This video is about what we think we are, what happens when we notice our thoughts and how we make meaning in our lives. What is consciousness? What drives which ideas bubble up to consciousness and which remain below the level of our awareness? We take selective ownership of certain thoughts and label them, driving our whole perception of reality. It’s a fascinating train of thought that leads you to question everything!

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

This video was recorded inside the fiery furnace of Arches National Park, very early in the morning!

00:00 Introduction
01:35 What is consciousness?
03:54 We never choose our thoughts
07:00 Rules of thumb that we use to get through life
09:46 Expectations rule our sensations
15:13 The danger in generalising

#ego #selfawareness #consciousness #reality #consciousliving #consciousnessshift #matrix #self #identity

I’m going to talk today about phobias and what I have discovered in helping people through hypnosis.

In my experience and in all of the cases in which I have assisted, the phobia has had an understandable trigger that was created in the long-forgotten past. The mind experienced something it didn’t like, recognised a pattern surrounding that event, and ever since, that association became the trigger to re-create fear as a protective mechanism.

I’m not saying this is the only explanation, but in my experience, every single phobia that I have helped someone with has been the direct result of a traumatic event and the mind’s conclusions: where their brain observed what was going on, linked all the facets of that experience into a conclusion and tried to box that risk in so that it never would occur again. By noticing the environment, the activities and the circumstance, by labelling all that as dangerous and creating a checkbox-like fear trigger for the future, the mind finds an effective mechanism to limit the possibility of the event occurring again. You end up with a subconscious or non-conscious habitual response which appears out of control because there’s nothing that you can do, consciously, to fix it: it is no longer operating as a conscious process and so feels out of control.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#phobia #fears #hypnotherapy

Are you a bully? Would you like to stop bullying? Would you like to just feel alright in your skin so that there’s no need to have to bully or exert control of other people? Let me explain to start with what earth is going on.

Our bodies heal when we have a cut. It might be a little bit harder to swallow but something similar is going on with our brains. There are many ways that our brain can heal from trauma: the best way is that we lean into the feelings, consider and digest them, place them into their correct time in our history, process them … and move on.

The problem is a lot of stuff is not pleasant to process and integrate. It’s the last thing we want to think about. So we become skilled at finding ways to put bad feelings and bad thoughts in a box, locking the box and throwing it to the bottom of the ocean. We avoid. It’s possible we numb ourselves to the point where we’re not quite sure anymore of what’s going on. Whether your body is in hyperdrive at a certain moment, or it’s suffocated so that you don’t feel at all, we can all find ways to stuff down feelings. And in time, if the feelings are sufficiently uncomfortable to need to habitually avoid, they will be mentally repressed.

If you can’t consciously find ways to express issues which need addressing, your mind-body experience will find ways of acting out so that you repeat the experiences in such a way that you can learn and understand it. And that, dear friends, is where bullying begins.

Watch on to see how to understand and deal with it!

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#bully #bullying #bullystopnow #bullyingstopsnow #bullyingawareness #bullyingprevention #bullying #psychology #triggers #selfawareness

My video today is on the subject of bullying. Not a particularly nice subject, and if you are on the recipient’s end of a bully, it can be pretty horrible. But that’s why it’s important to speak about it.

In the video, I explain some of what’s going on in the bully’s mind. I’m going to explain to you what the healing mechanisms of the mind are so that you can start to understand what is going on in the head of the bully. And then, I’m going to give you a few tools and tips as to how to deal with it.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

Let’s start with a basic premise that your mind is a self-healing mechanism just as much as your body. The best way that the brain heals is that you express; that you annunciate your experience. When you express your feelings, and they’re understood, it’s the best way of integrating because you then order your memory correctly. When you suffer a trauma, and it’s not processed, the trauma is everywhere. It’s in the past, it’s in the present, it’s in the future, randomly triggered. When you express and are understood, and you can integrate what is happening, then the experiences that you had are ordered in your memory correctly.

