Author: paultobey

Contrary to popular belief, life is not a series of random negative situations. It’s true that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. However, most people do not even realize that it’s possible to avoid most negative experiences just by changing their thought processes and their behavior.

There is no mysterious force in the universe that causes random suffering. I do realize that this statement will have no effect on those who do not have faith in the natural laws of the universe. But the truth is, many people do not understand or are even aware of these laws. And, that’s why life seems like one big long epic drama with many painful experiences occurring with frightening frequency.

Tinnitus, or loud ringing in the ears, is one of those diseases that can strike anyone, anywhere at anytime. Therefore it would seem to most people that it’s just bad luck to get tinnitus or the law of averages. Yet my contention is, for those who have tinnitus that on some level the tinnitus is invited and manifested intentionally.

Now, that’s probably going to be a hard pill to swallow but the simple fact is; regardless of how anyone gets tinnitus, it’s pretty much here to stay. Since there is no proven cure, it’s now up to the tinnitus sufferer to figure out what to do next.

How is it possible to even say that someone invited tinnitus into their life? Because, I believe that tinnitus is a non-life-threatening ailment that can actually set into motion true healing. If one begins to understand how life can be created by design (with intention) rather than by default (by chance) then it’s possible people can pretty much get whatever they want in life. Yet, most people never seem to come to this realization. Very often it takes a life threatening situation for people to take stock of their lives.

Tinnitus cannot kill you unless you let it. Therefore it’s a gift. It’s a gift that’s causing you to wake up and smell the roses instead of wallow in grief. I always ask tinnitus sufferers to think back to the way life was before they had tinnitus. Usually they say that life was much better but, after they ponder the question some more they realize that life was not all that rosy. In my case, before tinnitus, my life was a mess. I didn’t realize it at the time but it was. Since going through the depression and anxiety of tinnitus in its early stages my life has turned around dramatically. I’m happier than I’ve ever been and I believe that tinnitus helped me to achieve that.

So, how can tinnitus be a good thing? Simply put, tinnitus can cause you to rethink your path. It allows you to realize just what’s wrong with your thinking that’s causing you to attract negative situations, people and experiences into your life. It’s a wake up call, and a good one at that. Why? Because, like it said it won’t kill you. Only you can do that. Therefore it’s severe enough to cause behavioral change yet not severe enough to kill you. Perfect!

The truth is, unless you stop focusing on your tinnitus, and use it to fulfill your life’s purpose then you’ll suffer until the day you die. Think of it this way; if your tinnitus disappeared tomorrow, how would that impact your life? Would you then go after everything you’ve ever wanted? Would you start living your big dream? In most cases the answer is no. Therefore, tinnitus is not the cause of your failures, you are. To blame tinnitus would be a mistake. Blame, justification and denial are negative emotionally charged energies that attract like energy. What does negative energy attract? Of course it attracts negative situations, people and events.

My suggestion to you is that if you embrace your tinnitus and use it to propel you in a new direction in search of whatever pot of gold you desire then you’ve mastered life’s truest test. Until you step into it, you can never achieve what you were sent here to do. And, what is that? To live, learn, share, prosper and be happy. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Paul Tobey is a professional motivational speaker who has performed many seminars for ringing ears sufferers and is author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.

Just like the law of gravity the law of attraction is a natural law of the universe. Everyone is subject to its law whether they realize it or not. The basic premise of this law is; like attracts like, or what goes around comes around or what you put out you get back. Some people might call it karma.

The law of attraction has been proven to exist through the study of quantum physics. Quantum particles or sub-atomic particles are the smallest building blocks of the universe. Everything in existence is made up of large groups of these sub-atomic particles. They are pure energy. And, science has proven that these particles are actually powered by intelligence and can be altered by thought.

Even though you may not know or realize that the law of attraction exists or how it works you are still subject to its law. That’s the reason why many people keep attracting negative situations, people and circumstances into their lives. It’s because they don’t realize how to use the law of attraction to their advantage.

