Tag: worry

Where Is Your Bliss?


Have you ever found yourself taking on more than you planned or want to take on? Are you stressed???

There are many things you can do in these stress-filled times that are self-help antidotes. They are things you already know. But in the snap decision moment, you can find yourself doing the exact opposite of what you want to do, like staying calm, cool and collected.

How many times have you been in the middle of a project, or a meal, and the telephone rings, or your latest technology gadget alerts you that some new bit of information is coming in?

What do you do?

Are you in the habit of constantly jumping at everyone else’s beck and call?

Are you a slave to modern technology, or are you a free-ranging human?

Depending on what you have going on in your life, there are times when you absolutely have to take this call. It could be the doctor, or an urgent call from your boss. There are many valid reasons you, from time to time, should drop what you are doing, and answer that call. It would be irresponsible not to.

But is this the normal routine for you every day, in every situation?

Do you let everything, everybody’s wants, come before your peace of mind, your plan for your day, or your priorities?

You need to become aware and take stock of your triggers, from time to time, because nothing stays stagnant. Things always change. It is a matter of staying in balance no matter how chaotic life gets.

Becoming aware of how you are feeling is the first step in the right direction to correcting what is off with this self-sabotaging habit. Feelings are not right or wrong, they just are. Good feelings are affirming and are a sign you are doing OK. Feelings of discordant energy are a sign that you need to make a correction somewhere to bring you back into alignment with your true purpose, goals, and get back on track.

Where is your Bliss?

This is something you take with you no matter how busy you let yourself get. One self-help tool is to remember to take three, count three, deep, cleansing breaths each time a challenge comes your way. Seldom is it the case when you need to react so fast, as if you are running from a burning building. Yet that is exactly how you may tend to dash through your life, putting out everyone’s fires.

An amazing thing to remember is, just because someone throws you the ball, you don’t have to catch it. What a relief it is to remember this. Yes, you already know this, but somehow someone throwing the ball to you plays to your ego. You might find yourself rising to the occasion when you don’t really want to. If this happens to you occasionally, then you are doing a good and noble thing. However, if this happens to you every time, then you are doing yourselves a disservice.

When and how do you start your day?

Do you wake up and immediately jump on the treadmill of life?

It is no wonder you get so exhausted. This tends to be one of the best places to introduce change if you are not happy with your situation.

What part of the day is your best work production, alert time?

What part of the day is best for you to exercise?

What part of the day is best for you to meditate, pray or recollect in peace and quiet?

The answer to these questions is different for different people. There is not one best answer here. What is important is to take a moment to reassess your life.

Are you a morning person, afternoon person or evening person?

Does the life you are living match your most optimum workload times?

What do you want to do about that?

You don’t have to catch the ball. Isn’t that awesome to remember?

If you are a people pleaser, this concept may be somewhat startling. What is it about false pride that makes you think you have to come last in everything?

Did you know that people pleasing all the time is often a sign of past abuse of your personal power?

Are you addicted to technology, social media, work, play, or anything that has taken over your life making you feel that your life is running you, rather than you living your life?

Jesus of Nazareth gives words of hope as to where to find your bliss in Matthew 6:24-34: “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate one and like the other; or he will honor one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth, technology, social media, et cetera).

“For this reason, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat and what you will drink, nor for your body, what you will wear. Behold, is not life much more important than food, and the body more than clothing?

“Observe the birds of the sky, for they do not sow, neither do they harvest nor gather into barns, and yet your Father in heaven feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?

“Who among you who by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“Why do you worry about clothing? Observe the wildflowers, how they grow; they do not get tired out, nor do they spin.

“But I say to you that Solomon with all of his glory was not arrayed like one of them.

“Now if God clothes in such fashion the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow falls into the fireplace, is he not much more mindful of you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore, do not worry or say, what will we eat, or what will we drink, or with what will we be clothed?

“For worldly people seek after these things. Your Father in heaven knows that all of these things are also necessary for you.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will look after itself. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.”

An interesting point to make here is this concept of the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees ask Jesus when and where is this Kingdom of God will come in Luke 17:20-21. What should they look for?

The answer that Jesus gives is that the kingdom will not come by observable signs of wonders, but that the wonder of it all is that the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you. It is the very Spark of Eternal Universal Life Force Energy that animates your Spirit/Soul, my Spirit/Soul, and every other Spirit/Soul of every living person on Earth. Jesus did not say only people of his religion had it, or that any person of any other religion had it. It is the Limitless Living Light, otherwise known as chi, the prana, the qi that animates all living people no matter who they are, where they live, or what they do for a living, including agnostics and atheists. It is not something you earn by being in the right “club.”

When you remember all the words of Jesus, not only some of them, you will also relax and breathe in peace that knows no bounds. It helps you to put your daily life in perspective. Then your bliss will shine forth.

God is closer to you than your next breath because God, as Eternal Universal Life Force Energy, is the Source of that breath.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Remedies That May Help


Obsessive~ Compulsive ~ who, me?

Being a human being is a real trip, isn’t it?

Where did the instruction manual go?

If you ever find you have recurrent obsessions, like persistent ideas, thoughts, or impulses which are intrusive to your life and cause you marked anxiety and distress, you might have obsessions.

If you find yourself habitually expressing repetitive behaviors, like checking your doors or under the bed repeatedly without being able to stop without experiencing heightened stress and anxiety, you might have compulsions.

Can you stop them without mental distress?

If your thoughts and actions take over your life with a life of their own, then you might have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Do you bear a wearying consciousness of yourself and your stresses everywhere you go?

There are two points to share here. One is to know that there are some self-help tools you can all do that are extremely effective.

The other point to remember is that while you can do many things to help yourself, there are times when you cannot simply “decide” not to have a chemical imbalance or other physical and/or mental condition which requires a medical physician or psychiatrist.

While your insane ego might like not to require you to take prescription drugs, it is sometimes exactly what is needed.

A human body or mind is no less a body or mind if it is in need of assistance in balancing you in mind, body and/or Spirit/Soul.

First, take a look at self-help tools that work. Be honest with yourself. No one can lie to yourself like you can when you do not want to address an issue you do not want to deal with.

Rule number one is to drop the negative self judgement. Realizing who you are and what makes you tick is truly a wonder-filled thing. When you stop denying things about you that are there, you can make great strides in any direction you choose.

That’s right. You get to choose.

Rationally you may understand that your obsessions and compulsions are not necessary, while at the same time, you may not be able to stop them. Telling yourself that you do have a choice is huge, because up until now, you may have understood yourself to be at the mercy of the situation.

Rule number two is to reprogram your mind. You need to reprogram the victim mentality, to a self-empowering mentality.

You may not like to think of yourself as “programmed.” But that is what has happened to you if you find yourself with dysfunctional habits. You have been “programmed” by your family, your environment and life situations, and by what you take in, like television shows, commercials, movies, not to mention fear-based religious institutions.

How free are you, really?

To get in control of yourself and become self-empowered, you need to choose a mantra, such as an I AM statement as if you are already recovered from this problem. For example, if you want to stop the addictive compulsion to always check under the bed, you can think, “I am relaxed and confident and no longer need to look under the bed,” or whatever the compulsion is.

Does this work the first time you think it?

No, it does not.

It is in repeating this new mantra, even if it is the opposite of how you are feeling at this moment and repeating this new behavior that re-trains the mind to think and the body to do something differently.

It takes 21 days to change a habit, any habit. New statements you think, and new behaviors you do will feel like you have two left feet at first. Expect that. It is part of the healing to step outside of your comfort zone. You need to remind yourself that this new, odd feeling is OK. You will get past it.

Mantras work by changing the vibrational message in the mind. Mantras need to be repreated often, like at least 3-10 times each hour, or as often as you remember to say them. Sticky notes everywhere you look are also a help, like on mirrors, walls, doors, tables, our cars, everywhere.

You need to go easy with yourself. Any progress you make is good progress to build upon. No beating yourself up. Be very loving and gentle.

