Do you have the desire for a stress free life? Most people do. After all isn't this why most people are working so hard, to achieve just that? Sounds like a paradox doesn't it, "I'm working hard to achieve a stress free life"? Ironically, by the time you think you've gotten there, the "stress" you've endured as a result of all that work has likely taken such a toll on your health that you are not far from the end of your life. So is a stress free life actually a myth, is it even possible? In order to answer this we need to look closely at what we mean by the word "stress". I will propose a very simple definition that you are welcome to try on for size. By "stress" I mean the emotional, mental, phyiscal and spiritual pain one feels when they are not where they desire to be in any given moment. Now by "where" I do not mean simply a physical location but rather a state. This can be a mental, emotional, physical and/or spiritual state. Let's say, as an example that the state consists of the following thoughts and emotions:"I really don't like my job but if I leave it to do what I really have a passion for I won't survive". The "where" the person would rather be is doing something that they really have a passion for. Instead the fear of pursuing that seems to block or prevent them from realizing their passion. Now clearly the person is not "physically" "where" they want to be. If you look a bit more closely however you might also notice that the thoughts and feelings that block that person from being physically where they want to be is also "not where they want to be". In other words such thoughts/feelings and as "I can't leave this job" or "I'm afraid I will fail" are clearly not pleasant, comforting,freeing or desirable to that person either. It is in fact these "limiting" thoughts/emotions that keep that person in a state of stress and from realizing their passion. With that passion comes a sense of joy, aliveness, invigoration, energy, motivation,creativity, hightened performance, health etc. i.e. a "stress free" life. Many of you however may believe that such limiting thoughts and emotions are beneficial to you i.e. you probably think that they help keep your life stable, and therefore help you feel safe and secure, and therefore help you experience a stress free life. Don't you? If this is what you believe then just say it again to yourself and notice the stress level you feel in your body when you say it: "I can't leave my job to pursue my passion because I'm afraid I will fail". Now, did you feel your stress level go up or down. Well if you really don't like your curent job, I think the thought of having to endure it any longer is most likely driving your stress level up, not down. So, if you follow me so far, living a stress free life is about noticing and releasing anything that keeps you from what you really have a passion for. Most importantly, because these are really the major culprit, it means releasing limiting thoughts and emotions that block you from your passion. It's that simple. Just as an aside to be doing so also means that you are holding what you want for yourself in the highest esteem. That is you are holding your "SELF" in the highest esteem. What do you think happens to your "self esteem" when you hold you self in the highest esteem? Well naturally it goes up! Try this for your self if you wish. |
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