The Life Plan (57 page)

Improve memory and recall

Improve performance at work/at the gym/in sports

Improve self-esteem

Improve sleep

Improve personal relationships

Improve quality of life

Improve sex life

Lose weight

Overcome grief

Overcome stage fright/fear of public speaking

Slow the aging process

We are all driven internally by
our own perception
of who we are. That is, we hold on to the beliefs that we have created for ourselves, about ourselves, from a very early age, which may or may not be the truth. Whatever that image or belief is, subconsciously it becomes our best friend, and drives us to happiness and success, or our biggest critic, and subconsciously sabotages everything we try to accomplish. The most common root cause of failure on any level in a person’s life is poor self-esteem. This could have been caused by an event or events in the past that we may or may not remember or even be aware of. The event succeeded in implanting a negative self-image attached to a negative emotion in our subconscious, creating self-doubt.

The critic within each of us tends to have the voice of an authoritative figure such as a parent, a teacher, or a celebrity; someone who had a substantial impact on our development. It manifests itself as someone of great value to you during your development, who may have said something or done something that negatively affected you. Here’s an example: You’ve done everything you can to please a favorite teacher. You turn in a project that you have worked extra hard on, expecting accolades and praise. You are already visualizing the cheers from your classmates. As you anxiously await her response, all she says is, “Class, look at the fine project that Bobby (not you) turned in! Isn’t it wonderful?” Think of how let down you feel—she didn’t even recognize all the work you did. There is no applause, nor the cheers from your classmates that you had anticipated. All there is is disappointment and negative emotion flowing around in you and all you can think of is how you FAILED . . . and how Bobby beat you.

Now, here’s the important part—whatever the event, it may have been totally harmless with no ill intentions at all, but it was
your own perception
of the situation and your own hurting that created a false belief about yourself. The stronger the emotion, the bigger the impact, the deeper the wound. From that point on, every time that same emotion arises, no matter what causes it, you subconsciously put yourself right back to competing with Bobby and remembering feeling like a failure. The more energy and attention that is subconsciously given to the critic, the more powerful the critic becomes.

However, you don’t have to stay in this rut. If you are ready to make some real changes to the way that you think and feel about yourself, then let’s start by getting out of your own way.

So many times I hear the same stories: “I exercise, I eat right, I do everything I’m supposed to do, and I still can’t lose the weight!” “I’ll never look like him no matter how hard I try!” or, “It runs in my family—I’ll just have to get used to the fact that I’ll be this way for the rest of my life.”
Well, it’s time to get over yourself!
Negative self-thinking always leads to failure. You are in control and you already have the means necessary to achieve your goals right in your hands. But for you to effect change, making a change must have value to you. The first step to getting out of your own way is to make a list of all the good that will come when you start the Life Plan program. Stop wishing for it and commit to making it happen. Get a clear image in your mind of what you would like your body to look like when you reach your goals. The more willing you are and the more committed you are to your goals, the quicker and more effective the change will be.

Greg was a high school student whose main goal was to be a better basketball player. He loved the game and practiced with passion, but he just could not make baskets. Instead of being on the court, Greg spent a lot of time on the bench watching his teammates play. He became extremely discouraged and began losing interest in the game. He had met Annie earlier in the year and knew that she was a hypnotherapist, and he asked if she could help him. With his parents’ permission and his mother’s presence during the session, Annie got to work. I was thrilled to see Annie’s work firsthand as well.