Hypnotist, Correct Thy Attitude!

So, I spent a few hours late last night and today assembling a cheat sheet in the Notes App on my phone. This was in preparation for a party we were going to to honor a friends birthday. The event was taking place at a bar lounge in the West Village, and I knew of a few friends who were going to be there. So I prepared what I thought would be the ideal “party mix” of quick inductions and followup phenomena. I hate having to do this but it really comes in handy when my brain locks up and I blank out about what to do next in the sequence. It’s an obvious sign that all this stuff isn’t yet fully internalized for me to just be able to wing it. Hence, the cheat sheet.

The party set-up was way less than ideal. In a crowded lounge, we had a tiny corner by the entrance of the room. One sofa and two chairs for our group of over a dozen meant that we were standing around, jockeying for a place to sit like we were playing Musical Chairs. The “interesting subjects” were ensconced and out of reach, leaving me to talk to some IT-type guys. My girlfriend and I migrated to the bar and perched on the last two remaining bar stools. Then it got really crowded. Like rush-hour subway car crowded! Everyone was either shouting or texting into their phones because the DJ had the volume cranked up really loud. I read somewhere that if a bar plays music loud enough to make normal conversation impossible, they actually will sell more drinks. Well, that looks like the operating principle of NYC bars who draw a 30-and-under clientele.

The lesson that I came away with tonight was that attitude and confidence are so important to the mindset of a hypnotist. If these elements are not in a positive place, if I’m not jazzed up about doing it, it makes the opportunity to hypnotize someone, anyone,  almost seem like an insurmountable task.

Needless to say, I didn’t allow myself a real opportunity to consult my cheat sheet and go to town on unsuspecting patrons. I think I’ve got to work on adjusting my attitude going in and just start doing it.