Suffering in silence? I've spent too much of my life feeling guilty for feeling angry. And I've spent too much time feeling needless anger. Too afraid to confront perceived injustices, I morphed into self-pity mode instead---which effectively increased my anger...and suffering. For "good measure" and to "atone," I added guilt to my toxicity. Thankfully, divine intervention led me to the field of Communication Studies. I learned how to analyze the emotion of anger as well as its root causes. ... VIEW POST
Got Emotional Indigestion?
Think About What You’re Thinking About
Are you always on your mind? As a young woman, I felt responsible for everyone's feelings. (Ironically, I felt little responsibility for my own.) I lived in a constant state of reactive thinking and feeling. Consequently, my actions were often reactive as well. I wasn't consciously aware of this cause/effect thought pattern. Nevertheless, a slow but steady pressure of anger and resentment welled within me. I was frustrated at my own sense of helplessness and my perceived ... VIEW POST
Wanna Go Sailing? Face, Brace, and Then Embrace.
Making our suffering purposeful. "In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning." These words from Viktor Frankl changed my life! A Jewish psychiatrist from Vienna, Dr. Frankl endured the Nazi horrors at Auschwitz. When freed, he wrote the book, Man's Search for Meaning in an effort to find meaning in the Holocaust. His conclusion: There was no meaning. There was no purpose. Yet, in efforts to retain his sanity, Frankl (and many of his ... VIEW POST
From Dis-grace to His Grace
The power of grace. I'm a fan of TV evangelical preacher, Joyce Meyer. Despite our religious differences, we share a strong faith in and love for Jesus Christ. Her candid, unvarnished portrayal of her emotional and spiritual struggles have aided me in transcending my own unhealthy mindsets, anxiety, and fear. Joyce claims that sharing her "secrets" while bearing testimony of Christ's healing grace is empowering. Oh so true! Her willingness to share her experiences has empowered me. I feel ... VIEW POST
From Dis-ease to At-Ease
Addicted to rules? As a high-schooler and young adult, I took pride in my scrupulous, "legalistic obedience" to LDS doctrine. I was really good at "obeying".... and beating myself up. To some degree, my attitude served a purpose: I stayed out of teenage trouble. However, my conscience operated on overdrive fueling my guilt, anxiety, and need for approval. Without realizing it, I worshiped my religious "rules" and others' opinions of me more than I worshiped God. And I don't think I'm alone ... VIEW POST
Because Death Is Birth, I’ve Learned To Die
Are you in a right fight? I've learned to die. Even better, I'm learning to die "well." For me, my deaths equate to re-births. Dying and birthing is hard work, but each loss brings its own gain. (Like they say, "No pain, no gain.") Our mortal birth actually began with our pre-mortal "death." Our calendared time sequences and seasons symbolize our emotional and spiritual deaths and rebirths. ... VIEW POST
"The Ten Virgins" by John Melhuish Strudwick