What an amazing realization!!! It feels so amazing to learn and grow!!! Do you know that stress can be a VERY good thing? Yes!!! It can. Check it out,...
You're be-bopping along through your day and all of a sudden you find yourself in a situation that makes you feel anxious because you feel you are unequipped to handle that situation. You feel the tension in your shoulders, you can feel things going on in your body stirring and prepping you to get the hell out!!! But wait!!!
You stop for a minute and take a deep breath, say to yourself, "This situation is uncomfortable for me. Why? because I don't know how to handle it". What does that really mean? Does it mean you truly are inept?
No! It doesn't,... unless you believe that you are in fact inept. However, if you believe that you can learn and grow this stress feeling is a signal to you that you are currently in an amazing position of opportunity.
Amazing opportunity? Are you crazy? Who really feels like a stressful situation is an amazing opportunity. Uhhh,... ME!!! That's who.
When you feel stress you have an opportunity to turn tail and run the other direction OR you can take that stress and allow it to fuel your desire to grow and change. You can overcome that particular stress by learning new skills.
When you learn new skills and overcome stressful situations you become more confident, you feel more freedom. The feeling of freedom allows you to follow your dreams, live your passion and inspire others.
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Monday, January 26, 2015
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
It's the Apozitude Challenge!!!
According to my news feed on Facebook a fairly good number of folks have accepted and participated in the Ice-bucket challenge to raise awareness for ALS, also known as, Lou Gehrig's disease and I can not deny that it has been successful. Honestly, I didn't know what ALS was the first time I saw an Ice-bucket challenge video posted to FB, so in that regard I have to agree that it has been undeniably successful. I also agree that raising awareness is a big part of what Apozitude is ALL about. The passion behind Apozitude is awareness. It is my passionate intention as the author of Apozitude to raise the awareness in the individual. An awareness that you as an individual have absolute control over your life.
If you are reading this and you are doubting your ability to have control over your life then it is I, Angel Zaumdio, that challenges you to the Apozitude challenge. I came up with this idea as I was soaking myself in a hot bath of eucalyptus and spearmint epsom salt. I had just watched a documentary entitled Stress: Portrait of a Killer on Netflix. Amazing research and documentary by Robert Sapolsky. A must see in my book.
Anyway, after watching this documentary about how stress is a killer, I decided this was the perfect time to take the epsom salt soak I had been planning. I stepped into the hot salty water and turned on my well-being meditation. I laid there in the water breathing in and breathing out as the meditation guided me to allow alignment and releasing resistance. I could feel the stress dissolving from my body and the cells of my body returning to their natural state of balance. Once I was guided to listen to the music and let it guide me to a deeper realm of relaxation, I decided to sink deeper into the water as well.
I sunk down to the point where my ears were under water and I could hear the beating of my heart echoing through the water and in the muffled distance I could also still hear the music of my meditation. I decided I would test the theory that deep intentional breathing could help relieve stress. As I listened to the rhythm of my heart, I deliberately slowed my breathing even more and I could actually hear the pace of my heart begin to slow. All of a sudden the Ice-bucket challenge popped into my mind. I thought what a drastically different effect that water would have on me than the current water I was relaxing in and that is when it occurred to me that I could create a challenge of my own for my readers.
So, how long did it take you or someone you know to get the water and ice bucket together? Add to that the time it took to find someone to record the Ice-Bucket challenge video. Now add the amount of time it took to record the video and change out of the soaking wet clothes. Plus the amount of time it took to post it to FB. How much time do you think all of that took? Let's just guess for the sake of this blog that it took just about 15 minutes. It was probably more, but let's just say 15 - 20 minutes. Just one more thing though ,... take into consideration how this made you feel. How you felt when you watched your friends video and then heard your name in the list of people they challenged. How accepting the challenge made you feel. How being recorded made you feel. How that ice water made you feel. Think about all those things.
Now! Think about the Apozitude Challenge. Oh yeah, I haven't challenged you yet. Ok, I challenge YOU to take less than the amount of time it took you or your friend to do all that stuff for the Ice-bucket thingy and dedicate 15 minutes to yourself. No distractions, simply undivided attention for 15 minutes to your breathing. I challenge you to put yourself first for 15 minutes and prove to yourself that you can have a deliberate affect on your level of stress by slowing down long enough to reduce your heart rate and focus on a sense of peace. Really focus on how that sense of peace feels in your body and know that anytime you want to you can deliberately reconnect to that sense of peace even if for just a moment here and there throughout your day.
You are an amazing person. Take time and spend it with yourself and bless the world with the best of yourself. The payback is wonderful.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="480"]
I kinda look intense, but I was really relaxed. :)[/caption]
If you are reading this and you are doubting your ability to have control over your life then it is I, Angel Zaumdio, that challenges you to the Apozitude challenge. I came up with this idea as I was soaking myself in a hot bath of eucalyptus and spearmint epsom salt. I had just watched a documentary entitled Stress: Portrait of a Killer on Netflix. Amazing research and documentary by Robert Sapolsky. A must see in my book.
