"I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then."- Lewis Carroll
Out of challenges comes strength. Whether you're dealing with health problems, relationship issues or the current economic downturn, you can find yourself wondering what you can possibly do to get back to yesterday. The bad news is that you can't. Sometimes, that's also the good news.
The reality is that you can't change circumstances, you can only change how you react to them. Don't you just want to slap whoever came up with that? Yeah, me too, but it's true so let's explore some coping mechanisms.
There's Always Chocolate
Everyone slams the media for only reporting bad news but they deserve a Pulitzer for letting us know that dark chocolate and red wine are actually good for us. Now if they'd throw in some butter, potato chips and peppermint ice cream, they might qualify for sainthood.
Name It
Strangely enough, simply putting a name to your feelings can help you cope. Psychologists will tell you to name your feelings - Anger, Fear, Hopelessness - and it helps. While that's true, if certain feelings are regular visitors you might consider giving them more personal names like Ralph, Joe and Trevor.
Exercise Creates Endorphins
The research is clear - exercise creates endorphins which make you feel better. Did you know there are other ways to create endorphins? Rather than sweating on the treadmill you could fall in love and/or have sex. If you're relationship adverse you might consider eating spicy foods like hot peppers, horseradish and wasabi. Laughter can do it, too and it's good for your stomach muscles. Oh yeah, and did I mention Chocolate? There's always chocolate!
2 comments:
Right On Sister!
"I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then."
- Lewis Carroll
Life changing situations such as becoming a mother, living clean and sober, and surviving a breast cancer diagnosis years later have all helped form and shape the person I am today. I've really come to believe that if God brings me to it - he will get me through it.
I used to wish I had a crystal ball that would tell me what would happen in my life so I would be prepared for whatever challenges that transpired. I now recognize that the unexpected is part of the journey and there is usually a light at the end of the tunnels that appear.
Since my diagnosis in 2003 I've gone back to school and will be earning my Masters Degree this December. I also lost my job in 2007 and am still moving forward in my life. As uncertain as things have been I have faith that my needs will be met and that God does love me and my daughter.
Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed I think "if I survived cancer I can survive this. I can truly say I have changed since the day I received the news "You Have Cancer", yet in other respects I'm still the same person.
Currently I'm reading two books by Gary Chapman. They are "God speaks your love language" and "Love is a verb" - while there is an orientation towards how we show and express love in our human encounters I see the 'big picture' here being that of getting things right with God and allowing his love to shine through all of us. These books are written in language that a layperson can understand and I do recommend reading them.
Post a Comment