Dallas Hypnosis Resources Center

Using Hypnosis to Start Your “Butterfly List”

2011-07-14T17:49:00.001-05:00

.
.
One of my favorite movies of all time was “The Bucket List” with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

And it got me to thinking:

Did I have a Bucket List?
Would I even want to have a Bucket List?
Why did I seem to have some resistance to the idea of a Bucket List?
Would it be beneficial to have a Bucket List?

Being a Hypnotist and especially because of the work in some of the areas I work in, I’m probably more analytical when it comes to words and ideas than most people – even most Hypnotists!.

And after looking at the idea, I realized the resistance I was feeling was the concept of a Bucket List as things I wanted to do before I die!

At first I couldn’t understand why I had such resistance, and then I realized it was because it has a negative connotation to it – dying! --

(in case you're wondering -- Christopher Columbus Smith was my Great, Great GrandFather!)

I’m all about LIVING LIFE and enjoying every day as much as possible – so the idea of thinking about things to do before I die, just didn’t make any sense.

So I decided to rename it – my “Butterfly List”.

Why a “Butterfly List”?

A Butterfly List is things You want to do while you’re ALIVE that will:

Inspire You!
Push you to Achieve!
Be Remembered and Cherished!
Make you Grow as a Person!
Teach you Something NEW!
Lift Someone Else UP!
Benefit Someone Else!
Bring a Smile to Your Face or Someone Else’s!
Lighten Someone Else’s Burden

Why did I choose a Butterfly to represent my List?

Because a Butterfly represents:

Change -- going from a Caterpillar to a Butterfly
Freedom -- being able to Fly!
Winning – the struggle to escape the cocoon!
Stages – egg, caterpillar, cocoon, and butterfly
Calmness / Serenity
Luck - some people say if a butterfly lands on you, it represents good luck – not sure I buy into that – I believe we create our lives. The more focused I work, the luckier I am. But I still enjoy it when they land on me!

Someone shared this Irish Blessing with me: "May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun, and find your shoulder to light on To bring you luck, happiness and riches today, tomorrow and beyond."

Now, how about you? What’s on your Butterfly List? Would Hypnosis help you achieve that list? Without a doubt!

What’s holding you back? Fear, worry, stress, doubt, lack of Self Confidence? These are common problems Hypnotists help people with. We help everyday people with everyday problems.

Now, just for fun, here are some interesting facts about Butterflies:

The study of Butterflies is called Lepidopterology.
Butterflies are part of the animal kingdom and are an order of insects.
The name of the order for butterflies and moths is Lepidoptera.
The term derives from the Greek for scale and wing, because their wings are covered with thousands of overlapping scales.
There are about 170,000 species, but only one-tenth are butterflies; the rest are moths. Butterflies have knobbed antennae, while moths have pointed, often feathery, ones.
They go through 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa or chrysalis, adult.
They sip nectar through their proboscis which is coiled under in a spiral when not used for feeding.

A friend of mine used to tell me that the word butterfly was invented by William Shakespeare when he reversed the usual word “flutterby”. But that’s not true because according the Oxford English Dictionary of Old English, the original word was “botter-fleoge”.

For the 4^th year in a row, I’m on the Faculty of the National Guild of Hypnotists. I’ll be teaching a two day workshop -- “Fun/Effective Hypnosis For Children And Teens Plant The Positive Seeds Of Hypnosis When They Are Young”. If you’re a Hypnotist and want to feel more confident working with young clients and teens – this is the workshop where you will learn so many techniques that will help you do just that! And you’ll be able to put them to work with your clients as soon as you get back to your office – even the older children (the ones we call “Adults”).

Here’s a link to the information about the workshop on the National Guild of Hypnotists website: http://www.ngh.net/conv/2011/229.pdf

When you’re Hypnotized, do you really go to Sleep?

2011-06-26T22:32:00.001-05:00

A lot of people think when they’re Hypnotized they’re going to be asleep.

Where do they get that idea? From television and stage Hypnosis. For whatever reason, Hypnotists in those circumstances use the word “Sleep” when what they really mean is “close your eyes and be relaxed.”

