Are You Going Crazy?

Hello, hello, my dear reader.

Sanity will be the topic of this day.

How are you doing? I am ever praying that you are gaining clarity and leveling up in life.

Do you ever feel like you are going crazy?

Do you ever feel like you are losing control?

My humble belief is that if you think you are going crazy, you have sanity. Crazy people do not know they are crazy; isn't that crazy?

Sometimes sane people have events in their lives that cause confusion and drama. Do you know what drama is? Drama is participation in and the replaying of competition and causes chaos and stress. This competition is a you against me type of thinking.

Drama is adolescent behavior, sometimes lived by adults.

Very few people in this world are dramatizing life rather than normalizing it. It may seem like many or most people are dramatizing life because these individuals tend to be the loudest.

The opposite of drama is going with the flow and living with inner peace.

I used to be a bit dramatic (maybe a lot) and had numerous theatrical people in my life. It has become clear that the more I refuse to participate in drama, the more these people fall away.

That's God.

The more I talk and walk with God, the more He blesses me with faith, patience, and trust. The more faith, patience, and trust I have, the less fear, impatience, and mistrust I have, which is the drama.

Think about that for a moment, please. The words a person speaks comes from the thoughts he or she is thinking. These thoughts, repeated, become beliefs that are behaved. 

A crazy person will think about a dramatic scenario over and over and over again. Then he or she will post it on social media and tell the story over and over and over again. This is strange and unusual! The craziest part is this person doesn't know they are being crazy.

This is not normal! 

A person with a distorted view of reality may think it's alright and that people are actually like this because they believe it's common. It is not normal, and very few people are like this.

Every day people are quiet when it comes to drama. The average person normalizes happenings and can enjoy life and others.

The crazy person is like the addicted individual; they have to know they have a problem to seek help and resolve it.

You may be asking, why on earth is Elizabeth rambling about crazy people?

The reason I am writing this is that when I was going crazy in my young, single, adult motherhood years, I had no idea that I was, in fact, going crazy. Somehow, in some way, I realized that my abnormal behavior was, in fact, not normal.

The abnormal behavior I am talking about is constantly dramatizing life via complaining, criticizing, and gossiping. This kind of behavior seemed normal to me, but I discovered it is actually immature, inappropriate, and unacceptable to the everyday professional. It is more acceptable in the teenage era than in the adult environment.

There are people, who have no idea, whether they are kind about it or not, that drama is not bright or mature. I was one of them. This kind of behavior prohibits growth and promotes insecurity, irritability, and moodiness. These attributes sustain chronic stress and foolishness.

Sure, I'm still crazy, but in an over-the-top loving, I love everybody kind of way. But, I want to speak and write the words, with a prayer in my heart, that a person with a distorted view of reality may be enlightened towards healing if they want it.

This discovery and self-awareness saved my life, my family's sanity, and my career, so to speak. If I can change and grow spiritually, anyone can if they want to! 

My everlasting prayer is to point a person toward faithfulness and fearlessness by connecting to God. That is the sole reason I write the words that I write. These words are for the person who needs to read them, and they are mine to share.

So, what does a person do when he or she has an emotional freak-out button and wants to bring it back to sanity?

A good exercise would be to affirm, acknowledge, listen more, and talk less. 

Silly?

Unreasonable?

The most fantastic thing about confidence is it comes from a reasonable, sensible, and sound mind. This kind of person has an open mind, and he or she learns by listening to understand. An open, confident mind doesn't need to be right because he or she is okay no matter what. He or she understands people have different views, and they are alright with that.

A person that is a little, or a lot, on the crazy side sometimes has an incomprehensible need to be correct. This persistent desire to be right comes from a distorted, insecure view of reality. The need to be right promotes and sustains dramatic behavior, and comes from a competitive perspective, rather than thoughtfulness.

The need to control conversations, and circumstances, to get one's way comes from insecurity and a thought process that says, "If I don't get my way, I won't be okay."

The madness of getting angry because another person isn't in agreement also comes from insecurity and a thought process of, "I find my value in being right. If I am wrong, I have no worth." This is a tricky thing to accept, but sometimes human conditioning trains a person to believe his or her value is in being right. 

