Apply one of the most fundamental NLP skills: state induction. This tool helps us induce a needed state (such as confidence), prepare for an event, or take steps in many NLP patterns. For example, once you have induced a helpful state, you will find it is easier to do mental rehearsal in preparing for a challenge.
Here are a few useful states you might want to experience and experiment with while working with this pattern, (besides the obvious passion and motivation): acceptance, alignment, appreciation, balance, artfulness ,forgiveness, groundedness, purity, purposefulness, being chosen, having confessed, being the humorist or fool, enlightenment, curiosity, inhibition, compassion, and my favorite, being joyful in solitude.
As you work with states and learn to manage them effectively, make yourself a list of your most favorite ones. Making such a list will actually encourage your mind to explore those states even further, when you ‘re on “auto-pilot.”
Step #1. Define a desired state
Think of a state that you would like to experience. Pick one that is positive, and feels like a nice alternative to any negative feelings you’ve had lately. Think of how you would know you were in that state. Describe something about it in the four primary sense modes: visual, auditory, verbal-auditory, and kinesthetic.
Step #2. Kindle the State
Recall a variety of situations, in which you have felt some aspect of that state. If this state is not very typical for you, it is okay to think of situation where you felt only a hint of it, or where you could only sense it in one modality. But remember, when people think something is only in one modality, they are usually just not aware of how it is occurring in one or two others. As you do this, encourage the feelings of the state to collect and amplify.
Step #3.Amplify the state with more rep system kindling
Notice what sense modes are beginning to “kindle” into this state. As you peruse your memories, work on collecting and amplifying the state in the weaker submodality. Include the verbal (auditory-digital, as it is called) mode, by saying to your self some phrases that are in line with the state.
For confidence, it might be, “Piece of cake, this is easy,” or, “The folks at the party really want me to have a good time.” Repeating one or more phrases for a while can help strengthen the state.
Step #4. Expand the State kinesthetically (Kv)
Once you have begun to sense the state in all sub-modalities, encourage the feelings to spread throughout your body, as though energy is flowing through you and carrying the state through you on all of its currents.
Additional Tips
You can rate your state in terms of its completeness or intensity on a scale of zero to ten. This can help you compare methods, and get a sense of what level a state must reach to be of value. States don’t have to reach a nine or ten in order to be valuable. You can add constructed sub-modalities, as when you picture yourself walking or talking and gesturing in the desired state. This can be very powerful. Adjusting sub-modalities can amplify a state. For example, turning up the volume of the verbal aspect, or increasing the brightness of the visual.
With practice, you will become intuitive and natural at this. Discovering which submodality is most powerful in “driving” the state can help you use your resources more efficiently.