One of the dumbest things I have ever done is grab a hot iron by the bottom.
We were rushing out of the house for a trip a few years back. The last time I had used it was hours ago that morning, and had left it on the ironing bourd in the bed room. I didn't know Lauren had used it just a moment before.
I've never dropped anything so fast before or since!
Most of you are probably a whole lot smarter than me and have never picked up a hot iron. At the same time, I bet everyone has had the experience of picking up something hot, getting burned, and dropping it right away.
Would it make any sense to keep holding something hot like that? Of course not.
That's why we drop them so quickly.
Then why do we hold on so tightly to hot emotional issues and allow them to keep burning us?
Yet we do it all the time. Something inconvenient, bad, or even traumatic occurs, and we hold on to it for dear life. I've worked with people who had experienced trauma and were doing fairly well not too long after. I've also worked with people who had experienced trauma years and years ago, yet it seemed as if it had just happened.
How to Hold On
Holding on to something that is burning us requires a lot of conscious attention, just like flunking gym class in school. Here's a few "tips" for holding on:
*Play the situation or offense over and over in your mind. Be sure to make a little "mental movie" for your own viewing pleasure.
*Make sure it's the first thing you think of in the morning and the last thing you think of at night.
*Tell everyone who will give you an ear the whole entire story, in play by play detail.
*Make it the defining moment in your life.
*Isolate yourself from other people
*Rant and rave about the injustice and unfairness of it all.
*Look at yourself as a victim.
How to Drop It
Just as holding on to something requires conscious attention, dropping something requires a conscious decision. Here's a few tips for dropping it:
*as stated above, decide to. You must decide to do it before any ot the other tips will work.
*take away from it what you can learn, leave behind anything else.
*find a symbol of the event and burn it, bury it, or both. I know this might sound a little silly, but it works.
*remember the saying "Success comes from good judgement. Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."
*and perhaps the most important: make a place for it in your life, because it did happen. And then put it in it's place, which is behind you.
Hold on and get burned or drop it and move on. It's a choice.
And it's yours to make.
Visit secretsofgreatrelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.
car service from Midway Burlington .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareIf you have never tried combining your breathing exercises with... Read More
File this one under the category of "watch your language."The... Read More
Meditation seems to have arrived in the mainstream of late,... Read More
Author and speaker H. Stephen Glenn has said,"In terms of... Read More
When September rolls around, does it generally hit you like... Read More
1. Acknowledge that requesting support, guidance and partnership is not... Read More
Living in our world today can be very stressful. While... Read More
We are not designed for long term stress.It causes us... Read More
What part of no don't you understand? - Bumper stickerThe... Read More
Every woman needs her own personal space for relaxation, not... Read More
1. The Law of StagnationThis is also known as first... Read More
We so often take the feelings of happiness and saddness... Read More
We all know what it feels like to have our... Read More
Q. Help! I moved from the Dallas to Denver. I... Read More
Training Your Mind For Better Business and LeisureModern life moves... Read More
Stress, America's #1 health problem, is a leading cause of... Read More
Raise your hand if you have ever been rejected by... Read More
This summer, get away, without going away. Take a mini... Read More
David Bowie once sang, "Ch-ch-changes, tryin' to face the strain."And... Read More
June is the month of the honey moon. Custom holds... Read More
"Do you want to be a lump of coal or... Read More
After a stressful day as a computer programmer, Jim pulled... Read More
Caring for a chronically ill loved one can be one... Read More
If you suffer from insomnia of any kind, the chances... Read More
Stress is normal. Stress is OK. Stress is the same... Read More
Granger limo Chicago ..If you are an anxiety and panic sufferer, then you've... Read More
Have you ever listened to someone, perhaps even to your... Read More
Why is it that some people become totally stressed when... Read More
Why Stress Management programmes don't work?It seems that every week... Read More
Fear, and its accompanying seriousness, causes our suffering. Fear restricts... Read More
Make stress less of an issue for you in your... Read More
No need to go spend money at a spa! There... Read More
I was a psychotherapist for... Read More
Is your in-tray or inbox full? I don't normally check... Read More
"Watch your language."We all heard this admonition as kids and... Read More
Shit happens. I know this to be a fact, because... Read More
The best way to reduce your stress is to really... Read More
Everybody deals with fear and anxiety, however some people have... Read More
Defending your point of view can use up a lot... Read More
Mark Twain once said, "It's not what we don't know... Read More
As we celebrate yet another Labor Day, I thought it... Read More
Comedian George Carlin once remarked, "Have your ever noticed? Anyone... Read More
I just got through reading some troubling news in the... Read More
Did you ever feel like your "get-up-and-go" got up and... Read More
Governements and businesses have regularly highlighted the costs of stress... Read More
Deadlines at work, demanding bosses, bills to be paid at... Read More
Every day we are faced with a situation where our... Read More
First, let's make a distinction between pressure and stress. We... Read More
I came out of a nightmare 5-year period of anxiety... Read More
In my experience, most of us spend a lot more... Read More
Stress Management |