Of course, it doesn’t help much that the word “Hypnosis” is derived from a Greek word for sleep. It was first coined around 1841 by a Scottish surgeon named James Braid. It was originally intended to mean a “sleep” of the nervous system where the person experiencing Hypnosis would become physically relaxed and focused on a single idea while minimizing distractions.
Later, Braid regretted using the word “Hypnosis” or “Hypnotism” because it encouraged the misconception that when a person was Hypnotized that they went to “sleep”. Here’s an excerpt from “Hypnotic Therapeutics written by Braid in 1853:

It is of great importance that it should be clearly understood by patients, that it is by no means generally requisite that they should lapse into the state of unconsciousness in order to ensure the salutary effects of the nervous sleep. Many imagine, that unless they become torpid and insensible, no beneficial effect can ensue. This is a complete misapprehension, for the happy results of innumerable cases treated with the greatest success by hypnotism, clearly prove, that cases which had resisted all ordinary treatment by the exhibition of medicines and external applications, have readily yielded to the impression made on the nervous system by this peculiar influence, even when they were perfectly conscious of all that was done, and could remember, after awaking, every circumstance that had happened during the nervous sleep. This was strikingly verified in my own case, when I cured myself of a violent rheumatic attack by throwing myself into the nervous sleep [i.e., into self-hypnosis] for eight or nine minutes, from which I was aroused perfectly free from pain, although I had been perfectly conscious all the while.

When clients come into my office, explain to them that Hypnosis is a natural, normal experience for all of us. You don’t have to be relaxed even!

When you’re watching a sport being played, you’re in a state of focus to the extent that things around you seem to fade away. And even when an athlete is playing a sport, they are in a state of Hypnosis. In fact, the more they are into that state of Hypnosis, the better they play!

Of course, most of my clients do get very relaxed in one of my big, comfortable recliners. Sometimes they do go to sleep. Sometimes they’re awake and alert all the way through. Most of the time, they drift back and forth between a very relaxed state and a relaxed, but aware state.

It doesn’t matter! Even when we’re deep asleep, we still hear. You did know that didn’t you? When you go to sleep, you close your eyes, but not your ears.
That’s why I give my clients Hypnosis CDs I produce for them to listen to while they’re sleeping. Even in their sleep, they’re getting powerful, positive suggestions to help reduce stress while at the same time making the positive changes they want to make.

For the 4^th year in a row, I’m on the Faculty of the National Guild of Hypnotists. I’ll be teaching a two day workshop -- “Fun/Effective Hypnosis For Children And Teens Plant The Positive Seeds Of Hypnosis When They Are Young”. If you’re a Hypnotist and want to feel more confident working with young clients and teens – this is the workshop where you will learn so many techniques that will help you do just that! And you’ll be able to put them to work with your clients as soon as you get back to your office – even the older children (the ones we call “Adults”).
Here’s a link to the information about the workshop on the National Guild of Hypnotists website: http://www.ngh.net/conv/2011/229.pdf

Would You REALLY Invite a Thief to Live with You?

2011-06-12T20:53:00.001-05:00

It amazes me how many people do. They come in to my Hypnosis office and complain about this Thief, but yet it’s one they personally invited and have been making the Thief welcome for a very long time.

Who is this Thief? The Thief’s name is WORRY!

If you didn’t already know this, let me explain it to you. Worry is a THIEF! Worry steals your time when you could be doing something constructive.

Worry steals your
• Joy
• Energy
• Sleep
• Peace of mind.

And yet, many people seem to take pride in being a “Worrier”. Have you ever known someone – maybe the person you see in the mirror – who seems to take such pride in being a “worrier”?

In my Hypnosis practice, I’ve had people tell me they are the “Worrier of the Family” or they’re a worrier because it’s genetic.

Really? What family really needs a worrier? Genetic? No, worrying is a learned trait. The person in all probability had a Mother or Father who exhibited the same negative thought patterns, and the child learned it (not inherited) from them. I’ve never heard of a Will being read and one of the gifts to be given to the family, was the gift of Worry! Have you?

Let’s look at the process of worrying.

• The number one rule is you must worry about something that hasn’t happened yet. If you’re worrying about something that already happened, then you’re remembering and rehashing it – still a total waste of time.
• It must be about something Negative – of course! Have you ever worried about something good that might happen? Have you ever worried about winning the lottery? No, that’s called Day Dreaming, which we can talk about some other time.
• Most of the things people worry about, never happen
• If they do happen, they’re probably not as bad as they what the person thought they would be.
• Worry doesn’t prevent bad things from happening.

Worry is totally useless! Well, maybe not, it does cause more Stress. And Stress is one of the factors in many diseases and lowers the immune system.

So, I guess you could say that Worry does cause people to buy more medicine, so I guess it does help the economy in some way.

