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Holiday Survival

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Happy Holidays… They are headed our way, ready or not!

I know that for many people this is easier said than done… It is the season for high expectations of happiness, joyful family gatherings, and limitless supplies of good food and cheerful gifts. Most of the time, expectations seem to mess things up! This time of year can make people irritable if not crazy because we expect so much of ourselves and the people around us. Sadness, depression, and anxiety begin to peak at this time of year for many people. Many people are struggling with financial challenges, even homelessness and these people can feel left out of Happiness in the Holidays. Illness and losses of family or friends, even from the past, can make this season difficult traumatic to celebrate. The short days and Winter weather for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere also can take an emotional toll on the Holidaze. There may be changes of schedule, travel, or dietary changes that can make positive, joy filled celebrations a bit difficult at this season of the year.

Consider the Holiday Survival Tips from the article below. This can be found in a more printable form at the Stress Education Center’s website, www.dstress.com, on the “Articles” page.

Please take good care of yourself and have some sympathetic understanding of people you may meet who may be struggling during the Holiday Season.

Holiday Survival tips
10 basic strategies to more gracefully survive holiday stress. Written by L. John Mason, Ph.D., Author of the Bestseller; Guide to Stress Reduction.
Are expectations of happiness in the holidays making you sad? Do you want to be happier and healthier this holiday season? Would you like to enhance your holiday stress management skills?

This holiday season will be stress filled. World economic swings and terrorism have created conditions that have changed our holiday celebrations. Attitudes towards travel, being with family, celebration in the face of fear and sadness, will make this year’s holiday season different than in years past. Adjustments will help to create new ways of participating in the holiday events. These can be both positive and negative. Consider new traditions in self-care. Search for community support that will open your heart to the joys that are possible in this season. Remember the things that are the most stressful are the things that you care the most about, but have the least control over. World events, the economy, the way people respond, and our families (and children) are major stressors that we wish we could control, but often cannot.

1. Schedule Time for Self-Care! Regular exercise and time for stress management are a must. Find what techniques work best for you, and use these tools. This is non-negotiable time devoted for your health and well being.

2. Eat Well Moderation is the key. Do not use alcohol or drugs for stress management. Do not “over” celebrate. Avoid fast foods.

3. Avoid Caffeine Minimize the impact of caffeine on your life.

4. Plan the Holiday… Set some limits. Do not over spend your financial and emotional resources.

5. Control Your Expectations of: Happiness, Joy, Sadness, and Loneliness

6. Be Nice to Others Give compliments and smile. Around negative, anxious, or rude people, take a breath and remember that you do not need to get pulled into other people’s holiday misery or their craziness.

7. Reach Out for Support Talk with “stable” friends or family, or clergy, or mental health counselors.

8. Humor Helps… Have Fun Laugh daily, if possible.

9. Stay in the Present! Mentally and emotionally, do not be consumed by things that happened in the past or fear events in the future. Enjoy the people you are with and make the very best of the situation that you are in.

10. Find the True Spirit of the Holidays Share “the Spirit” of this holiday with those people who you love or care about. Give love and support to the people of the world. Volunteer or go out of your way to be thoughtful and kind. A smile or a hug can go a long way. Sometimes it is just listening… Show others that they have value and that you are aware of their special qualities.
Even learn to let others give to you!

Healing Secret

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Do you believe that someone else “Heals” you? Or, do you believe that you heal yourself? When you get a small cut or scratch how does your body repair itself? When you get exposed to a cold virus how does your body fight off the virus infection? These are mysteries that are just being explored. A doctor in an emergency room can set a bone, or put stitches in a wound, or restart your heart, or prescribe a medication like an antibiotic which can save your life. This demonstrates the mastery of medical arts, but does this heal you?

The power to heal is within you. People with faith may believe that the holy spirit can help the healing process or is it the “belief” in the holy spirit that actually supports the healing? The magic of the body hunting for an infection, building anti-bodies, and then destroying a bacteria or virus or even a cancer cell is still not well understood by medical professionals. There are many who believe that healing can be enhanced by the power of the focused mind.

