Much of what I do as a hypnotist is helping people correct their self-talk, what I affectionately call "un-hypnotizing my clients." Each week, I hear people say the same things (and these are just a few examples):

I returned last night from Hypnothoughts, the largest hypnosis conference in the world. I was there to teach three classes: Yoda-Nosis, Psycho Patterns, and Comedy Writing for Stage Hypnotists. I was also there to take two courses from David Snyder; Identity by Design and Vibrational Healing. It was an action-packed two weeks.

I’m wrapping up a tumultuous few weeks that have been nothing but GO-GO-GO. I’m tired and unable to get caught up because I've been at Hypnothoughts this past week. Hypnothoughts is the world's largest hypnosis conference, and I'm teaching and taking classes there. I'm having a great time, but at the end of the day, my body tells me I'm doing too much. I need to start saying “NO.”

My first “exposure” to a nudist community was in January 2009 when I was hired to do a comedy show at a clothing-optional resort. I had no idea how that one show would change my life. That one show sent me down a road that would allow me to develop a comedy show that would eventually introduce me to some of the coolest people on the planet and send me to perform comedy worldwide. However, in the early days of my comedy career, I had to keep my shows at nudist resorts and swinger events on the down low.

When I was a comedian, I worked at a club called The Funny Stop in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. I don't remember how many years I performed there, but I'm sure it's more than 10. I did at least 6 shows every time I was there, so I became friends with the owners, their staff, and many local comedians. I performed at The Funny Stop thanks to my comedy friend, The Disgruntled Clown. He opened the door for me to perform there in 2007 or 2008. 2 years later, the owner, Pete, gave me a chance to headline there.

I saw Star Wars when it opened in 1977. I was 8 years old and loved it! Raised on Disney-esque movies like "Escape From Witch Mountain" and "Pete's Dragon," Star Wars was very different. There were so many characters in it that everyone could personally relate to at least one of them. Princess Leia was beautiful, tiny, and tough. Luke Skywalker dreamed of doing greater things than working on a solar farm. Obi-Wan Kenobi was wise in the ways of the force, reluctant to come out of retirement. C3PO was intelligent but lacked social skills. R2D2 was the background hero, always saving the day and without much credit. Darth Vader was menacing and desired to rule the galaxy. The Storm Troopers were dutiful followers, equally sinister, wearing those cool white and black costumes. Han Solo was a bit of a rogue, street-smart scoundrel…with his loyal companion Chewbacca, the futuristic equivalent of a 7 ft dog…that could shoot laser pistols. The list of characters grew with each movie…captivating generations.

During our cruise, Doug and I did an excursion in Puerto Costa Maya, a Mayan Healing Ritual. As a hypnotist, I love looking at other healing rituals and wonder what I could incorporate into my own practice, personally or privately. We were greeted by our Chaman (Mayan for Shaman, I guess) who would lead us through the 5 part process that included a holistic mix of treatments and rituals. The knowledge has been passed from one Chaman to the next, who must complete an extensive education and proven to be worthy of the honor. Our Chaman was in her mid-late 60’s, and carried with her a distant, but warm demeanor.

I just returned from my “honeymoon,” a Royal Caribbean cruise. I needed a trip badly because I hadn’t had a vacation in 4+ years. I’ve been on plenty of trips, but all of them were work-related. This honeymoon would be unique because I wanted nothing more than to RELAX. I selected 3 of our four excursions; a submarine trip that took us 118 ft below sea level, a day at the beach under a tiki hut, and a Mayan Healing Ritual (which will likely be another blog post). I didn’t like the Royal Caribbean excursion options for Belize, so Doug began researching other options. He found and selected a cave kayaking trip that seemed to fit in with my health limitations. A 30-minute drive in an air-conditioned van and then a moderate, 20-minute hike to the river. No problem! Doug thought of everything and purchased biodegradable sunscreen, water shoes, and a $40 waterproof camera for pictures.

A few months ago, I attended a hypnosis workshop on Attraction. One of the guest speakers was a pick-up artist who shared with the audience his technique. He got so good at picking up women that he was juggling 38 girlfriends at one point. This guy was different from the smooth-talking, gold chain-wearing type you'd expect. He was an average-looking guy, balding and a bit overweight. But it wasn't his system on how he wooed women that struck me; it was what he looked for in a woman. He looked for three things: a love of children, animals, and a healthy relationship with her father. The first two showed she was nurturing. The third demonstrated that she was used to being treated with respect and would likely treat him similarly.

For the past four years, I've been learning how to "leviwand" and "spin poi." Leviwand, if you've never seen one, is a baton with a string that you hold on to with a finger loop or a ball handle. Poi is two balls (or other objects) on a line or cord, also held with a finger loop or ball handle.

My last real vacation was in October of 2019. A real break, as in I didn’t have to perform, see clients, take classes, teach classes, or be accountable to anyone but myself. Every trip I’ve been on in the last four years has been work-related. I may have done lots of fun things on those trips to break up the monotony of work, but it was never a clean break from work. Even on my “excursions,” I answered phone calls, met with staff, took appointments, and did what I needed to keep my business going. It’s one of the “perks” of being self-employed.

A little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. It seems weird to think that 30 years of my body doing strange things were easily answered in a simple blood test from Quest Diagnostics. Hypothyroidism is becoming very common in women my age, however, a proper diagnosis of hypothyroidism can take 20-30 years. Hypothyroidism mimics many other auto-immune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, menopause, acid reflux, and ADHD. Even the best-trained doctors may miss all the signs of the disease only treating the obvious symptoms they see. My doctors missed it, even when I had a cyst on my thyroid eight years ago.