The Joyful Life

Today I am talking about the power of stories:  How Listening to Others Can Ease Our Anxiety.  

I think we have all had the thoughts “No one gets it or no one understands what I am going through.”  These types of thoughts can create feelings of overwhelm and loneliness.  From those feelings we have a tendency to pull away from others.

Guess what loves isolation- you guessed it, anxiety.  

Today we are talking about doing things for the right reasons and how that can help us reduce anxiety.

When we do things from love, our anxiety naturally starts to melt away. And something magical happens—other people begin to notice.

We want to serve others, from a place of love and not have any hidden agendas, like trying to change someone else.

Matthew 19:26:

“With God all things are possible!”

Proverbs 17:27

This is such a great episode on understanding overwhelm and how to manage your mind.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

“If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being. Some recent studies show that people who are taught to forgive become “less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed,” which leads to greater physical well-being. Another of these studies concludes “that forgiveness … is a liberating gift [that] people can give to themselves.”

James E. Faust “The Healing Power of Forgiveness,” General Conference April 2007 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2007/04/the-healing-power-of-forgiveness?lang=eng

Fred Luskin, in Carrie A. Moore, “Learning to Forgive,” Deseret Morning News, Oct. 7, 2006, p. E1.

Jay Evensen, “Forgiveness Is Powerful but Complex,” Deseret Morning News, Feb. 4, 2007, p. G1.

Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.

Ralph Waldo Emerson "That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.”

Today's small and simple tip comes from Eli Lebowitz's book "Breaking Free of Child Anxiety."

Find out what is going on inside your child's brain!

This is the first of my "Small and Simple" episodes.

Today's tip: Implement the concepts into your life.