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.