But a lot of things we try to avoid. Probably the most important of those are shame-based because, by definition, shame is very personally exposing and vulnerable. It says, “I am wrong.” It can often be on taboo subjects or things that we think are so taboo, so unforgivable that we dare not speak their name. So you can’t go through that natural integrating process, and you can’t place that experience in the past where it belongs. It’s just everywhere. So what do you do? This is why I say that your brain is a self-healing mechanism. When you do not express and annunciate consciously, your body or your mind finds ways to act out your experiences almost as if you were the perpetrator so that you can put yourself in the shoes of the person who did whatever they did so that you can start to understand what an earth was going on and start to, almost by accident, process it consciously. And this is where the origins of bullying can be found.

But there are ways to defeat a bully once you understand what he or she is doing, why they are doing it, and what implicitly and explicitly they are trying to gain. If that resonates with you, watch on.

And as an aside, if you look you will see that I have also published a video intended to speak directly to the bully.

#bully #bullying #bullystopnow #bullyingstopsnow #bullyingawareness #bullyingprevention #bullying #psychology #triggers #selfawareness

Are you living the life that you’re prepared to tolerate? I find this absolutely fascinating and I think it’s very broadly applicable. There are certain things in your life which are really, really important, so you go for those. But then there are other things that are somewhat less important, and they still require effort or risk or the possibility of failure, rejection or disapproval. And so you go for the things which are non-negotiable. But when it gets to the nice-to-haves, many people stop.

So it might be worth asking: are you living the life that you’re prepared to tolerate? In other words, have you reached the point where it’s just good enough to stop pushing harder?

So what do you do if that applies to you? Imagine there is a rational mechanism going on behind the scenes, weighing up whether it makes sense to go any further or whether you’ve just kind of reached the point where the effort to change seems to exceed the potential benefit.

In theory, that would be a rational point to stop pushing, and so, as in so many cases (gratias, Stoics), the answer is to consider your life. Consider the stories that are running. Consider your evaluations. Consider the reasons behind your wishes to make things better versus the potential effort involved. And question, does it make sense?

If it does, but you’re not getting down to it, you need leverage. What will make to push through, get things done, and say “sod it?” And what’s the downside? What’s the worst that can happen?

It’s definitely time to explore the concepts of the stoics…

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#selfawareness #lifecoaching #changeyourlife #stoicism #stoic

I’m going to talk today about the indulgence of victimhood.

Learned helplessness is a way to avoid taking the actions and steps that you (kind of) want to take in order to live the life that you want to live.

Pain is universal. But suffering is pain multiplied by resistance. You suffer when you resist the difficulties of life. And for me, victimhood is a way to indulge in that suffering.

Victimhood is asking “why me? Why am I constantly having this problem?” A survivor doesn’t ask that. A survivor is always going to be asking, “Okay, what’s next?” because the most difficult people and experiences in your life can actually drive you to the most wonderful echelons of understanding. They can be your grandest teachers, but when you’re identifying as the victim, it absolves you of the responsibility to take action.

We choose our response to the setbacks of life. So if you find that victimhood is justifying your pain, justifying your lack of action, justifying your inability, then it might be worthwhile to take another look at that. It is a wonderful way of protecting ourselves from taking risks because of the pains we’ve previously experienced. But the end result is further suffering, and everybody loses.

If instead, you can accept the reality of whatever underpins the victimhood without identifying as a victim, you then give yourself permission to take action. You know where you stand, and you know the direction in which to travel. And it’s always action and experience that turn into progress. Food for thought. I hope that’s interesting and useful!

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#victimmentality #survivor #selfawareness #victim #selfpity

Are there things that you do to excess? It’s likely a pacifying strategy that almost works, kinda, sometimes. The problem is, it’s impossible to get enough of something that doesn’t fully work, and so you do it to excess.

Sound familiar? If so, ask yourself what is the need you’re trying to fulfil. Or the pain that you’re trying to soothe. Or the fear that you dare not face.

In this video, I’m discussing the perils of avoidance, hopefully helping you out of the chains of denial and those (un)comfortable delusions.

We live in a world where our personal worth is largely based on what we have (or don’t have) rather than who we are and what we stand for. We’re led to avoid the innermost thoughts that may be uncomfortable and instead try harder, chase status and buy shiny things. Capitalism is winning here: inequality is increasing; addictions and mental health crises are everywhere. The pain is on our doorstep, but the world seems to prefer its delusions.

