Don't think of a blue tree and you will be happier, healthier and wealthier

There is a scientific reason we encounter the same problems. It's due to our resistance to change and the repetition of neurological patterns in our life.

Akin to 'Ground Hog Day,' we experience the same problems again and again. It has nothing to do with luck, our genes or your school blazer.

The answers to our problems can be found in the recent tsunami of research papers. Scientific prose around the topic of neuroplasticity or neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP. Though let me simplify their findings for you, in four simple steps.

We can all alter our poor patterns forever by paying attention to these four simple steps. You don’t have to be intelligent, you don’t have to be rich or even ready. But prepare to make a new decision and follow through with it.

To improve any poor patterns, we must first learn to shift our focus away from what we don’t want. Though try as we will, most discover that our patterns bind us to our past. To break free from debilitating thoughts is not a natural thing to do.

As a trainer of life and business coaches, one of the first questions you will ask a client is “What do you want?” The large majority have issues because they cannot answer this question correctly. They will answer with what they DON’T want. “I don’t want to struggle anymore” or “I’m tired of being overweight” or “I’m sick and tired of being tired all the time.” There’s a rule in coaching psychology and that is “What we focus upon expands.” In other words, wherever your focus goes, your energy flows.

Whatever you focus on expands.

If you are paying attention to what you’re reading right now...? I ask you to NOT to think of... or even imagine a picture in your head of a blue tree… What does that immediately cause you to think about? What do you see in your mind’s eye? In all probability, you are now thinking about a blue tree.

Even if we’re asked to NOT think of something, we must think of it first, before removing it. For this reason, if we tell our children "DON'T touch the wet paint!" Like a controlled automaton, the child will touch the paint.

This first phenomenon is the reason why most people don't achieve their goals. In fact, 92 percent don't. They are focusing on what they DON’T want, instead of focusing on what they DO want. It takes focus and commitment to achieve a new goal and we must only direct that toward the goal, not the NOT goal.

Step #1: Focus on what you want and not about what you don’t want.

To remove something from your mind (to NOT think of it), you must get clear about what you want, not what you don’t want. Don’t want to struggle? Focus instead on the thoughts and activities that will have you thrive, not survive.

If you can't see it in your mind, you won't achieve it in your reality.

Be sure to create a picture in your mind of what it looks like to thrive because the brain must have a clear picture of it. Otherwise, it doesn’t know what it is aiming to replicate. It’s like working with a blueprint and trying to build Montmartre. Your senses play a major part in achieving a goal. In fact, the more senses you engage the better. Know what it will look like to reach your goal. What will it feel like to thrive? What would you say in your head the moment were thriving? What thriving might sound like, smell like, and taste like? The more senses you engage, the more emotive your goal? The more likely your brain is engaged. You then become motivated to get that result. More so, it will have you taking the necessary action steps.

Thoughts do create things. We must protect what enters our thinking; we must be vigilant. Prior to achieving any goal, don’t focus on what you don’t want. For example; if you want to learn how to surf, don’t start feeding your fears, such as thinking about drowning. What we don’t want, wasn’t in our minds before, but now it is.

Unlike a blue tree, there are some things that are difficult to unsee. Horrific images for example and I don’t even want you to go there – damn! Some of you have already gone there!

If you ever wondered why anyone who has seen their partner cheating on them? Why can they not let go and forgive them? Look no further than how we process our experiences. Everything that we experience is as ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe.’ Safety is a prime value.

When for example; we experience something that is unsafe, the data becomes a new neural network that gets hard-wired into our amygdala. So the next time we experience a similar event, we don’t have to think about fighting, freezing or fleeing, we just do it automatically. That’s why I believe everyone needs a coach to get in there and remove all those fear patterns. Otherwise, as we age, we get so fearful that we no longer take those necessary risks. The risks are so central to achieving our dreams.

Some things you can’t unsee.

I’m a trainer of Life Coaches and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, so I’ve got a bit more insight than the next guy. I know how to reprogram thinking and get results. I’ve seen many of our students and coaches fix prevailing issues that they’ve had for most of their lives. It is possible – particularly using what they learned by studying NLP with us.