You can stop fear and anxiety, worry and uneasiness from lurking around every corner. You are not alone. Know that everyone has something, some issue to work on. No one is perfect, so join the club.

What you think about, you bring about. Every time a dark or negative thought comes in, like, “This is stupid,” or “This won’t work,” tell yourself, “Yes, this DOES work,” which it absolutely does.

All of these self-help suggestions also work in tandem with your doctor’s helps as well. You can make your life anything you want, so make it beautiful.

Karma ~ The Boomerang of Life


This does not mean you are to be heartless, cold, nor egotistical. The question is, who is in charge of you?

Are situations you cannot control in charge of your emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual wellbeing, or are you in charge of your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health?

Discover shielding so as not to be drawn breathlessly in on every drama present in this world today. Yes, these involve life and death decisions. No, this is not heartless. It is heartwarming and life preserving to realize that you are not called to be like the firefighter responding to every call, especially if there is nothing you can do about it except to worry.

What does worry solve?

Nothing.

If there is something you can do to alleviate suffering within yourself, your family and friends, your country, or in your spot in the world, then that is what you “should” do if you feel called to answer that call.

You are the boss of you, no one else. Take a deep breath and assess what, if anything, you can do at this exact moment. It is all about keeping balance in your life and that of your family, friends, community, nation, and world, in that order.

However, most of us may suddenly feel obligated to respond to every ill in society, erroneously thinking that pouring all your thoughts, words, and actions out on every dilemma will immediately solve all the problems.

Your personal power lies in your ability to see what is going on and make decisions based on the information you have at hand.

Know that now is not forever. Make careful plans for the most life-giving and love-filled solutions you decide to act on, then begin there. Find the peace in knowing you can only do your best with the information you have.

Life is a beautiful treasure. It is how we decide to live our lives, in truth and dignity that will reap the most joy. Everyone will always reap the seeds they have sown. This is how cause and effect works. It never fails. Some call this karma, the boomerang of life.

If you want better results, plant better seeds.

God Bless Everyone Everywhere

Say by John Mayer with Lyrics


Namaste

Page 39 of IN THEIR IMAGE AND LIKENESS


Fearless King Lion Portrait Painting by Elena Francis

” … and to reassess their motives to be better role models for themselves, the youth, and humanity worldwide. Courage does not mean having no fear. Rather, courage is feeling fear, but peacefully doing the right thing, the moral thing, with integrity, despite the presence of fear. Cults use fear as their fuel, keeping their flocks in submission. It is important to stand up for yourself. In political, social, and religious fear’s face, take on the courage of a fearless lion.

“Technically, fear is not a “thing.” Fear is what resides in the void, in the lack, in the worry, the ignorant forecast of gloom and doom, considering only the worst that can happen. No wonder there is fear taking up space where the presence of courage and knowledge ought to be in just about every religious belief system in the world. Even people without any belief system choose to fill themselves with fear, not realizing that having courage in such moments is the way to move forward.

“Fear is also being stoked within the political scene these days, as in the cult mentality fueling racism, xenophobia, prejudice, ultra-nationalism, and violence to be used as methods of intimidation as communication tools. Manipulation by money buys the conscience of lobbyists and politicians as if money and fear of the lack of it is the bottom line. Money and fear are not the bottom line. Ignorance of truth is the fodder of human sheep following greedy leaders who say and do anything to remain in power, fame, and fortune.

“One of the most recent fear-based political power-plays born out obstruction and greed, is demonstrated and written about in the 2012 book, Do Not Ask What Good They Do by Robert Draper,[1] outlining a plan to not work together politically for the common good of Americans, thereby marrying the power-hungry Tea Party and the Republican Party agendas.

“This spawned the current mission of those claiming to be the political party of law and order, while paradoxically and simultaneously giving voice to the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazi, white nationalists, racist skinheads, Neo-Confederate, Black separatists, general hate groups,[2] and Christian identity, who are usually prejudiced against various God-given genders and who only see Pro-Life as anti-abortion while voting for candidates who seek to take away food, and financial assistance programs for the homeless, as well as for veterans. The Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Project keeps track of these groups attempting to hijack the Republican Party, currently a political cult to my understanding of a cult.”

IN THEIR IMAGE AND LIKENESS, subtitled, UNIVERSAL WISDOM, is available at: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?jJYgIBP46qu8cMrJ7rlqn8T0VppG6jhdMFWZZrFGOQ7 and anywhere books are sold.

___

[1] do not ask what good they do by robert draper – Bing images

[2] Hate Map | Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org)

Adult Time Out ~ Heal Mind ~ Body ~ Spirit ~ Balance Chakras & Lightbody Awareness ~ You Are Invited ~ Oct. 29, 7-8 pm at Historic Yoga ~ Sturbridge, MA ~RSVP ~ Space Is Limited


Celestial Meditation Nights help you recover your peace of mind, relax your body, and connect to your Soul, your true essence. You deserve to feel better.

“You deserve to feel better,” was the slogan for my business, The Massage Clinic, with four offices in Stratford, Milford, Orange, and West Haven, CT. I offered Meditation Nights once a month to the community for 8 years before I retired. A total of 8,000 appointments were held at The Massage Clinic for holistic health counseling as well as for massage therapy.

These meditation nights were very popular because they were a drop out of time, just as they are for you now, to reclaim parts of you that might have been lost in the shuffle of life.

Pay attention to your feelings, emotions, and moods because they tell on you, especially when you might be overwhelmed with juggling everything begging for your attention.

Now Historic Yoga, 58 Main Street (Rt 131), Sturbridge, MA, will be hosting Celestial Meditation Nights on the last Sunday of each month from 7-8 p.m. Everyone deserves a break now and then.

Keeping schedules are important, but so is self-care. When was the last time you took time out of your busy schedule, not to work or do an activity, but just listen and relax while uplifting yourself in an enjoyable setting?

You matter.

You are important.

You are worthy.

It is important to RSVP because space is limited.

Here is the link you will need to sign up:

https://www.historicyoga.com/event-details/monthly-celestial-meditation-nights-2023-10-29-19-00

Namaste

All The Darkness In The World Cannot Put Out A Single Candle


Be the Light in a world of dark. The Light of enthusiasm is contagious. The world needs your Light.

All the darkness in the world needs your Light. There is not one thing in the entire world that can put out your Light but you. Let your Light shine right where you are. If you live alone, your positive outlook, sense of humor, and inner peace will affect everything and everyone around you in the place where you live, shop, or walk in nature. Your inner joy extends out from your heart, mind, and soul, feeding the energy of your plants, pets, and all living things.

It matters little what situation you currently find yourself in. I remember a time when I was pregnant with my fourth child. Since my first baby boy died in a miscarriage when I was only four and a half months pregnant, each time I got pregnant five times after that, I needed to have a cervical cerclage, also known as a cervical stitch. This is a procedure done during pregnancy where the doctor sews the cervix closed. The cervix is a funnel-shaped tissue that opens during childbirth so the baby can move out of the uterus and through the vagina. The doctor told me that as the baby gained weight, he determined that my cervix could not hold the growing weight of the baby. Shortly before giving birth, this stitch can be removed in the doctor’s office, allowing for a natural birth.

This procedure was done under anesthesia in the hospital. Evidently this stitch can slip off, requiring another minor surgery to put another one in. In my case, for my five beautiful children, I needed to have this done eight times.

With my fourth child, I was further along in my pregnancy. Putting me under by anesthesia was not recommended. Instead, a spinal block was recommended. However, I could not bend into the tight, forward-bending position necessary. This resulted with me getting an incredibly horrendous spinal headache for a week, getting worse and worse each day.

I was in so much pain that at home, before going back to the hospital, I told each one of my family members how much I loved them as my way of saying good-bye to them in this life. I did not think it was possible to recover from that much pain in my head.