In my opinion, that’s not a very good reason to worry. Am I going to worry about that? No, I just don’t seem to find time for Worrying.

And then I would have to wonder if the worry caused enough stress for the person to get sick and therefore miss work, being less productive.

So far, I’ve never had a client come into my Hypnosis practice and ask me if I would help them Worry more. Would I help them worry more? No, I’m ethical.

I have had a lot of clients come in to help reduce worry and stress and that’s something Hypnosis can be effective in helping people change.

How’s the best way to end the “Worry Cycle”? Gain Confidence! Practice being Confident! Yes, it takes practice. A Worrier didn’t become a Worry Master over night – that took practice and repetition too!

And yes, Hypnosis is an excellent way to boost Confidence and Self Esteem.

For the 4th year in a row, I’m on the Faculty of the National Guild of Hypnotists. I’ll be teaching a two day workshop -- “Fun/Effective Hypnosis For Children And Teens Plant The Positive Seeds Of Hypnosis When They Are Young” . If you’re a Hypnotist and want to feel more confident working with young clients and teens – this is the workshop where you will learn so many techniques that will help you do just that! And you’ll be able to put them to work with your clients as soon as you get back to your office – even the older children (the ones we call “Adults”).

Here’s a link to the information about the workshop on the National Guild of Hypnotists website: http://www.ngh.net/conv/2011/229.pdf

Would a baseball player wet his bed?

2011-05-29T18:36:00.000-05:00

First thing to realize, he’s probably embarrassed to be talking about it anyway, embarrassed his teammates may tease him and his friends might make fun of him. And it took courage for him to consider Hypnosis for help with this problem.

Now, let’s talk about Blaine, the bed wetting baseball player and how Hypnosis helped him. Blaine is nine years old. He loves baseball! He would love to go to sports camps and spend nights at his friend’s house, but can’t. He’s afraid he’ll be embarrassed the next morning.

His Mother called me and asked if I could help him using Hypnosis. She liked the way I explained how we would be working on SELF TALK, self Hypnosis, and CONFIDENCE in all areas to help Blaine move beyond this problem. I asked her to make a sentence, using the word “problem” in it to tell me what we would be working with.

She said, “Blaine’s problem is he wets his bed.” I suggested, “instead of saying ‘Blaine’s’ problem, how about saying ‘THE’ PROBLEM. When we say ‘my problem’ we’re saying it belongs to us. Anything that ‘belongs’ to us, the SubConscious Mind wants to keep and get more of. Do you think Blaine wants to keep and get more of this problem?” And then I explained how Hypnosis works with the SubConscious Mind along with the Conscious.

Right away she realized they were going to get a new approach. His parents had taken him to physicians and counselors and had tried alarms that would wake him up, etc. Hypnosis was suggested by one of my other clients - I had helped her 11 year old daughter to start waking up in a dry bed a couple of years prior.

When Blaine and his Mother came in for their first Hypnosis session. we started talking about what Blaine enjoyed doing, school, family, sports, etc. We didn’t jump into the “bed wetting” problem just yet. He needed to RELAX and get COMFORTABLE first.

Then we discussed what he wanted to use Hypnosis to CHANGE. Blaine said he wanted to stop wetting his bed. He and his Mother were both surprised when I told them; I really didn’t want to do that. I explained that would be focusing on the problem. I believe in focusing more on SOLUTIONS instead. So we agreed to work on helping him wake up in a DRY BED – and dry pants – he had to wear special underwear to minimize the consequences.

I asked Blaine who his favorite pro BASEBALL PLAYER is. We talked about why he was his favorite. Then I said, “OK, now for a SERIOUS question, Blaine. How EXCITED would you be if you won a contest and got to spend a day with him, including having dinner with his family, and spending the night?”

His face went from excited to a worried look. I asked him if he would be worried he might embarrass himself if he spent the night. He nodded. Then I asked if he would ALLOW me to help him use Hypnosis to put this problem BEHIND him so he would NEVER need to worry about that embarrassment again. He agreed and we got to work.

During his first Hypnosis session, I offered suggestions about REMOVING obstacles and FINDING solutions, EASY solutions, like reminding him how NATURAL it was to go to sleep and to wake up – without him having to think about it. How he easily plays his BEST BASEBALL – NATURALLY. How he naturally BREATHES without having to think about it. And how NOW, he could go to sleep, WAKE UP if the need arises, take care of the need, go back to sleep, and then wake up in a DRY BED – without the need of the protective underwear.

