Something different

This blog is moving. You now find it at www.changedynamics.net/blog.

Hope to see you there.

I'll repost some of these items, so don't be surprised to see some repeat content.

Savers and Spenders

If you believe the persistent media coverage there is an epidemic of overspending and under-saving. A recent international survey of more than 13,000 shoppers challenges that idea. The study suggests that chronic under-spending is far more widespread than originally thought. In fact, the study reveals that tightwads outnumber spendthrifts by a 3 to 2 ratio.

The study revealed that savers save, not because they care more about the future than spenders, but because forking out the money is too painful of an emotional experience.

Therefore, those who experience the pain of spending money more intensely tend to spend less than they would ideally like to spend. On the other end of the 'Spender-Saver' scale, spenders typically experience minimal pain when spending money and tend to spend more than they would ideally like to spend.

"Spending differences between tightwads and spendthrifts are greatest in situations that amplify the pain of paying and smallest in situations that diminish the pain of paying," the researchers explain. "The evidence suggests that frugality is driven by a pleasure of saving, as compared with tightwaddism, which is driven by a pain of paying."

The researchers also found these differences between savers and spenders:

• Females are no more likely to be savers than spenders, but males are nearly three times more likely to be savers than spenders.
  
• Respondents under the age of 30 were only slightly more likely to be savers than spenders, but respondents over 70 were five times more likely to be savers than spenders.
  
• Whether one is a spenders or a savers also predicts a wide range of spending behavior, the researchers found. spenders are no more likely than savers to use credit cards, but spenders who use credit cards are three times more likely to carry debt than savers who use credit cards.
  
• Annual income differs little between savers and spenders, suggesting that the observed differences in debt are largely driven by differences in spending habits.

The prevalence of savers needed be discouraging to sales people. The researchers also found that savers are most sensitive to marketing designed to reduce the pain of paying. In one experiment, participants were asked whether they would be willing to pay $5 to have DVDs shipped overnight. The cost was either framed as a "$5 fee" or a "small $5 fee." spenders were completely insensitive to the manipulation, but savers were 20 percent more likely to pay the fee when it was less painfully presented as "small."

According to the researchers, "The research provides a new perspective on spending and saving money. Whereas traditional economic theory assumes that the propensity to spend or save is largely determined by the degree to which one cares about the future, this research suggests that spending and saving are driven, at least in part, by more immediate emotional concerns,"

Journal reference: Scott I. Rick, Cynthia E. Cryder, and George Loewenstein. "Tightwads and Spendthrifts" Journal of Consumer Research: April 2008.

Source: ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2008)

Book Yourself Solid

I have been a Toastmasters member for a number of years now. I highly recommend Toastmaster for anyone who makes a living communicating. The club I belong to was originally a book club, that later became a Toastmasters Club. As a part of Toastmaster-Book Club we are currently reading Michael Port's book Book Yourself Solid . It's a highly recommended selection of mine.

Michael provides great resources to accompany the book, such as a free downloadable workbook. One exercise is to focus on the question, "who is your target market?" (which is different than a niche).

That question certainly applies to my hypnosis practice. What about this blog? Who is my target market, What if you (reading this now) are not part of my target marketing? Won't I lose readers.

Yes. I certainly will. And yet, at the same time, I will be able to serve my target audience better. And that is the key, to serve the best, rather than to serve the most.

So who is my target audience?

I'll let you know as I come to my own conclusions. (Even if you're not part, you are still welcome.)

US Karate Champion Uses Hypnosis

Here's a link to the story:

http://www.antonnews.com/portwashingtonnews/2008/09/05/news/karate.html

Hypnosis is an effective tool for enhancing performance; this is just one example

“Programming your Subconscious for Success” is a Lie

The idea of programming your subconscious for success is a lie. If you have a goal of success (however you define it) you’re stuck. You are already at the level of success that your subconscious allows you be. It doesn’t matter that you have the conscious desire, intent, and even resolve to be more successful. If your subconscious and conscious are not in agreement the subconscious always wins out. If you think that’s disheartening keep reading for even worse news. (But finish reading until the end where there is some good news.)

At this point, a lot of people might think, “Why would my subconscious not allow me to be more successful?” They might have used affirmations and positive thinking to “reprogram” their self conscious for success. They’ve done every thing the experts have said is necessary for reprogramming the subconscious. Why hasn’t their subconscious been reprogrammed yet?

The fact is, your subconscious has little concern for your success. Success and accomplishment are functions of the conscious mind. The subconscious has more important matters to attend to.

Your subconscious mind is concerned with survival, and maintaining the status quo, and it has a very rigid logic, and a narrow sense of time. Consider this: Your unconscious processes thousands of physiological and psychological interactions and responses each day. The notion that the unconscious is unlimited in its resources is appealing, but wrong. The unconscious is vast, but even it has limitations. It is busy enough; it barely has any concern for the future (goals), and it’s not concerned with your success.

Is this to say you are stuck being where you are? Obviously not, since people do achieve success, but your subconscious is concerned with now. You can’t fight it, so take advantage of it. Make success the status quo. Here are two way to do that.

One, take deliberate action, and repeat it over and over again until it becomes habit. Your subconscious is the realm of habits. Ultimately it is action that leads to success. If you repeatedly do the actions that lead to success, regardless of how you feel, they will eventually become habit. Those actions become the status quo.

