Posts Tagged ‘worry’
At any moment, life can throw a mud ball at me.
Life happens. We can be enjoying life or just getting by; then, something unexpected hits us. We get bad news; someone rejects us or something totally unfair or unreasonable happens. Do we give situations, events, or other people the power to determine the quality of our day? Of our week? Of our life? If we…
Read MoreHappiness and peace are impossible without integrity
INTEGRITY (noun): the quality or condition of being sound; of being un-impaired, undivided, complete, or whole. We are either whole or we have a hole—an inner void. Many people feel this hole, this inner void, like something is missing. We try to fill it with answers taught us and sold to us by other less-than-whole…
Read MoreI will live every day until I die; will I settle for mediocrity or reach for happiness and joy?
Some will Say “Duh–that’s dumb. Of course I’m going to live every day until I die. “But what about today, this little 24 hour time period right now? Am I really going to live it or just slide through it? Will I gain a single thing from this day that makes it worth the time…
Read MoreTomorrow’s dread is not real today
Worry and anxiety about tomorrow devastate today’s serenity. We start focusing on the future, thinking something “might” happen and it will have the worst possible outcome. Our fear-driven thoughts develop into an obsession that makes it impossible to feel peace in this moment. When this happens, we can stay unsettled or we can change. We…
Read MoreI should listen with my heart instead of my ears
Our relationships vary from casual contacts, friends, to those very intimate and loving associations. For each of them, it is important that we actually hear in addition to listening. Listening with our heart includes active listening; we give the person our undivided attention to demonstrate the value we place on them and on their words…
Read MoreWhenever I am upset, there is something wrong with ME.
I must be responsible for all my feelings or forever feel un-peaceful. Yes, bad things happen; people inflict real or imagined wrongs, life is hectic and I get frustrated when people or events do not meet my expectations. I cannot control other people but I can choose how I react. I must slow down, take…
Read MoreMuch of our misery results from unconscious decisions.
We seldom make a conscious choice to worry or get angry or engage in many other emotional upsets. An event happens; we automatically react; we experience thoughts, feelings, and possibly take action without making a conscious decision; then, our mind justifies and reinforces our response. Past reactions to similar situations have become so deeply ingrained…
Read More“Silent Agreement” can spawn lies, sever loyalties, and lessen something honest or good without uttering a word.
Yes, silence may be golden, but failing to stand for our core values costs a heavy price (always for us and sometimes for others.) Make no mistake: Silence is tacit agreement with what has been said or done. Like so many things, the motive for silence is more important than the act itself. “Why” we…
Read MoreWasting time, energy, and emotions on illusions causes discontent
Someone says or does something; suddenly a worrisome thought spawns in our mind. We unconsciously react, thus giving power to the false idea that this is a real problem. Thus starts the building crescendo of emotions and thoughts about the false problem. As we mature, we learn to pause and evaluate if we are facing…
Read MoreBlaming other people for the way I feel gives them control over my life
Yes, other people can do things that offend or hurt us but it’s our choice on how we react. If we get angry at someone and say—or think—“Look at what he did! He made me angry, he hurt my feelings!” this very thought acknowledges that this person has the power to control the way we…
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