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Life is Amazing

When You Have One of Those Days...

It hadn't been a good day. One of those days when it seemed anything that could go wrong did go wrong. A couple of daft errors at work. You know the sort, silly wee oversights which can be fixed but can prey on your mind for the rest of the day,

Then the computer chose to freeze on me - just as I was in the middle of a major piece of work. Naturally, I hadn't saved what I had done when I had to switch the machine off and turn it on again. For some reason, the words I typed on the screen all seemed to be gobbledygook  - typos ruled the roost.

Frustrated, I left the office for a break at lunchtime and a brief walk to clear my mind. And it started to rain. More frustration as I aborted my walk and headed back to the office - only to find the lift was broken. And I work on the seventh floor...

At the end of the day, when I left the office, mentally exhausted after a trying day, I had to fight for a seat on a packed bus. Sitting next to a loud young man who was having a loud conversation with his pal - two seats behind him.

As the bus snaked its way through the city there were roadworks everywhere. It seemed to take an eternity to get home. Tired and irritated, I opted for a fish supper on the way home to save having to make an effort to cook - only to find the chip shop was closed for refurbishment.

We all have days like those so it's just not me. However, I sat down eventually that evening and thought about all the things that had gone wrong that day. I closed my eyes and visualised these things scattered over a field, like fences for a showjumping horse to overcome. In the corner of a field was a hot-air balloon. In my mind, I wondered over to the balloon and climbed inside before letting it go.

As the balloon rose slowly into the sky, I looked down on all the day's problems scattered across the field. As the balloon rose higher and higher, those problems became smaller and smaller, to the extent they were no longer affecting me the way they had earlier in the day. They were now becoming insignificant, things no longer bothering me.

After you have a difficult day, where would your balloon be?

Don't Let Life Get On Top Of You...

And remember, true friendship isn't about being there only when it's convenient....

Do You Find Life a Constant Struggle?

Do you think of your life as a constant struggle? Do you sometimes feel you simply can't cope with all the problems you have to contend with? Problems at work, problems with a relationship, financial problems? A feeling that you are just overwhelmed with what life is throwing at you and you fear what is going to happen next...?

Think about your problems for a moment. Write them down on pieces of paper. All of them. You are looking at them in black and white now. 

Now crumple up those pieces of paper. All of them. 

Now imagine you are putting each piece of crumpled up paper into a helium-filled balloon. One balloon for each piece of paper, each problem, each stressful thought. 

You may have several balloons or you may just have a handful - or even just one. You're hanging on tightly to these balloons. But now is the time to let go.

Release these balloons and let them float away....float away into the distance, carrying your problems and worries with them....

Let your mind be at peace. At peace in the knowledge that you can cope with anything that life throws at you. We all have setbacks but you have the capability and the power to overcome setbacks and not let problems dominate your life.

Remember that everything good that happens to you, happens not as a result of someone else, or something else. It all happens because of you. You have the strength. You have the confidence. You have the capability to make life better. And you are already making it happen....

Count

Thought for Today

Life is Tough...

That Monday Morning Feeling

Wise Words

Moving Forward

Stop!

Stuck on the Same Page

Hypnotherapy - A New Beginning

Last year I took the decision to embark on a course of study which will enable me to forge a new career as a counsellor and hypnotherapist. I began the three year course last November with the first year concentrating on hypnotherapy and years two and three focussing on counselling.

As is the nature of these things it’s hard work but you don’t get anywhere in life without working hard. And, thus far, the course has proved hugely enjoyable. It’s a career I am determined to pursue and I left my job as a Human Resources Officer in April to enable me to achieve this.

The reaction of many people when I tell them I am studying to become a fully qualified hypnotherapist is somewhat inevitable. They wear a look of surprise, there’s an audible gasp and a predictable ‘oh, look into my eyes’ whilst waving their fingers in my direction. Given the recent television show Back in the Room on ITV, this is no real surprise. Hypnotherapists can be perceived as the magical wizards who sit in a therapy chair dangling a swinging watch, putting people into a trance like state where they lost all control.

Hypnotherapy is a skilled verbal communication, used during hypnosis, which helps direct a client’s imagination in such a way as to bring about intended alterations in sensations, perceptions, feelings, thoughts and behaviour. In a typical hypnotherapy session, the hypnotherapist will ask the client questions about previous medical history, general health and lifestyle. The hypnotherapist and client will decide together on the changes or goals that are desired.

Hypnotherapy can be applied to a wide range of medical, dental and psychological problems. Areas of application include anxiety and stress conditions, weight control, addictive behaviours (including smoking, alcohol and substance misuse) and confidence issues. It is also used to enhance performance in several areas such as sport and public speaking.

With the benefits of clinical hypnosis becoming clearer, it's no wonder there has been a massive growth in hypnotherapy training during the last ten years.

There's no doubt it is fast becoming a popular career choice for those who want to work in a role where they help others to stop smoking, lose weight, overcome fears and phobias and more. 

My plan is to complete my hypnotherapy qualification by the end of this year and to set up my private practice in Edinburgh in early 2016. In the last couple of days I have attended a very enjoyable course provided by Business Gateway on how to start up your own business - having a strong business acumen will be needed to build a successful practice.

What I’ve already learned is what makes a successful hypnotherapy business is very different to what creates a top hypnotherapy practitioner and building business knowledge as well as clinical skills is essential. I am learning that a busy hypnotherapy practice needs to drive consistent and creative marketing strategies that builds a strong client base and continually builds their brand profile. 

However, hypnotherapy has instilled in me something I have bene perhaps lacking over the years - self-belief. I love its concept and find the study hugely enjoyable (even the 2,000 word essays which involve burning substantial amounts of midnight oil)

I already have a working title for my own hypnotherapy and counselling business – MGS. This stands for Mind Generating Success – and MGS is also my initials! My aim to be one of the leading hypnotherapists and counsellors in east central Scotland with a reputation for being professional, trustworthy, reliable and accessible.

This will take hard work, determination and perhaps a little bit of luck. But you make your own luck in life. And I am determined to make my new business a success.

So, dear reader, if you are someone who sets New Year resolutions every year to either lose some weight, stop smoking, cut back on alcohol – but find your willpower evaporates a few weeks into the New Year as dark, cold January hits back – contact me to arrange an appointment. After an initial consultation, we can decide together the best way to enable you to achieve your goals. Bookings being taken now for January 2016 – book early to avoid disappointment!

My new website will be live later this year. In the meantime, pleas email me for further details at  may1998@talk21.com