nlp training

Why Rik Schnabel is Considered Australia’s Best NLP Trainer

Why Rik Schnabel is Considered Australia’s Best NLP Trainer

Rebecca

When it comes to personal development, coaching, and communication mastery, there is one name that consistently rises to the top in Australia: Rik Schnabel. With nearly two decades of dedicated experience in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Rik has earned the well-deserved reputation as Australia’s best NLP trainer. His students describe his trainings as life-changing, holistic, and profoundly empowering. For anyone serious about mastering NLP, communication, or coaching, training with Rik Schnabel is an opportunity that should not be missed—especially as he moves closer toward retirement.

In this article, we’ll explore why Rik has become such a highly respected leader in NLP, what sets his training apart, and why you should consider training with him now, before he steps back from teaching.

A Proven Track Record of Excellence

Rik Schnabel’s credentials speak volumes. He is a Master NLP Practitioner with the Association of Neuro Linguistic Programming (ANLP) and an accredited NLP Teacher of Trainer Training with the Neuro Linguistic Programming Association of Australasia Ltd (NLPAA). He also held an executive position on the Australian Board of NLP (ABNLP), cementing his role as a trusted authority and respected figure in the NLP community.

But credentials are only the beginning. Over the past two decades, Rik has trained thousands of students across Australia and beyond. His workshops and courses consistently receive glowing testimonials from participants who say they not only gained professional coaching tools but also experienced profound personal breakthroughs. Many graduates say that Rik’s training didn’t just teach them NLP—it changed their entire outlook on life.

The Most Complete and Holistic NLP Training in Australia

One of the key reasons Rik Schnabel is widely regarded as Australia’s best NLP trainer is the sheer depth and completeness of his training. Unlike programs that only skim the surface of NLP techniques, Rik’s approach is both holistic and integrative.

He teaches NLP not just as a collection of tools, but as a transformational philosophy for life. His students learn how to:

  • Reprogram limiting beliefs
  • Build unshakable confidence
  • Master communication and influence
  • Develop advanced coaching skills
  • Understand how the unconscious mind shapes behavior
  • Create lasting change in themselves and others

Rik goes beyond the classroom theory by guiding students through practical experiences and real-life applications. By the end of his courses, students don’t just know NLP—they embody it.

This holistic method is one reason his training is considered the most complete NLP training available in Australia.

Almost Two Decades of Experience

Experience matters when choosing a trainer. While some NLP trainers in Australia may only have a few years of teaching under their belt, Rik Schnabel has been delivering NLP training for nearly 20 years.

This depth of experience means:

  • He has seen it all—every question, every type of student, and every challenge that arises during training.
  • His methods are refined, practical, and results-driven.
  • He understands how to make NLP accessible, even for beginners who feel overwhelmed.
  • He knows how to take advanced students to a deeper, more powerful level of mastery.

As one of the longest-practicing trainers in Australia, Rik’s longevity is proof of his effectiveness and passion for helping people transform their lives.

A Reputation for Integrity and Care

In an industry where hype can sometimes overshadow substance, Rik Schnabel has built a reputation based on authenticity, integrity, and genuine care for his students.

Those who train with him often comment on his warmth, compassion, and ability to create a safe and supportive learning environment. He doesn’t just teach techniques—he helps people reconnect with themselves, rediscover their inner power, and unlock their true potential.

Many past students have said:

“Rik doesn’t just teach NLP—he lives it. You can feel it in the way he communicates, the way he teaches, and the way he cares about your results.”

It is this rare combination of technical mastery and human compassion that sets Rik apart and solidifies his title as Australia’s best NLP trainer.

A Teacher’s Teacher

Rik Schnabel is not just a practitioner of NLP, he is also an accredited Teacher of NLP Trainer Training. This means he is qualified to train and certify other NLP trainers.

Think about that for a moment: he’s not only capable of teaching NLP at the practitioner and master practitioner level, but he’s also trusted to train the teachers themselves. This is a clear indicator of his advanced skill set and the trust he has earned within the NLP community.

If you’re serious about receiving the highest quality NLP training in Australia, why not learn from the trainer who trains the trainers?

Why Train Now—Before He Retires?

All great careers eventually come to a close, and Rik Schnabel has openly acknowledged that he is moving toward retirement in the coming years. This makes training with him now an unmissable opportunity.

