Doctors believe that depression is the most widespread disease of our time. The mere fear of developing heart problems or cancer is enough to cause tremendous stress and accompanying depression. There is a great malady circulating in our world today. Both the medical profession and the media constantly "warn" us of the dangers and probabilities of various diseases, some of which seem more than likely to shorten our lives. For example, if cancer runs in your family, you are most likely to get it! And of course, if cancer isn't enough of a threat, there's always West Nile virus, bird flu, AIDS and a host of other diseases to scare us…
One thing is for sure, we will never hear the end of the calamities that are likely to befall us, whether due to illness or some other form of challenge that we may face. It seems inevitable that there will always be "something" that makes our blood pressure skyrocket.
So what is the answer to this problem? How can we move on with our lives without constantly worrying about what's around the next corner? Here are some suggestions on how to effectively deal with difficult life situations:
1) Seek interpersonal support
People need other people and there are many good and practical ways to relieve stress and anxiety. Exercise, good nutrition and positive thinking are great antidotes. These not only help alleviate the feeling of anxiety; in fact, they give us a sense of empowerment over our lives.
2) Seek spiritual guidance regarding spoken words
The Bible tells us that the power of life and death is in the tongue. Words can bless and curse (James 3). Negative words can create fear, anxiety and actually create negative effects in a person's life.
Whenever a word is heard—any word—the mind pictures it. For example, when someone says "black cow," you immediately see that cow in your mind's eye. Although words are not tangible, they have the power to cause emotional and physical change! Remember - the Bible teaches that the earth was created by the Word of God! That's the real power of words!
We all have choices when it comes to listening and what we hear. We can choose to empower ourselves by listening to positive words and encouraging thoughts, or we can do it differently. Remember the last time you listened to your favorite music... Did your feet start tapping? Have you started humming a tune? Didn't listening to the melody and the words lift your mood a bit? Negative words almost always lead to negative results, whether visible or invisible. On the other hand, positive words induce a feeling of well-being. Just a smile and a quick, happy-sounding, "Have a great day!" it can immediately evoke good feelings and joy.
3) Develop a "grateful" attitude.
Gratitude is one of the greatest virtues. A wise man once said that if we split a page in two and wrote all our failures on one side and all our blessings on the other, we would find that the blessings far outweigh the negatives. The Bible teaches us to give thanks for all things with a thankful heart. Don't look back on past injuries and don't worry about tomorrow. Live "today" to the fullest...choose joy and gratitude.
Finally, remember that our thoughts respond to what we feed the mind through our senses. It naturally follows that happiness is a choice. This may be a foreign concept to many of us at first, but when applied, the results can be truly amazing! Break the habit of feeling trapped in a world of negative thoughts and decide today to turn on the power of positive thoughts.
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