I bought my wife a crystal that has healing properties, as told to me by the shop keeper. Perhaps the crystal focuses a healing energy that can not be measured by current scientific monitors or perhaps a person’s belief in the healing properties of the crystal are what rallies the patient to enhance their own healing mechanisms. In many ways, it does not matter whether the crystal does the healing or the faith in the crystal provides the healing, but…

From past experience in coaching clients, I have witnessed the power of the positive suggestions offered to enhance the healing process. The positive focus and concentration upon the positive end results and a soothing or calming environment can help promote the healing process. Many clients have responded well, physically and emotionally, to positive visualizations and suggestions, but I can not claim to know why this happens. I do know that the safe way I practice this use of suggestions does not hurt them and it is meant as an adjunctive process to traditional medical protocols.

I have seen “miracles” (or unexplained benefits) occur. As an example, I had a woman in her mid-twenties come in to my private practice with a diagnosis of a hyper-active thyroid and the symptoms that go along with this diagnosis. She said that she had been treated by an endocrinologist for 4 years with little positive result. Her symptoms included: hyperactive behavior, skin breakouts, bulging (protruding) eyes and high levels of thyroid hormone in her blood tests. I told her that I had not worked with this diagnosis (this was early in my career) but as we discussed her life she seemed to respond to information about biofeedback and stress management. We discussed a process that involved relaxation with Autogenic Training and a targeted visualization of blue light and coolness surrounding her thyroid gland to reduce blood supply to her overactive thyroid. It seemed to make sense to her and she went home to practice these techniques. 4 weeks later her skin was better. Her eyes were not bulging. Her energy levels seemed better under control. AND, her doctor found no trace of excessive thyroid hormone in her blood test. She felt that her success was due to her relaxation and visualization of a positive result. She used the power of her mind to heal herself in a measurable way. I loved this experience but I can not really explain the positive result.

I believe that we have the power to help keep ourselves healthy and we can be a big part of the healing process. I recommend that we get diagnosis and support from our medical professionals especially with our personal physicians but we should not always assume that they will heal us… We have a big part of this responsibility and we need to do our part.

I do not know whether a crystal helped my wife but I like to think that she may found emotional support in the belief that a positive environment helped her invest her own healing energies in appropriate ways. I also know that other people’s prayers, healing thoughts, love and positive energy can give great comfort and support. This may assist the healing process by having positive effects on the mind, emotion, and spirit of the person receiving this support.

Heal yourself. Share love and support with people who need healing. Allow them to bask in the healing, spiritual golden-white light of your unconditional, loving thoughts and prayers.

Contact me through the Stress Education Center’s website at www.dstress.com for more healing examples or coaching on how this might benefit your healing process. Please take good care of yourself.

You are a Master!

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Masters of the Journey: A Transformational Community

We are all Masters on this journey we call life. A safe and supportive transformational community can provide benefit to all of us. As we mature, we all develop expertise in navigating our own challenges. Nobody knows more about your life than you do. If you believe that life is filled with lessons and our primary purpose in life is to grow and develop, then you are invited to share your learning, experiences, and acquired wisdom with one another. To truly master something you need to teach it. Assisting fellow travelers on their journey can prove so rewarding. Through sharing, we can realize that none of us are alone and that we are all interconnected. We can benefit from knowing the bonds of unconditional love, caring, and support for others who are learning their spirit’s lessons in this life.

From the moment we are born until the moment we die, we are exploring the lessons and experiences of this life. There are some who adhere to the philosophy that we are choosing to live in these bodies with the lives that we have. Our spirit has exercised this choice because of the specific lessons that we want to learn. This philosophy also suggests that we choose the people that surround us in our life as a way to resolve some issues. Whether a person has their eyes wide open to the concept or whether they are “sleep-walking” through life, we can encourage one another to be conscious and aware of each step along the way.

