Friday, August 30, 2019

Growth Through Pain and Suffering



Growth Through Pain and Suffering published on PsychReg

 
Pain is the most common illness experience on the planet, yet those that suffer are often treated poorly and endure stigma for feeling pain, which is a normal human emotion and reaction, like cause and effect. When you stub your toe, you yell, Ow! and feel pain. However, when pain is emotional, mental and spiritual; society tends to view pain differently.

Known as the dark night of the soul, the storm, the suffering, serves a purpose. It endows you with vital resources for personal growth. The happiest people are those who have undergone hardship to emerge with deep wisdom to share with others, your response to hardship is measured by your attitude, and mental resilience and how you interpret how events shape your life. There are only two choices when facing hardships: rise to the challenge and overcome it, or retreat into despair.

The Centre for Pain Research at the University of Bath and Professor Chris, Director of the Centre, present another way to look at pain by asking, What is the point of pain? The Centre states, we are foolish to think that modern science can banish pain altogether. It is designed to be protective, an alarm system.

Suffering affects both personal and professional lives and when not dealt with, pain negatively affects well-being. If you are not going through some form of suffering now, chances are someone close to you is. Therapist Dr Todd Hall speaks about the myths, truths and growth in suffering by posing the question: ‘How do you suffer well?’ In other words, how do you grow through suffering?

Suffering initiates a search for significance. It is important to make sense of, and find meaning and purpose in suffering and growing past limits creates vulnerability. We all need one another and nothing is certain or uncertain, they are both illusions. Humans cannot predict exactly what is going to occur so letting go of sureness of an outcome brings vulnerability.

Sharing experiences and emotions is healthy. When you suffer, you need to talk about your experience, and part of becoming a loving person leads to receiving love well so when suffering appears, and one chooses to grow through suffering, sensitivity and empathy occur. You are no longer lost in your own pain, rather, quick to help others get through their own suffering. You have to process your own pain enough to be able to focus on others in order to respond with compassion.

Have you heard of The ACE Test or Adverse Childhood Experiences Test? There are 10 quick questions about adverse childhood experiences that link to adult conditions, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The purpose for this test is to show you your own self-efficacy and resilience in spite of the trauma you experienced

Once you get your score, pay attention to your suffering and think: I have endured a lot of suffering, and in that pain, here I am, existing and happy, successful and doing, creating and sharing, loving and living and become grateful for the experiences because without them, you would not be the person you are right now, beautiful and empowered.

Instead of thinking of yourself as a victim, think of yourself as a survivor. You may never know how powerful your words and actions are, or ever realise the impact they make on other’s lives. Empowerment is an unstoppable force for good. A few words from a loved one or a stranger can change the way you think and proceed. 

Buddha stated: Bliss is found when one lets go of satisfying personal, material and not true needs, and instead, allows life to simply flow.

In the words of Helen Keller, character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul is strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.


 

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

#20 The Human Condition with Susan Marie (Pain, Suffering, Growth & Empowerment (ACE Test)




Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/susan-marie/20-the-human-condition-with-susan-marie-pain-suffering-growth-empowerment-ace-test

The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.

The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #20 covers pain, suffering, growth and empowerment. The Four Noble Truths are discusses, along with the ACE test and how the dark night of the soul, the storm, the suffering, serves a purpose. 

References: 

The Painful Part of the Human Condition

Eight Ways You Can Grow Through Suffering
 
ACE Test

Peace, 

Sue

Friday, July 26, 2019

#19 The Human Condition with Susan Marie (Boundaries,Toxicity & Boundary Awareness Exercises)



Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/susan-marie/19-the-human-condition-with-susan-marie-boundariestoxicity-boundary-awareness-exercises


The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.

