One of the dumbest things I have ever done is grab a hot iron by the bottom.
We were rushing out of the house for a trip a few years back. The last time I had used it was hours ago that morning, and had left it on the ironing bourd in the bed room. I didn't know Lauren had used it just a moment before.
I've never dropped anything so fast before or since!
Most of you are probably a whole lot smarter than me and have never picked up a hot iron. At the same time, I bet everyone has had the experience of picking up something hot, getting burned, and dropping it right away.
Would it make any sense to keep holding something hot like that? Of course not.
That's why we drop them so quickly.
Then why do we hold on so tightly to hot emotional issues and allow them to keep burning us?
Yet we do it all the time. Something inconvenient, bad, or even traumatic occurs, and we hold on to it for dear life. I've worked with people who had experienced trauma and were doing fairly well not too long after. I've also worked with people who had experienced trauma years and years ago, yet it seemed as if it had just happened.
How to Hold On
Holding on to something that is burning us requires a lot of conscious attention, just like flunking gym class in school. Here's a few "tips" for holding on:
*Play the situation or offense over and over in your mind. Be sure to make a little "mental movie" for your own viewing pleasure.
*Make sure it's the first thing you think of in the morning and the last thing you think of at night.
*Tell everyone who will give you an ear the whole entire story, in play by play detail.
*Make it the defining moment in your life.
*Isolate yourself from other people
*Rant and rave about the injustice and unfairness of it all.
*Look at yourself as a victim.
How to Drop It
Just as holding on to something requires conscious attention, dropping something requires a conscious decision. Here's a few tips for dropping it:
*as stated above, decide to. You must decide to do it before any ot the other tips will work.
*take away from it what you can learn, leave behind anything else.
*find a symbol of the event and burn it, bury it, or both. I know this might sound a little silly, but it works.
*remember the saying "Success comes from good judgement. Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."
*and perhaps the most important: make a place for it in your life, because it did happen. And then put it in it's place, which is behind you.
Hold on and get burned or drop it and move on. It's a choice.
And it's yours to make.
Visit secretsofgreatrelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.
scheduled maid service Northbrook ..Whether we are at work, traveling, or at home, we've... Read More
The moment I read the story I'm about to share... Read More
1. Acknowledge that requesting support, guidance and partnership is not... Read More
Don't let stress wear you down. Next time you are... Read More
In these times when companies are constantly down-sizing and right-sizing... Read More
As tools for change are discussed, one tool - that... Read More
"Do you want to be a lump of coal or... Read More
After a stressful day as a computer programmer, Jim pulled... Read More
Stress Vs PressureStress is something we all have, it's not... Read More
Traffic jams. Toddler tantrums. Deadlines at work. Money troubles. Too... Read More
One of the hardest forms of stress to avoid is... Read More
Looking for all of the answers in how to manage... Read More
I once worked with a woman whose zest,joy and enthusiasm... Read More
Every woman needs her own personal space for relaxation, not... Read More
Perhaps you've heard of the 80/20 rule, but don't know... Read More
1. The Law of StagnationThis is also known as first... Read More
"I'm stressed out."If you find yourself thinking--or saying--this on a... Read More
Are you feeling stressed out? Too many things to do,... Read More
According to the Australian Council of Trade Unions' (A.C.T.U.) 1997... Read More
Did you know that more than half of our adult... Read More
The World Health Organization calls stress "the health epidemic of... Read More
Stress seems to have become a constant factor in today's... Read More
Imagine driving down the road. You are driving with a... Read More
One of the ways I have avoided a lot of... Read More
Fear, and its accompanying seriousness, causes our suffering. Fear restricts... Read More
reliable maid service Highland Park ..June is the month of the honey moon. Custom holds... Read More
Do you have stress in your life?......I know you answered... Read More
Make stress less of an issue for you in your... Read More
A while back, I was in a minor fender-bender accident,... Read More
My grandmother, a feisty and athletic woman in her younger... Read More
I had the unpleasant experience of being pulled over the... Read More
If you live in the early part of the twenty-first... Read More
Life would be so wonderful if it weren't for other... Read More
Everyone experiences stress at some point in their life. In... Read More
I hear from many people that they see ever increasing... Read More
"The great lesson from the true mystics, from the Zen... Read More
You probably think I'm wacko, but it's true - stress... Read More
Among the hardest parts of living in the modern world... Read More
Do you feel stress at work? Do you carry your... Read More
Today we have more stress in our lives than ever... Read More
We've all been there, right? We find ourselves living with... Read More
Insomnia is usually the result of the modern way of... Read More
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour... Read More
Syndicated columnist Dale Dauten recently wrote, "One of life's great... Read More
Mark Twain once said, "It's not what we don't know... Read More
1. The Law of EveryoneIt is not neccessarily wrong to... Read More
It has long been suggested that "music soothes the savage... Read More
Have you been feeling so stressful and almost losing your... Read More
One of the best ways to relieve yourself from the... Read More
1. Determine your "unique ability" and capitalize on itDelegate the... Read More
Stress Management |