Helping others is a known way to move out of stress, worry and even depression.  Reaching out, even if you’re not in the greatest shape yourself can be the best thing you do for yourself.  Here’s a great twist on this idea – an amazing story of people helping a whale in trouble. 

Before you start reading it, notice your state of mind right now.   When you’re finished reading it, you’re likely to notice you’ve forgotten your own problems, at least for a few minutes.  You may find yourself smiling, and relaxing your shoulders for the first time today.  For myself, doing something good for someone else (or even for an animal friend) has almost magical healing powers.  I forget about whatever was bothering me;  I am in the present moment, just trying to be of service, and it feels great.

Here’s the story:

A 2005 front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle told the true story of a humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.  She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, and a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help.
Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her.  They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.  When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles.

Whale Thank-You

She then came back to each diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around ~ she was thanking them.  Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.  May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you.  And may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.  

I love this story!  Happiness and peace  is as close as lending a hand, and even reading  stories like this.  As Tony De Mello said, “No one can be grateful and unhappy at the same time.”  Wishing you much happiness.  Pass it on!

With all the headlines screaming about how bad the economy is, it’s hard NOT to have some fears about losing your job, home or income, or being afraid for family members or friends who might.  These fears and anxieties cause major stress, affecting your health, mood, work and relationships.

So, what can you do about them?  Sometimes your life situation IS tough, and the danger of loss may be quite real.  For others, it’s still a worried “what-if” that hasn’t happened yet.  Here are some things you can do right now to address feelings of fear, worry or anxiety, no matter what your actual situation is.

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Have you ever had a tough time making a decision?  Maybe you’ve had a gut feeling, or an intuition, but have felt unsure about following it.  How do you know when it’s just your mind talking, and when it’s solid intuition you can trust?

How do you know if it’s your Higher Self talking?  I just made a 4.5 minute audio of a decision making process I use to answer that question once and for all – so I can trust that the decisions I make are coming from the best part of myself, not just worry or mind chatter.  It’s an “Audio Postcard” and you can listen to it here:      Audio Postcard

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Ever feel especially drained after talking to certain people?  Have you ever walked into a crowded area feeling neutral or fine, only to find yourself leaving irritated, annoyed or depressed?  It could be that your energy boundaries have been crossed.

You may be reacting to feelings or a “vibe” that doesn’t even belong to you.  The key to knowing what belongs to you and what belongs to someone else is to simply notice, and plan ahead to set your intention to keep it that way. If you’re in the helping professions, or just find yourself being sensitive to what others are feeling, you need to learn this skill.

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I really love that word, “hater.”  I can’t think of a more simple yet accurate way to describe the intensity of emotion underneath the things people sometimes say.  There are two parts to this – the hater, who makes the cutting remark, and the responder, who usually says something like, “Don’t be a hater.”
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