The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #19 covers setting boundaries, dealing with toxicity, and two simple boundary awareness exercises, along with links to printable boundaries worksheets that can help you set healthy boundaries in all aspects of your life, as well as links to free online courses for creating a better life, Live a Brighter Life, and setting healthy boundaries, Train the Trainer, that can help yourself and others by being an advocate for learning and teaching positive boundaries.
Resources:

How to Be Strong While Still Being Gentle: indranislight.org/category/buildin…lthy-boundaries/

What are Personal Boundaries?: www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/bou…n-printout.pdf

Setting Healthy Personal Boundaries: www.recoveryeducationnetwork.org/uploads/…__1_.pdf

Building Better Boundaries: cloudfront.ualberta.ca/-/media/medic…esfeb2011.pdf

Drawing Effective Personal Boundaries: www.liveandworkonpurpose.com/files/Boundaries.pdf

Live a Brighter Life Free Course: indranislight.org/engage/intro-course-live/

Train the Trainer Free Course: indranislight.org/engage/train-the-trainer-online/

Peace,

Susan Marie

Thursday, July 18, 2019

#18 The Human Condition with Susan Marie (The Weight of Being Human with Personal Experience)





The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.

The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #18 covers the weight of being human, weightlessness, existential therapy, being and nothingness and finding enlightenment in everyday experiences with personal experience.

Listen Here: https://soundcloud.com/susan-marie/18-the-human-condition-with-susan-marie-the-weight-of-being-human-with-personal-experience

Resources:

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy by Gerald Corey:
yuliaaziz09.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/t…erapy.pdf


Being and Nothingness by Sartre:
www.the-philosophy.com/being-nothing…rtre-analysis


Tim Denning: The Only Rules for Being Human:
medium.com/the-mission/the-onl…-human-dc8a12f932e2


Jack Kerouac: The Golden Eternity:
www.brainpickings.org/2014/03/12/jac…lden-eternity/


Peace,

Susan Marie

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

#17 The Human Condition with Susan Marie (The Affect of Music on Behavior and Mood w/Demonstrations)





This is a special episode of 20 minutes with demonstrations of sound, music, lyrics, and tone for you to experiment with. This podcast will change from every Sunday to every Wednesday forward. 

The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.

The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #17 covers the affect of music on human behavior and mood with scientific studies and live sound demonstrations, including musical homework for you. I have a cool demonstration. 

Let’s listen to a few tones, lyrics, music, and nature sounds and see how that makes us feel? I will play one sound, allow a short time to absorb the sound and play another. There will be 7 or 8 diverse sounds, music and lyrics. As you listen, keep that emotion in your mind, recall exactly how that single sound, voice, lyrics, or music made you feel mentally, emotionally and physically. 

Ready?

Resources:

Two types of peak emotional responses to music: The psychophysiology of chills and tears:
www.nature.com/articles/srep46063


Why Some Songs Make Us Cry:
www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why…us-cry-ncna784801

How Does Music Affect You?: effectsofmusicinquiry.weebly.com/music-an…ood.html

Can Deaf People Hear Music?:
assistivetechnologyblog.com/2016/06/can…er-yes.html


15 seconds of Music/Lyrics/Score Fair Use © Lenny Revell, Blake Shelton, Tupac, Adele, Drake, Terry Jacks, Florence and the Machine, Bloodspot, Beatles, Rage Against the Machine.

Peace,

Susan Marie

Friday, June 28, 2019

#16 The Human Condition with Susan Marie (What is Pride? Gender and Sexual Orientation)



Listen Here: https://soundcloud.com/susan-marie/16-the-human-condition-with-susan-marie-what-is-pride-gender-and-sexual-orientation


The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.

The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #15 covers pride, gender and sexuality, focusing on the reason for Pride Month, Stonewall, the Pride Flag, history and several films and documentaries, terminology associated with the spectrum, including becoming involved with PFLAG. June is Pride Month.

Resources:

PFLAG: pflag.org/

Gender Spectrum definitions: www.genderspectrum.org/quick-links/u…nding-gender/

Gender: The Spaces Between: www.cbsnews.com/video/gender-the-space-between/

Gender Revolution: www.netflix.com/title/80186731

Queer Eye: www.netflix.com/title/80160037

Queer as Folk: www.hulu.com/series/queer-as-fo…-bd62-fbc6acc961b7

Milk: www.netflix.com/title/70100084

Dallas Buyers Club: www.netflix.com/title/70275751

Please share, subscribe and follow on iTunes, YouTube, Soundcloud, Google Play Music, and subscribe to my weekly newsletter with audio: suemarie.substack.com

Peace,

Susan Marie

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

#14 & #15 The Human Condition with Susan Marie (What is Death? Why Do We Fear It? & Psychology & Emotionality of Dreams)



The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.


