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NLP: Why it is so important in my Life?

It was the summer of 2010 and I was looking online in my new little home in Las Vegas, NV. I remember the light coming through the window over my desk during another sunny, almost unbearable hot afternoon while I googled NLP Trainers in the Vegas area. I looked down at my computer screen while clicking on one of the first searches to pull up,nlpcoaching.com. Okay, I thought, let’s see exactly who this group is and what they have to offer to me.

You see, it had been 18 years at that point in time, since I had been “certified” in NLP & Hypnosis. I fell upon NLP in the early 90’s after being introduced to the world of hypnotherapy in the 1980’s through a personal friend, Henry Leo Bolduc, a noted speaker/author on Hypnosis through A.R.E. (Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research & Enlightenment.)

I became certified in 1992, with a company on the east coast of the US in a program that took 9 months for its certification in NLP. We were also introduced to the concepts of Hypnosis as well as hearing about something called Time Line Therapy®, which we were told was created by Dr. Tad James. We were not certified in this modality at the time however.

Fast forward to my life in Las Vegas where I was practicing real estate during the great recession. I kept “attracting” incidents near me where a person was going into a traumatic association or hysteria of some kind. The first time was at a work place where I heard in the far off distance what sounded like a woman laughing. I listened to the sounds from my little cubicle down in our agent area. Noticing people rushing quickly to a back room, I got up to move closer to see what was going on.

I peered into the small room to see a work colleague sobbing hysterically, with many people, hovering over her. “Call the paramedics” someone said. There seemed to be a certain amount of confusion and great concern in the room amongst everyone present. Lynn (not her real name, of course ) had just found out that her nephew had been killed that morning on his way to school. She was not able to breathe, while the look in her eyes was that of a panicked wild animal. Assessing the situation, I strode in authoritatively announcing that I was a “Hypnotherapist” as most folks did not even know what NLP was.

Even though it had been quite a few years since I was certified in my initial trainings of NLP, I knew that by matching her breathing, and tone/tempo of voice I just might be able to get her to “calm” down enough so she could “take in” her surroundings and breathe. The others moved away slightly as I asked them NOT to keep touching her as they were actually neurologically “anchoring” her extreme negative state even further into her body. Standing up right in front of her, breathing fast & furious, with a look of terror in her eyes, I breathed up high in my chest while talking very quickly. I said, “Lynn, I am here. It is going to be okay isn’t it!” or something to that effect. I looked also “wild eyed” at her and matched her state as best as I could do. She was actually “seeing ” me now while the rest of the room and others were probably a blur in her heightened emotions.

I began to breathe a bit slower while talking slower & even though it felt like time stood still, finally I was able to assist her in breathing slow enough to get an actual real breath in. She then sat down on the chair that was put there for her. Everyone was watching as this was taking place. Someone got her a drink of water, which she took a sip of, and by the time I left, another friend was brushing her hair slowly. I never saw the paramedics. I believe that she was able to be driven home later on by a colleague. This is where the magic happens with these skills!

I got on my computer right after that, for NLP & Hypnosis Trainers in the greater Las Vegas area as I knew that I needed to sharpen up my proverbial tool kit! Thinking to myself..now what could I have done differently? What was “that technique” that did..that? These questions pressed on me and I just knew inside it was time to jump back in. To learn more and to “remember” how to assist others expertly when I needed to. After all, serving & helping others was a big part of who I was and still am!

Tad James Company,.I pulled up on the internet. What?! Drs. Tad and Adriana James and their company were here now in VEGAS?!!!

Jumping up and down in my little home office that afternoon, it all made sense to me in that instant,this was why I was living in the “Land of Oz” as I called it! This was where I was supposed to be..inherently. Here in this city of lights, after living in the mountains of Colorado for many years,finding out that The Tad James Company was now in Las Vegas and I was going to get to certify with their company was why I WAS HERE! Amongst other things of course, it was becoming crystal clear what my next life steps were.

I called their office to find out that the next available training for me was going to be in December 2010. (5 years ago in fact.) I signed up right away excitedly!

