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Tag: feelings

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Let's face it:  there is a LOT of shit going on in the world these days.  It's global, regional, local and in your face.  At least it is that way for me.  Every day I log on to find some asinine thing done by some politician, or another instance of racism, misogyny or hatred, or another weather related disaster of epic proportions.  Then my phone begins to chime with text messages and phone calls:  another client having a crisis, a friend diagnosed with a life threatening illness, another with a drug addicted child.  How much more can we take?

Unfortunately, no one knows the answer to that.  I certainly don't.  But I do have some helpful hints to handle it all.

Here are some symptoms which may indicate crisis fatigue:  lack of energy, sadness, anxiety, lack of motivation, anger...lots of it, or a feeling that you just want to hide under the covers until it all goes away.

Hiding under the covers may help for a little while, but it doesn't really work for a long term solution, and it doesn't look like the politicians are going to grow up anytime soon.  The weather related disasters just seem to keep on coming.  I don't know that racism and misogyny will ever go away.

What are we to do?

Here are some things that might help:

  1. Acknowledge the feelings.  Denying them isn't going to help.  Stuffing them doesn't help.  You can acknowledge them without acting on them.
  2. Talk about it with someone who won't try and fix you but will just listen with compassion.  You don't need fixing, but talking helps.  We are only as sick as our secrets, so don't keep this shit secret.
  3. Be of service.  Donate or volunteer.
  4. Stay in the present moment.  Don't project into the future and don't fret about the past.
  5. Take care of yourself. Make sure you eat right, rest plenty, and let yourself cry if that is what wants to happen.
  6. Enjoy the simple things in life, and be grateful for them.  Hug your loved ones, pet your critters, or a neighbor's critters.  Bake cookies.

And finally, remember that we are all in this together.  You are not alone.

 

Published on

imageWhat does this phrase mean to you?

It's an inside job.

I found myself wondering where the phrase came from so I did a search.  While there are many references to the phrase, mostly for books and songs, here's what Wikipedia has to say, "An inside job is a crime, usually larceny, robbery or embezzlement, committed by a person with a position of trust who is authorized to access a location or procedure with little or no supervision, e.g., a key employee or manager. The perpetrator can also be a former employee who still has specialized knowledge necessary to facilitate the crime."

😀

All humor aside, the phrase really means that everything in our lives begins within us.

"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."
- Frank Outlaw

What this statement really boils down to is that if we have a situation in our life which does not please us, or which we would like to change, the place to begin is inside....with our thoughts.

It does little good, and has little lasting effect, to try and change things from the outside.  And the outside stuff is temporary at best, always changing.  It is better to be more involved with what is going on inside of you and less attached to the outside.

In this culture, where we are taught to place more importance on appearances than on how we feel, this is sometimes a difficult task.  I work with many people who find it extremely difficult to know what they are feeling and thinking.

However, it is imperative to begin at this level.  Consider this formula:  thoughts plus feelings equal power.  When we think something with emotion behind it, we put power into it.  And when we put power into it, we tend to manifest what we are thinking about.

So watch your thoughts.  Change them if necessary.  Watch your feelings.  Focus on the thoughts and feelings you enjoy.  Then watch enjoyable things happen in your life.