Goodness and greatness are synonymous words. Weak men, who, meddling with things too high for them, do suddenly fall into distractions, which distractions do not only unman men, but they run upon desperate ventures to obtain they know not what. There is something almost pathetic in the humbleness of a young man’s strength before the object of his first true love. It is the abasement of the real before the ideal; but if the ideal fails, the real takes vengeance of the man for having trodden it under. Heaven always proportions our strength to the trials which it lays before us. Stress can no longer be regarded as a typical response to events or pressure from outside nor as the specific result of particular actions of our own. Instead, it is a common feature of all biological activities. The magnitude of stress can be determined by measurable effects upon the body, specifically in such functions as: adrenal stimulation, shrinkage of lymphatic organs, gastrointestinal ulcers, loss of body weight, and alterations in the chemical composition of the body. No man is strong enough to take liberties with his public. When stress is absent, life is absent. When stress is present, life is present. Stress is an essential element of all our actions, in health and in disease. Disease is not only suffering, but also toil. That is, the body fights to restore itself toward normal. Disease is not mere surrender to an ailment, but also fight for health; and unless there is a fight, there is no disease. Contrast this to the person born with a physical disability. In such a condition there is no toil; the fight was lost long ago and now there is peace in the body, although it is a scarred body. Strength is incomprehensible by weakness, and therefore more terrible. Stress equalizes bodily activities. It prevents overexertion in either work or rest. If I am carrying a heavy suitcase with one arm, fatigue sets in rapidly.

Fatigue is a sign of local stress and call for change. If there is proportionately too much stress in any one part, you require diversion. If there is too much stress in the body as a whole, you must rest. Nature likes variety…if I use the same parts of my body or mind over and over again, the only means nature has to force me out of the groove is: stress. The essence of stress may be understood as a three-stage process: the alarm that something is wrong, the resistance of the organism to that malfunctioning, and the submission of the organism to the condition. I am struck by the parallel with the process of pieces and parts transformed into peace. The initial shock of recognition comes in the alarm that something is wrong. The middle confrontation of intentions shows my resistance to what is upsetting. The final recognition of choices appears with submission to the situation. No one is blamed for suffering an evil he cannot avoid. Evocative therapies focus on general stress while minimizing specific symptoms. They are dealing with the general alarm system that alerts the whole body to the assault of stress. As the person grows more aware of influences and choices, the alarm system no longer goes off at the slightest stress. One is more oneself and so can deal with stressful situations with appropriately circumscribed discriminations. We are born to suffer—and to bear it.  Directive therapies shift the focus from the general to the specific. As a responsible individual, I have to regain control, and find healthy ways to alleviate the presenting complaints. Stress is resisted with the least expenditure of my energy. One I am freed from the specific symptoms triggering the general alarm, general stress disappears. I am more able to do what I want because appropriate energy is available. Energy is perhaps of all qualities the most valuable. It is rare to meet a man who has lived much in the World who has not persuaded himself that caution is always the result of wisdom.

Struggles with the natural character, the strong native bent of the heart, may seem futile and fruitless, but in the end they do good. They tend, however slightly, to give the actions, the conduct, that turn which Reason approves, and which Feeling, perhaps, too often opposes they certainly make a difference in the general tenor of a life, and enable it to be better regulated, more equable, quieter on the surface; and it is on the surface only the common gage will fall. As to what lies below, leave that with God.  When we utilize these techniques of relinquishing the negative and surrendering resistance to finding beneficial solutions, sooner or later we come into a sudden, comprehensive awareness of our true nature. Once this has been experienced, it will never be forgotten. The World will never intimidate us again as it once did. There may be continued compliance with the ways of the inner vulnerability, and the inner doubt is now gone. Outwardly, the behavior may appear the same, but inwardly, the causes for it are now totally different. The end result of the conscious handling of emotions is invulnerability and imperturbability. Our inner nature is now bullet proof. We are able to go through the World with balance and grace. Day after day, and almost every day, one meets censure which is felt to be unjust;–but the general result of all this injustice is increased efficiency. It is not mere industry that will produce good work, nor yet skill, nor even genius. My heart, as an artist, must be thrust with all its gushing tides into the performance of life.