Therefore, your tinnitus suffering is as a result of the law of attraction. Because you focus on the negative aspects of the tinnitus you actually attract more tinnitus. The vibrational energy of your negative thought patterns actually attracts more of what you don’t want which is the loud ringing and other symptoms of tinnitus like depression and anxiety.

How can you use the law of attraction to your advantage? That’s the million dollar question and for most people would require a complete shift in energy and thought. It is possible, but it will take work on the part of the tinnitus sufferer.

What is required is to first understand that negative thoughts seek out their natural vibrational match such as; more tinnitus, more negative situations and more stress. To change this you must first realize that you are thinking negatively. Once you realize that you do this on a regular basis it becomes easier to monitor your thoughts and begin to change them.

We call this process, flip-switching. Whenever you have a negative thought or feeling you must immediately flip-switch in the moment and change your thought, literally replacing it with a thought that has a higher or more positive vibrational pattern. You must actually reach for the highest thought in the moment. This could be a thought about a happy occurrence in your past or something you’re working towards that you feel good about. For example; picture yourself on a yacht cruising the Greek islands or lying on a beach in St. Lucia.

Then once you reach for that highest thought that allows the negative vibrations of the previous thought to be washed away. When you feel happy you cannot possibly attract negative situations and circumstances. Therefore it stands to reason that the negative though patterns generated by tinnitus can be replaced with positive thought vibrations by seeking out the highest thought in the moment.

Now, I would be the first one to say this is not an easy process. But, with practice you can eventually change your life and your tinnitus.

The mind, for most people, has spent its entire life trying to avoid pain by focusing on what it doesn’t want. The problem is that it the mind focuses on what it doesn’t want it will attract more of the same. Yet, that’s the way most of us grew up, focusing on what we wanted to avoid. That is why many people get sick regularly while others hardly ever get sick. If you’re constantly afraid of getting sick it’s a good bet that’s what will happen.

The law of attraction is your ticket out of the negative symptoms of tinnitus. By understanding that you attract the symptoms of tinnitus by focusing on trying to make them go away, you can begin to change. It will take work, no doubt. But, if you persist in reaching for the highest thought in the moment, you will see amazing results with your tinnitus and your entire life.

 

Paul Tobey is a professional speaker who has recorded an amazing 2-part seminar entitled “Tinnitus Free Living.”

As a so-called expert on tinnitus and a professional concert pianist I often get asked, “How does tinnitus affect your ability to practice and perform music?” I’d like to answer this question in such a way that my response applies to everyone, not just musicians. Therefore, whenever I talk about music, you must substitute your own dominant creative talent. In other words, just replace music with the desire and creative activity which you aspire to the most.

So, let’s begin. Music is a huge part of my life, yet even though I make the major portion of my income from the music business it doesn’t seem like work at all. It seems more like “play.”

But, this was not always the case. I saw my life in music as a job and not a very enjoyable one at that. This was because the people who I was involved with in the music business were competitors instead of co-creators.

Then when tinnitus came along, it infected me to the point where I no longer enjoyed playing the piano at all. And, I can tell you that it was a very painful experience to not be doing the thing I loved the most. However, once I realized that my resistance to “what is”, in other words my resistance to tinnitus, was causing me to self-sabotage my piano music career, I stopped. Then, I started re-focusing on what I truly wanted, instead of what I didn’t want.

Once focused on music and how I could utilize my talents, experience and energy in a more positive way, my tinnitus no longer became a factor. It no longer kept me from what I wanted which, was a successful music career. Now, that I have it, it keeps growing and getting bigger and my tinnitus is continually taking a back seat to the things that really matter the most to me.

However, until I realized through learning, that I could change my reality by changing my thoughts, nothing would have happened because I didn’t know this was even possible. The key is ‘learning’. I went from being a know-it-all to a learn-it-all pretty much overnight. This drastically changed my perceptions of music and the music business altogether.

