stress

    Tonight my daughter Abby (8) asked me if "I ever get mad or grumpy about something you have to do?".  She had to do her homework and she did not feel like doing it. I told her that I feel that way almost every day about any number of tasks/chores I have to do. I told her to go grab a pillow and scream as loud as she could "I DO NOT WANT TO DO MY HOMEWORK".  We were laughing by the time she was done and then she went and finished it all up.

     We all feel angry and grumpy over any number of things in our day.  In NYC we are interacting with so many people who have the potential to be jerks and ruin our mood and our day.  I try to be the "positive" force to counteract those jerks out there.  If I ever think something positive (like the person making my coffee has great eyes or has a new necklace etc.) I ALWAYS say it aloud.  That positive feeling is contagious and who knows how many people that person will then turn around and be a little nicer too.  In so many ways we create our own "mood". We attract what we put out there.  I invite you to try to make someone feel good about themselves (always the truth mind you) and see how YOU feel afterwards.

    That is my "on the front end" strategy.  Once that fails and you are feeling angry/stressed/frustrated you have to express it.  There are many healthy ways you can do that:

1) Scream into a pillow.

2) Write a letter saying exactly what you think and actually let yourself consider delivering it. (then make the right choice)

3) Throw a temper tantrum on your bed and thrash around like a 3 year old.

4) SPRINT till you are so winded you have to stop.

5) Honestly and calmly address the issue at hand and make sure you are heard.

6) Tear up every page of a magazine and enjoy it.

7) Find the time to actually sit face to face with your friends and talk. Really talk.

     When I do Liquid Strength, I use all those feelings to find my "grit" and power.  For some people it's Yoga, for some people it is therapy or running etc. etc.  Find a healthy way that works for you and USE it. It takes a lot of work to keep that part of your mind/soul "clean" and free of junk.  If you don't, you start making bad choices for yourself and slip into self destructive behavior.  Before you can be a good friend or parent or partner, you have to be whole and strong within yourself.  We do the work on our bodies but we also have to do the work on our minds.