A confident person is okay with disagreement and does not view himself or herself as wrong. Instead, a confident person understands uniqueness in paths, thoughts, and views.

With all this ramble, I am trying to point a person back to faith, patience, and trust. I say back to because we were the fruit of the spirit when we came into this world, and sometimes we lose that fruit via human conditioning.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." ~Galatians 5:22-23, Holy Bible, KJV

Faith, patience, and trust will normalize life, and it takes practice into permanence if we are not living it already. The opposite of this, as mentioned above, is fear, impatience, and mistrust, which are all the fruit of insanity. Better said, they are defense mechanisms from past experiences.

My proposal is but a spiritual experiment. This exercise requires affirming, acknowledging, listening more, and talking less. It also requires working things out reasonably in the mind. 

Affirm your confidence by recognizing drama is adolescent and unnecessary.

Acknowledge you will not participate in any competition, aka drama, and will be more cooperative with life, others, and yourself.

Listen more and talk less.

If you feel like this exercise is something you'd like to do, practice it for a couple days, and continue to remind yourself of your leveling up. A perfect reminder can be, "Chill out!"

Ha ha ha! I tell myself to chill out all the time, and it works. Trust me!

The entire point of this post is to assist a person with direction who may feel like they are losing it. There really are very few crazy people out there, and some people feel like they are going mad every once in a while, which is why I'm writing this post.

The spiritual experiment is to affirm, acknowledge, listen more, talk less, and work the sanity out, quietly in one's own mind.

If you feel like you are going a little or a lot crazy, I pray it helps... 

Also, praying you to have a wonderful week.

Speak soon...

Elizabeth Stanfill 

If you love what you read here, you may find my books by clicking, books by Elizabeth Stanfill.

Destressing Procrastination

Hey, hey! How are you doing today? 

Praying you are living and loving life in the fullest way.

Destressing procrastination is what I'd like to discuss this day.

Ha, ha... I'm a poet!

Wanna hear/read something funny?

I'm writing about procrastination and I haven't written a post in nearly three weeks. I have excuses (wink).

In my book, How to Destress via Stress Test & Stress Relief, which you can get the eBook free today, December 18, 2019, by clicking here, I explain, in detail about procrastination.

It is my most humble belief that the most important thing anyone can do, in regards to procrastination, is work it out in his/her own mind.

This is very simple but not so easy.

The thingy about procrastination is, it's just a habit of putting things off, and then beating the self up afterwards.

One must encourage the self like an adult encourages a child when he or she is learning to walk.

When a person encourages another, goals are more likely to be accomplished. It's a fact! Encouraging parents help their offspring become confident and then the voice in the child's head is encouraging.

Maybe you are putting something off because you have the voice of discouragement rather than the voice of encouragement. Maybe you beat yourself up for not doing what you think you could have, should have, or would have done.

One of the most important things anyone could do, ever, is quiet the mind, create and condition a voice of encouragement, and never ever allow words of beating the self up. Maybe you can understand this, maybe you cannot, but please do not believe me, try it and find out for yourself.

As human beings we have the authority, and free agency to choose what we can and will become by intentionally choosing to condition our habits. Using this authority and free agency is our power. To say one cannot choose is giving up his or her power.

Here's what you can do, if you want to...

Begin to meditate, which will relieve the mental strain and quiet the racing unfocused mind.

Contemplate the fact that you can do it! Whatever "it" is. 

Remind yourself that you can do it by saying, "I can do this, I got this."

In addition, remind yourself that you don't have to if you really don't want to because it's not life or death, and you are the boss of you.

Just some beliefs one may create when it comes to procrastination.

After all, procrastination is just another word for beating the self up mentally for not doing something a person thinks he or she ought to do. Confident, successful people prioritize, do what they gotta do, and then move on. They call it productivity. See the difference?

One last thing, if you really want to do something, but can't get yourself to do it, commit to doing the above suggested for thirty days, and imagine, often, how it will feel when you have done "it". Imagine how good it will feel because that is really why we want to do something, because it will feel good afterwards.

Make that commitment to yourself, and just watch yourself get things done. 

Hope that helps you even just a little bit...

You can do it!

You got this!

Big Hugs my friend...