In this video, I’m discussing the risks we bring by avoiding ourselves whilst the messengers bang louder and louder upon our aching conscience. Breaking free from these delusions is first base towards a sane and flourishing life. I delve into what happiness is, how shame affects society at its core, and how it is leading to many of the complexities and schizms that we see in society today.

It’s a difficult and complex subject, and my words are somewhat melancholic as a result. Still, it feels important to say.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

I have a much shorter video here on a similar subject:
https://youtu.be/siWE0YnG0KM

00:00 Introduction
03:52 Powerlessness in the face of an opioid fuelled mental health crisis.
06:10 The wide spectrum of avoidance strategies
08:44 It’s easier to ignore the reality staring us in the face. We choose what we pay attention to.
10:08 A little experiment to illustrate: Be careful what you look for
16:05 Shame and how it impacts our need to avoid
18:50 Cultural underpinnings
20:48 Capitalism’s impact
24:55 Self-awareness brings flexibility & the ripple effect of many small actions.

#avoidance #addiction #changeyourlife #avoidances #selfawareness #capitalism #selfsoothe #inequality #personalworth #status #opiod #avoidance

What’s the route to unlimited joy, adventure and massive opportunity? It comes from throwing away your rule book and getting flexible with what you think you might be. Come discover the joy in the journey!

In this video, I’ll talk about how to fuel your fire with passion and embrace unlimited joy. Too often, we’re so focused on the negative that we miss out on the joy that’s waiting for us. This video is about finding the things that bring you happiness and making the most of every moment.

Behind me is Factory Butte, in Utah.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#motivation #selfawareness #changeyourlife

Do you find yourself chasing new therapeutic techniques? Do you find yourself thinking, if only you found the magic technique, everything would be good?

Maybe you’ve tried throwing yourself in freezing cold water, you’ve tried colonic irrigation, you’ve tried going to a spa at the top of a mountain, you’ve tried CBT, you’ve tried reiki healing and so on and so forth.

If so, you may be aware already that the outcome can have little or nothing to do with the technique employed to make change occur. The technique, if you relate well to it, might present you with a new way of looking at yourself, but the opening wedge is within your ability to permit yourself to look somewhere different, do something different, and consider something different.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

You change when you want to change, and when that happens, you’ll find the magic technique because it’s got nothing to do with the technique, it’s all to do with you. I am evangelical about hypnotherapy because I experienced that process myself via hypnotherapy. I was prepared to throw away the ego in that moment, so I found hypnotherapy to be an extraordinary way to go behind the veil of my own story and discover more. But the more you discover, the more you realise that actually your reality was a delusion, and that you were maintaining your state of affairs through of a set of rules, policies and procedures that kept you there. That’s why I can say with confidence that it has nothing to do with the technique and everything to do with your perception of your own mechanisms at play.

Therapy is going to work when you are determined to make it work. It’s going to work when you don’t know how to take the next step, but you are determined to take the next step. And similarly, therapy is not going to work, no matter what therapy it may be, if there are benefits inside of you, which may be conscious or subconscious, that determine your story and maintain your ‘problem’ (because to a part of you at least, it isn’t a problem).

#therapy #selfawareness #hypnotherapy #changeyourlife

In the video, I unmask the fallacies within our minds: the thoughts we tell ourselves and take for granted.

Some of my personal favourites include phrases like “I should,” “I could,” “I ought to,” “I need,” and “I’m trying.” However, these phrases ultimately boil down to the same sentiment: “I won’t” or “I’m not.”

