Resiliency Prayer

On February 9, 2023February 15, 2023 By thinkcarebelieveIn Healing & Empowerment, Prayers, The Shift, ToolsLeave a comment

Resiliency Prayer

Father,

As we step forward into a new day, we realize it is because of you that we have this opportunity to make a difference. It may have been the most difficult of journeys, watching others fall along the way, but we are reminded in Proverbs to “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways,” and we will.

We thank you Father, for this opportunity to stand together against the darkness, to leave our mark on our world as we carve it and shape it in the name of your love. Galatians reminds us “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” And we will not give up.

Though the path be difficult, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans) We will press onward as a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit in service to you, Father.

Let it be so.

So be it. Amen

When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.
CS Lewis, Author

Every spiritual advance that we make is preceded by a fall of some kind. It is when we are at some type of lowpoint in our life that we generate a type of energy that propels us upward and outward. All the illusions of the old systems that we thought were our world are self-destructing in front of our eyes. It’s like God is pulling the tablecloth revealing what isn’t real in our world. That can throw some into a cognitive dissonance decline and depression. The tendency is to curl up in a ball. Why am I being so morose? Because we must press onward. We cannot stop and become stagnant. We must be resilient.

Resiliency comes in many forms. It is the bounce that we make after a sweeping away of something that no longer belonged in our world. Dr. Wayne Dyer told us, “The idea that the way you were going to come out of this crisis is by just getting more credit or just spending, spending, spending. There’s really no such thing as an economy. You can’t find an economy any more than you can find strep. It’s so intertwined with every single thing that we do. So, this entire economy idea that we’re all in the sheer state of collapse because of some terrible thing that’s happening in an economy is the stuff that everybody is buying into and being afraid of. I think it’s a cleansing process. I think we’re cleaning out some of the sediment. Forest fires do that. Tsunamis do that. Nature does that. All those bad loans and bad stuff, there is something positive about it.”

M-W give the definition of resiliency as:

The ability of something to return to its original size and shape after being compressed or deformed
An ability to recover from or adjust easily to adversity or change : RESILIENCE

As we embrace the all important ability to overcome challenges and face life’s inevitable difficulties, we develop the ability to bounce back. We can move forward as if our life has been strengthened as stronger, smarter human beings with more self-esteem than we imagined. Seeing ourselves as survivors and being emotionally grounded with a sense of fortitude is an attribute of resilience. It requires a sense of compassion for oneself, and a centeredness that can adapt to circumstances as they come, utilizing self-assessment and problem-solving skills.

If I could offer one key to resilience, it would be to always, always, always choose the positive viewpoint. Yes we can look at what is dark, but from a position of staying in the light. Almost like we are grounded on solid rock in a heavy storm. If we determine ourselves to elicit the emotional intelligence to manage our emotions, we can always gain ground even if we get blown off course.

Being resilient offers benefit not only in the short term, but we will be better off in the long run. Life does throw setbacks our way. It is how we choose to deal with those changes that determines whether we lose ground or not. Are we using unhealthy coping mechanisms? If so, can we change that? It would make a big difference in our lives and we would be freed up to move forward with passion. Pretty soon we are tackling problems head-on and pulling up the strength to overcome adversity and move on with our lives to make them even better.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

On January 28, 2023 By thinkcarebelieveIn Healing & Empowerment, ToolsLeave a comment

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT) identifies distorted patterns of thinking, emotional response, inappropriate behavior and substituting them with more objective, realistic thoughts and coping skills. It can address challenges such as:

Anxiety
Mood Disorders
Eating Disorders
Schizophrenia
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Social Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Generalized Anxiety
Specific Phobia
OCD
Dysthymia
Substance Abuse
ADHD
Stress
Relationship Difficulties
Anger

CBT Steps:

Identifying Negative Thoughts- To learn what thoughts, feelings and situations are contributing to maladaptive behaviors. It can be difficult for people who have trouble with self assessment and insights into what their negative self limiting thoughts.

Practicing New Skills- In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, people are taught new skills to use in real life situations to improve experiences and demonstrate empowerment in a situation. To practice coping skills and rehearse ways to avoid or deal with social situations that could trigger a reaction.

Setting New Goals- Goal setting can be an important step to establish forward momentum and to use newly polished interpersonal and coping skills. A CBT therapist can help set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based) with a focus on the process of attaining the goal.

