Stop hypnotizing yourself towards your failure! The word and concept of ‘Hypnotism’ has an eerie emotion attached to itself, that is what we have been fed throughout our lives, through stories, cinema, and generic conversations. However, various psychologists have been conducting research and practicing hypnosis for treatment purposes all around the world for decades altogether. The concept of hypnotism needs to be looked at with a different angle altogether in order to use it for our benefit. If I say, you hypnotize yourself with every single serious thought of yours, will you believe me? It is the truth, our thoughts have the capability to hypnotize ourselves. How?

Let’s know more about this below.

Thought governs your mind, your life. You all must have heard about ‘induced trance’. Trance can be induced via various external agents, however, thoughts can induce trance as well. A high or a happy state of life induces a happy trance and a low life state, extreme negative thoughts can induce a negative or a consuming trance-like state. Hypnosis involves induction of trance which leads you towards one direction, makes you act in one way or another.

While through happy thoughts and motivation, you hypnotize yourself to have a positive outlook towards life and hence are encouraged to face every challenge with confidence, negative thoughts, and fear can hypnotize your mind into believing in lies, and you eventually lose faith in yourself.

I’m sure you all must have come across the ‘Pavlov’s dog theory’, the theory which talks about training your dog at the sound of a bell to have its meal.  Your mind is that dog, and your thoughts have the capability to train it. Let me share with you an incident to explain the effects of self-hypnosis:

As a child in school, we were supposed to assemble for morning prayers and announcements in our school ground. One day, one of my friends felt uneasy and nauseous in the assembly; she fell down unconscious. She went to visit a doctor and she was told that she fell unconscious because of suffocation and that her nausea was a result of an upset stomach. However, she became so scared after this incident, that she began to avoid the assemblies out of fear. The picture was set in her mind, she had connected crowd to suffocation, and further to dizziness. Her fear had consumed her in a psychological trap so badly that she actually felt dizzy every single time she stood in the assembly, or joined a crowd. Despite being healthy in her body, she had infected her mind and hypnotized herself into believing that she will fall or feel suffocated in crowded places.   Her repeated failure was a direct result of self-hypnosis.

It’s almost like you being scared and extra-conscious of falling in a pit, and you end up falling right into it. You attract your thoughts and your fear, and hence become psychological slaves to those thoughts. However, one needs to realise that self-hypnosis can also be done for good, for changing the course of your life in a positive direction. How? Let me tell you:

• Change the stories you tell yourself and to others!

Have you ever noticed that if you tell a lie repeatedly, with conviction, you start believing it to be true, and eventually you end up turning it into reality. Why does that happen? Because you give energy to a thought by repeating it in your mind, or through your words. Changing your story, your words, is extremely important to change the course of your life. Tell yourself, that you’re capable of overcoming any challenge and achieving success, start believing in the same and you eventually will. Everyday you wake up to a positive thought, you will automatically act in the direction of bringing it into reality!

• Ask yourself, are you believing too much and too quickly?

Every time you realise that you’re dwelling on a negative thought, check yourself, have you been believing too much on what others or what the social media has fed you? Social media in today’s date is one of the biggest hypnotizers of the mind. Fact check everything, before you place your belief. Be careful with every thought you’re letting in your conscience.

• Begin training yourself, today!

Instead of letting your negative beliefs train your mind to act in a negative direction, make conscious efforts to train your mind in the other direction. Imagine the scenario you fear, face your fears head on, and imagine utmost success for yourself in that event. Imagine it repeatedly, every day. Believe in your success like there are no two ways about it. This is exactly the story you will create for yourself. This is how you train your mind to act in a particular manner, for your benefit!

• Meditate to de-clutter your mind!

In order to use self-hypnosis for your benefit, the mind needs to be free of complexities and doubts. If you’re unable to think straight, it becomes difficult for your mind to focus and it begins dwelling in confusion. Remove confusion, and meditate in order to get clarity of thought.

