Unceasing Stress and Anxiety Will Crush Your Spirit.
And burn you completely to a crisp emotionally. So, how do you minimize this? In my perspective, stress/anxiety are the opposite of peace.
And I am a big proponent of moving towards what you want as a way of consciousness, instead of investing my thought life in moving away from what I don’t want. I do this by living my life through what I value and then structuring my time on this planet to serve those values.
One of my primary values is peace. I covet peace. Some of this is tied to the fact that I am wired (in my brain), and was conditioned (influences as I grew up), for anxiety. Anxiety robbed me of so much joy in my life for so many years, that I finally came to a place where it was unacceptable. I couldn’t seem to move away from it, so I shifted my focus towards peace…and I have to tell you, it’s been a game changer.
I am going to give you my four most important peacemakers here. These are all practical and can be actively done on a daily basis. One other thing that you can also do daily, which has also helped me immeasurably, is pray for peace in your spirit. If you are a spiritual person, I would encourage you to do that one as well.
Gratitude
True gratitude is a peace bringer. When you are truly grateful for all that you actually do have in all facets of your life (which far far far outweighs what you don’t have), you are so steeped in how good this appreciation feels that you don’t really have much to worry about. Sure, life can happen to you at anytime and change everything in a blink. You could worry about that…but why? If it happens, you deal with it. Why deal with something that’s not real right now, right now? There’s a lot to be grateful for. Every morning I take stock in all the major things in my life I am grateful for. It is a profoundly powerful way to begin your day. Try it, you’ll like it.
Focus on What You Can Control
Your life is made up of two distinct areas…things that you can control and things you can’t. If you can’t control something, why spend any energy on it? Practically, I teach this as REACTIVE versus PROACTIVE. When you take a proactive approach to all the things that are most important to you in your life (3 Circles for example), this means you are focused on doing the right things to sustainably strengthen the pillars of your life. Each added level of strength makes you more and more immune to the things you cannot control. There is no way to fully prevent things from happening in life, but there is a way to massively reduce the risk of things happening, and to reduce the degree in which many of those things will actually affect you. And the more you do this the more peace you will have.
Limit the Wrong Influences
I am vigilant to minimize anything that brings negative and disruptive energy into my being. The price is too high…a loss of peace. I spend little time listening to media. I spend zero time with any human being I identify as negative, untrustworthy, or mean-spirited. This is something you can address quickly and easily. Get away from negative people and around positive. You have to get the yucky out to make room for the yummy.
Solitude and Nature
Disconnect. Put away your phone and go outside and just be in nature by yourself. If you have an activity you enjoy (I fish, kayak, paddleboard, crab) then go do that. Ride your bike. Take a walk. When you do this, let your mind be free. Take in the beauty around you. Watch the squirrels and the birds. Look at the magic of the sky, the trees, the landscape, the water, the mountains, and whatever else there is to take in.
I hope you took these to heart and that you will put them into play. Even if you don’t care as much about peace as I do, these will help your outlook on life and have a dramatic impact on your attitude daily.
Many Blessings, Todd
P.S. If you are in need of coaching or training for your organization, reach out to me.
P.S.S. Looking for more brain power? More mental clarity, better mood, more creativity, more mental energy, and maybe some better short-term memory and focus? While all the aspects of the 3 Circles Living Platform will help you with that, there is one simple brain product that I use daily and double down on in times where I am required to stay dialed in for extended time (like a workshop or seminar). It’s by far the best brain supplement I’ve ever used and I do not go a day without it. You can check it out here
