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SilverDisobedience An Actionable Discussion About Ourselves I am Dian Griesel, Ph.D., also known as the blogger/podcaster .

I am a perception analyst and a highly trained certified clinical hypnotherapist (since 1992, Union 472; NFH 104) For over 30 years, I have counseled individuals and advised corporate teams to unlock potential and transform perceptions through better understanding of how conscious and unconscious feelings, thoughts and beliefs impact every relationship, both personally and professionally. About two years ago, I also began to also offer my clients the opportunity to literally “see” themselves differently via photo-hypnotherapy: A unique art therapy that merges hypnosis with photography. I am a member of the American Counseling Association, the National Guild of Hypnotists and hold a lifetime membership with the International Association of Counselors & Therapists. My objective is always to bring my knowledge, expertise, and compassion to every session. I have authored 15 personal-development, health, and business communication books and have been featured in over 100 media articles. In 2017, as a support tool for my private and professional clients as well as any others who might find my thoughts and ideas valuable, I began sharing my self-help, take-action philosophy through my social media posts. Today, my daily blogs inspire and support over a million people from around the world. I work out of my office studio which I affectionately call: Creative Content Loft. Located in Midtown, New York City, CCL houses full photography capabilities and an event space where my team and I also host community-building events! I still own a public relations firm that is very well-managed by a team of superb senior executives who are highly-skilled at positioning smart, talented people as thought-leaders within their respective fields. (See more under the Business Tab on my website) In 2012, I sold an investor relations firm that I’d founded to a publicly traded bank. In the spirit of full-disclosure, let me also tell you that when I was 57, I was scouted by Wilhelmina New York and invited to join their model roster in an unanticipated life twist: That was big check off the bucket list I didn’t even know I had! Subsequently, I’ve been featured in campaigns by many of the world’s most notable international consumer brands. So, you just never know where my face might pop up in your life. If you want to know more, I suggest a Google search. You’ll find hundreds of links with my name. I believe our self-image impacts every personal & work relationship we enter. Self-image is built upon perceptions we consciously or unconsciously carry regarding ourselves and how we believe others perceive us. These perceptions form the foundation of our sense of, or lack of, self-esteem & self-respect. If you have lost confidence, are questioning your worth, are feeling unattractive or need a self-confidence boost with a real-time, centering mind-set shift - I can help. I offer sessions that include conversation to consciously address concerns, followed by hypnotherapy to address subconscious beliefs. During some sessions, if desired, I add photo-hypnotherapy, a unique art therapy, where, while you are relaxed into a state of active hypnosis, while I'm taking your pictures. The result is that you receive visual proof that my process works -- plus you'll have a great new set of images for your personal or professional use. During sessions, conversation, suggestions, hypnotherapy, breath-work & sometimes photography are intertwined. My clients consistently report that all of our interactions raise their self-esteem, self-confidence & sense of self-worth. If you are ready to explore all of YOUR possibilities and start living more of the life you dream about, perhaps it’s time to book some time with me. I can be reached at Dian@DianGriesel.com or you can call/text 212.825.3210.

We've all tried to convince someone of something we believed deeply. We armed ourselves with solid arguments, compelling...
19/02/2026

We've all tried to convince someone of something we believed deeply. We armed ourselves with solid arguments, compelling evidence, maybe even an emotional appeal -- yet, watched it go nowhere. They nodded politely. They may have even complied. But nothing really changed. ✨ That's because argument alone rarely creates lasting influence. What actually changes behavior is something quieter and more powerful: The moment someone adopts a new way of seeing things and experiences it as their own idea. ✨ Think about the most influential people in your life. Chances are, they didn't lecture you into changing. They offered a way of looking at something that clicked. Suddenly you were thinking differently, acting differently, and it felt completely natural: Like you'd arrived there all by yourself.
That feeling isn't accidental. It's the whole mechanism. ✨ When an idea feels discovered rather than delivered, it gets woven into how a person already thinks. It becomes part of their reasoning, not a rule imposed from outside. And that's when behavior actually shifts: Durably, willingly and without resistance. ✨ The reverse is equally true. When people sense they're being directed, pushed, or managed -- even subtly (imagine a teenager if you've ever had one or your teenage self!) -- and you'll recall that something in them pulls back. Compliance might happen, but real conviction and buy in rarely does. ✨ Real influence isn't about making a stronger case. It's about offering a framework others can pick up and use on their own. Presenting a way that helps others reach conclusions that they can genuinely "own."
People resist being told what to think. Yet -- they almost never resist being helped to think more clearly. ✨ That distinction is everything.

