Hello and welcome to
"Health for a Lifetime"
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I'm your host Don Mackintosh
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and we're glad that
you've joined us today.
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In your life, perhaps you
have stressors that are really
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troubling you and
today we're going to learn
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it depends a lot on your
viewpoint as to whether or not
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you're going to get
through those stressors.
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Joining us today
is Dr. Skip MacCarty,
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he is a specialist
actually in stress management.
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You've done seminars
now for over 20 years.
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You've developed a
seminar that's available.
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If you need more
information on how to get that,
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they can contact 3ABN.
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But, you have had a lot of
exciting things come out of
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your work and today
we're going to be talking about
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an aspect of it that
deals with our viewpoint.
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One of the things
that's been helpful to me,
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as I've looked at your seminar
is this idea of a stress tank
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and maybe you can
work us into that,
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and then how
viewpoint fits into it.
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Okay Don, the stress tank model
came out of Australia actually,
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and then I re-formed
it based on my research.
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It essentially invites us
to think of our life as a tank,
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and every day we have these
stressors pouring into our lives
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every day - we can't get away
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from that in
living in this world...
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And if stress levels
rise to the overflow point,
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then various kinds of
harm can result from that;
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physical illnesses,
accidents, etcetera.
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Fortunately, there is
a pressure relief valve
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on our tank that can
drain the stress to safe levels,
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and there are 7
keys to managing stress
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and keeping that
pressure-relief valve opened.
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Also ways we can close
the pressure-relief valve
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thinking we are helping
it... Here are the 7 keys:
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Prayer, relaxation, exercise,
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and then viewpoint is
#4, you're calling it?
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Well on that particular list
- simply because we put it in an
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acronym to
prevent stress overload,
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and keeping it fully open.
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Okay, so how
important then is it in terms of
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the BIG scheme of things.
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Okay, Don, we've created
a stress management pyramid
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as well and the
stress management pyramid,
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we have at the
bottom of the pyramid,
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we have the things that are
foundational - very important,
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but as you move up
the stress pyramid,
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every one of those 7 keys
becomes even more important,
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and you see "viewpoint"
is right up toward the top...
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Very, very important -
it's in the power position.
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The bottom 4 are foundational.
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The top 3 are the power
position of stress management,
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and "viewpoint"
is that important.
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So, in other words, your
point-of-view or your viewpoint
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is very important.
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What exactly does that mean?
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What exact are you talking about
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when you're
talking about "viewpoint?"
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Okay, researchers,
Don, distinguish between
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what they call "real
stress" and "process of stress"
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Okay, real stress, Don
would be if I was holding
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a gun to your
head, for instance.
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That would be a real
threat to you... Okay
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But in process of stress
would be if we were at a party,
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you didn't like me - let's say,
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I had hurt you
some time in the past -
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You were at a party, you
were having a great time...
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I walked into the
room and you saw me...
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Suddenly, very similar kinds of
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things start to
take place in your body.
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That's right - biochemically.
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We've got a slide that shows
- what I call a beginning level
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understanding of stress
which really is real stress,
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and that is - the activating
event leads to a consequence.
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In other words, the stressor...
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Me holding the gun to your head
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leads to a biochemical
reaction in your body.
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You start pumping
adrenalin, cortisol levels rise,
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you have an emotional response,
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and maybe even a
behavioral response.
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And the next slide shows,
in Advanced Understanding,
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95% of the stress we experience
in this life is processive.
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What happens is filtered
through your believe system.
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I'd simply walk into the room.
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I'm no real threat to
you, but I walk into the room.
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You don't like me -
something in your belief system
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filters through my presence
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in that room and
it leads to stress
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and it was your belief
system that contributed...
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The way you
processed it mentally
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actually created the stress.
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So you're saying that, really,
the was I BELIEVE about things
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creates stress for me - is
that what you're saying? Exactly
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And so, what
should I do about this?
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Well, I'd like
to just show another
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stage of this process here.
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This is Dr. David Burns at
the University of Pennsylvania
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He diagrams it like this
- he says there's this real
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world out there that is
filled with harmful things
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to us and positive
things and neutral things...
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And we process all those
things through our thoughts,
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and that creates our
mood or our stress level.
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The next slide shows
if you translate this
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into actual stress
language, you have the stressors
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that are taking place out there,
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yeah - or just
somebody walking in the room.
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But your belief system
actually assigns a meaning...
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He could hurt me with that gun
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or he can hurt me
because he has done that before.
