| Question:Hello, I am about three months away | | | | shopping: everything is inside the circle of |
| from taking my diploma exam and I have found | | | | sacredness. Everything counts and is touched |
| that, where I was once in a position of | | | | by the power and law of this sacredness. When |
| confidence with my skills and optimistic | | | | we deny it, we create and give in to the |
| about my college/course and hypnotherapy in | | | | power and law of the world, which is the |
| general, the further along I have come the | | | | egoic mind trance.The mark of this easy way |
| less confident I feel and the more I know I | | | | is not merely thinking about virtuous ways. |
| don't know! (if you get my drift!) I worry | | | | The mark is the effort to cultivate a felt |
| that as a 'new' practitioner out there - I | | | | sense of light-heartedness, humility, |
| just won't serve my clients well. | | | | cheerfulness, and the capacity to feel deeply |
| | | | without shame, judgment, or |
| I wonder if some of you who are so much more | | | | avoidance.Comparing is the root of fear. |
| experienced and at ease than I am ever felt | | | | --UpanishadsTo compare, you need an other. |
| the same way and if you did, how you dealt | | | | Maintain the transparency of what seems to be |
| with the self-doubt.My answer and the | | | | other in the world. Reflect on the Warrior's |
| excerpt:This dilemma is a really great gift | | | | qualities of clear-thinking and |
| to you. It gives you the opportunity to | | | | discrimination. Humility (not humiliation) is |
| resolve some very common issues that your | | | | the foundation of these qualities. Cultivate |
| client's will have first hand. This will give | | | | them continually, so you achieve a habitual |
| you some genuine empathy for them, and, | | | | mode of self-correction, wake-up calls, and |
| sensing that, they will be very receptive to | | | | deep releasing breaths as you think about |
| your guidance. If you relate to it as a | | | | details of action.There are nuts-and-bolts |
| learning experience, it will be a real | | | | details of action to be performed. While |
| Godsend!First: disconnect your Self-esteem | | | | you're doing them, your inner state and view |
| from your estimation of your competency. | | | | make all the difference in the world. When |
| | | | you open to inner guidance and let a Higher |
| Second: Never put your Self-esteem at the | | | | Power take over, it doesn't mean you don't do |
| mercy of your evaluated competency. | | | | anything. It means you do the common-sense |
| | | | things without getting caught by hope and |
| Third: Practice having absolute Self-esteem | | | | fear, praise and blame, good and bad, gain |
| -- you are a human being like the rest of us | | | | and loss; because none of those standards are |
| and have a right to exist and contemplate the | | | | your standards. They are fearful egoic |
| human dilemma with the rest of us. You are | | | | standards. Your standard is to honor, |
| entitled to learn from every life experience | | | | impeccably, the sacredness of life through |
| without giving yourself belittling fearful | | | | right action. You must find out what that |
| suggestions and without accepting belittling | | | | means in an ever new and expanding way, |
| fearful suggestions from any quarter. | | | | moment-by-moment, forever.Your work is not a |
| | | | survival issue anymore; survival is a matter |
| Fourth: If you find you are not competent | | | | of faith. Your work, like everything else, is |
| enough to serve your clients (you will learn | | | | a way of celebrating and honoring life, |
| that from their feedback - no need to | | | | fearlessly.With this view, let us examine |
| criticize yourself), cheerfully note the | | | | some of the common-sense, nuts-and-bolts tips |
| areas where you are lacking and get more | | | | about starting and sustaining a business.1. |
| training. No need to feel bad about yourself. | | | | You need to know who you are.a. Recognize |
| No need to entertain fearful thinking. | | | | your areas of interest and your strengths.b. |
| | | | Create a succinct, conversational |
| Fifth: If studying and practicing until you | | | | presentation, in 25 words or less, describing |
| do have the needed competency prove | | | | your work. That way when you meet people and |
| unattractive to you, you can cheerfully | | | | they ask what you do, you won't find yourself |
| assume this is not the profession for you and | | | | saying, "Uhhhh...." Unless you want to.2. |
| begin a new exploration to find your true | | | | People need to know you exist.a. Who are |
| passion -- no harm, no foul, no shame.I | | | | you?b. What service do you offer?c. Why do |
| recently had a psychiatrist take my | | | | people need it?d. Where are you?3. Advertise. |
| hypnotherapy training. He shared that in the | | | | (However, keep in mind there are people who |
| course of the doctoral phase of his work he | | | | make six figure incomes on referrals alone. |
| stopped dreaming, lost weight and became | | | | Maybe not at first.)a. Target your |
| extremely anxiety ridden. And he had been in | | | | clientele.b. Utilize advertising that will |
| practice with clients for years since then, | | | | reach your targeted clientele. Alternate news |
