Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Dropping Anchors
In This Chapter
▶ Understanding the effect of sounds, sights, smells, and sensations
▶ Controlling the way you feel on the inside
▶ Overcoming your stage nerves
▶ Changing the way you think about the past and future
I
just don’t know what came over me!’ Are these familiar words? Ever had
that feeling that your reactions to a situation have been way in excess of
what was called for? Your feelings may have overtaken or even overwhelmed
you. Perhaps you even say that you weren’t quite yourself.Everybody has emotional responses all the time: some are great – falling in
love, joy, and pleasure – others less so – falling out of love, sadness, and pain.
These experiences and feelings are what make life and work interesting and
fun, as well as confusing and unpredictable. Often, in our work, we talk to
managers who sigh and say if only their colleagues would leave their emo-
tions at home. And at home, many people would prefer that their partners
leave their workplace stresses at work.Maybe you’ve witnessed situations when someone has ‘blown a fuse’ unex-
pectedly. Often this event happens at what, on the face of it, seems the slight-
est provocation. Most people can identify with the discomfort or agitation
of being in a bit of a state. In fact, NLP uses the term state to mean to look at,
and become more aware of, how you feel at any moment in time.Taken to extremes, these feelings of being overwhelmed and being out-of-
control can scare people. They can affect your career and your social life.
People question whether such a person can be trusted in responsible situa-
tions or when they have to represent the company.Fortunately, with the stabilising influence of the NLP toolkit, help is at hand
to control yourself, your state at any one time, and how you affect other
people. And when you discover how to do so, the effect is fantastic.