Personalize It


In my opinion, personalizing practice increases self-responsibility.
How? When I add the word MY, I make it mine – I own it. I’m responsible for it. It holds me more accountable for what I’m thinking, and how I’m feeling.


Samples:
Temper causes tension, tension causes symptoms
Better: MY temper causes MY tension, MY tension causes MY symptoms


Temper blocks insight
MY temper blocks MY insight


Anger is intellectual blindness to the other person's point of view
MY anger is MY intellectual blindness to the other person's point of view


This is trivial, a triviality
This is a triviality compared to MY mental health


Nothing is more important than mental health
Nothing is more important than MY mental health


Self-appointed expectations lead to self-induced frustrations
MY self-appointed expectations lead to MY self-induced frustrations


Humor is our best friend, temper our worst enemy
MY Humor is MY best friend, MY temper is MY worst enemy


This is trivial, a triviality
This is a triviality compared to MY mental health


Comfort is a want and not a need
MY comfort is a want and not a need


Excessive sense of responsibility
MY excessive sense of responsibility


Features and gestures speak
MY features and MY gestures speak


An insincere gesture of friendliness is more beneficial than a sincere gesture of hostility
MY insincere gesture of friendliness is more beneficial than MY sincere gesture of hostility


Knowledge teaches you what to do, but practice shows you how to do it.
MY knowledge teaches me what to do, but MY practice shows me how to do it


Endorse for effort not the outcome
I endorse for MY effort not the outcome


Muscles re-educate the brain that there is no danger
MY muscles re-educate MY brain that there is no danger


Nervous fear is the fear of discomfort
MY nervous fear is MY fear of MY discomfort


‘Making it mine’ moves the mental fitness tool from the realm of being simply a general statement, and reminds me of the fact that if I want to feel better, it’s MY thoughts I need to change. Because? No one else can do it for me.

© 2012 Rose VanSickle ~ All rights reserved

It’s NOT the Outside Things


We’ve learned that it’s not people, places, things, events, cars, tasks, our To-do lists, the government, our relatives, holidays, our bosses, our insurance company, the bank, or the weather that ‘give’ us our symptoms.
It is always our own personal reaction to ALL those things outside of ourselves. And our reaction depends completely on our thoughts, specifically what kind of thoughts we’re thinking.


It’s not Valentine’s Day (or any other day), that can give us unrest, or produce disappointment, or create anxious feelings – it is only and always our own thoughts that work us up.


Symptoms don’t come from certain days, symptoms come from fearful or angry thoughts.


Tasks we need to do or don't want to do don’t produce internal symptoms. Internal thoughts are what precipitate the unhappy feelings and unwanted sensations.


Outside events don’t generate internal symptoms. Internal thoughts are what bring on the unpleasant feelings and awful sensations.


The weather doesn’t set off internal symptoms. Internal thoughts are what lead to feeling cranky, crabby or depressed.


The proof? Two people experience precisely the same event - one person is adversely affected, the other person is not.


When we don’t like the response we’re having, how it’s making us feel, the solution is to change our thoughts.


Our angry and/or fear-filled thoughts produce our turmoil and commotion. Our different – more secure, more realistic thoughts - produce calmness, peace, harmony and even joy.


No matter what’s going on ‘out there’ it’s what’s going on internally, the thoughts we’re thinking, that make the difference in whether we feel good or bad.

© 2012 Rose VanSickle ~ All rights reserved

Messing With Your Meds



Don’t do it!
Don’t do it on your own!!
Don’t experiment on your own.

Whether it’s increasing or decreasing the dosage in any way –
don’t do it without consulting with your physician/doctor.
This is true for any medication, especially for psychiatric medications.


Why?
#1 – It could be dangerous. Very dangerous.
#2 - It could cause more symptoms, stronger or different symptoms.
#3 - Realistically you could end up feeling worse, instead of better.
#4 - You are not an expert when it comes to drugs.
#5 – It’s like playing games with your health.


If you want to cut back, stop a certain pill completely, or take a higher dose – talk to your prescribing doctor.
If you notice strong or unwanted side-effects
- talk to your doctor.


Always, Always, ALWAYS consult your professional.
Maintaining your Health - physical or emotional is a business, not a game!
ALWAYS!

© 2012 Rose VanSickle ~ All rights reserved

How to Keep Your New Year Resolutions


A New Year Resolution is all about wanting something to be different.
It moves from being a wish, a want, a desire or a hope by resolving and deciding, choosing, making up your mind – or we could say by ‘making a firm decision’.


Ahhh, but that’s not the last firm decision that has to be made.


If you ‘resolve’ to eat ‘healthier’ for whatever reason,
a firm decision is required each and every time you choose to eat (that does include snacking).


If you ‘resolve’ to be nicer/more pleasant to a friend, co-worker or family member,
a firm decision is required each and every time you communicate with that person – whether it’s face-to-face, on the phone or through some form of electronic messaging.


