Acceptance leads us to the time when we have the joyous opportunity to-accept happiness.

Accepting happiness-bring it on-I can take it...

Carolyn

P.S. Ever get bitten by your own words? This morning I was called upon to accept where I was at that very moment. I was called upon to take total, personal responsibility for my choices. I was called upon to accept with grace-my very first traffic ticket. Besides the fact that the officer must have been all of 16, it is a very sad moment in a woman's life when she realizes she can no longer blink her eyes rapidly and get a warning rather than a ticket! I almost wept, but didn't want him to misconstrue my motives. I've decided to put my positive spin on this 72 in a 55. It will serve to slow me down perhaps helping me to avoid something serious. And number one, I will get my eye glasses prescription checked right away...should have seen him before he clocked me.

BOOK REVIEW

FROM PANIC TO POWER, by Lucinda Bassett

"The chapters in part 1 comforted me so, hearing Lucinda's experiences which closely paralleled my own. It helped to realize I'm not alone in how I tend to react to life...and that there's a way out! The chapter on compassionate self talk has really helped, and I've been incorporating that more and more into my daily thought life.

Chapter 14 was my favorite: Leap of Faith. The most helpful things I have learned from it: "Things will work out. Trust is knowing deep inside that everything's all right and that Someone is running things." And something that Lucinda wrote sort of 'off the cuff,' which has resonated with me more than anything else: "It looks like it's going all wrong, but that can't be true---I've given it to God. I've done my part. If this is what's happening it must be OK."

So many times the perfectionist (me) tries to control and manipulate to ensure comfort and right outcome---even people who pray and "trust" God. But when things don't seem to match up with the prayer or the promise, the anxiety takes over and everything is in upheaval and panic strikes. That last quote relieves me so, and I'm so thankful she put this in the book.

I so look forward to continuing on this journey to peace.

Jeanne, NH

Unknown

USING THE "FOURTH R" FOR TOP SCHOOL SUCCESS

Dr. Ron Rubenzer

Version FEATURED DUKE UNIVERSITY'S INSIGHTS (300,000 readers April 11, 2003)
Dr. Ronald L. Rubenzer, School Psychologist III

For Top School Success, Beat Test-Stress with Positive Thinking Tests are simply "success benchmarks" during your 12-year academic career. Used correctly, tests actually serve as your "success stepping stones" rather than as stumbling blocks. Enjoying "test success" makes you feel better about yourself and can motivate you to strive for personal excellence. You can then carry the confidence built from doing well on tests into life's arena with its many other exciting challenges.

"Get a Grip " on Competition
Competition can be a good thing because everyone performs just a little better. College freshman are getting more A's than ever before. But taken too far, competition can lead students to feel unnecessarily overwhelmed. If you feel overwhelmed, you are only human. In fact, one out of three college freshmen feel overwhelmed. Many students feel overwhelmed by achievement stress. You can get the proper grip on competition, not too tight, not too loose. When your chance to "come up to bat" comes, you know you can hit that homerun by having "just the right grip" on the bat, not too tight not too loose. It is same with any achievement challenge; adjust your attitude first, then, with work, you will win your prize.

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