The English language is filled with softeners that allow us to diminish the truth, so this video encourages you to take ownership of your perception and expression and appreciate your responsibility for them.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#stocism #comfortabledelusions #fallacies #psychology #innerthoughts #innerwisdom

This video covers all things authenticity. It’s about shedding your skin and exhibiting what is alive inside of you without any need or pressure. Just being you. Celebrating you. Owning your interests, boundaries, pleasure principles, and heartfelt, gut-wrenching truths. Everything. And boy, does that feel good. It’s filmed in the dizzying beauty of Dead Horse Point State Park overlooking the Colorado River.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

00:00 Introduction
00:52 Authenticity is a growing & evolving experience, not a goal in itself
04:32 Giving up on others stories and expectations, fitting in
06:18 Crisis of conformity
11:24 People Pleasing
15:31 Let it come in its own time

#authenticity #selfawareness #passion #drive #pleasure #coloradoriver #utah #moab #congruency

Would you like to experience background, ever-present joy? This video discusses how joy gradually unfurls in life and then invites you to a semi-hypnotic joyful experience. I firmly believe we already have a fountain of joy waiting to be discovered inside ourselves, so I hope this will create a delightful experience.

This one was taken in Zion National Park in an uncrowded area along the Kolob Canyons South Fork of Taylor Creek.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

00:00 Introduction
01:13 Two kinds of joy: euphoric immediate joy and background ever-present joy
09:16 Hypnotic introduction
11:03 Hypnotic induction begins

#guidedmeditation #joy #joyful #hypnosis #hypnosisonline #selfhypnosis

The Law of Attraction is incredibly seductive as a story, but does that make it accurate? Can we manifest our future? I love to keep things down to earth, so in this video, I explain some of the psychological flaws in the argument, along with my understanding of how and why it can nonetheless benefit us.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

00:00 Introduction
00:44 What is the law of attraction?
01:50 Flaws in the argument
04:26 There’s still something fabulous about the law of attraction
10:25 The opportunities were always all around us; fixed ideas limit us

#lawofattraction #manifestation #selfawareness

Do you have a narrative running inside of you about public speaking? Maybe about your ability, voice or mannerisms, what people will think, say, or do and how they might judge you?

By understanding your fear, you can rewrite your identity story, conquer your anxiety and give an outstanding performance. In this video, I will teach you how to do this and transform public speaking anxiety into a positive experience.

People sometimes unnecessarily suffer from a fear of how to speak in public for protracted periods. My experience with hypnotherapy has demonstrated that it can be resolved exceptionally rapidly.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#publicspeaking #publicspeaker #publicspeakingtraining #anxiety #anxietyrelief #onstage #brycecanyon

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way, you are right” (Henry Ford).

Do you want to know how to achieve your goals? Do you lack the enthusiasm or energy to go for the things that, apparently, you would like to achieve?

The stories that run inside our minds frame every choice we make. They dictate whether or not we think we shall succeed, the outcomes we aim for, and the enthusiasm and energy we expend. They define what we attempt to do and what we see the results of. We deduce what we are capable of.

When our imagination conflicts with our will, willpower alone rarely beats imagination. When we think we can, we do. When we think we can’t, we don’t (or we procrastinate). The fixed ideas in our subconscious lead us inexorably towards our expectations. Ultimately, we get better at what we are passionate about because we practice a lot. The motivation to practice comes from focus and belief: where focus flows, energy goes. That all begins with the fixed ideas of our mind.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

00:00 Introduction
00:30 Everything is changing. How do we make sense of our world?
04:33 The chance events that define us.
07:02 We habituate our fixed ideas until they run on auto-pilot

#selfawareness #ideefixe #lifecoaching #change #changeyourlife #authenticity #mindfulness #stoicism #archesnationalpark #fixedideas

Fear is one of the most common obstacles we face on our path to success. In this video, I’ll show you how to overcome fear using the techniques that have worked for me. Whether you’re facing a new challenge or a difficult situation, these tips will help you take control and reach your goals!

Fear is anxiety about the future; it’s not occurring now. So fear is unsolvable: you can’t intellectualise it away. Just knowing that can be freeing because it leads to the conclusion that you must do something other than mental preparation: you must act. Fears go away after you take a step forward, not just by preparing to take a step forward. If you want to bust your fears right open, look at these tips. And if you’re going to beat fear like a pro, you might like to look at a book by Susan Jeffers called “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway”.

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

00:00 Introduction
01:00 Fear is unsolvable.
03:29 We reduce our fears by doing, not thinking.
05:20 Action = progress. The best option is to do something; the worst is to do nothing.
07:17 Mis-takes
08:39 You might not realise you are making progress even though you are
10:19 Chunk it down.

