Stress is amazingly persistent, even seductive. We get used
to feeling tight and tense. Though positive thinking has its
place, unless it is backed up by practical spiritual wisdom it tends to get overwhelmed and fade away.
Here are seven proven ways you can get a new handle on
stress.
1. Control your REACTION with these 7 simple words.
The first step is to remain alert when people try to weigh you
down with their nervous comments and attitudes.
The next step is to reply to the attempted attack: "I have
nothing to say to that." This cuts off the contagious effect
of the stressful assault. It blocks the tendency to accept and
imitate depressing words from others. Your nature does not
fall down to the level of the anxious remark, but remains high
above it.
Negative people WANT to get you involved with their defeat,
and this is a major method they use to do it. Your reply: "I
have nothing to say to that" prevents them from drawing you in
as their victim.
Inner life author Vernon Howard writes, "An attitude of defeat
in another person cannot touch you unless you carelessly accept
it as yours. And there is no need at all for you to accept it.
A quiet refusal to enter the battlefield is the perfect reply."
2. Let go of painful grudges by living in the present moment.
Hating someone is like drinking poison yourself and hoping the
offender will die from it. We must grant to others the same
opportunity for change or we shut the door on our own
development. Therefore, it is our responsibility to release
those who have caused harm to the providence of a higher
power, while simultaneously realizing they will be held
accountable for their actions.
The secret to success without stress is to realize your newness in the present moment many times each day. NOW is so alive and energetic, so tangible and real, that painful grudges cannot "live" here. Grudges can only stay around when fueled by
unaware and unproductive mental visits to the past.
3. Observe negative thoughts with the aim of understanding them,
instead of trying to suppress them.
Self-Observation is a master key to stress-free living.
Instead of claiming stressful thoughts and feelings as our
own, we can observe and understand them. This understanding
sets us free!
Self-observation is practical spirituality at its best. Marcus
Aurelius, the ancient Roman Emperor said, "Those who do not
observe the movement of their own minds must of necessity be
unhappy." (Marcus Aurelius)
4. Pause often and enjoy a deep breath.
People are often so tense with stressful thinking they barely
breathe!
We can do something highly beneficial and intelligent. We can
take brief breaks many times a day, even if for only 30 seconds!
We can pause, take a deep breathe, look around and relax.
Suppose you feel tempted to give in to someone when you know
you should not. Instantly fall into internal relaxation.
Breathe away your tensions. Your habitually anxious and
resentful attitudes will fall away like leaves from a tree.
They will be replaced by a clear mind that reveals what is
best for you.
5. Realize you have far better things to think about!
The old way of thinking has its favorite grooves; for example,
negative mental film clips that pull you away from the present
moment. When you detect yourself involved in one of these
internal movies, pause and say to yourself, "There are better
things to think about." This instantly snaps the spell and
moves you to higher ground.
You'll feel much less stress and an abundance of new vitality
as you reclaim the energy once consumed by these negative
mental film clips. Suddenly wake up and come home to yourself
by enthusiastically declaring, "There are better things to
think about!"
6. Stay clear of negative zones of influence.
Our society is rampant with negative influences. They come
from so many places, like frantic people, advertising and
untruthful politics. Never forget: Unaware people want you to
vibrate on their stressful level.
It is your duty, your noble mission in life, to live in
harmony with your Heart -- YOUR AUTHENTIC AND INTELLIGENT
SELF. Though physically you may be in a stressful place, once
you connect with your Heart you have the spiritual power to
stay free inwardly. No law says you must fall under stressful
zones of influence.
7. Refuse to make stressful or angry comments.
Stress spills out into the world. It is like a snowball
rolling down a hill that starts small then gathers size and
momentum. Therefore, we must stop stress in its infancy, and
the best place to do so is BEFORE it leaves the mouth.
Here's a wonderful way to dissolve stress in your life:
This insight exercise is called SELF-SURPRISE.Here's how it
works. You are about to say something angry or hurtful to
another person. The statement has left the dock it is
traveling at the speed of light toward the mouth. Your
AWARENESS steps in and a higher choice is made; a switch is
thrown and you do not say what you were about to say. You say
something helpful and cheerful instead!
You'll instantly feel the trueness of practicing this
exercise. Anger or stress did not succeed in dictating your
speech. Your power of choice lifted you above its arrows.
This is not the practice of phony niceness. It is the
expression of true strength and authentic self-command
It can only occur when your awareness is active,
like the presence of a lighted lodge in the dark forest.
Conclusion:
The one supreme power that guarantees personal happiness
is personal right thinking. This "right thinking" is based on
practical wisdom. Try these seven methods and you'll see a huge
difference in your life. You'll have LOTS of energy!
Bio: Tom Russell is the author of several eBooks, including "The
Power of Vertical Thinking" and "7 Secrets to Light Up Your
Essence." He is the host of http://www.SuperWisdom.com and the editor of the SuperWisdom E-zine, read biweekly by more than 20,000 people in 42 countries. He assists professional salespeople and
entrepreneurs to live with greater energy, focus and spiritual
insight. He has been interviewed on more than 200 radio and TV
talk shows.
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