What do The "Seven Deadly Sins" Have to Do with Self Improvement?

As I have previously stated in a prior article in this blog, entitled “Why do we need self-improvement anyway?” self improvement generally refers to improving one’s peace of mind by eliminating stress and anxiety. The stress and anxiety can be found within our intellectual, emotional, psychological or spiritual levels of our life or in any combination thereof.

Many people turn to their religious faith for their guidance. There is a strong parallel in whatever religious teaching we [meaning you or I] have chosen to follow. All religious teachings provide us with moral codes and other ethical guidelines that are essential to live in peace and harmony within our community.

According to Wikipedia; the “Seven Deadly Sins”, a classification of “Cardinal Sins” has been used since early times by the Christian Church. The “Seven Deadly Sins” are usually defined as anger, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony.

I think it is interesting to note that when we examine our emotional drives of apathy, grief, fear, lust, anger and pride, we find that the “Seven Deadly Sins” actually correlate with our emotional drives. So now, we can look at the “Seven Deadly Sins” in a somewhat different way; the manner they relate to the things that drive us emotionally. For instance:

 Apathy includes sloth in addition to the emotional feelings of depression, being overwhelmed, powerless, etc;
 Grief stands alone. One will continue to grieve until one can let go of the past and accept the challenges of the present moment with joy.
 Fear, which includes the emotional feelings of anxiety and worry;
 Lust including greed, gluttony and envy;
 Anger, which also includes defiance, frustration, impatience, rage, rebellion, resentment, stubbornness, etc.
 Pride, which incorporates the feelings of arrogance, dogmatism, hypocriticism, judgment, selfishness, stubbornness, etc.

Here’s some other interesting tidbits to for you to think about:

 Five of the six categories listed above are emotional drives.
 The emotional categories of lust, anger, and pride are identified as one of the “Seven Deadly Sins”
 Lust is the most significant emotion in the list of the “Seven Deadly Sins” as greed, gluttony and envy are all attributes of lust.

Therefore, it is my belief that this would imply most of our emotional attachments are considered as sins in the eyes of the Christian Church.

Thus, it should stand to reason, that religious teachings are, indeed, important guides to self-improvement and that there is a strong correlation between religion and self-improvement.

Stressed = Desserts [spelled backward]

Do you ever wonder if this why so many of have problems being overweight?

It is a well-known fact that stress is the source of a multitude of chronic health problems ranging from:

 Heart trouble
 Panic/anxiety attacks
 Angina or heartburn
 Severe Depression
 Irritable Bowel Syndrome
 Hypoglycemia
 Apathy leading chronic fatigue
 Migraine headaches
 Insomnia

Common Causes of Stress

We are literally bombarded with stressful information, whether from the global news of natural or man-made catastrophes; the national news coverage of civil unrest and/or political confrontation and/or economic downturns; or local news coverage echoing the above events that are occurring on the local scene.

Then to offset this, the Madison Avenue media expose us to all the hyped-up products designed to make us rich, beautiful, happy in addition to solving all our problems – for a price. It used to be that one could turn off the television and avoid most of this noise. Now, it has invaded the Internet with its obnoxious pop-up ads and blaring videos.

Stop Stress Now!!

Any feeling that creates a contradiction in and to your feeling of contentment [stress] is an “untruth” and does not serve you. It is just like the virus that infects your computer. Hit the delete key!!

Another way to look at stress is to equate it with confused imagination.

Control Your Exposure to Stress

You can control your exposure a small amount of stress by taking some part in some of the following actions:

 Turn off the TV. I permanently turned off my TV over ten years ago and have never missed the “noise”.
 Turn on your favorite music.
 Go for a walk whenever you feel “stressed out”.
 Visit the library or bookstore. Some bookstores even have coffee shops.
 Start small “de-cluttering” projects. Hold a garage sale or donate unused items to your favorite charity thrift shops.
 Treat yourself by brewing a special cup of tea or coffee and grab a good book to read, if only for a few minutes while the house is quiet.
 Start a craft project you enjoy such as needlepoint, knitting, updating photo albums, etc.

How to Avoid Stress

The best way to avoid stress is to “Live in this moment only, RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW.” The means observe where you are in your current feelings and surroundings without judgment and accept this present moment “Just as it is” with out fear about the future. This moment of RIGHT NOW is all there is.

Disciplining your conscious mind to relax into this mode of thought is THE MOST effective way to avoid stress “period”.

Until we meet again--Have a Wondrous and Glorious Week

Why do we need self-improvement anyway?

Have you ever pondered self improvement and how it might change your life? This has been an active undercurrent in my life for a good number of years. With all the new thought that is being published and broadcast in the media, it is becoming even more important for me to remain diligent in addressing this issue in my own life.

By writing this web log, I have invited you to join me in this journey. In my research, I have stumbled upon several aspects of self improvement and an equal number of ways to achieve personal goals.

