Living in our world today can be very stressful. While some of the
stress that we experience is actually useful for motivating us, a point
can be reached where it becomes very harmful, physically, emotionally
and even spiritually. Knowing how to manage and even reduce the harmful
effects of stress on a daily basis, of staying balanced and centered as
we encounter the many stressors of everyday living, is crucial to our
well being. Among other things, taking care of ourselves will
necessarily involve us nurturing our physical body, of eating healthy
foods, of exercising. Learning how to take care of ourselves in this
respect is also very important for everyone as our experience of stress
can and does affect others as well.



Learning how to take care of ourselves also involves making appropriate
distinctions about ourselves, others and life in general. One
distinction that is crucial for our well being is realizing how and
from where much of our stress is primarily generated. While some of the
stressors that we face are apart of what it is to be a human being,
much of the stress that we experience is of our own creation. A great
deal of the stress that we experience has its origin in our own
personal story and the meaning we make about life, in the thoughts that
we think. Once we understand that we are truly the cause in the matter,
that we are responsible for the thoughts that we create or invent and
that it is from these thoughts that much of our stress is generated,
then and only then will we begin to be able to truly manage our stress
and have the power to live the life that we want and love. Blaming
others or situations for that which we experience will only limit our
power, lead to frustration and eventually a great deal of stress.



Becoming present to the fact that we have a tendency to constantly
evaluate, judge and even blame others, and especially ourselves, is
very important. How we conceive of others and ourselves in this respect
will make a huge difference in our experience of life. For example, for
some much of their life is spent attempting to make others and
themselves wrong, wrong for what they think and do, wrong for what we
think and do. Once we make another wrong, especially ourselves, anger,
anxiety, guilt, frustration and even sadness will eventually follow and
with it a great deal of stress. A simple truth is that as human beings
we are all doing the best that we can at any given moment. If we or
others knew differently we would behave differently.



Another simple truth is that we are perfect, whole and complete just as
we are. It is our story about ourselves that does not allow us to truly
experience our own completeness. Making mistakes in life does not make
us wrong or flawed in some way but only presents us with feedback and
valuable opportunities for growth. Becoming present to how we make
ourselves wrong, of how we put ourselves down, allows us an opening to
realize that we are not what we do or think. Our true self is something
much different. Becoming present to our attempts to make others and
ourselves wrong in some manner will also create a cleaning for us to
begin to think, feel and behave differently. Once we fully realize that
we are perfect, whole and complete just as are, we will bring forth
into our lives experiences that will truly empower us and others. It
will be at this point that we will begin to authentically take care of
ourselves. Taking care of ourselves in this respect will also involve
taking care of our true self, of unconditionally loving ourselves
completely. It is only when we truly love and accept ourselves, as we
are, in the present moment that we will be able to do so with others.
We always think, feel and behave towards others as we think, feel and
act towards ourselves.



One manner in which we can practice being who we truly are is beginning
to become aware of the thoughts and beliefs that exist within us
including and especially those that are self-limiting. Meditation and
other holistic, self-enhancement techniques of this nature allow us
this ability and opportunity to watch, monitor and become present to
our inner world, to the very thoughts that generate our life and
experiences. Such a process will eventually allow us to truly
understand that we are not our thoughts and beliefs, that we are
something different from, that we are much more. Our thoughts are
merely apart of the machinery of being human.



Once present to the thoughts and beliefs that quickly, if not
instantly, move through our mind also allows us the opportunity to
reframe from impulsively acting upon them and as a result to become
free from their constraints and potential harm to us and others. Such a
meditative process, especially as it applies to the thoughts and
beliefs that we have about ourselves, is the key to truly taking care
of yourself. Such awareness will eventually allow us to truly
experience the fact that we are good enough, just as we are, one that
deserves to have a wonderful and powerful life, that we truly are
perfect, whole and complete. Once we fully understand this for
ourselves it will allow us to get it about others, for those that we
work with and for those in our lives that we love. The end result of
such a meditative process is that much of the stress that we
experience, especially that which we create, will simply not exist,
allowing us to create or invent the life that we truly want and love
and to live it powerfully.



Harry Henshaw, Ed.D., L.M.H.C.

http://www.enhancedhealing.com

article source: Healthy Living Article Directory.com