Galway
Newspaper, February 2003
Negative
stress is the single biggest cause of disease on the planet. It is endemic
in our western culture and comes as part of the price of progress. It is
important to understand the difference between negative and positive stress.
Stress performs a positive function when it helps us achieve goals
and operate beyond our normal levels. The vast majority of us, however,
all to readily feel the symptoms of negative stress, the feelings of being
"out of control", beyond our comfort zone and not able to cope.
The New England Journal of Medicines statistics are that stress causes an
increase in cancer of 550% and an increase in heart disease and stroke of 470% -
this is twice the rate of increase in these diseases as that of smoking!
Just think of the huge amounts of money spent on the stop smoking campaigns as
opposed to the negligible budgets (if the exist at all) devoted to stress
reduction. If emotional intelligence was emphasised more in our society,
80% of our health problems would be alleviated (M.I.T statistic).
The
situation is getting out of control, with spiralling depression and suicides;
the speed of change in our environment is phenomenal and will only escalate as
we become more and more of a global village. The faster the change,
the more potential for stress as change brings with it perceived lack of
security. In the rush to this super information age we have lost much that
used to keep us grounded; families fragment and communities get trappled into
urban sprawl leaving youth at a loss and often deeply troubled.
Many
self-help programmes are too simplistic, believing that a positive mental
attitude is all that is required when a deeper look into the way our minds work
is needed. Most of our stresses are caused by our perception that we have
needs that are not being met. Teaching people to recognise this is a simple and
often life transforming process. Our system of education is
prioritised incorrectly. We are not taught about our thought process and
the emotions these thoughts evoke; yet, these emotions shape our lives.
Time Magazine call our brain "the greatest feat of engineering in the known
universe"..... Do you feel like you possess something as
grand as that? If not, maybe it's time you learnt how to drive your
"carbon computer" and become empowered to live a fuller, more exciting
life.
Prior
to our weekend seminars, the Mindlink Foundation gives free introductory
evenings for those who would like to explore this untapped potential. For
details, please contact Ann Murphy on
telephone:
(092) 41386 / 086 803 7590.
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