Scion of NLP

Archive for December, 2008

Sometimes you hear terrible things in the news – the fighting, conflict, difference of opinion…stories about everyone pushing their own views on others, judging and labeling the people around them…sometimes it’s enough to cause one to ask, “Is this what people have come too?”

So, what do you think when posed with the question, “Are people naturally bad and sometimes make the right choice and do good things or, are people naturally good and sometimes make bad choices and do the wrong thing?”

I like to believe (although some days are more difficult than others) that people are good at heart…and occasionally I find proof;

Okay – I recognize everyone is human and we all make mistakes from time to time…however, there has got to be a limit, right?

Ezine Articles Online will bestow the title of Expert Author on anyone who publishes at least 3 articles. I’m fine with that – it’s the quality of articles I’m annoyed about. Relatively speaking, a person from international origin who is a non-native English speaker can get their articles translated online by automated servers which can often mess-up grammar, but they still spell all the words correctly.

Now, I’m far from perfect and I do spell things wrong, especially when I’m caught up in the thoughts of what I’m writing. Things such as “its” or “it’s”, and “your” vs. “you’re”…I’m fine with little bothersome errors. It’s when there is at least 2-3 words in every paragraph spelled wrong – that’s just lazy.

Even copying a blog post into an article should not have that problem because blog posting software spell checks as you go, and it underlines it in red when it’s wrong. And, when an “Expert” spells normal things wrong – stuff they are supposedly an expert about – that just bugs me. So, to all the so-called experts in “Neuro Linguistic Programming”, please stop belittling my chosen field of work (and my life’s passion) by use small case lettering for the initials – it’s “NLP” not “nlp”.

In the words of my ancestors (using a thick Scottish accent) let me just say, “Take some pride man!”

He recently turned 9 and the comment finally came, “Santa isn’t real.” His mom didn’t know what to say and his biological father had told him the truth. Me…I’m just his mom’s boyfriend and the dad of his best friend…so who am I to say anything. However, when he tried to tell me there was no Santa – I’d have none of it. My son and I are believers, and above all else we believe in good things; the abundance of the Universe, that people are naturally good but sometimes makes bad choices, etc.

“We believe in Santa,” I said with confidence and conviction.

At that exact moment, outside the front widow of our home was the neighbor finding himself stuck in the deep, new snow that had come overnight. The boy watched as I put on my shoes, scarf, coat and gloves. Then I went outside, and as I trudged through the deep snow the neighbor across the way had also come out and was walking over. Without a word the two of us took positions behind the little car and as the driver began to drive we pushed…and pushed…and pushed, until finally the car began to move. We both watched for a moment to see that he made it down the road without getting stuck again. Then we looked at each other and politely nodded, turned and walked back to our respective homes – no thanks had been given and none had been expected.

As I walked back into our home, covered in snow, I asked the child if had been watching. As he nodded I asked, “Did you see Santa out there?”

“No. Santa wasn’t out there.” he replied.

“Yes he was,” I responded, “you just weren’t looking hard enough.” As he looked puzzled but I continued on, “Do you believe Santa is really some guy who comes down your chimney with a boundless bag of toys?” As he shook his head I said, “You’re right, he’s way more than that.” and I proceeded to tell him the following story;

I BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS!

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her and on the way my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she jeered. “Even dummies know that!”

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her “world-famous” cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. “No Santa Claus?” she snorted….”Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. That rumour has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”

“Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.

“Where” turned out to be Kirby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kirby’s.

I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbours, the kids at school and the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class.

Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough; he didn’t have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied shyly. “It’s for Bobby.” The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker’s house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa’s helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby’s house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going.” I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumours about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we are all on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care… and may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

~Joan

So, for me Santa is truly a personification of the deeper spirit of Christmas; a time of year that gives us permission to recognize that we’re all people who are doing the best we can with what we have to find out way in this life, wanting nothing more than to live and be accepted, loved and cherished as the person we are.

