Lets start with what is NLP, or should I say what isn’t NLP.  NLP isn’t something you can touch, something you can see or something you can feel, although the result of using ‘NLP’ correctly can and will be felt by yourself and those around of you. 

The use of NLP often brings about what seem like miraculous changes within people, but NLP is not some strange ‘new age’ thing. NLP is a methodology. It is a collection of skills and tools that have been developed over years of study successful people!  NLP is constantly evolving and developing itself, as more and more skills and tools are being developed.

Now the definition of NLP is Neuro Linguistic Programming.

• Neuro – This is how the individual experiences reality. That’s right every person experiences the exact same event differently, their version of reality will depend upon how they receive and process the information through their five senses.
• Linguistic – This is how the individual uses language and non-verbal communication. Every person has their own systems through which neural representations are coded, ordered and are given meaning.
• Programming – Everything we do has a ‘programme’. It is how we organize our communication and neurological systems to achieve desired goals and results.

NLP is a methodology, its an attitude of curiosity, of wanting to understand how ‘its’ done, it is a set of techniques that then allow the practitioner to create amazing results

Taken from Dr Richard Bandler definition of NLP

When you understand that NLP is not anything as such, but that it takes a detailed look at how people create the behaviours they do, you will realise how beneficial it can be. Understanding that everyone has their own reality and being able to step back from yours just long enough to see how someone has created an opposing view allows you to become a much better communicator.

Once you can see it from their point of view you can adjust your reasons to address it in a way that they can understand. You can eliminate misunderstanding, because previous statements, that would have seen so clear to you, but were actually very ambiguous, can be clarified.

The applications for NLP are limitless. The only way we can explain to someone what we are doing is through language, having a clear understanding of the many different ways people create, use and interpret language can only be a good thing. Being able to see how people are creating the behaviour that are making them feel stuck or trapped and then being able to give them the option to change it can surely only be beneficial. Being able to lead by example must be a better option.

NLP is everything we do every day, it’s just for the most part, we are doing it unconsciously and often ineffectively.  NLP just gives you the answer you probably didn’t know you where looking for and enables you to take the fast track to success!