FIGHT OR FLIGHT

WHAT IS YOUR REFLEXIVE REACTION?

We’re all ill, mentally and physically, our spirit is even tired. We are exhausted, irritated, and in constant anxiety mode.

It’s our environment, it’s strained relationships that we feel we need to baby and coddle so that we don’t cause any unwanted conflict. It’s social media that twists stories, and politics. The media throws absurd and ridiculous points of view, that they create and hastily deliver, inevitably fueling our anger and frustration. It’s a repetitive cycle, and it never stops. If anything, it’s on an increase with no sight in end. In some strange way, I almost feel like that each and every one of us are primed and ready to attack anyone or anything who opposes our views or beliefs, that we just stay in constant contention, with not just others, but with ourselves. Our bodies can’t rest and heal when our mind is working up a toxic environment.

It seems as if this world loves teetering on this mega unbalanced set of scales that seemingly always tilted in the direction of disharmony, dissension, and discouragement, ultimately resulting in disarray. The state of mind it puts you in……… it’s anguish, at times. I won’t even mince words about it.

It’s all by design.

It causes disconnect in our lives, in various avenues. It’s disheartening. Can we ever get this train back on the tracks and balance the scales? Or are we simply fueling the fire by locking our feet in a stance that isn’t Kingdom driven? Do we feel the instinctual need to constantly be up in arms with our brothers and sisters? Do we honestly feel accomplished with ourselves when we let our anger work us up into a state of heightened blood pressure, or an anxiety attack?

Maybe our body and mind is positioned within it’s own warfare because we choose to dwell in a negative environment, be it our own thoughts, or our actual physical environment. For many, the comfort zone IS verbal and/or physical warfare, not even only spiritual warfare. So why do we engage even if it causes distress? Why not forsake the mire of misery and move on?

I’ll tell you why, because a true warrior recognizes the fight and sees it through.

But we sometimes need to see it through in a different way, not with a 9mm carbine strapped to our back like we’re about to go hunting zombies. No one is calling us to war, despite our constant effort to stay behind enemy lines.

But in all seriousness though. How do we do it? How do we fight for peace of mind, and peace of body?

Calibration through edification. That’s how.

What are our influences? Are they positive or just completely and utterly negative? Misery loves company right? Not so. Unless we just enjoy reveling in discontentment and angst. Poor attitudes and a negative mind frame only accomplish failure, and doom and gloom. Depression dishevels our spirit!

Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 43:5

The state of dis ease, can contribute to disease. As cliche as it may sound, there’s a lot of truth to it. Feeding our bodies the right foods, keeping our mortal temples as clean as we can, is AS important as feeding our spirit. It’s an overall health recipe that encompasses all avenues of our well being, and it’s so commonly overlooked or completely disregarded. Be it ignorance or total defiance – the dismissal of mental and physical health is, without a doubt, at an alarming increase nationwide, even world wide. It’s a straight up mutiny of the mantra, “peace of mind.”

So how do we correct the chaos? One. Step. At. A. Time. Rome wasn’t built overnight, and so the redirection of our thoughts, the stillness of our minds, the overhaul of what we feed our bodies, as well as the new fluidity of our actions, and the words we speak, naturally require a mindful and thoughtful recalibration. It’s borderline an upheaval of old ways. Look I get it, old habits die hard. I’m not sure I know anyone who has mastered this successfully. But we can make it constant effort!

Poor nutrition, malnutrition, anything and everything off balance – naturally creates an unbalanced life, teetering closely between highs and lows. Sugar rushes, caffeine rushes, it does something to not just our brains, but our bodies too. Create a level of homeostasis, and heal, on every level.

No, I’m not the next Buddha. This isn’t about choosing meditation and strawberries over Facebook wars and Cheetos, But it IS about creating a comfortable, non toxic mental and physical environment. It’s about taking the time to be an ambassador for your health, for yourself, on every level!

We need to greet the Lord in the morning before our phone. We need to acknowledge our spouse before our usual distraction. We need to speak more kindly to ourselves so that we are better at speaking more kindly to others. We need to be advocates for ourselves without putting others on trial. We need to breathe in gratefulness and exhale frustrations. We need to live balanced, jiving to the best of our abilities, with prayer, mental and bodily self care, and everything in between. It’s not a perfection practice, but rather a work in progress. All of us.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt said that. And she’s right. We teach others how to treat us. So how do we find the happy medium between being a doormat and a prosecuting attorney? We work within ourselves first.

We will always trip, always be caught of guard, and won’t win every conflict. Sometimes flight is easier and healthier than fight, especially if “fight” costs us our mental, and or our physical health. Create some boundaries. Learn to say no. Don’t be preoccupied with what others are doing, or not doing. Learn to find fulfillment by yourself, not needing to always rely on others. Don’t argue to exhaustion, and don’t eat junk food either. Both can and will make you feel equally as bad. It’s about being conscious of what we eat, dialing in our responses and reactions to our environment, or different circumstances that arise.

Everything is connected, from the mind, to the gut. Our bodies don’t operate in a compartmentalized fashion, it’s all one, working together. Let us create a harmonious balanced mortal composition, and LIVE, to the best of our ability.

Love the Lord, your friends and family, your dog, your life… and yourself.

#psalm43:5 #nfwarrior #healthebody #plantbased #embracelife #changethementality #lovelife