December 6 ~  Godlike Awaken the Giant Within

"Calmness is always godlike." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lanikai Shore

At a time of year when keeping calm will keep you at peak performance, here are some helpful suggestions from The National Association for Mental Health:

  • Find ways of venting anger, either through exercise or hard work. Do not bottle up rage.

    "Nothing can disturb the calm peace of my soul," said Jiddu Krishnamurti

  • Talk to a friend. A sympathetic ear transforms vague fears to real concerns and helps ease whatever needs to be calmed in your mind.

    As Isabel Norton said, "In my friend, I find a second self."

  • Be a good friend to someone. A sympathetic ear helps a friend in trouble and helps you keep your own trouble in better perspective.

    "We cannot live only for ourselves," said writer Herman Melville. "A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects."

  • Choose your battles and just "give in" on some points. You don't have to get your way every time, do you?

    As Billie Holiday put it, "Sometimes it's worse to win a fight than to lose."

  • Let go of your concerns for awhile. Table your problems: go for a drive, take in a movie, go shopping, or read a book. The respite is precious and you can return to the issue with a clearer, more serene perspective.

    "You can't always control the wind," said motivational guru Anthony Robbins, "but you can control your sails."

    Stay calm... Center yourself and reach out to others.