Taking part in the Masters of the Journey: Transformational Community is to take conscious, and 100%, responsibility for the learnings and lessons that you are experiencing. It is for people who choose to gain in consciousness by supporting and reaching out to help others whose lives we touch. We can all grow together in a community which promotes unconditional, loving support as we share with others. When we gather either in person, at workshops or community events or in online forums, we can celebrate the lessons and experiences that we have learned from. We can do this through writing of articles, blogs, or books. We can do this by joining together on conference calls or in webinars to share and interact with others in our individual towns or around the world. There will be times when we will gather at intensive retreat programs where we can interact in a safe environment which enhances the growing and learning process as we move through our individual journeys.

Many people stay stuck in believing that they are continually students and not the true Masters that they are. Many of us discover our individual insecurities about being willing to step forward and share our deep feelings, experiences, and secrets. We benefit by realizing that we all have so much to offer to others. Sometimes our role will be as listeners and witnesses which has great value both to the person who is speaking and sharing their experience, their knowledge, and possibly their wisdom and to ourselves as we learn from a personal story with valuable insights which can contribute to our higher consciousness. The bond between the speaker and the listener can demonstrate the support and the unconditional love that both can be nurtured by.

I have been told that we are ALL God, having “perfection” within the soul and spirit in our heart which connects with the “Source” of all wisdom, energy, and unconditional love. Finding this and feeling this is “the State of Grace.”

Are you willing to share from the knowledge you have gained? Are you open to listening to other travelers on the journey? Are you interested in creating a community which strives for higher consciousness and awareness? Are you willing to bask in the connection and the unconditional love and support from a community of fellow travelers? Can you feel the value of being a Master who is willing to share from the experiences that you have had? Would you like to connect with this transformational community?

Please take good care of yourself. Consider that every interaction you have will be able to assist another person who is on their journey of awakening. Some will take this responsibility very seriously and we also honor those who choose other paths.

Please leave your comments. If appropriate, please share this Page with fellow Masters and seekers. Remember that we can all benefit by helping others in our community.

Some questions you may ask yourself:

Who was the most influential person in my life and why?

What were the three most difficult lessons I have learned from so far?

Have I ever felt a deep sense of bond and connection with another person? Who would that be? What did it feel like? What did I learn?

Have I ever helped another person? How did it feel to help them? What did I learn by helping them?

Have I ever really listened to another person? Has anybody ever really listened to me? How did that feel? Was the connection that I had with that person valuable?

Have I ever experienced unconditional love and support? Did I bask in the beauty of this experience?

Look for our new interactive website (coming soon) at www.mastersofthejourney.com

What is Your Gift to the World: Your Purpose

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For the people who come in contact with you, how will this contact benefit this person or, in a broader sense, how will this be of benefit to the world? This is not always easy to answer. Whether you consider yourself an expert in some area or you have groomed yourself to be impeccable as a human being, what are the attributes that you have developed that can be of service and can be shared?

You might ask the question of yourself, “What is my Purpose in this Life?” This may overlap with the previous questions, but may also prove to be a challenging question for you to contemplate. Some people have NEVER considered their purpose or their value to the world. Because this requires an effort in circumspection, many people just pass on this task and survive their lives with just basic day-to-day considerations. The larger questions, though difficult, often prove to be useful when considering how best to spend your day. Quality of life’s efforts often have more value than quantity of life’s efforts.

So what is your gift? Do you create objects or services that are appreciated and are of service to others? Or, do you connect with other people in ways that can support positive change or understanding? Are you a gifted listener? Are you a positive role-model? Are you a parent? Are you an educator? Are you a builder? Are you a defender? Are you a healer? Are you a gifted counselor or coach? Are you a “receiver?” Are you a leader who challenges people to move in positive directions? Are you a great team player/member? Are you a loving person? Do you have a radiant smile or infectious laugh? Do you entertain? Do you heal?

Do your long term goals reflect on your strengths in service? Do consider giving or giving back to the world (or beyond?) Everyone has a purpose, though some people do not recognize their greater purpose. Everyone touches other people’s lives and helps to create important lessons or opportunities for developing consciousness. Where do you want to touch lives and assist people in developing higher consciousness? How can you do this even more frequently? Can you be even more conscious about your role in assisting other people and so the developing consciousness of the world?

