The world can be a stressful place for a woman. Especially a young, intelligent bread-winner like Lady in Red. Here’s how she proposes combatting the daily stresses of everyday Modern Life. -ModCon
In psychology, we are taught that the key to happiness is self-delusion and ignorance. Studies have shown that many of the “happiest” people have inaccurate conceptions of reality. If you have an accurate grasp of the world, odds are that you have an increased risk of being depressed, anxious, or some other psychological malady. As Hemingway once said:
“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”
I don’t think that this is limited to just the smart people in the room. If truth is important to you, then this cruel world can break you. The truth of this life is that all of us will be afflicted by some sadness at some point. To think otherwise might make you happy, but it also makes you wrong.
But we here at ModCon love us some truth. The world needs people that see the good and the bad, and remember both. If you tend to remember both, you may be less happy in the short-term, but will be more fulfilled overall. Note, one can remember without dwelling. I see the latter significantly afflicting the young, talented women that I associate with. I’ve been in that negative, re-living situation too, wondering how to stop myself from this self-destructive thinking. I’ve been searching for an answer for them and myself for quite some time, and the answer lies in the classics.
In studying the philosophical classics, we learn the importance of truth-seeking for accurate actions and for realizing full potential. This Lady knows that happiness is not all there is to life. We are meant for more than for being insatiable consumers of things and experiences only to die and never know this world. Blessings are important, but we are also meant to struggle, to build, to work, to help. This can be happy, but oftentimes it’s not. You have to experience the bad to truly appreciate the good. All major world religions indicate these dual experiences as part of life’s meaning.
So don’t get tripped up by stress or sadness or hard times; it’s a guarantee and literally why you are here.
The key to rising above is (like all things) being prepared. Train your fortitude, not your forgetfulness. How do we do that, you ask? Well, in psychology we also learn that cognitive training is integral to overcoming the emotional downturns of every-day life. Creating mental algorithms to navigate your brain’s sad place is helpful. With a sound mind, you can achieve much contentment.
Personally, my brain is my most valuable asset. Like most of Upward America, it’s what pays the bills. But sometimes, I treat it as a garbage pail; letting worry, worst-case scenarios, comparisons, dread, doubt, anger, and fear come in almost unchecked. What makes me great at my job also drives a compulsion to think through every thought that pops up, even if harmful. It’s like watching weeds grow in the garden, only killing them after they have choked the flowers.
Our minds direct our lives, and so must be tended to if we are to self-actualize. Like brushing your teeth, daily mental training can help you experience the negative but revel in the positive. All creativity, will, love, discernment, movement, learning—almost everything worthwhile is filtered through the mind. So I start there. Continue reading Let Good Thoughts Be Your Sword and Shield