Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find
all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it.
Rumi
Month: March 2010
More Stress
It would seem, despite increases in technology, that stress continues to rise in Western society. The most recent poll conducted by the American Psychological Association, found that approximately half of all Americans were more stressed than they were 5 years previously. It also reported that 33% of all people in the US are living under extreme stress, while many reported physical symptoms (77%) or psychological symptoms (73%) related to stress in the previous month.
Physical symptoms of stress included: fatigue (51%); headache (44%); upset stomach (34%); muscle tension (30%); change in appetite (23%), teeth grinding (17%); change in sex drive (15%); and feeling dizzy (13%).
Psychological symptoms of stress included: experiencing irritability or anger (50%); feeling nervous (45%); lack of energy (45%); and feeling as though you could cry (35%). In addition, almost half (48%) of Americans report lying awake at night due to stress.
Sadly, most people surveyed said that they would only make necessary lifestyle changes after the diagnosis of a chronic condition rather than taking preventative measures.
“Stress in America continues to escalate and is affecting every aspect of people’s lives — from work to personal relationships to sleep patterns and eating habits, as well as their health,” says psychologist Russ Newman, PhD, JD, APA executive director for professional practice. “We know that stress is a fact of life and some stress can have a positive impact, however, the high stress levels that many Americans report experiencing can have long-term health consequences, ranging from fatigue to obesity and heart disease.”
A Daring Adventure
Security is mostly a superstition.
It does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
To keep our faces toward change
and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.
Helen Keller
When its over
Saw the first snowdrops today. The wonder of nature, of Spring returning. Reminded me of words by Mary Oliver, similar to those yesterday by Stephen Levine. What is one waiting for to begin ones life? Some day in the future when such and such changes? What fears hold us back from fully embracing what is offered now? As the ancient Chinese said, we wish to reach the evening of our life without regret.
When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it is over, I don’t want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.
I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.
Mary Oliver, When Death Comes
A prayer
Remembering the mother of a friend
May there be some beautiful surprise
Waiting for you inside death
Something you never knew or felt,
Which with one simple touch
Absolves you of all loneliness and loss,
As you quicken within the embrace
For which your soul was eternally made.
May your heart be breathless
In the light and lightness
Where each and every thing
Is at last its true self
Within that serene belonging
That dwells beside us
On the other side
Of what we see.
John O’Donoghue, Benedictus
What we learn at the end of our life
Stephen Levine has written extensively about what he has learned from working with those who are dying. Being close to those who are in the last moments of life has taught him the importance of being alive in every moment.
To the degree we are present for “just this much” this living moment, we are alive. Otherwise we numb to the vibrancy and beg upon our deathbed for one more chance.
Most think that living a “full life” means living into old age. But if you are not alive this moment, what makes you think you’ll be alive then? To live fully is to be filled with this moment. Present for this millisecond, this day, this week, this life.
Stephen and Ondrea Levine, Embracing the Beloved
Mindfulbalance 