I can’t watch the news from Moore, Oklahoma and can barely stand to read about it. I put up this picture as opposed to “real” ones to blunt the pain; looking at this one is bad enough.
For some of the survivors in Moore, Oklahoma, today is what I call “Standing In Dead In The Water Time.” Humans are stronger than many realize, and most are doing what has to be done, albeit slowly and painfully, but
Lucky are the ones who are able to be helpers. Being active in the face of trauma is protective; being active as a helper even more so. You can mute your pain by donating; the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are the highly reputable places to donate.
First, however, if you know folks there think of sending cash their way with the edict that if they don’t need it to pass it on to someone who does. We need the big charities, but when disaster strikes in a way that all you have left on your back are the clothes on your back, cash in hand bestows a bit of hope and power, both carry a person forward.
The Dali Lama and I are both advocates of Emotional Fitness. We diverge only on one point. He has a website called Educate Your Heart; its mission is to reform the educational system so that social and emotional fitness matter as much as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Here is a lovely video calling for those reforms
Lovely isn’t it? Please visit the webpage and learn more and think of donating.
EMOTIONAL FITNESS THOUGHTS
Where do I diverge? Buddhism calls for radical pacifism. I have several Buddhists friends who will not swat mosquitoes Not so much a problem where malaria is not a problem, life threatening in other areas – think of China’s takeover of the pacifically oriented Tibetans.
I think pacifism ends when life and limb are seriously threatened by another. So in addition to calling for schools to teach social and emotional fitness, I call for teaching a peace-based karate.
EMOTIONAL FITNESS TIPS
Tip one: One of the good things about emotional fitness or educating your heart is that it can start at any age. If you have not already visited my Be With Beauty Page, do so now. It explains more about emotional fitness and then shows you how to practice one of the Twelve Daily Easy Emotional Fitness Exercises.
Tip two: This is an exercise that helps me keep all bad feelings under control, but is particularly useful when it comes to anger. I call it Soft Face.
Start by making angry face. Remember the last time you got enraged. tighten your jaw, pull your lips down in a frown, clench your teeth, narrow your eyes, pull your eyebrows together, and wrinkle your forehead. Notice how all that feels.
Now take a calming breath and as you are breathing out, relax your jaw, let your lips play at smiling, un-clench your teeth, widen your eyes, spread out your eyebrows, and un-wrinkle your forehead. That is soft face. Notice how it feels.
Practice the two faces until you can easily turn tense of angry face into soft face. Once you can do that at will, you will find taming anger and other bad feelings much easier.
STAY STRONG
The stresses of modern-day life are never-ending. Stress diminishes your physical health. The more you educate your heart and improve your emotional fitness the better for your health and the more likely you will enjoy the good things life has to offer.
If you take advantage of the free offer, please write a review on Amazon or here. I write and share knowledge for the joy of it brings my, but I also need to make a bit of money. Reviews lead to sales. Endorsements also help others decide to buy.
For all you do to support me and to bring kindness to our world, thank you. You help me Stay Strong.
Katherine
DISCLAIMERS
The first and most important: Emotional Fitness Training is a self-help, knowledge sharing, coaching program. It is not therapy. Nor does it replace therapy when therapy is needed. If the exercises and support provided here do not help you gain control of negative feelings, is needed. Support groups, coaching, and therapy are other paths to emotional fitness.
Anyone with suicidal thoughts, thoughts of harming other people, or who engage in dangerous out-of-control behaviors needs professional help. Anyone with serious suicidal or homicidal plans need an immediate psychiatric evaluation. Call a suicide hot line if you are unsure of where or how to get help. Suicidal hotlines USA. Life can be better.
The second: I have dysgraphia, a learning disability that peppers my writing with mis-spelling and punctuation errors. All my books are professionally edited. Not so my blog post. Although I use all the grammar and spelling checks, mistakes slip by. If they bother you, seek another source of support for life’s less savory moments. Life is too short to let problems you can avoid irritate you.
May you walk in peace and may the light of love shine in and through you, now and forever
THINKING ABOUT WHAT MATTERS
No matter what your beliefs about a higher power, a day devoted to a simpler life is strengthening. To me that means thinking about what matters, not spending money, not working on any commercial ventures, not using my beloved computer, turning off the cell phone, connecting with friends, nature, my G-d.
Create your own version, your life will improve.
STAYING STRONG TIP ADDED VALUE
Spend one day a week without traveling; turning on the tv, radio, or computer. Doing so practices kindness for our planet. Try it you might like it.
Signing off soon. Be back after sunset tomorrow night.
This Emotional Fitness Training® Poster Coach offers thoughts about facing danger and fears of being hurt. All too often we run when it is not necessary.
Fears alert us to possible dangers. The key word is possible. As Tolstoy notes we need to use our thinking voices before acting on a fear-based voice telling you to run. Denial, that very common way we calm fears, is a way we run from them.
If you like my efforts to share knowledge, subscribe to my Emotional Fitness Training newsletter. See the sidebar. If you think my words might help another share. Sharing is caring.
A reminder about this week’s free book for parents. This one prompted me to think about how we all run away. Here it is: ‘When Good Kids Run Away‘ is free for five days this week from Wednesday 15th to Sunday 19th May.
Next week’s free book will be Twelve Easy Emotional Fitness Exercises. Watch for the announcement. Cannot wait, as with most of my books it costs less than a latte and the advice adds no calories, and helps you stay strong.
A final reminder, make sure you make free-time, me-time, family and friend time, and quiet time part of your life. Turn off all the electronics, don’t shop, instead enjoy nature, Be With Beauty; instead of driving, go only where you can walk or ride your bike.
For all you do to support me and to bring kindness to our world, thank you. You help me Stay Strong.
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