If you’ve been considering studying NLP, there are three key reasons to act now:

  1. Limited Time – Once Rik retires, his direct training will no longer be available. You don’t want to look back wishing you had learned from him while you had the chance.
  2. First-Hand Learning – Rik has completed over 38,000 hours of one-on-one NLP coaching. While others may continue teaching his methods, there is something truly special about learning directly from the source. Training with Rik means receiving his personal guidance, stories, and wisdom that only come from decades of hands-on experience.
  3. Lasting Transformation – NLP is not just professional training; it is a set of tools for life. Whether you want to become a coach, improve your career, or transform your personal relationships, training with Rik will give you skills that serve you for a lifetime.

The Legacy of Australia’s Best NLP Trainer

Rik Schnabel’s impact on the NLP community in Australia cannot be overstated. He has inspired thousands of people to live with more confidence, clarity, and purpose. He has trained coaches who now help others create breakthroughs. He has changed lives by giving people tools to overcome anxiety, fears, and limitations.

His legacy is one of empowerment, transformation, and contribution. And as more people seek personal and professional growth, his reputation as Australia’s best NLP trainer continues to grow stronger.

Why You Should Choose Rik Schnabel

If you are serious about mastering NLP, here are the reasons why Rik should be your first choice:

  • Unmatched Experience: Nearly 20 years of training NLP at all levels.
  • Recognized Authority: Accredited by the leading NLP associations (ANLP, NLPAA, ABNLP).
  • Holistic Approach: Training that goes beyond techniques to create lasting transformation.
  • Trainer of Trainers: Learn from the man trusted to train other NLP trainers.
  • Authentic and Caring: A reputation for compassion, integrity, and genuine results.
  • Time-Sensitive Opportunity: One of your last chances to train with him before retirement.

When you add all of this together, it becomes clear why Rik Schnabel is widely known as Australia’s best NLP trainer.

Final Thoughts

Choosing an NLP trainer is one of the most important decisions you can make on your personal development journey. You want a trainer who not only has the credentials and experience but also the heart, integrity, and teaching ability to truly help you transform.

Rik Schnabel embodies all of these qualities. His students consistently leave his trainings not just more skilled, but more empowered, more confident, and more inspired.

If you’re ready to step into the next level of your life, career, or coaching practice, then don’t miss your chance to train with Rik Schnabel—Australia’s best NLP trainer. You can check out our next training here.

How NLP Training in Sydney Rewired My Mind and Transformed My Income

How NLP Training in Sydney Rewired My Mind and Transformed My Income

Rik
Rik Schnabel was certified by Chris Howard as an NLP Master Practitioner in Sydney, Australia

For well over 20 years, I’ve immersed myself in the study of how the mind works. I’ve examined neural patterns, communication pathways, and cognitive frameworks. But it wasn’t until I undertook NLP Training in Sydney that I experienced the most profound transformation, not just academically, but personally, emotionally, and financially. As an avid researcher, I had always approached human behaviour from a data-driven, analytical viewpoint. However, NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming offered something deeper than academic models. It provided a practical framework for change. It was the missing piece. And truthfully, I wish I had found it much, much earlier.

Waking Up to the Silent Saboteurs: Limiting Beliefs

When I began my NLP Training in Sydney, I assumed I’d acquire a few additional coaching techniques or behavioural models. What I didn’t expect was to confront the invisible prison of limiting beliefs that had quietly shaped and constrained my life.

I began to identify unconscious narratives like “I’m not good with money,” “Success is for other people,” or “You have to work hard for every dollar.” These thoughts weren’t just beliefs, they were neurological programs I had been running all my life. Programs that influenced every decision I made, especially financially.

NLP helped me identify, interrupt, and reprogram these beliefs. It was like finally seeing the virus in the code. Once I updated the operating system, my life changed dramatically. And yes, that’s me (on the left) in the photo, and if you’re wondering why I look like I’m nearly about to cry, it’s because if you’ve come from where I did, you’d understand how significant that moment was for me.

NLP Training Sydney and the Neuroscience of Emotional Freedom

One of the foundational elements of NLP is emotional state management. Through elegant techniques like anchoring, submodalities, and timeline work, I learned to neutralise negative emotions that had silently dictated my reactions; fear, guilt, doubt, even anger.

It’s important to note that these weren’t conscious choices. They were automatic responses built from past experiences. But as I discovered in my NLP Training in Sydney, emotional patterns can be rewired. With consistent application, I no longer defaulted to survival-mode thinking. I began operating from a resourceful, confident state, and that state had a direct impact on my income, relationships, and self-worth.