Speak soon...

Elizabeth

Increasing Habits of Faith

Hello there!

Increasing habits of faith is what I'd like to write about this day!

How are you doing my dear friend? My dear brother/sister of this world!

I am praying that you are enjoying life! 

Summer is coming, and that is a great thing! Summer is a great thing because stress is low. People are going on vacation, having a good time and enjoying life.

Have you ever heard someone say that they want to live the kind of life they don't need a vacation from?

Do you think that is possible? 

Do you think that it is possible to enjoy life so much that it feels like a vacation?

It may sound crazy to you but it is entirely possible. I know it's possible because that is exactly how I feel about my life. There is no thing extraordinary about my life except for the fact that I suffered so much emotionally, and I have found respite from the internal struggle through God, and reconditioning my beliefs, focus, and thoughts about life.

Do you live the kind of life you need a vacation from?

What if you could live a life you don't need a vacation from?

What if you could live a life of near complete happiness?

What if you could live happier by increasing your confidence and faith in life, others, and yourself?

What if you could increase your confidence and faith by evolving your habits?

Would you like to evolve your habits so you have more confidence and faith in life, others, and yourself? 

What I am talking about here is the kind of confidence and faith that is the opposite of insecurity.

Are you feeling insecure about life, others, and yourself much of the time?

Did you know stress is insecurity? The stress response is provoked by fear. Have you heard of the fight or flight response? That response is the stress response. That response was given to us by God to help us in fearful situations and, as humans, we unknowingly activate that response by our thoughts of fear, which creates chronic insecurity.

Blah, blah, blah, right?

What I am trying to do is lead you into a challenge I have for you to increase a habit, or habits, of confidence.

Do you wanna do the challenge that will increase feelings of happiness, and decrease feelings of insecurity?

The challenge I have for you is like homework, it's like homework for life, and so it's life work... get it? Ha ha ha...

Before I issue you the challenge, you gots to get a notebook of some sort, like a journal. It doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to have blank pieces of paper so that you may do some life work.

So here's the challenge...

It's a thirty day challenge, so you gotta do it for thirty days! Capeesh?

For thirty days, everyday, at the same time of the day, write down what you want by answering the question, "What do I want most?"

Do you want more confidence?

Do you want energy?

Do you want to govern your behaviors and beliefs more?

Do you want happiness?

Do you want health?

Do you want love?

Do you want wealth?

Whatever it is, write down what you want, everyday, and then read it! After you read it, if you find that you wrote down what you don't want, scribble it out. The reason you will scribble out the things you don't want is because writing what is not wanted defeats the exercise.

This entire challenge is to change, and evolve the habit of focusing on what you don't want, which creates fear, to focusing on what you do want, which creates less insecurity.

Happiness, or unhappiness, is all about the focus, the habitual focus.

This is a spiritual experiment, and I really believe, with all my heart and soul that if you make a commitment to do this, for you, things will change for the better.

This challenge is to help create a habit of confidence, by replacing the habit of insecurity via focus.

The Challenge 

Step one: get a notebook
Step two: everyday, and at the same time of day, for example at 8:00 a.m., go to a quiet, uninterrupted place, and ask yourself, "What do I want most?" Take a few moments to really think about it.
Step three: write the answer to the question after you have taken time to really think on it, which will most likely evolve everyday, and that is okay.
Step four: read it, and scribble out anything written that is not wanted. Then contemplate what it will/would feel like to have what you really want. 
Step five: through out the day contemplate what is written by thinking about what it would feel like having whatever it is. Notice any thoughts of discouragement and remind yourself discouragement is not the focus, therefore, not a part of this exercise.
Step six: document any positive aspects of this exercise NOT negative ones. Remember! Confidence, and happiness are all about the focus, and this exercise is to evolve the habitual mind away from insecurity and towards faith.
Step seven: KEEP IT SECRET! KEEP IT SAFE! this is only a suggestion... I would keep this exercise to yourself because outside influences may discourage you, and if you are discouraged, you may not complete the exercise. 

Do this for exactly thirty days!

That's it!

Oh! except...