In the current global lockdown-like situation, the fear of coronavirus has consumed numerous minds and people are unable to fight against the negativities that surround them. Be conscious not to self-hypnotize yourself, or to create your own problems. Realise the opportunities that come your way. Train your mind to succeed, instead!

Stay Motivated, Happy and Stress-Free!

In this blog, we shall talk about gratitude, the antidote to mental illness. But what is this gratitude? How it is different from thankfulness? Gratitude is a feeling which comes from within and it can come for the benefits received by you or for nothing. Thankfulness is an act from the person who received the benefits. Gratitude can be expressed in thankfulness. A ‘Thank You’ with the feeling of gratitude has the power to transform your life and change its course towards positivity. It is a powerful cure to your mental block and illness. How? We shall talk about it further in the blog. Since the coronavirus pandemic has struck the entire world, thousands of people have been finding it difficult to keep a control on their emotions of hopelessness and agony. The necessary evil, i.e. the lockdown has also pushed many people into solitude and without human touch, most of them are finding it difficult to maintain a high life state. However, in such situations we often forget that no matter what the situation, one has numerous things they can be thankful for. Why should one be thankful for everything they have? Let me answer that question with a short example.

Mike, a young lad, had recently been offered his dream job. He was extremely excited as he joined the firm and wanted to display his potential to his best. Suddenly his company had some issues and to support his company he started shouldering more responsibilities beyond his job specifications. Everything worked in his favour, he was in constant touch with his manager, and he was being appreciated at great lengths as he worked at his best for a few months. However, gradually, he began to feel that the levels of appreciation have reduced. He began to feel as if he is working for no gains. He started to lose his interest and began to feel that his company and manager has probably taken him for granted. He felt as if he isn’t being respected and this eventually became evident in his quality of work.  “I am taken for granted in this company!”, “Everyone here is thankless!” This is what he thought. On the other hand, his manager had begun to believe that Mike had reduced his dialogue with him and has stopped respecting him. “I think he has taken me for granted. He is not feeling gratitude towards how well I trained him. Maybe he forgot how well I trained him at the start!”, his manager thought.

One factor became the sole reason for the dispute in Mike’s work life, i.e. Lack of Gratitude. One cannot feel the zeal to do well at a place where there’s lack of appreciation. It is a vicious cycle of negative energy. You attract what you believe in. Overload of fear, lack of appreciation, and negative energy swarms your life and seizes the functions of your mind. This in turn leads to mental illness. However, basing your actions on gratitude and thanking your surroundings for what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t, leads you towards abundance!

How does gratitude cure mental illness?

1) Improved Sleep: Balanced and sufficient sleep is a must for a peaceful state of mind. People who realise the importance of gratitude in their lives end their day by thanking the universe for everything they have. This creates a focus on things that are positive in life. Sleeping on positive and happy thoughts results in a satisfying sleep. Gratitude also releases stress and helps relieve anxiety and depression which results in better sleep. Gratitude in this manner improves sleep, thus, in turn, maintaining the balance of mind.
2) Self-love: Once you realize that you are fortunate to have a healthy body and mind, which are the key ingredients for success, and you’re fortunate in numerous terms for your life, your gratitude towards your life increases. This will reduce your self-criticism and will increase your self-love. You love what you have, and you begin to accept yourself the way you are. Focus on ‘what is’ than ‘what is not’ shoots up self-love and makes way for positivity in life.
3) Building effective social relationships: Gratitude is the key to building effective and fruitful relationships with society. Man, being a social animal, depends on society to a great extent for his well-being. When you begin appreciating and paying gratitude to the person next to you, you build harmonious relationships. Harmony and goodwill help an individual in maintaining mental health.

Begin paying gratitude in your daily life in the following manner:

1) Appreciate and accept yourself, the way you look, the way you think, your achievements as well as your failures. Begin by writing what you really love about yourself and meditate on those positive thoughts. Be thankful for what you have and begin focusing on working upon yourself to grow in life each day.

2) Appreciate your family, your friends, the society you live in. Pay gratitude to the person in front of you. It is not necessary to always show to them that you’re thankful. Being grateful at heart is conveyed through positive energy.