Along the way, find your passion and pursue it as fully as you can!

Consider connecting with other pilgrims on their path to consciousness by joining Masters of the Journey. Info at www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney and www.mastersofthejourney.com (soon).

Dangers of Ignoring the Impact of Stress: Why are we in denial?

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Have you ever experienced any stress? Is the world more stressful now than it was 20 years ago? Have you ever experience physical or emotional symptoms that are made worse as a response to stress? Do you believe that the best solution to stress is getting drunk or taking drugs?

I ask these questions many times per month to groups I train or individuals I coach. Without exception, people respond by saying that there is plenty of stress out in the world. It can be a distraction and effect physical and emotional health.

Now I ask you, what do you do, on a daily basis, to control your responses to stress? Do you meditate or practice stress management for 20 minutes per day? Most people say that they are too busy for 20 minutes of relaxation. People think that there is some easier way to control stress like taking medication. It is not convenient to practice stress management, so why bother to do it? The other response that many people use when confronted by the challenges of stress is to a point a finger and then blame someone or something else, rather that to take any responsibility for ones own habitual response to life’s stress.

Do not believe me without testing this out for yourself, but most people find that by practicing 20 minutes of deep relaxation, daily, they will actually save time and energy. Research suggests that 20 minutes of deep relaxation can take the place of as much as 2 hours of sleep and the sleep that you do get will be deeper and more restful. When I first heard this statistic I did not believe it, as most of you will not. I tested the statement and after 3 months I discovered that I required less sleep. Instead of needing 8.5 hours of sleep, I was getting rested with only 7 hours of sleep. So I invested 20 minutes and required 1.5 hours less sleep time, so I came out ahead by one hour and ten minutes. Many of my Executive Coaching clients, after I convince them to try the 20 minutes of stress management, report that they get more work done in less time, with less energy, because they are better able to focus and make fewer mistakes. I challenge you to try this activity for 8-12 weeks and find the benefits that will surface.

People resist trying new things even if these “new things” are good for them. In fact, people are so overwhelmed that most of us are apathetic about taking good care of ourselves. We simply do not have the energy to care… Making time, even just 20 minutes per day, is painful and difficult. Motivation is low for using stress management preventively. Stress can cause headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, rapid heart rates, anxiety, depression, GI complaints, sexual dysfunction, back or neck pain, and poor quality of life, and yet most people would rather develop annoying or dangerous symptoms rather than practice stress management…

Most people have an unconscious need to get beaten up by stress as if it were their badge of honor for surviving our hectic world… There are a few genetic immunes who thrive on stress, with no sleep, and they make the rest of us mere mortals look bad. These “immunes” are in denial and stress will eventually affect their health or their relationships in negative ways. In Japan there is a word “Karoshi” which translates; people who work themselves to death. There is an addiction to work in our society and we need to be aware that the long term consequences of this attitude are high costs to our health, relationships, and quality of life.

When we are younger, we can get away with not sleeping or self-care. We are young and strong and flexible, but as we get older, we lose our flexibility and our strength. We have to learn how to do things smarter instead of “muscling through.” If we don’t, we will pay the price and our denial will not save us from our suffering.

Things in life that are the most stressful are the things that you care the most about but that you can not control. The only thing that you can control is the way that you respond in these difficult situations but this can take time and effort.

Please take your head out of the sand and take good care of yourself. Even if this means spending 20 minutes per day with stress management. It will save you time, energy, and even money in the long run.

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the country’s leading expert on stress management and the author of the best selling “Guide to Stress Reduction.” Since 1977, he has offered Executive Coaching and Training. In 1978, he opened the Stress Education Center www.dstress.com.

Your Purpose in Life

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You have a “Purpose!” You have a reason to be here! There is a reason that you have found your way to this article and you are reading it now! Are you looking to find your “Purpose” and the reason why you are living in the “life” that you currently occupy?

