The powers of our thoughts are crucial to the results we get in our life.
People strive their whole life to find happiness, many searching in the wrong places. A common issue is people trying to ‘buy’ happiness, when external possessions will never give the happiness one desires (not to say that having money wouldn’t make the journey easier)
As many of you searching for happiness have read over and over, happiness may only be found from within. We know this to be true, but what does that really mean?
From an NLP (neuro linguistic programming) perspective, happiness in merely a ‘conscious state’. We experience so many conscious states on a daily basis, one’s which we identify as emotions; sadness, anger, fear, guilt, grief, shame…. These emotions must become a conscious state for us to determine its existence and recognize what we are feeling. Happiness is also an emotion, a state of mind, a feeling.
Considering that happiness is driven from positive emotions, let’s think about how our experiences effect these emotional responses and these effect our state of mind. If we could control our responses, our views and maintain a positive approach, we change our state of mind and in effect our reality. Right?
Sounds easy doesn’t it?
Where do we start? Firstly let’s explore how we can achieve a desired state
As I mentioned earlier our thoughts are crucial to the results we get in our life. So how do we control our thoughts? In NLP, through a process called ‘Anchoring’.
What is anchoring? Any time a person is in an associated, intense state, if at the peak of that experience, a specific stimulus is applied, it creates a link neurologically.
For example, have you ever found yourself with an old friend, reminiscing on a fond memory, you find yourself laughing uncontrollably, the feeling of happiness overcomes you, it is as this point if you stopped in that moment as I have in the past and anchored that state, you would be able to access that ‘state’ at any point. Does this work? Yes it does, it has worked for me and many others…
As with everything, the more you practise this technique, the more successful you will become at this, creating longer lasting results.
How do you anchor? In the example given above, something as simple as catching yourself in that moment and creating a stimulus by touching your knuckle for 5-15 seconds could create an anchor for you to access later.
Anchoring can assist you in gaining access to past states and linking the past state to the present and future.
By learning how to anchor yourself with positive states, you can virtually tap into any resourceful state that you want and feel confidence, relax, motivated, love and happy immediately.
The process
1. Decide on a state you want to anchor, whether it be happy, calm or relaxed.
2. Choose an anchor (for simplicity reasons choose a knuckle to touch) that you wish to trigger the resourceful state.
3. Recall a past vivid experience and remember the more intense the experience is the better the results will be.
4. Activate the anchor when the experience is vivid, at its peak and you’re in the desired state. (apply stimulus to a knuckle, for best results hols the point for 5-15 seconds at the peak of the state)
5. Release the anchors when the experience begins to fade. Note: If you keep applying the anchor when the experience is fading, then you will anchor a drop in calmness and relaxation.
6. Break your state, think of something else… open your eyes… distract yourself.
7. Repeat the steps several times, each time making the memory more vivid. (this is not actually required if the anchor is established at the high point of the experience, however it will strengthen the anchor by doing so consistently for several experiences.
8. Evoke the state, press on the anchor and check if the required state occurs.
9. Future pace the situation where you want to experience the desired state. Fire the anchor to check that it creates a sufficiently resourced state
10. Check the anchor the next day to ensure it is a permanent anchor.
Tips
The Five Keys to Anchoring are:
• The Intensity of the experience
• The Timing of the Anchor
• The Uniqueness of the Anchor
• The Replication of the Stimulus
• The Number of Times
Note:
• It is important that the anchors are fired the same way when linking them to the resourceful experience.
• If when you are firing the anchor and experience anxiety, stop applying the anchor, you do not want to anchor the negative state.
• Look out for the moments in your everyday life where you experience an uplifting state and remember to anchor them.
Never forget, your thoughts are crucial to the results you get in your life, you can action what you desire to feel. It will only happen when you come to the realisation that you deserve better in your life than what you’re getting and set new standards on how you’re going to feel.
There is an abundance of techniques, strategies and information to change the way you think and feel in life, anchoring is just one.
Why not try anchoring?
Stay posted for more articles.
Living Your Power Now
Michael Sorgiovanni
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