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Yeah, he can walk up
and say something to me
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that would
embarrass me, for instance...
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And that then contributes
to your stress level. Okay
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And it's real
stress if it's a gun,
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but it's processed stress if
it's just a person walking in.
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That's exactly
right. It's the idea...
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Okay, so are there more specific
beliefs that can actually
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produce this or lead to this?
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Beliefs are very powerful to
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create or
reduce stress, in fact.
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The next graphic we're
going to show here shows that...
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Look at that stressor -
you have those small arrows
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just something
neutral - maybe even positive,
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but I have a belief, a
stress-inducing belief,
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I call it - that
actually enables that stressor,
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it supercharges it and
by the time it gets to me,
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after it being filtered
through my belief system,
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it actually induces stress.
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Now "beliefs," Don, can do
exactly the opposites as well.
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The next slide
will show the effects of
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stress-reducing beliefs.
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Here is a stressor that before
has been very negative to me.
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Me walking in that room has
just upset you so many times
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because I've hurt you in the
past and you expect it again.
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But now you've learned
to change your belief system
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with respect to this and
so that negative stressor,
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that previously negative
stressor, now is disabled
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and you can actually,
through your belief system,
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reduce the distress level.
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So we need to be thinking
of those kind of things.
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That's exactly right - to
learn how to think differently
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to process things
differently to develop a healthy
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set of beliefs that
will enable us to disable
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potentially stressful situations
to cause stress for us.
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So are there specific beliefs
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that can actually
produce these things?
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Yes - you take, for
instance, people that...
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I don't know if
you've ever known anybody
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who is afraid to fly. Oh yeah
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I have relatives
who are afraid to fly,
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and interestingly enough,
they may travel a LONG distance
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1,000 miles - 1,500
miles in the car in the winter
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...Instead of
being in an airplane -
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and actually consider that safer
because they're afraid to fly.
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And, many people
are afraid to fly...
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Well I think probably another
example that I could think of,
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maybe - I'm just
testing this out with you...
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If you do very poorly on a
test, say - your young child
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or you feel - made bad
- whatever the subject is,
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you feel like
you're not that smart.
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You don't want to do that
again, even though you may
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or may not be
smart in that area...
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You just feel like
you were so put down,
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that it stunts you because it's
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imagined belief about yourself.
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Okay, every time you are
then required to take a test
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of some kind, it
has that effect on you -
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That would be the
same kind of thing?
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It would be similar, yes.
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Now what you look at is...
what's the basis for that fear?
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For instance, Don, why
would somebody be afraid to fly?
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Maybe a recent
hijacking, a terrorist act,
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or something like that. Yes
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And also, every time there
is a major airliner come down
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it's in the newspapers.
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We have the benefit in
this culture today of getting
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the black box and
hearing back the last words...
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You hear it over and over again,
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sort of like the
incident in New York City.
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They keep
replaying it - exactly right;
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they keep
replaying these things,
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and we actually put
ourselves in the position of a
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passenger on that plane
- when every time we hear
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that back, we think -
"What would it have been like
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to be a
passenger on that plane. "
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And so we generate these
fears and if you're looking for
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evidence that
planes are unsafe to fly,
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you're going to find that
evidence - it's out there.
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So this is a process
that our mind goes through
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and it really has the
same affect as the actual event
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if that was happening
almost. That's exactly right
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Your body doesn't
know the difference,
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and when you were
thinking about being in a plane
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that's going to crash
or that's being hijacked,
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your body biochemically begins
to react with adrenalin output,
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with cortisol levels rising
in your body which is damaging.
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Cortisol, as far
as we understand this,
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cortisol levels are
damaging to the immune system,
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and that's why stress can be so
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contributory to
illnesses and diseases.
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So it's not something
we should mess around with.
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We need to get a handle
on what to do when we have
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these stress-inducing
beliefs and take care of them.
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How could you sum this up?
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Well because so many
stress-inducing beliefs are,
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in fact, just that -
it's just our belief system,
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we're processing the stress.
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We're creating stress
through our belief system.
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Now the reality is
that, statistically,
00:10:04.30\00:10:10.26
do you know how long you
would have to fly if you were
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flying for 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week,
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52 weeks out of the year,
before a plane that you were in,
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would crash, statistically
- based on just statistics...
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the number of miles flown to the
number of planes coming down...
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I'm not sure, what would it be?
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I have no idea - 20
years? Okay, 434 years!
