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.

The Fallacy of Time [Part 2 of 2]

Organizing Your Daily Responsibilities

As promised, here are some ideas to help you manage and achieve your daily responsibilities:

Review

Think about all the things you want to accomplish at the start of the day. Make a list if you can keep note pads handy. It will make you feel more comfortable andhis is a good way to keep track of your tasks and commitments.

Handling Interruptions

You may have several interruptions that require your attention. Take each in stride. Later, it is important to return your concentration and efforts on the prior item only. Do not give thought to any of the remaining items on your list.

Congratulate yourself upon completion of each item.


Be Creative.

Time is an element when simple creativity can be practiced with great efficiency. Plan your daily tasks around your outside commitments and appointments. There are some things you can accomplish by “multi-tasking” such as laundry, or dishes, if you have a dishwasher.

Arrange to do grocery shopping and other errands after doctor’s appointments. Or you can arrange to pick up the kids from school after shopping. This saves gasoline too. You can even do the cooking at the same time by using a slow cooker as it cooks food all by itself and doesn't require your attention.

New Tasks

When you have to do a certain task for the first time, often there is no clear direction on how it should be done. Take a few minutes to plan it out. If there is no immediacy, you can give thought to this task before going to bed at night. Often you will know how to approach it the next morning. Either way, this will save you from a great deal of anxiety/stress.

Visualize Completed Outcome

Visualize the outcome of your objective and the resulting pleasure. Think about any alternatives that you can do to make it even better. Choose the best one of these.

If there is only one option, just do it “one step at a time". A friend would often remind me, “The difficult, we do now, the impossible just takes a little longer.

There is only this one single moment called NOW. Be happy and above all, “Love yourself” ‘cuz, my friend, that’s all YOU have.

Have a Great Day and thank you for allowing me to share these thoughts with you.

The Fallacy of Time [Part 1 of 2]

What is Time?

There is a saying, “Time is gold.” If this were so, then we would have no need for money.

Unfortunately, however, we are ultimately measured by the amount of money and material wealth we accumulate in our lifetime. Thus, if your possessions are few, society judges you by “declaring” you have not used our time in a productive manner.

Time Can Be and Often Is an Enemy

Regardless of the circumstances of our birth, “rich” or poor, each of us are literally born into a world of stress from the very first moment of our lives.

We are often told, “Time is a precious commodity. Once it’s gone, it cannot be recovered.” “Don’t waste your time/my time.” Blah, blah, blah.

Without getting into physics, time is a only concept, the measurement of a dimension we use to determine the age of physical objects.

We use time in our daily lives to measure our activities, “How much did we accomplish within certain preconceived time frames.” We seem to be caught in the trap of always measuring and judging ourselves and others.

Celebrate Your Accomplishments

Instead, we really need to celebrate all the things we accomplish, the love and kindness we share with family members and friends and the wonderful things we learn as a result.

Time Can Be Recovered

It is a well-known fact that stress can shorten your life span by a significant number of years. Conversely, you can add years to your life by eliminating stress. “The ball is in your court.”

I will share my list of suggestions to organize your daily responsibilities in next week’s article.

Until then, take good care and savor each breath of your precious life.

Obstacles to Self Improvement-Part 5 of 6 - Anger

Good Morning and Welcome Back

In all honesty, "What is your "take" on anger?" Are you prone to get angry often? What is it that makes you angry?

Without being aware of it, many of us spend a great deal of time in the emotional world of anger. Several years ago, my mentor once told me that I lived in the emotional world of anger. I was dumbfounded; and, yes, my 'prideful" feelings were somewhat bruised.

"How could this be," I asked myself. What did I do to make him even suggest that I lived in the world of anger? I guess my error was that I always considered anger as being an outward manifestation of aggressive and belligerent behavior, hostile, outraged,vengeful and violent.

Anyway, I pondered this personal criticism for a long time. If the matter be known, I still ponder it from time to time only because I happen to believe our political environment, no matter what country you live in, cultivates a lot of our anger by nipping away our personal rights/freedoms in the name of religious beliefs or morality. This can and does create an overlying "cloud cover" of stress which effectively blocks the "feel good" emotion of the warm sunshine of the day and the clear starry skies at night.

So, where does this leave us? My own personal solution is to ignore the external influences in favor of seeking the inner peaceful place [heart/soul] of being. This takes a strong intention/determination; but, believe me, it is worth the effort. Unless you can free yourself of the baggage of false teachings/indoctrination, whatever its source, this euphoria of joy and inner peace will not happen.

This series on "Obstacles to Self Improvement" is almost finished. Part 6 of 6 will be related to "pride".

I welcome your feedback. Your feedback/comments are extremely important to me. If you have found these articles to be of help in understanding how these obstacles impact your well being and inner peace; or if you would like additional articles on "Obstacles to Self Improvement" or some other related aspect, please feel free to post a comment.

Until next week, please do take care.

Obstacles to Self Improvement-Part 4 of 6

Good Morning and Welcome Back

Lust is usually present when your daily life is full of hiccups with one stumbling block after another. When this is the case, be on the lookout for its subtle influences.

Lust is another big obstacle to the self improvement goals you wish to achieve. It is not limited to obsession with someone of the opposite sex. Lust is an emotional appetite for any thing you feel that "you can't live without".

Just the other day, I had a very interesting experience with this emotion.

I'm not sure exactly where to begin this story. Anyway, I was presented with an opportunity to change my life. This chance opportunity awakened a long-held dream I had had for several years. Perhaps, the Law of Attraction was working for me after all. All the details of my dream fitted into place. My infatuation grew with the idea of a new life filled with new adventures.

So I set about to make this happen. I literally wore myself out rearranging my life and/or "scheming" for five days.

This is how easy it is to allow/permit "lust" to take control. When the long-held dream failed to materialize for me, it was then, I was "shocked" and awakened to the realization; "Hey, I was really causing myself a great deal of stress in my desire to have this experience to come into my life." Immediately, at this moment, my inner peace was restored.

We need to be vigilant. Lust is ever present in our daily lives, and manifests itself when we are are not completely satisfied with our life "right here and now". It is very easy to lose control of these "I wants/needs"; and, as a result, you can easily become compulsive and manipulative in trying to satisfy your perceived needs. If you choose to ignore this emotion, you can quickly fall into the trap of addiction and loss of self esteem.

The grass on the other side of the fence may appear to be much greener, but it comes with a price, sometimes a very high price.

See you next week when I share some thoughts on the emotional attributes of anger.

Until then, take care, my friend!!