This year has fulfilled many predictions that were made in January, as we start to wind down on 2016. Sudden events, unexpected endings, and a generally disorganized, chaotic energy have provided one spiritual test after another! It feels like I have been talking people off the ledge now for most of this year (tee hee). Even those who have been on the spiritual path for quite some time seem to be struggling with one serious worry after another.
According to Merriam-Webster, worries are defined as mental distress or agitation resulting from concern, usually for something impending or anticipated. Worry means to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts. Worried, when used as a transitive verb, means to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping, especially at the throat. Dang, that definition makes it sound like worry is one dark activity!
In her recent weekly reading, Dr. Doreen Virtue said something to the effect that when we are at the end of our life, we will know that there was nothing really to worry about. Worry doesn’t seem to help anything, so how do we deal with it on an emotional level? Can we grow spiritually to the point where we never worry? Is there something positive that comes with worry? As the questions stack up, let’s get a whisper on the subject of worry:
Worry is a human emotion, and all emotions hold value. When feeling worried, one can respond with actions that include strategy, clarity, and creative problem-solving. If the reason for worry carries an aspect of personal accountability, the call to action can be extremely productive. When the source of worry is beyond personal control, the response can lead to prayer, reaching out to help someone, or offering one’s time, talents, and treasures.
Any emotion can create an unbalanced or obsessive response, and that energy can be self-destructive. Extended periods of worry can affect the energy centers, such as the adrenal glands. When any part of the human nervous system sustains the fight-or-flight response from worry, which is an extension of fear, the body chemistry can be altered. The resulting chemical imbalance can carry a consequence that renders a person unable to perform at their best.
The body is always communicating, and it is up to each person to listen to what their body is saying. The same holds true for spirit, as we communicate through the heart. When worried, stop and breathe, listen to your body, quiet the mind, and listen to the whispers that come from your heart. You can always give your worries to Divine Providence. Prayer will always mitigate the effect of worry, because prayer is an action that anyone can take at any time. Prayer, regardless of the form it takes, is a simple action that lifts you from the lower vibrations that come with worry. The moment of silence found in prayer is the space occupied by peace.
When you are doing everything in your power to bring light into the world, there is nothing more powerful. Living in alignment with the lessons you have learned is the best way to relieve stress and worry while teaching yourself and others how to love.
Bring joy, ease suffering and create beauty, then dance like you mean it!
Blessings, Russell
“According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is that you stop worrying. Things don't bother you anymore. You become light-hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. And this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous. (quoted by Carol Lynn Pearson in Consider the Butterfly)” Deepak Chopra
