Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to lift us above them.
God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
Cheers
Anu
From India, Madras
1The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to lift us above them.
God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
Cheers
Anu
From India, Madras
Hi Anu,
Good one on the eagle.
Though unrelated, very useful in life.
Quote
Banishing Bad Thoughts!
Life would be much easier if we had perfect control over our thinking.... especially where emotions are concerned. We could quickly forget about the people who make us frustrated or angry and allow disappointments to fade into the past without recriminations.
But in reality, this kind of emotional equanimity is rare. Most of us spend a lot of time thinking over unpleasant feelings and mulling over regrets and resentments.
Unfortunately, many of these mental interpretations of our feelings make us feel worse about the situation. What started out as a small hurt or frustration, amplified by a thought process that focuses on pain and anger, may balloon into a major preoccupation.
Our minds often repeat painful thoughts or scenarios over and over, even when we'd much rather let them go. If we start paying attention to our interior monologue, we may find that we are dwelling on maybe the ways our parents let us down, angry at someone who has hurt us, afraid of the challenges we may face in the future, or ashamed that we haven't yet done the things we had planned to in life.
We would rather stop all of these thoughts in their tracks.....but that's much easier said than done. Instead, we're left feeling as if there's something wrong with us......i.e. Why can't I just get over it? Why can't I just relax and be happy?
Generally, when we try to squelch one of these distressing trains of thought...or ‘just get over it’......our strenuous efforts to suppress it only make things worse.
Research has shown that if we actively try to prevent anxiety-provoking or frightening thoughts, they generally become more powerful and harder to ignore. As a result, mental ‘fix-it’ strategies generally backfire, whether that's trying to deny your unhappiness, avoiding the situations or people who make you anxious, or drinking to numb the feelings.
Accepting the negative feelings and learning to distance yourself from the thoughts that amplify them can be a much more effective coping strategy says psychologist Stephen Hayes of the University of Nevada in Reno.
A few of Proffessor Hayes' suggestions:
· Practice noticing your thoughts. Try to be conscious of where your mind leads you, and label the type of thought you're having to yourself. For example, if you've made a mistake at work and are feeling bad about it, think to yourself: ‘I've noticed that I'm focused on my error right now.’ If you're feeling stupid about the mistake, say to yourself: ‘Right now, I'm criticising myself.’
· If you find that one particular thought or phrase is running through your head... ‘I am such a loser’ or ‘He always takes advantage,’ for example... try saying your troubling thought out loud, and either very slowly or in a funny voice. It seems silly, but by doing this, you're actively separating yourself from your mental soundtrack. You remind yourself these thoughts are being generated out of a mental habit.
· Try thinking of your mind as just another organ of your body. If you find yourself preoccupied by fears, imagine your brain is just like your hungry stomach when it rumbles or your feet when they're tired after a long day. Think: ‘There goes my mind again, worrying about something trivial.’
· Think of your self-destructive or self-critical thoughts as internet pop-up ads. Don't criticise them or yourself for having them. Just think of them as unnecessary, meaningless noise.
All of these tactics are ways to become aware of your inner mental monologue without either getting caught up in it or trying to shut it down. Distancing yourself from your difficult thoughts can help you learn to stop turning small problems into dilemmas that seem all-consuming or hopeless.
Unquote
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
Good one on the eagle.
Though unrelated, very useful in life.
Quote
Banishing Bad Thoughts!
Life would be much easier if we had perfect control over our thinking.... especially where emotions are concerned. We could quickly forget about the people who make us frustrated or angry and allow disappointments to fade into the past without recriminations.
But in reality, this kind of emotional equanimity is rare. Most of us spend a lot of time thinking over unpleasant feelings and mulling over regrets and resentments.
Unfortunately, many of these mental interpretations of our feelings make us feel worse about the situation. What started out as a small hurt or frustration, amplified by a thought process that focuses on pain and anger, may balloon into a major preoccupation.
Our minds often repeat painful thoughts or scenarios over and over, even when we'd much rather let them go. If we start paying attention to our interior monologue, we may find that we are dwelling on maybe the ways our parents let us down, angry at someone who has hurt us, afraid of the challenges we may face in the future, or ashamed that we haven't yet done the things we had planned to in life.
We would rather stop all of these thoughts in their tracks.....but that's much easier said than done. Instead, we're left feeling as if there's something wrong with us......i.e. Why can't I just get over it? Why can't I just relax and be happy?
Generally, when we try to squelch one of these distressing trains of thought...or ‘just get over it’......our strenuous efforts to suppress it only make things worse.
Research has shown that if we actively try to prevent anxiety-provoking or frightening thoughts, they generally become more powerful and harder to ignore. As a result, mental ‘fix-it’ strategies generally backfire, whether that's trying to deny your unhappiness, avoiding the situations or people who make you anxious, or drinking to numb the feelings.
Accepting the negative feelings and learning to distance yourself from the thoughts that amplify them can be a much more effective coping strategy says psychologist Stephen Hayes of the University of Nevada in Reno.
A few of Proffessor Hayes' suggestions:
· Practice noticing your thoughts. Try to be conscious of where your mind leads you, and label the type of thought you're having to yourself. For example, if you've made a mistake at work and are feeling bad about it, think to yourself: ‘I've noticed that I'm focused on my error right now.’ If you're feeling stupid about the mistake, say to yourself: ‘Right now, I'm criticising myself.’
· If you find that one particular thought or phrase is running through your head... ‘I am such a loser’ or ‘He always takes advantage,’ for example... try saying your troubling thought out loud, and either very slowly or in a funny voice. It seems silly, but by doing this, you're actively separating yourself from your mental soundtrack. You remind yourself these thoughts are being generated out of a mental habit.
· Try thinking of your mind as just another organ of your body. If you find yourself preoccupied by fears, imagine your brain is just like your hungry stomach when it rumbles or your feet when they're tired after a long day. Think: ‘There goes my mind again, worrying about something trivial.’
· Think of your self-destructive or self-critical thoughts as internet pop-up ads. Don't criticise them or yourself for having them. Just think of them as unnecessary, meaningless noise.
All of these tactics are ways to become aware of your inner mental monologue without either getting caught up in it or trying to shut it down. Distancing yourself from your difficult thoughts can help you learn to stop turning small problems into dilemmas that seem all-consuming or hopeless.
Unquote
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
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