“Many historians are grounded in the belief that objects are not supposed to cause you to have feelings. When it comes to this stuff, though, each thing has its own little human story. How can you not feel a personal connection?”
William Bird, author, Souvenir Nation (2013).
A blogger friend recently reminded me that accepting failure is part of our daily lives. In fact, it’s a hallmark of success!
Often people place their lives in a continuum with only failure and perfection as end points.
What about changing that measure to competence since perfection doesn’t exist — at least not in the universe we know. The physical universe is riddled with imperfections despite the immutable laws we think regulate it.
Failure is a gauge in an imperfect world.
Are you really a failure?
Letting go of old beliefs and patterns to make room for new beliefs and capacities — that will empower you to awaken and live your higher purpose.
Sixty percent of DC-area residents believe psychologists can help them cope with mental health issues.
Here’s a self-help method to complement therapies!
Where are you today?
Where are you today on a scale of 1-10 in each of these areas:
Professional/Career Health
Financial Health
Wellness/Physical Health
Spiritual Health
Emotional Health
Relationship/Support Systems Health
Each segment represents a part of your circle of personal perspective. Each is an integral part of your life. At home. At work.
Rodin, The Thinker, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
Journaling can also be meditative writing where the writing itself is a prayer.
It is useful for those who find it difficult to focus in prayer. It is like writing a letter to someone you love (Bergan and Schwan, Birth: A Guide for Prayer):
+ Writing a letter to God
+ Writing an imagined conversation between you and God
+ Writing your answers to questions like “what do you want me to do for you?”
Use the journaling feature in the aPrayer app to capture your imagined conversations or your answers.
Eustress is “good stress!”
Examples:
Meeting or engaging in a challenge.
Coming in first place in a race or winning a match.
Getting a promotion at your job.
Watching a suspenseful or scary movie.
Love, marriage, sexual intercourse or childbirth.
Riding a roller coaster.
Holidays and vacations.
Engaging in exercise, especially weight training.
Playing Nintendo or Wi-i!
Photo courtesy of Neven Žugaj
Deep breathing is a simple but effective method of relaxation.
Taking “10 deep breaths” to calm down does work!
To reduce stress, try it along with progressive muscular relaxation, relaxation visualization, mindfulness and aPrayer.
There are simple and effective techniques to deal with stress.
First, reducing the stimulus that causes stress.
Second, proven breathing techniques through mindfulness, meditation and yoga.
Third, relaxing and calming visualizing that taps into the healing power of positive thinking.
Fourth, sensual and therapeutic massages and bodywork that use aromatherapy to soothe.
Sixth, the pure enjoyment and release of sexual energy with male orgasm
unleashes a rush of drowsy hormones—norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, nictric oxide and prolactin.
Stress is a psychological state that occurs when the demands of life seem greater than our ability to cope with them.
HeArt+Mindfulness 