(This is one of the classic holiday “help” articles– a good reminder for each of us each Christmas/New Year’s season.)

These tips by Connie Ragen Green are excerpts from her holiday stress article, Dealing With The Three Types of Difficult People. Use the link in the footnotes to read her full article.

• The person who won’t stop talking -The best thing you can do for this person is to just listen. See if there are others who will share this listening with you. Try asking them about something that you are also interested in.
• The person who has to be right -The best way to handle this person is to praise them. They will beam like a young child when you compliment them.
• The person who has to be the center of attention – Ask their opinion on something. They will enjoy the chance to tell you what they think and may even have some great ideas.

These tips to minimize your stress while spending holidays with the relatives are excerpts from E.K. Tirado’s article, Three Ways to Cope with Difficult Relatives During the Holidays. Use the link in the footnotes to read the full article.

1) Change what you can, and do not fret about what you can’t change. Too many times the cause of our stress derives from our need to change people. Accept the fact that you cannot control other peoples’ actions, but you can control how you react to them. Don’t come to any event with unrealistic expectations.

2) Stay close to the “normal” family member. There is often one family member who you can actually hold an intelligent conversation with…someone you feel pretty good being around. My advice: Hang around with this family member…..often. Finds ways to spend time with that person whether it’s taking a post-meal walk around the neighborhood, or playing a game (or two or three) of checkers. If you have absolutely NO “normal” family members, then invite a “normal” person to attend an occasion with you.

3) Give yourself an important job. “Remove” yourself from the situation by giving yourself an important job. For example,decide that this year you will be the official family photographer. If you’re not much of a photographer, then give yourself another important job like tending to the turkey, making fancy swans with the table napkins, running to the store for last minute food items, Do whatever it is you have to do to keep busy, while still continuing to interact with family.

4) Lastly, you simply have to accept the fact that you don’t have the ability to change people, they must change themselves. The one person you can change is yourself. You can change how you react to things, how you view things, and how you ultimately deal with things.

Dealing with Difficult Relatives for the Holidays by Kate Zabriskie, Business Training Works, Inc., offers these tips to reduce conflicts with your relatives. These are only excerpts. Use the link in the footnotes to read her full article.

1. Whatever the reason is that you are with your holiday crew, you are not obligated to call up feelings you don’t have.

2. Be civil no matter what. The last thing you want is for your negative reaction to overshadow the initial offense.

3. Figure out a couple of ways that you might rein in your reaction ahead of time. [Remember past irritations or confrontations by your relatives and come up with a plan of action or response to keep yourself calm, change the subject, and divert the attention.]

4. Consider journaling [rather than venting your feelings to your friends.]

5. Downtime is the smell of opportunity to difficult relatives. Your holidays will run more smoothly if there are plenty of activities to fill gaps. [games, walks, etc.]

6. Plan an entry and exit time, as well as a date for yourself, if you are going to someone else’s house. Do the same if a group is coming to yours. For example, “Bob and I would like you to come for Thanksgiving. If you could arrive between 11:00 and noon on Thursday that would give us time to get everything ready for you. We’ve also planned a big breakfast for Friday before everyone leaves.

7. Think about inviting more people to your holiday. When there are fifty people in attendance, it is much more difficult for a diva to be a diva.

8. Focus on the kids. Babies and little kids don’t fully understand weird family dynamics. Most of the time, discussions about babies are usually fairly benign.

9. Focus on the less fortunate. If, for example, at Thanksgiving everyone brings a gift for Toys for Tots or some other charity group, part of your discussion will naturally revolve around that.

Use these links to read the full articles by these authors:

Dealing with 3 Types of Difficult People at Holiday Time, Connie Ragen Green

Three Ways to Cope with Difficult Relatives During the Holidays, E.K. Tirado

Dealing with Difficult Relatives for the Holidays, Kate Zabriskie, Business Training Works, Inc.

I came across some good, brief tips to de-stress your holiday from an article by blog author Sara Ananya Shah. These are only summaries. Please use the link below to read her full article.  (This is one of the classic holiday “help” articles– a good reminder for each of us each Christmas/New Year’s season.)