Problem Solving- Learning problem-solving skills during CBT helps to identify and work to solve a problem resulting from life stressors. Being adept at solving problems can reduce harmful impact of psychological and physical illness. Problem Solving steps are:

Identify the problem
Generate a list of potential solutions
Evaluate the pros and cons of each possible solution
Choose a solution
Follow through with the solution

Self-Monitoring- Tracking behaviors, symptoms, or experiences over time and sharing them with someone to whom you are being accountable.

Other CBT Techniques- Journaling, role-playing, relaxation strategies and using mental distractions.

Benefits of CBT:

Healthier thought patterns
Potential short-term improvements
Effective for a wide variety of problems
Online or face to face
Doesn’t require medication

Challenges to CBT

Change can be difficult and uncomfortable while going through it. CBT is very structured and some people may not do well in heavily structured programs. For CBT to be effective, it will take an investment of time and effort on the patient’s part. A willingness to put out the effort and to be honest in the analyzation of ones thoughts and feelings. Progress can be gradual, and may not be for someone wanting immediate results. Change takes time.

Trauma Focused CBT (TF-CBT)

TF-CBT is a treatment approach in helping mostly children and adolescents process and overcome their experiences of trauma. One of the ways a trauma survivor heals is to help them normalize their responses. TF-CBT can give them new skills to manage their feelings while educating them why they respond the way they do around the traumatic memories. By understanding the effects of trauma, they are better equipped to cope and find practical solutions. When someone with PTSD feels stuck in some of their thoughts because of the trauma they underwent TF-CBT can assist a person to recognize false beliefs they hold because of the trauma and to correct unhealthy behavior patterns that allows forward growth and momentum. It helps them develop new ways to cope, through self care, self healing and choosing emotional expression in healthy ways. In TF-CBT, parents and caregivers can also be involved in the therapy. This supports parents in building skills related to better parenting, improving communication, and managing any distress about the child’s trauma, all of which help the child feel more supported. The child is able to disconnect the memories and thoughts of the traumatic experience with the overwhelming emotions which arise by association.

Summing Up

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT can be an effective way to correct unhealthy habits and emotional responses and inappropriate behaviors. The changeover to productive empowered living involves practicing new skills, setting new goals and learning problem solving techniques. Progress is tracked using self monitoring and measurable results. Trauma Focused CBT or TF-CBT is mostly used for children and teenagers who have experienced one trauma event or repeated abuse. It has been successful in helping the young person disconnect their thoughts and emotions from the trauma event.

Buds of Promise

On December 24, 2022December 25, 2022 By thinkcarebelieveIn Healing & Empowerment, Inspirational, PoetryLeave a comment

Sonnet in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree

by George Starbuck

*
O
fury-
bedecked!
O glitter-torn!
Let the wild wind erect
bonbonbonanzas; junipers affect
frostyfreeze turbans; iciclestuff adorn
all cuckolded creation in a madcap crown of horn!
It’s a new day; no scapegrace of a sect
tidying up the ashtrays playing Daughter-in-Law Elect;
bells! bibelots! popsicle cigars! shatter the glassware! a son born
now
now
while ox and ass and infant lie
together as poor creatures will
and tears of her exertion still
cling in the spent girl’s eye
and a great firework in the sky
drifts to the western hill.

If you are in any kind of emotional depression during these holidays, sadness, and I know it is all too common. Feelings of sadness, loneliness, worry and despair are prevalent now particularly with rising inflation and moving toward recession and financial depression. With things the way they are in the world, right now, people are getting more and more anxious and frustrated putting food on their table and gas in their cars. The love that we are feels squashed and strangled.

Self care is still of the utmost importance. Caring for ourselves is also in service to God and the Universe. Personal hygiene is more than washing down in the shower. It is disengaging from the toxins and poisons of the world… physically, mentally and emotionally. Much of the media messages now are so toxic, that we are left emotionally disenfranchised, which leaves us feeling empty and depressed. We’ve got to find our spiritual rock and stand on it again. Detox from all the chaos. Clean yourself out. Get back to the innocence inside that is the you without all that tainted mind chatter. Step back and do what it takes to get out of your head and into your body so you can trust your gut feeling again. Try to go beyond the layers of what you’ve been taught to believe about yourself and get to the point where you can trust your honesty again.