The next Hypnosis session, Blaine told me he thought he was making some progress. His Mother disagreed saying he had still wet the bed every night. I told them both, let’s CELEBRATE the PROGRESS that Blaine is working on the SOLUTION, but maybe the DRY BED results weren’t quite there YET, but the dry bed WOULD come. Blaine looked relieved. Even though the Mother agreed, I could still see some doubts in her eyes.

I insist on a parent being in the room with us when I work with young clients. Why? I want the parent to learn the tools I’m teaching my young clients and I want them to help REINFORCE the work we do together, rather than sabotage the work we do with negative comments. This situation was a perfect example.

Blaine and I talked a little more about baseball. And then I asked him to start thinking about this problem (after the first session, we never talked about bed wetting again – only “the problem”) in BASEBALL terms. EACH morning, he would EVALUATE his PROGRESS either as a STRIKE OUT (wet bed) or a HOME RUN (dry bed). He and his Mother liked this idea.

With each session, he made progress and on his last visit, I read the progress reports from Blaine and his Mother. Both of them proudly wrote that Blaine had FIVE consecutive HOME RUNS in the last six days since our last visit – he had never had two consecutive dry nights before. We did some future pacing during this session seeing himself putting this problem BEHIND HIM once and FOR ALL and USING the TOOLS he LEARNED during our visits to IMPROVE his baseball game AS WELL.

Please go back and reread the article, noticing the words in ALL CAPS. These were emphasized during the session and were instrumental in how I helped a baseball player stop wetting his bed.

“Use your words carefully, because the words you use today will influence your clients today and twenty years from now.” ~Milton Erickson

For the 4th year in a row, I’m on the Faculty of the National Guild of Hypnotists. I’ll be teaching a two day workshop -- “Fun/Effective Hypnosis For Children And Teens Plant The Positive Seeds Of Hypnosis When They Are Young” . If you’re a Hypnotist and want to feel more confident working with young clients and teens – this is the workshop where you will learn so many techniques that will help you do just that! And you’ll be able to put them to work with your clients as soon as you get back to your office – even the older children (the ones we call “Adults”).

Here’s a link to the information about the workshop on the National Guild of Hypnotists website: http://www.ngh.net/conv/2011/229.pdf

What does “Forgiveness” have to do with Hypnosis?

2011-05-15T00:23:00.000-05:00

During my Hypnosis sessions I discover that I just seem to know the right things to say during the sessions with my clients. That’s probably due to my years of experience working with so many people in so many different areas of Hypnosis.

Many times, I like to use a particular story – I don’t use “scripts”. My clients need individual work, not something I’m going to read to them or memorize. And one of the stories I tell – always tailored to them of course - is where they meet their “future” self – usually on a beach.

Connie was one of my weight reduction clients. She wanted to “lose” 50 pounds. Or at least that’s what she thought she wanted when we first talked on the phone. Obviously, she had not read the information on my website about the difference between “losing” weight and getting rid of it.

Who really wants to “lose” weight, only to find it again? Does that really make sense? And that’s what happens most times. Do you know anyone who “lost” weight, and then found it again? Maybe you?

Connie didn’t look that much overweight. And she said she didn’t understand why she was overweight – at least that much. She didn’t eat that much, her job and two kids kept her physically busy. And she didn’t really eat that many sweets.

She told me she had tried every fad diet and weight loss program out there, and yes, she had lost weight, and found it again – several times over!

A friend told her about coming to see me for Hypnosis and how it had helped her so Connie thought “Why not?”

One day, I was working with her and I could tell she was discouraged. She was making some progress – but not fast enough. We discussed during her initial session the importance of reducing at the rate of 1 – 2 pounds a week – which is what most doctors recommend.

But of course, she really wanted me to wave a magic wand and make the excess weight disappear – just like most people want!

She had at first made good progress, but now she seemed stuck. So I asked if she would like to meet her future self – the one who had gotten rid of the excess weight. She asked how we would do that? I said during our Hypnosis session, I’ll introduce you.

During this session, I had her imagine – that’s a big part of Hypnosis – using the power of the imagination – much more powerful than “will power” - and I told her a story that started with a walk along a beautiful beach.

Now, I need to condense this down to just the basics or I’ll be writing a longer time than I intended.

As she walked along, she saw a woman walking towards her on the beach – this woman was fit, healthy, and seemed to be very happy. The woman approached her and introduced herself as Connie two years ahead of the present time. At some point, I suggested that the two Connies – present and future should hug each other.

