Hello my friend,

Ever noticed what happens when we manage our stress? 

It keeps coming back.

The cycle never breaks. We get stressed, we blow off steam (with entertainment, pleasurable experiences, social gatherings, exercise, work, or food and substances), and repeat.

This is because we never get to the core of stress. We only manage the symptoms. What we really want is peace in times of stressful circumstances. We want to be free from the perpetual stimulus/response rollercoaster of life.

To become free, it’s not enough to manage and always be dealing with stress. What we really need to do is change the way we view stressful situations so that we don’t take on stress in the first place. 

Stress is not a natural response to unexpected, unpleasant, or undesirable situations. It arises because we expect life to be stress-free. It’s the desire for peace that creates stress when we don’t have it. It’s the desire for happiness that makes us unhappy. And it’s the peaceful acceptance of stress and unhappiness that will finally make us happy and peaceful. Strange, huh?

Only when our wants and expectations don’t align with reality, we suffer. If you expect stressful circumstances, you can enjoy them stress-free.

So what to do instead of managing stress?

Do the opposite of managing. Do nothing. Sit with your stress. Don’t run away through distractions. Stay with your thoughts and feelings. Break through the discomfort. Make peace with your stressful mind. Every time you do this, you become more and more stress-resistant. You will start to understand your own mind and how to change it at will, free from any external aids.

Unconsciously, the mind makes us stressed. Consciously, we can make it peaceful.

One incredibly powerful way to tap into your ever-present inner peace is through meditation.

Much Love, 

Todd