The Four Languages of the Mind

Another eye-opener during my NLP Training Sydney experience was the discovery that there isn’t just one form of English, but at least four primary versions we unconsciously use every day:

  • Visual: language of images and imagination (“I see what you mean”)
  • Auditory: language of sound and rhythm (“That rings a bell”)
  • Kinesthetic: language of feeling and movement (“That doesn’t sit right with me”)
  • Auditory Digital: language of logic and self-talk (“That doesn’t make sense”)

Understanding and recognising these patterns revolutionised my communication, both professionally and personally. I began to match and mirror others’ language styles, making my conversations more impactful and building a stronger level of rapport almost instantly. To say that communication made all the difference to my financial world, and ultimately my success, was only part of the picture.

Now, let me address what I believe is one of the most overlooked, yet life-changing benefits of my NLP Training in Sydney: the effect on income.

Before NLP, I was unconsciously stuck in what I call a “poverty programming loop.” I earned a decent salary, but I was never able to break through to the next level. I’d rationalise it as being noble or humble, but beneath the surface, there was shame, fear of success, and a deep-rooted belief that “money is hard to get.”

During my NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner training, we did deep belief-change work around money identity and deservingness. I literally rewired my association with wealth, replacing outdated beliefs with empowering ones like:

  • “I create value, therefore I attract abundance.”
  • “Money is a reflection of the impact I make.”
  • “There is no ceiling—only what I believe is possible.”

Within 12 months of completing NLP Training in Sydney, my income had more than tripled. Not because I worked harder, but because I thought differently. I raised my value, raised my rates, and most importantly, I raised my self-worth.

Communication, Influence and Opportunity

When you combine empowered beliefs with clear, flexible communication, you become unstoppable. Doors began to open in places I didn’t even know existed. I was invited to speak at events, contribute to international research panels, and coach high-level clients. All because of the way I now communicated and carried myself.

I learned that NLP isn’t just about fixing problems, it’s about engineering excellence. Whether you’re a coach, entrepreneur, teacher, parent, or leader, the ability to influence with integrity and operate from a peak state is priceless.

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Consider NLP Training

There are few things in life that I can say permanently elevated every area of my existence but NLP Training in Sydney is one of them.

It woke me up to the unconscious drivers of my behaviour.
It gave me tools to heal, grow, and lead.
And most surprisingly, it gave me permission to thrive financially.

If you’re ready to upgrade your mindset, communication, and income potential, there’s no better investment than learning NLP. Not just theoretically but practically, experientially, and authentically. And if you have access to quality NLP Training from anywhere in the world, I highly recommend you take the leap. You can even dip your toe in the water with our Free NLP course, which will give you a taste of what’s in store for you here.

Because sometimes, the difference between where you are and where you want to be is simply one belief, one conversation, or one decision away.

Why Everyone Can Benefit from NLP Training: Unlocking the Science of Better Communication and Personal Growth

Why Everyone Can Benefit from NLP Training: Unlocking the Science of Better Communication and Personal Growth

Rik

In today’s fast-paced world, personal development and effective communication are more important than ever. Whether you’re a professional looking to lead better, a student aiming to study smarter, or someone interested in self-awareness, NLP training (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) offers powerful tools to rewire thought patterns, build rapport, and boost emotional intelligence.

But what exactly is NLP, and why is it so impactful? In this article, we explore why NLP training is not just for coaches or therapists—but beneficial for everyone—and we’ll back it up with research from neuroscience, psychology, and communication studies.

What Is NLP Training?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a psychological approach developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. It studies the connection between neurological processes (“neuro”), language (“linguistic”), and behavioral patterns learned through experience (“programming”).

NLP training teaches individuals to understand how they—and others—perceive the world, process information, and use language to influence thoughts and behavior. It combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with linguistic analysis and modeling of successful behaviors.

1. NLP Improves Communication and Empathy

One of the most immediate benefits of NLP training is its enhancement of interpersonal communication. NLP emphasizes “calibrating” to others’ body language, speech patterns, and emotions, improving empathy and rapport.

A study published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology found that using mirroring and pacing techniques (common in NLP) increases feelings of trust and connection between people (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999). In a business or leadership context, this can dramatically improve team cohesion and negotiation outcomes.

2. Boosts Emotional Intelligence and Self-Awareness

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a key predictor of personal and professional success. NLP helps develop EQ by training individuals to become more aware of their inner dialogue and emotional triggers.

Research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Salovey & Mayer, 1990) established that people with high emotional intelligence tend to make better decisions and maintain healthier relationships. NLP training cultivates this by teaching “reframing” techniques—allowing individuals to shift their perspective on events, reducing negative emotional responses and promoting resilience.

