In a recent episode of my radio show, Rise UP with B. Dave Walters we talked about worry, stress, and how to deal with it.  One of the core principles of Buddhism known as the 4 Noble Truths can really help shed some light on how to deal with this in your own life, rather you consider yourself to be a Buddhist or not:

1. Life consists of suffering (pain). The first Noble Truth

2. The Root of suffering is Attachment. The second Noble Truth

3. The End of all suffering is attainable. The third Noble Truth

(If there is a beginning to suffering, then there must be an End to that suffering, and therefore a Way to End the Suffering.)

4. There is a Path to the End of all Suffering, and that Path is the Dharma. The fourth Noble Truth.  If you are interested in learning about the Path, click here.

So, how can you apply this to your own life and begin to free yourself from the twin thieves of regret for the past and fear of the future?

Two very simple things you can do are, first focus on what it is you are grateful for.  You may have heard this before, but do you actually DO it, especially when times are tough?  If your job is difficult, be grateful that you have a job at all; many people don’t.  If you are unhappy with your body, focus on what you like about yourself; be it your eyes, hair, how you walk or even your personality.  Keep a list of things you are grateful for and read it as often as you can, especially when you are down.

It’s impossible for worry or fear to exist in the same space as gratitude, so pick which one you’d rather live in!

The second thing is to ‘focus on the love’.  For instance, if you are a writer focus on the love of writing rather than on how you are going to sell your work, even if that’s your end result.   Do everything you do to the best of your ability, and focus on the most enjoyable aspects of it.  If you’re doing something that may not seem to have any positive aspects, then focus on the joy of accomplishment!  There was something that made you choose your current life path, something you were attracted to; focus on that and how great it feels to be living into a goal you set for yourself.

And if you have a goal that you are having trouble motivating yourself to do, focus on how much FUN you are going to have in its pursuit.  If you can learn to enjoy the journey, and by journey I mean process, then you can reach any and all goals you set for yourself since patience and hard work won’t feel like work at all.

To recap: focus on what you’re grateful for, what IS working in your life, and what you enjoy doing now and in the future.

Two simple steps shifts in focus that will change your life forever!

What do you think? Feel free to comment down below!

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B. Dave Walters
Writer, Life Coach, and Talk Radio Host

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