Portrait of a Georgian girl with a portrait in a park in the summer.
Girl with Clarinet
Girl Playing Piano
Girl Reading a Book
Beautiful girl in autumn forest reading a book covered with a warm blanket. A woman sits near a tree in an autumn forest and holds a book and a cup with a hot drink in her hands.
Seneca the Younger
CORDOBA, SPAIN-DECEMBER 26, 2021: Statue of Seneca by Amadeo Ruiz Olmos
God Cares for You
THE Bible is the best source of spiritual guidance available. It is not a health-care manual, but it can help us in practical ways to deal with distressing circumstances, turbulent thought patterns, painful emotions, and upsetting physical and mental health issues.
Most important, the Bible assures us that our Creator, Jehovah God, a understands our thoughts and feelings better than anyone else. He is eager to help us deal with any issues we face. Consider, for example, two comforting Bible passages:
“Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those who are crushed in spirit.”—PSALM 34:18.
“I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand, the One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I will help you.’”—ISAIAH 41:13.
How, though, does Jehovah help us to deal with mental health problems? As you will see in the following articles, Jehovah shows that he truly cares for us in many helpful ways.
*Jehovah is God’s personal name.— Psalm 83:18.
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Original Article Links
Week 2
The meeting class took place in the Chinook Lounge.
7 learners and one personal trainer present.
Life in the Fasting Lane
Noom ($100 3 mos)
Qi Gong
Prebiotics
Set up What’s App Group (Weight Loss, Friday, 10 AM)
Add friends on Lose It!
Meal Plan/Prep
Week 1
The class takes place in the Chinook Lounge
Eight learners and one fitness trainer were present.
functional/holistic health provider
Need to engage meal planning
Can also keep track of food and exercise in a journal.
What can you do to stay motivated?
- Changing thought patterns
- Remembering God
- Family and Friends
- The support of others: classmates and trainers
- Being in nature
- Doing art
- Set goals and form good habits
- Fitting into certain clothes
- Positive vision board
- Positive thinking
Challenges
- Keeping busy
- Not being at home
- Medical conditions
- Medications
Eating Strategies
- Eat a big breakfast
- medium lunch
- small, but adequate dinner
- No snacks after dinner
Apps
For Next Week
Review pages 5/7 of packet
Track food and exercise
Change Your Life – One Tiny Step at a Time
Muddy Puddles and Leaky Ceilings
“I split problems into two groups: muddy puddles and leaky ceilings.
Some problems are like muddy puddles. The way to clear a muddy puddle is to leave it alone. The more you mess with it, the muddier it becomes. Many of the problems I dream up when I’m overthinking or worrying or ruminating fall into this category. Is life really falling apart or am I just in a sour mood? Is this as hard as I’m making it or do I just need to go workout? Drink some water. Go for a walk. Get some sleep. Go do something else and give the puddle time to turn clear.
Other problems are like a leaky ceiling. Ignore a small leak and it will always widen. Relationship tension that goes unaddressed. Overspending that becomes a habit. One missed workout drifting into months of inactivity. Some problems multiply when left unattended. You need to intervene now.
Are you dealing with a leak or a puddle?
Metacognition
My mind is a tool, not who I am.
Metacognition — the awareness of one’s thought processes — can be a transformative skill.
Understanding it can help you learn more deeply, make decisions faster, and expand your creativity as well as improve your overall sense of wellbeing.
Before you learn the techniques, the following mindset shift has to occur for metacognition to work:
Most people spend their entire lives thinking they are their minds, and their thoughts are their reality. This illusion makes them feel stuck in unhelpful mental patterns.
The truth is you are not your thoughts. Your thoughts are a creation of the mind, like ripples in a pond. The mind is an instrument you’ve (unknowingly) been training since you were born.
Realizing you are not the mind allows you to step back and change your thinking more effectively.
When we see thoughts as an expression of energy and thinking as a tool, we become empowered to use the mind as a tool instead of identifying with it.
In this new mindset, you can navigate your mind with flow and ease and increase your capacity to think bigger, greater, and deeper. Your potential grows exponentially.
