Practical Tips to have Joy and Happiness in a Stressful World

We were delighted when Ted Kuntz M.Ed, author of "Peace Begins With Me," offered to present his wellknown "Joy of Stress" seminar for fellow HANS members November 28th, 2006.

Nothing would get in the way of that lecture happening, not even high winds and a foot of snow! Throughout the seminar we were given practical tools to increase the happiness in each of our lives. Ted doesn't just say "Live in the Moment," he educates on how to actually make  that happen, and I really admire that about him. After two hours with Ted we ALL left with a beaming smile and a glowing heart. The wisdom he shares is that which he acquired during his own journey to find peace with himself when his son became disabled by a childhood vaccine at the age of five months. Ted spent the first five years of Joshua's life angry and afraid,  frustrated and resentful, and unable to accept his son's condition as reality. It wasn't until he realized the full impact his unhappiness had on this happy but physically disabled child, that he made the decision to find peace within himself. And what a journey it was!

Here's a story from Ted that I really loved and related to. It's called The Tale of Two Wolves and is a conversation between an elderly grandfather and his grandson.

"Grandson, there are two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is angry and vindictive, and wants to hurt others. The other wolf is kind, compassionate, and loving."

"Grandfather," replied the anxious grandson, "which wolf will win the battle of your heart?"

The wise elder replies, "The battle of my heart will be won by the wolf that wins the battle of every man's heart – it is the wolf that I feed."

Since that lecture I find myself often asking "Which wolf am I feeding right now?" And let me tell you this, my negative wolf is going hungry these days! To get the full impact of these tools and more, and how to use them effectively, I recommend hearing him speak or reading his book.

Feeding Your Negative Wolf
Imagining the worst
Making mistakes
Thinking like a victim
Living in the past or future
Resisting reality
Delaying happiness –
"I'll be happy when…"

Feeding Your Positive Wolf
Take responsibility for assigning meaning to events
Choose what does the most good
Accept reality
Pay attention to your pain
Schedule your worry time
Trust
Choose to be happy now

For those of you who would like to experience Ted's message, visit www.peacebeginswithme.ca for a copy of his book or call HANS at 604-435-0512 to obtain DVDs of his previous HANS events.

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