Oatmeal Weather Resource

It’s that time of year again, where we feel the wind changing. Cool breathes of morning remind the thermostat to blow heat. Are you noticing yourself snuggling up stubbornly in pillow and blankets, tipping the button on your alarm for 15 more minutes? Must be oatmeal weather.
Leaves turned orange and gold, and Mom made a bubbling pot of oatmeal this time of year. She dibbied up portions of the warm nutritious hot cereal and laid out the fun stuff on the table. Sweet special items to sprinkle in our oatmeal included red hots, brown sugar, raisins, sliced apple, and a shaker of cinnamon. Just the thought of it makes me feel warm inside.
Oatmeal was a popular ingredient in cookies, too. Mom baked up a batch, so when we returned home, we could look forward to a treat after a long, tough day at school. Fond memories.
Oatmeal rituals continued with my children, and they, too, enjoyed years of hot cereal with goodies to sprinkle on top. The cookies are easy enough to make, and even nicer to send. My son went to school in Idaho, and when “oatmeal weather” came around, I baked up a batch of cookies and sent the package to him. He said when it arrived that he shared it with the students, and they all enjoyed them.
These memories are special and important, because they remind us of the warmth and love. You can re-member the oatmeal. You can maybe even smell a hot spicy bowl or taste a crunchy oatmeal cookie right now in your own memory. In NLP, this is called a resource. An event that created an experience that was filled with sensory data, and rooted itself into your senses.
A “resource” is an ability or strength that people can connect to within them. Resources reside in you because of past experiences. When you have these resource references, you can use the same moment to give you a lift when you need it again.
For example, I can remember a moment of strength. I was walking up a hill. I felt my head getting light, and my legs felt tired, and I didn’t feel strong enough to go on. I needed strength. So, I remembered a specific time when I was in another country and had walked with the native people up a hill with flip-flops on my feet. It was a long walk, as we trudged on our way to a picnic, and I hadn’t known I’d be going up hills. I kept on and after hours and hours of walking; I arrived and felt powered up! Wow! I did it. Just that memory, that resource, helped me to finish my 45-minute walk up hill and feel re-invigorated.
Oatmeal Weather Resource

It’s that time of year to gather. Thermostats are starting up, leaves are turning color, and the chilly change of season is in the wind.
So, why not gather up some wonderful memories for resources and anchor them in for a cozy season.
See us here if you want to learn more about “resources and anchors in NLP.”
Schedule a cozy session by calling us at 503-525-0595.
 
BONUS:
Since you read this far, here is a recipe for people who want the Oatmeal Cookies and can eat wheat. It was given to me by my friend Michele Borissov in 2008.
 
Sivananda Oatmeal Cookies

These are very popular in all our locations. The students like to have a nutritious cookie after taking a Yoga class. They are good for you, they are filling, and they taste SOOOOO good.
Makes about 20 cookies.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup ground almonds or chopped walnuts
3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups honey
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tbsp. baking powder
 
Instructions:
 Mix wet ingredients. Mix and sift all dry ingredients (except nuts) into the wet ones. Now add the ground nuts. Shape cookies 2 to 3 inches onto greased cookie sheet. Use a lid from a jar to shape the cookies so they come out even and nice. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.