If you ‘resolve’ that you’re not going be so stressed out at work,
a firm decision is required each and every time something happens that upsets you.


If you ‘resolve’ to do, or do more of something: learn a foreign language, play and instrument, walk, read, exercise, meditate, whatever --
a firm decision is required each and every time it’s time to learn, study, practice or do.


Those Firm Decisions ‘steady’ us. From what? The bouncing back and forth of our thoughts.
     Eating better: I want to eat this --- but I know ‘the other’ this is better for me.
     Being nicer: I want to totally blow off answering that comment my Mother texted me --- but I will answer her in a calm, rational way.
     Less stressed at work: I really want to tell Mr. X, the boss at work that the new idea that management decided on stinks, it’s crazy, and I’m not going along with what everyone in the department has to do --- but I know that’s not the best or wisest action for me to take.
     Doing more of a ‘good thing’: I know I should, part of me wants to because I said I would --- but I don’t feel like it.


Each firm decision frees up your energy to ‘do’ – to do whatever you determine the right thing is for you to do!

© 2012 Rose VanSickle ~ All rights reserved

Speak  &  Hear


Whatever you Speak – say what you have to say with Love.
Whatever you Hear – hear what is said with Love.


We do have the choice – the choice of interpreting
with Calmness, with Gentleness and even Love.

© 2011 Rose VanSickle ~ All rights reserved

How to SURVIVE the Holidays with Family



# 1. Get rid of the word ‘survive’ – it denotes being aggravated about something or someone even before you are with them face-to-face.

# 2. You are choosing to be with them whether you’ve invited them, or they’ve invited you.
Even if you feel it’s a ‘have to’ to be in their presence – you have chosen to do so.
Sometimes it’s a choice of two discomforts: be with them and be uncomfortable; don’t be with them and be uncomfortable.
Base your choice on this important hint: do the thing that YOU can be secretly proud of – there really is no right or wrong.

# 3. You have NO control of other people:
-- how they act
-- what they say
-- what they don’t say
-- how they say what they say
-- what kind of mood they are in

# 4. Tell yourself: I can’t control other people.

# 5. Repeat: I can’t control other people.

# 6. Repeat: I can’t control other people.

# 7. Repeat: I can’t control other people.

# 8. Repeat: I can’t control other people.

# 9. I can control other people as much as I can control the weather.

# 10. I can control other people as much as I can control traffic.

# 11. Think: Hmmmm, I really, really, can't control anyone else.
 ....... I can only control ME!

# 12. Ahhhh, now you’ve got it:
....... That's RIGHT - We can’t control other people!!

© 2011 Rose VanSickle ~ All rights reserved

A Resource for Our Children

Anyone who knows me, or who has read Peace of Body, Peace of Mind knows how much I promote, teach and preach ‘STOP and think about what you’re thinking’. Why? Because identifying and changing negative, insecure, harmful thoughts, and those that are simply ‘not true’ is an absolute MUST for feeling better.


Who doesn’t want to live a calmer, happier, less-stressed, BETTER life??


I was thirty-something when I learned the importance of my thoughts -- how I could change them and change my mood... How by changing my thoughts I could literally change how I felt physically and emotionally. I could change how I felt about me, about life, about everything.


Me: “Why didn’t somebody teach me this stuff when I was eight? I could have avoided a lot of heartache, a lot of internal suffering and confusion, and a lot of the stress-induced symptoms which plagued my body.
I had no clue you could consciously and deliberately change thoughts as simply as you change a pair of socks. So many years could have been sooooo much easier for me.”


This knowledge is NOT just important, it’s CRUCIAL. It’s FUNDAMENTAL. It’s ESSENTIAL to anyone who lives and breathes!! And the sooner everyone knows it – the better. The better for themselves, those they live with, and all those they interact with.


Well, I found something to teach the young ones to ‘change their thoughts’ and change how they’re feeling -- A wonderful book by Byron Katie, illustrated by Hans Wilhelm, entitled:
Tiger, Tiger is it True?
Subtitle: Four Questions to make you smile again.


This excellent story book will teach not only children, but the adults who are reading to them. Hmmmmm. Think about it. If Dad or Mom, Grandma or Grandpa or big sister or brother does the reading – they too get the powerful message. That certainly would cut down on the number of meltdowns, tears, tantrums, arguments and dramatics.
WOW - less frustration for everyone!!
Imagine that – harmony, cooperation, more peace in everyday life.


My very favorite lines from the book:
“So it’s not my parents or my friends who bug me.
It’s just my thinking about them that makes me mad.
WOW! That’s cool. That’s really cool.”


I strongly urge you to look into getting this ‘treasure’ for every family with younger children. The recommendation is ages 4-10. In my opinion, even the ones younger than 4 would benefit.


Think about it... You can contribute to more people
on the planet being At Ease & In Control!!



Link for more info:  http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=4473

© 2011 Rose VanSickle ~ All rights reserved