Stress

Stress We all have it and there’s no point trying to deny it. You know what I’m talking about. That horrible feeling like the walls are closing in on you or that nagging worry over something you said or did, or left unsaid or undone. That sense of fear and dread that makes you certain something is going to overwhelm you that you simply won’t be able to handle. How about that anxiety that starts in the morning where a laundry list of tasks and pressures play over in your mind like a frenzied symphony before your day even begins. Yes, you know what I’m talking about. Stress affects everyone and the best we can do is simply learn how to manage it. There are actually two types of stress: One is the positive type that gives you that sense of excitement or motivation to give a good speech, run the fastest race or to think quickly on your feet. Studies show, this type of stress can actually improve our overall performance. The other type however is not quite so helpful. In fact, almost all forms of physical sicknesses and health conditions such as heart disease, tummy upset, asthma attacks, arthritis, epilepsy, headaches, bowel problems and skin rashes can be traced back to stress. Studies also show that various internal and external causes and triggers produce stress within us. Originally stress was a defence mechanism that created a “fight or flight” response in cavemen that enabled them to survive should they need to flee from a dinosaur or attack from another tribe. Fortunately, we not longer need to run from dinosaurs, but the stress reaction remains in our modern times due to a mental recreation of perceived danger in our minds. In other words, fear. A Course in Miracles says, although we would like to be relaxed and happy all the time, we are constantly choosing between our only two emotions, fear and love and are ever swinging back and fourth between the two. However, because fear is only a mental recreation of perceived danger, we are spending half our time in a made up illusion of stress. However the Course also tells us, this need not be. Through the process of forgiveness, where we are encouraged to overlook and let go of our grievances (attack, blame and guilt) with the support of Spirit, we produce a mental environment of peace and love that allows truth to take the place of illusions. The fearful spell of perceived pain and suffering is broken and we are free to be ourselves once more. This is called a healed or “corrected” perception and is a state of our “right-mind.” The dynamic is simple. Because fear and love cannot co-exist we can only experience one state or the other at any given time. When we choose fear, we cannot experience love, but when we choose love, there is simply no room for fear. The key is to consistently practice choosing love, or at least be willing to consistently choose love, and with Holy Spirit’s help you will have in essence devised an effective stress management system that will ensure you awaken to miracles each and every day!