| still anxiety ridden and unable to recapture | | | | media or the food co-op newsletter, for |
| his dream life. I feel outrage and sadness | | | | example, might be most the most useful |
| when I hear about toxic environments | | | | publications. If business people are your |
| masquerading as learning environments. | | | | clientele, target local business news |
| Granted it could happen that a person could | | | | periodicals. Web presence is essential.c. |
| make a learning environment into a toxic | | | | Find as many forms of free advertising as you |
| environment by what they make of it in their | | | | can.i. Give free talks at service |
| own mind. In this particular case, it was | | | | organizations.ii. Radio or TV talk shows.iii. |
| some of both at the very least. | | | | Calendar listings are often free.iv. Press |
| | | | releases.v. Networks and support groups.d. |
| Let's make sure you don't make the same | | | | Telephone book yellow pages.e. Flyers, |
| mistake with yours. Find some help from a | | | | brochures, and business cards.f. Put yourself |
| good hypnotherapist near you. I work with | | | | in circulation. Go to meetings where your |
| people all over the world by phone with | | | | work may be of interest and benefit.g. Write |
| excellent results if you would like to work | | | | articles for local periodicals.h. Bulk |
| with me.When you are ready, I hope you will | | | | mail.i. Teach seminars and classes.j. Host a |
| study with me. I have on-site and distance | | | | booth at appropriate fairs. Share |
| learning options.I am including here an | | | | information, do demonstrations, offer free |
| excerpt from my book, Finding True Magic, on | | | | sessions through a drawing. (A note about |
| creating and maintaining a practice.Creating | | | | drawings: set a time limit on the prize. The |
| and Nurturing a Dynamic PracticeIt is very | | | | point is to get people to act. Of course, all |
| important to start with the right view, the | | | | the losers are interested people who now are |
| right appreciation of context, and the right | | | | part of your mailing list.)4) What to |
| perspective when approaching the business of | | | | charge?a. You must do your own soul-searching |
| therapy.As has been emphasized in this book | | | | about this. It is important that you can ask |
| relative to therapy, there is a unifying | | | | for compensation without hesitation or shame. |
| ground to the work that must be recognized | | | | The egoic mind can act this out convincingly, |
| and kept in awareness. An important sameness, | | | | but there will be a contraction within it, no |
| the egoic process, underlies and pervades all | | | | matter how well disguised. Your approach |
| problematic states. This same egoic process | | | | should be more genuine. This will necessitate |
| stands ready to infiltrate your mental | | | | not merely deciding on a figure, but getting |
| equilibrium when your focus turns to | | | | a clear, comprehensive grip on your |
| livelihood. It is fine to have subpersonality | | | | relationship with money and time.b. Don't |
| departments that run different areas of your | | | | treat advertising like rent; treat it like an |
| life, as long as they are fluid and | | | | investment. Rent is something you pay because |
| transparent, integrated, light, and | | | | you need a place to live; you don't examine |
| joyful.When it comes to livelihood, that is, | | | | your return on the money spent. But with an |
| survival issues, it is very easy for rigid, | | | | investment, if it's not giving you more than |
| fear-based, egoic thinking to take over. If | | | | you put into it, you try something else. When |
| there are hard-line divisions between | | | | you advertise, you have to be patient in an |
| parts-the therapy part and the business | | | | appropriate way and give it a chance, just |
| part-a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality shift can | | | | like an investment. Give anything you try at |
| arise. The hard-line and contradictions can | | | | least six months, perhaps a year.c. Here are |
| go largely unnoticed by the therapist, due to | | | | some money books to enrich your thinking. |
| our capacity to negatively hallucinate shadow | | | | There are host of web-marketing books as |
| parts.It is important always to remember that | | | | well.i. Guerilla Marketing, Levinsonii. The |
| the underlying principles we rely on in | | | | Unabashed Self Promoter, Phil Lautiii. Money |
| therapy-the most basic and root reliance | | | | Is My Friend, Phil Lautiv. Marketing Without |
| being an ever-expanding connection to the | | | | Advertising, Michael Phillips and Sally |
| inherently pure guidance of Self/Source-apply | | | | Raspberryv. Seven Laws of Money, Michael |
| in everyday life, to us as well as to our | | | | Phillips and Sally Raspberry5. Establish a |
| clients, even when it comes to money.As Dave | | | | daily habit of meditation; do it for the sake |
| Elman would say to a resistant client, "Some | | | | of all beings if you must have a goal. |
| people are willing to do it the easy way, and | | | | Meditate as an expression of faith, opening, |
| some people want to do it the hard way."The | | | | humility, and gratitude, even if you don't |
