Lessons in Gratitude

Someone recently asked me for help in coming up with a prayer to say at the family Thanksgiving meal. Her slight dilemma was that the family is quite traditional and she is quite new age. In other words she "gets it" when it comes to the power of the mind and how we co-create with God. She is afraid her guests might think of this as blasphemous. Her hope is that this could be a teaching opportunity. Or she might get nailed to the proverbial cross. Hmmm

As I thought about it and sent up a prayer to ask for help what came to me is "gratitude". Everyone knows that "thanks giving" is about gratitude. Our minds are in a place of thinking about the blessings that we have received. And what we focus on grows.
That is the connecting point of prayer, thought, those who are more traditional as well as those who have explored beyond those boundaries. By the way I hesitate to use the term "new age." Although at its root the meaning is pure and simple - new age- a powerful time of understanding and using our God given abilities - it has an unfortunate reputation of false gurus, snake oil and weirdos. How unfortunate.
So where was I? Oh yes the connection, the oneness and coming together within gratitude. Because the Universe is all about vibration and energy, our thoughts create. This is the central message of Jesus and many prophets and mystics. So when we put our minds in the state of gratitude, concentrating on how we are blessed and what we are thankful for, we send out a vibration of positive energy. And what we send out returns to us, sooner or later.

A little tip here. We need to be careful and not negate that positive energy. One example is jealousy...if we hear of another person's blessings, while we might be sitting on what feels like a pile of dung with not much to be thankful for, we could end up creating a bigger pile. The Universe listens to our thoughts and feelings. And it responds to them. It does not judge our thoughts and feelings but does respond to them. It does not show favoritism. One person is not more richly blessed by some unknown source while you sit on that pile of crap.

The power and connection is in our subconscious mind. And the good news is that our subconscious mind's tendency is toward a good life and many blessings. But we can muck it up with negative thinking. The subconscious is incredibly powerful - but it can't "think". It obeys our conscious mind/ thinking and is supercharged when strong feelings are added. I have seen this operate in my life on both sides of the coin. Before I knew how this all works I created some pretty unattractive results - especially in relationships. And I created simply awesome results too.

When I was part of a large psych clinic one of the psychologists asked me if I was ever worried about having enough clients. His question gave me pause. That doubt had never entered my mind and results showed up in my over flowing practice. You see, I always "knew" I was meant to do this work. Now I understand that although it is complicated in some ways, it simply boils down to this: my faith and belief in that "knowing" then resonated with Universal Energy, Divine Matrix, God and thus the people who were meant to come to me for healing simply arrived. And I was wise enough to understand that I wasn't wise enough to do the work, so I always asked for help.
We all are guided, protected and loved. The Universe leans toward abundance in all areas. When we clear our minds of doubt, jealousy. anger and fear what is left is an opening to receiving that positive flow. And one of the ways we do that is when we pause and think of that which we are thankful for...breathing it in, calming our mind and thus inviting the Universe to resonate with that energy and bring us more good stuff.
In answer to a recent comment (seeing the negative traits in another and how they bug us yet serve as a teaching moment- brilliant comment by the way ) I would say this. Indeed there will be those situations and people who grate on us and spin negativity in our minds. When that happens to me and the person in my estimation is over the top I think (I'm no saint :) - well they have to live in that **** and I back away. Some times that is all we can do -besides send up a prayer for their healing. But like the woman said in her comment which again I see as coming from a very wise person, the Universe is giving us a "teaching moment". What is there about this person or situation that is getting to me? Why is it striking a nerve? The answer is not because they are such a @#$%%!!**! It is because it resonates with something within me; otherwise it would not strike such a nerve. Some times this is hard to swallow.
For example in that same large psych practice I was in, there was a woman who irritated the heck out of me. She was a wildly flirtatious social butterfly. (That was what I thought on a good day LOL) What on earth would that have to do with striking a nerve with me?
I came to understand that the pearl of wisdom was obviously not in her brushing up to every male that crossed her path. Rather is was in her happy, social way of being. I saw that I had become much too serious. OK then! I" got it" and in my mind I thanked her for the lesson. And she no longer irritated me. That is how the Universe works.What we focus on grows and when I focused on her social aspects, they came out in me. It works that way for all of us. When we understand and reap the rewards of the lesson, the situations tend to dissolve. But until we get it the tendency is for it to grow. Feelings are a powerhouse that fire up the subconscious mind. Studying our feelings can be an inroad to wisdom and a better life.