So then, I went out in search of people, places, circumstances and events that could support my new version of reality. Once I attracted those things naturally everything seemed to get easier. Opportunity seemed to be around every corner just waiting for me to acknowledge it.

My music career is already by most standards very successful. Have I achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to? No. But, that does not negate the fact that I live everyday as if I’ve already achieved greatness. I know it’s only a matter of physical time before I manifest most of my desires into reality where there’s proof, not only for me, but for everyone else as well.

I’ll let you browse around my website and see some of the things I’ve done. It’s quite an extensive site and you sometimes have to dig deep to get where you’re going but the information about my past experiences and successes are there. Most of these things wouldn’t have been possible without the jolt that tinnitus gave me. Tinnitus helped me realize that I was the only cause of everything around me be it negative or positive. All I had to do then was change my dominant consistent thoughts to include more of “what I want” and less of “what I don’t want.”

Learning the Law of Attraction helped me a great deal in this process. Like attracts like. If I’m constantly worried, afraid and obsessing about things, I get tons of unwanted results I’d rather not have. On the other hand, if I keep monitoring my thoughts and keep reaching for the highest thought in the moment, I tend to materialize with very little effort some amazing results. And, along with those amazing results comes a lot less tinnitus volume.

Music was the key for me. Why? Because, music is my true hearts desire. To succeed on any level in the music business is a bonus. The whole starving artist thing kept me safe but in a place of not having. I want my cake and eat it too. I want a life in music but I also want to be successful at it and if that includes more money, that’s a bonus.

So, to sum up, if I were to offer advice, which I do very rarely, I would say that focusing on your music will not only eliminate your tinnitus but, it will bring you more of everything you want. Reaching for the highest thought, in every moment where you are tempted to have a negative one, will have a tremendous impact on your life situation. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish just by focusing your attention and energy on what you truly want.

I’ll leave you with this thought. “Life is not about struggle, fear, worry and pain, it’s about easily manifesting in a healthy and positive way the things you desire the most. Once you figure out what it is you truly want, and then focus your dominant and consistent thoughts on getting what you want, you cannot fail to get what you want. In the process, your negative self-defeating habits will fade and be replaced with a completely new map of reality – one in which every island exposes a lost treasure that was just waiting for you to uncover it.”

 

Paul Tobey is a professional concert pianist who has performed worldwide and recorded several albums. He is also author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.

There is no doubt that tinnitus is a growing problem and with iPods and deafening music being considered normal it’s no wonder. However, when someone gets tinnitus for the first time it’s not only devastating but for most people it’s next to impossible to cure.

Why is this? Well for starters, most people think that if they just focus on the problem long enough and hard enough that the cure will eventually present itself. Not so. In fact, this is a recipe for continued suffering. The vast majority of our society thinks that if you just create more rules or laws to combat wrong doing that the problem will get better. It will not. In fact the problems we have as a society will continue to grow unless we address the problems of the mind that created the problem in the first place.

You see, a problem like tinnitus cannot be fixed with the same mind that created it. That may seem like a strange comment because it’s misleading to think that someone actually chose to have tinnitus. Of course not. But, if you really analyze each situation, tinnitus does not happen by accident but, happens as a result of external forces like illness, loud noise exposure, a reaction to medication or any number of reasons. All of these are situations created by the mind.

If you use only your mind to fix a problem, you are severely limited because the mind only knows one thing; the past. Therefore it cannot even begin to consider the limitless possibilities available if all it knows is what’s happened based on it’s own experience. Not only that, the mind only knows survival. It focuses on survival and tries to fix problems that threaten it’s existence.

So what’s the alternative to using only the mind? By using heart energy, of course. You see, your heart knows what you want. The mind only knows what you don’t want. Have you ever heard the expression “he has his heart set on going to college,” or “she’s has her heart set on getting a new car.”

If you think about it, those things which you have your heart set on usually come true. Why is this? Because only your heart knows what you truly desire. And, nothing can get in the way of your heart’s desire. There is no obstacle big enough to keep you from or get in the way of what you really want.

