Antidotes to Panic ..............................5/30/12

Image: "Countryside: Leafy Path" by Tim Blessed. All rights reserved. 

        Thank you, for dropping by. My, how wonderful it is seeing so many comments from the guests to this inn! I love it. I appreciate your birthday greetings, too. :)

        I've been in the eye of a busy schedule.  Today, I
rode thirty miles.  Paradoxically, I get energized when I work out like that.

        I spent Saturday with friends and family, the afternoon with my youngest son Josiah.  Monday and today I was with my middle son.  We even rode for 15. 5 miles. He did well. He stayed with me, even though, I raced along. We were together until 8:30 p.m., tonight.

       I caught the latest version of the movie "Men In Black" tonight. That was a fun change of pace. Yep, I know it's late.......but I'm still wide awake. I think I'll reach for rubber hammer. It works every time I use it.

       I've been crazily on the go. So, I'm going to pull an Ann Landers and reply here to a comment I've gotten in my absence. I'll get to the dialog from others, soon. In this case, I'm answering the oldest comment that hasn't gotten a reply, first.

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      Vanessa recently said:
       "My parents and I have coffee together every Thursday night. No matter what topics I bring up, they love and acept me fully, never judging. What a great feeling.

        My challenge right now is to push through my day with minimal panic and be grateful for the tiny things I accomplish. Life is trying to teach me a lesson and I really want to pass."

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       You are a lucky lady!  Many would crave having parents who love them unconditionally. Thank you for your honesty about the panic you're feeling. Many suffer from it.  Sometimes it's helpful remembering that when we panic it's because we are focusing on the future. But the future never comes. All we have is today. 

       I find it helps me to just take life 15 minutes at a time. Even then, I put those 15 minutes into God's hands. I believe there is a Power greater than myself who can restore me to the serenity and sanity I seek.  If a person is not familiar with this Power, I encourage them "act as if" they had such a force working on their behalf. 

       Sometimes it good remembering that books, the wise or caring comments from others can be a power greater than themselves. From these sources we derive insights we wouldn't have gotten if we lived in isolation. 

       I find panic reveals a problem with trust---in God.  I'm living in my own power, relying upon my resources alone, trying to effect outcomes. 

 

       When I find myself operating this way, it reveals I have a problem with humility. I'm trying to control life. There's a problem. I can't. It's humbling remembering that there is only one God, and we are not it. Ouch. 

       When I'm anxious, it reveals I future tripping. Tomorrow never comes. Tomorrow, when it comes is today. All I have is today. I find it best breaking down the day into digestible bits, like I mentioned earlier in this post. 

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         Dear Vanessa, yes, I entirely agree with you!  Appreciating the little accomplishments is a fantastic way to go. The following quote I've written in several other posts. It's still worth remembering and taking to heart:

"The race does not always go to the swift. There is more to life than increasing its speed. Let me look upwards into the towering oak and remember that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well."   

        Courage to Change, page 221 

        Being patient with ourselves, which is form of gentleness towards ourselves, is an important virtue.  It doesn't help condemning our progress or vulnerabilities.  For more about that please click here. This link is encouraging too, about being kind towards ourselves, our pace or the areas where we want to grow. 

        I'm rooting in your corner, let me know if you have any additional questions.