Dear Seeker,

"Most of our sorrows are the stressful offspring of trying to be something we have no real need to be; they are born for attempting to do what cannot -- and need not -- be done."

~ Guy Finley

Excerpted from "Let Go and Live in the Now" (p. 121)

Special exercise: Be real

The amount of stress in my days is related to the distance between who I am right now, and who I want or pretend to be. Does it make sense -- truly make sense -- to stress over getting older, losing my job, whether or not other people like me, or if I'm going to be able to perform something flawlessly? Stress does NOT change reality, and it doesn't help me be something I'm not. Yes, we can and should work practically to do what's needed to take care of ourselves and our responsibilities, and even strive to improve where possible. But stress does not aid such effort -- it inhibits it. When you catch yourself in the midst of a stressful situation ask the question, what's real right now? The quicker you come back to the reality of what the moment is showing you about yourself, the quicker you'll be able to let go of any needless heartache.