The Power of Self Belief

‘If you think you can, or you think you can’t do a thing, you’re probably right.’ Henry Ford.

Why is it some people grow up with a strong sense of self belief and others seem to set themselves up to fail time and time again? Our beliefs create our reality, whether they are positive or negative. We are not born with any beliefs, we develop them during the first six or seven years of our lives and they then become subconscious and continue to affect our choices, our expectations, our reality throughout our lives.

Our beliefs are created by the influential adults around us during those early years, some may be good, but sadly most people develop more negative beliefs such as ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘I don’t deserve…’, ‘I need to be perfect’, ‘It’s a dangerous world’, ‘I need to please people’, ‘I’ll fail’, ‘People don’t care’ etc… Eventually our own inner voice takes over from the voices of the adults who taught us these damaging beliefs and they become self-fulfilling prophecies as we unconsciously set out to prove to ourselves that they are true.

By becoming aware of your inner voice, stopping the negative self-talk, and telling yourself you can instead of telling yourself you can’t, you can create new positive beliefs and begin to change your life. By using Hypnotherapy, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to reprogramme your mind, you can make these changes at a deep level, much more quickly and much more easily.

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How to Stop 'The Weight Loss Battle'

Yo-yo dieting, over-eating, weight problems and other eating disorders are in most cases so complex, and the problem is never the same for any two people. I work with every client as the unique individual they are, and begin by looking at what lies at the root of their problems. 

Wild animals eat only when they are hungry, and stop when they're full...for us humans, over-eating and weight issues are connected to a all sorts of things! Learned beliefs and behaviours in childhood, bad habits formed as we go through life, lonlieness, boredom, self-loathing... or we may use food to 'push down' negative feelings, or fill a void... Of course food can never do this, and we feel much worse after over-eating than we did before we tried to make ourselves feel better by doing so! 

Many of these issues can be buried in our subconscious mind so we're not even consciously aware of why we over-eat, but there is an ongoing battle between the part which wants to lose the excess weight and the part that for some reason wants to hold onto it, and/or the comfort eating. If these issues aren't dealt with, people may lose weight temporarily, but the yo-yo eating/weight problems will be likely to continue, which is why dieting is such a huge industry! 

To help my clients change their eating habits, I generally like to begin by using hypnotherapy to take them back to childhood, and become aware of any memories or experiences which may be connected to over-eating and being overweight, in order to release the subconscious hold they have on them. I then also use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping) to release any unwanted thoughts, beliefs and feelings which are causing blockages in their energy system, and teach them to use it themselves, so that they can continue to 'tap away' unwanted emotions, habits, cravings etc.

Many people who contact me as a hypnotherapist are looking for a 'quick fix' or a 'magic wand' - although I really do wish I had one! Hypnosis is not about  me'putting' someone into a trance, or me 'making' you change the way you think and feel, it's a two-way process during which my clients need to allow themselves to go along with my suggestions and enter a deeply relaxed state. While in this state, they can accept further suggestions into their subconscious minds about making positive changes, being in control, and eating mindfully and consciously, only when they are actually hungry. 

I also use powerful NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) techniques which help you to re-programme your mind by imagining or visualising yourself, looking and feeling the way you want to, rather than focusing on how you don't want to look and feel, so you can move toward your goal of becoming slim, fit, healthy, and happy. 

I've been a qualified therapist since 1998, and helping people to lose weight with hypnotherapy since 2005, but became a licensed Hypno-Band System practitioner at the beginning of this year as I was beginning to get more and more enquiries about this weight loss method. It is another option to help people lose weight, however, you have to be prepared to allow your subconscious mind to imagine your stomach being the size of a golf ball and only eat very, very small meals, as do people who have actual gastric bands fitted, so it's not for everyone.

I have talked to several people who have spent around £8,000 having actual gastric bands fitted, and then liquidised chocolate and melted ice cream because they still felt the need to get these fattening foods into their bodies. This is further proof that when the underlying issues connected to the surface problem of over-eating are not dealt with, the subconscious part of your mind can continue to unwittingly sabotage your goals.

If you struggle with your weight, or know someone who wants to finally stop 'The Weight Loss Battle', contact me for further information. I can help you to set yourself free... 

