Competence Versus Confidence

One of the most rewarding types of sessions for the professional hypnotist to conduct is helping clients overcome unhealthy fears. These may be fears related to test taking, public speaking, driving and so on.

One important consideration is that fear can and does have a useful function. Like pain sensations, it can alert us to trouble or potential danger and motivate the individual towards corrective action.

Usually the client in the hypnosis counseling situation has the ability to successfully meet the threatening situation and needs help in overcoming a faulty subconscious belief system. For example, Joe knows a lot about a topic he has been asked to present on for his co-workers, yet his subconscious mind sends out a fear signal about getting up to speak and he becomes flustered and disorganized as a result. This is a fear that would be acceptable to remove.

However, any ethical hypnotist is careful to evaluate whether it would be safe to diminish or eliminate a particular fear since confidence does not always equal competence. A person who wants to skydive without proper training first is hopefully held back by fear.

There are more than a few thoughtful individuals out there who are troubled by some of the New Age philosophies that espouse the idea that all you have to do is vividly imagine your desired goal as being already accomplished and it will be fulfilled. This is largely nonsense and can be dangerous if carried to extremes.

There is nothing wrong with clearly defining a goal that creates a true sense of motivation and passion in your life-in fact it is to be commended. However, chances are that it will take some concerted effort on your part to make it happen as well as the right kind of guidance.

The growth mindset mentioned in the previous chapter will help here. Believe that if you apply yourself, your potential is probably greater than you ever imagined. However, this also involves admitting that you are not yet where you want to be in life.

And successful people seldom do it on their own, they usually have found solid teachers, mentors and role models to help lead the way since there is no point in reinventing the wheel. The feedback of a trusted guide will also let you know whether being confident in a given situation is warranted.

Note: this article is an excerpt from the author's e-book The Five Keys to True Self-Confidence, available athttp://www.njhypno.com/id73.html

Masterseek-Online Business Resource

I always find it a pleasure to associate with other entreprenurial types, the truly are the ones that make the world go round. One challenge all business owners face is developing qualified leads for your goods and services.

Recently a friend let me know about Masterseek. Their global search engine provides quick and free access to company profiles, contact information, and descriptions of products and services from more than 45 million companies in 75 countries. It always very important to research a prospect before you make your initial contact with them, it conveys an image of respect and professionalism.

You can also search in your own country or worldwide and find business partners, sales opportunities and new avenues to expand your business and increase your company's profitability Enter your company profile and showcase your products and services to the global community.

You can also submit your entry to the directory at no cost A helpful resource that is definitely worth checking out at http://www.masterseek.com/

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What's Your Story?

What's Your Story?

Recently a colleague of mine, Bob Hertzendorf, related an interesting story about someone he was able to help via hypnosis counseling.

Bob's client was a retired military man who had achieved a high rank during a long and distinguished career serving our country. Having undergone abdominal surgery the week before, this individual developed a severe and disabling case of hiccups which standard medical treatment had been unable to remedy. (Anyone who has ever had a persistent bout of hiccups will tell you it can be a maddening ordeal.)

Desperate for anything that might possibly help, this individual sought out Bob's services. Trying several different types of hypnotic intervention to no avail during the session, a sudden flash of inspiration came to Bob. While the client was in the hypnotic state, he suggested that he give the hiccups a "dishonorable discharge." Lo and behold, the hiccups disappeared almost instantly and have not returned!

What this story illustrates is the power of metaphoric healing. On a logical, conscious level the idea of giving an annoying symptom a "dishonorable discharge," makes absolutely no sense. The conscious mind would understand "I shall now relax my diaphragmatic muscles and in doing so end these hiccups," and it is a sure bet this would have no effect on the problem.

The subconscious mind, which controls the body, has its own way of reasoning called "trance logic" and it readily responds to stories. Under the right circumstances it can translate an abstraction into a tangible physical or behavioral change. This is especially true when a skilled hypnotist like Mr. Hertzendorf is able to match the right metaphor to a particular client problem.

The concept of giving a dishonorable discharge is one a member of the military brass would be quite familiar with, however it probably wouldn't resonate nearly as well with someone who didn't have that kind of background.

And on this Labor Day weekend, marking the semi-official end of summer, I am reminded of a story about a group of kids who were beating the sweltering August heat by swimming in a cool farm pond.

Things were going well until one of the girls realized she had lost a silver dollar her grandfather had given her for safekeeping. Seeing how upset she was, the other boys and girls helped her search the bottom of the pond for the lost coin. However in doing so they were also stirring up the muddy bottom and soon the water became murky and cloudy.

After a time one of the boys proclaimed, "I know how we can find it." Yet there was some disbelief amongst the others when it turned out his idea was for all of them to get out of the water and take a long break sunning themselves on the edge of the pond. However, since nothing else was working they were willing to give it a try.

And while they all rested there, soaking up the warmth and comfort of the late afternoon summer sun, all the mud and silt they had stirred up gently settled back to the bottom of the pond. Then after a time this group of young friends all stood around the edge of the swimming hole and looked in. Soon the girl who had lost the coin saw a glint of light reflected at the bottom. The lost silver dollar had been found!

And sometimes if we step back, relax and stop trying so hard, the answers to our problems will often appear spontaneously. Sort of like how Ram Dass was quoted as saying, "Just don't do something, sit there!" I hope you and yours get plenty of R and R this weekend!

P.S.- If you would like to learn more about Bob Hertzendorf who was mentioned in the article and other fine New Jersey Hypnotists, please pay a visit to the New Jersey Hypnotist Directory.