In gratitude to those who touch my life~
Until next time, blessings and love,
Dr. DyAnn

My Next Post ...

I have been away for a few days - sorry if you have been looking for me! I post about once a week although thoughts are always going thru my head about things to write. I love sharing this information. Our minds are so powerful, creative and manifesting (constantly!) that it is hard to believe. So for now remember to place those garage store stickers scattered about your surroundings so that you remember to check your thoughts. And I promise I will write in reference to the last comment I received - how we draw negative when we think negative thoughts, draw positive to us the same way but hmmmm what to do with those thoughts about someone who is just bugging us because, well in my words, they are just so darned irritating or even infuriating! And the Universe/God just gave me a fresh reminder of that very thing so there is the example just waiting to be shared. But until then, know that you truly are guided, protected and loved.
Blessings ~
Dr. DyAnn

What Goes Up...

...must come down. We learn this the first few times we toss a ball in the air. Our science teachers taught us about the law of gravity. It is a Universal Law - no matter how many times you toss it, and whether you are in China, Peru, or the US, that ball ALWAYS comes down. It would be pretty weird if it didn't! We come to rely on Universal Laws to make sense and have predictability in life. These laws are unbreakable and unchangeable.

Did you know that there are many such Universal Laws? I am not speaking of just laws of nature but universal laws of your mind and spirit. If you know and understand them, your life will operate quite smoothly - and if not... well you are probably left scratching your head and wondering how the bleep some area of your life got so out of control!

Have you ever been stopped for speeding in a zone where you didn't know about the reduced limit? I hate it when that happens! Not fair!! I didn't see the sign. But unless you have a really nice police officer who lets you off with a warning, you will suffer the consequence of not knowing the law.

Our entire life operates that way: if we don't know about the "law" we will suffer the consequences. Conversely, if we understand and apply these laws our life can be dramatically changed.

Oh and before I go further, these universal laws or laws of consciousness are very cool! They are impartial and fair to everyone. I think of them as my guidance system for bringing greater blessings into my life and the lives of others.

Most people believe that we are here to learn lessons, as do I. However, rather than bumping along in the dark trying to figure out the lesson, let alone the answer, it is a much smoother journey if we HAVE THE RULEBOOK! It is akin to seeing the speed limit sign and being able to cruise thru the zone with the confidence that I won't get the hell scared out of me when I see flashing lights in my rear view mirror!

OK so we all know that "like begets like". Dogs have (beget) puppies, cats have kittens, Oak trees beget acorns etc. That is a universal law. Like begets like.

For us this law could be translated to say "the spirit in which I do something will (eventually) be returned to me." If I am nice to someone purely to manipulate them you better believe it, someone else will manipulate me. It may not be the same person or the same time frame or subject area, but I will be manipulated by others. What you sow you shall reap. What goes around comes around. Like begets like.

You know, these laws aren't meant to hurt us or make life difficult ~ quite the opposite! It makes the world a lot nicer place once we understand and live by universal laws. You can change your life if you understand and practice the lesson in just this one law. Here are some practical ideas to get you started.

Years ago I had a co-worker who was so sharp tongued and judgmental that I found myself avoiding her. I am a middle child peace-maker and we just didn't talk that way in our family. (The silent treatment was more our dysfunctional style of choice.) So how on earth would this make sense to me in regards to the reap/sow law? As I think about it now what "Kathy" was teaching me was not just how to sharpen my avoidance tactics. Rather she was showing me it was time to examine my own life and how I judged others.

