Don’t Stress About It

Lately I’ve been a big ball of stress. There’s been a lot going on, but really, isn’t that usually how life is anyway? So this got me thinking about how our thoughts create our experience in this world. How much of my stress was due to outside forces…or was it mostly an inside game?

I was lucky enough to be able to schedule myself an extra-long extended weekend to just chill out and try to conquer the stress beast that had started messing with my life. What came was a list of self-reflecting questions that made me focus on the reality of the situation. Is this pressure I’m feeling, A) due to my slacking off; B) coming from someone or something threatening my life; C) is anyone going to die if I don’t meet a deadline? Short answers to the above questions: A) no; B) no; C) no. So yep, my stress is an inside job.

Next was the examination of why I tend to hold onto stress this way and how I see others doing the same. Quite simply it’s because we want to do a good job. We want to feel valuable and be of value. And of course there’s the fear of loss if we somehow fail. Does that ring a bell for you? 

The truth is that stressful situations are all around us and always will be. It’s up to us to figure out the best ways to process through it so it doesn’t overtake our precious lives and drain us. So I’ll leave you with this minute of Zen: Somewhere Along the California Coast, and the very short, but to the point message below.

With Love.

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From Over There: weekly focus 7.5.15

To clear the mind is the only true way to freedom. 

No matter the chaos that surrounds one in the 

physical world, when the mind is calm all is calm 

for the individual. All peace starts with the self.

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Until next time…