Reflect: What am I feeling?
Have you ever caught yourself in the midst of a self-harming behavior and paused to consider, not only the reason you are doing what you are doing, but what you may be feeling while you are doing it? I invite you to pause the next time you catch yourself participating in your habitual, stress-related coping mechanism and consider those things. I describe the behavior as habitual because most people usually cope with stress in familiar, repetitive ways that often do not support their highest good.
Action: Feeling stuck in a particular pattern of behavior? Bring it into your awareness so that it is no longer mindless activity. Be more mindful.
Ask yourself:
What is the behavior I am indulging in?
What am I feeling?
What are the details surrounding the feeling (e.g., Where do I feel it in my body? What is the source?)
Where else or when else have I felt like this?
Reflect: How do you cope when feeling stressed?
Coping mechanisms for stress may be different for everyone. Some may feel paralyzed, frustrated, angry, or anxious when prior trauma is triggered in new experiences, new situations, and within new relationships. They may sleep more, seclude themselves from others, withdraw from other social interactions, or avoid infusing time, attention, and attendance towards their career or a relationship, project, or event. Avoidance behavior may elicit strong, depleting emotions.
Regardless of the type of harmful coping mechanism one chooses, destructive mechanisms may cause people to feel energetically depleted, depressed, sad, frustrated, inadequate, or emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually drained. Stress that leads to unproductive ways of coping often causes a cyclical pattern to develop where, to avoid those feelings, some may choose consumption and addictive behaviors.
Those behaviors may include the over-consumption of alcohol, drugs, food, television, social media, exercise, and shopping. They may also avoid feelings by projecting a false positivity or peity, denying their true feelings; or engaging in frequent traveling, extreme sports, or constantly making plans for the next event.
Reflect: What is my stress response pattern?
Stress triggers the unhealthy behavior response that arouses the emotions, that causes more stress that triggers the behavior that stirs the unprocessed emotions. A pattern forms that the person created to help in time of need. Perhaps one might find gratitude for that form of self-protection. Now that it is more apparent what is or was happening, maybe one might focus attention on a way out. Let us focus now, not on what you don't want, but what you do want.
Many people often have bigger dreams for themselves than the life they are presently living. There is joy to be found, though, in the journey of becoming one's unique energetic self.
When people fail to see the beauty of their unfolding lives, it may be because they are disconnected from their soul-purpose and with the Divine Source/Universe/God/Spirit/Holy Spirit/the I Am presence/Higher Self (you may use whatever name for Source that you are comfortable with. I will use God for the remainder of this blog). If they could only feel connected again; then they might have clarity of vision. Prayer is one way to reestablish connectedness to God.
Reflect: What is prayer?
Prayer is communication between God and the person in relationship with God. Communication is composed of speaking and listening. There is another way to pray, however, that differs from verbal expression. That form of prayer may portray one's truth more accurately, completely, and honestly than spoken words. Let us consider the power of desires or dreams as a type of prayer.
Reflect: What are your desires? What are the dreams you have for yourself, your life, those in your life, and your world?
People often learn what they want by experiencing contrast. They know they want health when they experience sickness, freedom when feeling trapped, happiness when feeling sad, and wealth when experiencing lack. People dream about the lives they want, the happiness they want to have, and the things, situations, people, and environments that may make them happy. Many people have discerned, based on contrasting experiences, that they truly desire health, prosperity, happiness, and opportunities that inspire their soul-purpose and help them to walk in energetic alignment with who they are at soul-level.
I encourage you to embrace your desires that promote your highest good. Embrace your dreams, especially when feeling emotionally triggered to instinctively press the replay button of soul-depleting coping mechanisms.
Again, I ask the question. What are your desires? What are your dreams?
Action: Bring attention to your dreams.
Dream away! Dream big until the dream feels normal or ordinary! Dreams are downloads into your spirit from God. Dream about your fitness, your physical shape, your perfect health, your freedom, your self-confidence, your wealth, prosperity, passion, peace, support, resources, and super human powers. Dream about your ability to speak your truth, of finding your voice, following your inner guidance, your connectedness to God, self, and others. Dream about joy and harmony in all of your relationships. Dream about your life, and the life that you want. Imagine it in your mind and feel in your heart.
*Connect with God.
*Dream it.
*Feel it.
*Experience it.
Affirmation: My desires and dreams are unspoken, powerful prayers that call the Universe to stand in attention.
Some crystals to enhance dreams: Moonstone, Amethyst, Blue Calcite, Phenacite, Labradorite, clear Quartz, Indigo Gabbro (Mystic Merlinite).
Light and love,
Rev. Karen Jenkins