Self-Hypnosis to Conquer Fear of Midlife Change

Life is full of changes but as we move into our 40s and 50s, we seem to become even more immersed in change. Our bodies are changing, jobs may change, children move out of the house, spouses leave and even our interests change. Change is frightening and if we let them, our negative thoughts can take over. We can end up being paralyzed by fear.

One way to combat fear is to learn self-hypnosis and install positive suggestions in the subconscious. Much of our self-talk tends to be negative. Thoughts and self suggestions such as the following will ensure that we don’t achieve what we want in life and that the changes we want to make will not happen:

I can’t (the one we use the most)
I’ll never get it right
I’m sure to fail
This will never work
I’m not good enough
I’m not bright enough
I’m too fat [or tall or thin]
I’m an idiot

People who are successful use positive self-hypnosis and suggestions such as:

I can (the most important one of all)
I am good 
I’m skilled
I’m an intelligent person
I deserve the best
I know how to do it
I am achieving my goal

Installing positive self-hypnosis into the subconscious is the key to achieving success. The process is simple …

Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed for at least 15 minutes. Think about any affirmation (such as a suggestion from the list above) you might want to use. Close your eyes and begin to visualize your whole body relaxing from the top of the head all the way down to the toes. Slow down your breathing. Go through each part of the body giving it a gentle command to “relax” as you continue to breathe slowly.  You might even imagine yourself at your favorite place, somewhere you feel completely at peace, safe and comfortable.  When you feel you have reached a level of relaxation that is appropriate for you, repeat (in your mind) the affirmation you have selected.  Repeat the phrase or word at least 10-20 times, take a few more deep breaths and then gently return to wherever you are. Open your eyes and feel how relaxed you are.

Your imagination is a powerful tool.  Use it to create the life you want and make the changes YOU choose.

Baby Boomer Health: Make Friends With Probiotics

If you view bacteria as only being associated with illness and disease, then you may want to take a closer look.  Our bodies actually require certain bacteria to stay healthy.  These “friendly” bacteria, called probiotics, can provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. 

Did you know that about 70% percent of your body’s immune system is located in the digestive tract?  Definitely a good reason to keep that part of the body healthy! Taking drugs such antibiotics, penicillin, steroids and birth control pills, and issues such as yeasts and fungus, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis and some cancers can decrease intestinal flora. Research has shown that consuming certain specific probiotics on a regular basis can help strengthen the body’s natural defenses, or improve digestive health, particularly in folks over 60 who have far fewer friendly bacteria in the gut than others. 

I can be friendly

Probiotics can be taken as supplements or as components of fermented milk, products such as kefir, yogurt and cheeses or fermented vegetable products like sauerkraut. Generally, supplements contain a greater number and variety of bacteria and are therefore more effective than yogurt which is required to only contain two starter cultures.  A recommended dosage for supplements is between one billion and ten billion bacteria per day. More is better!

The bacteria should be stored properly (refrigerated in dark glass) and taken between meals to avoid the acidity of the stomach which can dissolve them. Products should list the number of viable bacteria and carry an expiration date to ensure freshness.  Taking the bacteria as a powder is preferable since they can be damaged when formed into tablets and capsules.  For long-term benefits, bacteria should be taken on a regular basis to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the intestinal tract.

 
Scientific studies have demonstrated that conditions commonly experienced by aging Baby Boomers —constipation, calcium deficiency and a weakening of the immune system — are all improved by probiotics. So maybe it’s time to start thinking of bacteria as friends rather than foes!

How Do You Face Adversity?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life, how things were so hard for her. She didn’t know how she was going to make it, and she wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one of her problems was solved, a new one popped up. 

Her mother took her into her kitchen, where she filled three pots with water. In the first pot, she placed some carrots, in the second one, she placed some eggs, and in the third pot, she placed some ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word, then in about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners.

She fished out the carrots and placed them into a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them into another bowl then she ladled the coffee into yet another bowl. Turning to her complaining daughter, she asked, ‘Tell me, what you see?’ ‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ her daughter replied. 

She brought her daughter closer, and asked her to feel the carrots.  She did, and noticed that they were now soft. She told her daughter to break an egg, which she did, and after removing the shell, she saw that the egg was now hard-boiled. Finally, she told her daughter to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled as she tasted the rich flavor, then asked, ‘What’s the point, mother?’

Her mother explained that each of the three objects had faced the very same adversity — boiling water — but each had reacted differently:

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened, and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water!

 ‘Now, which are you?’ she asked her daughter, ‘when adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?’

Think of it like this…….Which am I? Am I a carrot that appears to be strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt, and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I an egg that starts out with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter, and tough, with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually CHANGES THE WATER!!  The very circumstance that brings the pain!! When the water gets hot, it releases its fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better……and change the situation around you! When the hours are the darkest, and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to the next level?

