It is a strange paradox that we all want to be in control of our own destinies, and yet we hate having to make decisions.  Decisions are hard. We have to live by the consequences of them, and if they turn out to be the wrong ones, we can blame nobody but ourselves. That's why we really quite like to be told what to do. I don't mean having someone boss us around, but rather someone to take the heat off of us when it comes to decisions.

I love the electronic age, I really do. But sometimes I hate what it is doing to us. I read a report the other day that suggests that the computer age is actually reducing our ability to concentrate. As we get used to flitting from window to window on our various internet interfaces, so we are gradually losing our ability to focus on one thing at a time.

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I've always wanted to write a sequel, and here it is! Quit Smoking II

I'm sure you know all the horrible statistics about smoking, but a new one just came out this week. Oh yes, it amazed me too, but nonetheless, it came out. So here it is. Smoking starts harming the body within minutes of the first cigarette! Now, I know what you're thinking, that of course inhaling that smoke can't be good, so it stands to reason that the harm starts early. No. It's worse than just smoke inhalation.

We're a couple of weeks into 2011, and it's around this time that many of us start to lose the will to continue with our New Year Resolutions. And the timing isn't purely chance; 2 weeks is a critical point when changing an old habit and trying to introduce a new one. So I decided to add a couple of blogs on how to really push for success.

A regular client came round today for her weekly session.  Today, however, she arrived a little early, and I wasn't entirely ready.  I still had my dog (a chocolate lab) sitting by my side.  Usually when clients come round, I take her upstairs to the back of the house and give her a little treat.  She enjoys her snack and then fades off to her slumber to dream of a life consisting of yet more treats, and sunny days in the park.

A recently published study (yes, another one!) suggested that laughter can actually stimulate feelings of hunger, and so people who laugh a lot are more likely to be overweight since they are likely to eat more. Hmmm... well, it certainly plays to the image of the "jolly fat man" that seems to be prevalent.

But I wonder if that means that the opposite is also true. Are miserable people more likely to be thin? My experience dealing with people with weight management issues suggests that when people are sad and unhappy, they tend to eat more as a means of comfort.

I do consider hypnosis a gift. Truly. I like to think I'm half good at it, and some (not all) of the emails I get help me in that thinking. I like to think that I am good at it because I enjoy it, and I think that we can do something we enjoy, then life is more pleasant and we feel good. But I want to share with you an email I got tonight that humbled me in ways you cannot imagine.

A couple of things happened over the holidays that made me think about how we feel about ourselves.  The first was a friend who was bemoaning his flaws and wishing he could overcome them to become what he considered a better person. The second was an overheard conversation between two friends who were systematically ripping apart a mutual friend or acquaintance's personality because it clearly didn't measure up to their own exceptionally high standards.

It might seem like a silly question, and one that might have subjective answers. We can all be childish at times, and we all know people that we think are a bit immature. But what I'm getting at here isn't the odd bit of childish behavior. What I'm talking about is our very core being. It's my contention that when it really comes down to it, we are still pretty much the same child we were when we were 5yrs old.