If you are really stressed out, it may be helpful for you to make a commitment to do this for you! For destressing! For your happiness! For your family and relationships! You are the only one who has the authority over the way you feel. Although the human conditioning would have us believe that other people are responsible for our happiness, it is not true. No one can focus for you, only you can do that! This exercise can, and will help you increase your habits of faith in you.

And...

Stay tune for more on this challenge...

This is gonna get good!

This is gonna be fun!

You got this!

You can do this!

It may be time for you to take responsibility for your happiness, which lies in destressing your stressful habits.

Speak soon...

Elizabeth

Destressing Moments of Despair

Hello there!

Today, I want to begin a journey of destressing despair.

How are you doing my friend?

I hope and pray you are doing more than okay.

For many years I suffered deep moments of despair. For many years I responded to people in distress, as an EMT, on 911 (emergency) calls, and then I began my profession of responding to Emergency Personnel in deep moments of despair. Now, on occasion individuals will contact me who are experiencing the same. 

It is my personal opinion, when a person is suffering emotionally to the point of anguish, desperation, and hopelessness, it is quite possibly the worst feeling anyone can, and will experience. I know this because I personally experienced it for years, and have seen thousands of people suffer from it. 

The most important part of my experience is, I've witnessed relief in others and myself! I've witnessed healing from despair over and over and over again, and continue to see it. Additionally, I want to help anyone suffering and point him or her to the direction of peace.

If you are suffering emotionally, I would like to help point you in the direction of solace. It is my prayer that you will find a way to lift yourself from your broken heart no matter the cause. For it is you, and only you, who can, and will find rest for yourself if you seek it.

This is what I know for sure...

God is real, and if you turn to Him, He will comfort and strengthen you in that moment. 

This is what I also know...

Comfort and strength does not always last long when we are suffering. Matter of fact, we may only get glimpses of relief, one moment at a time. Therefore, we must continue to turn to God, every minute, of every hour, of everyday for our entire life here on earth.

Many people go to church on Sunday, and find respite from their emotional suffering. Then the week begins and life sets in with family, finances, relationships, and work, and so goes the stress, and the week. Then Sunday comes again, and more emotional rest. So goes the cycle.

I have learned that connecting to God, throughout the week, with quiet contemplation, and conversation, not only gives me guidance and inspiration but, comfort and joy. Yes! I converse with God, and I listen. He shows me evidence that He is real and I show Him faith that I know He is real.

I have frequent inner knowings of numerous things, and I know that these knowings are guidance and inspiration from God.

I've known God is real since a very young age of about four years old, and now at the young age of fifty four, my time is very much consumed with this knowing. There is no more despair because I turn to God more often than I ever have, and I just continue to.

There is no more anger, anxiety, or depression in my life because I feel God every moment, of every hour, of every day. Straight up! He is my life, and I talk about Him in nearly every conversation, and I walk with Him in nearly every step.

Please know that I am very human, and so I am imperfect. Sometimes I do get feelings and thoughts that I do want to get angry, anxious, or depressed but for only very teeny weeny moments. When I do want to have negative emotions, I will immediately giggle at myself because I have learned to laugh at me. 

Fearful feelings are human habits of this human experience that do diminish with proper practice, just as they grew with practice. 

It's alright if you do not believe me, but that is where it all begins, in a belief. To just believe is a glance at faith, then it takes repeated belief, and repetitive behaviors to get to where I proclaim to be. Certainly, my faithfulness and fearlessness for love and life did not happen over night.

Please understand, I do not believe I am better than anyone, and I am not bragging! I'm trying to prove there is destressing despair. Also, I believe in my capabilities within my confidence in God only because of the past fifty years of personal evidence, and the past twenty-seven years of witnessing others heal in a professional environment.

I know with all my heart and soul it takes faith and practice my friend.

The first step is to turn to God, and just keep on a practicing. That's all I do is practice and I love unconditionally. Love is the remedy for all despair. 

God is love...

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." ~1 John 4:8, New Testament, The Holy Bible, KJV

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." ~1 John 4:16, New Testament, The Holy Bible, KJV

God is the solution...

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." ~Psalms 46:1, The Old Testament, The Holy Bible, KJV

If you do not believe in God, doubt your faith in Him, or just want to strengthen your conviction, ask Him for help, quiet your mind, and listen. He will show you He is real, especially if you are in despair.

