Fighting Back
Stress kills. It may be slow but, in the end, stress will kill us if given a chance.
I began this blog out of frustration. Politicians, injustice, religious bigotry, US imperialism, corporate greed and other issues anger me. It’s not a minor irritation but a strong, seething volcanic anger that demands action even though no action can effect change. This blog was intended to be a vent, a release. I didn’t expect answers or solutions or change. I simply wanted to deal with one distinct part of my life before it spilled over into other parts of my life – and my relationships – with negative consequences.
I learned years ago that ranting solves nothing but makes things worse. I try to deal with the negative in a positive way. As I began writing and trying to focus on the positive, I felt better. The more I focused on the positive, the better I felt. Things haven’t changed -- politicians still lie, corporations continue to be criminally greedy, injustice grows -- but I feel better. Because I feel better, I’m better equipped to deal with the bad and stressful in life. For example, I voted this time with very little anger.
Last spring I wrote an article that was not flag-waving patriotic crap. I received a negative comment. The commenter’s blog was a super-positive, sugary how-to-live manual that pretended problems don't exist. I read a few posts and made a couple comments but it wasn’t my cup of tea. Life isn’t all sweetness, sunshine and butterflies. I don’t have the answers and I damned-well know that no one can tell me how to live. Even if they do know what’s best for me, I want to make my mistakes and struggle for myself. I like living in the real world with problems, imperfect people and stress.
I don’t write for you. I write for myself. I write to maintain my attitude. I write to feel good about myself and my life. There are other reasons – many other reasons – but one of the primary reasons is that I write to combat stress.
Stress kills – but it’s not going to get me without a fight
I began this blog out of frustration. Politicians, injustice, religious bigotry, US imperialism, corporate greed and other issues anger me. It’s not a minor irritation but a strong, seething volcanic anger that demands action even though no action can effect change. This blog was intended to be a vent, a release. I didn’t expect answers or solutions or change. I simply wanted to deal with one distinct part of my life before it spilled over into other parts of my life – and my relationships – with negative consequences.
I learned years ago that ranting solves nothing but makes things worse. I try to deal with the negative in a positive way. As I began writing and trying to focus on the positive, I felt better. The more I focused on the positive, the better I felt. Things haven’t changed -- politicians still lie, corporations continue to be criminally greedy, injustice grows -- but I feel better. Because I feel better, I’m better equipped to deal with the bad and stressful in life. For example, I voted this time with very little anger.
Last spring I wrote an article that was not flag-waving patriotic crap. I received a negative comment. The commenter’s blog was a super-positive, sugary how-to-live manual that pretended problems don't exist. I read a few posts and made a couple comments but it wasn’t my cup of tea. Life isn’t all sweetness, sunshine and butterflies. I don’t have the answers and I damned-well know that no one can tell me how to live. Even if they do know what’s best for me, I want to make my mistakes and struggle for myself. I like living in the real world with problems, imperfect people and stress.
I don’t write for you. I write for myself. I write to maintain my attitude. I write to feel good about myself and my life. There are other reasons – many other reasons – but one of the primary reasons is that I write to combat stress.
Stress kills – but it’s not going to get me without a fight
posted by Paul at 9:17 AM
5 Comments:
"and I know damned-well know that no one can tell me how to live." "I want to make my mistakes..."
Yes. Exactly.
The religeous right wants to tell you how to live, Paul. Demigod neo-cons want to protect you. The only thing protecting you and me from them is a very stress relieving activity. It's called freedom of speech, and a refusal to bow down to those who would deem themselves divinely fit to determine how "American" you are.
There's an insurgency brewing in this country. We want our country back. And in the end, I think we just might.
Well said. It helps to write. It helps to connect with others and realize that you're not alone in your thinking, that indeed, there are some intelligent, thoughtful people in this country who don't live inside their television sets.
It also helps to live in the reality you hope to create. Like Gandhi said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world." Refuse to buy into the marketplace paradigm. Refuse to believe in the inevitability of apocalypse. Live kindness instead.
Well, you touched a nerve with me this time. And I know you live kindness, because you gave your wife white wine with lunch after her surgery!:-) You're my kind of guy!
Best wishes,
Lilly
I hope I wasn't that commenter! Good post - echoes many of my own observations.
Glad to see you're writing a little more frequently; I'm putting you back on my blogroll :)
Paul,
I came across your blog today. Saw your photos of the Grand Canyon and then ramdomly came to this post.
I will be stopping by and reading more.
Yes, stress does kill. Our pace of life feeds the stress.
Be well,
Tim
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