One particular nighttime nurse in the hospital would come into my room to check on me. We talked about the beauty of life, my beautiful garden of children, as I called them, and also talked about the love of God. Lying there in incredible pain, I was sharing my understanding of the love of God with another soul who was trying to help me feel better. She was a loving and gentle nurse. I thanked her so much for helping me.

The doctor told me that sometimes the spinal fluid leaks out of the spot where they inject the spinal needle. As a result of the spinal fluid leaking out of the spine, it meant that there was not enough spinal fluid to buffer the brain, creating these spinal headaches, which I judged to be about ten times worse than the migraine headaches I sometimes got. The pain was so bad I was saying good-bye to my family.

The doctor also told me he could do a spinal surgery, but that I might have a possibility of becoming paralyzed for life. He also told me that they found that on day seven or eight of the spinal injection, sometimes the spot of the spinal tap would seal itself on its own. He asked me if I wanted to wait another day to see if that happened. I chose to wait, even though the pain in my head was unbearable.

For some miraculous reason, I woke up the next day with my head feeling like it was in a tunnel, like the feeling I got after the nightmare intensity of migraine headaches finally went away. The torturous pain lifted and never returned. But many of the blood vessels in my eyes looked as if they burst, making the whiteness of my eyes red from the pressure in my head.

Why am I telling you such a personal experience?

There are times in each of our lives that are dark, to our way of thinking. It could be seclusion during COVID, depression, worry over a job or finances, relationship issues, or a host of other dreary times.

It does no good to lament the current situation. Nothing good ever results from beating the drum of dysfunction, of what is not working in life, and fertilizing the seeds of gloom and doom.

The nurse who took care of me during my dark and painful time in the hospital came into my room often to speak with me when I was awake, told me she enjoyed the few moments she was able to speak to me because it gave her a lift in her otherwise busy day of taking care of other patients of hers who were also hurting. She said she was amazed by the love I was sharing with her and felt uplifted in talking to me. That memory is so profound to me that I still remember this precious moment in life these thirty-six years later.

Bloom where you are planted, in whatever situation you find yourself. Not many of us have lives with no pain, aggravation, disappointment, or void of failure in some way. It is not perfection that soothes our souls. It is peace, love, empathy, generosity, and compassion that we offer to other people that will bring about the better relationship, better neighborhoods, better states, better countries, and a better world.

Be the lit candle right where you are.

Namaste

The Boy Who Cried “Wolf!” ~ How To Stop Teaching Ignorance


There once was a boy who cried, “Wolf!” Everything he thought, he got, though there was never enough of the stuff to fill him up, no matter how much he tried. There was a hollow place inside him that nothing could fill.  It confused him greatly until the day when he learned how easy it was to manipulate others, as if they could fill this ego gap. But the gap was a trap. His ideas, how grand, swirled around in his head. Sure, trouble always followed, but there were those who bailed him out of every jam, every time. He was learning.

This was all he knew. It was an imaginary world where he would be king, played out in real time. What he did not know was how to be honest and true, neither to himself, nor others. Truth was what he made it out to be. He lived in a pretend world of his own making. He learned fast how others would follow his lead in any direction he wanted to go. If he beckoned to anyone, they would come running, since there was always a reward. The problem those around him soon discovered, was that there was also a punishment for not jumping at his every command. He was learning.

He just had to create a façade, something contrived yet plausibly believable. It was ingenious how this plan worked for him, time and again. He tested it often, crying out, “Wolf!” to see who would come running. But come running they all did. He was learning.

What he did not know was what he was doing to himself, to his mind, to his body, to his spirit, to his very soul. He was changing from an innocent boy into a caricature of the human puppet he wished to be. He was like Pinocchio in reverse, a real boy turning into a puppet performing for others on the world’s stage. Something was being born in him he did not recognize, but it was fun for him to think that he could pull the strings of others. Some called it narcissism, perversion, and some even called it malevolent, the birth of a sociopath, so deep was his disassociation from reality. He was learning.

In his world, somehow different from the world everyone else lived in, his reality was what he made it. He garnered a flock of admiring pigeons around him, eating from the crumbs that fell to the floor. They loved it, gobbling up every seed that was sown. He was learning.

He noticed that more and more pigeons came to his beck and call. He thought himself popular. After all, no one else had as many pigeons as he had. He even learned from the pigeons, how they could strut and puff up their own feathers. He was learning.

But the seed was expensive, so he went back to feeding them crumbs from his leftovers. He decided that, since they were believing everything that he was telling them, that he would just tell them, that the crumbs were better for them. Obviously, crumbs were cheaper since they were free. He figured out it was easier to lie than to be bothered with all the problems of him telling the truth. After all, they were only pigeons. He was learning.

Interestingly, the pigeons bought the lie and started telling other birds of all kinds that the crumbs from the boy were the best, tastiest, healthiest morsels they had ever tasted. Other birds believed the pigeons. They traded their high-quality seeds for the crumbs of the boy. The pigeons did not want to be without food. Fear grabbed their bird brains, the pigeons and many of the other birds, and they all willingly dumbed down to the point where they believed the lie was the truth. Now all the pigeons and other birds passed this knowledge on to their children. The plan was working great. The boy was learning.

Then the day arrived when the owls came to see what all the fuss was about, crumbs over seeds. The owls listened and tasted the crumbs. While it did fill them up, the crumbs did not taste as good as the seed did. The owls tried to tell the pigeons the truth of the matter. The pigeons refused to listen. They reasoned, “What did the owls know anyway?” The owls never met the boy, nor heard these words from his mouth. They did. The boy continued to learn.

Season after season the lies were handed down as truth, fiction replacing fact. Slowly the pigeons began dying. The baby pigeons were dying too. They blamed their fate on the owls who showed up rather than on the truth of the matter, that there was no nutrition in the crumbs from the boy, only more lies. Some of the pigeons came to their senses and realized that they felt so much better with the good seed they used to eat. It took time to convert the other bird brains into changing their belief that the seed would make them healthy again. Slowly, one by one, more pigeons gradually came over to the seed side of healthy bird life. The boy learned and became sacred.

How in the world was he going to control the pigeons and all the other birds now that the truth was uncovered? Failure was not an option. He stopped feeding crumbs to the pigeons who changed allegiances. That would teach them a lesson. If they died, that was no concern to him. That was their decision. His narcissism and sociopathy grew with his every breath. He had no feeling for the pigeons that died. He had no feelings at all, except those that fed the bottomless pit of his monstrous ego. He stopped learning.

The pigeons and owls began to flourish, even when he said they would not. The bird brains learned they had to think for themselves. They corrected the errors they had passed onto their children, in order that they could also live better and longer. In time, all the pigeons and owls valued fact over fiction, and good seed over crumbs. They continued learning.

The boy’s mind started playing tricks on him. He had lost control of his ego, which now dominated his every thought, word, and action. When things did not go his way, he knew no way out. He screamed at the pigeons and the owls. He had temper tantrums. How sad it was to see him refuse to grow up when all the time he could choose to recognize that he could be better. He could apologize to the pigeons and owls but somehow that seemed impossible. He did not want to take personal responsibility for the death of all those pigeons. Forgiveness, one way or the other, escaped his understanding. He cried, “Wolf!” one last time, but no one came running. He stopped learning.

The moral of the story is: Truth always comes out in the end. Better to stand by yourself in the truth than in a flock of pigeons who choose ignorance over intelligent knowledge. Decide not to be anyone’s puppet ever again. Forgiveness is always possible, for yourself and others.

God Bless Everyone Everywhere

It’s A Time For Hope ~ When We All Vote ~ Your Vote Matters


Now is a time for hope, since all votes matter. The reason there are such attempts at suppression of votes and voters is because your vote matters so much. If you are the ages of 18-24, 25-65, or 66 +, this election will matter in every aspect of your future. Voting gives you hope for your future, and to continue the envied democracy of numerous countries in the world.

All votes matter, regardless of race, gender, age, and abilities, regardless of the attempts to silence our voices in deciding the justice, health care, economy, and integrity of the freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness of everyone in our country.