This is the beginning... connecting to and turning to God, is the first step for relief from moments of sadness and sorrow.

That's all I gots...

Except, I love you!

God loves you!

You are so very special to Him! Seek Him more, and you will know, if you don't already know that this is true!

God bless you my dear sweet friend! My dear sweet brother/sister of this world.

Speak soon...

Elizabeth

Relieving Negative Emotions

Hey! 

Gonna write a little bit about relieving anger, anxiety, and depression today because those are the negative emotions that cause a whole lotta stress.

Hello!

How you? ~wink~

I'm praying for you! 

I'm praying for your healing!

I'm praying for your relief!

I'm trying to keep my posts short and sweet and straight to the meat. ~wink, wink~

Some things you may or may not want to hear...

First, if you are experiencing moods of anger, anxiety, and/or depression, know that it is not your fault.

Chances are something has happened to you, or is happening to you that has aroused your fear for life right now.

Or...

Could be, one or both of your parents trained you up in worry because they had practiced fear.

Second, all negative emotions come from some sort of fear of not being okay. Anger is fear of not going to be okay if you don't get your way. Anxiety is fear of not going to be okay because of the dreaded future. Depression is fear of not going to be okay because one believes he or she or life is not good enough.

Third, negative emotions get practiced into nearly permanence by default, and if one is not aware, one can, and will get deep into it.

Fourth, this stressful state of negative emotions does not belong to you!

Fifth, there is a way out but you gotta believe in yourself enough to think a thought in your favor.

Finally, if you have been angry, anxious, or depressed for a long time, creating relief may not happen over night.

One of the best ways to relieve negative emotions is to practice serenity.

Serenity is found by practicing inner peace of mind.

Whenever you can, sit still, follow your breath in and out, and feel for the knowing that you are safe, right here, and right now.

That safety is recognizable, and that inner peace can be practiced into permanence but first, one must make it a habit.

There is no greater relief from stress than the inner peace of mind and connecting to God. Inner peace is a way of connecting to God. Anyone can see it in others. Have you ever known anyone to be calm, and confident? That person has practiced it into permanence.

Do you believe in yourself enough to quiet your mind for you, for your future serenity, and tranquility?

Something to ponder...

That's all I got my friend!

Except, I love you!

God bless you!

Big Hugs!!!

Elizabeth

Here is another post I wrote on Releasing Negative Emotions.

Questioning Insecurity, i.e., Stress

Hoodie Hoo Boogah Booh!

LOL!

How are you doing today?

You know I pray that you are alright every day!?!

Today I'd like to talk about confidence and insecurity because one brings happiness and the other brings stress.

I am compelled to tell this story...

About seven years ago, I worked at this facility, and one of the security personnel was articulating dissatisfaction concerning his own life. When he was done explaining, I asked him, "Why don't you..." He cut me off and responded rudely, "I know what I am incapable of!" He didn't even let me get a word in.

Furiously, he told me, in so many words, that he did not believe he was good enough or intelligent enough to do anything for himself. I am sharing this story, but not the specifics because the most insecure people would rather argue their limitations and be right about themselves than think a thought in their favor and/or be wrong.

You may agree with the security officer and think, "I'm pretty sure I know my limitations."

I know! That was me too!!! The more insecure and self-conscious I defend my weaknesses, the younger me.

Precarious people believe that their worth is based on being right. It's an illusion and provides a very stressful life. Could you imagine having to be right even if it means sacrificing your happiness, health, love life, or wealth? 

Being insecure is the ultimate type of stressful personality because it's a practiced fear. 

Some people have doubts about careers, health, money, relationships, or wealth. It's totally normal. 

But not every person has insecurity about all or most of those mentioned above. Individuals with severe uncertainty have practiced stress and hold on to being right more than anything.

In other words, their mind is shut to learning, listening, and seeing the evidence. Their mouth is open to their perceived brilliance of what they know about particular things.

Don't believe me? Do you think you have to be right about politics or religion? Do you know someone who has to be right about either subject by pointing out other people's wrongness?

