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Dr. Richard Carlson's classic book, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff", is a self help classic that gives simple lessons to try out for yourself so that you can live a less stressful life, even if Laurie has forced her way into it. We all know that Laurie will take that as a challenge, so these methods should prove to be very insightful for those of us working on this project and any of you living a life that's complicated; and whose isn't?
I will select a suggestion from the book every so many days, then I will let you know how I deal with that topic...so you can try it out for yourself. My job is to teach you how to take stock in yourself and, at the same time, eliminate as much Laurie as possible.
Today's Suggestion is:
#66 - THINK OF WHAT YOU HAVE, INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU WANT
This part of the book, for me, focuses on how to become more satisfied with your life. Couldn't we all enjoy life more if we were? Dr. Carlson has a point of view on this topic that I have tried to emphasize for years with my friends. "We have each other" and that is a very powerful thing.
He talks about the satisfaction with where you are being the spark for other good things to happen. We spend so much of our time focusing on the horrible things that Laurie has to say and that she has done that we don't focus on what we don't have that has nothing to do with Laurie.
Recently I started working out. In March I weighed about 225 lbs. For a 6' guy, that is kinda chubby and I felt awful about it. I've always used the excuse that it is harder now for me to be in shape because Laurie and Christian are exhausting my mind while I am at the gym so I am not working out as hard. I wasn't eating right and I wasn't exercising. I know that I have to keep myself in good shape so that when the time does come for me to be able to help others, I will be that guy. You know the one. The one that people say, "Gosh, for all that he's been through, he looks pretty darn good." This is a satisfaction that I wanted before anything with this project happened.
I started back to a new gym the first week of March. It is the 9th of September now. I weigh 191 lbs! I've now lost 34 lbs and I look and feel better than I have in 20 years. The satisfaction that I have about my physical body is making my mental state much more positive. I have other examples too.
I love my boyfriend like crazy. He's not only handsome, but he is really my intellectual equal. He works as hard on our relationship as I do and he appreciates all the work that I put into this project for us and others. Christopher is a priest which brings spirituality back into my life, something that was missing for a long time while Laurie was having her way with me. Christopher reminded me that he was a lot like his father and that makes me feel great about the person that I love. There is so much to being a priest's boyfriend that I need to learn and that spurs me to be a more aware person. I like that about myself.
I have a terrific group of friends that work on this project and many that don't. What a blessing it is to have so many people that I can rely on when I need to for a helping hand. I don't do it as often as I use to because of the drawbacks of Laurie's obsession with me so I rely on the lessons that they have already taught me in my life. It is so important to be able to reflect and use my experience when Laurie has none to draw from. I know whom I would turn to in a given situation and because of my past with them, I am able to make stronger decisions. I have and am grateful for my knowledge. That's something I think we all forget. I know what works for me and what doesn't, but I am always open to trying something that I don't have experience with because trying teaches me which is which.
Try it yourself. What are you grateful for "having"? What is it that you "want" so badly that what you have isn't enough? Wouldn't it be a better way of approaching your inner peace if what you had was enough? Think about achieving your goals as a satisfied person...it might just be that much more enjoyable when you get there.
This part of the book, for me, focuses on how to become more satisfied with your life. Couldn't we all enjoy life more if we were? Dr. Carlson has a point of view on this topic that I have tried to emphasize for years with my friends. "We have each other" and that is a very powerful thing.
He talks about the satisfaction with where you are being the spark for other good things to happen. We spend so much of our time focusing on the horrible things that Laurie has to say and that she has done that we don't focus on what we don't have that has nothing to do with Laurie.
Recently I started working out. In March I weighed about 225 lbs. For a 6' guy, that is kinda chubby and I felt awful about it. I've always used the excuse that it is harder now for me to be in shape because Laurie and Christian are exhausting my mind while I am at the gym so I am not working out as hard. I wasn't eating right and I wasn't exercising. I know that I have to keep myself in good shape so that when the time does come for me to be able to help others, I will be that guy. You know the one. The one that people say, "Gosh, for all that he's been through, he looks pretty darn good." This is a satisfaction that I wanted before anything with this project happened.
I started back to a new gym the first week of March. It is the 9th of September now. I weigh 191 lbs! I've now lost 34 lbs and I look and feel better than I have in 20 years. The satisfaction that I have about my physical body is making my mental state much more positive. I have other examples too.
I love my boyfriend like crazy. He's not only handsome, but he is really my intellectual equal. He works as hard on our relationship as I do and he appreciates all the work that I put into this project for us and others. Christopher is a priest which brings spirituality back into my life, something that was missing for a long time while Laurie was having her way with me. Christopher reminded me that he was a lot like his father and that makes me feel great about the person that I love. There is so much to being a priest's boyfriend that I need to learn and that spurs me to be a more aware person. I like that about myself.
I have a terrific group of friends that work on this project and many that don't. What a blessing it is to have so many people that I can rely on when I need to for a helping hand. I don't do it as often as I use to because of the drawbacks of Laurie's obsession with me so I rely on the lessons that they have already taught me in my life. It is so important to be able to reflect and use my experience when Laurie has none to draw from. I know whom I would turn to in a given situation and because of my past with them, I am able to make stronger decisions. I have and am grateful for my knowledge. That's something I think we all forget. I know what works for me and what doesn't, but I am always open to trying something that I don't have experience with because trying teaches me which is which.
Try it yourself. What are you grateful for "having"? What is it that you "want" so badly that what you have isn't enough? Wouldn't it be a better way of approaching your inner peace if what you had was enough? Think about achieving your goals as a satisfied person...it might just be that much more enjoyable when you get there.
