by Mike Lally
Summary
In life, we all seek to be rational, balanced, well-argued, and like to think we act based on sensible evidence, and what is important in a given context.
Before we act, we look at things from the broadest sense. We look at the factors involved, establish cause-effect probabilities, make comparisons and contrasts, point out problems and suggest solutions, and are aware of where change is needed, don’t we? Or do we?
Do we have the time to think through the issues we are confronted with today? Or are we just too tired?
Article
Modern life has a tendency to unsettle people with its furious pace and constant change. Sometimes it’s as if we are spectators in our own lives.
Each day accelerates by and with some relief we settle in our favourite chair at the end of yet another busy day. Phew! The weeks seem to go by in a blur.
At times we think all of this running around is getting a bit too hard. Something needs to change! Before drawing a breath we are quickly subjected to all kinds of advice by self-styled gurus.
“This is the way. Change this and your life will be perfect!” “This way for instant success, don’t miss out and only one pill needed!” Wow, you think, maybe I’m just making it too hard. Perhaps this is the magic pill I’ve been yearning for. I’d better change what I’m doing before it’s too late.
This furious activity seems to have altered our circuitry and has led to the accelerated hard-wiring of stress in our brains. Everyday the world seems to become more complicated with stress levels soaring.
How does change sit with you? Of course, some people embrace change, but the majority of us fear its frequent and unwelcome intrusion.
Today, we are subjected to a different set of circumstances compared with previous generations. For example, computer culture and electronic gadgetry alone have caused an enormous shift in the routines of families.
Change can be complicated and difficult to manage. At times it seems to have a life force of its own. Once a full head of steam is generated it becomes harder to confine and its effects are difficult to ignore.
Change visits all parts of our lives. When we think, for instance, about the arts we recognise instantly how virtually everything has been touched by the change-compelling systems of mass-production and mass-consumption.
Similarly today, we think in episodes having been influenced too much by the television, and we communicate more visually with shorter attention spans. We are told this is progress, but it does come at a price.
So, what is the best way to cope with the speed and challenge of change? Can we discover some way to harness its potential and discard what is simply more spin?
Is there a litmus test we can use to consider where it may be useful? And why is it we all too often become confused, frozen and unwilling to act?
Who is responsible for change? Is it the therapist who hopefully has the skills, or the client who seeks a solution to one or more problems? Who knows best?
Do the assorted and rich number of techniques in the toolbox of change technologies such as NLP and Hypnosis guarantee that the right kind of outcome will be reached?
Are results a certainty if a client is one hundred percent willing to give it their best shot? You are told: “I’m the guru, so listen and learn!”
Sometimes we get confused about what change actually is. What does it really mean to change? More importantly, a big question needs to be answered: “What is the purpose of changing something?”
Ideally, we want to be able to process change easily and contextually. We don’t want to be drained by its presence. We need to be able to make effective decisions without feeling too much pressure.”
A presupposition of NLP states that people have all the resources they need to make a change, any change. This is an extraordinary statement, but is it true? If so, why does a person go to a practitioner to get “fixed?”
In fact, the principle behind this presupposition is so powerful that if it is embraced it can lead not only to change but to transformation.
It seems to me that time to think is needed. What direction is your life taking? Ask yourself: Do you need time out? Do you need to know your mind? Perhaps the key to success is to be ready to make a change. If so, how prepared are you?