Tag / anxiety

by tracycpoetry

The Hazards of Living with Hate

Although the haiku is my own, the words below are not.

They were written by a dear friend of mine and I believe they must be shared. (I am sharing them with her permission).

Life is simply too short to let fear, anger, and resentment rule. And, as recently demonstrated at a political rally, our angry words may become the fodder for delusional marching orders in the brains of severely mentally ill individuals causing death and destruction that cannot be reversed.

Please take the time to read the words below with an open heart so healing can start for all of us….

P L E A S E ! ! ! Can we stop the HORRIFIC name calling of Biden and Trump? It’s doing nothing but creating hate in our world and it’s destroying society. I’ve been guilty of this too.

Here are my two cents:

  1. No one EVER changes their mind because of what you just said.
  2. Both candidates have negative and positive attributes.
  3. This election will be over in 4 months, but the friend or family member that we fight with about this may be gone from our life forever because of our differing views.
  4. Our life experiences have a large impact on our choice of candidates.
  5. Politicians say terrible things about each other and then glad-hand each other. That is the definition of politics these days.
  6. Social media gives us the opportunity to act like politicians, but there is no forgiveness after saying things we shouldn’t.
  7. Politeness and kindness are almost gone from our society. Hopefully there is still time to change this!
  8. Try to forget the things that have been said about your candidate. Give your opinion in the voting booth.
  9. Don’t become politicians.
  10. Your children and grandchildren are absorbing too much hate in this world. Be a great example of maturity.
  11. Living with hate changes us.

P L E A S E stop attacking the other candidate. We’re better than that and it has to start somewhere. Why not let it be you? Your voice counts on November 5th.

by tracycpoetry

Mental Health vs. Physical Health

Now, don’t get me wrong….

I believe each individual is responsible for taking care of ourselves, physically and mentally in the best way possible for our own good and the good of those around us.

A person with a severe peanut allergy is ultimately responsible for getting the treatment they need, carrying an epi pen, and managing their triggers. But sometimes that sneaky peanut exposure breaks through.

What if people treated physical illness like so many treat mental illness? Imagine this with me…. Someone at the grocery store accepts a bite of a delicious looking desert from “the sample lady”. They ask if there are any nuts in it and are told, erroneously, no. The shopper takes a bite of the treat and next thing you know she begins coughing, panicking, turning beet red, and collapses to the floor.

What if the people around instead of trying to help said, “Oh, she’s faking it. Allergies are all in your head.”, “Kids, let’s get away from here – that woman’s crazy. Her hand hit one of you as she fell – it’s not safe to be around her”, or “It’s her own fault for taking the sample. Let’s just let her face the consequences”.

I’m exhausted right now from dealing with some recent triggers of my own. So I will leave it right there.

But please join me in trying to spread some understanding….

by tracycpoetry

Glimmers & Triggers

As a survivor of pretty intense bullying as a child from K-12 and some other trauma in my adult life, I am very familiar with the term “triggers.”

But it is only recently that I have started seeing a term out there for a precious gift that has helped me navigate through those triggers and live a beautiful (though sometimes messy) life.

In the same way triggers can transport us to a place of panic and survival mode, glimmers transport us to a place of thriving, peace, joy, and a greater connection to the deep inner strength of our Maker.

The best thing about glimmers?? You can choose to surround yourself with them and train yourself to see them. 

We really can’t control triggers since they are so specific to the way we are individually wired and can be something we face often in day-to-day life. 

But glimmers?? We can stir those things up! 

There is good reason you see so many photos of sky and birds and such on my blog and social media feeds. Yes, I’m glad other people are blessed by them sometimes. But those are glimmers I seek out for myself…. Medicine for the depths of my soul.

My challenge to us today: Let’s focus so much on the glimmers of grace and beauty our Maker so masterfully surrounds us with. In doing this, those glimmers will begin to soften the blows of the triggers.

Peace, friends!

by tracycpoetry

Settled

If your heart hasn’t settled on the truth that God is good, He loves you, and He is more than enough – you are likely to settle for less than the beautiful and abundant life God designed just for you.

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“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – Jesus (John 10:10)