Dream it into Reality

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Dreams, Ericksonian Principles, Reality

Dream!
Written by Eugene Morgan

Let our dreams become a reality.  We have all the resources at our disposal, if we access them.  Our dreams don’t have to be grand or big for them to become a reality.  Let us first start with smaller dreams.  It’s okay to think big.  But thinking big can be overwhelming for us.  Smaller dreams are much more manageable to make into reality.   It’s good to start right a way, because thinking about it just delays it.  Once we’re into making a bit of our dream into a reality we gain some confidence each time we struggle through it.

A Shared Experience

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Reality

Square pictures at an exhibition
Written by Eugene Morgan

Yesterday many of us experienced an earthquake or an aftershock of an earthquake.  It rocked our world.  It’s interesting how we react to something we don’t know when our minds are trying to make sense of what’s happening.  Our first question to ourselves, “is it me?”  While the shaking continues, we begin to find out that it’s not us but something external that’s causing this experience.

We see proof all around us, such as our computer monitors shaking or our windows vibrating or our pictures rattling against the walls. We notice that it continues to shake, and we don’t know what to make of it.  We get this sunken feeling, a feeling of panic in our stomachs. Then we begin to imagine the cause, and sometimes we imagine the worse when our minds are trying to understand what just happened.

We then, after it’s over, have a story to tell to our colleagues, friends and family members about what just happened.  We share our experiences and compare our experiences with each other because we need some verification and assurance that everything is okay. We even laugh at ourselves about it, because we’re beginning to feel safer.   Isn’t it nice to have a shared experience and not feel alone?

Build on Your Strengths

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles

strength
Written by Eugene Morgan

Milton Erickson uses anything and everything that a person brings to the office. Whenever someone walks in Erickson’s office, Erickson would always look for something in that person to use to aid change.  What someone saw as a liability, Erickson saw as an asset that’s useful to aid change.  Erickson never stops looking for resources in a person to use for his/her benefit.

Utilization means to take what we got and build on it.  But sometimes we have a tendency to focus on our limitations; in other words our weaknesses.  Instead, use our strengths as resources and turn our weaknesses to assets to help cope and to deal with our problems.

 

Change equals Constant

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles

Window Patterns #7
Written by Eugene Morgan

“The only thing is constant is change.”

We all develop patterns. It takes practice to develop patterns. Patterns developed through repeated behaviors to produce a desired outcome. If circumstances change, then the patterns of behavior need an adjustment.

An example of circumstances of change is when we’re required to drive a car with a manual stick shift from being used to driving a car with an automatic shift. The pattern of driving a car with an automatic shift will not work in a car with a manual stick shift. We would need to make a readjustment to our patterns.  Making a readjustment means learning new patterns to the new circumstances.

Values Make Our Decisions

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Choice, Ericksonian Principles

Gatekeeper
Written by Eugene Morgan

The things that are important to us are what we value.  Values are the gatekeepers; it helps us make decisions.  Our decisions are based on a set of values on what kind of friendship we have, what kind of car we drive, what kind clothes we wear, and etc. We like to match up with others with the same or similar value system.  So, if we want to know something about ourselves, look at what decisions we’ve made in our lives then, look at the kind of friendships we’ve developed, look at what the kind of books we’ve read, look at the kind of food we’ve eaten, and etc.

 

 

 

Self-discovery

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Choice, Effort, Ericksonian Principles

Army Photography Contest - 2007 - FMWRC - Arts and Crafts - Without a Face, a portrait of the Soul
Written by Eugene Morgan

‎”The person that has the most to do with what happens to you is you. It’s not somebody else.” Dr. Ben Carson

This quote above falls in line with Milton Erickson’s philosophy in that we have the power within ourselves to improve our situation, if we choose to.  We have it within our control to succeed if we put in the labor that is necessary to get there.  Once we realize that we make the most what happens to us, and then we can direct our energy and align our mind, body and soul to what we want in life. There is freedom in knowing that we can control our path to where we want to go in our lives. There is no freedom in blaming external realities.  Blaming external realities only keeps us prisoners in our self-denial. Instead, let us get out of self-denial and into self-discovery.

Curiosity Saves The Cat

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, wonder

Curiosity
Written by Eugene Morgan

Milton Erickson uses curiosity as a carrot stick to lure the conscious mind away.  His goal is to bypass the conscious mind to get to the unconscious mind. He tells his subjects interesting facts or stories to create curiosity and suspense to keep the conscious mind attended. Erickson understands that the first part of the process of learning is to create an atmosphere of curiosity. Curiosity stimulates learning not only for our conscious mind but also for our unconscious mind. Curiosity is an infatuation to the mind. We need to know and to explore what we don’t understand.  It’s a sort of pleasure that the mind gets when there is a new discovery.  Curiosity is like we’re on the verge of a new discovery.