QUOTES TO HELP YOU RETHINK YOUR MIND
“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” – Pema Chödrön
“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” – Lao Tzu
“A thought is harmless unless we believe it. It’s not our thoughts, but our attachment to our thoughts, that causes suffering.” – Byron Katie
Unique Contributions
All of us have unique talents and gifts. No obstacle, be it physical, mental or emotional, has the power to destroy our innate creative energies. —Liane Cordes
Believing this fully is difficult at times; for some of us, most of the time. But it is true. What each of us can contribute to the world is unlike every other contribution. Each talent is slightly different from every other talent. And they are all needed. We are all needed.
Creativity – any kind – writing, photography, cooking, childcare, weaving, managing, woodworking – nourishes the self that feels isolated and worthless. And as the self is nourished, it grows; it recovers.
Recovery means changing our lifestyle. It means reaching out to others and being there for one another. It means rejoining the human race by giving of ourselves. Our talents are the gifts the human race awaits, needs, in fact. Do we know our talents?
I will search out my secret dreams today. In them lie my talents. I will develop them. Help awaits me.
Lesson 1 The Benefits of Self-Control
TRAIN NOW
Saing no to your child now will help him to say no to himself later in life — for example, if he is tempted to take drugs or to engage in other harmful practice.
WHAT IS SELF-CONTROL?
Self-control includes the ability to
- delay gratification
- restrain impulses
- complete unpleasant tasks
- put others before self
WHY IS SELF-CONTROL IMPORTANT?
Children who have greater self-control can resist temptation, even if the temptation promises short-term rewards. In contrast, children with less self-control may be more likely to
- be aggressive
- suffer depression
- smoke or abuse alcohol or drugs
- make poor choices in what they eat
One study found that children with greater self-control were less likely, as adults, to have health issues, financial stress, and problems with the law. The study led Professor Angela Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania to conclude: “There may be no such thing as ‘too much’ self-control.”
HOW TO TEACH SELF CONTROL
Learn to say no and mean it.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No,’ no.” — Matthew 5:37.
Young children might test a parent’s resolve by throwing a tantrum — perhaps even in public. If the parent gives in, the child learns that tantrums are an effective way to get a no changed to a yes.
On the other hand, if the parent says no and means it, the child learns a basic fact of life — that we cannot always get what we want. “Ironically, people who learned that lesson seem to be the most fulfilled,” writes Dr. David Walsh. “We’re not doing our kids any favors when we teach them that the world will always serve up whatever they want on a silver platter.”*
Saying no to your child now will help him say no to himself later in life — for example, if he is tempted to take drugs, have premarital sex, or engage in other harmful practices.
*Walsh, D.A. (2007). No: Why Kids — of All Ages — Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It. New York: Free Press.
Help your children to understand consequences, both good and bad.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: Whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap.” — Galatians 6:7.
Your child needs to understand that actions have consequences and that a lack of self-control will therefore have undesirable results. For example, if your son typically loses his temper when he gets upset, others may tend to avoid him. On the other hand, if he develops the ability to restrain himself when provoked — or to wait patiently rather than interrupt — people will be drawn to him. Help your child understand that he is more likely to have good outcomes when he practices self-restraint.
Teach your child to prioritize.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Make sure of the more important things.” — Philippians 1:10.
Self-control is not just a matter of holding back from doing wrong; it includes doing what is necessary, even when this is not particularly exciting or fun. It is important for your child to learn how to establish priorities and stick to them. Have your child do the important things first. For example, he should put homework before recreation.
Be a good role model.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “I set the pattern for you, that just as I did to you, you should also do.” — John 13:15.
Your child will see how you respond to unpleasant or frustrating situations. Demonstrate by your example that self-control leads to better outcomes. For example, when your child tests your patience, do you react with anger, or do you remain calm?
Teach by Example
- Does my child see me work through frustrating situations without losing my temper?
- Have I explained to my child the reasons why I try to handle problems calmly?
- How would my child describe me — as impulsive and quick-tempered or as self-disciplined and controlled?
What We Did…
“Even though our daughter was allowed to become frustrated or frustrated or angry, she wasn’t allowed to let those feelings exasperate those around her. If she couldn’t control herself, then she would be removed from others’ company until she could calm down.” — Theresa.