— Author Unknown

 
How do you handle adversity?

ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?

What Do You Put in Your Circle?

What Ripples are you Creating?

How often do you react from habit or some internal motivation without stopping to consider the bigger picture or put yourself in another’s shoes?  Do you create inner peace or discord?  We radiate the thoughts and feelings we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever is spinning around inside of us is also flowing out into the world creating peace and harmony or agitation and dissension.

How Do You Want to be Remembered?

Mid-life is a time of reflection, changing goals and reorganizing priorities. It’s a time of letting go of habits, behaviors and thinking patterns that no longer serve you and figuring out what legacy you want to leave behind. It’s about going from a “me” to a “we” life.

Your accomplishments during the first half of your life were no doubt worthy goals but will they last? Are they what you want to be known for when you reach that last part of your life? A “no” answer is the first step in the process of clarifying what is truly important to you at this stage of the game.

One way of defining your legacy to the world is to imagine that you are at your 100th birthday celebration.  Your family, friends and neighbors have come to celebrate this momentous occasion with you.  The person who is closest to you is going read a speech to the audience.  This speech is about YOU, about all that you have accomplished; how you have made the world a better place for the next generation; all the ways you have been of service to others.  YOU are going to write that speech yourself.

Visualize how you have made a difference in the lives of those closest to you, acquaintances, friends, family, colleagues and the world in general.  What have you given, what have you created and how does it make you feel? Now take pen and paper and start writing.

This is just one of the steps in discovering your purpose, your passion, why you were put on this earth. If you would like to gain more insight into what’s missing in your life, why you’re not waking up to greet each day with enthusiasm and joy and why you are in a rut, please email me via my website – http://www.blueprints4change.com

Tips for the Calorie Conscious Baby Boomer

Eating Too Much?

Is overeating an issue for you?  Here are some tips that might help:

1.  Take smaller bites and chew your food more slowly. Take at least 20 minutes to consume a meal because that’s how long it takes for your body to give you the “I’ve had enough” message.  Taking longer to eat will make you feel as though you are actually eating more. 

 
2.  Sit down to eat.  If you stand or eat on the run, you are more likely to eat more food. Making it a point to sit down while eating will help you think about how much you are consuming.

 
3.  Change to smaller plates. You will feel as if you are eating more than if you put a small amount of food on a large plate.

 
4.  Drink a 12-ounce glass of water before eating.  It will take up room in your stomach and make you feel less hungry. Sometimes you are really thirsty rather than hungry. If the sensation of hunger comes on in an instant, it usually means you are thirsty.  Feelings of hunger generally come on more slowly.

 
5.  Wait 10 minutes before having a snack.  It will often make you realize you weren’t hungry at all.  Between meal snacks are often impulsive acts. 

 
6.  Keep the “right stuff” where you can see it.  Make foods such as fruits and vegetables readily available by keeping them in the front of the refrigerator.

 
7.  Avoid eating distractions.  If you find you are constantly eating too much food, then you may want to consider reducing distractions during your meal. A French study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (August 2001) reported that women who ate lunch while listening to a detective story consumed significantly more calories than when eating without distractions, even though their hunger level was the same. So the next time you sit down for lunch or dinner, turn off the phone, the television and any other distraction.

Boomer Health: To See or Not to See!

Aside from aging eyes, you might also find yourself suffering from eyestrain particularly if you spend a considerable amount of time in front of the computer. Long hours staring at a screen often cause us to forget to blink and replenish moisture to our eyes. 

 
Here are a couple of ways in which you can relieve eyestrain.

 
• Rub your hands together briskly for 10 seconds, generating heat. Close your eyes and place your palms over your eyes, resting the heels of your hands on your cheekbones and your fingertips on your forehead. Do not apply pressure.  Hold your hands in place for at least one minute while you relax your facial muscles and breathe deeply.  The deep breathing together with the warmth of your palms combines to relax the muscles around your eyes.

 
• Eye rolls.  Keeping your eyes open, roll them around in clockwise circles, then anti-clockwise circles.  Do each direction for about 15 or so rolls. Begin slowly and gradually increase your speed, ensuring that you roll your eyes in as wide a circle as you can.  This stretches and tones the eye muscles and increases blood circulation.

Have you Hit Midlife without Having Lived Your Passions?

This evening my husband and I went out for “date night”, something we do periodically just to go off and chat, particularly when both of us have been busy doing our own thing. We decided to try out a restaurant we had not been to before – Busboys and Poets.  Not only does it have good food, it is also a bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place. Even the menu makes for interesting reading.
The following poem (part of the menu) caught my attention. Many of the clients I work with have no idea what their passions are when we begin. Others have put aside their passions (dreams) for a variety of reasons. If you’re in that category, then perhaps this poem “speaks” to you.

A Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

— Langston Hughes, African-American Poet

 
If you would like to discover/rediscover your passions, please visit my website (http://www.blueprints4change.com) or email me, evelin@blueprints4change.com. The Passion Test™ has been of tremendous benefit in helping so many individuals clarify what is truly important to them, make major changes and live more fulfilled lives.

Boomer Health: Concerned about Swine Flu?

With all the press about swine flu, I thought I’d share what I would take if it seemed I might be exposed. This natural remedy would, in fact, be excellent for any type of flu. May not be the tastiest concoction for some folks but would definitely give the flu bug a “run for its money”!

Enjoy!
The Master Tonic: A Natural Antibiotic

by Richard Schulze, University of Natural Healing
Based on a tonic by Dr. John Christopher

Raw unfiltered unbleached non-distilled apple cider vinegar
1 part fresh chopped garlic cloves
1 part fresh chopped white onion (or hottest onions)
1 part fresh grated ginger root
1 part fresh grated horseradish root
1 part fresh chopped cayenne peppers or the hottest peppers available, i.e. habanero, African Bird, or Scotch Bonnets, etc.

Fill a glass jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts by volume (i.e. a cupful each) of the above fresh chopped and grated herbs. Then fill jar to the top with raw, unfiltered, unbleached, non-distilled apple cider vinegar. Close and shake vigorously and then top off the vinegar if necessary.

Shake at least once a day for two weeks, then filter the mixture through a clean piece of cotton (cheesecloth, old T-shirt, etc.), bottle and label. Make sure that when you make this tonic that you shake it every time you walk by it, a minimum of once per day. Remember that all the herbs and vegetables should be fresh (and organically grown if possible) and use dried herbs only in an emergency.

This tonic is extremely powerful because all the ingredients are fresh. Its power should not be underestimated.  It stimulates maximum blood circulation, while putting the best detoxifying herbs into the blood.

The dosage is 1/2 to 1 ounce, two or more times daily (1- 2 Tbs.). Gargle and swallow. (Don’t dilute with water.)

For ordinary infections, 1 dropper full taken 5-6 times a day will deal with most conditions. It can be used during pregnancies, is safe for children (use smaller doses) and as a food is completely non-toxic. Make up plenty as it does not need refrigeration and lasts indefinitely without any special storage conditions.

Ingredient properties:

– Garlic cloves (anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-parasitical)

– White Onion, or hottest onions available (similar properties to garlic)

– Ginger Root (increases circulation to the extremities)

– Horseradish Root (increases blood flow to the head)

– Cayenne Peppers, or the hottest peppers available – a great blood stimulant

– Probiotic – antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitical

All material is provided for informational or educational purposes only. Please consult a physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or condition.

Intuition Improves with Age … Hopefully!

I don’t know how many times I’ve had the “sense” that I need to do something – drive to work a different way, call a friend at a certain time, spontaneously buy an item that turns out to be the perfect gift, etc.  Often however, my logical brain gets in the way and I rationalize myself out of it.  How often have you done the same thing?

Last week I had an “out-of-the-blue” urge to call a friend, for no apparent reason.  Although I was extremely busy, I decided to pick up the phone and call anyway.  As it turned out, her father had just passed away (1/2-hour earlier) and she really needed to talk.  I was able to provide support at a time she needed someone most.

Listening to our intuition is also applicable in today’s fast-paced business world in which there is often a need for quick and accurate decisions.  Where there isn’t time to think it through, using your intuition can be a key component to making the right choice.  Instead of living “by the rules” and all the “shoulds” and “ought tos”, learning to trust and listen to our inner self, that knowingness (our intuition) can guide us every step of the way.

Here are a few tips to help you get more in touch with your inner guidance:

Practice Listening to your Intuition
Everyone receives intuitive information.  It’s a skill and the more you practice, the better you become. 

Slow Down and Relax
If you are relaxed and open to receiving valuable insights, they are more likely to happen. 

Is Your Path Clear?
Do you know what you want (rather than what you don’t want) and what it looks/feels like?  Being clear is the first step in creating it. 

What Excites You?
Passion and excitement about something are often intuitive messages. If a decision about a course of action leaves you feeling bored or drained, that’s a message saying “Don’t go there”. 

Go With Your Gut!
Instincts, gut-feelings such as “I knew I should have….”, or “I had this bitter taste in my mouth about…” are intuitive signals.  These clues can help you make decisions. 

Put it in Writing
Frame a question or an issue and then write down the thoughts or feelings that come to you.  Don’t analyze the thoughts; just put this “stream of consciousness” down on paper. 

To improve your intuitive ability, learn to make decisions on “little” information (or at least, less than other people need) and be comfortable in ambiguous situations. Life can become more interesting when you listen to your “sixth sense”.  Give it a go, you might be surprised!