Ray's Daily

Ray’s Daily

May 24, 2019

https://rays-daily.com/

You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.

Dan Millman

Monday is a National Holiday in the US so the next Daily will be on Tuesday

 A few folks have asked me why I stay so calm when there is so much turmoil these days. Some feel frustrated by how our government has abandoned so many of our basic principles. Others let the angry, sometimes nasty comments of others rile them up.

People can only make me angry if I let them. I just chose not to waste my energy on things I can’t control or overreacting to negative people. Don’t get me wrong I will continue to do all I can to make things better, but I will do it on my own terms.

Here are excerpts from an article that offers tips on how we stay calm and in control.

10 Tricks Successful People Use to Stay Calm in Stressful Situations

Steve Kux

1. They remain positive. – Having a negative attitude about the challenges you face is a great way to snowball into feeling overwhelmed. Look at obstacles as opportunities to learn and tough assignments as chances to show the world (what you are made of.
2. They avoid caffeine. – The last thing you need when you have a lot on your plate is too much caffeine in your system. Opt for water instead.
3. They make jokes. – If you ever find yourself on a deck of an aircraft carrier, you are likely to hear pilots ripping on each other and joking around about the imminent danger they face on a daily basis. It isn’t that they don’t feel fear; it is that they manage it through humor. Laughter releases hormones that calm you down and allow you to be in control.
4. They identify the stressor. – Zeroing in on what exactly is making you feel stressed out is the first step in overcoming those feelings. Being able to identify the enemy allows you to figure out what its weaknesses are and which of your strengths are most likely to be useful in any given situation.
5. They decompress. – Taking time to step back from a situation and relax can help you reorient your thoughts and view things more clearly. Take a walk, read a book, or watch a movie. Just do something to take your mind off the situation that is getting you worked up.
6. They reframe the situation. – Once you have taken the time to decompress, you may have a completely different perspective on a difficult situation. Embrace new ways of thinking and view problems from all sides. You may realize you were, in fact, trying to climb up the mountain’s sheer cliff face rather than the smoothly winding trail on the opposite side.
7. They make a plan. – Once you fully understand what you are up against, you can develop a step by step plan to get you to your goal. One tactic successful people use is back-casting, where they think about the final objective they are working towards and identify each step they need to reach on the way to achieving it. From there it is easy to determine when each step needs to be completed to stay on track. Nothing helps you stay calm like a clear plan of attack.
8. They get some sleep. – Just because you have deadlines to meet and people to impress doesn’t mean that you can sacrifice sleep to get there. Not only will losing sleep damage your health, it will make you generally less effective.
9. They ask for help. – Being afraid to ask for help is a sure-fire way to feel overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed is bad enough without making yourself feel alone as well. Take advantage of the people in your network who have skills and knowledge that you don’t.
10. They mentally prepare. – Before projects even begin, successful people train their brains to stay calm when the pressure is on. It comes naturally with experience, but you can consciously work at it too. Play games that encourage mental flexibility under a time limit. The Internet is full of puzzles and games that can help keep your brain in tip-top shape and ready for the next challenge.

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Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself. You will then find out how easy it is to get along.

Paramahansa Yogananda

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An octogenarian who was an avid golfer moved to a new town and joined the local Country Club. He went to the Club for the first time to play, but was told that there wasn’t anybody he could play with because they were already out on the course. He repeated several times that he really wanted to play today.

Finally, the assistant Pro said he would play with him and asked him how many strokes he wanted for a bet. The 80 year old said, “I really don’t need any strokes as I have been playing quite well. The only real problem I have, is getting out of sand traps.”

And he did play well. Coming to the par four 18th, they were all even.

The Pro had a nice drive and was able to get on the green and two-putt for a par. The old man had a nice drive, but his approach shot landed in a sand trap next to the green. Playing from the bunker he hit a high ball, which landed on the green and rolled into the cup. Birdie, match and all the money!

The Pro walked over to the sand trap where his opponent was still standing in the trap. He said: “nice shot, but I thought you said you have a problem getting out of sand traps?”

Replied the octogenarian “I do, would you please give me a hand.”

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One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.

E.V. Lucas

~~~

She said, “I was playing tooth fairy when my daughter, Carrie, suddenly woke up.

Seeing the money in my hand, she cried out, “Aha! I caught you!”

I froze and tried to think of an explanation for why I, instead of the ‘tooth fairy’, was putting the money under her pillow, but her next words let me off the hook completely. .

“You put that money back!” she said indignantly.  “The tooth fairy left that for me!””

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My wife told me I should be more affectionate.  So I got a girlfriend.

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Here is a group of medical terms as defined by blondes, or was it brunettes:

Barium              What to do when treatment fails.

Cauterize          Make eye contact with her.

Colic                  Sheepdog.

Dilate                 To live long.

Enema               Not a friend.

Fester                Quicker.

Hangnail             Coat hook.

Labor pain          Hurt at work.

Tablet                 Small table.

Tumor                More than one.

Varicose             Nearby.

Vein                     Conceited.

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Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.

Wayne W. Dyer

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.