Maintaining Perspective When You Feel Like Things Are Falling Apart

At some point in life, most people will encounter stress or tragedy: a divorce, the passing away of a loved one, the failure of a business, a foreclosure, loss of a job.  Any of these things causes stress.  It is our tendency, as human beings, to focus on all the bad things that are happening.  During times of trauma or high stress, it is very difficult to maintain a positive thought.  Usually, one bad thing is followed by another and the stress becomes layered, growing ever more complex.  It may feel like the world is crashing down all around you.  For example, the loss of a job may result in the loss of a home, and the stress of both can result in a divorce.  One thing builds upon another until all feels hopeless, and you feel lost, mired in doubt, uncertainty, and worry.  Where will it all end?  Will it ever end?  Will I be okay?   These are common questions we ask ourselves during difficult times.  As I did in one of the previous articles, I would like to offer suggestions on changing your perspective of the situation.  And I will relate this to the tarot cards, if you like.  The Hanged Man asks us to look at things from a different perspective.  The Hanged Man is often in a state of limbo, waiting, stagnant.  In order to move forward again, he shows us that a fresh perspective is necessary. 

Now, I know that losing a job, going through a divorce, or suddenly becoming homeless are tough issues.  I’ve been through them all myself.  So, I understand how painful these events are, and I am not in any way trying to diminish these events.  However, it is vital to your spiritual health and your physical health that you look at events in a whole new way.  It is vital that you focus inwardly on your spirit and outwardly on your future in a good, positive way in order to keep good, positive energy flowing to you and through you.  Take a moment each day, twice a day, to meditate and unwind.  Your meditation can be as simple as a few deep breaths in a quiet space, and a simple mantra to reset your brain.  It can be as easy as three slow, consecutive breaths twice a day.  Here’s how it is done.  Find a quiet, comfortable place.  You can be sitting in a comfortable chair or lying down.  Close your eyes and try to relax your body.  Take a slow, deep breath in through your nostrils, drawing the breath slowly into the abdomen, instead of the upper chest, hold the breath for the count of three, and then slowly release the breath through your mouth. When you have come to the end of the breath, relax a moment, and say out loud, “This is a new beginning for me.  I am being offered an opportunity to start fresh, with a clean slate, and to do something better for myself.”   Then take another slow, deep breath in exactly the same manner.  After you have taken three slow, deep breaths, relax quietly for a time, smile, massage any remaining tension out of your forehead and end your brief meditation by thanking the source for provision. 

Notice with this mantra that there is no mention of tragedy, uncertainty, or doubt.  Never, ever, focus on doubt.  Only focus on the outcome you want.  With this mantra, coupled with the slow, deep breaths, you lower your blood pressure, relax the tension in your body, and reset your brain to believe something else about your circumstances.  Ideally, ten slow, deep breaths with your mantra is better.  But if three breaths twice a day is all you can manage, then do so.  It will do you a world of good.  When you reset your brain to focus on something other than worry and fear, in this new, relaxed state, ideas will present themselves to you.  Worry always spins around itself in a useless circle.  Taking time to relax the tension in your body and stop the worry thoughts allows new messages to penetrate.  With each new thought, hope is reborn anew.  You begin to see that there are possibilities, options, and opportunities.  Your worry was simply blinding you to these messages.  Hope builds on hope and soon you have come through the troublesome time, and indeed, you have a new beginning forming all around you, taking shape, and offering you a better future.

Enjoy The Path

Copyright 2008 Cassy’s Tarot

www.cassystarot.com