| Although the usual suspects of stress may be our | | | | Anxiety itself is not stressful. When we see another |
| jobs, financial difficulties, illness, political and religious | | | | person very stressed out and anxious, it doesn't |
| arguments, family, personal problems, etc., if you look | | | | really affect us in the same way it is affecting them. |
| into each one of these in depth, you will find within | | | | If they are a stranger, it will probably not affect us |
| them all a common thread. If only we could identify | | | | at all. So anxiety, in and of itself, is not stressful. But |
| that common thread, then stress relief would be | | | | when we apply that anxiety to ourselves, then there |
| immensely simplified. | | | | is stress. What is the difference between a stranger |
| So let's take a look at the mechanism of our stress | | | | and ourselves? |
| in general. Let's say, for example, we are arguing | | | | That difference is the root of our stress, which |
| with someone about politics which has gone past the | | | | when discovered and transcended, removes stress |
| point of civil discussion and now has reached levels of | | | | from our lives forever. |
| personal attacks. We can feel the physical effects of | | | | Almost all religions have in the past warned of the |
| our anger - the rising blood pressure, the increased | | | | danger of ego. Recently however, that has been |
| pulse, the red faces. This is stress. | | | | pooh-poohed in lieu of ego building, and interestingly |
| Or let's say that a family member has done | | | | enough, only recently has our stress levels become |
| something stupid and here we are once again picking | | | | epidemic. |
| up the pieces. Or that we ourselves have screwed | | | | Ego is a false view; a false view of life. The idea that |
| up and now face the consequences. All of these are | | | | something is happening is true, but that it is |
| stressful situations, through which runs a common | | | | happening to "us" is completely erroneous. Yet mind |
| thread. | | | | creates, from an accumulation of impulses, this |
| And that common thread is very deep. | | | | Wizard of Oz ego in order to protect itself. Ergo: |
| Initially, we are afraid. Afraid perhaps that things | | | | STRESS. |
| won't go our way, that we will lose the argument. Or | | | | Once you create a monster, if you don't feed it, it |
| perhaps afraid that our indiscretion, whatever it | | | | will eat you! So we create a monster in our minds |
| maybe, might be revealed, or our dishonesty | | | | unknowingly, unconsciously, thinking that every time |
| uncovered. We even are afraid of fear itself! But fear | | | | we pat ourselves on the back or boost our idea of |
| is not the common thread. | | | | ourselves (what a great ______ I am!) then we |
| One could say that our stress is a result of our | | | | think that in some way we are more secure. The |
| impatience for things to be rectified, solved, and end | | | | reality is, however, that the stronger our ego |
| its burden on our minds. This is true, we seem to be | | | | becomes, the more subconsciously fearful and |
| frustrated and impatient always, especially in slow | | | | stressful our minds get because it knows inherently |
| check out lanes. But again, impatience is not the root | | | | that ego is destined to topple. It's a fabrication, not |
| of our stress. | | | | real, and the bigger it is, the harder it will eventually |
| Once stress raises it's ugly head, getting rid of it is | | | | fall. This is basic karma. |
| doubly problematic. If we never allowed stress to | | | | - He who stands on tiptoe doesn't stand firm. |
| develop in the first place, we wouldn't have to | | | | - He who rushes ahead doesn't go far. |
| compound our stress by stressfully trying to get rid | | | | - He who tries to shine dims his own light. |
| of our stress! So in order to remove stress from our | | | | - He who defines himself can't know who he really is. |
| lives forever, a fundamental shift in our view of life | | | | - He who has power over others can't empower |
| has to occur. | | | | himself. |
| Many things seem to cause stress, but they are not | | | | - He who clings to his work will create nothing that |
| the real causes. Things like anxiety, vulnerability, fear, | | | | endures. |
| dejection, skepticism, illness, irritation, anguish, dread, | | | | (Tao Te Ching) |
| worry, anxiety, inferiority, aging. But stress, believe it | | | | So we could say in a nutshell that egos, belief in a |
| or not, is also involved in pleasant things, such as | | | | separate self, cause stress. And we could further say |
| going to the movies. Why is that? Because although | | | | that no stress relief will be successful if it doesn't in |
| the movie might be pleasurable for a few hours, the | | | | some way reduce the idea of ego in our heads. Look |
| next evening could be boring and stressful sitting at | | | | at a stress-free, happy individual and you will usually |
| home! | | | | find an absence of selfish desires and drives. Perhaps |
| All of this causes stress. But these things again can | | | | even a penchant to help others and consider their |
| be distilled down to basic components of either not | | | | difficulties. This is called loving kindness and |
| getting what we want or trying to get rid of what | | | | compassion, maybe even effacement and humility. |
| we don't want. Underneath these basic components | | | | These are the traits that lead to a stress-less life, for |
| is the real cause of stress, however. | | | | oneself and for others. |