| hard way is fear-based and survival driven | | | | think or feel these things. It doesn't matter |
| self reliant. The self here is the | | | | what you think. Just meditate with this inner |
| fragmented, trance state self, the doer, who | | | | conviction no matter what you think or |
| thinks "I have to do it right, work hard | | | | feel.6. Become a mentor; ask someone to |
| (i.e.,contracted, no joy or lightness, no | | | | mentor you. This a form of self-nurturing and |
| trust or faith), make a competitive effort. | | | | guidance. It will help you with your skills. |
| It's all very well to open to inner guidance | | | | It will help you avoid the trap of becoming |
| in hypnosis to work on emotional issues, but | | | | the dried-up kind of therapist who helps |
| this is money we're talking about, and its | | | | others as a way of avoiding his own problems. |
| every man for himself!" The hard way includes | | | | We all have blind spots, and we can forget |
| pride in doing and "helping" (also | | | | the perspective and struggle of the client to |
| fear-based). Don't ever give something to a | | | | trust, to become vulnerable, to open. This |
| client; he must give it to himself. Can you | | | | practice will help your cultivation of |
| let go of your accomplishments? Can you be | | | | humility. I personally am available for |
| invisible? Moreover, can you accept | | | | graduates in either capacity, on an |
| dishonor?If we you honest with yourself , you | | | | individual or group basis, and I refer |
| will notice this egoic urge coming up on a | | | | clients to those so engaged.7. Go For |
| daily basis, every moment. Don't get | | | | It!Until one is committedThere is always |
| moralistic about it, as in, "I shouldn't be | | | | hesitancy, the chance to draw back,Always |
| thinking/feeling this." That just buys into | | | | ineffectiveness.Concerning all acts of |
| the egoic trip and you go into denial, thus | | | | initiative and creationThere is one |
| coming under the complete control of that | | | | elementary Truth, the ignorance of which, |
| which you are denying: that you could have | | | | kills countless ideas and splendid plans;That |
| fear-based, money-grubbing thoughts. Let | | | | the moment one definitely commits |
| egoic minding be; be nice to it; tickle it; | | | | oneself,Then Providence moves, too.All sorts |
| display it humorously; let it arise and fall. | | | | of things occur to help one that would |
| Don't act or react in relationship to it; | | | | otherwise not have occurred.A whole stream of |
| instead, focus on the higher/deeper intent | | | | events issues from the decisionRaising in |
| and open to that guidance. Consider this an | | | | one's favor all manner of unforeseen |
| essential expression of generosity to | | | | incidents and meetings and material |
| yourself.This will help you stay tuned to the | | | | assistance whichNo man could have dreamed |
| easy way.The easy way is the way of faith, | | | | would have come his way.-- Excerpted from The |
| the way of unwavering greater vision, even | | | | Scottish Himalayan Expedition, by W.H. |
| when brushing your teeth or washing your | | | | MurrayWhatever you do, or dream you can do, |
| face. In the easy way, you always take the | | | | do it.Boldness has genius, power and magic in |
| first step first, the right step first, the | | | | it.Begin it now.-- GoetheYou may know of |
| beginner's mind step first. It is the way of | | | | Goethe as one of the great writers of all |
| remembering the source of formlessness, | | | | time, but you may not realize he was an |
| purity, and timelessness, before entering | | | | initiated adept of esoteric spiritual |
| into endeavors in the world of form and time. | | | | teachings. Take what he says, and Murray's |
| To accomplish this, it is necessary to | | | | eloquent understanding of the same |
| understand how each moment is its own first | | | | principles, as the words of a Magician who |
| step, how the formless pervades each moment | | | | realized in his own life the faith and |
| of form; this makes guidance and support | | | | synchronicity of which he speaks.Goethe |
| abundantly ever present. This is a | | | | states a technical dynamic of the phenomenal |
| description of humility, as opposed to the | | | | world, which arises out of a deep |
| pride and fear of the Doer.- Do you recognize | | | | thoughtfulness. The point of this book is to |
| it? Are you willing to cultivate it?Going the | | | | help you cultivate-for clients and for |
| easy way, there is no competition, therefore | | | | yourself-thoughtfulness, heartfulness, |
| no grievance. There is no other because your | | | | soulfulness; not mere technical competency. |
| relationship is with the flow of | | | | When you have it, cars going by, birds |
| interdependence with the universe, your | | | | cooing, or the commotion of others won't be |
| synchronicity factor; not with the world of | | | | distracting. From what can they distract you? |
| others, the world of hope and fear, as | | | | From your experience of being sacredly, |
| constructed by the egoic mind of time and | | | | gratefully, alive...moment-by-moment...now! |
| poverty. Therapy, business, housework, | | | | |