My Blog

The Beauty of September 11

09/11/2011 12:28:00

September 11, 2011 was one of the most beautiful days of my life. I hold it up with other great moments, like graduations, birthdays and weddings. Why? Because I got to see the true nature of humanity.

I remember my shock and awe when I flipped on the TV after my sister called and told me to watch the news. I sat in hypnotic stupor until I was called into my job as a newspaper photographer hours early.

My task for the day: photograph the local blood bank. Already emotionally charged, I was amazed by what I saw when I arrived--a warm lineup of people stretching out the door.

There were all sorts of ordinary folks there: old, young, all races, the poor and the rich. I was amazed to see even tattooed young men with shaved heads who looked more like delinquents than do-gooders, their faces somber, but their eyes bright.

They all had the same story, "I saw what happened. I wanted to help. I thought this was something I could do."

The room and the world reverberated with the same sentiment.

The Red Cross received record donations. Groups met to pray for their fellow citizens. People took time out of their busy schedules to donate money, clothes, food, time, anything, anything they could.

My parents were traveling in England at the time, and they were overwhelmed by the sentiments of solidarity from the Brits. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

In Tony Blair's words, they stood "shoulder to shoulder" with us.

And so it went. Strangers reaching out to strangers, countries reaching out to countries. It's as if love was infecting our world. It was the most beautiful spectacle I had ever seen!

In the following weeks, the politicians kept preaching the same things: go out and continue with life as normal. The terrorists win if we change.

In my heart I raged against these statements. I hoped we would never change, never go back to what we were before 9/11 because what we had become in just one day was so much better!

Now, ten years later, I see our world very much the same as it was before 9/11, and most of us Americans are living in the same rugged individualism we are known for. At this point, it seems the terrorists did win because we didn't change.

I think the best way of honoring those who died on September 11 is to spread kindness and lend a helping hand to those in need every day.

I long for the day when we no longer need disasters and tragedies to treat our fellow man with love and compassion on a daily basis.

May we all find that peace, so the terrorists can lay down their arms down in defeat and join us in brotherly love.

Making Your Affirmations Work for You

07/16/2011 11:34:00

A simple error most people make when working with affirmations is saying affirmations that aren't true. For example, if you are saying, "I am wealthy and prosperous," when in reality you really aren't, you are essentially lying to yourself. So the affirmation doesn't work.

A better alternative is to add the words "I am in the process of" in front of whatever it is you are trying to create. When you change the wording to "I am in the process of becoming wealthy and prosperous" that often rings much more true than the original statement. Keep working with the wording until it rings true for you!

Hypnosis to remove fear of dentists

12/14/2010 16:20:00

Afraid of the dentist? Hypnosis can help eliminate or reduce your fear of drills, dental work and dentists. Watch the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ARfWK8SVQ

Also, hypnosis can be used to reduce or eliminate pain while dental work is being performed. Drills can whistle and teeth can be extracted while you remain calm and feel pleasantly numb. A word of caution though, this method, often called "hypnoanasthesia," does not work for everyone.

It is best to check with a qualified dentist or hypnotherapist to see if this is an option for you. Your suggestibility will need to be tested, as will your pain tolerance.

5 Ways to Improve Your Weight Loss Program

11/10/2010 15:17:00

After working with clients and successfully fighting my own battle of the bulge, I would like to offer a few suggestions to people wanting to lose weight.

1. Work with a doctor

A doctor can perform tests to see if there is a contributing medical factor to your weight gain. Some common culprits are thyroid and food allergies. A doctor who knows you and your body well may also be able to provide you with an individualized nutrition plan.

2. Get tested for food allergies or food sensitivities

When the body is attacking itself due to food allergies, it doesn't absorb nutrition properly. This can lead to a general slowing down of metabolism and increased storage of fat and toxins in the body. I found out that this was the biggest contributing factor to my own weight gain. Since I have been off the foods I am sensitive to, I have lost 26 pounds (and counting)! It is especially important to investigate this if you have a condition like depression, eczema, arthritis, or fibromyalgia (among other ailments) because these conditions are often caused or aggravated by food allergies.

3. Start Slow!

The biggest way dieters sabotage themselves is by doing too much, too fast. Remember, lasting change happens gradually. When beginning, it's best to focus on one thing at a time. For the first month or so, focus on JUST diet OR EXERCISE. Pick whichever you believe you think you will be more successful at or which everyone you believe needs attention first. In my own experience, there was a big learning curve in adopting the new diet associated with my allergies. All of the sudden, I had to avoid some of my favorite foods, especially wheat, tomatoes, garlic and dairy. For the first two weeks, I was in shock. I had to educate myself about all the ways these allergens are hidden under various names and forms on food labels. I had to read food allergy books and collect recipes. I also had to learn how to make substitutions and how to cook some altered versions of my favorites. There is no way I could have done all this if I had to worry about exercising too. It took me two months to get comfortable enough with my diet to add in the exercise. More importantly, I did it successfully, maintaining both programs on a daily basis.

4. Eat Regularly

You'd be surprised at how many clients who see me for weight loss eat just one or two meals a day. When you deprive yourself like this, you send a signal to your body that it is starving, so it should store any incoming food as FAT! In addition, if you wait to eat until you're VERY hungry, you will be more likely to eat too much of the wrong type of food. Begin with a good, protein-rich breakfast. Protein will sustain you and your appetite for a longer period than carbs. Having a light protein snack, like celery and peanut butter, a slice or two of lunchmeat, or a few raw nuts every three to four hours will also help level off cravings and hunger.

5. Work with a Therapist or Hypnotherapist

This isn’t just shameless self-promotion. Losing weight is a much deeper issue than most people think. Consider this: we all KNOW what we should eat and that we need to exercise, but some people just can’t or won’t make that happen. The question is why? Why do we sabotage ourselves? Often there is a deep hurt or subconscious need for some sort of protection or control. It’s important to find the reason you subconsciously felt the need to put on the weight. This is where most fad diets fail. They only treat the body, not the mind or emotions. To achieve permanent weight loss, you need to find out what’s eating you so much that it’s causing you to overeat. Then, with a skilled therapist or hypnotherapist, you can begin the healing process and find other ways of meeting your needs without turning to food.