I used to write this section in our monthly Inspired Minds newsletter, but we figured it would be easier to read online, and all our blog subscribers would enjoy reading it too. At least I hope you do Read December’s Inspired Minds newsletter here.

Downloads Unwrapped – December 2009

The power of hypnosis never ceases to surprise me – and I’ve been using it for almost twenty years. The other day a very attractive woman came to see me to improve her self-confidence for a speech she needed to make. There was something familiar about her. I wracked my brain to dredge up the memory, but before I could say anything she helped me out herself. “I came to see you once before,” she said, “when I weighed about 200 pounds! Look at me now!” She pirouetted in front of me, slim and svelte. “Hypnosis helped me get slim and fit, and I know you can help me with this speech too!” she said. I’d only seen her once, but the effect had clearly been profound – a bit like the proverbial ‘snowball gathering momentum’. All kinds of other positive changes had taken place in her life which she also attributed to the hypnotic work we had done during that one session.

Sleep well and only eat during normal waking hours

I recall that a significant aspect we had focused on during her session was her habit of getting up at night when she couldn’t sleep – and heading to the kitchen for something to eat. She doesn’t do that any more, and I very much hope that everyone who listens to our new Stop night eating download will also be able to break this damaging habit.

When we are sleeping we don’t get hungry because of a hormone called leptin in the brain which switches off appetite (this is why if we sleep for ten hours our hunger doesn’t wake us up). We generally only feel hunger again after waking.

But if someone is waking up in the night, or not falling asleep, they may become obese through night time eating because of diminished leptin levels. One way to help slim down might be to encourage better sleep as well as to work directly on the habit of night time sleeping.

Being OK

And talking of habit, the way we interact with others and the way we feel when we deal with different people in our lives is also largely a matter of habit. The new session I’m OK; You’re OK is based on a concept from the book of the same name by Dr Thomas Harris. It focuses on building confidence to feel okay in yourself and with others not merely by ‘pleasing’ others but through recognizing and standing by your own and other people’s right to be treated equally and respectfully.

Confident negotiation and bargaining

Actually the next session I want to look at fits nicely with the idea of I’m OK; You’re OK. Confident negotiation is more than just ‘doing business’. Our new download Negotiation and bargaining confidence goes beyond instilling the confidence to handle negotiating how much to buy or sell something for. We need to be able to negotiate work roles and even boundaries within personal relationships to meet our needs and help create win/win situations in all spheres of life. Negotiating and bargaining is actually a way of connecting to others – interacting with people. The process of getting yourself the best ‘deal’ while respecting the needs and rights of others can be fantastic fun and a real art.

Mark’s Tip for the Top

As 2009 plays its final tunes I’m delighted to say that this month my personal favorite among the downloads is I’m OK; You’re OK. I’ve always been fascinated by ‘difficult’ behavior and the way some people feel compelled to try to puff themselves up by putting others down, or only feel validated if others approve of them. True confidence comes from moving beyond these states and escaping from their thrall.