The main purpose of this blog is to share some of these concepts with you. Of course, the key, for you, is to find the one that enables you to break your specific weakness into small steps so that you can take one step at a time in achieving your self-improvement goal.

The one central obstacle to achieving one’s self-improvement goal seems to be
“fear”. The underlying cause of this fear can usually be traced back to lack of self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, and doubt. Just, where did these negative self-concepts originate?

If one has an open mind, one does not have to look too far. Now, comes the “sticky” question? Do you have what it takes to start reprogramming your subconscious behavior?

If you are affluent, you see a therapist/coach who effectively relieves you of some of your financial wealth in exchange for teaching you some self-hypnosis exercises and/or gives you some medication to ease your anxiety. For some, there is always the local neighborhood bar at which we drown our troubles with our friends and neighbors who are in the same life situation.

Another more viable idea is to turn to the volumes of self-improvement books and CD’s. "Been there and done that." However, after carefully spending $1,000+, I did find some very good advice that has helped me get on the road to “emotional recovery”.

If you are angry, judgmental, jealous, unhappy, et al, you have some problems that need to be addressed. Yes, a change in attitude is in order and you must take responsibility now or continue to experience the same unhappiness until you finally make a choice to take remedial action.

Now, we come almost back to the place where we began this discussion. Self improvement generally refers to improving one’s peace of mind by eliminating stress and anxiety. The stress and anxiety can be found within the intellectual, emotional, psychological or spiritual levels of one’s life or in any combination thereof.

To undertake self-improvement, one must reflect and rely on his own knowledge that has been gained through experience, self-dependence, and self-identity. It goes without saying; you must have a strong desire to embark on this journey. It is a lot easier when you have the support of family members and friends.

I invite you to join/stay with me on this journey of learning and self-exploration. It is, indeed, a rewarding journey.

Take care and have a Wondrous Christmas Holiday filled with the Blessings of Peace and Love.

Overcoming Fear and Worry

Do you ever wonder why you seem to be unable to achieve your goals or the level of success you desire? Do you come up with answers which tend to blame other people, the business climate or just the weather?

Experience has taught me that the act of blaming is the projection of the negative beliefs you are trying to ignore and hide from the outside world.

A very powerful belief and obstacle is the desire of approval and acceptance of the community of family and friends. Unfortunately, this desire of approval and acceptance will not help you achieve anything but conformity with a broken society filled with double standards. These double standards are found everywhere you look, ranging in the difference between religious groups, laws, et al.

This is not a new thought. This was built into the basic foundations of civilization to empower the people with higher intelligence with the responsibility of governing the community. When wealth became the symbol of intelligence, then everything changed. The universal values of Truth, Peace, Love and Non-violence were buried in the Struggle for Power. What you see in today’s world is the result.

The Good News is that there is another community whose members, spearheaded by scientific breakthroughs, have dedicated their lives to the power contained in the universal values of Truth and Love. Their numbers are small but growing as their discoveries are broadcast in the media each day.

By seeking this knowledge, you have short cut to a direct understanding of the un-truths that you have buried in your subconscious mind. Any information along this line of thinking encourages you to take the essential actions to remove the resulting dis-ease and unhappiness in your life; and, thereby, healing your mind and body. I have heard it said that if something does not serve you, it is an un-truth. And all un-truths are like the clutter and trash that needs to be hauled to the dump.

Are you ready to change your life?

Take care until we meet again.

Obstacles to Self Improvement-Part 3a of 6

Good Morning and Welcome Back

Let's explore coping with "Fear". In my opinion, FEAR is the hurdle of all hurdles when it comes to impeding self improvement and personal growth. While it is a feeling you experience NOW, it is mainly one of anxiety and/or expectation of what's going to happen tomorrow, or the tomorrow after tomorrow, "ad infinitum".

Upon sensing the onset of fearful feelings, it is now the time for you to take several deep breaths. Breathe in. Breathe out. Relax. Clear your mind. If this fails, go for a walk in the warm sunshine, or the brisk air that accompanies the fall season, or the falling snow, whatever. Notice the beauty of nature that surrounds you, smell the fresh air, and let your thoughts melt away into the environment of your surroundings. That "You are okay right NOW" is all that matters.

Another helpful exercise would be to discuss your anxiety with an understanding partner, [or what about your reflection in the mirror?] and fully describe the situation and the reason it is bothering you. Now you have two options: either use only the words "Quack, Quack, Quack" without any conjunctions or you can describe your problem in a "Donald Duck" type of voice. Try it. This is also works for a distracting response to anger.

Enough for now. Next week, I will define some of the various feelings that are attributed to fear. By recognizing these feelings, we can address our fears by asking ourselves questions pertaining to: "What is causing me to feel this way?" and "Why am I feeling this feeling?"

One closing thought; "You are responsible for your fear and you, alone, are the only person who can change, redefine, or modify it." When each onset of fear occurs; and, if you make the choice to defer, be rest assured, it will stay with you accumulating "ad infinitum".

Take good care until we meet here again