CHAPTER 1

Life Is Simple

Birdsong brings reliefTo my longing.I am just as ecstatic as they are,But with nothing to say!Please, universal soul, practiceSome song, or something, through me!

—Rumi

This book is my song, which I am singing to you through writtenwords.

I have written this book so that you can open any page atany time and be inspired to take an effortless little step to changeyourself in any way you want. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "You mustbe the change you wish to see in the world." In my life's journey, Ihave discovered that just a word, a sentence, or a heartfelt sharingcan magically resonate with another. Through such heart-to-heartconnections, others are convinced that they can easily transformtheir lives. I have lived many such moments. I have seen friends,family, and clients experience phenomenal shifts. I sincerely hopethat, through reading this book, you also will be inspired to bravelywalk the path to reach your potential.

I have always believed in simplicity. This was clear when Istarted my work life, but looking back, I can see that I alwaysvalued this virtue. Last year, my yoga teacher, Vandana, who isof Indian origin, taught me some basic yoga positions in suchsimple ways that suddenly I had a realization: everything that isnot simple is most likely bundled with ego! Ego tends to makethings complicated. Simplicity, on the other hand, is very effective.Therefore I have chosen to make this a simple book for people toread and find tips about how to change their lives if they arecalled to do that.

Through years of practicing hypnotherapy, I found out thatpeople always need to change. Whether the problem is big or small,something is always bugging them. Joy is somehow reduced in theirlives. The discomfort might feel very small, or it might involve abig physical problem. People often look for quick ways to change,to leave behind something or even everything. I would like to showyou how this is possible with simple, small steps. This is a very easy-to-readbook. Its aim is to share with you effective tips to transformyourself and live a more joyful, effortless life.

Why, then, are people stuck? If life is so simple and change is soeasy, what is the missing piece, the trick people haven't discovered?

The trick is to recognize the big picture, the one beyond thephysical life that we experience with our five senses through thevisible world. Seeing this starts with opening your mind to thepossibility. Life is all about the use and manipulation of energy.Energy works on you, but you cannot see, touch, smell, hear, ortaste it. However, you are inevitably a part of it! Once you recognizethis bigger picture, you will find it much easier to identify andchoose your path.

The energetic world is where everything happens, but we seeenergetic changes only when they create our reality. If you areunaware of the unseen plane of energy, you are more likely to feelstuck. Connecting the dots is difficult, since the information youhave through your five senses is incomplete. You may exhaust allyour brain's energy and still not find an explanation. For example,if you have an illness or an accident, you may struggle in vain tofigure out why it happened.

Been there, done that!

I spent years trying to learn why people are the way they areand why things happen the way they do. My efforts produced nosatisfactory explanation.

However, when I surrendered to discovering the unknown, Iwent through a huge paradigm shift. I realized that illnesses andaccidents happen as a result of unbalanced energy. Such unbalanced,unhealthy energy accumulates over time and finally makes itselfvisible. This is a signal from the universe that you need to transformyourself quickly. Without change, bigger and stronger signals andmessages will be on their way! It is time to seek your truth and findyour path. Everyone has a unique path to walk.

* * *

One of the main reasons people resist change is because theydon't want to be forced from their comfort zones. Usually theyare supporting others, and they feel sorrow or pity for close familymembers or friends. It is interesting that they feel those they helpcannot do without them. Our sessions, like the one I will share inchapter 6, show that just the opposite is true—that people must helpthemselves and that the will to change can come only from within.

Recently, someone said to me, "Esra, I have a friend whoneeds this therapy very much but doesn't believe such change ispossible. However, I still feel I should grab her and bring her toyou. Do you think this would work?" I replied, "This is not howit works. People have free will, and you cannot and should not tryto change anyone. All you have is yourself, and you must start thechange there, taking even tiny steps, altering your energy field insuch a way that the people around you will also start shifting andadapting—even without knowing it. Of course, it might come toa point where they separate their world from yours, and maybethat is best for everyone in the bigger picture."

I have found that detaching from the hardship and sufferingof others is most difficult in parent-child relationships. Duringour sessions, each time we ask the Superconscious how we shouldbetter deal with our children or how we can ensure that they dowhat we feel is best, the answer is, "Just love them unconditionallyand set them...