In my younger years, I believed that being right was one of the most important things to me, and that belief supplied me with a very closed mind. As I became more educated, I realized how important it is to open up to understand. Now, I can see the old me in others as they are incapable of communicating because their mind is so shut.

A closed mind is ignorance, and an open mind leads to enlightenment. An open mind learns by listening to understand.

I was angry, anxious, depressed, and full of despair in my younger years. And I spent a lot of time there because I was unwilling to learn from others by listening. My views of myself were narrow, and although, at an intellectual level, I understood that I was responsible for my happiness, I wasn't listening to anyone for solutions. This unstable state made me a coward.

I'm not calling anyone a coward! I said it made me a coward, and it was all because I wouldn't believe in myself enough to even think a thought in my favor. I had to be right more than I had to be happy, healthy, loving, or wealthy. All of which creates confidence and joy.

Here I go again with the practice makes permanent...

In my younger years, I was practicing a closed mind, fearing being wrong because my worth was based on being right, and that practice created only dissatisfaction in life.

Now, in my wiser years ~wink~ I practice learning by listening to understand. I practice understanding that I can look for the truth in anything. No need to agree or disagree, and no need to say a word.

What I am trying to elude to is open your mind to listening IF you are experiencing unhappiness from negative emotions like anger, anxiety, depression, or despair.

If you want happiness, joy, and vitality in your life, please open your mind to suggestions on how to get there, especially from anyone who is hugely successful at being there.

You wouldn't take financial advice from anyone who never has any money or may not even have money at their disposal.

You wouldn't take weight loss advice from someone who is obese and/or has been obese their entire life.

You wouldn't take any relationship advice from anyone who's been divorced several times, twice, or even once.

Part of creating a destressed life is developing confidence, enlightenment, and wisdom by looking at those who are successful at what you want to be successful at. Listen to them, watch them, and discern what you want to do, then do THAT!

I practice calming myself and connecting to God because that is what I want out of life. So, I learn by listening to and watching people who are calm and connected to God.

The old insecure me would only speak complaints and criticism because that was my focus. But now, my focus is on practicing calmness and connecting to God. I am so imperfect at it, so I keep on practicing, never beating myself up, and always trying to have an open mind.

Do you? Could you? Would you believe in yourself enough to question your open-mindedness towards yourself? An open mind leads to confidence, and a closed mind leads to insecurity, which leads to stress.

Just something to think about so that you may relieve your stress of unwanted feelings of fear.

That is all...

Except!!! 

I LOVE YOU!!!

God bless...

Take care...

Elizabeth Stanfill 

If you love what you read here, you may find my books by clicking, books by Elizabeth Stanfill.

Destressing Insanity

Hello! Hello!

How are you my dear sweet friend?

Praying a special prayer that you are super duper allie ooper, and that you are having tons of fun!

I just wanna discuss insanity for a moment. Actually, my insanity...

When I was a younger me I use to complain, criticize, dramatize, and gossip. 

Yup! I did...

It was crazy because I didn't want people to complain about me or criticize me yet I was complaining about and criticizing others. 

What's even crazier is I did not want drama, and I did not want other people gossiping about me yet I was creating drama, and gossiping about others. 

In other words, I was doing to others what I didn't want others doing to me. I was doing what I did not love. Also, I was bringing myself, and others down because of this behavior.

Now I know that, and I know that those were habits of reaction. So, I changed focus, and I created habits to replace the crazy ones.

Another thing, I don't necessarily want people all up in my business, and so I try my hardest to stay out of other peoples' business. 

I know, with all my heart and soul that my business is between God and me. What I do, say, and think has everything to do with God, and me. Therefore, I try my hardest to behave accordingly.

So... I have changed those crazy habits with much more fun ones. That's right! Matter of fact, I'm still in the process of changing them because I am human, I am imperfect, and I just keep on a practicing. 

And... I'm still crazy, just a different funner kind, ask anybody who knows me.

Are you complaining, criticizing, dramatizing, and gossiping?

These are all very stressful habits because of the focus on things that are unpleasant. The opposites would be appreciating, complimenting, and living in the present moment with confidence, which not only provides relief from stress but also lifts the environment in which one stands. 

