-pile.


I remind myself that I'm a clinical hypnotherapist & I do know the power of mind images & future-paced metaphor. I know that I will bring towards me, whatever I play in the theater of my mind, especially if I load it with powerful, positive-flavored emotion.


So, today I will have a chat with my "girls", letting them know that I take full responsibility for getting them where they want to go. I also open my client/patient files & give my word to those who have disorderly eating & addiction issues. I may not be a snake, but I can get up a tree. I've done it many times before & I'm still ready for the challenge.


I work to move my mindset from low-power to high-power. I locate the courage necessary to overcome any & all obstacles.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Orderly & Disorderly Words


The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order. Alfred North Whitehead


Who would say "no" to progress? Truth be known, I know plenty of people who would & who do. Many are private patients of mine & while I might "tut-tut" at that & enjoy some good old finger-pointing, that very finger often turns around, pointing right back at me. As for the life-game of mindSCRABBLE, as I inwardly giggle at my own disorderly behaviors, my subconscious mind is busily mind-etching those even deeper.


If I was paid for cluttering, I'd be quite wealthy. Of course, I deny cluttering & as for hoarding.....well now, certainly not me.


My issues with all of this go back to early childhood. My father died when I was three & I learned to make every attempt to keep what was mine. This was my little attempt at buidling a secure life. While it does help to know the origin of issues, it certainly doesn't diminish the decades of closet & drawer stuffing. I've become so good at this that I can clutter just about anywhere & with just about anything. Yes....I would be quite wealthy.


I've learned that letting go is a good thing & so I go through emptying & releasing episodes. My main reasoning is that I've come to realize that prosperity doesn't flow into cluttered space, so I must release if I choose to prosper. It also helps to find things. Just the process of clearing is creative & it never surprises me what catalysts sit in that last bulging file.


Ordering disorder is a very emotional experience for me. I truly have issues with letting go & today I decided to write about these, instead of just noticing them. It is true that my things do bring me joy. I love all sorts of things including my scraps of paper. So, is there something wrong with that? After all, I'm basically a good person. Just because I feel connected to scraps of paper, does that make me a loser of sorts. Of course not, I tell myself. Don't be so dramatic.


I do want to be able to let go & release with more ease. I've noticed that whenever I go through periods of cleaning, clearing & letting go, that it does become easier. In fact, it actually begets itself. So, I guess the goal needs to be to practice more often. Is it possible that I might actually become good at this & even learn to like it?


My priorities are numbered in my mind's eye & present themselves as such. I'm in charge.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

Hateful Word Games


We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them. Charles Caleb Colton


When playing mindScrabble it is important to watch out for hateful words. They often just creep onto the playing board of life, as if they were living things, having a life of their own. It does help, however, to stay in heightened awareness around negative mind states, whether they be self-owned, or carried by others.


I came across both types this weekend. A mother telling me of her deep anger, resentment & hate for her own child. A patient sharing her deep negative feelings for a man she thought she knew & loved. And as I clean my office, sensing my deep self-anger for the piles of papers, magazines, books, etc. that I haven't read or even organized.....still unable to trash them.


Keep in mind that the actual word hate doesn't have to be uttered unto itself. Other words or images/metaphors are often marinated in it. Goodness, it is distasteful & because the mind & body are connected, my entire gut reacts.


I need to remind myself the one brings emotions, moods, thoughts, happenings forward, depending on the specific genre played. Play anxiety/tension & more will appear as if by magic. Play relax, happiness, gratitude & these will knock at my door.


Right now, in this very moment, I'm busy releasing the anger, displeasure & actual hate that was delivered to me in quite a bit of detail. And....the phone rings.....a phone call all about someone elses anger, disenchantments, anxiety entering my already over-burdened ears.
It's so important to know how to release, both emotionally & physiologically.


As I'm writing this, I'm in the process. Heightened awareness is key, as well as the actual sensing in the body. Scanning down the body, opening with imagery & letting go. Observing the emotions calming first & then changing their soiled shirts. Choosing new ones....bright colors with delightful images on the fronts. Sensing these images inside the released body. Moving into the images & mind-playing just for a moment. Doing what it takes, even though I don't want to take the time.


I am free to choose my own emotional states. I stay awake & aware.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht

BEGINNING....

The last thing one knows---is what to put first. Blaise Pascal

Yes, it is difficult to know how & where to begin. In my work as an RN, clinical medical, sports & personal development hypnotherapist, I'm continually doing battle with beginning issues. Patients come to my office because they don't know where, or how to begin to unravel their problems. In short, they are experiencing disorderly mind programs, many of which are seriously affecting their body function.

Clinical hypnotherapy is word work, in the moment. In real time, it is a form of improvisation theater....becoming still, paying attention, while trusting your own mind to find the best words for designing powerful metaphors for change. I'm always amazed at how the subconscious mind serves the soul when the environment is just right.

Beginning this blog was not an easy decision for me, but a part of me was intent on doing this. I spent some time with this particular part of myself, investigating the reasoning behind the mind suggestion to do this. In my professional practice I'm very comfortable in allowing my patients to view my life issues & to visit inside my mind. This type of sharing is therapeutic in patient relationships.

However, the blog approach is very different. I don't know who, if anyone, will read my self-exploration, nor how I'll be judged. That is my insecure self speaking. It is one of my many negative-based emotional states that have been around for decades & it is because of these very emotions that I've decided to go forward with this type of blog.

I believe strongly that we learn from each other. We are teachers & students at the same time. My work with patients over the years has provided me with enough reflections to explore my own inner life in quite a bit of detail. I've journaled hypnotically for years, but just for myself, so this will be a very different challenge.

I just told a patient yesterday that it is important to keep practicing the beginning of new things & not to get stale in this department of life. Guess I was also speaking to myself.
So, I'm looking at this as a self-analysis therapeutic tool & I'm rather excited as to where it may take me creatively. In fact, I had some dreams about this last night & woke up with a change in the name for the blog presenting itself to me. So I can see that my own subconscious mind is already involved in this process.


My only limits are those of my inner vision. I learn to think big.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht