My Uncensored Opinions on Self-Hypnosis (and Nintendo)

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The way I sell self-hypnosis to people is that it’s a powerful mind-training tool. It creates the same benefits as meditation, only it’s easier to learn. Whether mindfulness is your thing or not, that’s okay – self-hypnosis will still work for you.

People have used it to beat smoking and insomnia, overcome heartbreak, delete bad habits and install better ones.

I’ve used it to become calmer, happier, more focused, more productive, braver, healthier, more present, more creative and probably a hundred other things I’m forgetting.

So I’m not lying when I say it’s one of the best self-improvement tools out there. I eat my own dog food with this one.

But that’s not why I do it. Yes, I’m a self-improvement junkie but, if I’m being honest, I’d do it even without those benefits.

I might even do it if it were bad for me.

For me, the main benefit of self-hypnosis is that it’s fun.

It’s the exact same model of fun that makes Nintendo such a wealthy and beloved company.

Think about the big hitters that sit in Nintendo’s corner. Mario, Zelda and Pokémon are fairly different franchises, but they have a common thread.

The plot in almost every Mario game is a wafer-thin, save-the-princess ball of clichés. But ow does Mario save the princess? By exploring unique, beautiful and surreal worlds and defeating mighty enemies.

He gathers treasure, too, but not for any materialistic reasons. One hundred coins earn him a new life and, apart from extending his journey, they have no intrinsic value.

The Zelda games have equally weak plots: the chosen one fights the evil guy. Each game is the same. But how does Link beat Ganon? By exploring unique, beautiful and… surreal worlds… ?

Hmm, that sounds familiar…

There’s a lot to explore and many treasures lying off the road. But every treasure, even the biggest wallets, serve no purpose but to allow you to advance in your quest.

None of the treasure in Link’s world turns into luxury items, exotic holidays or hedonic distractions.

With Pokémon, you explore the world with unique, beautiful and surreal creatures. If you want, you can explore every corner of the map, hunting for the most exotic monsters. But do you sell them? No, you collect them or grow stronger by fighting them.

Exploration makes these games so fun.

It’s the same thing that makes self-hypnosis so addictive. Your head is full of unique, beautiful and surreal things. It’s a landscape no different from Hyrule or the Mushroom Kingdom.

You carry a world of treasure with you, even if you can’t spend a cent of it.

And you become stronger by investing your treasures and facing down your challenges.

It’s a great way to spend an afternoon. What else could compare to mind training that’s as fun as the best video games?

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