The future is nothing but a fantasy or a daydream, also only occurring in our minds. In our minds we can create the most delightful scenes or our greatest nightmares, and reality will never be as we imagined it.
For example: You might have planned a romantic dinner for you and your partner and spent hours preparing and daydreaming about it. You know exactly how it is going to be, your partner is going to be so delighted and happy and greatly reward you for the effort you have made. Oh it's going to be so blissful.
Unfortunately when your partner gets home, there has been a big problem at work. The boss has been giving them a really hard time and they arrive home in a foul mood. They do not even notice how much effort you've gone to, gulp down dinner, and just want to drown out the day by having a drink and watching something mindless on the television.
After all the time you have spent preparing the meal and imagining how the evening is going to be, you feel let down, hurt, disappointed, uncared for and frustrated.
Depending on your way of dealing with your negative feelings, you will either silently resent your partner for ruining your evening. Or you will start an argument, telling them how much trouble you've gone to and how they don't appreciate anything you do.
After the day your partner has had, this is the last thing they want or need, and they will probably feel that you don't understand them or care about, or support them when they really need it.
There are actually a number of things that have led to your stress and unhappiness in the above scenario and a number of laws that can come into play to help you.
Firstly there are the Laws of Expectations and Non-Resistance. You were expecting the night and your partner to be a certain way and felt disappointed when they did not live up to the images in your mind. You could not accept that the night was not going as you wished it too. You were attached to having it be a certain way.
Then there is the Law of Giving and Receiving. You were expecting your partner to appreciate what you had done and what you were giving to them. In return you were expecting something back. You were expecting to receive gratitude, attention and affection.
However with the Law of the Present Moment you could have avoided all those traps. When we are fully in the present moment our minds are focused on what we are doing and not frantically jumping from the past to the future.
When we are focused on the task at hand, we do things for the joy of doing them, and not because we expect anything in return for our action. When we do this, even small and seemingly insignificant things can become acts of joy and beauty.
You do not do things for the end result. You do things for the simple act of doing them. You do not wash the dishes so you will have a clean kitchen. You wash the dishes for the art of washing the dishes. When done in this way, the dishes aren't something to be rushed through so you can go and do something else. It becomes a joyous event in itself. Your whole attitude changes, the dishes are no longer a chore but become a joy.
In our romantic dinner scenario above, if all the preparation had been done fully in the present moment, the day would have been spent joyously and not building up a fantasy of what the evening was going to be like. So when your partner arrived home you would be happy and relaxed and not full of expectations, anticipation and demands that the evening goes just as you planned.
Because you found joy in doing each task, as it needed to be done, and not rushed through them with your mind only on the end result, you will not be devastated when your partner comes in and doesn't notice the effort you have gone to. You will be far less likely to feel hurt and let down, you will still be able to enjoy the meal yourself. Instead of being angry and bitter towards your partner you will be able to be supportive in their time of stress. Your partner will feel that you are there for them when they need you most.
When we live in the world of daydreams, expectations and rushing through things, we tend to think that everything that happens revolves around us. We tend to take everything personally and get upset over things that really have nothing to do with us.
Whereas, if we can just learn to relax and enjoy the moment for what it is, we will naturally become happier and more accepting and less demanding ourselves. We will be able to see the other person's side of things and point of view, and this helps us to be more compassionate and understanding people.
This is an extract from Kerry-Ann Cox's new book "10 spiritual laws for stress reduction." Find out more about this life changing book at http://www.exaltedliving.com/stress.htm and learn great techniques to reduce your stress levels today.
scheduled maid service Northbrook ..Have you ever listened to someone, perhaps even to your... Read More
My work often deals with proactive, preventive means to Overcome... Read More
Every day we are faced with a situation where our... Read More
I just got through reading some troubling news in the... Read More
Meditation seems to have arrived in the mainstream of late,... Read More
I once worked with a woman whose zest,joy and enthusiasm... Read More
Have you recently moved or started a new job? Do... Read More
As tools for change are discussed, one tool - that... Read More
Among the hardest parts of living in the modern world... Read More
Don't wait to have a life-threatening disease to learn what... Read More
Worry, big or small blocks positive vibrations from entering your... Read More
Why Stress Management programmes don't work?It seems that every week... Read More
What part of no don't you understand? - Bumper stickerThe... Read More
To be a safe and predictable person for those around... Read More
Positive self-esteem is very important for our general health and... Read More
Have you ever noticed how we keep falling into the... Read More
Of all the forms of stress in today's world, computer... Read More
Do you ever fret? In today's materialistic age, sometimes fretting... Read More
Whenever we think of 'stress', negative thoughts come into our... Read More
Shit happens. I know this to be a fact, because... Read More
Stress affects different people in different ways, but affect them... Read More
Fear, and its accompanying seriousness, causes our suffering. Fear restricts... Read More
Managing stress is not easy if you don't have the... Read More
In his book, The 22 Non-Negotiable Laws of Wellness, author... Read More
CHICAGO - According to a recent article in the September... Read More
reliable maid service Highland Park ..Marshal John Kruger acted by Arnold Schwarzenegger (who else) in... Read More
This is the time for daydreaming about your annual vacation.... Read More
Looking for mindfulness? Who ya gonna call?Try dialing M.It's easy... Read More
We've all experienced it-computerized technology that doesn't function properly. PCs... Read More
So many of us live a stressful life. Unfortunately, when... Read More
When September rolls around, does it generally hit you like... Read More
Stress is normal. Stress is OK. Stress is the same... Read More
Are you a person who has a keen imagination, a... Read More
Stress relief and managementRecognizing stress symptoms can be a positive... Read More
Deadlines at work, demanding bosses, bills to be paid at... Read More
Stress seems to have become a constant factor in today's... Read More
1) Create the life you desireTwo of our most underdeveloped... Read More
Breathing is the vital force of life. It is considered... Read More
I hope by reading this article you will see the... Read More
Every woman needs her own personal space for relaxation, not... Read More
We all know that stress levels in the workplace are... Read More
Q. So many times in my life, I seem to... Read More
Everybody deals with fear and anxiety, however some people have... Read More
In my experience, most of us spend a lot more... Read More
Where does stress really come from? Is there any simple... Read More
Q. I've been told that I need to learn from... Read More
I hear from many people that they see ever increasing... Read More
Meditation, relaxation and visualisation are the standard recommendations for reducing... Read More
"Watch your language."We all heard this admonition as kids and... Read More
So, you've recognised that you are suffering from stress and... Read More
Stress Management |