1. Shop at home - Shop online as much as possible. The selection is better and many retailers offer free shipping for the holidays.

2. Shop with friends - If you must go out shopping, take a friend along and then relax together afterward with a cup of coffee or cocoa.

3. Have friends and relatives – If you have a dinner with relatives that you dread, invite a friend along, or a specific friendlier relative.

4. Break down chores – For example, don’t do Christmas dinner all at once. [Freeze ahead or] Do as much as possible the day before. If you write out Christmas cards, do a few each night at bedtime.

5. Make due dates – Plan to get your goals done by December 22nd so you can have some time to relax.

6. Exercise – A 20 minute walk will immediately lift your mood and reduce stress hormones.

7. Don’t overeat – You’ll feel happier and healthier.

8. Get “ME” time – Take at least 15 minutes a day to listen to relaxing music, walk, or something else that will make you happy.

Click here to read the full article by Sara Ananya Shah, Holiday Stress Relief: Tips to Reclaim Your Christmas Spirit. Ms. Shah is author of the parenting blog, Loving Your Child.

When R.H.Schuller was growing up, drought ravaged their family farm. They prayed for rain that never came. His Dad, who normally harvested 100 wagon loads of corn, reaped only half a wagon full. Schuller says, “I’ll never forget it. His calloused hands holding ours as he looked up and prayed, ‘Thank you Lord, I’ve lost nothing. I’ve regained all the seed I planted in spring.’ While other farmers were saying, ‘We lost 90 or 100 loads,’ my father told me, ‘Never count the might-have-beens or you will be defeated. Never look at what you have lost, only look at what you have left.’ ” 1

Many of you have lost much financially this year.  I challenge you to remove your focus from what you’ve lost –so you will not be defeated– and focus on every incredible good that you still have in life, be it health, a home, family, friends, past victories, dreams for the future. Be undefeated!  Keep a grateful focus on what you still have!

1 word4U2day

I cam across a very practical, helpful article by psychologist and life coach Melissa McCreery with tips to move on from the guilt, anger, hurt, or frustrations of a bad day and get back to the peace and productivity of a positive mindset.

Ms. McCreery says that the secret to thriving is learning how to move forward in spite of bad days.

Here are some excerpts of from Melissa’s article, “How to Recover from a Bad Day:”

1. Give yourself permission to have a bad day. Stop beating yourself up so that you can move on. Let go of blame and guilt, realizing that a bad day does not mean you failed.

2. Ask, “What will I need to let go of to do move on?” You must be willing to stop beating yourself up, feeling miserable (or hurt or angry), drowning your sorrows, or feeling victimized.

3. Decide what do you want to move on TO?   How do you want things to be? How do you want to feel? What do you want your mindset or mental attitude to be?

4. Take a look in the mirror at your posture and facial expressions; make sure you aren’t still carrying your bad day with you.

5. What helps you to feel present in this moment? People accomplish this in different ways: deep breathing, physical activity, writing in a journal, or spending quiet time alone. Set your intention for how you want to BE in the present moment and into the future.

6. What special thing can you do for yourself? Call a friend, rent a movie, pick flowers, get a massage, take a long bath, etc. Bad day recovery plans need some self-care time.

7. What’s one thing small positive action you can commit to take just to know you are making progress? Do a good deed, workout, clean out one drawer. This goal is the first step toward to a positive track; when that’s done, take the next one.

Melissa is a fellow SelfGrowth.com expert. You can read more on Melissa McCreery, PhD, ACC, Psychologist and Life Coach on her SelfGrowth page or  her full website.

It may seem an illogical and impossible statement, but it is truth none-the-less.  Regardless of your circumstances, you choose your thoughts, and subsequently, your state of mind and personal well-being.  People throughout history have proven it true, usually in circumstances far worse than what most of us will ever experience.

One of my favorite examples is Dr. Viktor E. Frankl, whom I have mentioned before.  He is an Austrian Jew who was sent to a concentration camp with his family during World War II.

We who lived in concentration camps can remember men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.  Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl

Whatever circumstances you are presently you going through, any situations you may yet face, even if they are horrifically unthinkable as those experienced by Frankl, inside you is still the power to choose the state of your personal well-being by choosing your thoughts and perspectives.