Anyway, after watching this documentary about how stress is a killer, I decided this was the perfect time to take the epsom salt soak I had been planning. I stepped into the hot salty water and turned on my well-being meditation. I laid there in the water breathing in and breathing out as the meditation guided me to allow alignment and releasing resistance. I could feel the stress dissolving from my body and the cells of my body returning to their natural state of balance. Once I was guided to listen to the music and let it guide me to a deeper realm of relaxation, I decided to sink deeper into the water as well.
I sunk down to the point where my ears were under water and I could hear the beating of my heart echoing through the water and in the muffled distance I could also still hear the music of my meditation. I decided I would test the theory that deep intentional breathing could help relieve stress. As I listened to the rhythm of my heart, I deliberately slowed my breathing even more and I could actually hear the pace of my heart begin to slow. All of a sudden the Ice-bucket challenge popped into my mind. I thought what a drastically different effect that water would have on me than the current water I was relaxing in and that is when it occurred to me that I could create a challenge of my own for my readers.
So, how long did it take you or someone you know to get the water and ice bucket together? Add to that the time it took to find someone to record the Ice-Bucket challenge video. Now add the amount of time it took to record the video and change out of the soaking wet clothes. Plus the amount of time it took to post it to FB. How much time do you think all of that took? Let's just guess for the sake of this blog that it took just about 15 minutes. It was probably more, but let's just say 15 - 20 minutes. Just one more thing though ,... take into consideration how this made you feel. How you felt when you watched your friends video and then heard your name in the list of people they challenged. How accepting the challenge made you feel. How being recorded made you feel. How that ice water made you feel. Think about all those things.
Now! Think about the Apozitude Challenge. Oh yeah, I haven't challenged you yet. Ok, I challenge YOU to take less than the amount of time it took you or your friend to do all that stuff for the Ice-bucket thingy and dedicate 15 minutes to yourself. No distractions, simply undivided attention for 15 minutes to your breathing. I challenge you to put yourself first for 15 minutes and prove to yourself that you can have a deliberate affect on your level of stress by slowing down long enough to reduce your heart rate and focus on a sense of peace. Really focus on how that sense of peace feels in your body and know that anytime you want to you can deliberately reconnect to that sense of peace even if for just a moment here and there throughout your day.
You are an amazing person. Take time and spend it with yourself and bless the world with the best of yourself. The payback is wonderful.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="480"]
I kinda look intense, but I was really relaxed. :)[/caption]
Friday, August 1, 2014
No means NO! Say YES to Happiness.
Hey guess what. Chicken butt? NO!!!! Not chicken butt, however that is a great lead in to what I am planning to write about today. Chicken butt??? Again, no I wasn't planning to write about chicken butt. My plan today is to write you a permission slip.
Today I am granting you permission to say, NO. Yes, I am talking to you. The one reading this who is thinking something along the lines of, Oh you just don't know my situation, and to that line of thinking, I have to agree. It is highly probabIe that I, in fact, do not know the exact details of your situation. I may not even know you at all, but what I do know is that the basis of the majority of problems is that fact that we are saying yes when we would much rather be saying no. Would you agree?
I would provide examples, but I feel certain you know exactly what I am talking about and your own exaples already popped up in your head. All I am trying to say is that sometimes people think if they work real hard and can try to solve all the problems that are presented to them, that achieving the end result will provide a sense of happiness. I am hear to tell you that it is a false premise.
I see people work their asses off all the time. Struggling along and getting all stressed out in the process and to what end? Are you pleased with yourself when you have spent your entire day wrestling the problems of the day to the ground? You do not have to solve ALL the problems of ALL the people around you. I used to have a similar belief and I know for me, it was really stressful to try and make all the people happy all the time.
I finally realized the only person's happiness that I can truely have an affect on is my own. I started saying no and requesting what it was that I wanted in my life to make me happy. AND do you know what? It really is ok to say no. I still have my job, I still have my happy loving relationship and it all is better than ever because I am focused on what makes me happy.
Today I am granting you permission to say, NO. Yes, I am talking to you. The one reading this who is thinking something along the lines of, Oh you just don't know my situation, and to that line of thinking, I have to agree. It is highly probabIe that I, in fact, do not know the exact details of your situation. I may not even know you at all, but what I do know is that the basis of the majority of problems is that fact that we are saying yes when we would much rather be saying no. Would you agree?
I would provide examples, but I feel certain you know exactly what I am talking about and your own exaples already popped up in your head. All I am trying to say is that sometimes people think if they work real hard and can try to solve all the problems that are presented to them, that achieving the end result will provide a sense of happiness. I am hear to tell you that it is a false premise.
