As you may have read in previous updates, I am deploying the Happiness Garage. People can have their minds and their souls overhauled and be OK for the next 2500 hours of living.
Believers and non-believers
During the Summertime I did some of the 'maintenance' outside in the Happiness Playground. I admit I have been quite sceptical about many of the Neuro Linguistic Programming methods and exercises I learnt and experienced during my NLP training in the past few years. Indeed, I would think they deliver spectacular outcomes during the training sessions, because all attendees share a similar mindset. As I gain experience in coaching individuals who don't even know about NLP, I see and feel and hear that the truth is not what I used to believe. The mind and soul of the human being are extremely creative and can be stretched beyond imagination using NLP methods and Ericksonian language patterns.
Heroes Journey
In one of my recent experiences, I invited the subject to do a "Heroes Journey" session outside in the fields. No walls, no borders, no barriers, ... just open field. Part of the session is the subject choosing a physical "place" that represents the desired state, where he would like to be. We walked to that very spot and I guided the subject into sensing, seeing, and feeling that desired state and describing how it felt and amplify the sensation.
Stretching the heart and the mind
Next we walked back to the starting point representing the now and the here (aka problem state). I invited the subject to start walking towards the desired place and stop when he felt resistance. I was surprised how this actually works!! It took hardly a few meters before the first stop and resistance. On the spot of the resistance I play the role of the stopping power. I push the subject while he tries to walk further and we introspect why that power is there. Then we change roles and the subject becomes the stopping power. We discover amazing truths about the stopping power. Some time later the barrier is overcome and we start back from the now and stop at any other feeling of resistance, till no more resistance shows up.
Work with the unexpected
The funny thing I noticed in that very exercise, was the subject eventually feeling that the initial desires spot/state did not feel authentic. The experience showed him that what he thought was the desired state, was more kind of determined and influence by others, causing a lot of barriers to get there. I invited him to look for another spot in the field. I hardly believed my ears and eyes when after 3 minutes of browsing around, he suddenly point to a spot and said: "that is it, over there".
What a feeling
We restarted the session and the results where awesome. I feel impressed by the power of this kind of session. If you want to experience it, just get in touch. The Happiness Garage is all about being conscious of what will really give you that ultimate sensation of being happy and then get there at your own terms, conditions and speed.
Hope to see you one of these weeks or months or years!
Meanwhile BE HAPPY!