What would you change about yourself?

Whether we like it or not, change is part of life.  Just think of the seasons and you’ll get an immediate picture of what I mean.

Change is important and a good thing because it means that we’re developing, learning, experiencing and maturing.  If we resist change, we stagnate, become frustrated, get stuck, become inflexible and “fixed in our ways”.

Does wanting to change something about yourself automatically mean you’re not happy the way you are?

No, not necessarily.  It used to worry me, but now I see wanting to change certain things about me as a natural progression, a way for me to become the best version of myself over my lifetime, but without striving for “perfection” (whatever that is and it sounds pretty boring, if you ask me).

Let’s keep our quirks (because they make us who we are – unique and special individuals) and change the things that hold us back!

So, when does readiness for change appear?  What motivates a person to want to change?

#1 I’ve Had Enough!

When you reach a point where you can’t carry on like this anymore.  You feel the pain physically, emotionally and/or mentally.  This turning point can be sudden – in a moment of great revelation – or it takes a number of turning points to get to the “I’ve had enough!” stage.  To want to stop the pain and initiate change.

#2  What’s the Point?

Another motivation is when you lack meaning in your life.  No sense of purpose, nothing to drive and fire you up.  When you’ve given up your dreams and hopes and feel like there’s not a lot going on in your life apart from the same old same old.  What’s the point of all this, anyway?  The turning point comes when the person has had enough of the feelings of hopelessness and despair and reaches out for help in changing from life-negating to life-affirming behaviour.

#3  Realising That Change is an Actual Possibility

The revelation or slow dawning that change is possible for you can be triggered in many ways.  Maybe you read something in a book that makes you wake up to the possibility that things do not have to stay the way they’ve always been.  A film, a speech, a comment a friend makes about herself, an ad on the TV – from just about anywhere.  But really, these are just triggers.

The real realisation comes from deep inside of you.  And when it does, it knocks you off your socks and grabs you by the collar (in a most friendly way) until you do something about it.  Because you’ve just realised some harsh realities in your life.  And you’ve realised only you have the power to change yourself!

Only you can know what is right for you – fulfilling, satisfying and rewarding – no one else.  And no one can tell you when you’ve reached your turning point, your readiness for change.  But if you listen to your inner thoughts carefully and quietly, you’ll hear them like a brass band on a Sunday afternoon in the park!

So, once you’ve decided to change, how on earth do you do it?

Well, there’s the “grit-your-teeth-together-and-get-on-with-it-come-hell-or-high-water” method (which surprisingly often takes forever and a day, feels like a roller-coaster ride where the train goes backwards frequently and gets you nowhere fast), or there’s hypnosis.

Readiness for change is a prerequisite for hypnosis (or any other therapy) to work.  In fact, I would turn a client away if I didn’t feel like she was 100% committed to change and to doing the work.  (I bring 100% commitment to every client, so why shouldn’t I expect the same?)

And then the magic begins…

Trust (client-coach) and deep relaxation (trance) allows the change that the client WANTS to be programmed into her subconscious mind.  The change can be instant (“I never smoked another cigarette again”), gradual (“I’ve eaten less and less chocolate as the week’s gone by!”) or retroactive (“I’ve just realised that I’ve slept through the night every night this week!”)

So, what would you like to change?

Please leave your comments below!

If you would like to try hypnosis to find out how relaxing and wonderful it is, why not sign up for my newsletter and get my free hypnotic deep relaxation audio download here?

Or, if you’ve reached your turning point, why not book a free, initial consultation call with me?

If you feel a friend would like to read this blog post, please feel free to send her the link.

Lots of love and all the best,

Suzanne xx