Inc.

Erik Doyle

Professional Hypnotist Anthony Galie often captures the imagination of his audiences by hypnotizing a volunteer and telling them they are "stuck like glue to the chair." He then brings the volunteer back to consciousness and asks them to get out of the chair, which they find impossible to do. He teases them and even offers them large sums of money if they get out of the chair, but they remain incapable of separating themselves from their seat.

Anthony and many other psychotherapists explain that the picture placed in the person’s subconscious is more powerful than their will to achieve on a conscious level. Simply put, they want to get out of the chair consciously, but the subconscious picture in their mind will not let them.

This exercise is amusing to many audiences but begs the question: What pictures do we hold in our subconscious that are holding us back from achievement? Researchers have determined that the average person is in a highly suggestible state (semi-hypnotic) around 70 times per day. If you doubt this, here's a question: How many red cars did you pass on your drive to work today? Do you even remember the trip, or do you just remember getting into the parking place at the end? You were likely multi-tasking on the drive, thinking about problems that needed to be solved, emails that needed response, and projects to be managed. We enter this phase throughout our days and scientists advise us that a lot can slip into our subconscious during this vulnerable time.

“Anthony and many other psychotherapists explain that the picture placed in the person’s subconscious is more powerful than their will to achieve on a conscious level”

The point is that we are not always aware of the ideas and thoughts that are exerting more power over our performance than our conscious mind can overcome. In these cases, we may be “stuck to the chair like glue” and missing opportunities to gain rich experiences for ourselves and others. What kind of subconscious thoughts can achieve this? Here are a few examples:

• It’s a Monday and Mondays are always bad
• This project is doomed because of…
• Being with these people is going to be a downer because…
• I’m going to hate being at this event because….
• Going to work is always so miserable….

Chances are, there are some lingering thoughts like these that may be inhibiting your performance and experience. When these thoughts are embraced, they can keep you "stuck to the chair like glue," and all the conscious effort in the world will not be able to overcome them. If this is the case, it might be time to do some 'thought pattern inventory' and clean out these devastating influences. Replace them with:

• It’s a new day and anything is possible

• We may have overlooked an angle that could bring new life to this project

• I'm giving people around me another chance because I have been gifted with second chances

• I’ll find a way to make this a positive experience for someone else, and in doing so, will have a positive experience of my own

• (Hint: taking on a servant-leader mindset determined to make life better for those around you is an excellent way to overcome negative internal thought patterns!).