How To Deal With Stress
Stress comes from our belief that somehow the world should look how we think it should look, and if it doesn't look this way then something needs to be done to change it. The equivalent of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. All of us will have had stressors, some of us every 10 seconds depending on how in control of our minds we are.
Apparently we have between 50,000-70,000 thoughts per day with 80% of those perceived to be negative. If we hold onto these as if they are you, no wonder why we are stressed all the time.
As we progress in conscious awareness we begin to see the world differently. The content in the world won't change, the half wilted rose that we see will still be there, but how that rose is perceived will differ. It could be seen as a half dead plant, something that nobody will have any interest in and near the end of its life here. Or it could be seen as a beautiful part of evolution and creation (same thing) and a perfect metaphor for the divine process of life, from birth to death as the seasons unfold. Same content, different perspective.
If we can hold the position that the external world doesn't need to fit our pictures and our perception of it is down to our conditioning and imperfect humanness then we can be more at peace within ourselves. Stressors that would effect us before, like financial constraints for example are now seen as an opportunity for growth and to tap into a greater source of abundance, rather than wondering why everything negative seems to only happen to us.
Task
For one week remove all expectations that life should look the way you think it should. Hold the position that everything is in complete divine order as it is and if something creeps into your experience that you think is unwanted,know that only you can decide if that experience holds an element of suffering or not.
