Happy New Year & New Beginnings

Happy new year everyone!

With each new year always comes a sense of new beginnings. With each new year also comes the risk of repeating the same mistakes we made in previous years. I wanted to write this blog to outline a few things which may help make 2014 the best year of your life.

Resolutions - are they worth it?

Of course. Any desire for positive change is always worthwhile. However don't get caught in the trap of being 'forced' into making this change just because of the time of the year. For any change to be successful you must have the right mindset and the desire to change. When people put pressure on themselves to change just because it is a New Year - most likely they are not ready and it won't work out properly.

Preparing for Change

If you are truly ready to make steps forward with things in your life definitely go for it now, but if deep inside you know you are 'forcing it', then now is the time to prepare for change instead. By this I mean getting into the right mindset and identifying/understanding why you need to change. This could mean some contemplative time alone to think, taking a break or holiday from your normal surroundings, or simply building a platform within for change to happen. When I say 'platform' I mean making sure you are happy with who you are, what you are doing, and ready to embrace the change - no matter what it may be. Trying to make other changes like quitting smoking, or losing weight that are common this time of the year, but often fail because one's state of mind and reasons are not in the right place. My advice is don't force resolutions just because of a date, rather look at it as a process.

The Right Reasons

You may be thinking right now that you can't be happy until you quit the smokes, or lose some weight? Maybe someone told you that you were fat over Christmas and you are changing to please them? Maybe you just feel pressured by all the media hype surrounding new years resolutions. Who knows... These are not necessarily good reasons to change. As the old cliche goes you must want to change first for the right reasons. People forget this with all the hype this time of year. I think the best way to find the right reasons is to take an honest look inside yourself. Are you doing it for you or for someone else? Is what you are looking at changing just a cover-up for something else you are not happy with in your life (this can be a hard one because consciously we often make excuses for things we know are wrong - really be honest with yourself here).

Some Advice

Personally I like to act on the desire for change as soon as I realize I am ready for it. This is never because of a date or time of the year, rather an inner knowing. I am always consistently looking at bettering myself and I use a few different ways to do this. Obviously hypnosis is a big one for me. I actually use my own hypnosis MP3s for things I want to change too. I also do self-hypnosis by using binaural beats or meditation music and just visualizing what I want to achieve. I always am very aware of starting and finishing a day on the right note. For this I always look at myself in the mirror when I wake up and smile about what is going to be good about today, and visualize where I want to be tomorrow before I go to sleep at night. I always listen to what the people close to me have to say about what I do in my life - doing this not by taking offense or justifying to them - but taking it in and doing an honest appraisal on my own accord. If what they are saying I perceive to be true, than I take this on board and try to fix it rationally and without emotional attachment. Most of all, I always try and be honest with myself. Understanding how the conscious and subconscious minds both work, I know when I am consciously trying to make excuses for something I know is not good for me. I always try and read between the lines in an effort to get a greater sense of self and identify where and how I can make changes so that my life is better.

I hope that some of what I have written here helps you especially at this time of year. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please contact me here.

All the best to you, your family and friends for 2014...

- Giovanni Lordi