May 2nd, 2010 | 2 Comments

THERE are phases in life when you are surrounded by trouble and nothing seems to work. All you know as the momentum builds up is that something has to give somewhere and things will cool down again. After all,a situation of stress cannot continue forever.

However,while the experience lasts,how do you hold yourself together.Intense,stressful situations test your true grit and strength of character.And that of those close to you the best and closest of relationships have been known to give away under stress.For,we change under pressure and our actions,body language and decisions are all different from what they are in normal times.Even the coolest of people seem to lose their ability to stay calm when faced with the slightest challenge to the smooth running of their lives.

The seemingly happygo-lucky Modi,who was matching steps with Bollywood stars just a few days ago,is tense and seems on the verge of a breakdown.Quite natural.We can all empathise with them since we have all been in that boat,in varying degrees,sometime or the other.And here,for Modi,his entire life,career and reputation built painstakingly over several years,seem to be collapsing around their ears like a pack of cards! How can one not be affected The challenge however would be to retain your demeanour and cool particularly when under the most pressure.Experience proves that stress can have an acute negative impact on health.Increased weight,high blood pressure,heart problems,migraines,mood swings,irritability,and insomnia you name it and stress gives it! Did you know that when stressed out,you not just tend to overeat but also eat all the wrong stuff And that stress can be so overpowering that a study shows men even change their definition of which woman they find attractive when under acute stress they end up choosing the wrong woman!

Wouldnt it be nice if,secure in the knowledge that even the worst of times cannot last forever and knowing the ill-effects of tension,we could distance ourselves from a stressful situation and watch life like a bystander Difficult to imagine,but not impossible.

If like a yogi,you could but detach yourself from life and watch yourself from a distance you would be able to escape the resultant forces that shape your life.Though at the epicenter of the activity,you would be able to rise above and stay unmoved and unfazed.Sounds improbable Try it.With every impossible situation,when we are under deep stress,there comes a moment when we finally give in and go with the flow.The moment when we realise that no amount of struggle or effort is going to help us and its better to give in and conserve energy.And at that point,you find yourself enter an area of stillness.The chatter is cut out and a quiet delight is born.And that is the point at which you start living a carefree life

Apr 14th, 2010 | No Comments

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…
It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing,
and mistakes into important events.
Gratitude makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

– Melodie Beattie

Imagine if the word Gratitude was not included in the above quote. Instead, think of a blank ____________ in its place. Go back and re-read the quote picturing the word Gratitude as a blank.

Suppose you had no idea what it was that could bring so much goodness to your life. I am sure you would want to know what it is! You might even be sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what the missing blank is.

I would bet that once you found out what it was (i.e., gratitude) that you might feel a twinge of disappointment. You might be expecting some grandiose “thing” to provide all that it promises.
Why does it have to be difficult? What do people have a hard time accepting that something as simple as gratitude can bring you so much goodness? Can you just accept it and enjoy?

Things that make you go Hmmmmm…

Be Well.

Written by Ajay Matharu

April 14th, 2010 at 6:49 pm