Jan 15 2018
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:43 — 9.0MB)
Hanging onto hatred is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die. Long-term hatred can lead to heart attacks and other physical and psychological issues. Master Hypnotist Suzanne Kellner-Zinck discusses this topic and how to let it go.
Jan 11 2018
Teaching Our Kids What Really Matters, Vol. 436, Jan. 11, 2018
I have become rather addicted to Quora of late with all the interesting viewpoints that are shared on a multitude of subjects. As I was reading it this morning I came across a beautiful answer to a question regarding something learned from an adult before they were 40 years old. The gentleman spoke about the simple life that his father leads, having a simple job, staying married to his mother until the day he died, while enjoying the simple things in life.
Well, it was indeed a beautiful post. However, there are some other things that I have learned over the years from working with our young adults when we are teaching our children what matters in life.
First, I don’t really know what happened to dressing in a respectful manner to ourselves, wearing clothes that fit us, that are matched, bringing out the best in our form. These days people will go out in bulky ripped clothes that look horrible, or Lycra clingy clothes that don’t look good on anyone as far as I am concerned. How about we teach our kids some self-respect based on how they put themselves out there in public? One day when they meet a person of authority who could help them get along in life, it could be the difference that makes the difference. Not to mention that dressing well, brings about a sense of self-confidence.
Second, we need to teach our kids how to figure out what matters to them, through exploration. Too often I have found parents who wanted their kids to fulfill their dreams, only to have the child fail miserably, utterly disinterested in these particular goals. Please understand that as a parent it is your job help your child explore different possibilities, giving them some guidance along the way. Please take the pressures off your kids that they need to fulfill your dreams for them, that has nothing to do with what they care about in this world. I have met too many families, especially in Southern California where the kids were feeling that they were on exhibit to prove their parents successful. That is not the kid’s responsibility. All it does is bring anger, depression, resentment, and anxiety to your child. With the increase in these illnesses, we need to be more responsible for our message to our kids. Help them aspire to be the best they can be doing what matters to them. Then perhaps we will see a decrease in these negative emotions.
Third, in a world where people are willing to do anything to have it their way, from the famous in Hollywood to the politicians, our kids need to be taught how to be kind and considerate of other peoples’ feelings. I really can’t fathom how a person could be considered a ‘friend” with the derogatory statements that are made to such a person. Teach your kids to listen to other people, to care about them and to share what they can. This is the only way we are going to be able to have a world worth living in and a world in which you kid wants to be a part. If they are being treated disrespectfully by the so-called “friend” teach them what true friendship is and give them the okay to let go of that “friendship.”
It is the little experiences of sharing a meal, playing a fun game or having a conversation with someone we care about, that makes life fun. We needn’t get hung up about the ‘big” experiences in life. It is the small things that matter the most. Those things that touch our hearts. Teach your kids about that, and you have helped to create a thoughtful kid.
Spirituality, not necessarily religion, is something that most kids don’t really care about till they are older. When they get to that age when they are ready to explore, nurture that exploration with them. And, when they come to their own conclusions, allow that to be. Faith means having faith in something unprovable. That makes it a very personal choice.
In this age of xenophobia, it is important to have contact with people who come from different cultures than your own. Travel is a great way to learn about other people of the world and in so doing finding out a lot more about one’s self. What one finds out, different then the cynical news stories, is that all people want the same things in life: safety, love and enough money to take care of themselves and their families. There is much to be learned from the various cultures of the world if we would only open our eyes and ears and allow ourselves to learn about them.
Most of all, be there to listen to your kid’s questions. Be there to help them solve their problems, and help them to overcome their hurts. By being a role model to them in this fashion they will learn how to be caring, loving people and that will stand them in good stead for their entire lives while making this a gentler world.
Jan 04 2018
Gratitude for the New Year! – Jan. 4, 2018
When I think of all the things that I have experienced in 2017, I am very happy to be into a new year. There are so many things that we can experience, some good, some fun, some not so good, yet, all of them go into helping to form us as the people that we are becoming.
Last year, I had high hopes of having a shot of moving abroad, yet, that isn’t what was in the cards for me as it happened. I had high hopes of getting a program together to help kids with cancer to help them heal using hypnosis, and that didn’t happen. I had high hopes of being well on my way to getting a master’s degree in human development and that did not happen. Instead, I found myself doing much smaller things for people who I am close to, and that is just fine.
