The below is an edited excerpt from my upcoming book called "Life Is Meant to Work." I've broken the excerpt up into 5 parts as a discussion of how to access your inner guidance.This is the 3rd article in the series and is Part 2 about how to come into the present moment, which is an essential ingredient in being able to access your inner guidance. Part 1 addressed accessing what you are feeling, in the moment, as a way to come into the present moment.
Another area in which you can either avoid or come into the present moment has to do with whether you are going toward symbolic substitutes for what you desire, or toward what you truly desire (your enlightened self-interest). An example of going toward a substitute desire is eating ice cream in the evenings before you go to bed (even though it causes you to gain weight and it increases your cholesterol). It might be substituting for emotional nourishment with someone you love, which is what you really want, but don't think you can get. You would do that because you have an unconscious childhood limiting decision*, such as you are not worthy of love. When you go toward substitute desires, you are avoiding your present moment experience (where you believe you can't have what you really desire).
But if you explore what is motivating you to go toward a substitute desire, that can bring you into your present moment experience. You can then become aware of the limiting decision* you have been using the substitute desire to avoid. Because you no longer are running away from the pain of the limiting decision*, you can become aware of what you truly desire, and you can make a more empowered choice.
For example, rather than unconsciously keeping on eating ice cream in the evenings before you go to bed, you can become aware that the ice cream is a substitute desire for you. If you look at what is motivating you to keep doing this, you might become aware that at night you are feeling particularly lonely, and what you really desire is an emotional connection with someone. As a result you might become aware that the reason you don't contact someone is the limiting decision* you have that you are unlovable. Once you are aware of that you can make more of an effort to call someone anyway or find a way to work through this issue in yourself. That enables you to move forward in your life, rather than remaining stuck.
When you go toward what really matters to you in the first place, which is your enlightened self-interest, it inherently engages you with the present moment, and can guide you forward.
*Limiting decisions: An NLP term used in NLP TimeLine counseling sessions to mean unconscious decisions, made in early childhood, that are some form of that life doesn't work, and usually that there is something inherently wrong with you -- such as "I am powerless,""bad,""unlovable;""People can't be trusted," and so on. Limiting decisions are never true. NLP TimeLine counseling sessions facilitate clearing limiting decisions, in order to release the negative patterns in your life that are caused by them. For more information on limiting decisions, go to: http://www.janecohencounseling.com/content/counseling-services
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Author's Bio: Jane Ilene Cohen is an Intuitive & Transformational NLP Counselor, and an NLP & TimeLine Master Practitioner, with a private practice in San Diego North County (Encinitas). She does individual counseling (includes the NLP TimeLine Process and hypnosis), works with couples and families, and facilitates groups and workshops. She is also the Founder of the "Life is Meant to Work" thought system.
For more about Jane's counseling services, go to www.janecohencounseling.com/content/counseling-services . For a free phone consultation to decide if this is right for you, call Jane at (760) 753-0733.