I see people work their asses off all the time. Struggling along and getting all stressed out in the process and to what end? Are you pleased with yourself when you have spent your entire day wrestling the problems of the day to the ground? You do not have to solve ALL the problems of ALL the people around you. I used to have a similar belief and I know for me, it was really stressful to try and make all the people happy all the time.
I finally realized the only person's happiness that I can truely have an affect on is my own. I started saying no and requesting what it was that I wanted in my life to make me happy. AND do you know what? It really is ok to say no. I still have my job, I still have my happy loving relationship and it all is better than ever because I am focused on what makes me happy.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Relive to tell, is it really worth it?
Reliving the details of an event or situation that caused frustration initially,...Does it serve you? That is the ultimate question.
If reliving it serves you, in a manner of assisting clarity to transcend the event or situation, then yes, relive it. Work it through. Process it and change your perspective on reality, but if reliving it only creates more frustration and feelings of dis ease, then for gods sake, stop it!
This is a good question that I will be asking myself in the future. Does this serve me? How am I going to benefit from the retelling of this situation that was so frustrating to me that just talking about it gets me really upset again?
If we find ourselves retelling a story over and over again that created a great deal of stress in the first place we could use it as a reminder to, pause and evaluate for ourselves, is it really worth it?
If reliving it serves you, in a manner of assisting clarity to transcend the event or situation, then yes, relive it. Work it through. Process it and change your perspective on reality, but if reliving it only creates more frustration and feelings of dis ease, then for gods sake, stop it!
This is a good question that I will be asking myself in the future. Does this serve me? How am I going to benefit from the retelling of this situation that was so frustrating to me that just talking about it gets me really upset again?
If we find ourselves retelling a story over and over again that created a great deal of stress in the first place we could use it as a reminder to, pause and evaluate for ourselves, is it really worth it?
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Reach out and grab it!!!
Sometimes you just have to reach out and grab it and claim it as your own. Set aside all the responsibilities and stresses of the day and enjoy that quiet moment you want with yourself on a perfect sunny afternoon. Even if it isn't sunny, you can close your eyes and pretend. Your mind is a very powerful tool. We just need to realize that we have control of our minds. We can stop crazy obsessive thoughts because we have the power to be in control. We just forget sometimes. It takes practice, but it is so worth it.
There is time for a moment or two of perfect peace. It can be so refreshing to put all the worries, stresses and concerns of the day aside for a simple little moment of peace. We live such hurried, gotta get this done, gotta get that done, lives that sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking we don't have time for peace, but if we would just try it for a moment and truly LET IT ALL go, we would probably be amazed what a sense of relief that one or two minutes of peace could provide.
A small sense of relief, just a tiny little shift in awareness can change your whole outlook on life, if only for a brief time. You can always take another moment and reconnect yourself to that sense of relief.
Imagine for a moment that you're going through your day and you experience a few stressful situations that kinda get your blood boiling a bit. This time instead of pushing it down and pushing through, you actually take time to pause. You give yourself a moment to process and come to terms with the source of the stress or get yourself to a place where you can let it go. Imagine how much better you might be able to handle the next thing or even better the next thing doesn't bug you as much.
Try it! The next time something bothers you, before you let your mind carry you off on some wild ride of possibilities take a moment to yourself and say, "I am going to take a deep breath. With this deep breath I will take a pause. With this pause I will create relief" and notice the sense of peace that fills your body.
Be patient with yourself. If this is a new concept for you, it is possible that you won't be a pro at it the first time you try. Treat yourself with kindness and try again. There is no need to pressure yourself.
There is time for a moment or two of perfect peace. It can be so refreshing to put all the worries, stresses and concerns of the day aside for a simple little moment of peace. We live such hurried, gotta get this done, gotta get that done, lives that sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking we don't have time for peace, but if we would just try it for a moment and truly LET IT ALL go, we would probably be amazed what a sense of relief that one or two minutes of peace could provide.
A small sense of relief, just a tiny little shift in awareness can change your whole outlook on life, if only for a brief time. You can always take another moment and reconnect yourself to that sense of relief.
Imagine for a moment that you're going through your day and you experience a few stressful situations that kinda get your blood boiling a bit. This time instead of pushing it down and pushing through, you actually take time to pause. You give yourself a moment to process and come to terms with the source of the stress or get yourself to a place where you can let it go. Imagine how much better you might be able to handle the next thing or even better the next thing doesn't bug you as much.
Try it! The next time something bothers you, before you let your mind carry you off on some wild ride of possibilities take a moment to yourself and say, "I am going to take a deep breath. With this deep breath I will take a pause. With this pause I will create relief" and notice the sense of peace that fills your body.
