A Place for Spiritual Growth Questions

Bringing Aquarian Group energy, we are two personalities and a group soul answering your spiritual growth questions to assist moving you one step forward, leading to many stepping stones onward.   Ask your questions by emailing:

  visionaryviewpoints@yahoo.com  –  Dear Stepping Stones

(Stepping Stones does not necessarily reflect the views of Visionary Viewpoints.)

Dear Stepping Stones,

Lately, I often feel overwhelmed with stress and it seems like the world around is also feeling stressed. How do I raise out of this anxiety?

This is a time of change for all living things and humanity has been given the task of leading the way. Many affects are coming at us, so much so, that we feel our anchor has come loose and we are dragging forward but, don’t know where forward is taking us. The stress can move the body into primal needs of survival driven by fear, confusion, and lack. When the cost of gas, groceries, and the basics, keep going up in price, uncertainties take root and we don’t know what we can count on. Everyday occurrences include the news cycle enhancing fear as morals and judgements are in question. This all takes a physical, emotional, and mental toll.

Start with identifying where the different stresses are coming from. Along with the everyday mundane stresses, try to identify where unknown tension is emerging. Challenge your thoughts.  Old programs, repeated emotional reactions, mental patterns of thinking, and resistance points may need to be adjusted with adaptability and flexibility. These behavioral influences may have become too restrictive. Some of the stress can be coming from issues long buried as suppressed emotions; reveal that emotion so it no longer controls the flow of life.  It’s possible that certain things in everyday life are over-valued. Look at the amount of time that emotional and mental energy has been put into activities and re-evaluate the significance of things that need to be adjusted or let go of. Acknowledge what is out of balance; question what is at the core of this imbalance and what can change. Make choices around value and worth to bring in stability. Some common life situations to look at include loyalty; authorities are not always correct in the influence in one’s life.  Unquestioning dedication to an occupation that overtakes time available to do other pursuits can be unhealthy. Family values and interactions may need adjusting. The shock of a first love ending, such as the story of Romeo and Juliet, which is all encompassing, doesn’t need to end all things. The drama does show us that emotions and thoughts can become extreme and cause stress.

Recognize frustration, anxiety, grief, guilt, and blame. Anxiety often comes from dreaded performance issues. Keep trying, one step at a time. We’ve found solutions by thinking through how to do something we haven’t done before. Being persistent gains confidence in oneself. This might be expressed as coming back to the situation again and again, till it’s done, knowing a way forward will appear. Sometimes the solution is going at it alone and sometimes the solution will appear by speaking with others. Find the balance point between isolation, self-reliance, and being too dependent on others. Blame of both self and others can raise stress levels and often includes performance issues of trying harder and the results being “not good enough.” Make sure responsibility for others doesn’t result in sacrificing self, causing resentful anger.

Sometimes our mind and emotions are moving at too high of speed. This can come out in the physical as misplaced aggression and rising frustration levels. We often see the results with speeding cars, arguments, and impatience waiting in a line. A rush of energy in the head can feed illusions. When we realize the pressure we are feeling, we can prevent that stress from coming out, going extreme, and causing harm. Commit to oneself a willingness to work at finding solutions. Stand and decide to connect upward to get out of lower emotions and lower mind and balance with higher thoughts. Recently, science has proven that curiosity assists the mind and whole being. Position thought into new and stimulate learning, meaningful experience, and purposeful events. Emphasize positive interactions, whenever one can, and lean on healthy relating through respect, acceptance, and appreciation. Ask oneself what healthy relating means and move with balance into that.

Everything is about an adjusting balance in life. Move to a routine that supports calmness and understanding. Take time to relax and ponder. This might appear as bringing variety into life such as sitting in quiet, slowing things down in the mind, finding new interests, listening to calm music, and sometimes listening to upbeat music. Engage in the creative thought process to move forward to solutions. Stimulate the brain by being open to new people and social interactions. Look for common sense, practical solutions that bring encouragement and lift one’s mood.

We will find solutions to stress by looking inward for solutions and maintaining a neutral value on the outer world. Have faith and trust in the process of learning about life through real experience with appreciation of the marvel of life. Open one’s mind to new possibilities. Combine the breadth of heart and the focus of the mind to sense a better way forward. Find peace in one’s heart and share it throughout everyday life. Let it be your life achievement to rise with persistence and consistently work at betterment of oneself and the world will be a better place.