That’s why it’s important to focus on what you truly desire with your heart instead of using your mind to fix your problems, including tinnitus. If you focus on you heart’s desire your mind cannot possibly compete with that kind of energy. Therefore your mind will eventually give up trying to focus on the tinnitus.

How can you speed up the healing process? There is only one way. Only by increasing the intensity of your heart energy by focusing on what you truly want and by detaching from the outcome can you get what you want and avoid what you don’t want. Detachment is the act of letting go and allowing that which you want to come easily into your life.

The mind is a control freak. If you allow situations, circumstances and people to keep you from being happy then your mind is controlling you. You are not in control, your mind is. Only when you change your attitude, behaviour and thoughts and focus on being happy in the moment can you truly get what you want. Any other attempts by the mind to fix any problem will be temporary at best.

Lasting happiness and a life free from tinnitus can only be achieved by being in control of the mind, focusing on being in the present moment and living life to the fullest by going after what it is you truly desire. Allowing your mind to focus on tinnitus day after day and at the same time expect a different result is ludicrous.

If you continue to focus on tinnitus you will suffer forever. Only when you allow the universal creative energy, or heart energy which resides within you, to blossom, only then can you get what you truly desire. You cannot get what you want by focusing on what you don’t want, it’s impossible.

Your heart knows what you want. Listen to it.

Paul Tobey is a professional motivational speaker who has performed many seminars for ringing ears sufferers and is author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.

As I’ve said many times before and have written in several previous articles, it’s important for Tinnitus sufferers to focus on what they want instead of what they don’t want. For example; if you focus on how bad your tinnitus is, it can’t possibly get any better.

But, why is this? Why can’t tinnitus get better if you focus your mind on tinnitus? The truth is that most of us have been taught that if we focus on the problem long enough and use all of our mind’s energy to fix the problem that it will get better. However, this is false. You cannot fix a problem created by the mind using the same mind that created it. The mind has only a limited amount of information available to it to fix problems. In fact, the mind has only its knowledge of past experiences to draw from. Therefore, if it has never fixed a problem like tinnitus before it cannot possibly comprehend all of the infinite number of ways that tinnitus can be cured or the countless number of ways to alleviate the symptoms.

So, if our mind is not powerful enough to fix tinnitus then what are we to do? Sit around and wait for a cure? Maybe, but sitting around waiting for something to happen while still being focused on the tinnitus will cause the tinnitus to get worse. We want somehow to find a way to make it better now, right?

Well, based on my experience it is possible to have the best of both worlds. I believe that tinnitus will be cured one day but I also know that I can live a tinnitus free life right now. All I have to do is make a choice to live it right now. Not tomorrow, not in a year from now but right now. Because now is all we have. All that’s ever been and all that ever will be is… now. You cannot live in the future and you cannot live in the past. You can only live now.

So, how do you choose to live in the now? By focusing on what it is you want and accept the way things are now and to be happy now. You see, that’s all that you want is it not? You want to be happy. In fact, that’s the goal of most people, to be happy. Yet, we’re so focused on doing things to get a result that will make us happy in the future that we never really get there. Because when we get there we change the rules then focus on another goal and start the cycle all over again.

How can you be happy now and still have tinnitus? Simple, choose to be happy. If you stop giving negative energy to your tinnitus and choose to be happy in the moment then that’s all you have to do. If you think you can only be happy when your tinnitus is cured then I guarantee you that you will live a long and very unhappy existence until the day you die. Because being focused on only being happy when your tinnitus is cured is completely backwards. You can only be happy now.

What are some of the ways you can learn to be happy in the moment? That’s also a simple answer. By focusing on your true heart’s desire and taking the necessary steps to achieve it then you will have succeeded in what most people will never achieve. Not only will you eventually live your dream but you will be happy everyday until you get there.

What is your true heart’s desire? That’s what your heart knows to be true. It’s what your heart knows to be the direction your life should be taking. It’s what you get excited about. For example if you’re in a job or a business that you hate you cannot possibly ever be happy. You can of course enjoy brief moments of happiness but not true happiness.

