Stress

TUES., FEB. 21, 1989, 6:35 AM
FARM, STUDY

The enjoyment of your sabbatical leave is past. It was a time of accomplishment, but also of ease. It would have been better if you had gotten the finished paper into printed form before this term commenced, for that is one of your points of stress. You didn’t, however, and so this task remains. There is much to do in your “regular” life, and you have not truly reoriented yourself. I want this Teaching to help in this necessary process, o son.

Stress, for you, usually is the result of not enough time to do all that you can do, want to do, and are capable of doing. Typically it does not involve having to do what is difficult or beyond your capacities. Thus, the positive affirmation is that the stress building in you is the best kind, with a rather simple cause. (Yes, functioning in a timeless realm I can say this easily… so I do.)

Can I help with this situation? I shall try to help you understand it from My spiritual perspective. I wish I could help with the time matter, but, realistically, I cannot. You are into this overloaded state, and you didn’t intend to be. Two principles apply. I’ll state them early. One is: be careful and cautious about taking on any other responsibilities and tasks. The other is to start making lists and get what you have to do done. This shall take some discipline, but you still have enough. This is your twin charge for the next six months.

Stress is a hindrance to spiritual being and growth. Stress develops only secondarily from having too much to do. The primary factor is stewing and worrying about what you are not doing. This affects your relationship with your spiritual self, for you are departing from a cardinal spiritual tenet: decide what to do, put your body, mind, and spirit together in working on and accomplishing it, leave the results to Me, and give little attention to what you are not doing. This requires times of reassessment of priorities and new decisions, but then… get on with it. I offer this again as My truth for a busy earth life.

Another obvious piece of advice from Me. Do not give up on these times of Teaching. Whatever your other uses of time may be, these times must be maintained, and the resulting Teachings must be kept in some good order. I lay this on your conscience as an ongoing responsibility that shall not take excessive time and effort. These Teachings are to be a priority in your life, as they have been. Accept this as another personal principle.

Stress is your holistic response to having more to do than seems possible. Your body doesn’t function as well, your weaknesses become threatening, and you become more vulnerable to illness, even disease. Your mind cannot think clearly, for there is too much clutter, too many demands, and too much competition or attention. The mind’s “safety valve” is to shut down and become immobile. It is preferable to feel this coming and do it voluntarily. Go dig in the garden. Cut and split wood. Clean up your back area. Let your mind shut off and rest during such periods. This is essential to combatting and preventing stress.

Your spirit is attempting to coordinate and unify all of your efforts, and is pushing for priorities that are the most spiritual. Your spirit can identify the best priorities, but it also is willing to be overruled. Yet I want you to know that spirit should be your major priority. This means you should write a letter rather than complete the NCATE form… that you must read papers carefully and make appropriate comments… that you must spend time with certain people, and less with others.

Now you must acknowledge that you are in a time of stress. Lenore can be helpful, but she, also, is a high priority. You must not neglect her during this time, but she must be part of the solution rather than a cause of more stress.