Tuesday, November 22

DON'T LIVE IN FEAR... EMBRACE LOVE!


Statics were saying that over 60% of Americans were stressed about the presidential elections and so I submitted a paper to an on line journal about how I deal with this kind of stress in my life. 

It included limiting my media intake and trying to stay positive thus attracting more positive energy for the collective.

It was returned saying, "This could be helpful, resubmit after the election," and I did. I received it back with a note, that put a pit in my stomach, which in effect said that it was bad advice. After licking my wounds, I was able to see that it was in fact bad advice for the situation. (Remember the most important thing is to think for ourselves! Advice is simply an opinion.) 

I was reminded what needs to happen when any disappointment arises is not to stuff the feelings inside but to work through them. Of course, I know this! Stuffing feelings causes dis-ease in our bodies. We need to really feel what we're feeling. Be mad, get angry, think of the worst thing that could possibly happen, feel what that would feel like and then make peace with it. And finally, not to live in fear but to embrace love. That alone can be a major contribution to the whole. 

And ask ourselves, "What can I do to make the situation better? Stay engaged? Become an advocate for whatever beliefs that I hold dear." Change what I can change and accept the things I can't.  

Thursday, November 3

I'M HAPPY, I CAN BREATHE AND I'M HOPEFUL!


"My wife," (soon to be ex) " is telling all of our friends that I've gone off the deep end! That I'm living out in the middle of nowhere in the desert and that they all need to go and save me before I do something stupid!" he said.

This was the beginning of a very enlightening conversion between a client and myself one evening over dinner.   It was interesting to me that she thought he needed an intervention. I've only known him a short period of time but from my viewpoint, he's got it going on! He knows he wants to make changes and he's doing it! 

Then he began to run off a litany of adjectives of how he was feeling. "I'm depressed, anxious, confused, hurt, disappointed, and all of my security is gone! I'll be working forever now to fulfill my retirement requirements." 

And then... sitting under the twinkly lights on the huge manzanita tree under the desert sky, he said something that felt magical. He blurted out without missing a beat or even knowing what he was saying. "But, I'm happy, I can breathe and I'm hopeful!" 

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, witnessing his clarity. "Did you hear those words that just came out of your mouth?" And I repeated them for him to really hear what he had said. "I'm happy, I can breathe and I'm hopeful!" 

Of course, we all go through the same emotional roller coaster ride of life, where depression and anxiety can feel overwhelming. But when we can complete the sentence with "I'm happy, I can breath and I'm hopeful," well, does it get any better than that? 

So go ahead, you don't always need to have a plan, sometimes you just need to breathe, let go and see what happens!