Don’t Worry … Be Happy

 

Don’t Worry

 

Every system in your body is affected by worry. In addition to raising blood pressure and increasing blood clotting, worry can prompt your liver to produce more cholesterol, all of which can raise your risk of heart attack and stroke. Muscle tension can give rise to headaches, back pain, and other body aches. Worry can also trigger an increase in stomach acid and either slow or speed up muscle contractions in your intestines, which can lead to stomach aches, constipation, diarrhea, gas or heartburn. Worry can affect your skin (rash or itch). It can impact your respiratory system and aggravating asthma. Growing evidence even suggests that chronic worry can compromise your immune system, making you more vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, perhaps even cancer.

 

Worry, which often accompanies trauma, triggers the same damaging chemical and physical changes as a actual emergency. Your body begins to pump out an array of chemicals (such as adrenaline) that increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain and skeletal muscles. Your blood also clots faster, ready to repair any injuries you sustain in your “fight or flight.”  You may be all keyed up with nothing to fight or flee and no way to turn off the stress chemicals. You become a ticking bomb that is not allowed to explode-consequently, you may implode. If this happens frequently or over a long period of time, it can have a serious effect on your health.

 

Stop the worry before if has the opportunity to take control of your emotions and thoughts. You must work quickly and strike when you first become aware of the negative thoughts that fuel worry. Do something: exercise, splash cold water on your face, snap a rubber band, call a friend, or imagine a big flashing stop sign in your mind’s eye. You may want to listen to a relaxation CD or go on a mini vacation in your mind. Whatever you choose should channel your thoughts in another more positive direction.

 

 © Copyright Dr. Dorothy McCoy

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/trauma.html

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Author:

Dr. Dorothy McCoy, is a psychotherapist in South Carolina and writes Self-Help Workbooks and CDs on Fear of Flying, Anxiety Management, Anger Management, Social Phobia and Weight Loss. If you have question you may contact her at dlamp@lowcountry.com. She is a Diplomat with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and a NOVA trained community crisis responder. For more information, please visit her website www.Counseling.com/DrMcCoy/

 

 

“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:25-33

 

“ Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.  Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?  And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?  Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Luke12:22-31

 

Be Happy

"The belief that happiness has to be deserved has led to centuries of pain, guilt and deception. Happiness is free!" - Robert Holden

 

“HAPPINESS IS A DECISION!” -  Lionel R. Ketchian

http://www.happinessclub.com/

 

Being happy means doing what you can, when you can, rather than waiting for something to change on it’s own. Being happy means finding the solutions to a problem, than making the best choice for now. Being happy means never volunteering to make yourself a victim. Being happy means you become proactive to allow your wisdom and common sense to make the changes you want to see in the next moment rather than react to the moment from your past conditioning.

 

Being happy is the most powerful decision you can ever make. Being happy gets you what you want out of life. As Henry David Thoreau said: "There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself." Being happy allows you to access new habits to empower yourself. Being happy allows you to tap into the power TO DO IT! Being happy allows you to deal with difficult people. Being happy allows you to deal with anger when it arises. Being happy allows you to cope with fear and anxiety.

 

Being happy makes you feel like you can change the world because you are taking control of yourself from the inside out. Being happy allows you to deal with what you cannot change because you know it is only temporary and if you really want the change it will happen. Being happy allows you the patience to wait in order to get what you want because you will be getting it soon. Being happy allows you to experience being stronger, smarter, freer and more fully yourself in the process.

 

 

“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.” – Psalms 32:11

 

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.” – Proverbs 3:13

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..” – Galatians 5:22-23

 

 

THINK on THESE THINGS
by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

 

It is easy to have faith in God and love everyone on days when the world is all in order.

 

There are other days that seem to require more effort than any normal person can possibly muster. Each step seems to be an obstacle to overcome. Every hurt and thought of resentment presents itself in a clamorous roar.

 

Weariness of body, soul, and spirit will nag the strongest beings into dark moods unless they can find a time away from all that plagues them. That time may be hard to come by, but even a few moments can bring a problem to light.

 

Twinges of jealousy, feelings of anxiety, all scatter in that light. When the attention is turned from those things that make life all too ordinary they immediately, like a procession, march toward the God-self.

 

To spend only a few moments counting our blessings will tell us that life is well worth living....the satisfaction of a job well done, the companionship of good friends with whom we share the lighter side and the ones who understand our darkest moods are all blessings.

 

Permission to post
by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
http://www.hifler.com

 

 

If you prefer to walk free of the lower worlds and establish yourself in the Spirit, there are only a few qualities that are necessary.

The first one is acceptance. You have to accept what is so in your life and be honest with it, not pretending it's something it's not or creating fantasies about how you would like it to be. Just accept what is.

The second quality is understanding. You have to seek understanding by understanding yourself. You don't necessarily have to understand everyone else, but it's important to know and understand yourself.

The third quality is responsibility. You have to take responsibility for yourself and your actions on all levels.

And the fourth quality is cooperation. Once you accept what is, understand it, and take responsibility for yourself and your actions, you can start cooperating with all of that. When you cooperate, you discover you're free.

- John-Roger
[From: Divine Essence (Baraka), 2001 Benjamin Franklin Award Winner, p. 108]

 

http://www.lovingeachday.org/cardview.php3?id=1635

 

 

Conclusion:   Worry = bad    Happy=good   “Don’t worry … Be happy!”

 

It’s your choice – choose happiness.