Color Me Stress-less

The first time I hosted Romper Room my knees were shaking so rapidly, I thought I would collapse. The opening night of my first leading role in an off-Broadway play I was terrified I would forget my lines halfway through. None of these dire prediction Little things would always bother me, but was not until I realized that unless it was a 'life or death" situation I could let it go, that I was able to lessen my stress level.

Stress can be linked to both external and internal factors, though it is Amulety i talizmany internal-or the way we react to external situations-that actually causes the stress Although I do remember an interview with the great Sir Laurence Oliver who admitted that he threw up before every performance and could not shake his initial stage fright. So I do put myself in good company in the uncontrollable stress arena. But I now know stress can be controlled by thoughts. Meditation and letting go are the best two tools we have to lessen our anxiety and stress as we go about our daily lives.

External stress is less hard to control than internal stress that we perhaps make ourselves by the way we react and internalize situations. If we tend to absorb negative situations around us like a sponge, then we have to learn to release and change the way we react to external activity of which we have no control.

Internal stress is that of our own making and can be better handled with meditation or time away from the stress within us. Walking, a short nap or just closing your eyes and listening to your Ipod for as little as ten or fifteen minutes sometimes does the trick.

One thing we do know is that stress will prevent karty tarota from leading a productive and happy life as well as do physical and mental harm. Lessening our stress volume, turning it down, at both external and internal levels is a goal worth reaching for in your life.

Excerpt from Read Between My Lines by Sandra Hart Myartisansway Press 2007

Sandra Hart is the former Ms. Sandra of the children's television program Romper Room and is a working actress in both film and television, an award-winning author and a popular motivational speaker. Her powerful non-fiction books and blogs can be found on http://www.sandrahart.net Join her for a daily dose of life as it is-often with a touch of humor-always with a touch of Hart.