3. NLP Enhances Learning and Memory

NLP techniques like the “VAK model” (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic) help learners discover their preferred learning styles, increasing retention and engagement. Students and professionals can accelerate their learning by tailoring study habits to their brain’s strengths.

A meta-analysis from the Educational Psychology Review (Pashler et al., 2008) suggests that matching instructional methods to a learner’s preferred sensory modality significantly improves outcomes. With NLP training, individuals learn to identify and utilize these preferences effectively.

4. Powerful for Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Anxiety

Many people are held back by unconscious limiting beliefs—“I’m not good enough,” “I can’t speak in public,” or “I’ll never succeed.” NLP offers structured exercises like the “Swish Pattern” or “Timeline Therapy” to reprogram these mental loops.

A controlled study published in Psychological Reports (Stipancic et al., 2010) showed that participants who received NLP-based interventions experienced significantly reduced anxiety and increased self-confidence compared to a control group.

This makes NLP training especially powerful for anyone struggling with anxiety, imposter syndrome, or self-doubt.

5. Applicable Across Professions

From teachers and salespeople to healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs, the principles taught in NLP are versatile and impactful across all industries. Here’s how different professions can benefit:

  • Educators learn to match student communication styles, improving engagement.
  • Sales professionals build rapport faster and close deals more efficiently.
  • Therapists and coaches integrate NLP into their toolkit to promote change faster.
  • Leaders and managers use NLP to understand and motivate diverse teams.

This wide applicability is part of why NLP training is being integrated into corporate leadership programs, mental health interventions, and even sports coaching.

6. Scientifically-Informed but Accessible

While NLP has sometimes been criticized for lack of standardization in its early days, modern applications are increasingly evidence-based and aligned with cognitive-behavioral principles.

A review in the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist journal (Witkowski, 2010) pointed out that while early NLP claims were ambitious, many techniques overlap with proven CBT methods, making them highly practical and usable.

Furthermore, the recent convergence between neuroscience and NLP is validating many NLP insights about brain-language-behavior interaction.

How to Start NLP Training

Whether you’re looking for an online NLP course, an NLP certification, or in-person workshops, there are now dozens of reputable programs offering NLP training at various levels.

When choosing an NLP training provider, look for:

  • Certification from organizations like the NLPAA or ANLP (Rik Schnabel is a registered NLP Master Trainer with the NLPAA and IN
  • Trainers with backgrounds in psychology or coaching
  • Curriculum that includes practical exercises and peer coaching
  • Clear outlines of techniques like anchoring, submodalities, and reframing

Final Thoughts: NLP Training Is for Everyone

The benefits of NLP training extend far beyond the therapy room. It is a life skill—enhancing how we communicate, learn, think, and grow. From boosting personal confidence to improving workplace leadership, NLP provides a scientifically informed framework for intentional living.

Whether you’re a skeptic or a seeker, the real-world applications of NLP training make it a valuable investment in personal and professional growth.

To find out when Life Beyond Limits are running their next NLP Practitioner Training click here and Master Practitioner Training click here.

References

  • Chartrand, T. L., & Bargh, J. A. (1999). The Chameleon Effect: The Perception-Behavior Link and Social Interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(6), 893–910. Read the full study here.
  • Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional Intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185–211. Read the full article here.
  • Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119. Read the full article here.
  • Stipancic, M., Renner, W., Schütz, P., & Dond, R. (2010). Effects of NLP Training on Anxiety and Self-Concept. Psychological Reports, 107(2), 567–572.
  • Witkowski, T. (2010). Thirty-Five Years of Research on Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 41(2), 58–66. Read the research paper here.

Can NLP Help You to Heal Your Life for Good

Can NLP Help You to Heal Your Life for Good

Rik

NLP, short for Neuro Linguistic Programming, holds the power to deliver happiness. Happiness for most is their Everest. Conquer it and everything falls into place. Though many ask, can NLP help you to heal your life for good?

Though if you’re not feeling right or you think that you’ve lost your mojo then sound the trumpets, because I’ve got some great news for you! If you can’t seem to generate the success you desire, you’ve got money challenges or you can’t start or keep your relationships? Read on because I’ve found the answer to all of your problems (well most of them I hope).

NLP means you can completely change your thinking and so improve your life.

Can NLP help you to heal? Well, let’s start with money problems.

About 15 years ago I had a serious poverty mentality. My parents were poor immigrants and money seemed to be a real problem in our family. I can certainly recall many flighty emotions around that topic. However, my problems didn’t stop there.

