There’s Always Something

PICK ONE
"There's always an alien battle-cruiser, or a Corillian death ray, or an intergalactic plague that's about to wipe out life on this miserable planet. The only way that these people get on with their happy lives is they DO NOT know about it."
- Agent K, Men In Black (1997)
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Do you ever have days when it looks like the world is going to hell, humanity is devolving, and Armageddon is just around the bend?

And if all that isn't enough to start researching "Living Off The Grid", someone who owes you money doesn't pay you when they said they would? Arrrgh!!!
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The easiest solution to the growing emotional distress is just to disconnect your internet or TV. Out of sight, out of mind.

But then all the storms of Life - and the next alien battlecruiser - could totally take you by surprise.

Besides, you couldn't binge the next escape on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Dang.

Another option is to learn how to overcome them both. Ugh.
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When it comes to the Storms of Life, the only real power we have is in choosing our response and leading our emotions - not being ruled by them - even in circumstances we had nothing to do with.

Will we respond like J or K from MIB, or will we choose to be neuralized by Netflix or by some other mind-numbing activity?

I hear the Corillians prefer the brains with the least resistance.

Seems kind of silly that so many people in this advanced age of humanity could allow themselves to lose control of their emotions at the first sign of an alien ship - or just by seeing something on social media that conflicts with their prior programming.

Maybe the storm brewing on the horizon is just a storm and not an alien ship. I'd be thinking, "Whew, it's just a hurricane! Thank God it's not the Corillians or those pesky things from Independence Day!"

But that's me, probably because I've watched too many movies.

Other people, unfortunately, have been slowing losing the power over their emotions by carelessly rehearsing the scenes of every single "Storm of Life" that's swirling about. AND watching them repeatedly on Netflix. And YouTube. And Twitter.

Remember, the 'last' storm won't be the LAST storm.

Or, to quote Agent K: 

"There's always an alien battle-cruiser, or a Corillian death ray, or an intergalactic plague...”
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Or a Katrina. Or Irene. Or Florence. Or a Pandemic. Or Election Interference. Or another "quiet" person who unleashes some form of terror.
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And that was yesterday. Tomorrow, there will be something else. Life guarantees it. That's Life, an equal-opportunity employer. 

"You're Riding high in April, shot down in May." - Frank Sinatra

Feel better yet?
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Well you should. Think of how boring Life would be without all this variety!

Besides, how Life's daily offerings affect us is largely up to us. How you respond is up to you. And how I respond is up to me. And how they respond is up to them. If I can't choose that there will be storms, I will at least choose less worry and stress amidst the storms.

So what’s my advice for those dealing with the worry and stress and overwhelm and unrest from thinking about too many storms attacking us all at once?

First, pick one storm to deal with today. Just one. That's all you get. Don't be selfish.

Next, focus your energy for the next 24 hours on making the biggest dent in the problem (or the aliens' ship, or their plan to wipe-out humanity). Maybe there's one thing you can do to protect yourself against today's storm. Maybe there's a way to grow your faith power or learn some technology that will neutralize it. 

Keep in mind, too, that you'll be using tomorrow's 24 hours and tomorrow's faith, resources and ingenuity to deal with and clean up tomorrow's plague or pestilence. So make sure you give today's "all" today, and tomorrow's "all" tomorrow.

What most people don't count on from facing Life daily like J and K  is how much more capable we become after facing aliens, plagues and injustices - instead of allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by them. After just a few days using these heroes' approach, you know you’ll be wiser and stronger, like Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) and Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) in Edge Of Tomorrow. 

Live. Die. Repeat.

Then Win.
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Now, for everything less than an alien invasion, maybe go "Old School" - like Scarlett O'Hara did when too many problems were thrust upon her at once. Simply declare, "I will not think on that today."
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Lastly, start today STORM PROOFING your "house". A little solidifying can ensure the most immovable "soul residence" yet.

Have you secured your core beliefs (foundation) by studying the books those beliefs came from?

Are your windows (eyes) triple-paned with storm-proof shutters to keep all flying debris out?

Have you kept up the maintenance on the plumbing and electrical (nutrition and exercise) so you don't lose water and power at the very first gust? 

If you have, the MIB is probably hiring.

-TT

PS: Remember to speak TO the storm.

Speak what you want, not what you don’t.
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#meninblack #quote #storms #mib #wisdom
©1997 Universal
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