In an email I received from Helen Oakwater (a wonderous NLP “Goddess” and dear friend), of www.helenoakwater.co.uk, she commented that her dictionary has three definitions for “miracle”;

1. an extraordinary and welcome event that manifests or is attributed to divine intervention in human affairs
2. an astonishing and wonderful event, thing or accomplishment
3. somebody or something that is a remarkable example or instance of the specified thing

This holiday season I received the greatest news anyone could wish for at Christmas time and I want to share it with you; my tale is about Trish, a phenomenally amazing NLP Trainer and Consultant colleague from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan who is and forever will remain incredibly entrenched deep within my heart and soul. She was once described as a blessing gifted to this world by the Universe – and now after hearing about her experience I say that is even truer today.

Trish was diagnosed with kidney failure a few months ago and I know without a doubt that she (after coming to terms with it) “sucked it up” like a true princess and steeled herself for battle…and well, if I could place bets on a prize fight between Trish and the Universe, I’d bet on Trish every time.

Although I don’t know all the details I’m certain that she utilized all her training in NLP, combined with a multitude of other healing arts she knows, to fight like a Gladiator Champion. Along with faith, love and the support of her entire NLP community she carved her way through the jungle of fears, uncertainty and limiting beliefs within Saskatchewan’s medical community to create her own unique path (like she did during the entire time I knew her) until eventually she reached her goal of complete health and wellness.

Finally, in the most recent email update I got last night, her kidneys have started working again and she has been taken off dialysis. Now, for anyone who still does not believe that Neuro Linguistic Programming is effective for helping heal physical illness, not just mental and emotional hurts, then you can consider this a “Miracle”. For the rest of us, we just consider it “Trish” – that’s simply the way she is…stubborn and free. ;-p

Has anyone else noticed the whole Christmas Moodiness in people? When I was little, the “Christmas Spirit” was all about excitement and joy and love and giving…now, it seems people just act so frustrated and annoyed with the “commercialism” of the season that everyone forgets what it was like to be filled with the wonder and happiness of the holidays.

My little dude is 8 years old and (although deep down he knows differently) he chooses to still believe in Santa Claus. That’s the Christmas Mood I want to have! I want to be filled with happiness and joy this season. I like adding a little extra kindness to the world this time of year. I enjoy doing things for people a little more in December compared to other months…

…So today I taking a lesson from our children and I choose to be filled with the Old Time Christmas Spirit. What about you? What attitude do you want to have this holiday season…and, more importantly, are you going to?

Wow! I used to think life moves pretty fast …but no where near as fast as internet updates! OMG!

Trying to keep everything up to date while still managing to get work done is quite the skill – and it explains why such a few people in this world really make it to the “big time”; you gotta be able to keep on top of it all, all the time, in order to make it work. Now…that having been said I do realize that it’s just a matter of get things set up into some kind of system, and I’m working towards that. In the meantime, it can almost get discouraging to see how fast one can get behind on the little things (which are really the big things in the long run) such as;

• Updating website articles
• Writing new articles
• Updating a personal blog
• putting together business proposals
• Producing a manauscript for publication
• updating new websites
• Putting together online course content
• Staying in touch with family & friends
• Top of mind marketing such as networking groups
• Building new seminars and workshops
• Coaching clients one-on-one
• Putting gas in the car
• Eating something
• Spending time with the family
• And a dozen more things I can’t think of right now.

(*whew!*) It wears a person out just looking at the list. And yet, getting something done doesn’t mean it’s off the list, simply that it’s complete for this week. So now, today I’m updating my blog…and my marketing buddies tell me I should be updating it at least 3-4 times a week. Ha! Yeah, right – sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. It all reminds me of the way a brand new car depreciates in value the moment you drive it off the lot…if you drove it right back onto the car lot you couldn’t sell it for what you paid for it. By the time I’m finished writing this blog post I’ll need to be thinking of the next post to come. (*sigh*) It is the cost of the fast pace, wealthy lifestyle we all long for in our daydreams – if I want it, then I gotta suck it up and do it…so I will! Boo-ya! And away we go…

Oh, my amazing students…
Laura,
Danielle,
Daphne,
Julie,
Lisa, and
Martin,
…you are sooooo amazing!
Thank you.

Seriously, I must say I am very proud of how wonderfully fantastic each and every one of you are. Your skill and knowledge of NLP by the end of the course was phenomenal. All of you have so much talent and abilities – I wish you all continued love, learning and laughter wherever your journey may take you. (*hugs*)

With my deepest love and respect,
Daniel

(you can click on the pictures below to get a better view of my crazy crew!)