I was speaking to my youngest sister on the phone about a month ago when she told me the truth. I had emailed her about my daily life, mainly helping my friend with his health issues, and that he was really getting much better, but it was far from a “glamorous life.” Well, my sister is as pragmatic as they come, telling me that very few people she knows live a glamorous life, they are just doing what is necessary to pay the bills, day in and day out. She had me laughing my guts out because what she said was true enough.
I have never been one to follow the norms of society, they just haven’t worked out that well for me, bringing all sorts of health issues into my life. And yet, living off of my own company has been so challenging these last few years – really it has. If it weren’t for my friends and family, I would be in a very bad spot and that is the truth. I am grateful for having these special people in my life. People don’t have the interest in spending money on mental health issues as they once did. So, it has been even harder to find well-paying work. However, this is what I am trained to do and what I love to do. In fact, just about a week ago I spoke with three of my younger clients – all in their 20’s and all of them are doing so much better then they were when I worked with them originally. I always get the warm fuzzy feeling that this is what I am here to do after talking to these kids. To help the young ones be freed from whatever is getting them down. It doesn’t have to be done on a massive basis, it can be what it is and for that I am grateful. I know all these clients very well and I am happy to acknowledge that they know me very well too. They were not one of thousands, they were one of 100’s over many years. When I note what they have become, I am so gratified and grateful.
What do I want for the New Year? Well, I would love to be able to go abroad again, and I do believe that will happen. I won’t necessarily be living abroad, but I will have a way to get there and enjoy myself, learning ever more about the world and myself in the process.
Will I still be here where I am currently? Who knows? I never know. I just have learned to go with the flow of life and be okay with it. Because the reality is that we never know what life has to share with us, do we? All we can do is allow the opportunities to come along and do what we can with them. Sometimes it is a learning opportunity and sometimes it doesn’t work out. It is okay because from where I stand in my life, I have had some of the most amazing experiences a person could hope for all around the world. That was what I had set out to do when I was much younger, and I made it come to pass. So, I will allow that same magic to manifest again, never knowing how exactly. What I do know though, is that if I do enough to help those who truly need it, my own life is taken care of somehow.
I wish for you to be able to do those things that matter to you with the people that you really care about. I wish for you to be able to be okay when things don’t work out the way you conceived them, and be willing to be grateful for the alternative opportunities you received instead. Most of all I wish for you to have a New Year that allows you to be you, doing those things that you really care about with people that you feel a symbiotic relationship with because that is the most magnificent life of all.
Jan 01 2018
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:14 — 12.6MB)
Master Hypnotist Suzanne Kellner-Zinck comments on the year past and on the year ahead.
Dec 28 2017
Photo by Juancho 507 
Working with Dr. Google Appropriately – Vol. 434, Dec. 28, 2017
When we get sick and want to find out what is going on with us, many of us will go to Dr. Google to find an answer. I know that I have been guilty of this not only for my self but on behalf of some of my clients who have found themselves in complicated situations where their medical care is concerned.
Some doctors really appreciate the fact that you are taking the initiative to figure out what is going on with you, while other doctors are highly offended that you fail to trust their judgment, given all the time and investment they have put into their careers.
I personally feel that it is in your own interest to find what you can on the web to figure out what is going on with you because there is a lot of excellent information to be had there. However, and this is the most important thing to keep at the top of your mind as you are doing your research: You need to look at websites that are owned by entities that are respected and proven to know what they are speaking about, especially if they are a specialist in your area of concern. What I mean by this is, that if you are looking up medical information go to Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, or someone like Dr. Mercola for complimentary treatment practices and drugs.com for pharmaceutical information. Stay away from the people who are untrained in how your body works and how your mind works. Because, there are a lot of people out there who are looking to earn money from you, myself included. You are looking for proven results based on the information that you have, to get the correct treatment for you.
I have a ton of testimonials from my clients – deep and harrowing stories from many, that allow a person to figure out if I have the ability to help them out. I also have written a lot on the various areas of expertise that I have, to allow anyone to realize that I know what I am speaking about regarding these specific areas of concern. What you won’t find is a bunch of information that has no basis in fact. When I write blog posts on specific issues, there is a bunch of research and some case history material from which the reader can gain a better perspective of my own knowledge in that area. I never pretend to know something that I don’t.
However, you will find when you are looking at some practitioner’s websites that they can help with any possible condition you may have and that is dead wrong. No one knows everything there is to know about all the conditions that people may be suffering from, so no one can claim to have such a vast amount of knowledge. What matters is whether or not you feel comfortable with the information given. If you do, it is time to connect with the people that you feel can best help you.
