“If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will change a past or future event, then you are residing on another planet with a different reality system.” ~ William James
Stress and Anxiety
What Is Your Stress Meter Reading?
Did you check your stress meter? On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being exceptionally cool and 10 being totally stressed out, where are you? When our stress levels are continuously high, we may feel like that’s normal and we’re not stressed. Try really chilling out; no electronic media, only soft mellow music and sitting quietly, perhaps sipping coffee or tea. No conversations. If it feels stressful and unnatural to you, you probably forgot how to relax. Stress has become your normal. You can lower your stress levels, but it will take time. It’s a lot like going on a diet after the holidays. One can’t lose ten pounds in two days. Start by claiming as little as a minute of total relaxation time each day. If you stay with it, you can build it up to perhaps 5 or 10 minutes at a time. Once you’re there you can take chill time multiple times during the day. Chill times are brief intermissions from the stress associated with your life. You’ll find, over time, you’re becoming less stressed and anxious and more calm and relaxed.
Today’s Joke: Joe’s Boss Knows How to Deal With Stress
Joe: “My boss is really good at handling high stress problems.”
Pete: “I’d like to know how she does that?”
Joe: “She delegates them to me.”
Episode 146: Rebuilding Life After Loss – Finding Hope When Love Has Left You
Episode 146: Rebuilding Life After Loss – Finding Hope When Love Has Left You
When love leaves, the world feels hollow, and a once-vibrant home becomes a silent house. In this episode, we explore the experience of grief, heartbreak, and rediscovering joy after loss. Inspired by Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poignant poem “Ashes of Life” and Charles Bukowski’s empowering “The Laughing Heart,” we dive into the depths of sorrow and the gradual journey of rebuilding a life after tragedy. Learn how to tune into the subtle voice within that encourages us to “choose to live,” and discover how the spark of life slowly returns, filling the heart with light once again.
Perfect for anyone struggling with grief, loneliness, or seeking hope after heartbreak, this episode reminds us to never give up.
Keywords: grief, heartbreak, loss, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Charles Bukowski, rebuilding life, choose to live, finding hope, podcast on grief.
Today’s Poem: Yes! No! by Mary Oliver
Yes! No!
Mary Oliver
How necessary it is to have opinions! I think the spotted trout
lilies are satisfied, standing a few inches above the earth. I
think serenity is not something you just find in the world,
like a plum tree, holding up its white petals.
The violets, along the river, are opening their blue faces, like
small dark lanterns.
The green mosses, being so many, are as good as brawny.
How important it is to walk along, not in haste but slowly,
looking at everything and calling out
Yes! No! The
swan, for all his pomp, his robes of grass and petals, wants
only to be allowed to live on the nameless pond. The catbrier
is without fault. The water thrushes, down among the sloppy
rocks, are going crazy with happiness. Imagination is better
than a sharp instrument. To pay attention, this is our endless
and proper work.
Today’s Poem: Laugh a Little Bit by Edward Vance Cooke
Laugh a Little Bit
Edward Vance Cooke
Here’s a motto, just your fit–
Laugh a little bit.
When you think you’re trouble hit,
Laugh a little bit.
Look misfortune in the face.
Brave the beldam’s rude grimace;
Ten to one ’twill yield its place,
If you have the wit and grit
Just to laugh a little bit.
Keep your face with sunshine lit,
Laugh a little bit.
All the shadows off will flit,
If you have the grit and wit
Just to laugh a little bit.
Cherish this as sacred writ–
Laugh a little bit.
Keep it with you, sample it,
Laugh a little bit.
Little ills will sure betide you,
Fortune may not sit beside you,
Men may mock and fame deride you,
But you’ll mind them not a whit
If you laugh a little bit.
Health Facts: Love Can Make You Healthy
Here are two important but lesser-known health facts about love:
- Love Can Strengthen the Immune System: Being in a loving relationship can boost your immune system. Studies have shown that people in supportive, affectionate relationships have stronger immune responses, making them more resilient to illness. This effect is thought to come from the emotional support and stress reduction that love provides, which can enhance immune function over time.
- Love Improves Heart Health: While it’s well-known that stress negatively impacts heart health, love does the opposite. Experiencing positive emotions from love and affection can help reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of cardiovascular issues. The emotional bond and physical closeness experienced in a loving relationship trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps relax blood vessels, leading to better heart health.
Today’s Poem: Don’t Take Your Troubles to Bed by Edward Vance Cooke
Don’t Take Your Troubles to Bed
Edward Vance Cooke
You may labor your fill, friend of mine, if you will;
You may worry a bit, if you must;
You may treat your affairs as a series of cares,
You may live on a scrap and a crust;
But when the day’s done, put it out of your head;
Don’t take your troubles to bed.
You may batter your way through the thick of the fray,
You may sweat, you may swear, you may grunt;
You may be a jack-fool if you must, but this rule
Should ever be kept at the front: —
Don’t fight with your pillow, but lay down your head
And kick every worriment out of the bed.
That friend or that foe (which he is, I don’t know),
Whose name we have spoken as Death,
Hovers close to your side, while you run or you ride,
And he envies the warmth of your breath;
But he turns him away, with a shake of his head,
When he finds that you don’t take your troubles to bed.
Today’s Thought: Take Time to Kick Back
It’s another hot day in south Texas. The cactus don’t seem to mind. That’s the way it is in August around here. One hot day after another. It might be the reason the iced tea glasses are big, I mean really big. If I take trip to the River Walk I’ll smell fajitas sizzling well before I walk down the steps to the River Walk. I’m getting hungry now. August is a good time to lay back and take it easy for a few days. We all need to let all the busy stuff go every once in a while, enjoy the day regardless of the weather, and catch up with the people we love and who love us.
Today’s Thought: It’s Okay to be Wrong
Everyone has a right to be wrong, more than once. Everyone has a right to mess up, more than once. The folks who like to point fingers and criticize don’t realize when they are pointing a finger they are pointing three fingers back toward themselves. We get along a lot better when we cut each other some slack, laugh at our mistakes, and encourage each other to keep trying.