#fears #fear #selfawareness

When there is a conflict between your willpower and your imagination, your imagination always wins. But imagine: if you can get your motivation AND your imagination on your side, you go like a steam train.

There are many ways to align the pictures in our mind with our willpower. One way to do this is to access an emotional record which is hardwired inside ourselves. In this video, I will explain how to harness that emotional record found in your posture and magnify it to the point where you can choose your emotion by striking a pose and holding it.

Crazy though it might sound, you will come out of this video with a tool to help you feel amazing whenever you want! Don’t believe me, try it.

Get motivated in a flash, get stuff done, be kinder to yourself, and achieve the things most important in your life: strike a pose!

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#motivation #nlp #selfawareness

This video is about the stories running around inside people’s heads, the ones that prevent you from going where you want to go and from doing what you want to do. They could be: I’m too old; it’s going to take too long; I should have started this before; I don’t have time; I don’t have the tools; or perhaps, I’m rubbish at this.

So here’s the thing: we can resist making change by being harsh on ourselves. It’s like an emotional crutch, a victim strategy that allows you to blame others and opt out of going for what you want to go for. If you (or a part of you) don’t want to change, your inner voice will give you a million excuses.

Your words become comfortable alibis that get you out of taking action. I give you a fantastic example from this morning, which might shed light on how we lend meaning to our experiences. You make your reality through the stories you attach meaning to and which guide your expectations. If you have a generally negative chatter, you will fit whatever happens to that. If instead, you have a positive, neutral or accepting chatter, a “you are good at what you’re good at, you’re bad at what you’re bad at, but let’s make the best of today” sort of chatter, then when adversity comes your way, you deal with it more constructively.

So don’t worry; you can power through these excuses of the inner critic if you are armed with the truth. If you want to change your life for the better, then start listening to your inner voice and start making changes today!

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

#innerwisdom #selftalk #innercritic #innerthoughts #selfawareness

Have you ever really considered your inner thoughts, where they come from, and how and why they act the way they do? Have you ever asked them what age they might be, their fears and needs, and perhaps most intriguingly of all, considered where is the “you” behind the noise?

Clinical studies show from a very, very early age, infants are already playing out the roles of various parts inside of themselves. It seems an intrinsically human and relatable aspect to ourselves that we divide our thoughts into “parts”, each with its own persona. We identify more or less with each of these parts depending upon circumstance and the stories running inside our heads.

If you can begin to unmask the hidden selves and get to know them, it can trigger an extraordinarily fulfilling journey of self-discovery.

This video talks about the fascinating aspect of the human psyche that has become known as “Internal Family Systems” (IFS) but could equally be thought of like a city of individuals residing inside our heads who somehow find an equilibrium. I talk about managers, firefighters and exiles who each support and police our psyche in different ways and become unwittingly burdened by responsibilities they perceive as their “job”. I also show you how to unmask the self and to take steps towards becoming the director of your own internal perceptions and observations.

[The audio quality dips for thirty seconds between 06:50 & 07:20, my apologies!]

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

00:00 Introduction
00:34 Its not really all about your dark side
01:45 How we come to identify with our parts
05:27 How parts become burdened with roles.
06:26 Managers, Firefighters and Exiles
08:58 We self identify with certain parts more than others
11:09 Identifying “the self” from amongst the parts
12:36 Allowing parts to release their burdens

#parts #ifs #therapy #internalfamilysystems #fritzperls #internalfamilysystems #internalfamilysystem #partstherapy #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness

Would you like to improve your performance in some way? To further your business, improve sales, eat healthier, strengthen your libido, get fit, get more things done … the list is endless! In this video, I spend the first ten minutes discussing what’s happening and then offer a simple technique to fix it! Enjoy:)

Want to talk? Find me here!
https://authenticlifecoaching.ch/free-clarity-session/

00:00 Introduction
00:32 Imagination always trumps willpower
01:21 How do you get your imagination on your side?
03:23 It’s easier in hypnosis
06:54 Follow the feeling back in time
09:56 A quick fix
16:00 Change your quick fix into a habit

#performance #imagination #willpower #hypnotherapy