Let’s call suppression of votes what it is, cheating.

The United States Postal Service creed, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” although not an official motto, is acknowledged by the Postal Service as an informal motto. This is good to remember. Your vote matters.

The following is a special that all voters would benefit from viewing:

https://www.hbomax.com/feature/urn:hbo:feature:GX4YOrQsIwGNViQEAAAGH

Namaste

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Panic Attacks ~ Repost from March 23, 2012


Stress? What stress?

Imagine you are here ~ no worries ~ nothing to do ~ RELAX

We need to take care of our mental health, in addition to our physical health. Our mental health is important. We need to take better care of it. With physical health issues, we tend to take care of the things we need to take care of. If we ignore the first symptoms of a problem, the pain associated with the physical problem usually sends us to the doctor, even if it is inconvienient.

But those of us with mental health issues often have another hurdle to jump. Our pride, which is fed by our insane ego, suggests to us that if we were mentally strong enough, then we could simply wish our problems away, or worse yet, our insane ego might suggest that you are feeling so good, you should get off your medications because you do not need them anymore.

NEVER GET OFF ANY MEDICATIONS WITHOUT THE ADVISE OF YOUR DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBED THEM.

Whatever you focus on grows.

The following considerations work both for people currently on medications, and for those who are not on medications.

Let’s go back. Twice now I’ve referred to the ego as the insane ego. The ego very much wants to have a loud voice, no matter how shy you might be, in order to keep you alive. It does not like to have its voice squelshed. However, our ego can make its presence known so loudly that we trip over it time after time. So I will be refering to our unbridaled ego as the insane ego.

Our insane ego can rear up when we first become aware that we might be mentally unbalanced, overly frightened or overwhelmed, by suggesting that this problem “is all in your mind,” and that “It will go away.” Guess what? Problems, mental or otherwise do not go away when we do not deal with them.

It is important for good mental health, to acknowledge our feelings. Feelings are not right or wrong. They simply are. Unpleasant feelings like guilt, unworthiness, grief, and depression do not magically transform themselves by stuffing them deep, down inside you, or denying them. First we need to acknowledge them. Sometimes these feelings are so strong they create a physical pain, but that’s just the symptom of the emotional pain. Know this, once you identify the source of the problem and deal with it, the pain begins to lessen, while your personal power grows stronger.

Whatever you focus on grows. The more you focus on the anxiety, the more the anxiety grows. The good news is, the more you focus on relaxation, and doing the things that bring on the relaxation response, the more you will unwind and heal.

While it is not healthy to pretend we do not have anxiety, it is healthy to have a conscious plan including self-talk and mantras, simply phrases we keep repeating to ourselves to re-train our mind in how we think. Yes, there are times medications are needed, but quite often using these simple self-help tools work to reduce stress, restore mental balance and increase self esteem without them.

For panic attacks, remember to breathe. Nowadays we do not breathe right. When we do breathe, we do not get the same amount of oxygen as we did a century ago due to so much pollution in the air. Plus we are cutting down the rainforests in the world, which are the lungs of the planet. So, remember to take slow, deep breaths. After taking 15 slow, deep breaths, your blood pressure usually returns to normal.

You need to know, if this hasn’t occurred to you already, that you are not going to “feel” like doing any of this. Once the negative habit of anxiety has rooted in you, a little voice inside of you will start by telling you, “This is stupid,” or “It won’t work,” or “I don’t feel like it.” It’s like you have the negative you on one side, and the positive at-least-wants-to-try-to-be-positive you on the other side. Realize this before hand so you expect it, then consciously take the steps to get better anyway.

Yes, you can get better.

To reduce stress, make sure each day includes stretching, Yoga or walking. Remember to move your body in five different directions. For example, you could do a forward bend, arch your back backwards, lean from the waist to one side sliding your hand down your outer calf or whereever you can reach, then do the same thing on the other side. Lastly, do some sort of twist, gently. None of these moves need to be extreme. They just need to be done. This helps you by releasing those feel-good endorphines. Start by doing this for five minutes, then gradually over a few days increase to 15-20 minutes each day, rain or shine.

Listen to happy music you like. Relaxing music helps a lot.

Know too that the world is not going to come to an end if you do not get everything on your to-do list done. Your head already knows this, yet somehow we place enormous burdens on ourselves, out of a mis-guided goal of perfection. Accept yourself right where you are, right now, with all limitations you see. Ask the good God who made you for the assistance you need. It is not that you are perfect if or when you get 900 things done in a day. Give yourself permission to be you and enjoy the wonder.

Namaste
The God in Me recognizes the God in You
Have A Beautiful Day!

Dealing With Anxiety In An Anxious Time ~ Your Previous History Is Not Your Destiny


When you have done all you can possibly do to keep yourself and your family safe during this coronavirus pandemic,

Is my anxiety serving me?

worrying about it solves nothing. You and I both know this. So how do we step out of fear from obvious threats that surround us?

Here are some mental health tools that work 100 percent of the time.

They will not work if you mentally argue against them. In this post I am asking you to put aside any negative thoughts such as, “This doesn’t (can’t, won’t) work,” and “I’ve tried this before,” and “My situation is different,” and “I have been diagnosed with depression (trauma, Autism, any other mental health label).” As long as we hang our hat on our special reason for why we are the way we are, we seldom seek to apply the mental health tools that alleviate stress, anxiety, panic and panic attacks.

Stop hanging on to the reason you are the way you are. Instead, cling to the time-tested words that have helped so many people rise above the crippling drama that can shut you down.

Let me repeat that these mental health tools work 100 percent of the time. Try them out for 21 days. It takes 21 days to change a habit. It is sad to see in today’s society how we more readily grab onto labels of dysfunction as opposed to labels that help us move out of dysfunction. It does help to have a starting point, as long as that starting point does not become the reason you do not decide to move forward to improve your mental health. Yes, we have to deal with the mental health challenges, just know they are not insurmountable.

MENTALLY

“Remember, only your beliefs about yourself can affect the way you feel … only your thoughts can affect your emotions.” Dr. Dolores Seymour

People who did not listen to the labels that were put on them include Walt Disney and Albert Einstein. Disney was told by a newspaper owner to pursue a line of work other than drawing because he didn’t have any creative ideas. Einstein’s schoolmaster told him he would never amount to much. Neither one of them stopped their dreams because of labels that were imposed upon them. They heard the labels with all their limitations, and went ahead to create their own life.

If you have a diagnosis or label others or you give yourself, know that you are not limited mentally, physically or spiritually by these labels. They are not a justification for the way you are. What you have is a unique set of circumstances that you work with, not that define you, even if you are in a wheelchair.

It helps to realize that you decide for yourself what is right or wrong. Others can tell you what is right or wrong for them, but they cannot tell you what is right or wrong for you because they are not in your shoes. It all depends on your perspective to determine what is right or wrong.

“The choice is yours. Today, every day, can be an adventure as you turn crises into opportunities.” Dr. Dolores Seymour

Change your daily goals based on today’s circumstances. Perhaps you had set goals to diet, exercise, go to work, plant a garden, do project with the kids, and paint the house last month. This month you are faced with a global pandemic, social distancing and quarantine and not knowing whether or not to go out in public as businesses open and your inner self is revolting from staying inside. What do you do?

Mental health is important no matter which course of action you take, stay inside or go outside. Whatever you decide, even if it is to stay inside because you just learned that children do in fact get COVID-19, but show it with different symptoms, you still come to ground point zero. How are you going to mentally handle this? It was not in your original plan.

Change is the only constant in life. Go with the flow. Fighting change is a no win battle, like attempting to stop an avalanche careening down a mountain while valiantly using a snowboard to resist it. Stop fighting change and figure out the best way for you to snowboard down that mountain. Staying stuck will immobilize you.

Try this plan instead:

1. Stop all negative thoughts that come into your mind. Stop the blame. Stop the guilt. Any time a negative or anxious thought comes to mind say CANCEL.

