The next Affirmations Workshop: Using Affirmations to Raise Self-Esteem. Learn to reprogram your inner critic. Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Kaiser Permanente, San Jose, call 408-972-3340 to register.

Assertiveness & Self Esteem
Learn to express yourself and own your power. Six Tuesdays August 11 - September 15, 2009 6:00 - 8:30 PM, Kaiser Permanente San Jose. Call 408-972-3340 to register.

Positive Affirmations & Prayers to Lift Your Spirits Audio Program.
Now available as an Amazon MP3 Download

Affirmation: I'm so grateful for this perfect moment of life, joy, health, prosperity and unconditional love.

Quote: "God's love is the deepest truth available to us." Ralph Blum

You've probably heard of the Fight or Flight system which is our instinctual response to stress. It is the hardwired system in the body to deal with threats to our survival and well-being. In the face of stress we typically have the urge to fight (anger) in an attempt to overpower the threat or to flee (avoidance), in an attempt to get away from the threat.

Did you know that there is another response that is part of the same system that may be even more common? It is another instinctual, hard-wired response to a perceived threat in our environment, but it is not as commonly discussed. It is called the Freeze.

The freeze could be described as a deer caught in the headlights or for example, like a mouse caught by a cat. The mouse instinctively knows that playing dead is its best option for potentially surviving the situation. Since cats will not eat dead meat unless they are starving, the mouse has the potential of running away when the cat loses interest.

For us, the freeze shows up as depression or shutting down in the face of overwhelming stress. When our instinctual perception system determines that we can't overpower the threat or get away from it, we tend to shut down, like the mouse, hoping the threat will pass. The issue occurs when we get stuck in the freeze. We sometimes generalize this response to all areas of our lives and we stop trying or give up.

One of the best things we can do to change this is to focus on what we can change and methodically work to take action in small gradual steps. Re-discovering our inner power can be a way of reconditioning our automatic system to take action.

The Assertiveness & Self Esteem class is like a shot in the arm for empowering action and setting boundaries. The next class starts August 11.


Newsletter Archives:
April 2009 - Are You At the Center of Your Life?/Whatever the Problem, Spirit is the Answer
May 2009 - I Love and Accept Myself Exactly As I Am/The Most Overlooked Resource
June 2009 - What Kills the Killer Instinct/I Choose Joy




Check the articles I've had published on ezinearticles.com.

"God's love is the deepest truth available to us. When you make that truth your own, you need not ever want, never fear again". This quote from Ralph H. Blum, is written on my bathroom mirror and is an ever present reminder of who's got the power and who's in charge. I have prayed continually to trust at a deeper level and have repeatedly affirmed that I have everything I need right now.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to see how true this is. Like so many of late, I have been challenged by the economy so I was on the phone talking to a person about the possibility of a mortgage loan modification. She was basically telling me she couldn't help me. Although I was disappointed to hear this, I told her that somehow I knew that although I might not see it now, this situation would somehow result in my highest good. I would release the feelings (disappointment, fear, frustration) and move on.

After we got off the phone, I cried a little and then I said, "So what, now what, if not that, then something better". I turned my attention to other things and let it go.

A few minutes later, the person called back to give me some further information and guess what, we discovered that we had had a communication malfunction. She said she absolutely could help me and we're back on track.

I'm so filled with gratitude because I got to see once again, that what I dwell upon is absolutely what I get. If I expect bad, negative, pain, catastrophe, etc that is exactly what I get, but when I expect God is in charge and can handle whatever comes my way to result in the perfect outcome that is in my highest good then that is exactly what happens.

Consistently reminding myself of the deepest truth is key to maintaining a positive attitude. Thank God.

If you think you might benefit from learning how to replace negativity with positive self-talk, consider the upcoming workshop: Using Affirmations to Raise Self-Esteem