We all have different Speeds

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Truisms

View from Kancamagus Highway
Written by Eugene Morgan

“Slow and steady wins the race.”

We have different speeds. Some of us are faster than others. Some of us are slower than others. It depends on our speed. We ought not to rush things. Instead, slow and steady is enough at least for learning. Some things need speed. Some things need time. We know speed isn’t necessary when we start making careless mistakes.  Making a mistake is the first sign of rushing. It’s time to take a breath and slow down and look at what’s going on around us. Then we can start pacing ourselves to a natural balance. Getting back to a natural balance means quieting the mind.

The Life we Live

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Acceptance, Appreciation, Ericksonian Principles, Imperfection, Perfections, Uniqueness

Life is a meandering pathway

Written by Eugene Morgan


“Life isn’t something you can give an answer to today,” Milton Erickson

We don’t know the ultimate question about why we are here. But since we’re here we might as well enjoy it, learn from it and experience it thoroughly. Then we can pass down our experiences to the next generation. Life is about learning about the self and how we interact with the world around us. Learning about our dislikes and our likes. Learning that each one of us is unique. So, we don’t need be afraid to be ourselves and we can learn to appreciate the imperfections of ourselves as well as others. No one is without imperfections we dislike— but we must accept them. Imperfections only make us perfectly human.

 

Surprise, Shock and Barriers

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Barriers, Ericksonian Principles, suggestion, Surprise

Barrier Of Entry
Written by Eugene Morgan

Milton Erickson often uses surprise and shock to break up the barriers of the conscious mind.  Surprises are meant to be delivered unexpectedly to the person. In life when we’re presented with something unexpectedly, our conscious mind is temporarily off-balance. This unbalance of the conscious mind awakens the unconscious mind. This creates an unconscious search to make sense out of what just happened.

Erickson capitalizes on this by giving his subjects positive suggestions to their unconscious mind, this is after telling them shocking statements. The suggestions are then appraised, evaluated, and reviewed by subject’s unconscious mind before accepting or rejecting it. If the suggestions are useful for the subject, then the unconscious mind will accepted it. Hopefully, a seed is planted and we wait and see what grows.

On Being Flexible

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, flexibility

Hanging branches blown up by the wind
Written by Eugene Morgan

Erickson was always trying to find a way to help someone be flexible.  Flexibility is like a branch that’s not easily broken by the wind. The branch moves in the same direction of the wind.  Or it’s like a runner who stretches before a race to prevent an injury.  Or it’s like going with the flow to keep us afloat.  We go with the flow to only wait until things die down before we decide on the next step.

Getting Back to Riddles & Puzzles

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Divergent Thinking Puzzles, Ericksonian Principles, flexibility, Frame of reference, Lateral Thinking Puzzles, Rigidity

The Riddle of the Sphinx
Written by Eugene Morgan

Riddles and puzzles’ function are to stretch our minds.  Riddles and puzzles are a good exercise for the mind.  Riddles and puzzles are not designed to give up answers easily.  We have to work for them.  Sometimes, we give up too soon and get upset with ourselves, only to kick ourselves after looking at the answer in the answer section of the book.

However when we do work for the answer to a puzzle, we’re rewarded with “aha moment” —a feeling of satisfaction, a glimpse of enlightenment and understanding, and with a gold nugget of new perspectives.  Milton Erickson enjoys using riddles and puzzles to help the subjects to expand their minds.

Make A Detour In Life

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, flexibility, Freedom, Perspectives

Desvío
Written by Eugene Morgan

“It is the experience of reassociating and reorganizing his own experiential life that eventuates in a cure,” Milton Erickson

We can’t make a change if we’re insisting on thinking of the problem the same way. We need another way of thinking, or a new frame of reference to reorganize our experiential life.

It’s like taking the same route everyday to work never considering that there are alternative routes to get to work. We’re forced to take a detour only if there is problem like a car accident or road repair. However, when we do take a different route, we lose the old associations that are linked to old route to work. Taking a new route can create new associations, new ways of thinking,  and add varieties and new opportunities along the way.

 

 

What Greater Joy!

