Destressing to Avoid My Dino-Brain!

Conference Address:  Be Meek and Lowly of Heart

by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Seventy

 

 

WHAT?

Another important step to becoming meek is learning how to control our temper. Because the natural man dwells within each one of us and because we live in a world full of pressure, controlling our temper may become one of the challenges in our lives.

 

SO WHAT?

If you have asked me a month ago how I was doing on being meek, I would have said, "I have it nailed" (which right there shows me that I haven't!)  But it seems as if life and/or the Adversary have ratcheted up the stress in my life in the form of other people.  These are all people whom I love dearly, but who converged on my home en masse and everyone wanted my immediate and exclusive attention, from the 2 and 3 - year - olds to the almost 57 - year old.  To my credit, I held it together for 3 weeks under those pressures.  But close only counts in horseshoes!

 

We think in the cortex; we feel in the limbic system;
we act without thinking in the brain stem, which I call the dinosaur brain.  Grrrrrrr!  Think T-Rex!

 

Then, one day a little over a week ago, I lost it.  I just collapsed emotionally, downshifted into my dinosaur brain and let everyone have it, including turning a lot of the abuse on myself.  It was not dignified, to say the least.

 

NOW WHAT?  

Emotions are inevitable, including the uncomfortable ones like anger.  I can't just stifle and the anger (or any other uncomfortable emotion) without serious repercussions to my physical, emotional, and spiritual health.  What I hope to do in the future is to:

a) Structure the situation in my home so as not to bring flint and steel together under one roof!

b) Recognize the stress early and admit I am not Wonder Woman

c) Take steps to diffuse the stress by talking to someone not involved, taking time for myself, and going somewhere alone to pray, scream if necessary, and cry.

          

Remember:  Meek does not mean weak!       

 

Text copyright October 2013, Gebara Education

Picture from www.socialrazoo.com    

 

NOTE TO MY REGULAR READERS:  For those of you who have been following my Book of Mormon posts since June, I will be returning to them within a few weeks.  Right now, I am still somewhat overwhelmed and it takes a great deal of time, energy, and prayerful, careful research to produce each Book of Mormon post (several hours.)  Right now I want to continue to blog, but do not have the time nor the emotional and physical energy to do the research I would need to do. Thanks for understanding!