Beyond Stress

Stress is a significant factor in our lives that is not given, in my opinion, enough consideration.

There is a lot in this world today to be stressed about, it is hard to step outside of this stressful envelope and recognise that we are indeed, super stressed. The more stressed we are the more coping mechanisms we resort to.

Stress is a major factor in premature ageing, a major factor in sickness and disease. We all learn to cope with stress, in one way or another yet it would be so much better if we could avoid the build up of stress on the body in the first place.

Imagine a system that is stressed, doesn’t have to be our body, it could be a mechanical system or an electrical system. When any system is loaded beyond its built in capacity to handle stress it starts to breakdown.

The body is no different, to me, stress is an overload in the bodies ability to deal with information. Stress is either caused by, or added to, by anxiety. When we live in a constant state of anxiety the heart / brain produces chemicals associated with anxiety which then enter the cells of the body, causing the cells to slowly stop operating in a life supporting manner.

Over time the body seems to become addicted to these stressful chemicals and we, subconsciously, seek out situations that feed this addiction. We do this without necessarily becoming aware that we are doing it. We are caught in a destructive loop. As a result we are constantly looking for ways and means to manage the stress that is created in the body.

Yet, while the program that is running in the background does not change, then stress is a constant companion. All the time taking energy, time, and often lots of money, in our attempts to correct the imbalance.

Many people seem to be born into stressful environments today. Any area of conflict, on whatever level, seems to be more common these times, maybe because of our ability to communicate so quickly and easily but many parts of the world have never really been ‘safe’.

No matter where you are born, we all Iive in the same sea of consciousness, the Field, as described by Lynn McTaggart. The Mind, no matter what we names we give it, we are, beyond our physical body, all a part of a bigger whole.

Being a part of this Mind we are all affected by the thoughts and emotions that are generated in this Mind. To what degree we are affected depends very much on the conditions surrounding our birth (and likely beyond). Some very sensitive souls pick up a lot of the ‘chatter’ in The Mind, and through no fault of their own, take personally that which they notice / experience.

When we are born into a society, we tend to become indoctrinated into the beliefs of that society. Those beliefs are then reinforced by those around us. As we develop what we may believe to be our own points of view (shaped by society), we tend to surround ourselves with others who believe along similar lines. This further reinforces the belief that our perceptions / beliefs are real. Possibly even the right way, the ‘only’ way.

This obviously creates tension between our group of believers and others who hold different beliefs, they in turn were shaped by the place and time of their birth and who have surrounded themselves with others who hold those same beliefs.

Two groups, in opposition, create a very stressful, explosive atmosphere. This creates a lot of stress build up in the body, individually or collectively. Stress continues to build until it reaches a level where it is no longer sustainable and then seeks to discharge. Often this results in violent confrontation, further adding to anxiety levels in the general population.

And so the ‘stress loop’ is perpetuated, by accident or design.

It is easy to take this anxiety seriously, often the reason is not something you can identify with, just a vague feeling in the background. Yet all the while you surround yourself with those who both identify and create stress it will be hard, if not impossible for you to break free of this damaging cycle.

There are at least two possible ways out of this loop. First though we must recognise that we are stressed and that it is playing a significant role in the way we live our lives. Without this recognition we remain a prisoner to our subconscious addictions.

Having recognised the issue, our first response may be to try to ‘do’ something about it, Medication, drugs, alcohol, more exercise, whatever. This is how we try to cope with the build up of stress in the body.

There may come a time when we start looking inwards for a solution. This involves changing the program that allows stress to build in the first place. Hard to do all the while you are surrounded by others who support the same stress creating reality. So, a need to find a more supportive group of people who can be there for you in this transitional time.

Again, not easy to do as your insecurity, driven by anxiety, the result of stress build up in the body, will seek out answers and in desperation may just exchange the sinking boat for a sinking lifeboat, for a damaged buoyancy vest, for a waterlogged piece of furniture, or mistake a shark for a dolphin! We cannot see or think clearly while the body is stressed.

As a result of this journey, we slowly learn to understand what is happening and can refine our choices until they lead us to a path out of the chaos, a chaos that ultimately is self created and perpetuated. (By the subconscious conditioning).

When conditions finally lead us into a safe harbour, a place where we can begin to understand the cause of stress build up, then the journey takes a different direction. Then we begin to see that we have created the world that we live in and can slowly let go of the need to control, driven by insecurity. Then, and only then, can a new world open up for us, and all those around us.

‘Clearing’ is a path to that new world.