Do you believe in the necessity of focusing on the unpleasant? If you do, that is your human right, and it is very human of you. (wink)

Do you also believe that we have a choice on what we focus on?

Whether a person believes we can choose what to focus on or not, we can. Human nature begs to focus on the emotionally negative aspects of this life which provokes fear, aka stress. Spiritual nature begs for focus on the details that will pursue faithfulness and fearlessness, aka unconditional love.

Practiced fear supplies anger, anxiety, and depression. Practiced faith creates calm, confidence, happiness, joy, vitality, and well-being. When we are practicing faithful and fearless focus we are lifting the environment, and it is impossible to bring anyone down, including the self.

Which will you choose? Faith or Fear? Stress or Well-Being?

Just some thoughts I wanted to throw your way...

Have a wonderful day my dear sweet friend.

God bless you...

I love you...

Elizabeth

Ignorance is NOT Bliss!

Hello! Hello! 

How are you doing? 

I pray I pray you are having a wonderful day!

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Ignorance is bliss?"

Do you know that people have actually said that to me, indicating I am ignorant? Isn't that ignorant? Just kidding, or maybe not! Ignorant is such a harsh word and it is unkind when you say it to someone. It's like calling someone stupid. I do not have any desire to be unkind, so I certainly wouldn't say that to anyone; I prefer the word naive.

It's alright that people have called me ignorant in their naivete because I understand that people don't know they are being unkind or uneducated. 

In my experience, when people say ignorance is bliss to me, it's because of my outlook on life. I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt and have compassion for their circumstances. Some people believe my perspective is ignorant because they think the world is so horrible, but let's look at it a little bit and see who's ignorant.

It is a fact that we are all imperfect, yes? Except for Jesus.

It is a fact that we all make mistakes, yes? Except for Jesus.

It is a fact that we all would like to be given the benefit of the doubt, yes?

If we understand that we are all imperfect, we all make mistakes, and we all have been given different struggles, and if we give others the benefit of the doubt, we can focus on being kind to ourselves and others by focusing on what's right, and what's good in life.

It is naive to focus on what is wrong because we unknowingly do it by habit, it makes us feel bad about life, and it is being unkind to ourselves and others.

Focusing on what's wrong in life makes us feel bad, and focusing on what's right makes us feel good. It's all about habitual behavior. 

Successful people are confident and optimistic. They are focused on what's right, and they are about the business of enjoying life.

Insecure people are uncertain because they are focused on what's wrong, and you know it because they are always complaining and criticizing others and themselves. You will feel bad if you are focused solely on what's wrong.

Brilliance is knowing that we have the authority, power, and responsibility to our own state of confidence, i.e., faith and happiness in life. 

It is brilliant to desire happiness!

It is brilliant to focus on creating habits of happiness by desire!

It is naive to continue to focus on what is wrong by complaining, criticizing, dramatizing, and gossiping so that one creates misery in his or her own mind, in other people's lives, and in the environment in which he or she stands. That is not normal; it's adolescent behavior when we should be about adult behavior.

There are so many great people in this world, and this world is functioning beautifully. If it wasn't, people would be living in chaos, and nobody would be following laws or going to work daily to help this world oprate as well as it does. 

If the world wasn't working correctly, we'd be living like one of the apocalyptic movies where people are eating people. (insert me lol here)

What I'm trying to say in all of this ramble is that if you are primarily complaining about and criticizing others and life, it may be a stressful life for you. Our thoughts and what we think about develop feelings of safety and happiness or insecurity and misery. It's a choice whether you'd like it to be or not.

We are creators of our reality. We are either lifting others, ourselves, and the environment by what we do and say, or we are lowering it.

To be unkind to others, yourself, and the environment is misunderstanding. 

To be kind by focusing on the good, giving people the benefit of the doubt, and understanding we all have struggles, and that's why we do what we unknowingly or knowingly do, is brilliant understanding. 

It's brilliant because it's God's work! 

One last thing. That person or thing that you may be focusing on what is wrong in them, or it, has so much more good than the one or two things you are solely focused on that is terrible. You can choose to focus on the many things that are good and right rather than on the one or two things that are wrong.

Love one another! 

Love is kind!

Just something to think about. Just something to destress your behaviors, beliefs, and life a little bit.

