Do you want "stress management" or "stress relief"?

This stress management topic reminds me of a story. I can't help but shake my head on the way most of us cope up with day-to-day stress.

When it comes to the topic of managing pressure, most of us just shrug. My story involves a traffic cop (let's call him Officer Stress) at the end of a long shift. His post is a small, four-way stop in a small town. He's scheduled to end his shift in a half an hour and it's been a very long day.

Suddenly, a bright red sports car with music blaring approaches the intersection. Officer Stress sees the car slow, smoothly roll through the stop sign, and dart off down the road.

Well, rolling stops just set Officer Stress' teeth right on edge, so he turns on his lights and siren and takes off after the bright red sports car. It must have been really good music and a really fast car, cause it takes our friend Officer Stress a couple of miles to catch that scofflaw, but he finally does.

Stepping out of the patrol car, feeling quite in charge, he saunters up to that bright red sports car and demands that the driver step out of the car. No sooner does the driver open the door, but Officer Stress grabs the driver by the collar and starts hitting him with his night stick!

The driver begs for mercy and pleads with Officer Stress, "Why are you hitting me?" Officer Stress, slows for a bit and asks the driver, "Son, did you see that stop sign back there?" "Well, sure I did- I slowed down..." the driver says, hoping it's the right answer.

Officer Stress commences the beating even harder. "Son," Officer Stress yells, "here's a traffic lesson for you. Right this minute, do you want me to slow down, or do you want me to stop?"

The problem with stress management is that you're managing the thing you want to stop: STRESS. Isn't the goal actually stress relief rather than stress management?

Or even inner healing of some sort?

Why are you managing stress when life has so much more to offer you, and you to life?

Coping with stress is optional. So why do it?

Here's the solution: use your power of intention, the power of your subconscious mind, to heal stress overload.

Your spiritual life, your mind power, will be as strong as your conscious beliefs. If you consciously believe that you are a heart attack waiting to happen, that you are an ulcer magnet, well, by golly, we've identified your first task.

Start telling yourself something different. You need new beliefs to back up the new messages you're going to be telling yourself. Where will this new belief come from?

Frequently, others' experiences can light the way. If you've ever heard of someone else healing stress overload through spiritual healing or energy healing techniques, think often of those stories.

Your subconscious mind will accept those stories as proof that you can heal your condition, too. Once you start looking for these stories � whether in magazines, internet searches, or hearing them by chance � you will attract more stories like them.

Like attracts like.

This principle works like this: if you like a certain car, or gadget, or whatever, and you want to buy this thing, suddenly you'll see it everywhere!

The clarity you hold in your mind that allowed for this item to be created (after all, time isn't real, but that's another article) in ways that are appealing to you activates the part of your brain that says "oh, there it is!" Look, there it is again!" "Oh, there's a red one!"

Ever play the punch bug game in the car when you were a kid? (If you don't know, that's the game where you have to find VW Beetles and you get to hit your brother or sister if you see one).

Kids love that game (for obvious reasons) but it is a training tool for your brain-magnet.

So that game is what we're after now: activate your brain-magnet by actively attracting stories of people who've successfully integrated stress relief (or healing!) in their lives.

You don't want stories of stress management (unless it's a stepping stone in your ability to believe in total healing).

Anticipate attracting stories of instant stress relief. They will come. Now � you've started this spiritual brain transplant by attracting stories.

Next, your job is to believe that this can happen for you, too. In this way, you'll begin your successful stress relief, and you won't have to go the route of stress management at all!

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