I used to be a target to bullies. So I also developed anger issues, sadness issues, anxiety, and numerous phobias which led to depression. I was a wreck. I seriously thought I was a mental mess. I have since discovered that we all need a friend. When you don’t serve the inner friend, you go looking for one outside of you to fill that hole. I found alcohol and drugs. While my situation was pretty crappy already, the drugs and alcohol made them much, much worse.

I needed a solution. I so wanted to start feeling ‘normal’, though in truth back then I couldn’t tell you what normal was. I couldn’t even tell you who I was!

“I felt like a keg of dynamite and my fuse was getting shorter!”

I tried the traditional medical system without success. It just seemed that for every problem there was a pill. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti pharmaceuticals as I believe everything has its place and use, it’s just that I already had a whole lot going on in my mind and body and I didn’t want to create any further chemical disruptions. My anger issues were getting worse and I felt like a keg of dynamite and the fuse was getting shorter.

A good friend suggested some alternate therapies and I tried many of them, far too many of them to list here. Nothing seemed to get me feeling ‘normal’.

Again, I’m not poo-pooing alternate therapies either, as I believe they certainly have their place in our society too, they just didn’t seem to get me on my feet. I then came across an article in Psychology Today Magazine that said, “NLP is the most powerful vehicle for personal change in existence.” It got my attention! I read on and discovered that NLP was an acronym for “Neuro Linguistic Programming”. I had heard of it, but frankly, I didn’t know much about it. It’s amazing how when you’re really committed to finding an answer, the right one soon arrives. I wanted to know, “Can NLP help you to heal for good?”

The answer came from a trusted friend who offered me a ticket to an NLP introductory weekend and within just hours of hearing all about NLP and experiencing it live, I was gob-smacked by what you could do with NLP. I immediately signed up for all the trainings; “NLP Practitioner, Masters and Trainers training” – you’ve got to remember, I was desperate and this seemed like a positive way forward and thankfully it turned out perfect!

The decision was so right that not only did I move forward, I never looked back. In Practitioner training I learned how to actually speak to my mind so that I could alter the programming that was causing my issues and giving me so much grief. I didn’t realise that your brain only responds to 6 methods of communication and your language must be structured in a specific way to get great results.

I also learned to change my core beliefs that are responsible for so many unwanted behaviours. I saw the proof in changed outcomes. A very exciting moment for me was learning how to change how I viewed the past; it was like a massive weight was removed from my shoulders. Then another life changing shift occurred when I learned how to shift my values in my Master’s training. This helped me to more than double my income. Mind you, the rapport and communication training in NLP Practitioner and changing (in essence) my operating system had a huge influence too.

My relationships are much better these days, with others and myself. Anxiety, depression, sadness and anger issues are gone. I’m not saying I don’t get a little low or angry from time to time, but these days I can manage my emotions and things don’t seem to affect me as they once did.

I became so impassioned by NLP that I kept learning it until I ran out of training and my only option was to start teaching it. My life is like chalk and cheese these days and I’m so happy that I can help others by helping them to make a positive influence in their lives. I can now produce the income I used to earn in a year, in just a weekend. I know that might be hard to believe for some of you – and that’s the very reason you don’t achieve it. My trainer used to make between $3 million and $6 million in a weekend – at the time I hardly could believe that, even though the evidence was right before my eyes!

I now live where I want to live (by the beach in southern NSW), I live with the love of my life and my two gorgeous girls. Though let me dull the picture for you a bit. I still have my challenges from time to time, but I now have NLP tools to help me. Each tool is designed to reimprint your past; change your beliefs; remove conflicts; build rapport; illicit your values; improve the quality of your communication; see more than most will ever see; and help you to create your ideal self.

If you’re interested in learning NLP, let me share one disclaimer. NLP is a set of powerful tools and insights and you may hear of some negative publicity around it. Just as there are good teachers, there are also bad ones. In the wrong hands, these powerful tools can be used to manipulate so my suggestion to you, is find someone to teach you NLP that you get a sense that they’ve got a big heart and they really care about people and the future of the planet and its well-being.

So if you’re having some challenges take heart, there is a solution, give NLP a go. Trust your instincts and reinvigorate your faith in yourself because there is always an answer and a solution. I love the question that Neale Donald Walsch asks when a problem arises, “What would love do now?” Yes, Tony Robbins is certainly right, “The quality of your life comes down to the quality of the questions you ask yourself every day.” I urge you to follow your heart, learn NLP and you’ll conquer your Everest and find happiness. It will be somewhere on your journey. Just keep looking, it’s closer than you think.

Rik Schnabel is an internationally recognised and nationally accredited NLP Trainer.