And I told Connie that while she was embracing her future self, she would feel some wonderful feelings – the first was love, acceptance, and respect – for herself, her body, and others.

And the second would be forgiveness – forgiveness of her body for putting on excess weight and letting it stay (or come back), forgiveness of herself for any bad things she had said or thought about herself – and also forgiveness of others for things they may have said or done – either intentionally or not, real or just perceived.

I told her she never had to tell me or anyone else what those things might be, but that by forgiving, she could let go of the burden that had been holding her back and keeping her from having the healthy, fit body she wanted to have and deserved to have.

During this time, I could see there were some feelings about some of those things. I was quite for a while. Then I asked her if there was anything she felt she needed to forgive either of herself or anyone else. She nodded her head yes. When I sensed she was ready to proceed, I started talking again.

Then we talked about a feeling of confidence – the kind of confidence she needed to know, not just think, but know, that she could finally – once and for all – get rid of the extra weight.

Then we finished up by returning to the original wonderful feeling – love, acceptance, and respect for her body, herself, and others.

When we finished the session, she said she realized she realized the weight was there because of something hurtful her ex husband had said to her when he told her he wanted a divorce. He told her she was fat and ugly and no man would ever want to be with her. She laughed and said she realized she wasn’t fat or ugly when he said it and the only reason she felt that way now was because she was afraid if she ever did start to date again that she would only be hurt again.

I didn’t ask her about the forgiveness, but I have a feeling the most forgiveness was of herself – for having believed the lies of a jerk!

Did she get rid of the weight? Slowly – as I suggested, yes. What reminded me of her story was that I saw her out shopping recently. It’s been over three years since we finished out work – and she looks great! And she’s dating a really nice guy – one who isn’t a jerk!

Yes sometimes forgiveness is something that will help us move forward and Hypnosis can help bring that about. I know. I’m glad I’ve been able to forgive others and glad they are able to forgive me of things – whether real or imagined, intended or not.

For the 4th year in a row, I’m on the Faculty of the National Guild of Hypnotists. I’ll be teaching a two day workshop -- “Fun/Effective Hypnosis For Children And Teens Plant The Positive Seeds Of Hypnosis When They Are Young” . If you’re a Hypnotist and want to feel more confident working with young clients and teens – this is the workshop where you will learn so many techniques that will help you do just that! And you’ll be able to put them to work with your clients as soon as you get back to your office – even the older children (the ones we call “Adults”).

Here’s a link to the information about the workshop on the National Guild of Hypnotists website: http://www.ngh.net/conv/2011/229.pdf

“Do you live by design or by accident?”

2011-04-19T23:15:00.001-05:00

Here’s a tool I use with my Hypnosis / Coaching clients in my office:

Life is Like an Elevator

Life is like an elevator – it goes UP and it goes DOWN. When you’re on the elevator, it’s up to you to push the button for UP or DOWN.

Sometimes you get on the elevator and before you can push the button, maybe you stand there too long and someone else punches the button, and then you’re going DOWN or UP, depending on which one they punched.

What if it goes DOWN because of someone else’s action, and you didn’t want to go DOWN? You could get off on that floor and complain that you’re not happy where you are, but what good would that do? Or you stay on the elevator and push the UP button (you take action).

And if they push the UP button, but you’re not ready or willing to go UP, then you’re not going to get off on that floor – you’ll go back DOWN to the level where you want to be, or think you deserve to be.

It’s YOUR LIFE! Punch the right button – take the right actions to get to whatever level you want to be. The level that helps you feel the happiest. Some people prefer, or settle for, the Victim level – blame everyone else level. Others expect, and demand the Victor level – I’m in charge of my life level.

And of course you could stay where you are, and do nothing, and wonder why you’re going Down and not going UP. It’s all about taking action. Words create Thoughts. Thoughts create Actions. Actions repeated over and over create Behaviors. Behaviors soon become Habits. And Habits create our level of Life.

Wherever you are at this moment in your Life, it’s the results (or consequences) of the decisions you made, or the actions you took. Where you will be tomorrow, next year, the rest of your life, will be the result (or consequences) of the decisions you make and the actions you take now.

Some people live in a world of blame and excuses, others live in a world of confidence and positive expectations.

It’s up to you and no one else. Others can help, but only you have the real responsibility of making the Life you want.
***

With Hypnosis / Coaching, I help people realize the importance of taking responsibility for their life – without excuses or blame.