You can only enjoy true happiness by following your true heart’s desire. Anything less will be sure to bring you a life of distress, worry, doubt and constant fear. That’s what I mean by focusing on what you want. What you really want is to follow your true heart’s desire. Not only will you get it, because the universe will not allow you to fail, but you will always overcome any obstacles in your way no matter how big they are. Tinnitus is just an obstacle to overcome. Therefore, if you are focused on your true heart’s desire your tinnitus will be conquered. It has to be. Nothing, including tinnitus, can take you out of the game if you’re focused on what you want.

Paul Tobey is a professional motivational speaker who has performed many seminars for ringing ears sufferers and is author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.

One of the most common questions I get from readers is; how does one fall asleep with tinnitus? One woman recently wrote, “I have a very hard time falling asleep with tinnitus. I can’t because the tinnitus is so loud that it kind of hypnotizes me. I can’t help not focusing on it and when I sleep it’s a very light sleep, a sort of trance, it’s not deep sleep. So I wake up very tired. Do you have suggestions for improving sleep?”

I certainly have plenty of experience in how to achieve a good night’s sleep. However, because everyone perceives their tinnitus differently some may suffer greatly from lack of sleep while others may not suffer at all.

In the beginning my tinnitus was pretty severe and sleep was something that I didn’t look forward to at all. In fact, I can remember many times when just going near the bedroom caused major feelings of anxiety. The anticipation of another night restless tinnitus sleep was almost as painful as experiencing the insomnia. The bedroom was place of pain, frustration and all sorts of negative emotions. It was like a war zone and the enemy was tinnitus.

To get over this problem I had to learn how to reclaim my bedroom. I had to learn how to make the bedroom a “safe zone” instead of the “war zone”. The simply act of making it a ‘safe’ zone greatly reduced my anticipation of pain, my anticipation of no sleep, and my resistance to the tinnitus. And, with time, my bedroom grew into a place where I now find peace, tranquility, freedom, love and pleasure.

In my Tinnitus seminars, I tell people that the bedroom needs to be a “safe” zone. Because, it’s much easier to fall asleep when you walk into a space where you feel safe, valuable and loved. When you safe, valuable and loved you feel happy. Therefore, you must make your bedroom a very happy place.

The bedroom must not have a TV and it must be smoke free. It must be a room where you will not allow your mind to worry or stress. There is absolutely no fighting in this room. No anger must enter it. Make it clutter free, and spacious. If you must, clean your closets, your dresser and recycle anything that you don’t use or haven’t worn in 12 months.

Invest in your happy zone. Paint it a good energy color. Try choosing a color that reflects something soothing, welcoming and warm. Make it your king/goddess room, where you feel great. The whole idea is that when you walk into your bedroom, you FEEL happy.

Invest in placing happy books, framed pictures of happy moments, or you could even place pictures of things you desire in your life around the room. The idea is to focus your mind on only happy thoughts.

Happy thoughts and feelings is really the key to making this a welcoming safe haven for you.
Make it a place that you look forward to. If you have to, invest in satin sheets, a luxury blanket, comfy or sexy clothes best suited to what your heart desires. You could also start some new traditions or rituals. For example, place one dark chocolate on the pillow, or enjoy the perfect tea. Whatever or however you use your creativity to create your “happy” reality, make it the one place in the house that brings your energy vibration closest to your true heart’s desire.

In addition to creating a great space, you should also avoid taking sleeping pills or anti-depressants as they are very addictive. If you have to take anything, try Gravol or other kinds of motion sickness pills. They work just as well as sleeping pills and are non-addictive. However, please consult your doctor before trying any over the counter medication.

For me, the greatest results came from learning how to focus on what I want rather than what I don’t want. For example; when you try to sleep and your mind continues to focus on not wanting tinnitus, then you are still focusing on what you don’t want and your tinnitus will bother you more.