3) Pay gratitude to the universe for all the materialistic things you possess.

Where there’s gratitude, there’s abundance. Use the power of gratitude to fill your life with positivity.

Stay Grateful, Happy, and  Stress-free!

Break free from your habits and transform yourself! The current coronavirus pandemic has brought along itself challenging times for all of us. It is a necessity for us to transform our lives to adapt to the new ways of living. If you’re still clinging to your old habits, you’re harming yourself to a large extent, unknowingly. Let me ask you a question, ‘What are habits according to you? What are good as well as bad habits?’ I am sure that you consider waking up early, sleeping on time, following a good diet etc as good habits, and smoking, heavy drinking, working without taking rest, as bad habits. Let me tell you that good as well as bad habits are not limited to these. How? Let us know more about it.

Habit is nothing but a repeated behaviour. You do not have to make conscious effort while doing these actions. These actions form a part of your comfort zone and you often refuse to come out of that zone. It is quite possible that you follow a good and busy routine each and every day, i.e. getting up on time, eating the same breakfast, driving the same car, doing the same work, and reaching home, and cooking similar food,  and sleeping on the same time every day. However, I would suggest you ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I feel happy and satisfied at the end of the day?
• Am I stuck in this routine?
• Is this routine my comfort zone?
• Do I fear coming out of this comfort zone?

If the answers to the above questions are  ‘Yes’ for you, this is the time you need to work upon yourself and transform yourself into a person who is free and genuinely happy. Self-dependence is the key to success. You must have noticed that when you try adopting a good habit or when you take on a task towards a better self, for example, losing weight, or following a healthy diet, it takes a lot of effort and time for you to follow the same. As kids, we were always taught that “tiny drops lead to an ocean”, or “ little efforts are necessary for a bigger goal”, or “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, i.e. it always takes ample time to build something great. However, we attract negativity faster and in a big way. The more you’re stuck in habits, the more difficult it gets to transform yourself. Let me tell you a story to explain the same.

A young boy had various habits which he was unwilling to give up. An old hermit wanted to teach him the importance of transformation. One day, while taking a walk in the park with him, he told the young boy to pick a flower off the ground. The young boy did that in a second. In a few minutes, the man told him to pluck a small bush off the ground. The young man plucked it and gave it to the old man. The old man smiled and talked, and after a few minutes, he told the young boy to pluck a tree off the ground, the young boy looked at the old man in doubt and said, “How can I pluck the tree? it is impossible!” The old man said, “Why do you say so? You plucked the bush, why can’t you pluck the tree? The flower you picked earlier fell off the same tree.” The young lad thought for a while and answered, “Because the roots of the tree are strong. I could pluck the flower with no roots, the bush, because it roots were not strong. But the tree has been here for years, and because of its strong roots, I cannot pluck it!” The old man gave out a big smile and said, “Exactly! If you do not decide to give up your habits and transform yourself quickly, these habits grow stronger and hence are extremely difficult to be changed later on!”

Living in comfort zones is like leaving water stagnant for a long time! Stagnant water is the breeding ground of impurity and infection.  It is extremely important to be independent and free to lead a life towards success.

How to become self-reliant and come out of your comfort zones?

1. Make realistic goals, instead of burdening yourself!: Social media has become a source of stress for most of us, instead of being merely a source of entertainment and connectivity. One must take inspiration from people trying to change themselves in these times, and not instead stress yourself out and set huge goals. Being focussed, witty and dedicated is the key to transform yourself.  
2. Look at your life from a third party perspective! Do you think your life is what you have always wished it to be like? When you judge it from a third party perspective, do you feel certain things need to be changed? If yes, take on the challenge today!
3. Take risks! Anything new demands stepping out of the comfort zone, that may be as simple as stepping out of your bean bag to get moving to lose weight, or as huge as waking up an hour earlier than usual to meditate and focus on a new venture you’d been wishing to work upon. Fear is the foremost factor keeping you from success. Do not let fear infect your mind. Taking a route different from the usual might seem a risky attempt, however, you won't get to know any new or easier routes if you don’t make that decision.