The more we blame others, or make up excuses, that a reasonable person wouldn’t ever believe, the more we give up our responsibility for our lives.

Hypnosis can be used to help people regain control of their life – only if they WANT to. If they want to continue to blame others or to make excuses, then Hypnosis is not going to help.

For the 4^th year in a row, I’m on the Faculty of the National Guild of Hypnotists. I’ll be teaching a two day workshop -- “Fun/Effective Hypnosis For Children And Teens Plant The Positive Seeds Of Hypnosis When They Are Young” Here’s a link to the National Guild of Hypnotists website: http://ngh.net/training/2011-ngh-annual-convention

Hypnosis and “butterbeans”

2011-03-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

Imagine my surprise a little earlier today when I heard a commercial for Half Price Books – one of my most favorite places in the world – and I heard them talking about butter beans!

It took me a while to figure out what they were talking about. Normally I’m pretty good at figuring out things, but I was driving and looking for an address I wasn’t familiar with.

The announcer was saying something about his son liking Half Price Books and he associated them with the smell of butter beans.

Now in my wildest imagination – and I do have a very good imagination – I’m a Hypnotist – I would never think of Half Price Books or any books for that matter smelling like butter beans.

Then towards the end of the commercial, the guy said something about “butter bean” at Half Price Books than somewhere else.

OK – now I got it. Butter beans – “better being”. It’s BETER BEING (not butter beans). This led me to wonder if I heard the first part of the commercial right. I’ll have to listen again to make sure that’s what they said.

Sort of reminds me of the BeeGees song where they sing “You’re more than a woman to me.” When I first heard it, I thought they were saying “You’re a bald headed woman to me.”

So what does this have to do with Hypnosis?

Well, wouldn’t it be “better being” (butter beans):
Healthy and trim than overweight?
Able to breathe better and have more stamina than smoking?
Hitting the golf ball with more accuracy than into the bunkers?
Confident than shy?
Enjoy flying than being afraid?
Focused instead of scattered?
Getting things done than procrastinating?
Calm instead of stressed?

You can use Hypnosis for all of the above and much more!

OK – I think you got the message.

And don’t forget, I’ll be teaching a two day post NGH Convention workshop August 15th and 16th -- “Fun/Effective Hypnosis For Children And Teens—Plant The Positive Seeds Of Hypnosis When They Are Young”. Here’s a link to the NGH website where you can sign up: http://ngh.net/training/2011-ngh-annual-convention/ They’ll have the information about my class up soon.

My Grandfather's Garden

2009-07-20T01:01:00.001-05:00

One of the things I tell my clients and students is that all Hypnosis is Self Hypnosis. And Hypnosis is simply being receptive to a suggestion. The suggestion could be from an outside source, or a memory, or a combination of both.

And you just never know when a suggestion will enter your mind and take you into a state of Self Hypnosis.

For example, yesterday I bought some cherry tomatoes. I was hoping they would taste as good as the ones I used to eat in my Grandfather's garden.

When I got home and put away the rest of the groceries, there were the tomatoes, just waiting for me on the counter.

I opened the carton and took one out, washed it thoroughly, got a little bit of salt on the end of it, and bit into it. And then it happened! I was back in my Grandfather's garden, four or five years old, walking through the peas, corn, okra, plum and peach trees, and of course the tomato plants. I could feel the sunshine, smell the freshness of the air - it was a lot fresher then - and feel the dirt underneath my bare feet.

I used to love to go see my Grandparents. They loved me unconditionally, even though I was small for my age, even though I was a bookworm, and had an imaginary friend. My Grandmother would even hold the door open for him!

They taught me a lot about honesty, integrity, and just being a good person. My Grandmother called my Grandfather Carl, which was his name, and he called her Lula Mae which was her name. Sometimes he called her his little "Chigger". Why? I don't know.

My Grandmother taught me to share bread crumbs with the sparrows, which she called ChiChies. Why? I don't know. She just did.

One time when I was probably around six, my Grandfather told me I shouldn't walk with my hands held behind my back because it made me look like a little old man. I told him I did because I saw him do it. By the smile on his face, I knew he was proud that I was wanting to walk like he did. He told me I had plenty of time to be old later.

I'm almost 60, but I still haven't found that time yet.

And all this from the taste of a little cherry tomato. And I never knew that tomatoes could be used as a tool for self Hypnosis!

William C. Smith = http://www.hypnosisrc.com/