The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #14 covers What is Death? Why Do We Fear It? with a short question demonstration followed by learning how to do the 9 point death meditation. 

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/susan-marie/14-what-is-death-why-do-we-fear-it-9-point-death-meditation-demonstration


Resources:

9 Point Death Meditation: https://kadampa-center.org/sites/default/files/DeathHO5.pdf

Is Not How You Die, but How You Live That Matters: https://blog.liberationist.org/is-not-how-you-live-but-how-you-die-that-matters-f1ddcaac1ea2

 * * * 

Episode #15 covers the Science, Psychology, Philosophy and Emotionality of Dreams with dream demonstrations and simple self experiments to test dream latency, and learn how to start a dream journal. I share personal experience with nightmares.

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/susan-marie/15-the-human-condition-with-susan-marie-psychologyemotionality-of-dreams-with-demonstration


 
Resources:

The Science Behind Dreaming: www.scientificamerican.com/article/the…d-dreaming/

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Dreams & Dreaming: plato.stanford.edu/entries/dreams-dreaming/

Sleep & Dreaming Experiments: faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsleep.html

Printable Dream Journal: faculty.washington.edu/chudler/pdf/dreamjj.pdf

Printable Sleep Journal: faculty.washington.edu/chudler/pdf/sleepjj.pdf



Sit back, relax and enjoy.

I rely on your feedback, so hit me up.

Please share, subscribe and follow on iTunes, YouTube, Soundcloud, Google Play Music, and subscribe to my weekly newsletter with audio: https://suemarie.substack.com/

Peace,

Susan Marie

Monday, May 27, 2019

#13 The Human Condition with Susan Marie (Effective Communication & Self-Assessment)




Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/susan-marie/13-the-human-condition-with-susan-marie-emotionality-skills-to-communicate-effectively-self-assessment


The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.

The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #13 covers emotionality, skills to communicate effectively, recognizing your stress levels, and a simple self-check assessment on your style of communication, what that implies and how to improve the way you communicate.

Resources:

Mind Tools Communication Self-Assessment: www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_99.htm

Sit back, relax and enjoy.

I rely on your feedback, so hit me up.

Please share, subscribe and follow on iTunes, YouTube, Soundcloud, Google Play Music, and subscribe to my weekly newsletter with audio: suemarie.substack.com/

Peace,

Susan Marie

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

#12 The Human Condition with Susan Marie (The Human Spirit, the Human Soul & Mental Health)




Listen here: 

The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.

The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #12 covers the human spirit, the human soul, perseverance & mental health with a personal touch.

Resources:

Dr. Lorenzo Pace: lorenzopace.com/triumph-of-the-human-spirit/

24/7 Mental Health Resources: www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-…HelpLine-Resources

Sit back, relax and enjoy.

I rely on your feedback, so hit me up.

Please share, subscribe and follow on iTunes, YouTube, Soundcloud, Google Play Music, and subscribe to my weekly newsletter with audio: suemarie.substack.com/

Peace,

Susan Marie

Sunday, May 12, 2019

The Human Condition with Susan Marie (Emotional Intelligence: Understanding, Practice, Demonstration & Assessment) Episode #11





Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/susan-marie/11-emotional-intelligence-understanding-practice-demonstration-assessment 


The Human Condition is a weekly 10-12 minute audio series featuring me, you and a conversation about everyday experiences, made simple.

The human condition is defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality".

Episode #11 covers Emotional Intelligence: Understanding, Acceptance and Empowerment, the Emotion Wheel, a practice, demonstration and a film.

Resources:

The Emotion Wheel: What is It and How to Use it? [+PDF]: positivepsychologyprogram.com/emotion-wheel/

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions: www.6seconds.org/2017/04/27/plutc…del-of-emotions/

Emotional Intelligence Assessment: www.ihhp.com/free-eq-quiz/

5 Simple Lessons for Social and Emotional Learning for Adults: www.edutopia.org/blog/five-social…ts-elena-aguilar

Inside Out (film trailer): www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRUAzGQ3nSY

Sit back, relax and enjoy.

I rely on your feedback, so hit me up.

Please share, subscribe and follow on iTunes, YouTube, Soundcloud, Google Play Music, and subscribe to my weekly newsletter with audio: suemarie.substack.com/

Peace,

Susan Marie