Friday, December 11, 2009

Wen Tzu - Verse 69, Part I

from Verse Sixty-Nine
People have harmonious and rebellious dispositions that are born in the mind. When the mid is orderly, the disposition is harmonious; when the mind is disorderly, the disposition is rebellious.
~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
Our moods greatly impact how we engage the world. Sometimes we are so giddy that no amount of storm can rain on our parade. At other times, when we are singing the blues, great fortune can drop in our lap and we treat it with a ho hum.

This dynamic is something that psychologists have noted for years -- our thinking controls our actions. If an individual suffers from delusions of constant fear, he or she will act fearful even when there is nothing to be frightened of!

As someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, I can certainly attest to this. There are times in which I am habitually anxious and yet there is nothing in my life at that point to truly be anxious about. Unfortunately, the anxiety itself creates something to be anxious about!! All this does is perpetuate an endless cycle.

What I have been working on with Bill (my mental health counselor) is to better recognize when my anxiety levels first begin to inch upward. When I start to feel internally stressed, I envision a relaxing place -- for me, that's sitting on a lonely stretch of beach in the mist -- and this helps to quiet my mood. I'm happy to report that it actually works!

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.

1 comment:

  1. hmmm i dislike the terms orderly and disorderly, because order implies changing the surroundings to suit your own comfort and convenience. (such as when we organize or clean things.) disorder (as most people think of it) on the other hand is closer to the natural state of things because intervention is not required to change it. however nature itself has cycles and patterns, and also disorder. so, i dislike those two terms. they don't really describe much, in my opinion, especially when it's said that one is better than the other.
    i also think rebellion has its place- but it depends on what one is rebelling against! one could be rebelling against nature, in that case it would be ultimately harmful and futile, but one could also be rebelling against tyranny and an oppressive system, in which case it would be beneficial.
    this just seems to be one of those passages that i just can't identify with, because of the terminology involved.

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