Adrift On The Breeze

It is Spring Break for my youngest son, so I am taking some time to enjoy his company. We are planning a trip to the local airport to investigate his taking flying lessons. We plan a trip to one of the amusement parks (his choice) and are taking an art class together. He is also spending time with his beloved monkeys at the Primate Sanctuary where he volunteers and with his human friends.

I share this only to make excuses for not posting something terribly original today. None the less, I think this is fun. It is another quiz from the great game book, Kokology- The Game Of Self Discovery.

This game is named, Adrift On The Breeze.

Can you still remember those long summer days when school was out, you had no responsibilities, and there was nothing but time from when you woke up till the sun finally went down? Time for play and adventure, time to daydream and roam. Hours to spend on childhood diversions.....flying kites...watching clouds...blowing bubbles...

Imagine you are out again on a childhood summer's day, blowing bubbles in and open field. Which of the following best describes the scene you imagined?



1. The bubbles you blow float away high into the sky.
2. You are blowing hundreds of tiny bubbles through your plastic ring.
3. You're concentrating on blowing a single enormous bubble.
4. The bubbles you make are carried behind you on the breeze.

Pick one, comment and I will posts the meaning behind the bubbles in the next post.

STOP!

Stop is a powerful word. It has been repeatedly said that the subconscious mind does not hear the negatives. If I tell a child "don't run!", chances are they will continue to do so. (How often have you observed that in a school, where the kids run past the teachers in the hallway as the teachers yell after them?) If instead, I say "Stop! Use your walking feet" it has been my experience the children will comply.

Why? They follow the commands directly. STOP! Grabs their attention and they do so, making it easier to then begin walking.

So it is with our thoughts as well. It has become a habit to get caught up in the negative (stinking thinking). We are fed so much negative input, we believe it. We play old tapes in our heads over and over as proof that the worst surely will occur. We ruminate when stressed, about past experiences that we perceive as failures.

It is a basic rule of the mind that you can only process one thought at a time, meaning we cannot hold opposing ideas at the same time. Therefore, once a thought is accepted by the subconscious mind it remains until it is replaced by another. The longer the idea remains, the more difficult it is to replace.

I have found the word stop to be an amazing tool when I am caught up in this game. If in the car or someplace alone when I am noticing my thoughts taking that familiar old path to Angstville, I will yell STOP! loudly. There are times when perhaps yelling aloud is not appropriate (for instance the library or the waiting room of the doctor) so then, it is a loud yell only in my head. I remind myself that I used to feel this way, but now I choose to feel differently.

Since the mind can only process one thought at a time, I actively choose to direct my thought towards the positive. How awesome to have the choice!

The Abundance of Scarcity Thinking!

While walking this morning, I noticed birds above flying in a way that just appeared to be so free. Perhaps they were scouting for food, but by all appearances, they were just enjoying the winds and floating in circles. That made me smile. I had an amazing weekend, which followed the most wonderful experience on Friday. You see, on Friday, I was invited to shadow Dr. Cesar Lara.
Dr. Lara is a local family practitioner who specializes in weight management. We have begun working together and he felt I could better understand what it is he does, by observing him in action. Every hypnotist ought to have the same opportunity! Meeting with his patients, hearing their concerns and observing the gentle yet clear manner he communicates with them was inspiring. Furthermore, I always enjoy learning more about the science of medicine. Dr. Lara respectfully asked for my input. In just a few short moments, I could observe big changes occurring in the thoughts behind behaviors of these individuals.

Something I did notice is how the current "scarcity" mentality is affecting people's weight. People are stressed, which in turn affects their sleep. Not enough sleep has been identified as a factor in weight gain. Furthermore, midnight snacking often occurs when sleep is interrupted.

Another reaction to stress is the release of cortisol by the adrenal glands. One of the functions of cortisol is to trigger a production of blood sugar from proteins. Excess glucose is then used for fat production. This increases fat storage in the body.

An additional outcome of scarcity thinking is that we tend to hoard. Why, there was even a report today on my local news station (10Connects) that there has been a reduction of trash recently due to the economy! Hoarding occurs on our bodies as well. We hold on to extra weight at a subconscious level because we fear not having enough food later. We over eat because we fear lack.

Nature is amazing in it's abundance. When I look at my orange tree, it never produces just "the one" orange. It produces so many oranges that we have to give them to everyone we can. My son has recently laughingly reminded me that nature is abundant with the generous amounts of pollen we have had to sweep from our drive daily. Sunsets are never ending. The number of seagulls every time I visit the beach, more than enough, thank you very much!

I realized that sometimes I do the same thing. I eat beyond the point of satisfaction, because at some level I believe I may never get to enjoy the wonderful dish before me again. Yet, in reality, there is always another dish set before me of equal enjoyment the very next meal. It is time for me to be very aware of mindful practice in eating. I will eat just a little less, trusting that I will always have another perfect meal.

Artifical Intelligence Is Amazing

I am always interested and amazed at the development of new ideas and technology that we have in our midst. This was just sent to me by email and I had to share with everyone. It is amazing.



As a teacher and when my children were young, I loved blocks. I took a course on blocks in college! These blocks, blow me away!

TRUST

So many people are living in fear currently.

FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real.

It is time we refocus ourselves, paying attention to trust. I have created an acronym for trust that I think will help.

TRUST = Totally Releasing Unnecessary Scary Thoughts.

In this moment, are you safe? If so, then that is where you focus, because all any of us have is this moment. Recall or imagine a safe place. Notice the colors, the textures, the designs of this place. Notice the temperature, the aromas and the sweet sounds of serenity and calm. Allow this place to become real. Notice how in this place, in this moment, you are safe and secure and serene.

Notice how the body feels when this is your truth. Allow your mind to wander to a concern and wonder how it might be if that concern were behind you. How would you feel if you were free of that worry, if you had a solution to that puzzle?

I wonder if the waiting for the other shoe to drop is more what creates discomfort within you than the reality of the situation. All too often, after a "crisis" is over we realize that fear was in our heads, not our circumstances.

Allow your mind to drift past the event you have been concerned about and notice the outcome. What steps might you have taken to get to the desired outcome? What are the keys to your success?

Perhaps it starts with T.R.U.S.T.

Monday Morning Musings.....

I have mentioned my friend Janet before. I have shared her book with you. Here is a chance to here her tell you more:



I just love when we work together and people utilize trance state from hypnosis and her method of writing. The AHA!s that occur bring tears and laughter every time.