An Introduction to NLP

What is NLP?

NLP, or Neuro Linguistic Programming can be described in many ways,
- as the art and science of personal excellence
- as the study of subjective human naturee
- as a tool to use empower ourselves
- as a study of patterns of excellence
- as the foundation to study and model patterns of excellence
- as the science of communications excellence
- as a powerful tool to influence ourselves or others
- it's an attitude of excellence!

History

First developed in the USA in the seventies, NLP grew from the interest of psychotherapy and human behaviour of Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Richard was a student of psychology while John was a professor of linguistics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Together, they studied three of the most influential and successful therapists at that time to find out the structure behind their magic.

The three were Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt therapy; Virginia Satir, mother of family therapy; and Milton Erickson, the pre-eminent hypnotherapist of the modern era. These three therapists were completely different personalities employing completely different methods to produce their extraordinary successes in resolving impossible cases.

Yet, Richard and John found very similar patterns and models that all three used unconsciously, and distilled the information into NLP. From these initial models of therapy, NLP developed further and the process of effective thinking and communication skills was born, as was modeling patterns of excellence in any field.

Since the seventies, NLP has become the focal point of almost all self-help and motivation training (although many self-help gurus won't admit it!). That's the brief history of NLP!

NLP Today

Today, NLP is used by millions pf people world-wide as a tool to help themselves define and achieve excellence in the field of sports, personal growth, self-help, health, finance, education, accelerated learning techniques, management, sales, marketing, public relations, and therapy.

NLP Tools & Technologies

What then are the tools and technologies that make NLP so effective? The jargon and lexicon of NLP includes: anchoring; presuppositions; sensory acuity and calibration; reframing; representational systems; the two Language Models (Milton Model and Meta Model); fast phobia cures; internal conflict resolution; modeling success strategies; personal change techniques.

The NLP Process

The tools and technologies of NLP just described above are a handful no doubt. Simply stated, NLP uses these tools to aid in a simple process that can be described as:

- Define your Outcome
- Use your sensory Acuity to know if what you�re doing is working
- Be Flexible to change your strategy until you achieve your goal

Outcome

Before starting on a journey, you must know where you're going or else you'll go nowhere, or to the wrong place, wouldn't you agree? That's why the start point of any NLP process is to know what your goal is and why you must attain it.

Acuity

Some folks don't know if they've been hit by a sledgehammer or by a truck. NLP ensures that we use all our natural senses of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste to notice the smallest of details to tell us if what we're doing is helping or hindering the path to our goals. With the heightened sensory acuity skills of NLP, you'll know if you're on the right track or not.

Flexible

If what you're doing doesn't work, change your strategy until you find one that works. NLP ensures you're as mentally flexible as a yoga guru or a ballerina!

Conclusion

NLP is the most powerful and useful tool that sits in the hardware store waiting for you come along to buy it. Once you have it in your toolkit of life, it's always there ready for action whenever you need it. Take the first step and get the NLP tools to help you create and lead a life of excellence and passion! You deserve it. NOW!

Dream It, Live It

NLP Starter Kit

Find out more about NLP through the infinite resources available on the Internet and books on the subject. Most NLP websites contain nuggets of good information so I won't mention any specific websites here. What I will do is provide a list of great books by NLP exponents (although some don't call their work NLP, it has been undoubtedly NLP-based and has been immeasurably influenced by NLP).

Richard Bandler and John Grinder

Read any book on NLP by the originators. But narrow your choice of books to Frogs into Princes, The Structure of Magic I, The Structure of Magic II. (These books are transcripts of seminars conducted by Richard and John)

Richard Bandler

Read Magic In Action, Using Your Brain For A Change.

Richard Bandler and John LaValle

Read Persuasion Engineering

Robert Dilts

A heavyweight in the world of NLP today and one of the proponents of NLP since its "discovery" by Bandler and Grinder. Read Sleight of Mouth.

Brian Tracy

A prolific writer, get any of his books.

Anthony Robbins

Read Awaken the Giant Within, Unlimited Power.

Joseph O'Connor & John Seymour

Get any of their titles. Easy to read writing style. Good start point for your NLP journey.

Jerry Richardson

Read The Magic of Rapport (An excellent book. If you only read one book in your life, make this the one! Available only through online bookstores like Amazon)

Sam Horn

Read Tongue Fu (A great book on communications skills with practical tips. Make this the second book you must read in your life! Available in bookstores)