Sometimes, we limit ourselves to negative thoughts, creating unnecessary problems. However, it's important to understand that many of our problems are imaginary and can be quickly solved with a bit of imagination. In my personal experience, using NLP techniques has helped me gain confidence and control over my thinking. It also allows me to challenge old beliefs that may no longer serve me. If you're struggling with limiting thoughts, here's an example of how I have used an NLP technique to take back control and gain that extra piece of confidence.
There was a time when I lacked confidence in one particular area of my life. Whenever I attended parties or nightclubs, I would find it challenging to get up on my own and dance, let alone with anyone whenever asked. I would feel awkward and scared, constantly telling myself that others were laughing at me and that I looked foolish. Then one night, not long after buying and using a Self-hypnosis video on confidence and a self-help book with some NLP life-changing strategies, during a fifteen-minute taxi ride with some friends to a charity event, I decided to apply some of the techniques that I had learned on an unconscious level from that video combined with a simple yet powerful bit of NLP long before I had become a practitioner.
As I rode in the taxi, I began to notice those feelings of fear creeping in, to notice how my focus had gone onto thinking about dancing in public. Then I got to thinking. How could I possibly get rid of these nagging and painful feelings? So I closed my eyes and visualized the venue we were heading to. Then In my mind's eye, I saw myself on the dance floor, and in my head was hearing amazing disco music playing loudly. I added more vibrant colours to a 360-degree movie playing in my head and all around me, and that scene was a lot bigger and brighter. I saw myself confidently dancing and moving to the beat of the music with my friends, smiling and having a great time. My friends congratulated me on how well I was doing, and others on the dance floor complimented me on how happy I looked and heard them saying, "Well done!" Although I didn't swing anyone around by their legs in some comedy movie, It felt amazing, and even more so as I added lots more detail to that movie while I was watching myself effortlessly dancing with some cool moves. I began to experience exhilarating sensations rippling through my body. I made the disco music louder and the whole picture brighter to enhance the scene, making it even more thrilling, having an even more amazing time, and feeling those great feelings. Then I stepped into that new confidant and a happier me to have that experience with everything I had been watching on the outside through my own eyes, those people standing around the dance floor and those nearby smiling at me. By the end of that fifteen-minute journey, I stepped out of that taxi a different person, as I would discover later that evening.
At the charity event that night, I was sitting at a table and observing the crowd when a friend approached me and asked for a dance. I didn't hesitate and joined them on the dance floor. As the music filled the room, feeling the beat of the bass through that floor without even thinking about my past dancing challenge, I just danced with my friend and felt an overwhelming sense of joy. My friend noticed my newfound confidence and commented on how happy I looked. They even mentioned that they could never get me up to dance in the past before. It was a fun and fantastic experience.
During a brief taxi ride, I used a simple Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique to rewire and reframe a perception of a previously daunting situation. So often, we generate problems and complications that stem from our imagination. My way of approaching a challenging situation and a limiting belief was to imagine a future version of myself that wasn't focusing on what I thought I couldn't do and created the solution by seeing myself in a future time and place filled with joy to creating an experience of seeing, feeling, and hearing what I would and could experience—and trying on that new person with those newly found great feelings and success for size by stepping into that person while living an experience through my eyes. I had successfully conquered my fear of dancing in public, which was altering the Neurochemistry in my brain to mix and serve up a cocktail of happiness with feelings of courage to become a more confident, happier person. And all it took was some creative imagination to create the solution. I became the person that I wanted to become and could believe in. And with that learning came that I could change anytime, any place, and anything.