Scripture reinforces this truth that your well-being is determined by your choice of thoughts.

All the days of the despondent are made evil by anxious and foreboding thoughts, but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast regardless of the circumstances.

Notice the days of the despondent are made bad by their thoughts; in contrast, the person who takes authority over his thoughts, uses his personal power to control his perspective and have a glad heart, will experience continual good regardless of his or her circumstances. 

You alone have the power to choose your thoughts.  Choose ones that will ensure your well-being!

Performing this test will help you determine how much anxiety, fear, and stress are affecting your life, as well as some of the possible root causes. The official name of the test is the Rhomberg neurologic test and it will immediately show if you suffer from low level anxiety syndrome.

Stand with your feet put together. Then stand on your tips toes. Now close your eyes. If you cannot keep your balance once you close your eyes, you have low level anxiety syndrome. People who pass the test and can keep their balance while their eyes are closed will have an anxiety level of 10 during an immediate fearful situation, but the next day be back to level 1. Those with low level anxiety syndrome stay at an anxiety level or 4 or 5 all the time.

You may recognize these other common physical symptoms associated with low level anxiety syndrome.

People with low level anxiety often have numerous allergies. They are also sensitive to scents such as perfumes or newsprint. Caffeine may keep them up all night. In addition, they are usually very sensitive to even small doses of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

The source of low level anxiety syndrome is holding on to undesirable emotions.

If you didn’t pass the test and realize that you live in a constant state of low level anxiety, evaluate which of the following undesirable emotions are the source of your anxiety. People who are perfectionists often suffer from low level anxiety. Unresolved bitterness, unforgiveness, or jealousy create anxiety. Broken heart issues, physical abuse, poor relationships with parents or siblings, feeling that you must jump through hoops to be accepted are all possible sources of low level anxiety.

Low level anxiety reduces the body’s ability to eliminate toxins, causing a variety of illnesses.

Due to the low level anxiety, cell membranes maintain an unhealthy level of rigidity. The increased rigidity hinders the body’s ability to eliminate toxins, drugs, and xenoestrogens (Xenoestrogens are a chemical common to many dairy and meat products–ones that contain growth hormones–and pesticides. They mimic or “act like” additional estrogen in the body, creating numerous health problems including various types of cancer.).

Illnesses such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, ovarian cysts, and fibrocystic cyst disease have their root in the emotions mentioned above that cause low level anxiety.

Bringing resolution to your undesirable emotions is the beginning point for reducing anxiety.

If you are a perfectionist by nature, start allowing yourself to be human. Allow more reasonable time limits for achieving goals. Rather than trying to live at a level higher than the rest of the human race, be happy with the person you are, appreciating that you are a diligent person yet being loving enough to yourself to allow and forgive mistakes.

If deep seated bitterness, unforgiveness, or jealousy is the source of your anxiety, resolution needs to take place. Realize that resolution does not need to involve the other person, as resolution with the other person is often not possible; it takes place within you. For a detailed explanation of this concept, read my post, Forgiveness or Reconciliation: Understanding the Difference.

If you have been through physical abuse, seriously consider seeing a therapist or attending a support group to work through the emotions. If finances are an issue for therapy, shelters for abused women sometimes provide free consulting with therapists.

If you feel that you must “jump through hoops” to be loved, this resolution begins within you, realizing that you are a valuable solely because you exist; your personal value must be based on what God says of you. Since His love is unfailing and unchanging, this keeps your self worth intact even when others do not value you properly. Read through the following posts:
Rejection to Self Esteem Building
Does Love Have to be Earned
A Love that Isn’t Earned
Healing One’s Self Worth

If poor relationships with family are the main source of your anxiety, you may wish to consult with a therapist or pastor for assistance. Also read through the posts:
Healing Through Overcoming Family Past
Forgiveness or Reconciliation: Understanding the Difference.

The details on the Rhomberg Test and Low Level Anxiety Syndrome came from a brochure by Dr. Peter Eckhart, www.womhoo.com .