What we see and don't like in others always has at least a bit of a reflection of something within our self. I know that can be a hard pill to swallow, but from personal experience, if you want your life to run more smoothly and be around more pleasant people and situations, look for the gem of truth in what you are experiencing. What might you have putting out there on an energy level that now is coming back to you? For example, perhaps that crabby person at work is reminding you about how you treat someone at home. Perhaps your spouse showing less interest in you is about you showing less interest- no not in them - but in yourself. Maybe those jerks out on the road are teaching you to be patient (so that you don't have the chemicals building up in your system that will some day blow an artery). The failed relationship with yet another" promising" person may be about your sowing a lack of self-respect, thereby unconsciously lowering your standards and attracting (law of attraction) someone who just is not suited for the best that you are.

So you see, these laws are not the "gonna get you" type we may be weary of, but rather a guidance system that we can count on to make our life so much easier and happier.

If you don't like what you are experiencing "out there" change what is going on "in here". That is where the real power is at anyway. Yes there will be those who we just don't see eye to eye with but once the lesson is learned, what I have found is that it (they) go away. The sharp tongued person takes a different job, the traffic is less irritating, the promising prospect really does turn out to be special.

And the really beautiful part is that now you have your own radar system. When you see a pattern starting to form in your life, check within as to what you may have been putting out there in thoughts and actions (energy) and make the changes that will lead to a happier more successful life.

Until next time~ remember we are all in this together and this law helps us to make life work so much better!

Blessings and love to you and those you love,

Dr. DyAnn

A Supply of Hope

Christine (hopedespitedepression.blogspot.com) is a fellow blogger. I was intrigued by the title. If you have depression or want to understand more about it, you might want to check out her blog.

Hope despite depression.... That says it all. And so today I am inspired to write about hope and some of the ways to get from depression to hope and beyond.

Hope and depression ~ polar opposites. Depression is an ugly place. When I suffered from it and tried to describe it to someone I said it was like living in a deep, cold dark well with my only source of comfort being a scratchy damp blanket. People who have never suffered from depression have a difficult time relating to how oppressive it is.

Hope on the other hand is filled with light and color (Research has shown that when we are depressed our vision is literally washed in gray). Depression is slow, sluggish, bogged down - as if our brain is filled with quicksand - sucking us in deeper. If you look up "hope" in the dictionary you would find words like ambition, confidence, security, daydream, buoyancy. I might describe it as aliveness or engaged in life .

Whether you have some level of depression or not it is vital to understand the mind. Guard well the avenues of your mind...wish I could remember where I first heard or read that because I think that advice is priceless.

So, how do we go about this "guarding"? Well first of all GET RID OF THE NEGATIVES. What we see, hear, taste, smell and touch bombards our brain and our brain responds. (Just like it responds to medication; so this information is empowering. )You know how sometimes you have an unpleasant "mystery smell" in the house and have to hunt it down and get rid of it? Well, that is the same concept for rooting the negatives out of our surroundings, our energy field.

If you are presently depressed I know how difficult it can be to actually "do" something so bear with me - there will be notes about adding positives and you are already doing that. You are home free; you are searching out blogs that might be helpful to you.

So, what are the negatives in your life? Let's start with television. How many nasty things do you view in a day? What about negative news stations? Yes I want to know what is going on in the world but half an hour of hurricanes, greed, murders, the stock market, war and casualties and my good mood is right down the toilet. I find out what is going on in the world around me via the internet where I can peruse the stories and pick and choose what I want to look into. And keep my good mood.

You see, the problem is that television is rather hypnotic. Haven't we all sat down to watch a favorite program and remained plunked down for the evening? It is more than a bad habit. It is about the way the energy waves/pulsations of communication impact our brain. It is a marvelous invention but use it with care.

An easy key is to ask "is this positive or negative"? Because all energy DOES impact our mind. We live in a world of energy. So maybe a little more of "Dancing with the Stars" and a little less of the visually detailed crime stories.

"You are what you eat." Are we ever! So in rooting out the negatives you know where to go with this one. Food is energy - literally. Love your body, your being, enough to choose carefully. Doesn't mean you have to be a purist and give up those Klondike bars but maybe eat fewer sweets or fats and add one healthy food to your diet. Garbage in, garbage out. We cannot function at our best when we are debasing our body by eating crappy worthless food. Eventually the body and mind will reap the results.