In “New Age” thought, people often believe that they have chosen their lives and their “lessons” in the particular incarnation that they are participating within. If we “take responsibility” for our lives (and our existence), then we must accept that we are here to learn from our life’s experience and to evolve in “consciousness” as we move through the mine-field of our lives. The truth is that you have been through a lot. No one else could really know about the events that you have had to endure to get to where you are now. The “tests” that you have survived have all been a part of the life that you have “chosen” to assist you in development of your spiritual consciousness (say the metaphysical philosophers.)

The truth is that life is “hard” and we do learn more from our hard times, mistakes and travails than we learn from the easy, joyful, fun times. We become stronger, and sometimes wiser, by living through the difficult experiences. Perhaps the best way to learn from our lessons, even from embarrassing mistakes, is to share them by telling the story. To be a “Master” is to be able, and willing, to share your lessons with others. Which brings us back to the original question regarding YOUR PURPOSE. Perhaps your purpose is to serve the larger community by sharing your lessons, even, or especially, the difficult lessons that you have had to learn. Ram Dass told us to “Love, Serve, and Remember,” and in this way we can ALL benefit from the learnings that have occurred in our lives. We are all in this together and we must reach around and support our fellow pilgrims if we are all going to move forward. (Spoken like a New Age philosopher.)

Your “Reason for living” and your “Purpose” are to connect with the larger community of seekers of wisdom and consciousness, and to participate by sharing your story and being a “witness” to the sharing of others. This powerful and loving, supportive connection makes us all more conscious.

If you are ready to “Love, Serve, and Remember,” please consider participation in a focused, spiritual community. You may even find your way into the Masters of the Journey’s Transformational Community. Join the “Tribe!”

In any event, please take good care of yourself and in whatever way you can, reach out and support the fellow travelers you find in this life.
Look for Masters of the Journey at www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney and soon at www.mastersofthejourney.com

Namaste and Blessings on Your Path!

Lower Morale and Reduce Productivity

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The basics in a management training program require that there is an understanding that managers can increase productivity by learning to increase morale. Reduced morale can lead to higher turnover (which is expensive,) sabotage, increased health challenges for employees, and an overall reduction in customer service (and sales.) “Old school” managers still try to manage by intimidation and threats to job security but the long term productivity results seem to be reduced due to internal sabotage or reductions in performance. A stressed out staff is more likely to show signs of “burn-out” if managers unnecessarily increase stress and pressure. Frustrated managers who take their anger and stress out on their employees do not get long term cooperation, reliable support, or loyalty from their staff. When there is a re-ocurring pattern of disrespect to employees, managers often create situations that reduce morale and lower productivity by other staff.

Employees are not stupid, in most cases, and a pattern of management disrespect or abuse will not have a long-term positive result. People will learn that they do not want to work in work environments that are made more difficult by abusive managers and poor leadership. Hey, this is NOT SOME NEW INFORMATION. We are coming out of a financial environment which has people feeling insecure and stressed. It is NOT the time to “kick them when their down” as some management seems to do. It is a good time to build support and mutual trust. Aside from business, it is also a time to be supportive of other people, especially employees, which can allow you to feel good just like when you can afford to make a donation to a deserving organization which helps with disaster relief. Yes, disaster relief begins at home with emotional support for the people you live around and WORK with. This is not “rocket science.” It is basic.

What would you think if you heard about a non-profit, community, health service who does not pay their health care providers much more than the minimum wage AND then sets out to abuse these professionals by taking away benefits, and staff positions, and even replaces providers who are off work for cancer treatment? (This comes from a true work example.) Does this sound like bully managers who can not expect loyalty from their under-paid staff? Does it sound like a situation that breeds “burn-out” and people looking to leave this organization? In this situation, I know that fellow providers are supporting one another, but the leadership and the managers are looking like bullies, and no one likes or supports a bully. As said before, the world is already stressful enough so we do not any more stress dumped upon us. Especially, we should not hire lawyers who work for the CEO’s who pretend to care for employees and say that they are saving the organization money by taking benefits from their poorly paid employees.

