From Stress to Serenity: Gaining Strength in the Trials of Life

by Angus Jenkinson

Overview

With a background in business and a life-long interest in spirituality, Angus Jenkinson brings a rich blend of professional and practical know-how, contemporary experience and ancient wisdom to tackling the very modern problem of stress. The sense of being under stress, he suggests, is as much to do with our response to events as the events themselves. Symptoms of stress can be seen as a form of advice, helping us to grow as individuals and develop inner resources needed to meet the inevitable challenges of twenty-first century life. These resources include courage and compassion, freedom and self-determination, clear thinking, positivity and love. Thus equipped, we may approach the adventure of life with serenity, in turn creating less stress for other people. From Stress to Serenity collects advice, practical exercises and insights from many traditions and diverse sources, including Rudolf Steiner, Jung, Nelson Mandela, Julian of Norwich, Marshall Rosenberg and Buddha. The result is an enlightening workbook as well as a thought-provoking analysis of the roots of stress and its meaning for our personal and spiritual development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781855844247
Publisher:	Rudolf Steiner Press
Publication date:	09/24/2013
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	3 MB

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	xi
Chapter 1	The Mission of Stress	2
	The deeper meaning of stress	3
	Stress as a personal guide	5
	Causes of stress	9
Chapter 2	Self-Diagnosis: An Inner Workshop	11
	I and the world	13
	The mind's role in stress and calm	15
	Becoming aware of stress	17
	Signs of stress	19
	We don't need to be stressed!	21
	How distress develops	22
	The effects of inadequate stress	26
	Why it is important to value illness	27
	Taking responsibility and making a change	28
Chapter 3	Lifestyle Fundamentals	30
Chapter 4	The True I and the Everyday Me	49
	Body, mind and spirit	51
	Experiencing your soul	54
	The true I	57
	The I and freedom of choice	60
	The I divided	61
	The universal Cain and Abel	65
	The meaning of individuality	69
	How the I creates destiny	72
	The meaning of stress and suffering	76
	How to embrace destiny	78
Chapter 5	How Stress Creates Self-Leadership	80
I.	Saturn: when uncertainty challenges	86
II.	Jupiter: when you need insight into complexity	90
III.	Mars: empowering yourself	92
IV.	Venus: the call of care	97
V.	Mercury: the call of flexibility	100
VI.	Moon: judgement and control in a world of activity	103
VII.	Sun: the need for moral maturity to confront the moral maze	110
Chapter 6	Exercises for Inner Development	115
	Observation and sensitivity exercises	115
	Gaining self-knowledge through daily or life-retrospectives	122
	Thinking exercises	125
	Strengthening the will	127
	Finding emotional balance: equanimity	128
	Positivity	130
	Memory exercises	133
	Decisions and decision making	134
	Becoming more flexible	134
	Meditation	135
Chapter 7	Stresses of Temperament	138
	The effect of the temperaments	139
	Exercise: recognizing your temperament	145
Chapter 8	Life and Work Techniques	148
	Creating positive mental and cultural attitudes	148
	Discuss good things together	151
	Time management	152
	Desk and work organization	156
	Taking the stress out of meetings	159
	Organizing change to minimize stress	163
	Using work rhythms to reduce stress	164
Chapter 9	When People Send us Crazy	166
	The pain of individuality and separation	167
	Vulnerability breeds aggression	169
	The mechanisms that make us vulnerable	171
	The way out: taking true responsibility	178
	Communication that connects	181
	Healing relationships	189
	Healing feelings and attitudes	191
	We grow through others	194
	Wonder, reverence and love	196
Chapter 10	Trials that Guide us to our Higher Self	199
	Life as a 'trial by fire'	200
	Life as a 'trial by water'	216
	Finding balance and moral clarity	220
	Life as a 'trial by air'	223
	Crossing Thresholds	225
	Your personal reflections	227
Chapter 11	Meditation	229
	Thoughts for the days of the week	230
	Seven practices to develop seven self-leadership qualities	232
	A western way to meditate	235
	Steps in meditation	236
	Summary of how to meditate	240
	Other ways to meditate	241
	Specific meditations	242
	Facing the future with courage	249
Chapter 12	The Big Ideas	251
	It matters how you think	252
	Affirming goodness: from stress to strength to serenity	254
	We live in a loveable universe	256
	Love your neighbour	259
Appendix	Resources	262
	Stress reduction action plan	263
	Notes	264
	Readings	267
	Illustration credits	270
	Index of Names	271
	Index of Meditations and Exercises	275