Visual surroundings. The optic nerve goes directly into the brain so the impact of what we see is huge. We are constantly scanning and creating thoughts about our environment. Thoughts in turn create feelings. Feelings can delight us or cripple us.

I have a friend who runs the reception desk at a large business complex. There are several offices with windows that face her work center. She told me about how uncomfortable she felt because a guy in one of those offices would often be caught staring at her. I think she used the word "leering." She needed to change the negative! And her solution was very clever. She simply moved the potted plant from one spot on the counter to another - yes, directly between her and the "negative visual." I chuckle every time I think about it. He certainly couldn't complain that the plant was moved!

One of the things I tell clients and those in my seminars is to use "garage store stickers." Yes, those little colored dots. Strategically place them in your home, car, and work area. When you see the dot check your present thought. Is it positive or negative? Make the switch if you need to and be proud of yourself that you did so. It is a great way to get control of your own thinking so that you indeed are "guarding well the avenues of your mind."

Until next time ~ be gentle with yourself - your are a precious individual and your life is a work in progress.

Dr. DyAnn

What is your Purpose?

Have you ever asked yourself "why am I here?" That question might be asked in frustration (!!!) or it might be a very literal wondering what your purpose is in living this lifetime, with these circumstances. I certainly know I have done both. It is much more pleasant to be asking from the second perspective ~ which is perhaps a search for personal meaning in your life. That being said, when we get more clues and understanding as to the "why" we'll find ourselves a lot less frustrated or asking "why" in that" what the bleep" frustrated way!!!

We each have a truly unique purpose which no one else can fill. It can be anything: being the best parent you can be and changing the cycle of abuse that has gone on for generations in your family ~ being the best crossing guard your local school could even dream of by maybe adding joy and humor ~being an advocate for an aging parent, even if that parent seems unappreciative ~loving a significant other (and yourself) enough to set boundaries around alcohol abuse ~ teaching forgiveness by letting go of something really nasty that was done to you or your family~speaking up when it is the right thing to do and you know it in your heart. The list is as endless as there are people in the world.

Here's the point: you don't need to try to be someone special because you already ARE somebody special! Too often we give notice and credit to someone who is famous or renowned or popular, thinking that their life is more important or they are more valuable than your own self. Nothing could be further from the truth. Think about it;

- for the person who breaks that cycle of violence could you ever count the blessings bestowed on future generations?

-for the child who sees that joyous crossing guard every morning, do you realize that may be the only person he or she really feels a connection with because there is the sense that they actually care?

-for the staff who observes you as a tender advocate with a parent who is unappreciative, do you realize what a role model you might be someone in a similar struggle?f

- in setting boundaries you may be the one and last opportunity that alcoholic has to get life back on track because you respect yourself and him/her enough to say "no more"

- by practicing forgiveness can you even imagine the impact on the person who committed the betrayal?

- or in speaking up, have you ever considered the rippling effect that goes out into the world?

These and millions of other examples give us the message that what we are doing right now may be exactly what our purpose is. Perhaps taking the time to realize that what you are doing now is vital and important is what the missing piece is!

Bless you on your journey ~ and may you realize how important it is, for we are all connected, we are all one.

Until next time~

Dr. DyAnn

Seasons of the Mind

This blog discusses the mind and its many wonders. The more we know about the mind the better, for it is the computer that drives our whole system. If we are wise we learn about how to work with this precious powerful resource. While I totally believe in and have read the scientific evidence about the power of the mind, we also need to be aware of some of the things that can seem to go wrong.

So here we are at this time of year when summer has quickly turned to fall. For some of us that means our favorite season is over with, while for others it is just beginning. I was talking to a young woman earlier this week and she mentioned that while she was happy with the progress she is making in working her way out of depression she is rather apprehensive about the possibility of "winter blues" bringing her back down. So, I thought this would be a good time to discuss the subject of Seasonal Affect Disorder from the perspective of what is going on within the mind.

At best this condition can put a damper on the fall/winter season, but at its worse it can really wreak havoc on our lives and bring about deepened depression. Let's talk a little about what it is (if you want more info you can just google it). In general SAD is a grouping of depressive symptoms but what makes it different from general depression is that it is related to the seasons. We can track the occurrence of SAD like a weather map: the shorter the days and the more northern the location, the greater the chance of it occurring. Herein lies the key: the decrease of daylight is really the culprit.

