Radical Acceptance Theory, Acknowledgment Is The Best Cure.

Dear Readers,

I think we all know the cliche about ignorance being bliss, however I realized that the true ticket to a successful healthy lifestyle and state of mind is over acceptance of your reality. The other day I read this article about radical acceptance, its basic premise was to accept the things we cannot change in our lives and by confronting what plagues us dead on you are no longer it's captive but rather it's ruler.

The timing couldn't have been better, because just 24 hours prior to that I decided to accept my state of mind and just come to terms with the reality of living with my anxiety. Since that day, I haven't been phased by my anxiety and I can honestly say I have never felt better as a result.

Im sure your all wondering how can the solution be so simple. Well, Im not claiming that it's a simple solution, but by overstating your problems you are just simply being self aware, that's not the same thing as really accepting who you are. If your not comfortable in your own skin, you will never be rid of your anxiety.

I suggest that you dont just remain aware but rather say to yourself that this is who I am and IM DAMN PROUD TO BE ME!!

Here are some rather simple techniques that I used to really start feeling better:

1. Stop thinking about the long term and focus on the present. We live in the world of wants and if you constantly are thinking about what you want as opposed to what you have than your not living in your own skin, your seeing the world through someone elses eyes. More than most times the way you imagine your future is never how things actually turn out. This is important because when you wrap your mind around the future and let go of the present you are adding fuel to the fire of anxiousness. You cant predict the future! If that's where you put your attention your mind begins to race and anxiety sets in because your dealing with something out of the realm of your control. For anyone who feels anxious, long term shouldn't equate to more than a week and that may even be a stretch, everything outside of that is overkill.

2. Remind yourself of the things that you are grateful for. Finding appreciation for the things you have in your life is essential to keeping a calm state of mind. Whether it be your fluffy little pet or that classic car in the garage, your family or your health. Think of the things you have and dont take for granted even the simplest treasures in your life.

3. Stay active. Dont give your mind free reign to wander in a million directions. If you find yourself feeling anxious, typically it's brought on by not having anything else to think about, so you spend your time thinking about everything or obsessing over one thing. Whether you go to the gym, read a book, cook a meal, play with your dog. You are not allowing yourself the opportunity to think about everything and thereby you reduce any liklihood of feeling anxious.

4. Get your feelings out when anxiety starts to set in and overwhelms you. When I found myself in the midst of a panic attack and there was nobody to turn too, I decided to start this blog because I felt that I had to get these feelings out. Granted therapy is one source of release but unless your made of money and can afford to have an in house therapist at your beck and call and your friends aren't nocturnal creatures of the night, your going to have to find another means to do it. It worked for me and Im no different than any of you, trust me it works.

I guess for now these 4 simple steps can help you get started to feel better and less anxious. I truly hope this works for you because I understand what your going through. I was just tired of feeling the way I was and these 4 simple steps really helped me. I hope to hear your stories because I care to know that your feeling better, each one of you deserves a life free of anxiety and panic. Life is too short and if you believe that, your half way on the road to feeling less anxious because that will focus your thinking on appreciation of life rather than a search for one. Keep me updated and I wish you all better health and a better state of mind.

_The People_

Is Life a Race or a Marathon?

Dear Readers,

I came to the harsh realization today that on the track field of life, I'm definitely a sprinter. All those people around me who can just take life day by day and run a marathon, and don't care to know where the finish line is, well, that's just not me. I needed to know where the finish line was before I even got to the race, and Ive been that way for as long as I can remember. It was a very difficult reality for me to come to grips with because everyone around me tried to get me to realize that life is a marathon and comes in steps and stages. I was always the one to chase the larger piece of the pie and never was happy settling for crumbs. The problem wasn't in the slice of pie, the problem was in wanting more and it never seemed to come fast enough.

Now that I have come to grips with this reality, I have to be able to accept the terms and try to figure out a way to make them work for me as opposed to against me. I feel like I have enough adrenaline pumping through my veins to propel a rocket to space and not being able to find an outlet to release this superfluous energy leaves me restless and thwarted. Now I have a better understanding why every night when I lay down to bed, I find myself rocking back and forth; unable to lay still and enjoy a calming transition to sleep. Instead I require a xanyx tablet to sedate me and bring me to a point where I feel relaxed enough just to go to bed.

The Anxiety that you and I feel partly comes as a result of not being content with who we are and confused as to why the world around us refuses to change to accommodate us. However, the people who require bending just a bit is us. We are like a puzzle piece that would fit perfectly if only it weren't for that one edge that you wish you could cut to make the accommodation. Lets be honest, you and I both know the entire puzzle just wouldn't look right if you were to do that, so we seek tirelessly for the right piece.

It can be a daunting and overwhelming task to De-construct our entire personality so that we can feel more adequate to our surroundings. What if we didn't have to change ourselves completely to find serenity, what if we only had to change a fraction to feel exponentially better. Then perhaps we wouldn't feel like we lost a sense of who we are and have always been. What if changing 5% of the way we do things can yield us a life that can eradicate those anxious feelings. Maybe we don't have to sacrifice ourselves and deprogram ourselves to a point where we don't recognize ourselves anymore.

My suggestion is that you appreciate who you are, and if your a sprinter like me and live the world in the left lane and aren't satisfied just coasting by and eating crumbs all your life. If you insist on passing others by and aren't afraid to risk getting a ticket. All you have to do is make sure you have a radar detector. I hope you get the metaphor and if you don't let me simplify it for you. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get to where your going as fast as you can, but just take precautions and be ready to deal with the consequences.

_The People_