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I frequently get asked if I have seen (or read) “the Secret” and whether I think the law of attraction works.

I don’t know the answer but what I have noticed is that people who are really focused on what they want seem to succeed much more than those that aren’t.

Now, are they bending reality to their will? Did the Universe give them what they are asking for? Maybe. That would be nice, wouldn’t it? In actual fact, it is more under our control than we realise.

We have a part of our brain called the reticular activating system (RAS). It is that part of our unconscious that is outcome-focused. Often when you have decided to buy a new car, perhaps a red mini, you suddenly start seeing red minis everywhere. It is not that more red minis are suddenly on the road, it is your RAS pulling them to your attention, hence you are noticing more. You notice more of what you want.

Since the brain doesn’t process negatives (when asked not to think of a pink elephant, we all imagine a pink elephant, even though we were told not to), it is important to set your goals in a positive way. “I want to be earning £X / week” rather than “I don’t want to be in debt”. After all, no one wants to attract pink elephants (or debt).

So take more control and allow your unconscious to start pulling to your attention opportunities for you to achieve your goals. You will be surprised at what you find.

Don’t believe me? Then try this...

Tell yourself you are going to find some money unexpectedly today. Keep it in the forefront of your mind and look around for it. I guarantee that you will find some money, even if it is just a penny that someone has dropped on the pavement. (Obviously if you find someone’s wallet or a big suitcase full of cash, you may want to take it to the police station!) Now, when you find the money, ask yourself: did you manifest it? Or did you just notice something that usually you wouldn’t? Does it even matter?

My last appointment at the end of a busy Monday morning surgery was a lady whose intense fear of dentists had led her to seek help as she is booked for dental clearance next week. She had already persuaded my colleague to give her a prescription for diazepam that morning but her daughter suggested she booked an appointment to see me as I had previously cured her agoraphobia with tapping. The tapping worked well as usual and, with some reframing, coaching and just a little trance, she realised how much better she feels when she smiles and that her stained, chipped and missing teeth had prevented her from smiling for too long. She left me looking forward to the treatment that was going to give her a nice new smile and that left me with another prescription for diazepam consigned to the shredder.

 I spent a thoroughly enjoyable time last weekend with 20 others where we spent the day sharing techniques in excellence. It really brought home to me just how powerfully the different methods work when used together. The combination of using metaphors in hypnosis, NLP language patterns in getting people to tune their thoughts when using meridian therapies, and generally changing people’s energy and state has such a profound effect on their overall wellbeing. Here is a taste of the excellence exchange.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7PBOSXcxGs

How many of you have found yourselves at times saying “I have not got time to be ill?”, only to find that some microorganism has other ideas. Or worse still, your body fails you in a more major way.

‘Burnout’ and ‘work/life balance’ are terms in common use but how do we prevent one and get the other right?

When burnout takes over, values get pushed aside so that we can spend every minute working. Priorities shift from living a balanced life to chasing an unobtainable moving target. When you’re single-mindedly chasing after your own often unobtainable goals, you eventually burn out, effectively becoming deadened to the richness of life unfolding all around you. The moments of joy, relaxation, fun, and spiritual refreshment that give meaning and texture to life disappear. When you are in this state, nothing seems to matter anymore. You don’t care about seeing family and friends, exercising, getting a massage or gardening. It’s as if all of your interests, and the ability to enjoy those interests, have dried up.

So how do you recognise when you’re burning out?

Self-Reflection: What Did You Once Enjoy Doing?

Ten pin bowling, a bracing country walk, dancing, gardening, riding roller coasters, golf; it could be anything. For example the simple act of picking up a bowling ball again and rolling it down the alley with those few moments of anticipation, reawakens youthful neural pathways that have not been used for some time and you will soon find yourself laughing and having fun.

You may not remember the joy you once felt in a hobby or activity that has fallen off your radar, so you may need to enlist a friend or loved one in helping you remember.

Think back to a time before you were burned out, when you were at your prime and filled with enthusiasm for life’s possibilities. What did you enjoy doing? Choose one activity (like bowling, for example), and put it on your calendar. This is an experiment. If it rejuvenates you, add it to your regular schedule. If it doesn’t, try choosing another activity from an earlier time in your life instead. So if you feel like you are suffering from burnout, you can use this method to try and regain the enjoyment in your life.