You can learn NLP in the comfort of your own home.

Why You Must Challenge Your Beliefs and How to Change Them

Why You Must Challenge Your Beliefs and How to Change Them

Rik

Your life can improve remarkably when you work out which beliefs limit you and you then change them. The greatest challenges are usually found in your beliefs, so it makes sense to challenge them every now and then. But who goes looking there?

What we see or experience determines our reality. Though is it truly reality? After all, a snake can see colours that you cannot. A dog can smell aromas that you obliviously walk past. A medium can hear voices that you never will, particularly while you believe that speaking to the dead is impossible. Does this mean that anything other than what you experience exists? The answer is yes… and no.

The snake and the dog have stimulated and built neurological pathways that you can too access, but don’t. Dogs for example have developed, over time, millions more neurological receptors that connect their sense of smell to their brain. Why? Because they rely on food to survive, while we relied on mum and dad. While speaking to the dead may too require a neurological pathway to exist – this leads more into the realm of beliefs.

I’ve been a coach since 2002 and trainer since 2004, and one thing that I’ve learned in those 20 years is that “We believe what we see and so, we see what we believe.” That doesn’t mean that anything we don’t believe doesn’t exist. When I’m coaching someone to achieve something they as yet have not, for example, I must first help them to see the path of possibility – or they will never take that first courageous step.

So it could be said, “Our consciousness is defined by what we believe is possible.” Therefore, to expand what is possible for us, we must open our minds to previously unbelievable possibilities in order to expand our consciousness. Let me give you a personal, real life example.

Prior to 2004, my financial world could be described as a roller-coaster. I would go from having more money than I needed, to no money. Healthy bank balance to nil bank balance. Now nothing new truly happens until we make a new decision. So in 2004 I made a decision to change my mindset – and I mean go deep and change it for good. So I journeyed to find out ‘why’ my financial world was so limited and decided to study NLP. After all, my NLP Trainer sounded a lot like the broke version of me, yet he had solved his financial problems, I had not.

NLP couldn’t have come at a better time.

It was 2004. I was $70,000 in debt and I had $27 in the bank. I was desperate. If there was every a time to challenge your beliefs, it was now. I began working out what I needed to sell to get myself out of this ridiculous situation. This crazy consciousness cycle. However, in studying NLP, I learned that our belief system is like an ON or OFF button. If we believe something is true, our button of possibility is ON. If we believe something is untrue, then our button of possibility is OFF and we will never take any action that is counter-intuitive to our beliefs.

So I began exploring what I truly believed about my situation. How did I feel about the relationship between money and me? What was I conscious of when it came to money? What did I believe? My answers saddened me and I could see why I never truly wanted to answer those questions.

My beliefs became my stories; I would never succeed at making a lot of money. I was that poor kid. I am the guy that was always at the end of the queue when anything was being doled out. Ouch! That hurt.

Then and there, I decided to change all of my negative money beliefs. I soon discovered that there were many beliefs and I changed them all using a technique I learned in my NLP Training in Melbourne. Here are just some of them…

Money doesn’t grow on trees

(The nut and fruit industries beg to differ)

You have to work hard to make a lot of money

(While Richard Branson, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates and friends may have worked hard at some stage, they certainly don’t today)

I came from a poor family, therefore I’m more likely to be poor

(Many of today’s billionaires, came from humble beginnings)

People like you and me weren’t meant to wealthy

(Beliefs like that will ensure you’re right)

I’m sure you’re getting the idea by now. So there I was, listing as many of my crappy money beliefs as I could and changing them one by one. In no time flat, I started to feel much better about money and myself. This might sound strange, but it seemed as though I was taller, smarter and certainly more hopeful. These were the keys to my prosperity to come.

“All is possible for he who believes – Jesus Christ”

Now sayings like the one above used to have me being a tad cynical, until my NLP Trainer told me that “Cynicism and skepticism are just fear, intellectualised to sound intelligent.” I began to realise that changing your beliefs to bring about more hope are not stupid. They are in fact, courageous. While most people thought my new beliefs around prosperity were preposterous! I knew, they were just being fearful. My new beliefs actually challenged or aptly threatened their logic. Though what I realised was that beliefs unchallenged is a life unchanged.

Beliefs unchallenged is a life unchanged

Our beliefs are simply designed to keep us safe. Though a safe life (in my view) is not really a life at all. Where there is no challenge there is no growth. Our very ‘firsts’ are naturally scary. Our first steps; our first kiss; our first day on the job; but each of those firsts expand our consciousness of what is possible. Challenges lead to change.