On the opposite side of this situation, there are leaders who attempt to keep their employees working to save jobs when things are slow. They may even reduce management costs, executive bonuses, and dividend payment to keep loyal employees working. They do not ship jobs overseas or out-source work to save money, where quality can be lost. There are even some organizations and executives who do not fight paying their fair share of taxes so that services that are required by our society can be funded, like schools/education. Sure I sound naive but “doing the right thing” is NOT negotiable, it has to be done or we are threatening to slip further into the role of being a 2nd rate world power with a reputation for being morally bankrupt and a greed driven culture.

It is time to step up to the plate and look out for each other as if we were all working to survive a natural disaster. In this case, though many do not take responsibility for their roles in it, we are in a man-made financial collapse. Our politicians and business leaders can step up and “do the right thing,” but history seems to indicate that greed and a “me first” attitude will win out, leading our economy in “marginal” direction. Lower morale is not just a business challenge but spreads to all of our society.

Masters of the Journey Ideals and Principles

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The Masters of the Journey: Transformational Community offers you a list of our developing guiding principles. Would you consider getting involved with our new community of support for your spiritual goals?

1. Take responsibility for your life
2. Do not blame or make excuses
3. Love Yourself & accept all parts even weaknesses-flaws-imperfections
4. Grounding (daily as a practice)
5. Meditation (daily as a practice)
6. Keep your eyes up! Look to the Horizon
7. Set goals – celebrate success. Honor and celebrate your challenges.
8. Never give up on your passion & your dreams
9. Love Nature & Mother Earth… Appreciate the beauty of life. Find Beauty Every Day
10. Learn to Listen:
A. Be Focused
B. Maintain Eye Contact
C. Mind clear of strong judgement/other thoughts of response
D. Ask Supportive, clarifying Questions

11. Be open for Love and Connection (learn to share and to love)
12. Learn better to control: stress, fear, anxiety – Learn to Let Go
13. Practice the skill of self-acceptance- then develop self-love
14. Love and Protect all Children- Cherish their souls – Celebrate youthful enthusiasm, Innocence
15. Daily exercise and meditation is important
16. Build a solid Foundation – self-care/grounding, open your heart to unconditional love & then share it – Love unconditionally
17. Oneness: ALL of us are on the pilgrimage together some of us are more conscious than others – reach around & give all those you touch support and assistance so WE can all evolve together.
18. Embrace each moment as best you can! Each moment is a microcosm of all life & all consciousness – GRACE
19. Build a healthy support team –Find Your Courage – Celebrate your process & the success/gifts of learning.
20. Find Your Passion! Live your Passion! NO excuses! Along the way, do something good everyday- Perform a daily “Mitzvah” (a good deed)
21. Honor your mentors & healthy role models. Learn to bask in the wisdom they share (or provide to you)
22. Look to Create Good in the World. Do not miss the opportunity to acknowledge & celebrate good deeds & creative demonstrations of passion!
23. Turn off TV & Media – Read – Discuss – Learn to THINK for YOURSELF!! Do not blindly accept other people’s perceptions NO ONE! (Certainly not mine….)
24. Follow Your Heart! Listen to your Gut! Follow guidance & honor these strong messages
25. If you are striving to grow up to the heavens find solid roots to feed, nurture, & build a strong foundation for your work.
26. Do not be Lazy! Consciousness requires effort. (It is worth it!) Do not close your eyes to the daily experience of life. Rest & meditation are good. Lethargy & avoidance are not nearly as helpful.
27. Never stop learning or challenging yourself… Do not pretend that you know it all.

A partner with common values can be helpful & also a trap. Do not be a closed system.

Live with no fear of Death or Dying. Or, learn enough about dying so the thought of this transition does not get in the way of Living!

Get a mentor who is old, wise, & can share their lessons from living through their challenges! Honor their insights & wisdom though you do not have to agree with all their beliefs and insights. Their insights can offer you perspective & depth to your thinking.

DO NOT Avoid people with handicaps & challenges. They can teach you how to overcome limitations. We are all unique & loved creatures!

    DANCE like no one is watching! Live with passion and reckless abandon!

The Healing Tone

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We all resonate with certain sounds, vibrations, emotions, and frequencies. Sometimes certain tones create healing or spiritual well-being. Sometimes certain tones create discord or unrest. Our society is so filled with high frequency emanations that though we do not consciously experience these impulses, we often respond by feeling stressed or out of balance.

