What you should do when you finally realize that you need, can and are willing to make improvements to yourself and your spiritual outlook.
First lets take a look at what possibilities are out there. There is surgery or medical intervention and medications.[1] Of course there are aerobics and weight training as well. There are schools that will help you improve your understanding about given subjects. There are schools that will help retrain your skills. There is mental training or classes that teach you how to improve your thinking. There is also religion to help you get your spiritual life and ideals in order.
Last and not least there is hypnosis which is thought to be especially useful for dealing with difficult emotional and mental problems. This last thought to be so powerful that a great many fear it. The greatest of these fears is that of misuse and abuse. It was thought that the wielder had such power as to undermine ones own self control and be made to do some foolish act or even make someone sufficiently complaisant to commit a crime or sexual act.
It is well known that propaganda is similar to political hypnosis and everyone knows that advertising uses subliminal suggestions as a common practice (and you wondered why you are buying a certain brand without even thinking about it). Also the military in its training of its solders used a type of brain washing similar to that used in interrogation.
You are assailed from all sides by brainwashing, subliminal messaging and autosuggestion by the advertising of those companies that produce the very food you eat, to your own government. You are controlled and manipulated and the winner gets your loyalty and your money. You are told what to ware and what to think. You are told how to think and what to look at and where to look at it. Even those who tell you what to do are under the same influence their own selves. No one is beyond the reach of all the hypno-projected-suggestions that permeate the sounds you hear, the images you see and even the thoughts you think.
Now What?
For instance when was the last time you had a good laugh, I do not mean a chuckle but a real deep down belly roar? Are you really happy? What do you think will make you happy? Money? Who told you to think that money will solve all of your problems? Who do you think, advertising? Buy this or buy that and you will be happier. But you have bought all of the this and all of the thats and you are still not a bit happier and maybe even just a little bit in debt?
Personally I would re-invent myself and use self-hypnosis to establish it with a more logical pattern of thought. Ah, but if were only that simple. If one wishes to construct something it would be wise to lay down a stable foundation first. Also it would be wise to use quality components.
Quality components abound and they have been used to construct some sort of a free thinking mind that is immune to mass hysteria even as a computer is immune to viruses. This mind should embody all of the true values and virtues like quality programming with a back-up system (which human minds are so sorely lacking). There are qualities like love and mercy and let us not forget that every one is different and we still have to live with each other and last but not least ourselves.
I have played this tune with many variations on the theme and there is only so much that can be done even with this tool but also do not have any misgivings the power of the mind will be only limited by the imagination of its wielder(s). Maybe you can see this but here’s something else for you to consider. By implementing a dedication to humanitarian values and altruistic ideals one then acquires the durable building materials without which your personal construction will be weak and lack integrity. This may mean breaking with some detrimental previous commitments for sanity’s sake and for your own good. Still responsibility is an admirable quality but being responsible for unjust actions and or activities be they legal or not is not a position that benefits anyone but a despot. Be aware of your surroundings and your position in them.
Now, just as physical exercise will improve your physical abilities so too will the exercise of responsibility and competence improve the quality of your spirit (which you can not live without by the way). This is the basics and will require the most effort, but that is the foundation and as foundations go it must be level and true in order to stand the tests of time.
A life is built not on good memories or a house or even a family but on stability. Stability of mind and spirit and stability of emotions. The subtle sameness and complacency gives life stability. This is also why people prefer to resist change.
You have it in your power to reconstruct and maintain your living mind and this is why I suggest re-orientating of your personal mentality by adjusting the basics so that they can be lived, not just believed in or on. You must be able to live your life by the values and ideals that you hold most dear. They mean nothing if they do not stand up under stress or challenges. Just as a foundation must be able to handle the load of the structure you are building, your ideals must be livable. There is a bonus once you have developed a working mental and emotional foundation (not just one that occurred by chance) you will have the added value of stability from storms of derision and strife from those who lack the values and ideals you have cultivated.
Next you should to re-evaluate yourself on what you will accept for yourself and what you will not. Do not concern yourself about what others do or do not do because they will answer to their self for their lack of ambition. I suggest that you consider realigning your personal motivations but to do that you first need to address your goals. At this point I suggest simple ones until you get better acquainted with what you can and can not do with your personal hypnosis suggestions.
Self hypnosis is simply a tool that one can use to retrain the mind. Especially a mind that lacks prior training or poor training. Learn to use it on yourself. Use it to free yourself and to retrain your mind and to think more clearly. Reduce as many of your emotional hang-ups as possible these can cripple you in many ways but be careful not to loose the proper priorities like good values and ideals least you turn yourself into a oppressor of others.
Before you start you should access what aspects of yourself if enhanced would markedly benefit you and your life. A sample list might include improved memory, posture and a more cheerful personality. While these all together sounds like a tall order you might find that some improvements in one area may also automatically correct deficiencies in others.
Now the How-To of self hypnosis: You can find this information on many internet sites. We can not recommend any one over any other at this time so use good judgment.
[1] I will point out that prescribed drugs can be of use only if you really need them. We do not suggest or encourage anyone to use recreational drugs however if you have used them you can rise above their delusional influence freeing yourself of your need of them.