So how did I go changing all of those beliefs?

We’ll remember my money issues? We’ll I recall four things that happened after changing my beliefs that literally blew my mind! The first happened in a phone call I received while at work where I earned half a year’s salary in that one call. That happened twice in a row. Then I got another phone call where I earned an entire annual salary in that call! Then I started my Life Beyond Limits and in one talk, in less than an hour, I earned 3 months income! These were not the results of the man who before learning NLP couldn’t earn more than five-figures in a year!

Today, I can make in a day, as much money as I used to make in a year! Seriously! This was once impossible for me. My beliefs wouldn’t even let me risk the opportunity to earn more. If you’re finding this hard to believe, then the truth is I am not the person who you should question. Perhaps you should question yourself? Will I challenge myself to reach higher, to go further and challenge my beliefs? Will I risk being scared? The answer “Yes” offers you the possibility of a new prosperous life. The answer no? Well, you know the answer to that one.

Today, my greatest joy is to teach and coach people to go beyond their consciousness. It’s a great buzz to see your clients and students do today what they couldn’t yesterday. I guess it’s like the joy that parents get when their children do something they once couldn’t.

To go way beyond what is currently possible and into a world of hope, imagination and where dreams begin. Each time I do that for others, I’m a little scared, because it’s not just about me stretching the limits, I now have a client, a partner who is courageous and willing. Though anything worth experiencing, usually has an element of overcoming fear about it.

That’s why I believe in teachers, coaches and mentors. People that will take you beyond where you’ve been. To stand at the feet of giants is courage. To be at the doorway of infinite opportunity is at times overwhelming. But better that, then living an underwhelming life, a life of limits.

If you want more from your life? You must challenge your beliefs… 

Let’s face it, few people are ready to live a life beyond limits. Few have the courage and that is why it’s a small percentage of the population that live extraordinary lives. But they’re the ones I work with. If that’s you, let’s talk. It will cost you nothing but the time it takes to have a chat with me, to see what is truly possible for you, if you are willing to stand at the feet of giants, go ahead, let’s schedule a call here or check out our most transformational course ever!

NLP Training Melbourne – Why This Course Transforms Your World

NLP Training Melbourne – Why This Course Transforms Your World

Rik

In May this year (2019), I’m teaching my final NLP Practitioner Training in Melbourne. So the question is why would I stop teaching “The most transformational course available in Melbourne?” The answer is simple, yet most are finding it hard to understand.

I’ve been teaching this course now for 15 years and while my students are totally transforming their careers, businesses, relationships, wealth and health by doing this course – I am not. I’ve stagnated.

Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching NLP Practitioner Training and Life Coach Training, but it’s time that I equally stretched my wings.

When you’ve done over 22,000 hours of coaching and training – you can do it in your sleep – and I do, often. I actually dream about teaching NLP Practitioner Training in Melbourne – sometimes from up on the rafters and sometimes from the back of the room, sometimes in another country – but that’s dreams for  you.

But why quit teaching NLP Practitioner Training now?

I always want to remain an advocate for this training. After all, where else can you learn to massively improve your external and more importantly, your internal communication?

What other course can you totally transform your mindset and shift your beliefs and break your debilitating patterns?

And as a Coach, Manager, Trainer or Leader, where else can you master your language in such a way that it helps you and your teams and your clients to achieve their goals and reach the unreachable?

So I will always remain a staunch advocate for NLP Practitioner Training because I believe that it helps it’s students to live the sort of life, that without it, is near impossible.

Edward DeBono once said, “If there was only ONE course that I could do in my life, it would be learning NLP.” Once you’ve done it, you’ll know exactly why.

If you want to take part in my final NLP Practitioner Training Melbourne, call us on 03 8669 1121 or register here or here for the online training.

Change your focus, change your life

Change your focus, change your life

Rik

focusIf you change your focus, you change your life. Nothing is simpler. Though where do you start in the process of change? How can you improve your life in profound and positive ways? Your answers are hidden in your values and beliefs. Though the first step of change is to get off your RAS! (but I’ll explain that later…)

“Whatever you focus upon expands,” is something we say in NLP circles. Does that mean if you ‘focus’ on being happy you will have more happiness? We’ll yes. As long as your focus is on all the things that make you happy; instead of the aspects of your life that don’t. So how does that really work?

We can change our focus by getting off our RAS!

The catalyst to focus is your “Reticular Activating System” or your “RAS.”  It is the name given to part of the brain (the Reticular Formation and its connections) that arouses and motivates you. The RAS in essence, determines how you view yourself and the world around you.  It is situated at the core of the brain stem between the myelencephalon (medulla) and metencephalon (midbrain).