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Emotions, Ericksonian Principles, Freedom

joy
Written by Eugene Morgan

“And what greater joy is there than doing what you want to do?” Milton Erickson

We all want joy in our lives.  When we think back on what made us joyful, we feel a sense of freedom; that we have forgotten about; that’s sometimes lacking in our present lives.  We have an adult way of thinking that restricts us from doing what we want to do as human beings. But we can allow ourselves to do what we want to do— to make us more like human beings, and less like human doings. Human doing is like a machine without feelings and emotions, but as human beings, we can see the colors of the world through our feelings.

 

Desire to Meet Life’s Goals

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Desires, Ericksonian Principles, Failures, Goal

goal
Written by Eugene Morgan

We all have desires to meet life’s goals in our lives.  There are some goals that’s left undone. Unmet goals equal a feeling of regrets. Regrets only remind us of our incomplete projects, our procrastination, our idleness, and our indecision.

But to meet our life’s goals, we must learn to complete things.  We can start by completing small projects that are manageable.  Milton Erickson say we’re simple creatures, therefore keep projects as simple as we can.

Sometimes, we have too many goals or projects we try to do and we end up getting lost in the distraction and not focused on completing things.  Doing one project at a time keeps our undivided attention on nothing but the project that’s in front of us.

We live in a culture that wants things done quickly. But if we take the time in the beginning, we can save a lot of time later.

Goodness is based on Respect for the Self

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Respect

respect!
Written by Eugene Morgan

“That sense of goodness and adequacy is not to be based upon a sense of superiority of one’s own attributes, but upon a respect for the self.” Milton Erickson

What is so important in humanity and the animal kingdom, is respect.  When our self-respect gets depleted, our anxiety and hostility level increases.  When hostility is high, we see the world in a hostile way. However, when we have a sense of self-respect, we see the world as a place to celebrate life. There is no goodness if we disrespect others and ourselves.  Instead of having a sense of superiority in one’s own attributes, let us admire someone else’s attributes.  This is what it means to respect others.  We call this ego boosting when we show admiration toward another person.

Things That Motivate

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Ericksonian Principles, Motivation

Motivation quote
Written by Eugene Morgan

Milton Erickson was a master of getting his patients to do crazy things. Erickson didn’t tell his patient what to do, instead he created an atmosphere by utilizing the patient’s unique patterns, interests and beliefs. In so doing, he created within the person motivation to do something that could make a change. The person would begin to come up with an idea for himself to do something to make personal changes. What ideas, beliefs and interests that motivate us to do something, is a question we all can ask ourselves. If we look at the things we excel in one area of our lives, then we probably could use those same beliefs, interests to drive us to excel in other areas.

The Answers Within

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Effort, Ericksonian Principles, Responsibility

Inquire Within (T-Shirt)

Written by Eugene Morgan

“I don’t need to know what your problem is for you to correct it.” Milton Erickson

Erickson is saying in the above quote, is that we have it in ourselves to correct our problems.  Sometimes, we just need someone to steer us in the right direction.  The answers are within each of us.  We just need to learn how to get access to them.  Sometimes, we don’t listen to our inner voice that’s telling us the answers.   Erickson is also saying that it’s our responsibility to correct our own problems. No one can really correct our problems for us.  The problem really is about changing our perspective on our reality.

Enjoy in the Process

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Effort, Ericksonian Principles, Expectation, Goal

Finish Line

Written by Eugene Morgan

“We learn our goals only in the process of getting there.” Milton Erickson

When setting our goals we tend to look at the product, instead of enjoying the process itself. Part of the process is about learning something new. Something  about learning new things enriches our lives and keeps things refreshing—and, completing our goals is just the icing on the cake. The truth is, the process can get painful at times. But it’s the struggle that makes us stronger in the long run and makes that icing on the cake sweeter at the end. The process changes us for the better. It makes us better people

 

Illuminating Our Dark Side

Published on by Eugene Morgan Category: Acceptance, Defenses, Doubt, Ericksonian Principles

What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story. And the greatest good is little enough: for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams.

Written by Eugene Morgan

“If you are uncertain about something, you tend to avoid it.” Milton Erickson

Uncertainty is another word for doubt.  Doubting is another form of not knowing.  We don’t know how we will react to something revealed to us that’s unknown. When we fear the unknown, our fears begin to grow.  It can grow into other areas of our lives as well, if we’re not careful.  Our scope of understanding gets narrowed, when we don’t seek out and learn what’s behind the  door of the basement cellar.   We can open the cellar door and turn on light of knowledge and learn something valuable really about yourself.  We create our reality and our truth about ourselves and project them into the world.