We have it really good in this country, but to listen to people talk you might never know it. To be honest, we are a bunch of spoiled brats (also known as the “Entitlement Generation!”)With all the complaining and whining going on, you might think that something or someone really important died. During a period of loss, grieving is a part of the human journey and one should not deny themselves this experience. To grieve is not only normal, it’s healthy! Healthy grieving is cathartic (and emotional release yet everything has limits). Textbook examples of grieving included crying, silence, even brief periods of depression. But there are other signs, far more noticeable today that have become a part of everyday living and these are neither normal nor healthy. I call this stress-prone behavior the “BMW syndrome” and it stands for bitch, moan and whine! It has reached epidemic proportions. If you take time to listen to people’s conversations today you might notice that there is a LOT of grieving going on. Remember… it’s OK to grieve, but not all the time. Prolonged grieving as a form of stress, is not considered healthy. It only attracts more stress.
• Stress Tip for the Day:
Eavesdrop on your own conversations this week and listen to how often you express your thoughts as a “grieving process.” If it seems you are spending a lot of time doing BMW syndrome put a healthy boundary on your grieving and move on. You can move on by beginning to appreciate all the things going on RIGHT in your life.
• Links Worth Noting:
Daniel Goleman (author of*Emotional Intelligence*) has written a new book called, *Ecological Intelligence* (for more info, see http://www.morethansound.net/ecological-intelligence.php). Goleman talked about a website called the “Good Guide” (http://www.goodguide.com/) that “strives to provide the world’s largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of products and companies. GoodGuide’s mission is to help you find safe, healthy, and green products that are better for you and the planet.
• Photo of the Day:
I just returned from a trip to Sitka, AK (sorry for the absense of blog entries this past week) where I presented several workshops on stress management (including a premier of Earth Songs) to various groups in this beautiful town. Here is one of several photos to share from my time there (and I highly recommend a visit to Sitka. It’s breathtaking!
• Quote for the Day:
“You don’t have a soul! You are a soul. You have a body!”
—Anonymous
Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 10 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (6E). He can be reached through his website:www.brianlukeseaward.net
© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.
