Are you carrying some heavy burdens? Do you wish you could lighten your load a little? We all have burdens of some kind, though we may carry them in different ways. The way we react to our challenges in life will determine whether we continue to struggle or whether we live life to the fullest.
When we are faced with roadblocks in life, we always have choices. We can let them paralyze us and not move forward, we can bust through them leaving havoc in our wake, or we can find a way around them continuing down our path. Here are a few ideas to help you lighten your load.
Be transparent about your struggles.
One of the best things I did when I was struggling with some choices my two older children were making was to stop worrying if anyone else would find out. I started talking about it with a group of mom colleagues and I saw them all breathe a sigh of relief as they began to share their own struggles as parents. If you share your burdens, not only could you lighten those of someone else, but you will release the fear and stress of hiding the struggle. You also never know when someone might know how to help you.
Keep them in perspective
Everyone has issues. Whenever I am having a pity party about something that really isn’t that big of a deal, suddenly I hear stories of people dealing with horrific problems that leave me putting my tiny issue in perspective. Here is an example. I hate going to the dentist and as I was sitting in the office waiting for a cleaning, I was feeling sorry for myself until a woman walked up to the desk to check out. The receptionist said, “What insurance do you have?” The woman replied, “I don’t have any insurance.” (burden #1) “I haven’t had any since a year after my husband died.” (burden#2) “Since my cancers, (burden#3 because not only one cancer but plural), the insurance companies won’t accept me.” (burden#4) Let’s say that after that I realized the dentist isn’t that bad.
What can you let go?
There are some burdens that are not really ours to carry, and we sometimes make them heavier than they need to be. I didn’t understand the choices my son was taking, and instead of trying to understand him, I plagued myself wondering what I had done wrong. I worried myself into an extreme state of stress wondering how to help him, when a friend said, “Jen, love him through it. He is more likely to repair the relationship if he feels accepted and loved. You should let go of your need to fix it.” She was right and letting that stress go lifted a huge burden from me. Sit down and ask yourself if you are putting extra burdens on your shoulders. Is there something in your life that it’s time to let go of?
Ask for help
Instead of accepting your burdens, ask for help to lighten the load. People want to help, but they are often not sure how to do it. Make a plan to make things better.
Pray or send out a request to the universe
If you are a believer, pray that your burdens will be lightened. I have seen the power of prayer. I also think sending out positive thoughts works as well. Say things like, “I will be healed of this illness.”, or “Nothing but blessings for me for now on.”
Take care of yourself
When you feel burdened, it is easy to become depressed, overwhelmed, and unmotivated. Don’t allow that to happen. Take care of yourself by eating well, staying active, and surrounding yourself with good people.
Burdens are part of life, but the lifting of them, and the journey to do that, can turn those burdens into blessings. Remember, it’s not what happens to us, it’s how we react to it.
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