‘Negations’ are one of the first things our students come to understand. Words like: not; can’t; won’t; don’t; are all negations. The unconscious mind doesn’t hear negations. So when someone says “Don’t think about a blue tree,” the unconscious hears, “….think of a blue tree.” For this reason, people rarely get what they want because they’re focusing on what they don’t want – blue trees.

Like the blue tree, they’ll say to themselves, “I don’t want to fail” or “I won’t fall” and guess what? They fall and fail. Now you might immediately think I’m adding weight to affirmations? Though most of the credit must go to our unconscious mind.

The conscious mind is what you used to make the decision to read this article. The subconscious mind took in the word ‘negations’ and might consciously forget that word in two years’ time, but with some mindfulness, you could recall it, its meaning, and the essence of this article’s value to you. The unconscious mind, however, is storing everything you are reading right now. However, you won’t be able to recall it verbatim, but conceptually you might be able to put it into your own words.

In fact, later today you might be enjoying a conversation with someone and a sentence from this article will come out of your mouth. It might shock you that you remembered so much of it – or you might not even be aware that what came out of your mouth came from this article, but the concept will now be yours.

Unconsciously, you’re a genius.

If you asked the question, “Where did my intelligence come from?” You would be right by assuming that it came from articles like this one. From books, teachers, wise friends, family, and mentors. It’s the very reason they say that you are the average of your six closest friends. It’s also the reason champions of business and industry never stop reading and learning.

The large majority of the population stops reading and learning after leaving school. Hence, they rarely progress their lives beyond the patterns that were established by eighteen. Even some act of fortune, like winning the lottery is typically temporary. Like the inevitable bad weather, it answers why most lottery winners go back to their previous financial positions unless they alter their unconscious patterns. How do you do that? Now that’s a great question!

How do you transform your life?

The most simplistic and cheapest way to transform your life is to consciously change. Do everything differently. Start to become okay about change. When you next order a meal at a restaurant, order something you don’t usually eat. Have a tea instead of the usual coffee. Order your meal quickly, instead of slowly perusing the menu. Take another route to work or take the train instead. Now that will help to make change acceptable. Now you need to focus on what you want.

Step #1 – Be okay with change.

I’ve now taught thousands of people life coaching, NLP, public speaking, and trainer training. My success in teaching comes down to a ritual on the first day of training. I ask everyone in the room the same question, “What do you want to create or gain from this training?” I’ve been doing it now since 2002 and what no longer surprises me... Most people actually don’t know what they want or cannot articulate it. The reason for this is that few people actually invest the time to plan their lives. Let alone allow themselves to dream them up in their imaginations.

I have a saying, “If you can see it, you can have it.” So here’s an action task that you can take from this article. The weekend is coming up. Set aside a little time to start dreaming again. Think about what you want from your life and create a picture of that in your minds’ eye. Vision it. And if you’re willing ― we can help you do it.

Step #2: If you can see it, you can have it.

The next thing that you need to do, is to ask yourself “What do I want?” If you want to lose weight, say I’m a size x and DON’T say, “I don’t want to be fat.” Focus on what you want NOT what you don’t want.

Then brainstorm some ideas about how you’re going to achieve this goal? The most important point ― take some action. Prove to yourself at the deepest level, at the unconscious, that you’re committed to your new goal. Otherwise, you’ll be sending a signal to your unconscious that this is an idle dream. You don’t believe it’s going to and so your unconscious thoughts will negate any efforts. If you want something new to happen in your life, you must be FULLY committed.

Step #3: If you want something new, commit.

Of course one of the easiest ways to get what you want is to match your thinking to your goals. To be successful, you must do this at the deepest, unconscious levels of your thinking. The simplest way to do this is to learn how by learning NLP.

Step #4: Learn NLP.

If you want to change in your life or your business. I recommend NLP. Learn how your brain works and discover how to change the patterns that lead to your results. You'll be blown away at how to change with the right tools is easy.

R!k is an accredited teacher of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Life Coaching with www.LifeBeyondLimits.com.au.