Archive for fear
St. Patrick and the ANTS
Posted by: | CommentsMost of us know that St. Patrick is credited for driving the snakes out of Ireland. St. Patrick is also my hero.
Maybe it has something to do with being born o
n St. Patrick’s Day, or perhaps the amazing story (some say legend) of how he was captured into slavery and taken from Britain to Ireland, spent years oppressed by his masters, escaped as a result of listening to God’s inner direction, and ultimately went back to help the Irish. It’s the stuff of fantasy, triumph, despair and determination.
He overcame almost insurmountable odds to be become a priest and then later a bishop. He risked being disowned by his wealthy parents, almost certain death when he returned to face his captors, and later persecution by the Church for his unorthodox hands on approach and ministry. St. Patrick persevered in spite of the prevailing ANTS of his time, both his own and others! The snakes may be long gone from Ireland, but those ANTs are still alive and well.
Fast forward from old world Ireland to New Jersey. My sister called yesterday and mentioned she’d had an unrelenting toothache for several months. I took her through a Bridge Process™ (pardon the pun) to help her identify the issues being represented by her aching tooth. As she got in touch with her answer, she laughed and said it was the ANTS at work! “What do you mean?” I asked. She giggled as the pain had already diminished, and said, it’s my automatic negative thoughts. She asked me if I had heard of Dr. Amen and his PBS series. Actually I hadn’t seen the series, nor read his books (they’re on my list), but I’d referred a client to him. He’s a brilliant psychiatrist, whose cutting edge research is changing how we look at brain dysfunction and aging. See more at Change your Brain and Change your Life.
Our ANTs are alive and well. They are so ingrained that most folks never notice them. ANTS are toxic to our health. Science proves it and I’ve experienced it first hand! Left unchecked they stop us in our tracks and keep us from expressing our brilliance. Continue eating daily doses of ANT food, and you will find your health and relationships at risk.
What can we do to banish ANTS in our life? A lot. Pay attention to those negative thoughts! Set an intention to pay attention to how you feel, notice what thoughts trigger your upset, and begin to build a bridge to your own inner wisdom and brilliance. Relinquish the ANT food story you tell yourself: judgments, blame, shame, guilt, anger resentment, etc. and you are sure to experience far greater health, fantastic relationships, increased abundance and joy.
As the Irish say, “You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your father was.” Let’s drop those ANTS today, because everyday is a great day to PLANT (Place Loving And Nice Thoughts) for ourselves and others. It takes nothing less to become our own visionary leader and a leader in the lives of those we touch.
What if you Died Tomorrow?
Posted by: | CommentsWould you be fulfilled?
If not now, when?
You hate your job/career and suffer every moment. Your parents wanted you to be a doctor. You wanted to be a musician. It wasn’t logical nor would it make money, so you opted to be a doctor. Your parent’s wishes fulfilled, you do your time until retirement. Finally you are free to respectably begin living your dream. But life had different plans, and instead you have a heart attack and stroke – at the same time!
Your friend calls to say they are suicidal and want to kill themselves. Half listening, you tell then you’ll stop by and see them tomorrow. (They did what they said they’d do before you got there.)
You give and give and give, and never allow anyone to give back. (You get to stay in control, but do you let yourself receive love unconditionally?)
You’re afraid you will be ridiculed when you share your idea/dream/goal. You do nothing. (The one who did it anyway goes home with the cash.)
Would you be fulfilled if you died tomorrow?
The clock is ticking, and we really don’t know when “the bell will toll for us.”
Live every day as though it and you are precious. You are.
Mix life with love. Tell people you love them – a lot. Add laughter. It makes life more fun.
Why wait until you lose weight, gain weight, get married, get divorced, take that class, get that award….
You might never get a second chance.
The choice is yours. Life life now. There really is no tomorrow.
Don’t Worry, Choose Happiness
Posted by: | CommentsLife is uncertain. Stocks go up and down, hurricanes hit, and we breathe a sigh of relief that it isn’t us. Or is it? None of us are immune to life’s vissisitudes. There is great news though. Studies now confirm what spiritual traditions have taught for centuries: happiness is good for your health, relationships and pocketbook!
There are two sure things that can lift your spirits when the worry bug bites. And bite it will. With today’s uncertain political and economic climate, fear and anxiety abound. Clients throughout the country say the same thing: “I’ve lost xyz amount of my retirement, I can’t sleep, my mind just goes round and round.”
Those are all valid concerns. Yet, there is a deeper truth here, and it is available for those that rise above the challenge at hand. The choice for happiness may provide the actual momentum needed to help us find creative, innovative, and downright brilliant solutions to our material prediciments.
There is, however, no guarantee that we will stay happy in our life, other than the committment we make to choose happiness as a response. There are a few things you can do to alleviate the voices in your head that will tell you it isn’t a choice. The first of these is gratitude, the second is forgiveness. Sometimes it takes a while to get there.
Generally speaking, misery loves company. When worried minds get together, more worry is created. Negative emotions breed like rabbits! Choose your company wisely. Make a conscious deliberate effort to find something to be grateful for. Gratitude and worry cannot exist in the same space – namely the space between your ears. It may take some creative work to find gratitude for something when the chips are down, but it can be done. Gratitude breeds happiness.
Secondly, forgivess is not something you give the other party whom you perceive has harmed you. It is something that you give yourself. I expect you have noticed that waiting for someone to say they are sorry for their actions is a long time coming! Not only that, but I bet the offender hasn’t given their offense a second thought. You, however, are left with a bruise that can rapidly become a bad attitude. Forgive, forget (which doesn’t mean set yourself up to be harmed again) and get on with it.
Choose happiness. It feels better. It’s simple but not so easy a choice. It’s far simpler to indulge in anger, upset, blame or resentment. Only you can practice, practice, practice. The reward: a happy heart.
The bottom line: Worry never solved anything. Happiness, on the other hand, is wildy contageous!
