Are Your Thoughts Hurting Your Health?

Even before I submerged myself in Neuro Linguistic Programming, I knew that what I was thinking was manifesting somewhere in my life.  More specifically, those thoughts that I repeated over and over, reinforcing them almost daily.

Have you ever said to yourself:

—“I’m so depressed”, “I’ll never be able to get back in shape”, “No matter what I eat, I just keep gaining (or losing) weight”, ”I’ve got no energy” —

Then this blog will offer some insight and hopefully help you begin to understand how you can change not only your health, but your relationships, your work and more.

Each year, the Air Force allowed us to take 30 days’ leave. The place I always went home to was Bisbee, Arizona, where my Mom and Step-Dad lived for many years.  I loved their home, I loved seeing my family, but at that time in my life, my mom and I were at odds about most everything. . . my lifestyle, my behavior, my choice of men (OK, actually had a point there!) and I wasn’t exactly a joy to be around.

Over the years, I learned that if I was not feeling well or just plain sick, I got lots of attention and unconditional love and I wasn’t expected to participate in any normal, healthy family gathering because I was, you know, “sick”.  

It was a strategy that I could employ ANY time I didn’t want to participate in something, engage with someone(s), or go somewhere.

I got so good at it that, I no longer had to “claim” to be sick, I WAS actually becoming sicker and sicker.  I began spending more time in bed with a variety of ailments, migraine headaches, allergies, colds, flu, upset stomach, fevers, weakness, low energy (gee, I wonder why).

The first inkling I had that I was creating this for myself was as I was getting ready to leave a very enlightened friend’s house.  I told her I was tired (in my defense, it was after midnight) and she said, you’re not tired, you’re just bored.  My head spun trying to figure out what that meant.  

The next morning, I called her and asked her to tell me more.  Even though she wasn’t an NLP coach, she introduced me to the concept of self-talk, and how our thoughts affect us. “You know you create your own reality”, she explained.

And I was hooked.  

I didn’t particularly care for my reality at the time and was ready to create a new one.

Since that day, I’ve been on a quest to understand my thoughts and how they show up in my life.  This isn’t a “one and done” thing, either.  

Once I made the decision to change, I heard about, studied and applied principles of Science of Mind Church, read the Power of Positive Thinking, and any number of self-help books, and listened to Power Thinkers like Tony Robbins.  Each built on the other, but I wasn’t really seeing the change I wanted.

My health slowly improved, I reduced my alcohol intake, I began playing competitive tennis again, and as I not only began to feel better, I got stronger, more confident, and my closest friends said I looked 15 years younger that my chronological age. Yes, life was improving, but I wanted more results.

The problem for me was that I didn’t really know how to apply it all in my life.  I needed help.

In addition to that, due to my long term relationship with someone I felt was emotionally imbalanced, I had created a strategy of remaining stoic and only choosing to do what I could to feel better and be happy.  

After many years that strategy became my built in pattern.  I had only allowed myself to cry maybe 3 times in as many decades.  I realized that I hadn’t used my emotions, so I lost them as I lost myself.  I couldn’t even cry at sad events or movies or weep at joyful happenings, I felt like Carmen Diaz in “The Holiday”.

Once I moved back to Arizona, I was introduced by a mutual friend in Sedona, to Sandra Vesterstein and in the first 5 minutes we met, Sandra had me figured out in my work area of life.  We would be working together, so she needed to know how I organized my thoughts, if I needed praise from her or if my own internal good feelings about my work were enough, if I distorted, deleted or generalized information, so that she could communicate with me on a conscious AND subconscious level.

I never had a clue she was doing that.  It was so conversational, I just thought she was interested in me!  LOL.

She explained it afterwards, and again . . . 

. . . I was hooked.

I took the next 16 day intensive and interactive NLP / Hypnotherapy class she offered and guess what?  I found my emotions again. I was able to express them, making me feel like my true, loving, compassionate, joyful self.

I have since taken the Advanced NLP training and am now in Thrive Learning Collective’s NLP MasterClass, which, just when I feel I have a good understanding of one of the principles behind a process, I have yet ANOTHER “Aha” moment which leads me to an even deeper understanding of why I love this work and helping my clients.

Each week of the MasterClass brings me more and more learnings about myself and how best to help my clients on their journey to health and a happy life.

By first, guiding them to release phobias, anxiety, PTSD, negative thinking, grief, childhood trauma, and more, they learn new ways of being that were there underneath it all, just waiting to come to the surface.   

Every client session gives me more insight to my clients’ “map of the world”, seeing life through their eyes without judgment of their behavior or beliefs.  

Completely mind-expanding.

There is soooo much more to these concepts and I’m happy to share it with you as we continue on our journey together.

If you’re ready to release those thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that just aren’t working for you, then call me (615) 406-3689 or email me kkelleyinaz@gmail.com for your complimentary 30 minute session and together we’ll create a program for you.  If you already have an interest in coaching or in becoming a more effective NLP coach, contact Sandra at (802) 598-6078 or visit www.ThriveLearningCollective.com