Thursday, October 9, 2014

Stress

Stress can manifest itself in many ways: The inability to go to sleep, the inability to go back to sleep, muscle pains, body aches, lack of patience or internal anger that we cant identify. We throw this word around without truly contemplating its meaning or what we can do about it on a daily basis to help ourselves feel less of it and in return, more at peace (Happy).
So if we compare our mental stress to our physical stress, it allows us to more easily identify two ways to relieve stress. Imagine I hand you (2) 5lb dumbbells and ask you to hold them out in front of you. Depending on your muscle strength, after a short period of time your muscles would begin to feel stress. This stress can turn into true pain and or injure you, if not relieved . What are two ways to reduce the stress being put on the muscle. One, we can reduce the weight, which would have an immediate effect, or two we can build up muscle strength to be able to withstand the weight but this takes time. Your brain (mind) is also a muscle. If we relieve some of the unnecessary weight we put on ourselves, we can have an immediate relief. We also can build up a tolerance to the weight by strengthening our ability to handle the load. This will take time and some pain along the way, but we can build strength and techniques that allow us to handle more "weight".
Their is a more powerful way to release all of the stress we create but it is not comparable to a muscle and is unique to the mind. Our stress is created by the way we choose to perceive the things that are happening around us. Our perception creates fear and fear is the catalyst of all stress. So how can we learn to perceive the daily things that happen around us differently? Take inventory of everything that you were fearful would happen and ask yourself today, how many of those things deserved you putting your happiness on hold. In turn, remind yourself of how many things you were looking forward to, that didn't turn out the way you expected. Fear will always be there but by eliminating some of the weight, working  everyday to build strength and changing your perception of the daily obstacles thrown our way, you can build a bridge that will keep you from falling in the fearful holes that can manifest themselves in so many ways.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Moth's Cocoon




I recently decided to start watching the show Lost again and last night I remembered why. This was an episode about Charlie’s addiction and at one point he is asking Locke for help. Locke asks Charlie to come over to a tree to look at something and he shows him a moth’s cocoon. He goes on to tell Charlie that the moth is trapped inside and will struggle tirelessly through this stage of his life to make his way to the top of the cocoon where there is a small hole. Once the moth gets there, through much pain and effort, he will make the hole big enough to emerge through and fly off. He shows Charlie his knife and explains that he could easily cut through the cocoon and free the moth now but he knows that the moth would not survive. “You see, he says, it’s only through the pain and struggle that the moth will become strong enough to survive through the next stage of life”.  We all struggle but it’s the struggle and working through the pain that prepares us and makes us stronger. If you’re not scared, you’re not challenging yourself. If you’re not feeling discomfort and pain, you’re not growing. I hope I can always remember this even at times when it’s not so easy to remember.