The next thing I will suggest is to reach out to others in service. A choice founded in love can make you feel light, excited, passionate and give you butterflies. When we give from our hearts outwardly, we have to open them. When our hearts are open, the electromagnetic biofield around us magnifies. This creates a wonderful thing to occur. When hearts are in the vicinity of eachother, they go into harmonic resonance. Harmonic resonance is an organizing force that transcends other forces in the physical world, it is how the natural world retains balance. Not only that but it sets off regeneration through a series of nested cymatic signals. You can learn more about harmonic resonance here.

When we reach out to others, in service, we are also giving to ourselves by starting a circular motion of energy of giving out and receiving back. If we can muster the ambition to perform selfless acts of kindness for others, we receive back things of equal or higher energetic value. Soon we are being showered with light.

Be bright, you are worthy. <3

If you are feeling sad or depressed at all, I want you to know there is good reason for it. We are disengaging from the old system and that feels strange and unnerving. We are stretching out of our comfort zone. We can’t take our normal cues from our guidance and it feels like our GPS is off. The reason I am suggesting self care and service to others is because that is where the momentum is traveling toward our bright new world. By being brighter through cleaning out ourselves and raising ourselves up, and then acting in service to others, we will be on the straight path to our better world.

Just like tree buds in winter, we hold the promise of a bright new spring within us, getting ready to explode with magic.

A bud is a flower-to-be. A flower in waiting. Waiting for just the right warmth and care to open up. It’s a little fist of love waiting to unfold and be seen by the world. And that’s you.
-Christopher Paul Curtis

Send a letter to Julian Assange, a journalist who put his life on the line to bring light to the world to make it a safer, more peaceful place.

Bringing the Light in service to mankind.

Being a Holiday Survivor

On December 13, 2022December 13, 2022 By thinkcarebelieveIn Healing & Empowerment, Tools2 Comments

I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a couple things. I could already see it. The holiday crunch has started. The mothers and grandmothers struggling to think of everything on the lists that they forgot and left at home, the families toting excited children with magic sparkling in their eyes, husbands and single men dodging through crowds because they just want to get what they need and get home. Then something caught my attention. It was a young man obviously disgusted with all the holiday craziness, shaking his head and muttering to himself. I recognized it from experience. My son and PTSD. Looking at it all now from his perspective, it must look like everyone has gone crazy taking pills from a Hallmark Store.

I definitely used to chase that happy dream of creating the perfect holiday season for everyone. Sometimes I wish I still bought into it, but I’ve lost too many. We all have. There’s too many people hurting going into these holidays and I want them to know, it’s okay to do the holidays differently this year if it feels needed.

Those who have experienced trauma have a unique perspective. From my experience, they are more in touch with their hearts and feelings than the average person because they have to be in order to manage and get through the day. Oh yes, there are varying degrees of that, of course, but show me someone who has survived trauma, and I will show you someone who has courageously stared down darkness from deep inside and is a survivor!

I may be saying it in a really clumsy way, but I just want to express that whatever peace and contentment you can find during these holidays, whatever that means for you, I salute you. If you are missing loved ones and just can’t seem to get on track, visit this post Doing Grief Differently by my friend, Sara Kujawa.

If you are in charge of family get togethers and are a little anxious because someone is attending with anxiety, PTSD or depression, or any of those other labels, my sincere suggestion is to avoid creating anxiety over it and just accept them for however they are and wherever they’re at in life. Just love them. Let them know you are just glad they are part of the family.

Here is a previous blogpost from a few years ago with some tips and tools for surviving the holidays.

My friend, who I’m just going to call E wrote this beautiful message and with permission I’m going to share here because I think it needs to be heard and taken to heart. (Thank you my friend<3)

The road we walk is shaped not only by the future we seek and the present we stand in, but by the lives that have touched us along the way.

Many of those lives do not make it to the destiny they were seeking, and so it falls to us; those still living, to keep breathing and keep fighting no matter what. To never let the memory of those who came before us die in vain.

We fight with a purpose that shall never surrender, that will never accept defeat. For we fight, not for glory, or for victory, but for the sake of those we love. To protect them and their futures. To safeguard them here and now.

Our purpose will never be swayed, it is written on the hearts of every man woman and child. We are one humanity and one world, and it is a World worth protecting.

Do not forget those who fall along the way, but rather, burn all the brighter on their behalf.

— E