The idea of taking full responsibility for our lives is something that can leave a rather sick feeling in the pit of the stomach. For most of us, responsibility is associated with blame and guilt: the "pointing finger" of an angry adult asking "Who is responsible for this?"
The responsibility I'm talking about is something quite different. It is the "ability-to-respond" to life in a way that moves us in the direction that we want to go.
Life undoubtedly throws curveballs from time to time. None of us exist in isolation and there are many things that happen outside of our conscious control.
However whilst we do not always have choice about life events, we do have choice about how they respond to them. Research shows clearly that happy people make the choice to take control of the things they can control, and let go of the things that they can't.
Health is one of the biggest factors in our sense of well-being. Taking responsibility for your health is an essential happiness habit. The importance of regular exercise, adequate sleep and good diet is well known. Not so well-known is the importance of managing stress.
Current research is revealing that chronic stress is a big factor in a wide range of health issues, from digestive difficulties through heart disease, insomnia and sleep issues to food cravings and weight gain.
As part of your health and wellbeing strategy, I would encourage you to become familiar with a range of stress-management techniques that complement what mainstream medicine can offer.
Most effective for stress relief in my experience is Tapping (also known as Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT.) Around since 1979, Tapping is the subject of research by Harvard Medical School and gaining serious traction as a complementary therapy amongst mainstream health professionals in the United States. To get you started, I highly recommend the You Tube videos of Brad Yates (www.BradYates. net ) and also www.The Tapping Solution.com
As an example of how choosing to take responsibility can turn a life around, let me tell you the story of a young man I shall call John. John is 32, has a visual disability and some neurological issues which have made it difficult for him to find regular employment. He is primarily supported by an Invalid's Benefit , supplemented by occasional Admin and Website work in the private sector.
The sudden death of his father, to whom he was extremely close, just before his 12th birthday hit John particularly hard. During the course of his teens and early 20s, he battled depression and various addictive tendencies, most notably gambling. Taking control of this inherited family pattern, John sought help and managed to pay off $11,500 of incurred debt over the period of 5 years whilst living primarily on his benefit. This taught him excellent budgeting and money management skills, and he has gone on to incorporate little holidays and other treats into his budget. He is also volunteering his Admin skills to a local charity.
Life continues to offer John challenges and a while ago he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Preferring to avoid the side-effects of medication, John chose to put himself on a daily Tapping regime. We also did more intensive work together in a weekly hour-long Tapping session.
These sessions brought to the surface and released some chronic stress arising from a forgotten incident in his early childhood, which had remained in the unconscious, and was being triggered by events in his daily life. Over a 5 week period, John's BP has dropped from 170/137 to 100/70.
John's circumstances could have set him up for a life of poverty, illness and dependence. By choosing to exercise his 'respond-ability' to life's circumstances, he is well on the way to crafting a life of happiness for himself.
The responsibility I'm talking about is something quite different. It is the "ability-to-respond" to life in a way that moves us in the direction that we want to go.
Life undoubtedly throws curveballs from time to time. None of us exist in isolation and there are many things that happen outside of our conscious control.
However whilst we do not always have choice about life events, we do have choice about how they respond to them. Research shows clearly that happy people make the choice to take control of the things they can control, and let go of the things that they can't.
Health is one of the biggest factors in our sense of well-being. Taking responsibility for your health is an essential happiness habit. The importance of regular exercise, adequate sleep and good diet is well known. Not so well-known is the importance of managing stress.
Current research is revealing that chronic stress is a big factor in a wide range of health issues, from digestive difficulties through heart disease, insomnia and sleep issues to food cravings and weight gain.
As part of your health and wellbeing strategy, I would encourage you to become familiar with a range of stress-management techniques that complement what mainstream medicine can offer.
Most effective for stress relief in my experience is Tapping (also known as Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT.) Around since 1979, Tapping is the subject of research by Harvard Medical School and gaining serious traction as a complementary therapy amongst mainstream health professionals in the United States. To get you started, I highly recommend the You Tube videos of Brad Yates (www.BradYates. net ) and also www.The Tapping Solution.com
As an example of how choosing to take responsibility can turn a life around, let me tell you the story of a young man I shall call John. John is 32, has a visual disability and some neurological issues which have made it difficult for him to find regular employment. He is primarily supported by an Invalid's Benefit , supplemented by occasional Admin and Website work in the private sector.
The sudden death of his father, to whom he was extremely close, just before his 12th birthday hit John particularly hard. During the course of his teens and early 20s, he battled depression and various addictive tendencies, most notably gambling. Taking control of this inherited family pattern, John sought help and managed to pay off $11,500 of incurred debt over the period of 5 years whilst living primarily on his benefit. This taught him excellent budgeting and money management skills, and he has gone on to incorporate little holidays and other treats into his budget. He is also volunteering his Admin skills to a local charity.
Life continues to offer John challenges and a while ago he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Preferring to avoid the side-effects of medication, John chose to put himself on a daily Tapping regime. We also did more intensive work together in a weekly hour-long Tapping session.
These sessions brought to the surface and released some chronic stress arising from a forgotten incident in his early childhood, which had remained in the unconscious, and was being triggered by events in his daily life. Over a 5 week period, John's BP has dropped from 170/137 to 100/70.
John's circumstances could have set him up for a life of poverty, illness and dependence. By choosing to exercise his 'respond-ability' to life's circumstances, he is well on the way to crafting a life of happiness for himself.