Instead, focus on what you do want and say things to yourself like, “I desire to attract all things that bring happiness into my life”. Focusing on what you desire will continue to expand in your mind and will put you in a much happier state. And, when you fall asleep happier, you will inevitably sleep better and far more soundly.

 

Paul Tobey is a professional motivational speaker who has performed many seminars for ringing ears sufferers and is author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.

In sickness and in health is a promise I made to my husband twelve years ago. However, I can honestly say that I made that vow in ignorance. Because, until the person you love is suffering, one can never truly understand what that means. When my husband Paul developed a chronic case of Tinnitus (ringing in the ears), it was the beginning of a whole new journey that would put our vows to the ultimate test.

I could not see, hear, or feel what Paul was suffering from. He did not have any visible symptoms like a missing limb, bleeding, broken bones, labored breathing, or any other physical proof whatsoever that he was in a state of chronic suffering. I knew that there was a foreign sound raping his mind but, I did not and could not have a true understanding it. I felt helpless as his life experience spiraled steadily downward in fear, pain, and emotional distress. My hands were tied and I felt disempowered to do anything about it.

Up until tinnitus, we had been happily married and partners in life and business. My immediate reaction to this new challenge was to step up to the plate and be the rescuer. When Paul would dive into an emotional void of darkness, I’d find some buttons to push to remind his that all was not lost and there was still hope. I became the emotional cheerleader in the struggle. That’s all I knew how to do but, that never seemed to be enough. It caused me have feelings of self-doubt, powerlessness, fear, anger, and utter disdain for Tinnitus.

Did I want to give up? You bet! Many times I thought and truly believed that the Tinnitus was bigger than him, and me. I saw Tinnitus as the conqueror and that it had turned my husband into some different kind of stranger that I couldn’t possibly love.

The man who I knew and had loved had disappeared into a constant state of depression and victimization. I would live out many painful days watching him, observing him while all the while silently pondering the decision to either stay and fight or get up and leave. But, somehow something kept me there. Through his pain and rage and through his suffering, he would show me undeniable love. And, when I did entertain the thoughts of leaving I would witness brief moments of this love which would somehow shine through his suffering.

What I didn’t realize at the time is that the man I had lost to Tinnitus had to surrender to his illness and he had to die. I hated losing him and my heart was aching with fear, anxiety and loss. But at the same moment, I was witnessing something truly miraculous. A new man was being born.

As he changed, I changed. As he grew into awareness, so did I. I was entering into a completely new state of being that I had never known before. Certainly, the man I married was gone, but the man that grew out of suffering was a man that I would grow to love in a more authentic way than I ever thought possible.

I learned what “in sickness and in health” truly meant. I learned the true meaning of partnership; one based on personal and spiritual growth. Tinnitus forced us onto this new journey. And, even though it was often very uncomfortable and seemingly impossible, it was slowly bringing us a very beautiful place in our lives.

Tinnitus helped us graduate from romantic love to authentic love. And, it served to introduce us to the concept that we were in this partnership to help one another through our own personal development. Paul became a man that I truly admire, respect and am very proud of.

But, I too grew in many ways, and am very proud and honored to be me in this partnership. In sickness and in health may have meant very little to me at first and, if I had to do it all over again, I’d be keeping a closer eye on the prize; true happiness.

If you can fight your way to the other side of the suffering caused by tinnitus, if you can do the hard work and if you can trust the process, you will truly find your heart’s desire. I did.

 

Nancy Houle is the wife of Paul Tobey a professional motivational speaker who has performed many seminars for ringing ears sufferers and is author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.

In the world we live in most people think “either or.” For example; do you want to be successful or do you want a healthy family life? Most people would think one or the other. They think it takes too much time and effort to be successful and therefore their family life would suffer. But, the fact is; you can have both.

Rich people know they can have both. They think they can have their cake and eat it too! Middle class people believe they can have cake but only a small piece and they’ll end up paying for it later. Poor people buy a donut focus on the hole and wonder why they’re perpetually broke.