We all have areas in our lives where, in the past, we began investing great time and energy.  We stuck with that particular thing through the years out of habit or routine.  The investment of energy became just a part of life.  You can gain greater satisfaction by freeing your life of areas that are a drain on your energy and unprofitable to your overall wellness.  The time or energy invested is truly no longer worth the value you are getting from it.

What types of things can now be unprofitable investments for your life energies?

–Sometimes there are daily or weekly habits that were a part of goals from the past that are no longer worth your energies.  Why?  You change in your desires and maturity as you age.  Certain things that were goals are no longer of importance to you.  Is there anything like that in your life?  Free up that time and energy for new goals that fit with the person you are now.

–There are often projects in which we have been investing time, energy, and finances which are no longer of the same level of interest to you, or will no longer benefit you as you had originally planned. It could be time to let it go and re-invest your time, energy, and money elsewhere.

–Lastly, take a look at relationships. This is not an admonition to thoughtlessly end life-long relationships, such as family or marriage ties.  If a situation like that seems abusive or unjust, get some professional help from a counselor or pastor, someone outside the situation who can be objective; even with that, consider such changes cautiously.  However, here I am emphasizing relationships that have gone on for years that are one-sided; you are always giving, the other person is always taking. It is the type of relationship/friendship you got into as a child or young adult when you were not discerning of different personality types and how they affect you. Some people hang on to bad childhood relationships way into midlife before realizing that the other person never takes it upon him or herself to pour into their lives. Such as person consistently drains your energy physically, emotionally, and maybe even spiritually, as well as using your valuable time which cannot be gotten back, or even expecting repeated financial bailouts for their irresponsibilities.

You only take this path through life once!

Life is too precious to allow your time or energies to be wasted, even in a single day. What habits, goals, projects, or relationships have you hung on to in your daily lifestyle that time has proven not to be the value you once thought they would be?

Let’s end with this illustration.  There is a parable of a farmer sowing seed into a variety of soils with widely varying productivity. It is used to described the productivity of different people’s lives to the receiving of God’s Word; however, the application fits life productivity overall. The type of soil described as thorny, is a person’s whose life is choked of its possible productivity by cares, anxieties, and distractions, making life fruitless (Mk.4:19,20 Amp). There is no need for you, or anyone else, to have that be the commentary on your life. Instead of a fruitless life, the person’s life could have seen productivity of 30, 60, or 100 times greater than the effort put into it.

What in your life is a “fruitless” venture?  What is a distraction from better things and a waste of your life’s energies?

Take some time this week during an afternoon or evening. Free yourself of the things that are fruitless. Begin enjoying renewed focus on projects, people, and goals that bring profitable results you can enjoy from your time and energies.

Is there always something in your life about which you are worrying? Do family pressures, financial pressures, and hectic schedules that are part of normal everyday life overload you with stress and anxiety to the point of negatively affecting your physical health, emotional health, and spiritual well-being? If so, you certainly are not alone. You can learn to have a worry-free life, but it takes some changes in your thought patterns.

First, remember that worrying does not accomplish anything positive for you.

Along this thought, Jesus said, “Who of you by worrying and being anxious can add a single unit of measure to the span of his life (Mt.6:27 Amp)?” Imagine that! All the volumes of time and energy you put into worrying will not even accomplish something as small as adding a single second to the length of your life! And, as many doctors and studies show, it is proven to do just the opposite and remove time from the length of your life as well as from its quality.

Second, realize that you cannot put trust for your well being in physical objects.

There is a very famous discourse by Jesus on worry in Matthew 6. Most people think it begins in verse 25, but I think verses 19-24 are actually a significant part of the instructions, particularly verse 24 which says,

No one can serve two masters for he will stand by and be devoted to one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and deceitful riches, money, possessions as what is trusted in.

This quote is not condemning money, but rather the concept of being deceived into putting your trust in money and possessions. If your trust is there, you will still worry about the safety and stability of your life. I had a friend who had been very wealthy in her younger days, before her husband died. She loved to talk about the house she had and how she used to wear a different pair of shoes to work every day of the year! However, in spite of all her wealth, she said they went to bed every night worrying about whether or not they had put their money in the right investments. Admit to yourself that money, possessions, and investments will not keep you worry free. Neither can they be counted on for life-long stability. The world is full of stories of people of great wealth who lost everything overnight.

