Through This Thorn That Faith Grows Stronger

For Leslie : If only I believed more then this thorn of bipolar disorder, would be removed, I once thought and with such thinking the pain grew even more pronounced. But then I realized that even here, God could work. Even with the pain, even with the burden. Indeed, it was through this thorn that my faith grew stronger. It was here that I began to understand the paradox of this strange and wondrous faith of ours: In weakness we are made strong. In defeat comes victory

Open Up Positive Emotions And Feelings

It is the feelings and emotions, our likes and dislikes that give our life meaning, that make us happy or unhappy, fulfilled or dissatisfied and that to a large degree decide our course of action and even our health. Diseases not only make us feel unwell, but negative and suppressed emotions and feelings are a major contributing factor in causing our diseases. It is only by following your deepest instinct that you can lead a rich life, and if you let your fear of consequence prevent you from following your deepest instinct, then your life will be safe, expedient and thin.

I have learned that Feeling and Emotions can be the strongest characteristic in the human mind that brings out the total truth and understandings in ones life. If we persist in trying to hide "them", then they will sneak in our back door to show us the way - and the way is to let "them" out. However, there is a need for positive control when a person is dealing with bipolar disorder.

Good Decisions Produce Positive Actions !

Making decisions can always produce positive action for all people with bipolar disorder.

I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision. It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.- Eleanor Roosevelt

The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action-John Dewey-

If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.-Robert Fritz-

Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way... you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions-

Aristotle-

I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions-Dorothy Day-

Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

Learning To Hear, Learning to Listen with Bipolar Disorder

As I look back over my life, I discover that it has been a process of growing positivity with Bipolar Disorder.

No blinding lights, no booming voice, just a slow, sometimes steady, sometimes not, journey of faith. The only things that survives had two qualities, deep roots and flexibility. Two assets that can serve us well as we continue this process of growing

The richness of our tradition, the wisdom of the ages, can serve us as we struggle to discern a calling each of us need to consider. But we also need to be flexible, to be willing to move in directions we never thought available or appropriate.

And part of flexibility is being able to hear,and we must learn to listen; for most of us are so damn busy talking, too busy doing, we don't hear anything but ourselves. Someone once said,"Prayer doesn't mean to listen to oneself speaking. Prayer involves becoming silent and being silent and waiting until God is heard."

If we want to hear from God, it might be better to put ourselves in a position of listening. Sometimes that means being in the right place, sometimes that means being with the right people and sometimes that means just listening a little harder.

positivity with Bipolar disorder.

A Message From A Dripping Icicle .

And now as time has passed, the simplicity continues with my grandson. I thank God that my “choice’” toward positivity has continued to support my stability.

Perhaps, as I have achieved stability in my life with Bipolar Disorder, I am able to live a more positive life and enjoy the “small stuff". I was thinking about this lack of mindfulness from which so many of us suffer. I recall a time last winter when I was walking with my little grandson and we stopped by a bridge to watch the water from a small creek flow through the ice and snow. We crouched for a while paying particular attention to an icicle slowly letting go--drop after drop of clear, pristine water. Finally, the little boy spoke.

“PaPa,” he said, "why are you so good to me?"

I suspect that he was sensing the holiness of the moment. I have a hunch that he realized just how rarely we adults stop to watch water flow or icicles drip. I needed to come to terms with the genetics that may encompass my Bipolar Disorder and my grandchildren. What to do? I do expect to be positive and honest with them.

We Must Exert Control Over The Small Thoughts !

Perhaps the biggest tragedy of being afflicted by Bipolar Disorder is the frequent inability to create healthy situations and prevent destructive ones. In struggling against the disorder, those afflicted often bring about horrific pain, tumult and heartache. One must exert control over the small thoughts that initially lead to irrational and poisonous emotions. Therefore, it is necessary to master the thoughts that precede this eventual commitment. When struggling to maintain a healthy mood and rational thinking, you can simply declare within that you have firmly committed to not letting an episode flare up. You must then become unambiguously dedicated to a beneficial, non-explosive, neutral or even positive outcome !

Live In The Present !

If you pay attention to the darkness, you will never find the light. If you study and relive your past experiences, analyzing them, and "getting in touch with your feelings" you will only reinforce those feelings.

One should not focus on negative. Focus on the good, the positive,the beautiful, the nice. A happy person is fully caught up in the moment -- and is not thinking about the past or the future Too much thinking and analyzing just makes any problem worse. Today is a wonderful day--live it in the present !