When I feel stressed I know that my practice of nonviolence is off in some way. The stress is an indicator that there’s fear present. Fear is an indicator that I’ve moved into the judging mind. When there is fear then I know that I’ve forgotten to choose love. This is when I need to make a decision to relax into my loving heart.
Even a 1 minute relaxation break can make a huge difference. It’s not about being distracted, it’s about actively choosing to heal the false thinking through choosing Love. 1 minute of Love is transformative. That’s how powerful love is. If I cannot allow myself to stop for 1 minute then I know that I’ve lost perspective. Continuing on in the stressful mode won’t bring the results I desire. If I allow myself to stay stressed and am unwilling to take small steps to free myself, how can I possibly complain about world leaders who lead nations into stressful situations? Would you deny a 1 minute Love break to someone you loved? Love yourself!
Time related stress issues used to really bother me, but then I realized, “hey, wait a minute! I’m an eternal being! I don’t have to do everything in a hurry. I don’t have to do everything in this lifetime. It’s more important that I be here NOW then that I get there sooner. Whew!” Being eternal is a great relief!
Stress can have a violent effect on my system, my health and well-being. I’ve had to learn that rushing and hurrying are a form of personal violence. Relaxing and knowing that I’ll get there when the traffic allows is a way of nurturing myself even in a traffic jam. When I’m feeling pressured and stressed I think of the lyric to the song by Alabama “I’m in a hurry to get things done, I rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I’ve really got to do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.”
Today I give myself a break. I practice relaxing regardless of circumstance. I start with a nice deep breath. Tomorrow is coming regardless of whether I stress or relax, so why not get there with a smile on my face?
Affirmation:
I AM willing to relax into Love!