Rick Hanson, PhD and author of Just One Thing and others, reflects upon how to be better able to deal with stressful times, as others have before us. He believes we can too.
The Practice:
Take heart.
Why?
It takes heart to live in even ordinary times.
By “taking heart,” I mean several related things:
Sensing your heart and chest
Finding encouragement in what is good both around you and inside you
Resting in your own warmth, compassion, and kindness; resting in the caring for you from others; love flowing in and love flowing out
Being courageous, whole-hearted and strong-hearted – going forward wisely, even when anxious, knowing your own truth and, as you can, speaking it
When you take heart, you’re more able to deal with challenges like aging, illness, trauma, or conflicts with others. You’re also more able to take advantage of opportunities with confidence and grit.
Additionally, it takes heart to live in, live with, and live beyond times that are really hard. Your personal hard time might be bad news about your health, the death of a parent, or betrayal by others. Or it could be related to changes in your country and world, and your concerns about their effects on others and yourself; I’ve written