"I am not going to look for stress this year...I am going to Avoid it" Ann Sandberg
It isn't so much that we don't know what stresses us, but we may not know how to avoid it or feel that we can.
I go back to what Eckart Tolle said about life, that there are only three ways to be in life. In Enjoyment, Enthusiasm or Acceptance.
And in life, there are things we have to do, that we would prefer avoiding, but due to being out voted, you have to do it...so acceptance may be all you can do.
The word Consciousness means, "The state of being awake and aware of one's surroundings." I would also state, being aware of your energy levels as well as seeing your surroundings and knowing what needs to be done and knowing what is reasonable for you.
I believe that learning how to avoid stress is the answer to all peace.
Learning that if you can't be in enjoyment or with enthusisam, you have to be accepting.
What I failed to accept this Christmas was my cold or that my body would be too tired to pull off a big Christmas dinner for 11.
I failed to ask for more help.
I failed to slip away and take a much deserved rest.
I failed to do and ask for what my body needed.
And in doing so felt stress.
Avoiding the feelings of stress means being proactive...and not waiting until you are up to your neck in stress, but to never even get to the overwhelming mark.
Women especially are used to just piling on more and more. And I did okay with the mail. I did okay with the mail and cold, and even to enjoy Christmas Eve, and Christmas Morning. It all fell apart after that, my level of giving had gone...and I didn't speak up. I let the doingness overlap the amount of energy I had...and I failed to call for help, so I drowned in doing too much.
I lost the peace of Christmas...within me.
I had no energy to do, but I didn't stop...that has to be the meaning of stress.
To do when you have no desire or energy to do so.
Avoiding stress is to speak up or stop doing.
I am betting it was seen as weak or less valuable to ask for help in my childhood. I somehow have these markers within me...to be viewed as a woman who can do it all.
When clearly we all have energy levels that max out.
Knowing when to say when...stopping before you are too extended and frazzled is to gracefully remain in peace.
I lost my peace because I didn't speak up...and say "I can't".
I neglected my inner feelings and energy levels, I let them silently become overwhelmed. This is an old routine with me. One that I will learn to finesse this year...the art of avoiding stress.
Photograph By Hannah Jukuri