Be patient with yourself. If this is a new concept for you, it is possible that you won't be a pro at it the first time you try. Treat yourself with kindness and try again. There is no need to pressure yourself.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Dealing with stress
There are times when we encounter very stressful situations or very stressful people and sometimes we simply allow other people's drama to leak into our lives. It's not really that we allow it, but we're just bee bopping along on our happy trail and someone enters our realm of happiness and starts spewing their negative drama all over our pixie dust fairy tail life. Sometimes we just bump right into it, without any sort of a hint that it is present. It can be quite a shock!
I am aware of negative energies around me and I do my best to avoid direct contact, but sometimes its just a head on collision, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. I do take deep breaths and attempt to let go of any responsibility for these negative energy sucks! I remind myself to breathe. Breathing is the essence of life. Without the breathing exercises,... it is very possible that I might just explode. Stress is directly related to heart attacks and that is one of the big reasons why I do what I can to avoid stress or deal with stress in a healthy manner.
So, take a moment (go ahead and do this as you read) ,...and take a deep healthy breath,... slowly in through your nose,.... And hold it for a count of one,...then slowly release that breath,...out through your mouth ,....and shut the fuck up! There now don't you feel better? I know I do.
I am aware of negative energies around me and I do my best to avoid direct contact, but sometimes its just a head on collision, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. I do take deep breaths and attempt to let go of any responsibility for these negative energy sucks! I remind myself to breathe. Breathing is the essence of life. Without the breathing exercises,... it is very possible that I might just explode. Stress is directly related to heart attacks and that is one of the big reasons why I do what I can to avoid stress or deal with stress in a healthy manner.So, take a moment (go ahead and do this as you read) ,...and take a deep healthy breath,... slowly in through your nose,.... And hold it for a count of one,...then slowly release that breath,...out through your mouth ,....and shut the fuck up! There now don't you feel better? I know I do.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Civic duty
Well, well, well, what do you know? Here I am at the Washington County courthouse getting the honorable opportunity to serve my civic duty as a juror. I have to admit when I received my summons I tried to defer it, but it was denied. I've deferred it every other time I've been asked to serve. So it was my turn and I was feeling a little bit of stress over it as I didn't know how long it would take and I have dental conference in Vegas in less than a week. Also, my office is currently short staffed, so missing work right now, would be not good. Fortunately, I was called to serve on a Friday.
Why is this fortunate? Two reasons. #1 - My office is closed on Fridays, so no extra stress on me, my boss or my co-workers. Yeah!!! #2 - I learned from the jury coordinator, the lovely Christine, that Fridays are almost always a 1 day hearing. Yippee!!!
An informative video explaining the details of what will happen when you are asked to serve for jury duty was provided. The video was very effective in educating me and changing my attitude towards the experience. As a result, I was a little bit bummed out that I was not selected for the 1st case being tried, but maybe I will be selected for the second case. So, I wait,.... Perfect opportunity to work on my blog!!!!
Well, it turns out that my civic duty was served by driving out to Hillsboro and sitting in the possible juror room for a few hours, drinking some free coffee and then going home. It wasn't bad at all. Christine said more than once, and I'm paraphrasing of course, We appreciate you saying, "Yes" when you were asked to serve jury duty today, we know it can be an inconvenience, but this amazing system of justice would not work if we as officials didn't have a group of willing people such as yourselves to select jurors from, so even if you are not picked, you have served a very important part of the process. We hope this inconvenience can turn into a positive experience for you.
Christine's hope was my reality. I am pleased to report that I will no longer dread jury duty. Well,...at least not until next time,...
Gimme a break! I'm only human.
Why is this fortunate? Two reasons. #1 - My office is closed on Fridays, so no extra stress on me, my boss or my co-workers. Yeah!!! #2 - I learned from the jury coordinator, the lovely Christine, that Fridays are almost always a 1 day hearing. Yippee!!!
An informative video explaining the details of what will happen when you are asked to serve for jury duty was provided. The video was very effective in educating me and changing my attitude towards the experience. As a result, I was a little bit bummed out that I was not selected for the 1st case being tried, but maybe I will be selected for the second case. So, I wait,.... Perfect opportunity to work on my blog!!!!
Well, it turns out that my civic duty was served by driving out to Hillsboro and sitting in the possible juror room for a few hours, drinking some free coffee and then going home. It wasn't bad at all. Christine said more than once, and I'm paraphrasing of course, We appreciate you saying, "Yes" when you were asked to serve jury duty today, we know it can be an inconvenience, but this amazing system of justice would not work if we as officials didn't have a group of willing people such as yourselves to select jurors from, so even if you are not picked, you have served a very important part of the process. We hope this inconvenience can turn into a positive experience for you.
Christine's hope was my reality. I am pleased to report that I will no longer dread jury duty. Well,...at least not until next time,...
Gimme a break! I'm only human.
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