NLP RP #07 (Resource Development and Anchoring)

Are Past Memories Constraints or Resources?

The NLP class held on April 26, 2025, became another meaningful turning point in my life.
The core question of this session was simple yet profound: How am I using my past memories?

I had believed that I was already applying anchoring techniques to some extent. However, through reflection during the class, I realized that the direction of my anchoring had been significantly distorted.

I had been recalling memories of failure and embarrassment from the past and over-preparing myself to ensure that such situations would never happen again. On the surface, this looked like risk prevention. In reality, I was living in the present while anchoring myself to negative memories. As a result, the preparation process was always filled with anxiety and worry, and my mind became easily exhausted. Through this class, I clearly recognized this pattern as a typical side effect of negative anchoring.

Looking back, I noticed that I was far more accustomed to escaping from negative memories than to intentionally using positive ones. A life driven by the fear of failure inevitably leads to constant tension and self-depletion. This class made it clear that the time had come to recognize this long-standing pattern and consciously transform positive memories from the past into usable inner resources.

Reflection Begins with Asking for Definitions

One of the first concepts emphasized in the class was reflection. Reflection is not merely looking back; it is the act of questioning definitions and meanings with precision. We often let familiar words pass without examining them closely. In coaching, however, the essential attitude is to ask, “What exactly does that mean?”

This applies not only to a client’s words but also to our own language. Another powerful message from the session concerned mental habits. Repeatedly revisiting past mistakes unconsciously restricts our present choices. To remain in the stage of conscious competence, a period of full commitment is required. To transition into unconscious competence, at least 21 days of focused repetition is necessary. Unconscious habits are never formed by accident.

Life Events and Moments of Change

The class also explored the concept of Life Events in depth. While people often say that humans do not change easily, beliefs and values can shift dramatically through a single event. What truly matters is whether that event leads only to cognitive change or whether it is accompanied by emotional and physiological transformation. Change that does not move emotions does not last.

Awakened individuals learn even from small life events, while habitual phrases such as “This is just who I am” become the strongest constraints on personal growth. Hearing this prompted me to reflect on how often I had unconsciously defined myself in limiting ways.

The Essence of Anchoring and Resource Development

In NLP, anchoring is the process of linking past events with emotions and sensory experiences. Anchors can be either positive or negative. People who live with greater flexibility tend to access positive memories when needed, whereas others repeatedly replay painful memories while navigating the present.

This is where Resource Development becomes essential. Resource development is not about repeating past stories but about bringing the emotional and sensory energy experienced at that time into the present moment. While traditional counseling often focuses on exploring past narratives, NLP focuses on one key question: “What is your state right now?” The reason behind the past matters less than the response in the present.

My Personal Resource Development: Reviving Life Energy Through the Five Senses

Resource development is not a simple act of remembering past events. It is a process of reactivating stored emotions and bodily sensations through the five senses and transforming them into inner energy that can be used in the present. Through this practice, I clarified four core resources that I can repeatedly access in both life and coaching.

1. Perseverance: Taking One More Step at the Edge of Giving Up

This resource originates from my climb to Cheonwangbong Peak on Jirisan Mountain in May 2018. In the pitch-dark dawn, relying solely on my headlamp, I climbed the mountain trail. The sound of grass brushing in the wind and the smell of wet soil filled the air. Each step on the slippery mix of dirt and rocks sent heavy fatigue through my legs.

As humid air filled my lungs, my rough breathing echoed through the quiet mountain. When rain began to fall, droplets tapped against my raincoat, blending with the sound of my heartbeat. Though my body felt beyond its limits, the thought, “I cannot give up here,” pushed me forward. When the summit marker finally came into view, a surge of joy rose from deep within me. The cold, rough texture of the rain-soaked stone engraved a clear message in my body: I am someone who finishes what I start.

Even now, this memory comes alive the moment I touch the small gratitude stone in my pocket.

2. A Sense of Achievement: Confidence Gained from Completing Difficult Tasks

My second resource comes from leading a productivity improvement project across LG Group affiliates. On April 4, 2023, as I entered the main auditorium, the spacious resonance of the hall, soft background music, and quiet conversations blended together. Sitting in the cushioned seat, I felt tension and anticipation rise simultaneously.

As the award ceremony progressed and the spotlight focused on the stage, two years of meetings, site visits, and trial-and-error flashed through my mind. When my name was called, my heart pounded, and applause washed over me like a wave. Holding the transparent, heavy trophy in my hands, its cool solidity felt like the condensed weight of sustained effort.

This achievement became a stored certainty: even complex challenges can be completed.

3. Happiness: Warmth and Recognition from Others

On the evening of November 30, 2023, during the final gathering after my organization was dissolved, colleagues suddenly surrounded me outside the restaurant. Hands supported my shoulders and waist as I was lifted into the air. Applause and cheers filled the street, and the warmth of many hands holding me created a deep sense of safety and belonging.

In that moment, I was no longer defined by my role or title. I was simply someone who was genuinely valued and cared for. The anchoring gesture of clasping my hands still brings back that warmth and joy.

4. Joy: Witnessing Transformation Beyond Fear

One quiet evening in March 2025, during the final coaching session with a client, silence filled the space between words. At first, the client’s voice trembled, but gradually it became clear and steady. A gentle smile appeared as long-held memories were released.

As a coach, I felt my posture straighten and a warm resonance rise within my chest. My heart raced, not with anxiety, but with fulfillment. Touching my gratitude stone still brings me back to that moment of shared transformation.

Closing: Resources Stored Through the Senses Never Disappear

These four resources are not merely memories. Experiences stored in the body through the five senses are present-day energy that can be recalled at any time. Perseverance, achievement, happiness, and joy have become the inner foundation that supports me in both life and coaching.

What matters now is to consciously access these resources and apply anchoring in everyday situations.

The Circle of Influence and Everyday Experiments

Since the class, I have been practicing the Circle of Influence technique in daily life. Each time I enter my room, I imagine passing through an invisible circle and recharging my energy. At first it felt awkward, but repetition has led my body to respond naturally. Even brief moments bring noticeable shifts in focus and mood.

I plan to apply this technique before teeing off at the golf course, before important meetings, and before coaching sessions. Resources only become powerful when they are embodied, not merely understood intellectually.

Through this class, I have reached a clear conclusion:
The past can either bind us or unlock the future.
The difference lies not in the memory itself, but in how we choose to use it.

For Your Dream Life
by Dream Max