Now, I’m not trying to pick on any one demographic and this is certainly not a slight against poor people. All I’m trying to state is that it is possible to have everything you want without compromise. It’s all a matter of how your thought processes work.

If you think it takes a lot of work to be successful, it does, but only for a short time. Eventually you will have built a successful business that works for you instead of you working for it. That’s why it’s possible to be successful and have a healthy family life.

The same goes for tinnitus. Most people would think they can only scrape by in life if they have tinnitus and that tinnitus keeps them from doing the things they want to do. This is in fact complete nonsense. Tinnitus does not keep you from doing what you want. You do!

You can have both. You can have tinnitus and still get everything you want in life. All you have to do is focus entirely on getting what it is you really want and do something about it. Of course, if you sit around all day thinking about being successful nothing will ever happen.

Based on my experience all the positive thinking in the world will not get you what you want. You have to do something about it! You have to start creating your reality. You have to get out there; learn, practice and get messy. Is it uncomfortable to do this? Most definitely! In fact being comfortable won’t get you anywhere. You have to step outside your comfort zone to be successful.

And, while you are focused on getting what you want out of life you can still have tinnitus. The thing is though; the tinnitus won’t bother you because you’ll be so focused on what you really want you don’t have time to think about it. And, like I always say, “if you’re not thinking about it, it doesn’t really exist.”

You can have tinnitus and get what you want out of life. It’s a choice. If you think “either or” you will be stuck there forever. You can have both. But, the interesting part is, you won’t really suffer the symptoms of tinnitus if you’re doing what you love. Therefore, it’s not really both, is it?

 

Paul Tobey is a professional motivational speaker who has performed many seminars for ringing ears sufferers and is author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.

Of all the information I’ve made available on how to heal your Tinnitus this lesson is probably the most difficult. Why is that? Because it has to do with how you were raised and how difficult it is to change something about yourself which seems completely natural.

You see, our brains are wired to collect information and form judgments based on that information. The only problem is, the information we receive is often the opinion of others and very often those opinions are just plain wrong. Yet because we value the opinion of others we often accept it as truth even when it’s not.

In other words, we are products of our environment. We’ve learn from our teaches, our parents, our friends, from the media, from television, from our co-workers and so on. So what happens if we learn something that just isn’t true? We accept it as truth no matter what. For example that’s why there is so much hatred in the world because we learned it from others.

Therefore, nothing has meaning except for the meaning we give it. Our brains make judgments about something, a judgment we most likely learned from others and therefore it has meaning.

What’s all this got to do with Tinnitus? Well, tinnitus is real and of course our brains have accepted it as real. But, we often listen to the opinion of others when it comes to how we think, react and feel emotionally about tinnitus. When the doctor says, “go home and learn to live with it” our minds think that everything is hopeless. When a fellow tinnitus sufferer says, “tinnitus can’t be beaten,” we believe it. And, when we say to ourselves, “I can’t believe this is happening to me,” we believe it and wallow in our own grief.

Yet, what if I were to tell you that the meaning that we give tinnitus is made up? What if I told you that it is possible to shut off the parts of our minds that give meaning to tinnitus? What would you do for that kind of information? Would you give anything? Pay anything?

It is possible to shut off tinnitus and it won’t cost you a cent. It is possible to not give meaning to tinnitus and it’s not hard to do, it’s just unfamiliar. We’re so used to giving meaning to bad things we can’t see the forest through the trees.

All that’s involved is simply waking up to the fact that your life is what you make of it. If you give negative meaning to tinnitus then, that will infect all areas of your life. If you wake up to the fact that tinnitus can help your life in positive ways then that will affect all areas of your life.

Use tinnitus as a tool to strengthen your resolve. It came into your life for a reason. Is tinnitus life threatening? No, only if you allow it to be. Is tinnitus keeping you from doing anything you truly want to do? No, only if you allow it to.

