Saturday, October 13, 2012

The Six Mistakes of Man


Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 B.C. – 43 B.C) wrote this two millennia ago; I believe it is just as true today. The six mistakes of man are:

I. The illusion that personal gain is made up of crushing others.
II. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
III. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
IV. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.
V. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
VI. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.




Sunday, October 7, 2012

Where is Your happy place?

I lead a pretty stressful life. I take on too many commitments, I have a very full career, I have a big family and an older house. But worst of all, I carry all that stress around with me like a sackful of rocks on my back. I can't put it down, even if it slows me down, makes me tired, and I know it will eventually break me.

So, how do I cope? I actually have a bunch of strategies, that in total, help me get through my weeks and months without an ulcer (so far).

First is balance. I love doing things and staying busy, but I have learned that if I overcommit, if I spend all day 'gittin' 'er done,' I become miserable. So I schedule breaks. I sit quietly with a coffee early in the morning. I go for a run. I attend a worship service. I go on a date with my wife. And this destroys the sense of being in a rut.

Second, I admit my fragility. A few years back I started getting significant stress-related symptoms: insomnia, grinding teeth, stomach pains and anxiety attacks. So, I got over my masculine pride, saw the doctor, and got a prescription for anti-anxiety meds. I paid more attention to sleep, exercise and diet. And haven't seen those symptoms since.

Finally, I have a happy place. Even looking at the photo above gives me a sense of calm. My worries are swept away and I can think about important things in my life: where I'm going, who I love, how I should make a difference. I can feel God's peace flowing through me.

Even if I'm still carrying that heavy backpack!