The current situation, where most of us are at home living a completely different life, is a chance for you to become self-dependent, take your life in your own hands, and lead a better life towards success!

Take that first move! Stay Happy, Healthy and  Stress-free!

Stop letting greed take over your need! The world is currently battling the coronavirus pandemic and struggling to devise ways to counter the downfall of global economy. This is an unusual and challenging time for all of us. While most of us are being able to spend the days in lockdown with sufficient food and essential supplies, there are thousands of people struggling to find essential items for survival. Stores are facing a sudden supply crunch and are unable to deliver items to the population in need.

Let me ask you, did the news of lockdown push you toward a state of panic and fear? As a result, did you, like many others, end up panic-buying items in quantities way beyond necessary? Do you remember hoarding your carts and spending thousands on grocery without giving much thought about your actual “need”? If your answers have been “yes” to all the questions above, let me tell you, you’ve become a victim of greed.

“There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

How is Need different from Greed? Let me make the difference clear for you:

The root of Greed is “Fear” and the root of Need is “Survival”. When we act from survival instincts, our needs are legitimate and are fulfilled. But when our survival needs are fulfilled, we start having the fear of losing them. This triggers the greed in us and we end up wanting more of what we already have. The more we have, more we want. We even start comparing these things with others, we start indulging in a competition with them in our minds and this creates “Jealousy”.

Greed makes us selfish and self-centred. We no longer remain compassionate and loving. We become hard hearted and cold. In short, we no longer remain human beings, we begin developing an animal instinct. We stop helping others.

Do you remember the news about the people who bought thousands of toilet paper rolls, some to make use of them amidst the lockdown, and others to sell those for greater prices? These people acted out of fear and greed. Let me tell you a story to explain this further. A man, George and his friend Michael wished for a huge house, an expensive car and a bungalow as teenagers. Eventually, George grew to become a businessman, and his business flourished in a short period of time. Michael on the other hand joined a firm in service, however, enjoyed his job. As success came George’s way, he started spending more and more time with affluent people, and began comparing his life with theirs. Michael started noticing a difference in the behavior of his friend, who had started being rude owing to the constant stress he felt. With every little success, George wanted more, and pined until he achieved it. Michael, however, was content with what he had. Eventually, Michael realised that his friend isn’t really happy in his life, and that at every point of time, he feels someone else is better than him. He was never really content with the money he had earned, since he had become a victim of greed.

Let me ask you, what do you think leads us towards greed? Especially in difficult times such as these, what are the reasons we, as a part of our society, act through greed? These challenging times have unfortunately been able to reveal the most frightening faces of the human race. Why is everyone around the world acting in such a greedy manner? People have been hoarding toilet papers, hand sanitizer bottles etc. out of panic. Why? Let me tell you the factors which lead people to act this way:

Thanks to technology (which is a boon in our times), all sort of negative news and rumours reach in our living rooms. Instead of keeping news at a level of information and analysing them with our intellect, we start getting influenced by them. Unfortunately, negativity attracts our attention and our mind starts getting subsumed by fear. Fear in turn infects our mind  & we start believing in everything that goes around, succumbing to distrust. Panic-buying, which is the most common scenario these days, is a result of extreme fear and lack of unity in the society.

Every problem has become a business in the modern world, which has ultimately led to greed in the affluent, and scarcity in those in need. 

What happens when Greed takes over your Need?

The moment you let greed take over your need, the universe finds a way to balance the imbalance created due to your actions. Greed blinds you and keeps you from your real goals and ambitions which can take you towards success in life. As the fear of the pandemic spreads around the world, let us all learn to act a responsible citizens and act sensibly. Through unity and compassion, we can win over this pandemic together! Before buying anything in bulk, or strongly acting towards your desires, ask yourself, “Do you really need this? Can you lead a happy life without this? Will the others suffer if you do this?” If your actions might disturb the universal balance, if you’re wishing for something out of jealousy, you’re letting greed overpower you.

