How To Cope With Disturbances And Difficulties In Life

The following is one of my favourite quotes from the writings of Alfred D Souza." For a long time it had seemed to me that my life was about to begin - Real Life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business. Time still to be served. A debt to be paid. Then life would begin.At last it dawned on me that these obstacles WERE MY LIFE."(My emphases)The truth is that satisfaction often comes to us spontaneously, when we least expect it. When we seek satisfaction we tend to focus on all the things which are causing us dis-satisfaction and because of this we actually make ourselves more uncomfortable.The trick is to change position, to move and to do something different, something that will engage the major senses and which will involve action and some degree of concentration. This is a technique that breaks the pattern of discontent, dis-satisfaction and even nervousness or anxiety.I suffer with sudden and unexpected bouts of high blood pressure which are preceded by an uncomfortable feeling of apprehension. What I do when this happens is to go to the bathroom and have a shave. Shaving engages the senses of hearing and feeling hot running water, feeling and smelling the shaving cream and then hearing and feeling the razor as it glides over the face. Seeing the process in the mirror, and focusing the mind on doing a good job of it. At the completion of the shave, there is the nice experience of rinsing and drying the face and hands. All this sensory input and focus has the effect of creating a more relaxed state with a consequent lowering of blood pressure to a safe level.In other cases I find taking a shower a very effective method of breaking a disturbing pattern. Some people go for a walk alone or with their dog, others, including me at times, like to go for a drive. The act of driving a car engages all the senses except taste, and it provides a new focus of attention for the mind.The less we think about ouselves and our needs for comfort, the happier we are. This is why helping others can be so rewarding.In the above quote Souza makes the point that life is full of circumstances and events which seem to run counter to our plans and intentions.All of these problems and disturbances that we meet are the challenging opportunities for us to become masterful in the arts of living and loving.

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How To Cope With Disturbances And Difficulties In Life

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