Third, admit that God does realize you need possessions and money to live.

Immediately after Jesus said that it is a type of deception to trust in money or possessions, He states,

Stop being perpetually uneasy, anxious, and worried about your life-what you will eat or what you will drink, and about what you will put on. Is not life greater in quality than food and the body far more excellent than clothes?…Therefore, do not worry and be anxious saying, “What are we going to eat? or What are we going to drink? or What are we going to wear?”…For your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all (Mt.6:25,31).

God created mankind with the need for shelter, food, and clothing. God knows it takes money in our society to obtain these things. He has not forgotten.

Fourth, ask God for help.

There is a fairly modern translation of Scriptures called The Message Bible. It is one of the translations that Joel Osteen often quotes from. It has a great translation of Romans 10:11-13:

No one who trusts God like this-heart and soul-will ever regret it. It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. Everyone who calls, “Help, God!” gets help!

Probably more well known are God’s instructions for us to ask,

Do not be anxious about anything. But in everything, by prayer, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and mind (Phil.4:6,7).

God tells us to ask for help because He wants to help us. He is not an evil dictator who tells us to ask just so that He can turn us away empty handed. However, do remember the quote, “According to your faith it will be done to you (Mt.9:29).” To put it simply, if you do not believe that God will help you, He will not. This is not due to a lack of compassion as countless Scriptures mention God’s limitless compassion, but due to the fact that it is a spiritual law. Spiritual laws, like natural laws, remain constant.

Fifth, be thankful for the smallest good.

The above quote said to pray with thanksgiving. Keep things in perspective; no matter how much help you need from God, there are good things and good people in your life. Stay appreciative for everything good, no matter how small. I heard another person comment on this quote by saying, “If you really believe God is going to answer your request, you should already be thankful.” That is a good point as well.

Last, consistently do things in your life that are of lasting value.

There is a secular saying, “What goes around comes around.” It means that a person eventually receives back the same type of words, actions, and lifestyle he has given to people. If he has lived selfishly, eventually, people will not be there for him when he needs help. A person who is giving will eventually be on the receiving end when he is in need. Jesus said it this way, “Seek for, aim at, and strive after, first of all, God’s Kingdom and His way of doing and being right, and then all these things [money, possessions, clothing, etc.] will be given to you besides (Mt.6:33 Amp).”

Do things that are of lasting value. The quality of your life will be increased, your joy and peace will be increase, and the good you have done will come back to you!

I’m going to approach the subject of fear in different way here than I normally would. We’re going to look at a circumstance described in history and outline points that you can apply to the fearful circumstance you are presently facing or may face in the future. The reference is out of Mt.14:26-32, and whether or not you are a believer in the historical accuracy of this account, its principles are still applicable.

Here is the description in the Amplified translation. [I prefer the Amplified for study because it gives more detail as to the meaning of the original Greek words; most translations limit the text to a “word for word” translation when many languages -- such as Greek, Hebrew, Arabic -- have much broader concepts included in their individual words.]

And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, “It is a ghost!” And they screamed out with fright. But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid! And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me from death! Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Let’s apply this situation point for point to our own fearful situations, learning from both the positive and negative responses in the story.

1. Notice Jesus’ response to the men’s fear — He “instantly spoke” when they cried out in terror, vv.26,27. Jesus, Father God’s revelation of Himself and His character to us, shows an immediate, interactive response to a cry of fear to Him.

2. Jesus told them (a) not to be afraid and (b) to be courageous, but He follows these directives with specific reason for responding fearlessly and courageously to a fearful situation.

3. The reason for having a fearless response is “I AM” was with them. This term does not hold meaning for most people now but it held clear meaning to those Jewish men. It was the name Father God spoke to Moses when He told Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand the Jews be released from slavery. Moses said, “Who shall I say is sending me?” God responded, “I AM.” This phrase in the Hebrew, as well as the Greek refers to the self-existent One, the One who exists in and of Himself, is all sufficient, in need of nothing, will always be what He will be and what He is, and hence, is faithful and true to His character and nature, and unchangeable and true to His Word. (1-footnote below)

4. Even though in a boat in the midst of a storm, fearing for their lives, Peter’s immediate response to I AM being with him was (a) immediate courage and fearlessness, v.28, and (b) his success at participating in a miraculous act, v.29. Ponder the full extent of the change in (a) Peter’s emotions and (b) his reactions when Peter focused on the presence of I AM being with him instead of on his fearful situation.