If you want relief from feeling bad, focus on good more. All good things are from God, and when we focus on the good, we focus on God. This is not only understanding and wisdom it's true bliss and brilliance.

That is all...

Except... I love you! 

Elizabeth Stanfill 

If you love what you read here, you may find my books by clicking, books by Elizabeth Stanfill.

LEARNING TO DESTRESS

Hey!  Hi!  Happy Friday!  I love Fridays!  Actually, I love every days!

I am so happy you are here.  You are here because you are learning to destress yourself, or just because you like me ;) 

So, did you notice if you are or when you are in a hurry?  Did you notice if it is a habit of yours?  Did you slow down?  Dang, I was totally in a hurry the next day after I wrote the post, CAN YOU PLEASE SLOW DOWN?  I was thinking to myself, if my blog readers could see me now they would definitely remind me of my own words.  I did catch myself and I did slow down, he he he.

Sooo, let's talk!

What in the heck does it mean to destress yourself?

Many of you have heard me explain this before, over and over again, and here we go again, lol.

When you destress yourself you evolve your mind, your thoughts, your behavior, your attitude, and your actions so that you live with confidence, faith, and security. 

Confidence in yourself, life, and others. 

Faith that all things are working for you and that your life is perfect as it is. 

Security knowing that anything you go through, no matter what, you can handle it.

If we listed the opposite of all these points it would look like this

Doubt in yourself, life, and others.

Fear that all things are working against you and that your life is the worst.

Worry that whatever you go through, no matter what, you cannot handle it.

All of this creates stress.  This thought process is what stress is. 

You have a choice really!  You can think thoughts of stress or you can destress yourself.

The thing is, this stressful way of thinking has been ingrained in you for however long you have been living.

Learn how to destress yourself by choosing the way of confidence, faith, and security.  You don't have to have doubt, fear, or worry.  They are just thoughts you know?

Learning to destress yourself is so important because it will create happiness, energy, and vitality for you.

Learning to destress yourself is so important because it will eliminate unhealthy emotional, mental, and physical conditions.

But PLEASE, don't believe me, find out for yourself.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to have fun and be playful.

Speak soon...

Elizabeth

WHAT IS THE MOST STRESSFUL HABIT?

Hello there...

Gotta question for you!  What do you think is the most stressful habit?  When we say the word habit, often times we think of drinking, smoking, doing drugs, or eating too much.  Although these are stressful habits, not one of them is the most stressful habit.

So, what do you think the most stressful habit is?  Before I answer, I just would like to say that this is stress according to her Majesty Elizabeth, heh heh...

The most stressful habit is thoughts of doubt, fear, and worry.  Yuppers, that's it!

There are many different stressful situations like death, dying, divorce, or dismemberment, and yet the situation is not the stress but how we think about the situation that creates the stress. 

So why do I say that thoughts of doubt, fear, and worry is the most stressful habit?  I say it because the way we think is habitual.  If we habitually think sad thoughts, we have depression.  If we habitually worry about anything, we have anxiety.  If we habitually focus on what we don't have and how horrible our life is instead of focusing on what is great in our lives, we have despair. 

Do you have the most stressful habit?  If you do, you can turn it around, it's just a thought you know! 

I know, I know, habits are hard to break and they are hard to even know that we are doing the habit.  So, what do you do?

You take that habit, of doubt, fear, and worry, and you change it into confidence, faith, and hope. 

How do you do that?  The best way is to just recognize that you do it.  Recognize that you are worrying.  There is no reason to worry.  If you have a situation that is less than the 'D'S' (death, dying, divorce, or dismemberment) life is pretty good, wouldn't you say? 

Start there and look at how good life is for you and then remind yourself, when you do have doubt, fear, and worry, that it's just a thought, and then change the thought into confidence, faith, and hope.

No matter what is going on for you, you either have control over what is happening or you don't.  There is no reason to worry if you have control over a situation and there is no reason to worry if you don't have control.  Just accept and allow.  Accept that life is not, and never will be, without 'situations'.  That's all life is, 'situations'.  And the more you accept that the better your life will be.

Have a great day and don't forget to have fun and be playful.


Elizabeth