2. Know your limitations and work with them. If you have triggers that send you spiraling out of control, learn to recognize them. The sooner you see them manifesting in your day, the better you will be able to deal with them. You are in control of you, not your limitations. You are in control of your feelings and emotions, no matter how strong and scary they feel. Your feelings and emotions are not in control of you. You are very powerful. Whatever you tell yourself, you will be. When you learn to validate and know yourself better, you will be able to decide how you want to feel. The choice is yours. Feelings, emotions and moods follow thoughts ALWAYS. It is never the other way around.

IF YOU DO NOT LIKE HOW YOU ARE FEELING, CHANGE HOW YOU ARE THINKING.

3. Say a positive statement, also known as a mantra, that will help you stay focused on your new mental health plan. This works, unless you use your free will not do do it. Say this positive statement often throughout the day, on the hour each hour, or use triggers like, each time you touch a door knob. Say this simple statement of affirmation in the positive, such as, “I am a positive person,” not “I am not a negative person.” Say this mantra even if it is not how you are feeling. If you concentrate on how you are feeling (what I call belly-button gazing), you will keep feeling how you are feeling. Feelings are not right or wrong, they just are. But only focusing on how you are feeling at the moment is like walking round with your feet stuck in buckets of cement, expecting to magically feel better. Drop the negativity. Choose a mantra of how you WANT to feel. Start the statement with the words “I am …”

Positive mantras to choose from if you can’t think of any are:

  • I am happy
  • I am content
  • I am at peace
  • I am whole
  • I am able to do this
  • I am confident
  • I am in control of me
  • I am in control of my thoughts

PHYSICAL

You and I have choices and decisions to make. If you and I do not make our own choices, others will fill in the void and make them for us. Do you want to be more fully in control of you? You can be, no matter your past history. Your previous history is not your destiny.

It is interesting to know that any positive changes you decide to make in your life do not have to be done with over-the-top drama. You can peacefully make the changes you wish to make. Once you decide to act rather than to react to life, peace will flood your life, even in the midst of this pandemic and other people’s drama. You become the captain of your life ship. You no longer are the shipmate of ship-wrecked emotions and meltdowns.

Sometimes, many people around you will not know exactly how to respond to the new you. People do not like change, most like the status quo. You might find people trying to put you back into the box you just got yourself out of. Others are not in charge of you. This also does not have to be confrontational. You do not need to match their emotion, frustration nor outrage. You can remain emotionally level and simply be the new you.

Decide on how you wish to improve your physical health, even if it is just to go for a walk or a less populated park, go for a ride in the car for a sight-seeing adventure, or do stretches inside your living room.

Maybe you are an introvert and would like to improve your diet or physical health independently. There’s nothing wrong with that. Validate where you are, set goals, improve your oxygen intake and go at your own pace. Setting goals for each day and week will get you to where you want to be. Go at your own pace.

Your body is supported by the tripod of life, mind, body, spirit. You need all three to be healthy for a whole and productive life. Without one of these healthy legs to support you, you fall down. Make sure to take good care of each one of them.

SPIRITUALLY

You and I each have our own walk of faith and beliefs that have gotten us this far in life. We need faith to feed our soul. People who live life without attention to their spirit/soul will gravitate to the materialistic and consumeristic things in life in a misguided attempt to fill the void in life that only God can fill. Some of us have deep spiritual lives. God is the only one that can fill this part of us. We can have interests in painting, music, sports, friends, but all of these interests, as fulfilling as they are, are no match for how God can fill a soul who is ready to embark on that spiritual journey.

Find a good book on prayer and meditation. At this time of social distancing, online prayer meetings and social gatherings for meditations or spiritual community outreach are recommended.

As good as social settings are for friendship, individual prayer feeds the soul the best. After all, it is an individual journey we are all taking here on earth. We are born alone, thanks to the grace of God. In the end of our life, we go back to God. Now is the time to foster growth in getting to know the Creator of all love, faith and hope. If there ever was a time for faith hope and love, it is now.

All of these mental health tools are drugless therapies. You can do this.

Because You Deserve To Feel Better

Free Holistic Health Counseling Sessions ~ How You Can Control Your Moods ~ Part II of IV


If you do not like how you are feeing, change how you are thinking. This works 100 A Little Stressedpercent of the time. Yes, you can. This next short video is part 2 of a 4 part series on free holistic healing counseling support amid the changing times and social distancing guidelines we are following these days. There are numerous posts in this blog I have written in the past on natural, holistic healing without the use of chemical medications.

Even if you take medications for relief with stress and its affect on your moods, you will still get to this starting point of self care and self improvement suggestions mentioned in this post. With or without medications, if you want to feel better, you will arrive at this exact point. Your moods involve your thinking, what you choose to think about. Did you realize you are the one who is choosing to think your thoughts, that they do not think you?

What you think about, you bring about. You are so powerful, that at this very moment, if you think you have had enough with this cloud of stress, or depression, or anxiety, however it is manifesting for you, you can stop it, turn it around, and begin to have a beautiful day. Yes, you can.

Now you will hear from my instructor from the American Institute of Holistic Health and Wellness, Dr. Dolores Seymour. She will tell you what I have been telling you all along.

If you would like further communication with me on this or any other post, simply click on the light gray comment word at the top left of this post. I will get back to you.

Have a beautiful day!
God Bless You

Lent Fasting and Feasting Meditation ~ Wednesday in Holy Week


Lent Fasting and Feasting Meditation

Greens for Palm Sunday

I came across this beautiful meditation and wanted to share it with all of you. It would make an inspirational meditation during Holy Week. I also heard that with the world social distancing, for love of our neighbors, many of us will not be going to Church on Palm Sunday, which also means we will not be receiving palms. Instead, with full love in our hearts, I invite you to join in, if it is possible for you to do so, to put greens on the door of your home. These greens can be greens from the forest: pine, evergreen, fur tree branches for those of us in northern climates; palm branches for those of you in southern states and Hawaii, and any other greens from trees and/or bushes. God is not prejudiced about kind nor color. He loves us all!

Lent can be more than a time of fasting; it can be a season of feasting. We can use Lent to love dovefast from certain things and to feast on others. It is a season in which we can:

Fast from judging others; feast on Christ Jesus dwelling in them.

Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of life.

Fast from apparant darkness; feast on the reality of light.

Fast from thoughts and reality of illness for a moment; feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that encourage.

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optomism.

Fast from worry; feast on divine order.

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayers.

Fast from hostility; feast on kindness.

Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.

Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.

Fast from facts that depress; feast on thoughts that uplift.

Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiam.

Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.

Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of contentment.

Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence. ~ author unknown

I would like to point out that I am not proposing ignorance, like an ostrich with its head

ostrich with head in the sand
I do not see any COVID-19, prejudice, poll tampering, voter fraud, ballot counting fraud, or bad news of any kind. Nope, I don’t see a thing.

stuck in the sand, or living blissfully in denial, as if there is no need to know what is going on in the world or in our environment or neighborhoods. Ignorance is not bliss.

What I am proposing is balance in mind, body and spirit. Our minds can do more than worry. Our bodies can do more than get out of shape. Our spirits can do more than be filled with self-delusion.

If we all get back to the virtues, we will witness the world becoming more fully human, as the Good God intended us to be.

 

God Bless

Lent Fasting and Feasting Meditation


Lent Fasting and Feasting Meditation

Greens for Palm Sunday

I came across this beautiful meditation and wanted to share it with all of you. It would make an inspirational meditation during Holy Week. I also heard that with the world social distancing, for love of our neighbors, many of us will not be going to Church on Palm Sunday, which also means we will not be receiving palms. Instead, with full love in our hearts, I invite you to join in, if it is possible for you to do so, to put greens on the door of your home. These greens can be greens from the forest: pine, evergreen, fur tree branches for those of us in northern climates; palm branches for those of you in southern states and Hawaii, and any other greens from trees and/or bushes. God is not prejudiced about kind nor color. He loves us all!