Stand with the fellow human beings in this time of crisis! Stay healthy and happy!

 “Your Infected Mind Can Kill You Faster than the Virus!” Yes, you heard me right. Let me tell you why I am saying that! The current times are extremely stressful with the coronavirus outbreak taking hundreds and thousands of lives around the world. The fear of this infection has in turn affected humans both physically as well as emotionally. It has rendered us weak in spirit, and sadly, has had a bad influence on our lives. Let me ask you a question, do you think that the global panic is only a result of fear of the pandemic? Where does this fear come from? What if I tell you, that before our bodies, our minds have been infected already? Yes, my friends, we have come to a point where we suffer in our minds even if our bodies are safe from the virus.

If you look around yourself right now, you will find numerous things that arise fear in your heart. It can be an update on the pandemic, an unfinished task, or a post on social media. What is the cure of this infection of the mind? Is fear the only symptom of this infection? Let me elaborate more on this.

Infection of the Mind - Major Causes

What causes the mind to catch infection?  Let me elaborate on the causes:

Herd Mentality: I believe in the importance of good and fruitful relationships among human beings in a society. Society can make or break a man. Hence, cordial and collaborative relationships between people are necessary for them to be successful and happy in life. However, the most dangerous side effect of a collaborative society is the development of a herd mentality.

What do we refer to as herd mentality? When you keep your logic and thought aside to blindly believe in what the other person says to you, you’re a victim of herd mentality. A negative thought in the current times of difficulty spreads like wildfire. If you have a herd mentality, you easily give in to that negative thought, and hence plague your mind.

In the current times, taking actions wisely and spreading truthful information are two basic tenets of avoiding panic-like situations. Be aware of the decisions you make under the influence of others. Meditate, and use your own intelligence in order to develop better decision-making skills. Do not copy others and act in one direction because “everyone’s doing it.” Remember, as long as an idea is not criticized, its credibility and worth is not proven. Do not judge those who work differently, develop relationships with society based on effective communication and logical actions.

Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.

Bertrand Russel

Belief on Rumours: What happens when you decide to believe in a mob? You end up believing in rumours and/or spreading the same. Fear and stress are the two foremost and direct outcomes of belief in fake news. Apart from these, making decisions based on rumours also leads to loss of compassion and appreciation.

Social media, especially in the current times, is the biggest spreader of fake news and rumours. If you dwell on the news spread on sources such as social media, you can subject your mind to perils as dangerous as clinical depression and anxiety. The emotions of hatred and fear arising out of fake news make you attract negative energy towards yourself. Run a fact check before you believe or forward anything on social media. Do not let the effects of technology and social media consume you and infect your mind.

Rumors are like germs. They spread and multiply almost in a breath and before you know it, everyone is contaminated.”

C.J.Tudor

Dwelling over Negativity: I have repeatedly talked about the strengths of the Law of Attraction in my previous blogs. Words have immense power and energy. Through repeated discussions of negative news, reacting to and spreading the same, you attract more negative energy. Negative thoughts can make you extremely stressful. Manage your thoughts by writing them down, and focusing on improving your physical as well as mental health.

Fear and stress arising from a belief on rumours lead to an imbalance of chakras as well as directly reduces the immunity of your body to fight against infections. If you let your mind get infected by fear, your body weakens and gets more susceptible to the infection you’re fearful of.

What are the outcomes of an infected mind?

In these difficult times, what we need is to support each other and infuse our life and environment with positivity. Instead of brooding over fearful thoughts, it is time to plan out your life better, improve your relationships and family life, bring your body clock on track, balance your chakras and take actions to incorporate wellness in life. An infected mind reduces your confidence levels, develops issues like brain fog, and hence keeps you from success. Herd mentality combined with the belief in rumours can lead to a panic-like situation. Panic and fear, as we read in our previous blog, kill you faster than any other infection. Appreciate and pay gratitude to what you “have” right now and focus on growth.

Keep your Minds Infection-Free! Stay Healthy and Happy!