Fear, and its accompanying seriousness, causes our suffering. Fear restricts and imprisons us. And such restrictions are neither medically nor spiritually healthy.
Where Does The Fear Come From?
We teach fear to one another. We do an excellent job of educating each other about the dangers that lurk in our lives. And to this day we are more than willing to reinforce one another's fears by sharing "good advice."
And fear is so powerful it will not only negate the most powerful medicines, natural and man-made alike, but also completely dampen our spirituality.
Which brings us to the only true choice we have in life. Will we be inspired by fear or by fun? There is only one choice regarding our health, wellness, and fitness - fear or fun. It all boils down to that. It is our option and responsibility to choose one or the other.
The question is, which is the responsible choice? Which of the two is a powerful medicine which will give a man health and motivate him to greater success, sustaining him over time? Which of these two will provide the stress management and relief techniques we need? The convergence of medicine and spirituality gives us the answer.
Fear And Fun Are Both Highly Effective Motivators
There is no doubt that both fear and fun are potent stimulants to behavior over the short run. So the question becomes one of sustainability. Which of the two will best help us sustain our excellence over time? Which of the two is a powerful alternative medicine that you can learn to use for your greatest health, wellness, and fitness? (That's a trick question, by the way)
Let's Encounter A Man-Eating Bear!
The fear of being eaten alive motivates us to run as fast and as far as we can when chased by a bear. There is little to no fun in that experience. It is purely fearful, but the energy it provides maximizes the possibilities of sustaining life for that moment. At first glance, in such a life-threatening situation, fear seems to have been an efficient and productive choice. Full of stress to be sure, but in this case our escape is one of the best stress management and relief techniques!
But let's take it a step further. Having survived my encounter with the bear, I return to my home in an urban environment. The next morning, as I start out for work, I run desperately for the car, quickly jumping inside and locking the doors.
When I arrive at work, I race into the building. Before I get down to work I suspend my bagged lunch high above my desk, roping it to the light standards. I insist upon all doors being locked and secured. When asked why, I answer, "I'm merely doing what got me through my wilderness experience over the weekend. I don't want to be eaten by a bear."
You'd think I was over-reacting just a wee bit, and you'd be right. You could say that my stress relieves my anxiety, but my anxiety is a merely a lie conjured by my fear! Not exactly the greatest of stress management and relief techniques.
The Three Biggest Dangers Of Our "Run-From-a-Bear" Stress Management Techniques
1. We live our lives as though every day was an emergency; as though a bear is chasing us all the time. This is unfortunate for three reasons:
2. Of all the stress management and relief techniques I know, this is the absolute worst because it only increases our stress! It reduces the effectiveness of our powerful natural medicine to zilch.
3. We now know that such a constant state of "wariness" or agitation breaks down our coping mechanisms over time. It is impossible to sustain the fear-based behavior without breaking down or burning out.
A more pernicious error occurs. We begin to thing that the avoidance of whatever we fear is the same as having fun. Joy becomes synonymous with the avoidance of fear. The Absence Of One Thing Does Not Indicate The Presence Of Its Opposite
If this sounds ridiculous to you let me put it in more familiar terms that have become acceptable where our health is concerned. With rare exception we have agreed in our society that health is synonymous with absence of symptoms. Do you really believe a woman's health is merely the absence of her symptoms? Think for just a moment when you last fell for this miscalculation. Was it last week, last month, or just yesterday? "The Fun Factor" teaches us that, not only is the absence of symptoms not synonymous with health, but also that we never have to fall for that lie again. We never have to settle for second-rate health! We can use our powerful natural medicine, fun, to stave off fear's debilitating effects and super-charge our stress management and relief techniques.
Currently we are debating in our society whether or not the absence of war is the same as the presence of peace. Two things are wrong with that. You can't sufficiently define something by the absence of its opposite. Black is not the absence of white. But even if it was a correct definition, the second hurdle is that it is impossible to totally eliminate anything - black or white. Life just doesn't occur in pure form.
Remember, the more you utilize the alternative medicine of fun the more balanced you will be. The more balanced you are, the more spiritually healthy you are. The more spiritually healthy you are, the more health, wellness, and fitness of mind, body, and pocketbook you have. Great, right?
How to turbo-charge your health, success, and vitality! Clifford Kuhn, M.D., America's Laugh Doctor, teaches people and organizations to be more healthy and successful through the use of fun and humor. A psychiatrist, and the former associate chairperson of the University of Louisville's renowned Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Kuhn now dispenses his unique Fun Factor prescription from http://www.natural-humor-medicine.com/. On his website you will find tons of fun, free ways for you to maximize your sense of humor, and enjoy a life others will envy and admire.
limousine Ackley .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareIn a recent CMA survey of 2251 physicians, over 45%... Read More
Why are you so busy? Do you really have too... Read More
There may be so much you want to change in... Read More
The World Health Organization calls stress "the health epidemic of... Read More
Every woman needs her own personal space for relaxation, not... Read More
Did you know that taking a short trip, such as... Read More
Who hasn't experienced "worry" at one time or another? Almost... Read More
Stress seems to have become a constant factor in today's... Read More
Stress, America's #1 health problem, is a leading cause of... Read More
There are many kinds of daily grinds. In the U.S.... Read More
Modern stress is habitual, and is something that the vast... Read More
IntroductionTime magazine called stress the "The Epidemic of the Eighties".... Read More
Why do we resist change? As the saying goes, the... Read More
As tools for change are discussed, one tool - that... Read More
I love a good story and I know I'm not... Read More
You can learn a lot by watching children playing. There... Read More
In order to free ourselves from the pain of anger... Read More
No this is not related to praying, this is how... Read More
Workers across America will tell you that stresslevels are increasing.... Read More
Do you ever feel stressed? Is stress a regular component... Read More
Traffic jams. Toddler tantrums. Deadlines at work. Money troubles. Too... Read More
Meditation, relaxation and visualisation are the standard recommendations for reducing... Read More
Q. So many times in my life, I seem to... Read More
Stress relief and managementRecognizing stress symptoms can be a positive... Read More
Of all the sources of stress in our lives, faulty... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare Alexander ..Many of my readers write to me about the tensions... Read More
In order to understand stress better, it is a good... Read More
"We do not stop playing because we grow old. We... Read More
What would you say if I told you I know... Read More
The main problem in a down economy is that workplaces... Read More
I have yet to see a scientist talk about the... Read More
Positive self-esteem is very important for our general health and... Read More
Did you ever feel like your "get-up-and-go" got up and... Read More
Training Your Mind For Better Business and LeisureModern life moves... Read More
Everywhere I go, I hear the same unpleasant sentence repeated... Read More
Stress affects different people in different ways, but affect them... Read More
Health Impacts of StressStress is a funny concept, try to... Read More
Fear, and its accompanying seriousness, causes our suffering. Fear restricts... Read More
It was one of the first words you learned to... Read More
Too much driving, too much shopping, too much rushing around,... Read More
Q. I've been told that I need to learn from... Read More
Stress is normal. Stress is OK. Stress is the same... Read More
Why are you so busy? Do you really have too... Read More
I recently received this e-mail message about stress management (author... Read More
With almost 50% of workers complaining that their jobs are... Read More
There is one sure fire medicine that cures all difficulty... Read More
... Read More
"The great lesson from the true mystics, from the Zen... Read More
This is the time for daydreaming about your annual vacation.... Read More
Governements and businesses have regularly highlighted the costs of stress... Read More
Stress Management |