Lent can be more than a time of fasting; it can be a season of feasting. We can use Lent to love dovefast from certain things and to feast on others. It is a season in which we can:

Fast from judging others; feast on Christ Jesus dwelling in them.

Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of life.

Fast from apparant darkness; feast on the reality of light.

Fast from thoughts and reality of illness for a moment; feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that encourage.

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optomism.

Fast from worry; feast on divine order.

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayers.

Fast from hostility; feast on kindness.

Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.

Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.

Fast from facts that depress; feast on thoughts that uplift.

Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiam.

Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.

Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of contentment.

Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence. ~ author unknown

 

I would like to point out that I am not proposing ignorance, like an ostrich with its head

ostrich with head in the sand
I do not see any COVID-19, prejudice, poll tampering, voter fraud, ballot counting fraud, or bad news of any kind. Nope, I don’t see a thing.

stuck in the sand, or living blissfully in denial, as if there is no need to know what is going on in the world or in our environment or neighborhoods. Ignorance is not bliss.

What I am proposing is balance in mind, body and spirit. Our minds can do more than worry. Our bodies can do more than get out of shape. Our spirits can do more than be filled with self-delusion.

If we all get back to the virtues, we will witness the world becoming more fully human, as the Good God intended us to be.

 

God Bless

 

Poverty Mentality Fuels Hoarding Wealth, Property, Resources ~ In All Classes ~ In All Countries


Fear is the foundation of the poverty mentality regardless of financial status. The primeval instinct to survive fosters fear to the core of our beings, from the top one percent of wealth earners, and also affecting the middle and low classes of every society in the world. The need to survive, to have “enough” on one level is what keeps us alive. How do we know if we have crossed the line from surviving to hoarding?

Who ever thought hoarding would become so popular?

We watch those hoarding shows on TV with the same shock as we have when we watch horror shows. We wonder, who can live like that? Hoarding all depends on what you love the most.

This systemic problem affects the high class, the middle class and even the low class equally in all countries across the globe. This is not only a problem of the top one percent. The high class is keeping all the wealth of their companies and investments. For example, the countries with profitable oil fields are said to have the greatest levels of poverty within those countries. The middle class is trying to hang on to what they have, to climb higher financially and/or not to lose what they have. The same holds true for the low class. Despite what they say, no one really wants to be homeless, hungry, abused, frozen, ignored or hurting.

CAMDEN, NJ – OCTOBER 11: A homeless man named Bob waits for donations from passing motorists on October 11, 2012 in Camden, New Jersey. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Camden, New Jersey is now the most impoverished city in the United States with nearly 32,000 of Camden’s residents living below the poverty line. Camden, which sits just over the bridge from more affluent Philadelphia, also has a chronic crime problem with 48 recorded homicides this year alone. A lack of jobs has been a feature of life in Camden since the city lost most of its manufacturing base in the late 60’s and 1970’s. While the state unemployment rate is about 9.9 percent, Camden’s is estimated at 19 percent. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The problem is, if no one budges to help humanity in need, problems get worse, not better. Wealth hoarding hurts people, all levels of governments, animals, climate and the world at large.

How do we know if we have become an unhealthy hoarder of wealth, property, food, medical care, clothes, shoes, and various other things? We can each ask ourselves these questions:

* Do I think the problems of other people do not affect me?
* Do I feel if I earned it, I keep it all, no matter what?
* Do I view wealth as power over others?
* Do I think that money is the bottom line?
* Do I think that money is the bottom line at the expense of every and anything else?
* Do I believe in the non-reality of the “trickle down economy,” that I get raises when the top makes money?
* Do I think that if I made money last year that I can tolerate inhumane treatment of others, and corruption that I would otherwise not tolerate?
* Do I justify lying, cheating, stealing as long as I make money?
* Do I support others who lie, cheat and steal as long as I make money?
* Do I wall off my feelings, not wanting to see the world’s lack, hunger or need in all forms?
* Do I feel like I need to keep up with the material things my neighbors, bosses, friends/family have?
* Do I think if others want what I have, they should to go out and earn it, even when I see them struggling to survive?
* Do I think children ought to go hungry and/or homeless because their parents are struggling?
* Do I think children ought to go hungry and/or homeless because I disagree with their parents?
* Do I think there is no room in the country for refugees?
* Do I think there is no room in the country for immigrants?
* Do I think there is not enough money to help those less fortunate than myself?
* Do I think if I give to those less fortunate than myself that I will not have enough?
* How would I feel if I was being persecuted in my country and needed food, shelter or clothing?

Hard lines are sometimes drawn by those who have against those who have not. Why? Fear is the root cause; fear of personal lack, and fear of personal failure. Justifying why we cannot help someone is a red flag to the beginning of deadening our sensitivities.

When does living lives of ordinary care cross the line into lives motivated by greed?

When does greed cross the line into hoarding?

We need to regain our humanity. To be fully human, and not a robotic shell of a human being, we need to exercise virtues of the heart.

There is another dysfunctional climate sweeping across the world, affecting every nation. It is a climate issue of hoarding wealth, property and resources.

What is the remedy? Must we give away every dime we have and give away our homes until we too are destitute? No. We can make financial donations whenever want to. However, it is possible to open our hearts and offer assistance where we can. Not every way of helping to solve the systemic problem of hoarding wealth involves money. For example, we can:

* Volunteer our time to worthwhile causes, or at the local hospital
* Become aware of where local soup kitchens and homeless shelters are
* Learn a new language in order to help those less fortunate in your area
* Write letters to local and state representatives for humane treatment of all people
* Read non-fiction books on the lives of others to become more aware of the plights of others
* Become more environmentally aware of ways to use recycled items, cars, plastics, household goods …

The hoarding of property and resources is also systemic across the globe. My husband and I personally drove across the United States a year ago. We drove from Berkeley, down the coast of California in a Prius C, which gets from 50-70 miles per gallon of gas. We then traveled from southern California kitty-corner to Ohio, avoiding major highways in order to see the country on roads less traveled. Most of the time on these roads we were on roads with two-way traffic, and seldom met cars along the way. I don’t even remember one vehicle behind us for more than one block. From there we traveled to the east coast of the United States. What was the cost of gasoline? It only cost $147 for transportation for two people to cross the United States of America.

What did we see as we drove across this country? We saw vast, I mean vast, areas of open land. Not all land was farmland. When people say there is no more room in this country for people to come in, they have not personally traveled across the country. I can vouch for that. I have also traveled the entire east coast of the United States. Except for the cities, mountains and valleys are certainly not filled. I would even go so far as to say most areas in this country are unpopulated.

There are practice solutions to the hoarding of wealth, property and resources that will assist people in need. Jesus told us how to treat one another in the Golden Rule. Perhaps if we put ourselves in the places of the people who are fleeing rape and torture, hunger and poverty, and unhealthy situations, we will become less armored to devastating human conditions of those who are truly in need.

Every human being in every country will benefit from more fair practices and humane treatment. Jesus is the king of the kingdom to come. Until that time, humanity can do a better job helping one another, void of the hoarding of wealth, property and resources.

God Bless

The Merry-Go-Round of Depression ~Do You Want To Feel Better?


Do you want to feel better? We need to ask ourselves this question because we may not like how we are feeling, but somehow we have attached ourselves to the very depression which seems to be holding us hostage. I went to a seminar on depression about a dozen years back. If I wasn’t in need of the CEUs the program was giving me, I would have walked right out the door. But there I was, needing CEUs, so I stayed and listened to what I know works, but at the slowest rate possible. Do nothing was the solution of the speaker. I couldn’t believe me ears.

Let me ask you a question. When you are feeling depressed, do you want to get out of depression quickly, or would you rather wallow in the depression, going from bad to worse, until that one magical day, which ultimately does arrive, when you do not feel depressed anymore? It is true, as the speaker at this seminar was pontificating, that if you simply do nothing, eventually you know, as you have known in the past, that one day, sooner or later, depression lifts.

