Empowerment Course

Instructions

Before you start, please take a few minutes to make a note of how you were/are feeling before starting the course. This is important because it will demonstrate how much progress you have made by the end. It is not uncommon for people to forget how things were and have no understanding of much they have changed. At the end of the course (and before), I want you to be proud of your progress.   

If you are serious about change, I suggest that you listen to this recording each day for the first week (at least). If you can find the time, listen to it in the morning before you start making excuses not to do so. If you want to listen more than once, please do.

I will be uploading a shorter version for your convenience but if you can make the time to listen to the longer recording, I suggest you do.

If possible, sit down in a comfortable armchair or sit upright on your bed. Your intention should be to deeply relax but preferably not fall asleep completely.

Important – When you step inside your stronger self, connect with the feelings.  

When you are listening, do not analyse.

Additional Help to Move Past Negativity

Positive Future Modelling

During the self-hypnosis recording, you will be imagining your future self so it may be worth taking a few minutes to decide how you want to be/feel.

A clear and positive intention will help you to change.

Although this recording can be used to focus on future achievements and goals, I suggest that for the time being you focus on how you want to feel. When you create your future-self, imagine yourself free from context. You do not want to have your future empowerment dependent on anything other than you. You want to feel better and be better regardless of context.

Use your future-self throughout the day

In addition to the hypnotherapy, you can also use positive future modelling on a conscious level to manage your thoughts and behaviour.

• To gain objectivity you can ask – what would my future self advise me to do (from that position of strength)?
• To gain distance from destructive/ineffective/negative patterns of behaviour, ask yourself – what would the new me think/do in this situation?
• Most importantly, to gain access to new resources – step inside your stronger self and feel how she/he feels. This takes some practice but is worth the effort.

In the last step, you are entering a ‘second-person’ perceptual position, similar to a character actor. Interestingly, in this second-person position stress, anxiety and self-consciousness do not really exist. There are many performers who thrive on stage in front of huge audiences but suffer with crushing anxiety when they are in small gatherings. On stage they are in a second-person position, they are being a character or a performer. In smaller gatherings, they do not have this protective ‘second skin’ and are left feeling self-conscious.

The more you step inside your future-self and feel how she/he feels, the easier it becomes and the closer you get to being the person you want to be. Each time you do this, you are communicating to your unconscious mind that this is a desired change.

Align your current-self with your future-self and you may be surprised how quickly you will change.

Attention

Remember, where we focus our attention will directly affect how we feel.

If you watch a horror movie, you will feel fearful. If you watch an inspirational movie, you will feel inspired… The same goes for the ‘movie-screen’ that is our mind.

If we pay attention to the thoughts that tell us we are sad, we will feel sad. If we pay attention to the thoughts that tell us we are not good enough, it will damage our self-esteem.

Make sure you are watching the inspirational movie or even the comedy. Choose not to watch the horror movie nor the tragedy.  

One of the purposes of this recording and positive future modelling is to bypass any conscious resistance caused by the negativity experienced in the present moment.

If you are feeling stuck and unable to see any positives in your current situation then simply allow yourself to believe in the possibility that in the future you will heal and that your situation will change for the better.

Maintaining focus on a positive future has two main benefits:

• You will feel better in the present.
• Your thoughts and behaviour will align with your desired outcome.

Here is a demonstration:

• Imagine a negative future for yourself. See yourself disempowered, lonely, sad, anxious etc. Note how you feel.
• Imagine yourself in the future, feeling the way you want to feel instead. See yourself empowered, happy, calm, confident, strong etc. Note how you feel.

Notice that you can feel good now as you imagine your positive future and bad as you imagine the negative – notice how easy it is to change your state. The only thing that is preventing you from feeling better/happier/stronger is you. Stop doing that!

Occasionally clients will tell me they find it difficult to imagine themselves free from their problems. This is the ‘poor me’ ego speaking, the ego will not help you to transcend your current situation because it thrives on negativity. If you can imagine a negative future, then you can imagine a positive one – DO NOT buy in to the nonsense.

However, if you are still finding it difficult, you can design your ‘future-self’ before you listen to the recording so you are prepared. Write a list of the feelings you wish to experience or even draw yourself as you want to be. You don’t need to be an artist to do so, this can be a symbolic representation.

Thoughts

We do not choose our thoughts in the way we believe we do. It is impossible to consciously choose a thought. How can you possibly choose a thought without thinking? How can you choose your first thought of the day?

We experience thoughts, we do not choose them and therefore why should we believe them?

As human beings, we are control freaks. We like to think that we control everything (or at least our ego does) but the fact is that almost everything we do is automatic and unconscious.

Without getting philosophical, let us just say that our brain produces thoughts based on what has happened, what is happening and what it thinks is important to us. One of the ways the brain determines what is important to us is the emotional component. Emotional memories are stored more strongly and deeply. Behaviours with a strong emotional component become more compulsive/addictive and automatic.

The same goes for our thoughts.

The last thing you want to add to negative thoughts is strong emotion. If you do, your brain will think these thoughts are important to you – and give you more of the same!    

If you experience a negative thought, do your best to let it pass without judgment and focus your attention elsewhere (maybe a more positive thought).

Learning that I don’t choose my thoughts and therefore I don’t need to believe them is one of the most empowering lessons I have learned. This knowledge allows yuo distance from your thoughts so they don’t need to feel personal. I hope this will help you as much as it has me.

We may expand on this later in the course.

Thought Management Technique

A technique that I have found useful is to mentally cross out negative thoughts and then focus my attention on more positive ones. The cross symbolises an error and as such there is no need to get involved with the thought or thought process. If the thought comes back, I repeat the process without emotion.

Alternatively, you can use your own symbol or gesture. You can blow negative thoughts away or brush them to one side etc. Find out what works best for you.

It is important to understand and remember that negative thoughts are errors. They serve no good purpose and should not be given any credibility.

Warning – do not battle with your thoughts or your brain will think they are important. This is a logical exercise and there is no need for emotion.

Takeaways

• Guard your attention.
• Manage your thoughts.
• Align with your future self.

Tasks

The only tasks this week are to understand and implement the above as well as listening to the recording each day.

If you understand and implement the above, you will gain some distance and freedom from negative thoughts.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

All feedback appreciated.

Best wishes,

Tim

Instructions

1. Sit safely and comfortably in a chair with arms or on your bed (you can lay down if you prefer).
2. Make sure that you won’t be distracted – silence your phone etc.
3. If you find yourself analysing – STOP IT – and bring your attention back to the sound of my voice.
4. You may find that your conscious mind drifts and that’s fine as long you are not analysing.
5. For you to get the most from this session, simply let yourself go and relax completely.

* The recording above has effects to multiply suggestion and deepen state, the one below is voice only.

* Find out which one works better for you and please let me know for future recordings. All feedback is appreciated.