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TAKE A DEEP BREATH - And remember so long as you have breath in your body you have choices. The body's natural response to stress is to tense up and breathe more shallowly. The simplest and easiest way to calm yourself anywhere, anytime is to be conscious of your breath while you FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DO HAVE - Your Power. THE POWER OF YOUR CONVICTION TO CHOOSE.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH - and ask yourself in any challenge you're facing, "What’s the Right thing to do here?" Live life purposefully.
ANCHOR YOURSELF IN THE PART OF YOURSELF THAT'S BIGGER THAN YOURSELF - YOUR VALUES. What you put your faith in. What is your mission here? No one or nothing can take that from you. Find strength beyond your own power by aligning yourself with the greater good. What gives you your greatest sense of purpose in life? What are the things you care about the most? Who are your Heroes - and what makes them your Heroes? Heroes are steadfast by drawing on transcendent sources of power - their beliefs.
TURN FEAR AND ANXIETY INTO ACTION. Set goals. The most effective way to fight fear and anxiety is to shift your focus to accomplishing something useful - especially a goal related to overcoming the source of your anxiety. Use your fear and anxiety to strengthen your determination and resolve. One of the principal causes of anxiety and depression is the feeling of helplessness - a feeling that there's nothing you can do about what's happening to you. Heroes believe in their power to make a difference, to choose their own destiny. Overcome feelings of helplessness by setting goals and acting towards them. Ask, "What can I do to make a difference?" Being Heroic is being passionately committed to a positive course of action.
AFFIRM YOUR HUMANITY IN THE FACE OF INHUMANITY. Our response when bad things happen is where the goodness is found.
IN TIMES OF SUFFERING, WHEN OUR EGO AND DEFENSES ARE DIMINISHED WE CAN SOMETIMES SEE MORE CLEARLY WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT
HUG YOUR CHILDREN. Take strength in your friends and family and remember that it's each other that gives us relevance and resilience.
KNOW YOU CAN STILL LAUGH AND FEEL JOY EVEN WHEN THE WORLD OUTSIDE MAY MAKE PEACE HARD TO FIND. Seek out the support of your family and friends. Practice small but important acts of Heroism - Doing what's right - in everyday life.
ARM YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge drives out fear. Think hard and clearly what knowledge would diminish your anxiety and help you better cope.
COUNTER NEGATIVITY It weakens you as a person. Negativity is a contagious emotion that feeds on itself. Raise the mindset of those around you. Teach your children positive, Heroic values to counter negativity. Counter negativity by asking the question "How's that helpful?" The measure of any attitude is if it helps you.
REMEMBER GOOD THINGS COME OUT OF BAD SITUATIONS- although you may not be able to see them at the time. Joseph Campbell has shown us the universal archetype of "The Hero's Journey:" Someone who doesn't necessarily seem very Heroic initially but is called through dramatic events to a world beyond everyday existence where danger, challenges and fears must be overcome. The Hero's Journey can be painful and difficult like any transforming experience. But the Hero returns from the Journey with the gift of special knowledge or wisdom they didn't know they possessed that makes them great. Heroes view their challenges as tests of what they're made of. Heroes don't think of themselves as heroes, they just do the right thing. THE INNER STRENGTH OF HEROES GIVES STRENGTH TO OTHERS.
TAKE STRENGTH knowing, no matter how things turn out, YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD WITH WHAT YOU HAD, or with what you knew at the time - which is as much as anyone can ever do - even when things don't turn out as you hoped.
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