Our brains could be described as chemical factories and one of the keys that brings about the typical symptoms of this condition is melatonin. Less light = more melatonoin produced in our brain. It almost seems like we go into hibernation - we have increased appetite and weight gain, we want to sleep more and may become sleepy during the day, we have less energy and not as much interest in activities and we crave carbs!

So what can we do when this occurs?

Discussing what is going on in your life is almost always helpful - whether it is just the effects of the slow down/grinding halt of SAD or some other issues that perhaps need to be processed. The chemical change brought about by the difference in the amount of melatonin produced by your brain can often change your mood and thus your ability to tolerate life's ups and downs. Another possibility is to talk to your health care provider about medication during the fall/winter months. For most people SAD thankfully leaves along with the last whispers of cold weather and/or gray skies.

Mayo clinic among others gives a solid thumbs up to Light Therapy (phototherapy). It makes sense that if too little light (cloudy conditions and shorter days) helps create this problem, then the addition of light via a light box will help to reduce it.

Above all remember that our thoughts produce our feelings. Feelings are as chemical as melatonin --- We may not be able to move to a sunnier climate but we all certainly have the ability to use the power of our minds to create a happier life. If you believe you will be more depressed this winter you will; if you believe you will be able to do better, you will. Either way you are right.

Until next time~

May you see your many blessings...

Dr. DyAnn

Weight Reduction on Steroids?!!

Have you ever known someone like"Jody" ? She often has a twinkle in her eye, making me wonder what she is up to. She's creative, hard working, loyal to family and friends and has a great sense of humor...I get some of my best/funniest e-mail forwards from her. Actually I met Jody as a client a while back. We have stayed in touch, and recently we worked together on weight reduction ~ a topic of great importance that is a concern for more and more people.

Jody recently sent an e-mail updating her progress. She reported that her doctor had put her on steroids to deal with pain. Now everyone knows that steroids and weight reduction do not exactly go together. In fact the general formula is: steroids = weight gain.

But not for Jody. Not only did she not gain weight, which is a side effect of using steroids, but she already has REDUCED by eight pounds. And I can guarantee that she will continue to reduce her weight and reach her goal, with or without steroids.

So, what is Jody's " secret"? Some new steroid formula? Dialing back her scale? A fluke? No, fortunately it is none of these. In fact her "secret" is not a secret at all. It is simply knowing how to use the power of the human mind. I am so proud of her!

I have worked with hundreds if not thousands of people, helping them to reach their goals using the power of their mind with hypnotherapy as one of the tools. But really all hypnosis is self hypnosis. I realize that my path, my calling is to help teach this to anyone who wants to learn how to have a better, happier life. I am now preparing workshops to teach this material in detail. Along the way I have studied and sharpened my skills. What came to me (we all are truly guided) has been a wealth of information about Universal Laws including the Law of Attraction. (There are many more laws but this one has been quite popularized.) When we have even the basic information about how these truisms work, and add to them the power of our own mind, we really do have amazing power over our life. What we can do seems limitless. Just ask Jody.

One metaphor that I would use to summarize the Law of Attraction is to say that life is like throwing a ball up against the wall... what you toss out comes back to you. So if you throw a tennis ball, a basketball is not what will bounce back at you. In similar fashion if you allow yourself to broadcast negative thoughts, words and emotions ~ well you get the picture.
So, here is a handy tool to use for reaching your goal. We all have the gift of an imagination; it actually has great power. Imagine yourself having reached your goal - what ever it is. The trick here is that you already know you are just imagining it, so "doubt" does not enter into the picture- you are just having fun imagining that great new job, wonderful significant other, healthy slim body, or whatever your dream is.
Remember, the way the energy of the universe works, what we put out there eventually comes back to us. The more richly imagined, complete with emotion, the more quickly and strongly your thoughts will return to you in the real world ~ just like that tennis ball.

Until next time ~Keep your dreams alive!

Dr. DyAnn

buechlertherapy.com