What I’m trying to explain is that we give so much meaning to the negative side of tinnitus and we forget the positive side. What is the positive side? By refocusing your attention and giving less meaning to tinnitus you can actually get more accomplished in your life. By learning about and doing what you love your ears will stop ringing and start listening to the beautiful sounds of music all around you. Everything is music to your ears. All you have to do is stop focusing on what you don’t want to hear and start focusing on what you do want to hear. Listen to the wind, the voices, the children, the ocean and the birds and you will begin to hear again what tinnitus has taken away from you; the joy of living.

Paul Tobey is a professional motivational speaker who has performed many seminars for ringing ears sufferers and is author of Tinnitus Free Living a Tinnitus Handbook Self Help Guide which helps people reduce their tinnitus volume.

There’s no denying that Tinnitus is a debilitating physical ailment that can have dire consequences on even the strongest person’s ability to function normally and live a happy productive life. Many of the worst tinnitus sufferers claim that tinnitus has taken everything from them including their sanity.

But, let us examine this statement for a moment. Whether or not the incessant ringing in the ears is difficult to deal with doesn’t make it entirely responsible for ruining lives. In fact if you’ve allowed tinnitus to ruin your life then that’s pretty much your own fault. Sure, tinnitus is a tough thing to deal with that’s one thing but, to allow it to destroy your life is an entirely different matter.

Again, tinnitus cannot ruin your life, only you can do that. Now, I’m not just speaking as an innocent bystander here, I’ve had severe tinnitus since 1999. Did I allow tinnitus to ruin my life? For a while, yes. But, after suffering from severe depression for almost 2 years I realized that tinnitus wasn’t life threatening at all, at least not in the same way that cancer is. My life was being threatened because of my own choices, not because of tinnitus.

Basically, I used tinnitus as an excuse to give up. I said to myself, to my family and to my friends that because of my tinnitus that I had a good reason for doing nothing. I said things like, “my tinnitus is so bad I simply cannot function normally.”

But, do you know the only problem with this kind of thought process? None of it would make my tinnitus or my life any better? And, that’s when I decided to do something about it. I realized that if I could not cure my tinnitus then I would have to cure my life instead. How did I do this? How can you do this?

There is only one way to cure your life situation. Get in the game by focusing on what it is you really want out of life. Unfortunately most people have no idea what it is that they really want so that makes it especially hard. First you have to know what you want in order to take the necessary steps to get it.

How do you find out what it is you really want? Pick a big goal. Pick a goal that’s so extremely outrageous that your mind can’t possibly comprehend it and make that your greatest wish. For example, my goal is to perform at Carnegie Hall. Will I ever play Carnegie Hall? Probably, but who knows, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and never make it.

But at least I’m trying. And, therein lies to secret to curing tinnitus. Picking a goal and doing everything in your power to achieve it will override your temptation to let tinnitus control your life. If you’re in control of your life and living everyday in pursuit of your dreams, then tinnitus becomes a minor aggravate which only shows up once in a while to remind you of how grateful you should be that you finally stepped up to the plate.

You see, tinnitus is simply a physical ailment that with practice can be controlled by your own thoughts. If your thoughts are of being a happy productive participant in life then tinnitus will not rule your world. If your thoughts are laced with negative, infected, poisonous and depressive tendencies then your tinnitus will rule you until the day you die.

It’s a choice to suffer from tinnitus. Sure, the noise is real. But, your reaction to it is the only thing causing you pain. The emotional pain you inflict upon yourself as a result of tinnitus is far worse than the noise itself, believe me.

So, what can you do first? Figure out what it is you really want then go after it. That’s all you have to do. Before you know it, tinnitus will fade into a distant memory. And, when it shows up unannounced on a quiet night when you’re trying to sleep, be grateful. Tinnitus is just giving you a little push, a little reminder if you will; keep focused on your goals and above all be grateful to be on the new path you’ve chosen.

Paul Tobey is a concert pianist, motivational speaker who discovered a path to healing Tinnitus without medical intervention. His self-help book on reducing Ringing Ears Volume is a popular Ringing in the Ears Download.