Notes #79

Golf: There are three ways to improve your golf game: take lessons; practice constantly; or start cheating.

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Can we rely too heavily on exercise/the gym to solve our mental problems? 

I certainly have stated many times in my work with clients that I thought it was a very good idea to "get moving", get to a gym, and start a walking program when they have presented with depression or anxiety. However, exercise is often not enough! To pull ourselves out of the "lows" we need to work on both the physical and the psychological dimensions with appropriate activities.

Emily Anhalt, a clinical psychologist, wrote in the Washington Post, "...there are seven things that emotionally healthy people need to work on consistently: self-awareness, empathy, curiosity, playfulness, communication, *mindfulness, and *resilience. 

My thoughts are very similar to Ms. Anhalt's in that I believe in exercise, taking good care of oneself, being helpful to others, being curious, interested in and interesting to others, having fun and laughing a lot, and having an open dialogue with at least one other person.

* Mindfulness is the human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around us. Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses, it's not something you have to conjure up, you just have to learn how to access it.
* Resiliency is the ability to overcome challenges of all kinds-trauma, tragedy, personal crises, plain 'ole' life problems-and bounce back stronger, wiser, and more personally powerful.

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An amateur golfer addresses the ball twice; once before swinging; and, once again, after swinging.

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Do I have the right to express my opinion (even if it is different than yours)?

I am certainly not saying that the way I see the world is the only or correct way.

It is true; I do have a problem with religion. This problem does not extend to other people who believe, just to myself.

I did not come from a religious family and so I was never versed in the belief of a "Divine Being" who was in charge of all earthly happenings. It just seemed to me to be so improbable that there was some entity out there in outer space responsible for the goings on, on Earth. 

I am afraid I saw the Bible as being created by humans for their self-interests--kind of a job creation for some, but if not that, then a way to entice and control people to a certain way of thinking; that the concept of Heaven was created as a positive selling point to keep people happy while unhappy (with all the man-made rules on how they should live their lives), and Hell was the negative punishment for not believing or to keep people inline using fear.

The Crusades, Witch Hunts, Cult mass murders---all of which took the lives of millions of people in the name of religion. Many of these atrocities, and several new ones, are still being inflicted on innocent people today in the name of religion. Atrocities such as the rape and murders of women and children, wards of children dying of cancer and other diseases, lives and families being torn apart by alcoholism, drug, and mental illness while being overseen by a "kind and benevolent God"?? How could this deity allow this to occur and expect me to not only follow it but to worship it?

When I question the existence of God and these atrocities I often got a headshake and a tongue "Tutt, Tutt." "You could not possibly understand the ways of God, you just need to believe." I guess implying that God was to be blindly followed and not questioned ever! "Just believe and have faith because what you see and experience is not the truth, the truth is beyond your capability of understanding." "Oh and by the way, it's not God who is causing all these atrocities, it's God's other son, the Devil, who's inviting humans to do all the bad things." Oh really!

I would like to share with you some of the activities that people of faith do on behalf of their religious beliefs. I encourage you to read the article "Endless Absurdities" by James A Haught. I summarize a part of the article:

     -About 5000 young Muslims have detonated themselves as human bonds in martyrdom supporting their religious beliefs
     -In 2007 there were more than 500 suicide attacks worldwide (that's more than one per day) supporting their religious beliefs.
     -Jehovah's Witness believe Jesus will descend from heaven and with a battalion of angels will defeat the devil and when the battle is over 144,000 Jehovah's Witness will survive.
     -Scientologists believe that the human body contains "Thatans", spirits or soles of space aliens from 75 million years ago
     -1.5 billion Catholics are told the wafer that's given at communion is really the flesh of Jesus and the wine his blood. I posed this to a priest one day in my youth as totally impossible and was told that I lacked faith in merely asking that question. The discussion or rant of a non-believer ended quickly when I stated, "And who would want to eat the flesh and drink the blood of anyone? That would be vampirism."

More Haught: 

The Bible says that anyone who works on the Sabbath " shall surely be put to death," and brides who aren't virgins may be stoned to death on their father's doorsteps, and gays must be killed; Shiites whip themselves bloody with blades on chains because their hero Muhammad's grandson was killed by a Sunni Army 14 centuries ago; Appalachian fundamentalists pick up rattlesnakes (many times with fatal results) because Jesus said "believers" shall take up serpents"; Philippine Christians have themselves nailed to crosses on Good Friday, with real males through palms and feet; Christian Scientists let their children die of simple fevers because they think the disease is imaginary; other believers beat their children to death to "drive out demons"; Bible prophecy zealots repeatedly set doomsday dates but nothing happens.

A very brave young lady, Luba Ahmed Yuseen, living in Baghdad amid Muslim radicals and Al Qaeda control, openly discussed atheism and criticized Islam while living there and surprisingly is still alive to tell about that experience and her beliefs. Here is a snippet of her article, "My Escape To Freedom".

Unlike religion, science compels us to believe not because of faith but because of reason and evidence. And while science does not explain all phenomena in nature, religion explains nothing. There is in fact nothing more to learn, whereas in science the search is never-ending!

Each of us is born knowing nothing of "God" or religion. Our families and our communities had to teach us what "God" is- what religions are. We get taught to fit what others want us to think. That kind of upbringing can destroy one's sense of curiosity and one's respect for intelligence. 

These are a few examples of what God brings to my table, and what my problem is with the concept of "God". However, one can't deny that billions of people believe there is a God. Or shall I say, several Gods, depending on your religious bent (Muslin, Hindu, Christian-all have their own God). Several Gods, in competition for followers, are willing to kill each other to get to some kind of heaven all perpetuated and carried forward by humans who use this concept (God) for their own interests (good and bad). 

Just my opinion, you have a right to yours--care to share? danrosin@mymts.net

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Many a golfer prefers a golf cart because it cannot count, criticize or laugh.

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Less Stress With A Pet Than A Spouse

If you want to reduce stress in your life, consider replacing your spouse with a pet. Studies have found that the presence of a pet not only reduces acute stress but also lowers baseline anxiety. Those who owned pets had lower heartbeats and blood pressure than those who didn't. When it came to reducing stress, neither dogs nor cats were better than the other. 

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Golf is a game in which the slowest people in the world are those in front of you, and the fastest are those behind.

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Have a great week and stay cool.