The RAS is that little bundle of cells you have in the back of your brain known as the “control centre.”  It serves as the filter for what enters your conscious and unconscious mind.  This makes sense why after watching a horror movie, the darkness takes on a more sinister aura.

According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, “We filter around 2 million bits of information per second down to 7 plus or minus 2 chunks of information.” In other words, the data available to your central nervous system goes through a process of deletion, distortion and generalisation. Today with the regular bombardment of sensory data, your RAS helps you to make sense of all the information swarming around you like bees. Our RAS defines how we treat the swarms of data and makes sense why some people always get stung, while others get the honey.

Your beliefs and values guide what your RAS focuses upon.

The system in charge of sorting the information is your RAS. The RAS is a self-filtering function that chooses what you accept and reject based upon your beliefs, values and prejudices. So wherever you focus, determines what you experience and don’t experience. In other words, “Whatever you focus upon expands.”

Focusing on two or three key areas of business or a singular goal does something special to your behaviour. It triggers your RAS to be on alert. Your brain is assaulted by thousands of messages each second. Everything you see, hear, smell, feel and touch is a message entering your brain. The RAS filters through all these messages and decides which ones will get page one treatment – that is, arouse the brain.

One of the things we’ve learned from working with students in our NLP Practitioner Training program, is that you tend to pay attention to the things which are important to you at the time. If your dominant thoughts are about creating a new business, you’ll start seeing other what other businesses do and you will get ideas. You’ll hear conversations about new business models. You’ll pick up ideas relating to new business ventures and even see things around you in a different way and relate it back to business.

Your RAS is programmed to determine what is important to you.

In other words, the RAS will reject or ignore anything unrelated to your focus and bring to your attention anything that is even remotely related to your focus. This makes sense why starting a new business will often mean that relationships and health for example, take a back seat for some time until the business is up and running.

From a practical point of view, this means that, if you want to solve a problem or achieve a goal, keep it top of mind. Think about it, talk about it, write about it and imagine it completed. This is one of the reasons why affirmations can work and why it is important to review your goals frequently. Affirmations simply direct your focus in the area of your desires. They help you to keep focused and paying attention.

If you focus on improving a specific key area of your business for example, your RAS will pass through sights, sounds, people and ideas that are related to your point of focus. It is said that simply creating a budget will save you between ten and thirty percent of your expenditure! How can simply budgeting achieve such a task? In other words, if you measure that area of your focus visibly, frequently and attentively, it will likely improve. You may find yourself saying, “I don’t need to spend so much on treats” and your spending pattern improves.

Set simple goals and include metrics.

Here’s my suggestion: Identify the two to five key measurements and key indicators that are important and essential for your business or your life. Set up an active system to measure and track these indicators. An exercise plan or health plan for example. Talk to your employees or friends about it at every opportunity. Put charts and graphs of these indicators on your wall. Make your interest in these metrics very active and visible.

If you set up measurements that indicate if your activities are working or not, chances are, you’ll get what you’re looking for; improvements in these areas. In fact, you can count on it.

Last year for example I programmed my RAS (using NLP) to attune my focus towards health. Since then I have lost 9 kilograms (19.84 pounds) and I am fitter and much healthier. I set simple goals; to actively exercise for a minimum of one-hour a day (one metric), take a minimum of 5,000 steps each day (two metrics), and I weigh myself (three metrics), look in the mirror (four metrics) and check in with my overall feelings of well-being (five metrics).

From a scientific point of view, the RAS is involved with the sleep/wake cycle and damage to the RAS can lead to permanent coma. It is thought to be the area affected by many psychotropic drugs. General anaesthetics work through their effect on the Reticular Formation. Fibres from the Reticular Formation are also vital in controlling respiratory and cardiac rhythms and other essential functions.

The Reticular Activating System has received attention from neuroscientists interested in various pathological conditions affecting behaviour, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. More recently, results of research on the area has prompted extrapolations from the data into various areas such as motivational programmes (for example, Getting Things Done) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The RAS is a structure in the brain stem that is responsible for arousal and sleep. The RAS is responsible for getting you up in the morning and putting you asleep at night – it makes sense then why your RAS awakens you, alerts you like an alarm to those things that are in the forefront of your consciousness. So in closing – set your RAS to what you would like to manifest into your life. Make a decision to focus in an area of your life that you wish to vastly improve. Set up your measurements that tell you that you are progressing and if your behaviour doesn’t change, consider learning or mastering NLP.