Bills to pay, demanding jobs, broken relationships, family issues…you name it. No matter what it is it will always be there. Sometimes you will feel like the darkest clouds are over you and even like lightening will never stop crossing the skies. As you catch the evening news you realize that the whole world is falling apart – people killing each other, the financial system seems to be collapsing, earthquakes sweeping the lives of millions. The question is…how to deal with it all?
If you were just wondering whether or not there was a quick and easy solution for your daily stresses, my quick and easy answer is a capital NO. For one second you thought I had the solution for all your problems, right? Gotcha! J
One thing you can do is to work with your own self to convert the stresses of life into great opportunities. It is never an easy process but you can start by taking two easy steps:
Refrain From Judging
Take all the events of life as they show up. Never label an event as good or bad. Simply try to deal with events and give it the best shot. Bottom line is: if you label things as bad you will experience a depressive state of mind that can potentially take you down to a very negative road. If you label things as good you will start taking things for granted and the consequences can lead into failure or added attachment. Simply enjoy and try to see opportunity in everything.
Think Positively
Make a conscious effort to generate positive thoughts on a regular basis. Think about the most successfully people in this planet. Do you think they got to where they are by having negative thoughts? I don’t think champion marathon runners think they will lose the championship when the race gets started. I challenge you to give me some names of successful people that were very negative.
Before I go, I just wanted to share a little about my personal journey. I confess that I spent a couple of years of my life considering jumping from every bridge I came across…life was gloomy, I gained a lot of weight by eating all the Big Mac’s I could…I didn’t want to speak with anyone…I took darkness so seriously that it became my state of mind. I didn’t know what to do, where to look for help or anything like that.
One day my wife saw me attempting to tie my shoelaces and she realized I struggling to the point where I had to slowly sit down and reach to my shoes and the procedure would take anywhere from 2-3 minutes. She was horrified! The very next day she enrolled me into a 10-session Yoga course. She attended the first few classes with me and witnessed how bad my body condition was.
To keep the long story short, after the 10 sessions I had lost almost 20 pounds, I was also managing stress a little better – I caught myself complaining less, looking for opportunities and exploring my possibilities. I was also encouraged by the voice within me to make some major dietary adjustments. As a result big opportunities came my way and I became increasingly passionate about Yoga. Last week I was practicing and the wife could not believe the flexibility I gained in the last three years.
Yoga can certainly propel you towards taking life events as they are and thinking positively. The more you experiment with it, the more you will connect with your inner self. I encourage everyone to try Yoga. It will help you reconnect with the Supreme Being that is within you. All is good. Namaste.