The more she talked, the angrier I got. The fact of the matter is that everything she said was true. However, it is also true that you can take positive action, at this very moment to begin to feel better. If you are depressed and want to stay in your depression, then do not read any further, because what I also know is true, is how to get out of depression sooner.

I am not saying you snap your fingers and you are magically better. But what I do know is, that there is a way out of depression that does not require you to stay under a depressive cloud until one day the winds of thinking change and voilà, you are no longer depressed.

There is a wonderful true statement in holistic counseling. It is, “If you don’t like how you are feeling, change how you are thinking.” That does work 100 percent of the time, unless someone refuses to do it. It does seem like our thoughts “think” us, but that is not true.

As soon as we realize that our thoughts have been hijacked by the merry-go-round of mental dysfunction, we tell our minds we are going to focus, think or dwell on something else; like making a creative meal tonight with candles, or a special dessert to share with our kids, or carve a pumpkin and toast the seeds, or plan a fun movie night with popcorn for the kids and their friends along with you, or a host of other new things we can do in that same amount of time, jump into fall cleaning, or go shopping for a bit of pretty stationary to write to a friend who now lives far away.

Yes there is social media, but there is nothing quite as special as receiving a handwritten letter in the mail … and a thousand creative other things we can choose to think about, write about and tell others about. We do not only have to talk about the negative, dark and/or depressive moments in our lives. Rather than constantly talk about negative things, depression can make you not talk at all, so that no one knows what pain you are in. No man (woman or child) is an island. We all need each other. This is our sign to reach out to others. You are worthwhile and loved no matter what bad things have happened to you in the past.

Nothing we can say or do will change the past. All we can do is to go forward. We can raise the tone of our minds, the words we choose to share with others, and the actions we choose to take. We have the power to make them positive, life-giving decisions; or make them by only choosing to keep depressive thoughts, words and actions simply because our ego wants to keep us there, stuck. We make this choice, one way or the other, every single time depression sets in. Don’t let the ego win on this one.

Choosing more positive thoughts, words and actions works whether or not we are on medications prescribed us by doctors to help us get through the day. There are real chemical imbalances out there. But even at that, nothing will change until we decide by making a firm decision to change what we are thinking about. That really is possible.

It seems we have an inner fight between the “good” us and the “bad” us. That would be our ego roaring like a lion that we cannot change our thoughts. There are so many things our ego does not want to do, because it likes the dysfunctions it knows. The ego hates change more than you hate being depressed. The good news is that you are the boss of you, not your ego.

Try to find moments to appreciate, a smile to share, look for the beauty in nature, feel the sun on your face. I know all of this does not take problems nor the past away, or make it so bad things never happen. The point is not to let the past dictate our present nor our future. Bad things do happen, but we need to look to the present moment and plan for how we will bring in light, love, peace and joy into our lives and the lives of those around us. It can be done in baby steps or by leaps and bounds.

I am sharing what has helped so many people (5,000 to be exact) who came to see me in counseling for this very situation. We cannot change the past, but we can come up with better coping skills for the present and the future.

God Bless

De-Stress ~ Where Is Your Bliss? ~ Repost


* I extend a warm invitation to the worldwide meditation and prayer effort currently underway through July and August 2019. This is an international, concerted effort specifically addressing the inhumane conditions at the southern border of the United States of America and Mexico. I am inviting all churches in all denominations in the world to invite all their parishioners to take part; and include all people without any church affiliation to participate. Scroll down to see how meditation and prayer reduced crime in Washington, D.C. by 48 percent.

Have you ever found yourself taking on more than you planned or want to take on? Are you stressed???Stressed Woman

There are many things we can do in these stress filled times that are self-help antidotes. They are things we already know. But in the snap decision moment, we can find ourselves doing the exact opposite of what we want to do, like staying calm, cool and collected.

How many times have we been in the middle of a project, or a meal, and the telephone rings, or our electronic gadget alerts us that some new bit of information is coming in? What do we do? Are we in the habit of constantly jumping at everything else’s beck and call?

Are we a slave to modern technology, or are we free ranging humans?

Depending on what we have going on in our life, there are times when we absolutely have to take this call. It could be the doctor, or an urget call from our boss. There are many valid reasons we, from time to time, should drop what we are doing, and answer that call. It would be irresponsible not to.

But is this the normal routine for us every day, in every situation? Do we let everything everybody else wants to come before our peace of mind, our plan for our day, or our priorities? We need to become aware and take stock of our triggers, from time to time, because nothing stays stagnant. Things always change. It is a matter of staying in balance no matter how chaotic life gets.

Becoming aware of how we are feeling is the first step in the right direction to correcting what is off with us. Feelings are not right or wrong, they just are. Good feelings are affirming and are a sign we are doing OK. Feelings of discordant energy are a sign that we need to make a correction somewhere to bring us back into alignment with our true purpose, goals, and get back on track.

Where is our Bliss? This is something we take it with us no matter how busy we let yourselves get. One self-help tool is to remember to take three, count them three, deep, cleansing breaths each time a challenge comes our way. Seldom is the case when we need to react so fast, as if we are running from a burning building. Yet that is exactly how we tend to dash through our lives, putting out everyone’s elses fires.

An amazing thing to remember is, just because someone throws us the ball, we don’t have to catch it. What a relief it is to remember this. Yes, we already know this, but somehow someone throwing the ball to us plays to our ego and we can find ourselves rising to the occasion when we don’t really want to. If this happens to us occasionally, then we are doing a good and noble thing. However, if this happens to us every time, then we are doing ourselves a disservice.

When and how do you start your day? Some of us wake up and immediately jump on the treadmill of life. No wonder we get so exhausted. This tends to be one of the best places to introduce change if we are not happy with our state of affairs.

What part of the day is your best work production, alert time? What part of the day is best for you to exercise? What part of the day for you to meditate, pray or recollect in peace and quiet? This is different for different people. There is not one best answer here. What is important is to take a moment to reassess our life. Are you a morning person, afternoon person or evening person? Does the life you are living match your most optimum work load times? What do you want to do about that?

You don’t have to catch the ball. Isn’t that awesome to remember?

If we are people pleasers, this concept may be somewhat startling. What is it about false pride that makes us think we have to come last in everything?

Are we addicted to technology, social media, work, play, or anything that has taken over our life making us feel that our life is running us, rather than us living our lives?

Jesus of Nazareth, Son of the Living God gives us words of hope as to where to find our bliss in Matthew 6:24-34: “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate one and like the other; or he will honor one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth, technology, social media, etc).

“For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat and what you will drink, nor for your body, what you will wear. Behold, is not life much more important than food, and the body more than clothing?

“Observe the birds of the sky, for they do not sow, neither do they harvest nor gather into barns, and yet your Father in heaven feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?

“Who is among you who by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“Why do you worry about clothing? Observe the wild flowers, how they grow; they do not get tired out, nor do they spin.

“But I say to you that Solomon with all of his glory was arrayed like one of them.

“Now if God clothes in such fashion the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow falls into the fireplace, is he not much more mindful of you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry or say, what will we eat, or what will we drink, or with what will we be clothed?

“For worldly people seek after these things. Your Father in heaven knows that all of these things are also necessary for you.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will look after itself. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.”

When we remember the words of Jesus. It helps us to put our daily lives in perspective. Then our bliss will shine forth.

God is closer to us than our next breath.

NATURE DOES NOT HURRY, YET EVERYTHING IS ACCOMPLISHED ~ LAO TZU


Do you ever find yourself rushing around until life’s no fun? Is your to-do-list longer than the distance from here to the moon? Will you turn into a purple pumpkin if you do not get it all

You are part of nature. Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Soak in the peace and relaxation.

done? How is your blood pressure? Having any physical side effects to stress yet? Is your speech coming out faster than a sonic jet? Texting, eating, drinking, on the cell phone while driving, see the problem? Are you addicted to activity? Where’s the balance?