Now, this is the tricky part. When it comes to paying for care, you have to figure out what your life is worth to you, most especially your quality of life. Because if one is told for example that they are merely able to ‘manage’ a particular illness and some other practitioner can tell you that you can “clear” your issue – you need to assess whether or not what they are saying is true, or if it is just hype. Because, this is the other thing to keep in mind: Just because conventional doctors may not be on board with your particular choice of care, doesn’t mean it isn’t right for you. Being a hypnotist, there are medical and mental health professionals who truly understand and believe in what I do. However, there are many others who have no clue what hypnosis is and tell their patients that it doesn’t work. If they choose to go in that direction, to find a licensed medical practitioner who does it. That is great advice, except for the fact that very few licensed professionals really have any clue what hypnosis is, and even fewer in how to use it to help anyone overcome any issues they may have. It is a matter of too little training in this specialized area.
So, how do you know if you are dealing with the illness that you believe you are and are pursuing working with a person who can truly help you? In many cases you don’t, that is just the way it is. Sad, I know, but I have seen people truly harmed by their licensed practitioners and I have seen others who got nothing from the alternative caregivers they employed as well. You have to make an assessment based on the practitioner you are employing, being able to help you feel heard, understood and willing to work with you in a way that fits your needs. That is what you need to do.
When do you use alternative methods of healing? That almost always occurs when the conventional methods tried have not proven to work for you. Specifically what I mean by this is that you have done everything that your practitioner has requested you do for your treatment plan and have given it the time that is required for the shifts in health to occur. This is important these days because our “instant gratification culture” has taught many that results can be had instantly. Well, that may be true regarding technology, it is rarely true when it comes to the body and mind making the shifts necessary to regain health. There is a process that each person has to go through and that needs to be respected, before deciding that a given treatment is not helping you.
Go do your research, speak to the professionals that are available looking for new patients or clients and realize that in most cases, getting care can be a time consuming and at times frustrating endeavor. It is just the way it is today. Hopefully, though, you will find someone that you really believe can help you so long as you are willing to do your part to help yourself.
Photo by Juancho 507
Dec 25 2017
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:04 — 12.3MB)
Many of us turn to Google for medical information to supplement the care we get from our physicians, however not all information is created equal on the internet. Here are some guidelines on how to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Dec 21 2017
Mortality Issues: How to Overcome them – Vol. 433, 5, Dec. 21, 2017
When I was 23 years old, my father died from a stroke. He had just turned 61. Though I didn’t know there was anything wrong with him, at the time, I did know that since he was 50 years old, he didn’t feel as good about himself as he did prior to then. He didn’t feel he had the energy he had while younger, though anyone who had an idea of the frenetic pace of his life would question him on that point. He’d wake up around 7 am every morning, get ready for work and be at his dental office by 8 am. After work, he would go play tennis or racket ball and after that, he would go square dancing with my mother till the wee hours in the evening. It was at one of these square dances where he fell to the floor in the stroke that would take his life.
I am now 56 years old, so not that far away from the 61 years old he was when he died. I see myself as gaining more weight, and less involved in some of the things that I used to do on a regular basis. This in part has to do with my living circumstances. However, there is still plenty of life left to live. In fact, I see the opposite of my father’s really giving up on life in regard to his mental attitude versus that of the male friend I am helping out right now. Here is a man who is still figuring out where he would like to go explore overseas as soon as he physically can. A man that loves exploring all sorts of places near and far. A man that has had dreams of mortality issues, because so many of his friends and family have passed away, yet, is still engaged in those things that are of interest to him. There is never a complaint about getting old. All there is is an attitude of how to do what needs to be done to be able to explore Italy or France or other far away places.
I do believe it is the attitude that we have that allows us to push through the aches and pains that we experience as we get a bit older. It is the idea that there are others in our lives that give us a sense of belonging that matters as well. I can’t tell you how many times I have been in my friends presence when his friends have noted to him how much better he looks and how glad they are to see him out and about once again. Because this is the thing: we never realize how much our presence means till we are out of touch for whatever reasons for a period. When we return is when we realize how much we were missed.
However, we can’t live for others, we must live for ourselves and the fulfillment we get from each of our days. So, I ask you:
What are you doing to create a sense of wonder in your world?
What are you doing to create a sense of contentment in your life?
What are you doing to create a sense of joy in your life?
The answers to these question will allow you to be able to overcome most anything that is in your way, driving you back to health, as it has done for my friend. A man who just turned 71 years old, a decade older than my own father when he passed away,