© Dian Griesel 2026 Perception Dynamics Inc.

Have you ever said something perfectly reasonable and watched it land badly -- while someone else says essentially the s...
18/02/2026

Have you ever said something perfectly reasonable and watched it land badly -- while someone else says essentially the same thing and receives a warm response? Or found yourself in a conflict where the specific words almost don't matter, because something underneath the conversation has already determined how everything you say will be received? ✨ That's not unfair. That's just how human perception works. ✨ We like to believe we're being evaluated on our actions. Like if we behave well, we'll be seen clearly and treated accordingly. But that's not quite what's happening. By the time we speak or act, the people around us have already constructed a meaning for who we are. And that meaning -- not our behavior -- is what they're actually responding to. ✨ Think about someone you've already decided is dismissive. When they offer a brief response, you read it as confirmation. When they're quiet, that's confirmation too. Now think about someone you trust completely. Their brief response reads as thoughtful. Their silence feels respectful. Same behavior. Entirely different experience just because the meaning was assigned before the action occurred. ✨ This plays out in arguments with particular intensity. What looks like a disagreement about what was said or done is almost always, underneath, a disagreement about who each person is in the story. Defending actions rarely resolves it, because actions aren't what is actually on trial. Identity is. ✨ This awareness, uncomfortable as it can be, is genuinely liberating. It means that the most powerful lever in any relationship isn't trying harder to explain yourself — it's working to shift the meaning others hold about you over time. Through consistency. Through small moments that don't match the old story. Through being, repeatedly, someone slightly different from who they expected. ✨ You're not just exchanging actions with people. You're engaging with the beliefs they hold about who you are. ✨ Change those beliefs — patiently, genuinely and over time — and everything else begins to change with them, their perceptions about you and your relationship.

© Dian Griesel 2026

17/02/2026

in Hong Kong joined me in the US discussing the 2026 Lunar New Year which is the year of the Fire Horse. Last year was the year of the Wood Snake. Learn about the difference!

17/02/2026

shares insight on this new Lunar Year

Too often very talented and capable people begin explaining just as their position is strongest. ✨ This usually happens ...
17/02/2026

Too often very talented and capable people begin explaining just as their position is strongest. ✨ This usually happens right after a decision is made -- or worse, while it’s still forming. The explanation arrives early, generously, almost reflexively. The intention is clarity. The effect is erosion. ✨ What’s often misread here is the source of discomfort. It isn’t that others don’t understand. It’s that your certainty has shifted the room. Explanation becomes a way to smooth that shift. ✨ But authority, or steady presence in a more personal relationship, doesn’t come from being understood. It comes from coherence. ✨ When you explain too soon, you invite negotiation before alignment. You turn orientation into debate. You train people to wait for justification instead of reading your signal. ✨ The quieter move is restraint. ✨ Let your decisions land before they’re unpacked. Let reactions surface without managing them. Let others locate themselves in relation to the choice instead of being guided through it. ✨ Clarity that needs defense is usually premature. ✨
Perhaps you'll find this to be a perception worth sitting with a bit.

15/02/2026

Here's a challenge. Consider this: The worst that can happen in your life has already happend. Don't believe me? Give me 4 minutes to give you a new perception to contemplate and consider.