I challenge you to find the tone or the music that creates health or healing for you and then bask in it! Each one of us is different and so one of us need to find the unique frequency that would allow us to feel best. At different times, we might require different tones.

If you can lose yourself in the tone/vibration and can find the perfect moment of integration and presence, then you will find that your mind, body, and spirit are aligned. This can be healing. This moment of alignment is one where you can be most creative and productive. It is remembered as a”special” moment in time and space.

Connect with the tones that offer you a moment of presence and alignment.

Dangers of Ignoring the Impact of Stress

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Why are we in denial?

Have you ever experienced any stress? Is the world more stressful now than it was 20 years ago? Have you ever experienced physical or emotional symptoms that are made worse as a response to stress? Do you believe that the best solution to stress is getting drunk or taking drugs?

I ask these questions many times per month to groups I train or individuals I coach. Without exception, people respond by saying that there is plenty of stress out in the world. It can be a distraction and effect physical and emotional health.

Now I ask you, what do you do, on a daily basis, to control your responses to stress? Do you meditate or practice stress management for 20 minutes per day? Most people say that they are too busy for 20 minutes of relaxation. People think that there is some easier way to control stress like taking medication. It is not convenient to practice stress management, so why bother to do it? The other response that many people use when confronted by the challenges of stress is to a point a finger and then blame someone or something else, rather that to take any responsibility for ones own habitual response to life’s stress.

Do not believe me without testing this out for yourself, but most people find that by practicing 20 minutes of deep relaxation, daily, they will actually save time and energy. Research suggests that 20 minutes of deep relaxation can take the place of as much as 2 hours of sleep and the sleep that you do get will be deeper and more restful. When I first heard this statistic I did not believe it, as most of you will not. I tested the statement and after 3 months I discovered that I required less sleep. Instead of needing 8.5 hours of sleep, I was getting rested with only 7 hours of sleep. So I invested 20 minutes and required 1.5 hours less sleep time. I came out ahead by one hour and ten minutes. Many of my Executive Coaching clients, after I convince them to try the 20 minutes of stress management, report that they get more work done in less time, with less energy, because they are better able to focus and make fewer mistakes. I challenge you to try this activity for 8-12 weeks and find the benefits that will surface.

People resist trying new things even if these “new things” are good for them. In fact, people are so overwhelmed that most of us are apathetic about taking good care of ourselves. We simply do not have the energy to care… Making time, even just 20 minutes per day, is painful and difficult. Motivation is low for using stress management preventively. Stress can cause headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, rapid heart rates, anxiety, depression, GI complaints, sexual dysfunction, back or neck pain, and poor quality of life, and yet most people would rather develop annoying or dangerous symptoms rather than practice stress management…

Most people have an unconscious need to get beaten up by stress as if it were their badge of honor for surviving our hectic world… There are a few genetic immunes who thrive on stress, with no sleep, and they make the rest of us mere mortals look bad. These “immunes” are in denial and stress will eventually affect their health or their relationships in negative ways. In Japan there is a word “Karoshi” which translates; people who work themselves to death. There is an addiction to work in our society and we need to be aware that the long term consequences of this attitude are high costs to our health, relationships, and quality of life.

When we are younger, we can get away with not sleeping or self-care. We are young and strong and flexible, but as we get older, we lose our flexibility and our strength. We have to learn how to do things smarter instead of “muscling through.” If we don’t, we will pay the price and our denial will not save us from our suffering.

Things in life that are the most stressful are the things that you care the most about but that you can not control. The only thing that you can control is the way that you respond in these difficult situations but this can take time and effort.

Please take your head out of the sand and take good care of yourself. Even if this means spending 20 minutes per day with stress management. It will save you time, energy, and even money in the long run.

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the country’s leading expert on stress management and the author of the best selling “Guide to Stress Reduction.” Since 1977, he has offered Executive Coaching and Training. In 1978, he opened the Stress Education Center www.dstress.com.