St. Patrick's day: a good day for thinking "Green" as in how green can you make your own environment? Green beer and leprechaun hats are  always fun on March 17 but how about green leafy veggies for the "greening" of your health at the same time.  Quitting smoking is good for you and the environment.  Ditto: planting trees.

It can seem like your "greening" efforts couldn't possibly count but we can always put in an energy-saving light bulb, disconnect our not-in-use appliances, walk rather than drive occasionally.  Turn the air up and the heat down.  Check door and window seals.  Look into solar energy panels.  Look into water conservation.

Most importantly, look at the political candidates that talk the most about the environment and hope they'll keep their promises.  After all, this is the only Earth we'll ever have and time may be running short.

Happy St. Patrick's Day in the meantime.

Susan

www.hypno4success.com

Just we, as therapists and as just plain people, have to pay attention to the language of feelings and the messages that they send to us, we must also pay attention the importance of having fun in our lives.

There is significant medical research that suggests the importance of creating fun and play in our lives for both physical well-being as well as emotional well-being.

It's easy to get caught up in the struggle to survive, the struggle to climg the career ladder, the struggle to be a good spouse and parent.  It's easy look at play and fun as something you do when everything else is done.

The statistics are staggerlingly in favor of the vital nature of balance in our lives and the vital nature of play and having fun.  Fun and play are a necessary supplement to physical exercise, good family relationships and good health.

The best example I know of that supports this idea is that of Norman Cousins, a senior editor at the well-respected Saturday Review.  He was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis.  This degenerative disease causes the breakdown of collegen, the fibrous tissue that binds together the bodies cells.

Cousins became almost completely paralyzed and was essentially told to put his affairs in order.  He, however, had a different idea.  He researched healing nutrition and the healing nature of laughter.  He put both into place.  He put himself on a regimen of only nutritious food and 2 to 3 hours per day of watching funny movies, films which caused him to laugh heartily and out loud.

Guess what.  He became well enough to return to his busy schedule and worked for quite a few more years.  When he had a serious heart attack some years later, well beyond the time he had been given, he returned to his regimen and regained a level of health again until he finally succumbed to heart failure.  Once again we can see that the mind is infinitely powerful for healing, health and happiness. 

If you can't remember what you used to do for fun, it's way past time to sit down and figure it out.  Go back into your childhood, high school days or college days for clues.  Go back and remember what your dreams and fantasies were.  Think back on those thoughts of "What I Want to Be When I Grow Up".

Look for those things that are outside the realm of "What I Can to To Further My Career", or "What I can do to be a better person" and look for those activities where you can just lose yourself.

If you look, you'll find it.  Your life will be richer and more joyful.  And remember this: If anyone suggests that you "need to grow up", smile and politely decline.  You know better.  Happy New Year

www.hypno4success.com

Is anyone else's head spinning?  Running around, dodging the flu, spending too much money, trying not to eat junk?  Well, then, a Merry Happy After Christmas to you!

I'm glad it's over.  I don't mean to be a grinch but maybe I just are one. 

I had to take my own advice and 1) rest more, 2) eat right, and 3) do a lot of 7PATH and other self-hypnosis for stress. 

I hope everyone is coming out the other side with body, soul and wallet intact.

Hugs to everyone,

Susan 

Dealing with Holiday Stress

Hi everyone,

It's been awhile but here I am again. After all, everyone is entitled to my (Not So) humble opinion.

Holiday times bring a lot of stress: money, family, obligations, weather, travel, crowds, the flu, over-eating, over-drinking, over-partying. What to do, what to do?!?!

Here are some suggestions for saving Body and Soul: DON'T skimp on sleep, lots of water, eat on time and nutritionally (you won't pig out as much either), use lots of hand sanitizer (think Compulsive Hand Washing...medically recommended). Make sure you allow for relaxation and downtime during the holidays. Take your vitamins before you feel like you're getting sick.

Also: shop as much online as you can manage, especially while deciding what to buy for whom.

Stop whatever it is that you might be racing around doing BEFORE YOU GET TIRED.

If you have a favorite relaxation or self-hypnosis cd, try to add 15 or 20 minutes of it each day, even at bedtime. If you don't have either of those, put on some relaxing music. Relaxing music stimulates the production of alpha (relaxing) brain waves and endorphins. Better than alcohol...really. If you don't believe me, try it. You'll like it. Have great holidays and always drive sober and safely.

Hi All,

I must admit I am having a very hard time understanding how to forgive when the circumstances seem beyond forgivenss.  Forgivenss is something I've done in the past when the agony of not forgiving becomes too great or too tiresome.  I still struggle and therefore, struggle with helping my clients when things they have experienced seem beyond forgivenss.  Here are some thoughts and quotes I've come up with.

Firstly, I think the definition of forgivenss is this: FORGIVENESS IS WHAT YOU DO TO GIVE YOURSELF PEACE.

Secondly, these are some words that have been coming to me:

In all of life, there is a price to pay for everything. The price of anger and hatred is a lack of peace and quiet in your soul.

Is the endless gnawing of thought of anger, revenge, hatred, and other damage towards the hated, the unforgiven worth the price you pay?

And I ask you again: who pays that price? You do, my friend, you do.

Again and again and again.

Forgiveness is a deal you make with yourself and your
God to let thoughts of the unforgiveable rest so that they may weaken and fade away.

They will never fade from your knowledge, rest assured. 
The act of forgiving does not ask that.

Finding in your heart that place of forgiveness means only that you make a deal with yourself and with your God to end the constant revisiting of that which might be inexcusable to your mind but can be left to God or Fate or the Universe to mete out a just response

That, my friend, is the true nature of forgiveness.

Good in theory.  Let's see if it works in practice.

Love to all,

Susan