Interfaith Celebration Gathering

 

 

Stressful or Peaceful?

 

Things under stress wear out faster. The tires on a car wear out faster than the other parts of the car that are under less stress.  Clothes wear out faster when seams are constantly stretched than when the seams hang loosely. We humans also wear out faster when we are under stress. Yet stress seems to be the one thing that all of us humans do well.  We stress ourselves with worry, fear, anger, and sorrow.

 

We worry about tomorrow, and we sorrow about yesterday.  We fear the unknown and we fear the known.  We let people anger us and scare us.  And we allow people to criticize us when they have no right to do so. Many of us engage in these behaviors because we do not realize that we have alternatives.

 

After a while, worrying becomes a habit so that when we are not worrying, we have to find something to fret over.  This constant state of worry sometimes evolves into an addiction to excitement. Have you ever been around someone who, when things were quiet, picked an argument just to "liven things up"? Or, perhaps you are one of those folks who never can seem to get to appointments on time, no matter how hard you try. Maybe your stressors are financial. Do you worry that there never seems to be enough money?

 

Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of people, places and things - all these, including fear of fear itself, bear down upon us at various times, don't they? Do you 'cross bridges before you come to them'? Do you worry about the future, the past, or even the present moment?

 

Well, things under stress wear out faster, and that includes people. While it sounds really simple to say you can choose not to worry, actually putting this habit into practice is far from simple. But just as we can choose not to worry, we can choose not to get angry, be fearful, sorrowful, or scared.  We can choose to see fear for what it really is, False Evidence Appearing Real.  And we need to choose to live a more peaceful life if we want to stay free from disease, recover from disease, or learn to manage our lives around a disease that has already claimed us.

 

So, let's talk about some tools for making the choice to move stressors out of our everyday lives. These are simple yet powerful tools that each of us can use to make our lives more peaceful.

 

·          Turn it Over

Whatever is causing you to feel sad, mad, or bad, turn it over to the God of your understanding. Use a God Box. When you are stressed about things, write your stressor down on a piece of paper, and put it in a God Box. As you close the box, turn over your problem to God. Any time your problem nags at your mind after that, remind yourself that you have turned it over, that it is no longer your problem. You would be amazed at how many problems get solved while they are in the God box. Just remember that things are taken care of in God's time, not ours.

 

·          Let it go

If you are feeling hurt, anger, frustration or sadness because of someone else's behavior, let it go. Who is your hatred,a ndger or frustration hurting, anyway? Is it bothering the person for whom you feel it? Probably not. Is it creating a war in your own gut? Probably. So, let it go. You can choose to release it and live a much happier life.

 

·          Stay in the Now

Worrying about yesterday or tomorrow will get you nowhere except out of this current moment. This current moment, however is all you have.

 

·          Remember to Breathe

Worry and fear cause one's body to breathe in a very shallow manner. This lets in less oxygen than the optimal amount our bodies need. Our brains, operating on lower oxygen, can go into some really scary places. Obsessions, compulsions, and focusing on a problem to the exclusion of other more healthy things can result from a lessened amount of oxygen to your brain. So, when you feel fear or worry, breathe through it with deep, cleansing breaths.

 

·          Talk to yourself

Self talk is a truly empowering way to call upon your Higher Self to assist you in getting through tough times. Be gentle with yourself. Do not engage in judging, name-calling or shaming when you are talking with yourself. Be very loving, and assist yourself through stressful times.

 

·          Talk to a friend

Develop a support system of persons who respect and trust you and for whom you feel a mutual love. This may include family or friends. Whenever things are tough, reach for the phone, the computer, or a neighbor. Do not isolate with your problems. Isolation is a very unhealthy way to handle problems. God works through other people to help us, just as God works through us when we let God use us to help others.

 

·          Talk to God

Learn to talk with God all during the day and not just at certain times of the day.  Learn to be in constant communication with God. Share your problems, your joys, your sorrows, your struggles and your blessings with God.  Learn to thank God for the good stuff in you life, and you will receive even more good stuff.

 

·          See yourself in others

Rather than getting frustrated when someone does something you dislike, stop and think for a moment. Are there times when you could or did do exactly what irritates you now? As the old saying goes, walk a mile in your brother's shoes before you criticize how he stands and walks.  The things we criticize in others are often our own disowned behaviors.

 

Does it seem strange to you that we can actually choose to be happy, regardless of what is going on in your life? Well, we can. We can feel several emotions at the same time, one of which can be happiness. Genuine happiness comes from loving ourselves, loving others, loving God, and seeing God and ourselves in others.

Perhaps a mantra such as the following one will help you. "You are me, and I am you. We are each other, and we are God. God is in us, and we are in God."

 

Or, "I see your God within. I show you God in me. I light your way with the light that you give me. The light is God. The light is you. The light is me.“

 

People who are not under stress last longer. Their quality of life is better. Their journey is more complete, because eliminating stress allows them to focus on what is truly important, learning how to connect with God.  Our earthly journeys allow us to experience separation from God.  Our lessons on earth are all about how to reconnect with God once we have experienced this separation. 

 

 May God add a blessing to these humble words.

AMEN

 

© 2005 Rev. S. Suzanne Fisher