Two, recognize and appreciate every success, no matter how small, in your life now. Express gratitude for what you have, what you do, and what you are now. Recognize every way success is yours already. In other words, drop “success” as a goal. Make it your current reality.

The idea of programming your subconscious sounds appealing, but recognize it is a figure of speech. The subconscious is vast, but has it’s limitations. Success is an ineffective goal, but a great present reality. Once you recognize them, you can work within the limitations of your subconscious , and use them to your advantage.

Hypnosis for Sales Success-What is Hypnosis

Since I've been writing about Hypnosis for Sales success I recieved an email from a sales person asking some very basic questions about hypnosis, and I realized it's been a very long time since I posted a general explanation of hypnosis so here's my brief explanation.

What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis helps people succeed. Whether a person’s goal is to eliminate a unwanted habit of thought emotion or behavior, overcome a painful or limiting condition or to achieve a higher level of performance in sport, academics, business or personal life hypnosis can help them to succeed. And yet it very misunderstood. Even people who otherwise recognize the value of investing in oneself, wouldn’t think off consulting with a hypnotherapist. They might even fear the idea. Even though hypnosis has been used by medical and helping professionals for hundreds of years, its use by entertainers and other non-clinical people has resulted in numerous misconceptions.

Simply stated, hypnosis is a form of communication. Essentially, it is a communication of ideas and understandings to an individual in such a fashion that they will be most receptive to the presented ideas and that by those ideas—or suggestions, gain control of their psychological and physiological responses and behavior.

The phenomena most often associated with hypnosis is trance. While movies and television have portrayed trance as something scary or sinister, trance is a naturally occurring state of altered focus and awareness, that we all go in and out of numerous times each day.

There a number of types of trance. Many of are familiar with what has erroneously been called highway hypnosis, a mental state in which the person can drive a car great distances, with no recollection of having consciously done so. In this state the driver's conscious mind is focused elsewhere, while unconsciously processing the masses of information needed to drive safely. This is a form of trance. Other common forms of trance are workers performing simple and repetitive tasks, daydreaming, and being deeply involved in a movie or book.

Hypnosis is not trance, rather it uses trance. In Hypnosis a person focuses his or her awareness on the communication with the hypnotist. It is not as many people believe a state of unconsciousness. Most people in hypnosis are aware of everything the hypnotist says, although it’s not unusual if you drift in and out of awareness, or even lose track altogether, for a few moments, but for the most part you will hear and be aware of everything that happens during hypnosis.

Also, contrary to popular belief, the hypnotized person is not under the control of the hypnotist. The hypnotized person always has the choice whether or not to follow the instructions of the hypnotist. You cannot be compelled to do something or reveal secret against your will. In fact you can end the hypnosis at anytime, so there’s no such thing as getting stuck in hypnosis. The important factor is that the person seeking hypnosis and the person guiding the hypnosis are in agreement on the desired results of the hypnosis session.

The degree to which a person can be hypnotized is not a matter of intelligence, although generally speaking a person with higher than average intelligence generally responds better. And it not a matter of being strong willed. In fact, those who are mentally disciplined tend to have the best results. What matters most is simply, are you able and are you willing to follow the instructions of the hypnotist.

The first set of instructions given by a hypnotist are designed induce a state of focused awareness that allows direct communication with the unconscious mind. The term unconscious mind is of course really a figure of speech, we only have one body-mind, but some of it’s processes are conscious and some are unconscious. “The conscious mind” refers what ever thoughts, memories or sensations you are currently aware of., and processes such as recalled memory, intentions, and values. If I ask you, “What did you have for dinner last night?”, until I asked that memory was unconscious, when you recall it, it becomes conscious. If I ask what are your intentions or what do you values you answer consciously. Throughout your day, your intentions and values drift in and out of your conscious awareness, and what often happens is automatic unconscious habits of thinking, emotions and behavior take over even if they are contrary to your conscious intentions and values.

Also, while most physiological processes are generally unconscious, there are some we can consciously control when we choose. Breathing for example, for the most part occurs unconsciously, but we can consciously alter the rate or depth of our breathing if we choose. Other physiological processes respond to conscious control as well.

Direct communication with the unconscious has two primary benefits. The first is that it allows one to make desired changes more easily and more effortlessly. As alluded to previously conscious intents and values are often not in alignment with unconscious habits of thought emotion and behavior. We might have the conscious desire, intention, and resolve to stop a harmful, unhealthy or unwanted behavior, or one establish a new positive habit but unconscious habits easily override conscious decisions. You can with time and conscious effort overcome unconscious habits of thought, emotion and behavior, but hypnosis is a means of accelerating the process. In other words, hypnosis is a tool for goal achievement, and habit change.

The second benefit is that hypnosis allows you to have a greater degree of control over some physiological processes, that are generally not under conscious control. Many of the medical uses of hypnosis take advantage of this benefit. For example, pain, pain is the result of multiple biochemical and neurological processes. Hypnosis in many cases allows a person to modify the pain experience, thereby reducing the need for pain medications, in some cases eliminating the need altogether. Other physiological process respond to hypnosis as well.


In summary hypnosis is a form of communication. The most important factor in its success is you, and your ability and willingness to follow instructions. It is safe an effective tool for using more of your own natural mental abilities.