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7 steps to peace of mind. Sounds pretty good, right?

I’m blogging today with the assumption that you and I both have things that occupy way too much headspace. (I don’t have all that much to begin with.) I’d bet that you have One Thing that is really making you tense, if not stressed.

And, if you have more than One Thing, I’d guess that out of your issues list, there’s one that’s at the top.

We all know that “‘issues” are the stuff of life. Show me someone who has no issues, and I’ll show you someone without a pulse.

It’s all about managing those issues I want us to discuss.

7 steps to peace of mind? That may be an arbitrary number, but 7 seems reasonable. I’m not promising a quick fix for any of us, but my own personal reading and study leads me to believe we don’t have to be enslaved to any issue.

Let me give you those 7 steps, and I’ll flesh out each one. Man. I hope this is helpful for you. That’s my prayer, at any rate.

1. Think about a situation that’s making you tense. It could be something you’re currently facing or something coming soon.
2. What is your ideal positive outcome? How do you want it to turn out? Get a mental image of that outcome seared into your consciousness.
3. If you were able to sit down face-to-face with God Himself, and know that you have His undivided attention, what would you say to Him about the outcome you need or want?
4. Think about another time or event when you were concerned about an outcome of a situation and it turned out perfectly. How did you feel? Try to remember exactly how you felt.
5. That feeling you’ve just recalled? Link that feeling you had in the past with the situation you’re facing currently.
6. Let go of it. Have complete faith in the outcome.
7. Relax, and spend time thinking about other things.

There you have it. 7 steps to peace of mind.

”Hey, Tony … riiiiiiight.” That’s what you said to yourself, yes?”

Because it sounds too easy. Well, it’s not, but it is doable.

Let’s unpack this.

First, I wanted you to focus on a tough situation. That’s the one eating up your headspace. You may not know where to start, you have so many issues. Fine. Just pick one out, and you can work on the rest of them one at a time. We want to look at the Queen Mother of All Issues.

Just pick one.

Second, as you cower before that situation, how do you want it to turn out? Don’t fold. Don’t collapse. I promise you do have a desired outcome. Go big on this one. What do you want? Seriously. What do you want?

(A little disclaimer. If you want to fly by flapping your arms, or to be drafted into the French Foreign Legion, I give you permission to scale back a little. And, if your desired outcome is illegal or immoral, you probably want to rethink things.)

Third, imagine seeing yourself physically in God’s presence. This is a visualization exercise. You probably have a mental image of God. You may be one of those white robe, white bearded people, and that’s fine. Possibly you may see Him as something else. But make it personal.

It’s important that you see God!

Now, in His presence, tell Him exactly what you want or need in the context of that situation. Don’t try to come up with just the right words. Be absolutely, utterly, raw and honest. He’s a big boy – you won’t hurt His feelings. He won’t run you off. Just be authentic. I guarantee you won’t catch Him by surprise.

Fourth, think back to a time when you were agonizing over some situation or another. You were full of dread. And, by golly, everything turned out just fine. Maybe even better than fine. Perhaps you were astonished at how good things went. You realized that all your agonizing was of no use. How did that make you feel? Recall and experience that feeling again. Take as long as you need.

Hooked on a feeling.

Fifth, latch onto that feeling. I want you to feel that way again. Do your darndest to experience it. You want to apply that feeling to your current situation. This is not some New-Agey mumbo-jumbo. Think vividly about that desired outcome, the one you took to God, and imagine experiencing that outcome and feeling like you did before. You’ll love this exercise.

Sixth, let go of it. Don’t sit and wallow in misery, wondering if you can actually let go. Yes, you can. You aren’t designed to take on unnecessary burdens. Holding onto it and how it makes you feel isn’t going to help. Revisit the steps you’ve taken already. You’ve seen your desired outcome, you’ve taken it to God Himself, and you’ve experienced those sweet feelings of release. It’s done. Over. History. You’ve done all you need to do.

Finally, seventh. Relax. Turn your mind to something else. Think about your next yummy meal, or plan on watching a sunset. Meditate on how blessed you are. Do something you enjoy. The main thing is for you just to let something else crowd out of your head all the negative stuff about your situation.

That situation has been handled. It’s out of your hands. God’s got it.

There you go – 7 steps to peace of mind. Give them a try. You’ll be amazed at the outcome.

Be blessed!