Toni Mackenzie - The Self Empowerment Coach.
http://www.innerdepths.co.uk

Acceptance...the key to inner peace and happiness

No baby is born feeling unhappy with themselves or lacking confidence. In most cases, babies are nurtured and loved and they begin life believing that the world revolves around them. Then one day they are told 'No', or told off for doing something 'wrong'...and realise they are not perfect, and no longer feel loved and accepted unconditionally. 

Sadly, in many cases, children are regularly given the message that they are not clever enough, not tall enough, not slim enough, not pretty enough, not interesting enough...and grow up with the feeling of generally being 'not good enough'. So, many of us grow up believing we are flawed and need to hide who we truly are in order to be accepted, liked or loved, so we put on a front and live in fear of being found out for who we really are.

The fact is, we are all human, we are all unique, and no-one is perfect! We are all doing the best we can, with what we've learned throughout life from influential adults around us, and using the tools and resources we have at any given time. Once we accept that about ourselves, and others, we can stop making comparisons, accept who we are and feel free to be our true selves. We can acknowledge our past 'mistakes' as being lessons in life, use them to grow, become stronger, wiser and happier, then let them go.

I love the message of 'The Serenity Prayer' by Reinhold Niebuhr:
'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.'

We can't change the past, other people, or certain physical attributes, so we need to accept that. If there are things we are not happy with, and we do have the power to take change them, then it's up to us to do so. Being wise enough to know which are which, is the key to self awareness, self acceptance, and inner peace...

If there are things that you would like to change - perhaps issues connected to confidence, self esteem, stress, anxiety, relationships, phobias, weight, smoking - but are struggling to do so alone, please contact me to find out how I can help you take control of your life.

Meanwhile, it is OK to be you, whoever and wherever you happen to be right now...

Toni Mackenzie - The Self Empowerment Coach.

http://www.innerdepths.co.uk

Law of Attraction not working for you...?

You've read and/or watched 'The Secret', read the Abraham-Hicks books, you know what you want - what you really, really want - and you're visualising every day, but nothing is happening...

'Why isn't it happening for me?' I hear you cry... Well, could it possibly be that you have some subconscious fears or doubts about actually receiving those things you think you really want...or maybe deep down, you don't really believe that the Law of Attraction could possibly work for you...?

If your subconscious thoughts and beliefs are not in line with your conscious desires, they will sabotage your ability to create those desires. That negative 'inner-voice', or those 'tale-enders' or 'yeah-buts' which are lurking beneath the surface, will be sending out contradictory messages into the Universe, actually creating the opposite of what you want...

As the famous Henry Ford quotation says 'If you think you can or you think you can't, you are right'. Your thoughts create your reality. Whether you think positive or negative thoughts, you create and emit matching energy, which goes out and attracts more of the same.

If you are feeling anxiety, self-doubt, anger, resentment, jealousy or any other negative feelings, you are likely to attract more to feel fearful, angry and jealous about; but when you choose to be and feel loving, understanding, accepting, of yourself and others, and feel an attitude of gratitude for whatever you already have, you can begin to attract real happiness, love, peace, and abundance into your life.


Or perhaps you are focusing on what you don't want. When you think or say things like, 'I don't want to be poor' (or ill, alone, etc.), the Universe picks up on 'be poor', 'be ill', 'be alone', as it doesn't process negatives. It's like if I ask you not to think of a red balloon - how can you not think about a red balloon if you keep on trying not to think of a red balloon - you can't! But if I say think of a blue balloon and you think about a blue balloon, you will then have stopped thinking of the red balloon...

You can't not use the Law of Attraction, it is always working naturally whether you like it or not. You are a powerful magnet and will always attract what you focus on because like attracts like. So, as Mahatma Ghandi once said 'Be the change you want to see'...

If you are struggling to let go of negative, limiting beliefs, quieten your negative inner voice, and start thinking positively, I can help you to take control and empower yourself.  I use a combination of highly effective techniques including Hypnotherapy, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping, and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) to help my clients change their thoughts, and change their lives. You can find out more by visiting my website page below.

Toni Mackenzie the Self-Empowerment Coach.

http://www.innerdepths.co.uk