Let me back up a bit first. In 1998, I had the great opportunity to attend a Huna Training on the Big Island of Hawaii with Dr. Tad James. We knew that Dr. Tad James was one of the top trainers in the field of NLP as well as the creator of Time Line Therapy®. He was a noted teacher or Kahuna of the Ancient Hawaiian Teachings of Huna. I wanted to visit the beautiful islands of Hawaii in a very respectful manner. This became the way for me to step onto this amazing land by studying the ancient ways with Tad James & some of the most noted Elders on the Islands at that time. Pure heaven in many ways,

Now in that summer of 2010, whilst waiting for the FastTrakâ„¢ NLP Practitioner Course to begin in December, I had another occurrence where I wished my NLP tool kit was a bit more sharpened! It was August, and I was sitting on a plane in Denver, CO to travel the rest of the distance to Colorado Springs to see my new grandson. I was at the back of the plane, in the very last row, when a large man in his 30’s sat down next to me. We were the only two in the row as the plane’s engines began to rev up for the short flight to the “Springs”. The young man next to me grabbed the arm rests on both sides of his seat saying, with a slightly alarming look in his eyes and tone in his voice,” oh no, I am not sure what I am going to do now.”

Sensing a hint of danger in his words and mannerisms, I began to match and mirror him in my body, posturing as quickly as I could while talking to him to “distract” him from whatever negative programs he was running in his mind.

He was indeed a wounded warrior, I would find out, with a severe brain injury that he was just returning from recuperating from, in another state. He was on his way back to the army facilities in Colorado Springs for his impending release due to the injuries received while in Iraq. He showed me pics of his children when I asked him about his family. We kept up an engaged conversation all the way to the C.S. Airport on purpose. I knew that this was one way to keep him focused on the smaller details of the questions I was asking him, rather than have him associate into a traumatic memory. Mission accomplished, even while I was very keen again for the course to start in December! I was so eager to learn the NLP techniques so I would be able to help even more when in public spontaneously!

Well there was a reason why I was not able to enrol into the September Practitioner Training in 2010. It was because I was going to Paris for the first time with my boyfriend!

We were on the plane sitting on the runway in Las Vegas with visions of the City of Lights in our minds, when I saw the flight attendants bustling to the seat directly behind mine. Again, the plane was being prepared for our non -stop to Paris flight yet there was a concern that departure would be delayed due to a young lady RIGHT behind my aisle seat who was going into an obvious anxiety attack! She was breathing very fast and could not talk nor calm down enough for the flight attendants to be comfortable enough for the plane to take off.

This was a problem! I turned to the 3 flight attendants who were attempting to “do something” to help with this panicked young lady saying: “I am a Hypnotherapist and I can assist her”, again knowing that they would not recognize the word NLP. They then intuited that I might be the one to get her calmed down and their finalizing for departure took them away from the girl and myself. Breathing, while talking also in her pace, I was able to find out that this 20 something woman had lost her passport etc and now was on her way to Paris enroute from Brazil. We talked more together as she finally calmed down with enough reframes, matching/mirroring in many ways and the knowledge that “things” were going to be alright!

While on that plane to an incredible two week adventure, I told myself how important this upcoming training was going to be and how perfectly “timely”!!

Well, I took the 7 day training in mid-December 2010, opened up my coaching office the beginning of January 2011 and then proceeded to take the Master Practitioner, and finally Trainer’s Training for NLP/ Hypnosis. I am finishing up Time Line Therapy® Trainer’s Training as well as Coaching now. My first NLP Practitioner Trainings are being designed and scheduled as I write this.

I am also in the Tad James Company’s Master Trainer Development Program to further my conscious competence in all of the above modalities. Assisting trainings as part of this program is one of the exciting opportunities for me,to meet and be part of future Practitioners learning these life changing tools, so they in turn can assist in the transformation of the planet, is immensely rewarding!

So, when someone asks me why NLP is important to me, I have a lot of things that pop up in my mind: assisting clients, creating lasting growth & development for myself, teaching others, also know the art & science of these techniques that change lives for the better,are a few!

And in time, I know that I will be able to look back, all the while envisioning a better future for my children and grandkids, realizing that it was indeed time to do everything I have just told you about.

And I have to ask you: When will it be Time for You?

About the Author: Joy Willett

Joy’s interest in personal development for over 40 yrs. led her to study Hypnosis under a well- known hypnotist in the 1980’s. She first became certified in NLP in 1992 through an east coast company, and then went on to be recertified with the Tad James Company in 2010. Now a Trainer of NLP, Hypnosis and Time Line Therapy® (through TJC), Joy’s passion in life is to bring these exciting, extremely effective tools to as many people as possible in her international trainings. Bringing the benefits of Time Line Therapy® to those working with our Veterans is also very important to Joy. Coaching corporations and individual clients also comprise her business, Joys of Success! And she intends to make sure that everyone who works with her & her company will have just that!