5. Now notice what took place at the end of the story when Peter changed his focus to (a) the surrounding fearful situation and (b) his personal fears; Peter moved back out of the supernatural as soon as his focus was off of I AM and on his fearful surroundings and his feelings, v.30.

6. Jesus again reveals the heart of Father God to us, even in our failures. I point this out because so many people live with the erroneous feelings that God is constantly condemning them for each failure. Jesus did (a) identify Peter’s failure, reminding him that he should not have doubted the power/results of I AM with him, v.31, but (b) Jesus also picked Peter back up after his failure and restored him to safety, vv.31,32. Jesus did not abandon Peter in his failure or illustrate any loss of love.

Where is your focus in your present fearful situation?

If your focus is on your feelings of fear or the cause of those feelings, the feelings will control your responses in a negative way. If you change your focus to a source of true help, such as I AM, the self-sufficient and all sufficient One who is present with you and true to His character and Word, you can respond with courage and productive action, even in an overwhelmingly fearful situation.

1. John Wesley’s Notes on the Old and New Testaments for Exodus 3:14

We all have areas in our lives where, in the past, we began investing great time and energy. We stuck with that particular thing through the years out of habit or routine. The investment of energy became just a part of life. It is a good thing, every year, to evaluate what things from the past you are still pouring energy into that never became fruitful or beneficial as you planned. The time or energy invested is truly no longer worth the value you are getting from it.

What types of things can now be unprofitable investments for your life energies?

–Sometimes there are daily or weekly habits that were a part of goals from the past that are no longer worth your energies. Why? You change in your desires and maturity as you age. Certain things that were goals are no longer of importance to you. Is there anything like that in your life? Free up that time and energy for new goals that fit with the person you are now.

–There are often projects in which we have been investing time, energy, and finances which are no longer of the same level of interest to you, or will no longer benefit you as you had originally planned. It could be time to let it go and re-invest your time, energy, and money elsewhere.

–Lastly, take a look at relationships. This is not an admonition to thoughtlessly end life-long relationships, such as family or marriage ties. If a situation like that seems abusive or unjust, get some professional help from a counselor or pastor, someone outside the situation who can be objective; even with that, consider such changes cautiously. However, here I am emphasizing relationships that have gone on for years that are one-sided; you are always giving, the other person is always taking. It is the type of relationship/friendship you got into as a child or young adult when you were not discerning of different personality types and how they affect you. Some people hang on to bad childhood relationships way into midlife before realizing that the other person never takes it upon him or herself to pour into their lives. Such as person consistently drains your energy physically, emotionally, and maybe even spiritually, as well as using your valuable time which cannot be gotten back, or even expecting repeated financial bailouts for their irresponsibilities.

You only take this path through life once!

Life is too precious to allow your time or energies to be wasted, even in a single day. What habits, goals, projects, or relationships have you hung on to in your daily lifestyle that time has proven not to be the value you once thought they would be?

Let’s end with this illustration. In Mark 4, there is a parable of a farmer sowing seed into a variety of soils with widely varying productivity. It is used to described the productivity of different people’s lives to the receiving of God’s Word; however, the application fits life productivity overall. The type of soil described as thorny, is a person’s whose life is choked of its possible productivity by cares, anxieties, and distractions, making life fruitless (Mk.4:19Amp). There is no need for you, or anyone else, to have that be the commentary on your life. Instead of a fruitless life, the person’s life could have seen productivity of 30, 60, or 100 times greater than the effort put into it(Mk.4:20Amp).

What in your life is a “fruitless” venture? What is a distraction from better things and a waste of your life’s energies?

 Take some time this week during an afternoon or evening. Free yourself of the things that are fruitless. Begin enjoying renewed focus on projects, people, and goals that bring profitable results you can enjoy from your time and energies.