“My wife and I made it our aim to let our children know when they made us proud. We praised them when they didn’t allow difficulty to get them out of sorts or when they kept their cool and showed self-controlled.” — Wayne.
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Teaching Children Self Control
Giving your children everything they want can actually deprive them of something far more important.
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Secret 12 Goals
Goals are like blueprints; with effort, you can turn them into reality.
WHAT IT MEANS
A goal is more than just a dream — something you wish would happen. Real goals involve planning, flexibility, and good old-fashioned hard work.
Goals can be short range (taking days or weeks to accomplish), medium range, (months), or long-range (a year or more). Long range goals can be reached through a series of intermediate goals.
WHY IT MATTERS
Reaching goals can boost your confidence, strengthen your friendships, and increase your happiness.
Self-confidence: When you set small goals and reach them, you gain the confidence to take on bigger ones. You also feel more confident when facing day-to-day challenges — such as standing up to peer pressure.
Friendships: People enjoyed being around those who are reasonably goal-oriented — that is, those who know what they want and are willing to work for it. Moreover, one of the best ways to strengthen a friendship is to work with another person toward a common goal.
Happiness: When you set and reach goals, you feel a sense of accomplishment.
“I love having goals. They keep me occupied and give me something to keep reaching for. And when you reach a goal, it feels great to look back and say, ‘Wow, I really did it! I accomplished what I set out to do.'” — Christopher.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “If you wait until the wind and weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.” — Ecclesiastes 11:4, Today’s English.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Take these steps to set and reach your goals.
Identify.
Make a list of potential goals and prioritize them — choosing the ones you want to work on first, second, third, and so forth.
Plan. For each goal, do the following:
- Set a realistic deadline.
- Plan the steps involved.
- Anticipate obstacles and think of how to overcome them.
Act. Do not wait until you have every detail worked out to get started. Ask yourself, ‘What is the very first thing I can do toward reaching my goal?’ Track you progress as you complete each step.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “The plans of the diligent surely lead to success.” — Proverbs 21:5.
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Young People Ask
How Can I Choose a Good Role Model?
A role model can help you avoid problems, reach your goals, and succeed in life. but whose example should you follow?
Awake!
How to Succeed at School — Have a Goal
Do you know where your education is taking you? What factors should you consider?
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Secret 8 Example
What kind of path are you setting for your children to follow?
WHAT IT MEANS
Parents who set the example live by what they teach. For instance, you could hardly expect your son to be truthful if he overheard you say, “Tell him I’m not home,” when you don’t want to speak to someone at the door.
“A common saying is ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ But that approach doesn’t work with children. They are like sponges that absorb everything we say and do, and they will tell us when our example isn’t consistent with what we try to teach them.” — David.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “You, the one preaching. ‘Do not steal,’ do you steal?” — Romans 2:21.
WHY IT MATTERS
Children and even teenagers are influenced more by their parents then by anyone else — including their peers. That means you are in the primary position to guide your children in the right way — provided, of course, that you practice what you preach.
“We can repeat something a hundred times and wonder if our child is listening, but the one time we don’t do as we say, the child will point it out. Children pay attention to everything we do, even when we don’t think they do.” — Nicole.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “The wisdom from above is…not hypocritical.” — James 3:17.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Examine your own standards. What type of entertainment do you watch? How do you treat your spouse and children? What kind of friends do you have? Are you thoughtful of others? In short, are you the kind of person you want your children to become?
“My husband and I don’t hold our children to a standard that we ourselves don’t live by.” — Christine.
Apologize for your mistakes. Your children already know that you are not perfect. By saying “I’m sorry” when appropriate — both to your spouse and to your children — you will provide a valuable lesson in honesty and humility.
“Our children need to hear us admit when we are wrong, and they need to hear us apologize for our error. If we don’t, they will learn to cover over their mistakes.” — Robin.
“As parents, we have the greatest influence on our children, and our example is the greatest tool we have because they see it all the time. It’s the book that’s always open, the lesson that’s always being taught.” — Wendell.
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