Breathe.

You are in control of you, not your schedule.

You are in control of you, not other people.

You are in control of you, not the situation.

If the merry-go-round of life is going too fast for you, stop and simplify. Find your balance point. It is literally a matter of life and death. The fastest way to age is to live a life of prolonged, severe stress. Stress brings on major, serious illness and death.

Everyone can push extra hard in life, for a short while, to help someone out, to rise to the occasion, or if the job demands a short but strenuous burst of energy from you. Your employer does not own the rights to your life. You do.

No one can sustain prolonged stress. The body breaks down. Your emotional self breaks down. It is not what nature intended for you on the day you were born. At first you may not associate various ailments and symptoms as stress related. Stress is not a natural state for us. Stress is not good for us, no matter how used to it we are.

How do we break out of this extremely addictive, self-destructive habit of racing through life like a chicken with its head cut off? Like changing any other habit, it is going to take 21 days to try on new habits of relaxation techniques, slow breathing exercises, body stretching, aerobic activity, walking, jogging, bike riding or swimming. You know what works for you. Give yourself breaks, that is life saving.

Take a moment to watch how nature works. Roses do not rush to bloom. They take their time. They open and unfold slowly, all in good time. Savor each moment in this life. You are here for a reason. If you fly through your life too fast, you will miss so much. We all have 24 hours in a day. How you spend it really is up to you.

It is a mistake to give everything on your agenda the same emergency intensity, as if completing each task is equivalent to putting out a fire. You are a human being, not a machine. We all know this. It is good to be reminded from time to time, not to take ourself so seriously. When you’re stressed, the first thing to go is your sense of humor. That’s a clue.

Lao Tzu once said,  “Nature Does Not Hurry, Yet Everything Is Accomplished.”

Inspirational Build Me Up Buttercup


Namaste

Have Peace In Your Life, Not Stress Or Worries


We all know what we focus on grows, so why worry about worrying? We have our human natures. We may blame our genetics, or say we cannot help it,worries to God that the problems are the problem. But this is not so. If we tell ourselves this, we are lying to ourselves. Sometimes we are tempted by our own desires for the things that create conflict. Some of us love the drama (we say we don’t, but sometimes we do). Let’s look deeper.

“Stop being anxious about your lives as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not life mean more than food and the body than clothing? Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? Matthew 6:25, 26
We are all part of Creation, with its renewable and remarkable nature. We are all part of the cycle of life. How many of us reading this article at this very moment are totally without food, water or clothing? Sadly, some of us will die today because of lack of food and water. Some of us are without adequate clothing. We do have a responsibility to help our brothers and sisters in this world. It appears the real problem posed by this scripture, is not that we ourselves are without food, drink or clothing, but that we worry about the superficial things, and place undo importance on them.

“Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to your lifespan? Matthew 6:27
There is a false thinking out there that suggests we are happier with the accumulation of the most toys, things, relationships or money. We know deep down in our hearts that this does not work, but sometimes we live like this anyway, hoping to add length of life or joys of life to our human experience.

“Also, why are you anxious about clothing? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin; but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith? Matthew 6:28-30
Where is our faith? Do we have faith? What do we put faith in? The answer to these questions is the mirror of the heart and soul.

“So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ For all these are the things that nations are eagerly pursuing. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Matthew 6:31,32
Yes, we live in the world where food, drink and clothing are needed on a daily basis. “The nations” (people and countries of the world) try to live this life as if God were not part of it, God, the ultimate Creator of all of it.

“Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33
Notice the order of this promise. First the focus of thought is on the coming Kingdom of God, only after that do we begin to receive all these other benefits from putting God first in our lives. It does not say to focus and struggle on getting our food, drink and clothing first on our own, without God even in the picture. We invite our own struggles in right in the beginning, by not putting the Kingdom of God first (notice also it does not say simply to believe in God, but to put the KINGDOM and God’s righteousness first), not after we get everything else we need, or only after it is popular, easy or convenient.

“So never let anyone be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties.” Matthew 6:34
How many of us worry about the things to come in the next few days, months or years. And how many times do we find that the very things we were worrying about never even came to pass? This is not always the case, but very often, it is. Let us resolve to only be concerned about the things right before us at this very moment, deal with what we have to deal with, in the very best way we possibly can. That is all we can ever really do, our very best.

Namaste

Stop Creating Worries ~ Stress ~ Anxiety ~ Panic Attacks


We’ve heard it before. Stop worrying. We get upset when someone tells us this, because if we could, we would, right?

The Divine Creator of All is closer to you than your next breath, because the Divine dwells in you. With God, all things are possible.

Wrong.How does this tie into 2012 Enlightenment?

 

Do you cringe when you hear that you create your own reality, as if you really did not?

 

One of the biggest problems we face as human beings, is that we create the problem of creating worries. Worries are not something that just happen to us. We actively choose them. With full participation on our part, we create our own worries.

 

 

After we create our own worries, we then choose to stew on them in our minds until they create stress. We keep fertilizing our stress with self-limiting, self-generating fears, until we then manifest anxiety. We keep packing in and pushing down anxiety, pretending it isn’t happening, until we freely, willingly choose to have parts of our face go numb, panic pulsating throughout our entire body, until we almost hit the floor, or do.

Next we choose to go to the doctor, or psychiatrist to get the “answer” to our “problem,” the anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, anti-everything medication, our “saving grace,” we think, for the “problem” of our worries.

Really?

Sound familiar?

Worries are not our problem. Worries are a symptom.

Stop doing that to yourself. There is another way.

If you are so powerful to bring this on yourself, you are just as powerful to stop it any time you want to.

Yes, I’ve read all the books, and have been a holistic counselor for years. I realize this advice flies in the face of most mainstream Western medicine remedies. But I also know what works and what does not. Layering your problems with an icing of drugs, compounds your problems, rather than fixing the root of the problem.

Please do go to a doctor or psychiatrist if you need one, and do NOT stop taking medications cold turkey without your doctor’s advice. Sometimes we do have chemical imbalances we need  to address. Life is the most valuable gift we human beings have. But more often than not, we can make some changes in the way we conduct ourselves through this life, that are our choice, that help and eliminate the root cause of our worries.

The solution is in realizing that we are not purely physical, athiest, beings without connections to the Source of All Life, whatever name you use. For those of you who are scientific minded, there still was the big bang, first energy, the first generation, the first initiator of this multi-universe galaxy, and other galaxies; or however you comprehend the pictures we get back from the Hubbell telescope.

You can decide to give yourself a good day or a bad day, no matter where you are. It is all a matter of perspective. Everyone has a spirit and a soul, the place where your I AM Presence resides within you. If your spirit/soul/Divine connection left you, you would be dead. Physically dead. But you are not. You are reading this.

This I AM Presence of yours is your protection. You are Divine protection. You do not need outside protection of any kind. You are a Divine being, physically walking on this planet. You have a choice of how you walk this planet. You do not need to walk around in fear if you do not want to. Stop hiding from what you think are difficult situations. The second you face the difficult situation head on, is the moment you will feel peace. It is in not facing our dilimmas that we mount up the difficulty.

You cannot go anywhere that you do not take your spirit/soul/I AM Presence with you. You can’t leave it home by mistake. Where you are, there you are. Brilliant, right?

So do not forget that. Meditate, or pray, and listen to the Divine Mind/Divine Voice/Divine Knowledge within you. There are solutions for everything. Sometimes the solution, is no solution. Making no decision about something is actually making a decision to keep things the way they are, no change. That is up to you. How you view this is up to you. The measure is your feelings. If you like how you are feeling, then change nothing. If you do not like how you are feeling, change your perspective or make a plan. You are in charge. No one else is in charge of you. How liberating.

Nothing lasts forever, for better or for worse. Change is the only constant we have. Worries are for those who have not fully realized they walk hand in hand with the Creator of All. You are never alone. The Divine Creator is closer to you than your next breath.

Namaste