By this stage of our lives, many of us have married, divorced and married again or opted for singledom. Every year that ...
14/02/2026

By this stage of our lives, many of us have married, divorced and married again or opted for singledom. Every year that passes, relationships change whether with spouses, “significant others,” children, friends, coworkers—and ourselves. The Bible and every religious text, regardless of religious persuasion, tells us to “Love one another.” We all know this is not always easy. ❤️ The love part starts with trying to understand one another. Only by working hard to understand another can we actually start to love them or keep on loving them. When we cannot love someone or something, it’s because on some level we simply don’t understand them, their thinking, their actions and motivations. So, they/it become(s) unlovable. Yet the more we try to know or understand someone or something, the more we access the potential for feeling love (or at least acceptance of another or a situation). ❤️ All of us do things that are completely incomprehensible to others. Does this make us all unlovable? Let’s hope not. Rather, it just goes to show the human condition is complex, diverse and ever-changing. ❤️ To feel love means we have to constantly try to understand one another. If we understand another, we can forgive them, as we are all hoping they forgive us as well. ❤️ As years go by, if we’ve really put any effort into growing, we’ve tried to understand others—many whom see life and the world far differently than we might. If we only love those similar to us, we’ve made our worlds smaller. ❤️ If this seems to be confusing at all, think about what makes us each feel loved: It gets down to feeling that we’ve been heard and understood. If we’ve kept ourselves youthful by maintaining flexibility toward our stances and opinions of others, we’re likely aging quite well with love continuing to expand the capacity of our hearts—and a big heart capacity is a very healthy thing. ❤️

13/02/2026

Just a reminder on this Lucky Friday the 13th! 🩷

Throughout life, the person you will be spending the most time with is you. So be sure to spend some time making yoursel...
13/02/2026

Throughout life, the person you will be spending the most time with is you. So be sure to spend some time making yourself as interesting as possible. #💙

Lately I’ve been thinking about how wrong some very ingrained life advice is. The advice is that your most important ass...
12/02/2026

Lately I’ve been thinking about how wrong some very ingrained life advice is. The advice is that your most important asset is time. Time is money people say. If you were reading a business book most of them all espouse the importance of time and scheduling your time for maximum efficiency. While I do agree that time management is important, let me tell you this: Time is not your most important asset. You can multiply your time by hiring people, asking others to do a job, recruiting their help, and so forth. What you cannot replicate or reproduce is energy. So, it is your energy that is your most important asset. And the reason it’s your most important asset is this: If you have no energy, if you’re rundown if you feel sick, it makes no difference how much time you have because if you don’t have the energy to focus on a personal relationship or a job — you have a problem. Further your energy is exclusive to you and all that you personify and bring into any relationship, room or situation. So do your best to remember this: It is your energy that you want to protect at all cost. It is your energy that you want to conserve. It is your energy that you want to honor.

Now I’m off, recharged and feeling pretty powered up! And, I hope YOU are too.

;-) is

11/02/2026

Understanding Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy with Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis

In this enlightening episode, I have the great opportunity to talk with Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis, a world-renowned expert in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). (I was so excited, you'll hear me stumble through the unedited opening!!!) We discuss the concepts of rationality and emotions and how these elements intertwine to affect behavior. Dr. Ellis explains how thinking patterns create emotions and behaviors, distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy emotional responses. We also delve into personal responsibility, empowerment, and the importance of gratitude, illustrating how REBT can be a transformative tool for mental well-being. Dr. Ellis also addresses common objections to REBT and provides practical advice for those seeking change and self-improvement.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

The full show run is below.

00:00 Introduction to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
01:52 Defining Rational Thinking
03:05 Understanding Emotive Behavior
04:48 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Emotions
08:28 The Power of Personal Responsibility
18:34 Gratitude and Its Impact
25:59 Nature, Nurture, and Personal Responsibility
28:07 The Role of Healthy Models in Learning
28:45 Impact of Parental Attitudes on Self-Beliefs
29:07 Consequences of Negative Reinforcement
30:30 The Importance of Unconditional Self-Acceptance
30:50 Distinguishing Worth from Behavior
32:46 Developing Empathy and Compassion
40:05 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Emotions
40:38 The Power of Rational Thinking
47:24 The Philosophy Behind REBT
48:42 Final Thoughts and Advice for Struggling Individuals

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+12128253210

Website

https://diangriesel.com/, https://www.wilhelmina.com/new-york/women/dire

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