Palm Beach Therapy Center – Boca Raton, FL
Even the heat causes stress. As August is coming to a close, the month of September and the highly awaited autumn season are quickly approaching. The Florida heat has gotten a little out of hand and so I decided to switch up the usual hot cup of coffee for one with ice. As I sat on my patio with my iced latte I began to reminisce about many things. I thought about anything really, my mind is constantly moving at a high pace rate, but mostly I thought of life in general. I thought about my life, my goals, my ambitions, my relationships, my challenges, and so on. Then, in this small moment, I realized that everything my mother has told me somehow made sense.
Everyone needs someone to lean on, to rely on when times get tough. We each have that one consistent person who we turn to for support and encouragement when we have a bad day. For me, that one person is my mother. She has had a profound impact on my life and has taught me the most valuable lessons…these lessons are her secrets on “how to live your life to the fullest.” Today, I hope to share these secrets with you. I hope that her words of wisdom have a positive influence in your life as they have in mine.
Each entry will have a different lesson and illustrate some therapeutic significance. Different lessons and entries may resonate with different people. However, I believe that each lesson has some value or insight that may be helpful in dealing with life’s struggles. At least, they have value to my life and my process (otherwise I would not be writing them out, haha). Though I am a licensed therapist, I am also human. I understand what it’s like to feel sadness, pain, happiness, and love. We all experience the same emotions and the same sensations despite our personal differences and backgrounds. This blog is my way of relating to you on a more personal level. So without further ado…
Growing up, I always thought that my problems were big problems. In the moment, whatever issue(s) I was experiencing meant the end of the world to me. I’ll be the first to admit, I was a little melodramatic. Not to say that real problems don’t exist, they certainly do. But in my experience, I have found that most of my problems had solutions. When we are so immersed in our mundane routines and are constantly surrounded by “problems” we forget that we are not our problems. They exist separately from us. We have the opportunity to take a step back, reassess the situation, and approach it through many different angles. As Claire Cook says, “If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters.”
The important thing to remember is that there will always be hope and there will always be an opportunity for growth. We are constantly learning and constantly redeveloping ourselves each day. If we absolutely cannot think of a solution to a specific problem at a particular time…well, maybe we need a little break, and that’s okay. It may be beneficial to readdress that issue with a new perspective and a clear mind. When a useful solution does come to mind, you will soon forget this issue even existed because chances are you have already moved on to the next problem. Life is simply not meant to be lived in this way. Problem-solving is an important skill. However, it is also equally important to be mindful of what we choose to categorize as problems and what we categorize as minor inconveniences or “setbacks.” You have the ability to decide where you would like to invest your own energy. Your life is precious, your time is precious, and therefore, there is no real reason to spend most of your day “sweating the small stuff.” This type of stress and anxiety is simply not worth the health risks involved. If you have experienced this type of stress or anxiety and can relate to this post, please take a look at this article from CNN: Joanne Chen – Real Simple. This author provides several case scenarios and helpful ways to “stay calm” in a stressful and anxiety provoking situation.
Wishing everyone a happy and stress-less Monday!
