How many of the following statements can you relate to?
1. You’re looking for something, but when you get to the room you think it’s in, you forget what you’re looking for.
2. You lock your keys in your car. Sometimes while it’s running.
3. Once you hit 30, you gain more than 10 pounds per decade.
4. You drink more coffee than orange juice.
5. Sweating in a sauna sounds more appealing than in a workout.
6. You prefer not to sweat. Where’s the chocolate?
All of the above are related to stress in some way. Yet not all stressors are bad. In fact, some are quite good. For example, it was stressful putting that project together at work but it paid off because a raise came out of it. Or it was stressful getting to the post office before closing but it got the needed package delivered on time.
Can you think of a stressor in life that’s helping you move forward? Perhaps one that’s motivating you to do better in some way. If you can’t think of one, here’s one: Your inhale is stressing your lungs to expand. And your exhale is saying thank you for that.
You might find it easier to find negative stressors. Which ones are creating havoc in your life? What do you think your life would be like without these stressors in it? Would it be all rosy and carefree? Most of us simply replace one stressor with another. For example, we give up smoking and start drinking.
So here’s a suggestion on eliminating negative stressors in life: Don’t.
Transform them instead!
Here’s how: Sit quietly in the comfort (or discomfort) of your own mind. As you watch the judgments pour in, pull one aside at a time and begin the transformation process.
Replace:
Anger with compassion,
Arrogance with humor,
Sadness with wonder,
Just one judgment, one breath at a time.
Next time a downer daydream drifts through your mind, let a simple breath transform it into a contemplation of compassion – whether this be toward yourself or another.
You can do it. You’re in charge. It’s all up to you. Or it’s all up to me, depending on who’s mind you’re in. Actually, it’s all up to each one of us in our very own mind.
And through all this there’s something absolutely, positively, without even a small dollop of a doubt we can count on:
Your kind thoughts will not only make your world a better one to live in, they’ll make my world a heck of a nicer place to live in, too.
And vice versa.
• Joan Budilovsky can be reached at editorial@kcchronicle.com or her website Yoyoga.com.