If there is Anything in your life where you lack confidence now that you want to change, and you can change it, then change it. You can use the same simple steps to model the same effective strategy I used to overcome a challenging limiting belief holding you back and use your imagination creatively by going over the steps in this post when in that taxi with my friends. Make that movie inside your head appropriate to you and the situation with the outcome you want to see and experience. And begin on the outside, where you're watching yourself in that scene. Add Anything you need to make the experience as compelling as possible. Make that movie brighter and bigger. See what you'd see, hear what you'd listen to and feel what you'd feel. Stay there for a while to take in all those great feelings and to enjoy the experience. Then, when you have given yourself all you need, float out and into that time above yourself and down into that person, so you're seeing and having that experience through your own eyes. Notice how limiting emotional feelings have quickly changed. And where you have chosen to take back personal power over your life. Take your time, enjoy that journey and trust the process.
Like many, when challenged with a new idea and something they think they haven't done before, they'll sometimes tell me they can't, but I'll try. Here's some insight and a no-brainer. You already know how to do this. Think of it. Whenever you're in an unresourceful state, as I was when in that taxi and become fearful of dancing in public, you quickly habituate on the many things, which means you start to focus on and repeat in your mind a list of all the things that can go wrong or wrong in your life. Without even trying, you can quickly go inside your head and play that movie in your mind, telling yourself a story, adding in all the sounds, voices of others, their looks, and unresourceful self-talk. And pretty quickly, you're either feeling unhappy, scared, overwhelmed, angry, anxious or stressed. And what we're doing here through the power of imagination at a conscious and unconscious level is a powerful reframe that changes the chemistry of our brain, changing a belief to getting a different and better outcome.
Imagine a scene 360 degrees all around you where you're the starring character in your movie. Visualize a situation where you confidently express yourself, whether giving a presentation, socializing, or tackling a challenging task.
1. **Set the Scene**: Picture the environment around you. Is it a bustling office, a cosy café, or a bright stage? Make it as vivid and detailed as possible.
2. **Visualize Your Actions**: See yourself confidently walking into the scene. Notice your posture, your smile, and how you engage with others. Feel the confidence radiating from your body.
3. **Create Positive Dialogue**: Hear the supportive words you're telling yourself or the compliments others give you. Imagine how great it feels to receive that validation.
4. **Experience the Emotions**: Delve into happiness and self-assuredness. What does it feel like in your body? Allow yourself to bask in that positivity.
5. **Step Into That Version of You**: Now, transition from being an observer to stepping into that confident version of yourself. Feel the energy, the enthusiasm, and the joy. Experience the thrill of being in that moment.
6. **Embrace the Change**: As you fully immerse yourself in this scenario, notice how limiting beliefs fade away. Acknowledge your strengths and take back your power.
7. **Reflect and Reinforce**: After this visualization, take a moment to reflect on the experience. Think about how you can carry that confidence into real-life situations.
Regularly revisiting this mental movie can help strengthen your self-image and build lasting confidence. And here's the fantastic thing: as stated, you can make the above steps appropriate to any life situation. Just add and tweak what you need to that visualisation.
1. **Set the Scene**: Picture the environment around you. Is it a bustling office, a cosy café, or a bright stage? Make it as vivid and detailed as possible.
2. **Visualize Your Actions**: See yourself confidently walking into the scene. Notice your posture, your smile, and how you engage with others. Feel the confidence radiating from your body.
3. **Create Positive Dialogue**: Hear the supportive words you're telling yourself or the compliments others give you. Imagine how great it feels to receive that validation.
4. **Experience the Emotions**: Delve into happiness and self-assuredness. What does it feel like in your body? Allow yourself to bask in that positivity.
5. **Step Into That Version of You**: Now, transition from being an observer to stepping into that confident version of yourself. Feel the energy, the enthusiasm, and the joy. Experience the thrill of being in that moment.
6. **Embrace the Change**: As you fully immerse yourself in this scenario, notice how limiting beliefs fade away. Acknowledge your strengths and take back your power.
7. **Reflect and Reinforce**: After this visualization, take a moment to reflect on the experience. Think about how you can carry that confidence into real-life situations.
Regularly revisiting this mental movie can help strengthen your self-image and build lasting confidence. And here's the fantastic thing: as stated, you can make the above steps appropriate to any life situation. Just add and tweak what you need to that visualisation.
To your Success.