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Oh, I think I could
probably get where I'm going
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in that amount of time.
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That's flying nonstop 434 years,
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statistically - that
doesn't mean there aren't
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people that come
down or people that die.
00:10:42.55\00:10:44.38
But statistically,
it's 250 times safer
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to be in an
airplane mile per mile,
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than it is an
automobile mile per mile.
00:10:52.45\00:10:54.98
...250 times more safer.
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So just replacing that
belief can make a difference
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in how you feel
about flying, for instance
00:11:01.18\00:11:03.53
when you focus on that.
00:11:03.56\00:11:05.03
So viewpoint is very important
and that very fact right there
00:11:05.06\00:11:08.12
can help change our viewpoint.
00:11:08.15\00:11:09.50
Well someone once said...
"You know, most accidents
00:11:09.53\00:11:11.43
happen within 25
miles of home, so I moved"
00:11:11.46\00:11:13.81
That's probably not
going to work - that one,
00:11:13.84\00:11:16.32
but this
viewpoint of what really,
00:11:16.35\00:11:18.68
actually happens, helps us.
00:11:18.71\00:11:20.12
In fact, if you ask people
what is the most dangerous
00:11:20.16\00:11:22.72
part of flying, many people
will say - "It's the takeoff
00:11:22.75\00:11:25.91
or the landing," but in
reality the most dangerous
00:11:25.94\00:11:28.78
part of flying is
the drive to the airport.
00:11:28.81\00:11:31.39
That's statistically the truth.
00:11:31.42\00:11:35.51
And almost
everything we experience in life
00:11:35.54\00:11:37.42
has at least 2 sets of data...
00:11:37.45\00:11:42.73
Because 90-95% of the stress
we experience in life today
00:11:42.76\00:11:46.39
in today's world
is processive stress.
00:11:46.42\00:11:49.12
It's how we're
processing things.
00:11:49.15\00:11:51.51
It's the data that
we choose to focus on
00:11:51.54\00:11:54.21
that determines whether
we're going to be stressed by
00:11:54.24\00:11:58.61
our relationship to
whatever is happening there.
00:11:58.64\00:12:01.17
Is there a way that you
could sum this up for us?
00:12:01.20\00:12:04.52
Yes there is... There
is kind of a phrase that
00:12:04.55\00:12:07.44
I use that I
think is very powerful,
00:12:07.47\00:12:10.80
and if somebody just took
this thought away with them
00:12:10.83\00:12:13.86
from our discussion today...
00:12:13.89\00:12:15.86
If we can change an
interpretation of an event,
00:12:15.89\00:12:19.70
we can
effectively change the impact
00:12:19.73\00:12:22.91
that event will have on us.
00:12:22.94\00:12:25.50
So, if we can change the
interpretation of an event,
00:12:25.53\00:12:29.27
we can effectively change
the impact it has on us...
00:12:29.30\00:12:31.87
So this then is
not just a statement,
00:12:31.90\00:12:34.34
it also is a question and
maybe that's were we should
00:12:34.37\00:12:37.86
pick it up when we come back.
00:12:37.89\00:12:38.98
Can we, in fact, CHANGE
the interpretation of events
00:12:39.01\00:12:42.63
so that our stress
level will go down?
00:12:42.66\00:12:44.78
We are talking
with Dr. Skip MacCarty
00:12:44.81\00:12:46.58
We're talking
about material from his
00:12:46.61\00:12:48.42
"Beyond Coping
Seminar" on stress
00:12:48.45\00:12:51.59
and we hope that
you've found it enjoyable,
00:12:51.62\00:12:53.68
and that you'll join
us when we come back.
00:12:53.71\00:12:55.26
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Welcome back, we've been talking
00:14:00.50\00:14:01.93
with Dr. Skip MacCarty
00:14:01.96\00:14:03.12
We're talking about
stress and we're talking about
00:14:03.15\00:14:05.58
your viewpoint - what we
can do to -what would you say?
00:14:05.61\00:14:09.91
Reduce or alleviate
stress by our viewpoint,
00:14:09.94\00:14:13.10
and we've talked about
how there are stress-inducing
00:14:13.13\00:14:16.92
beliefs that we can have
that can be very harmful.
00:14:16.95\00:14:19.73
When we stopped talking,
you were making a claim -
00:14:19.76\00:14:22.56
that it was possible
to convert harmful stress
00:14:22.59\00:14:25.94
to beneficial stress
through a healthy viewpoint.
00:14:25.97\00:14:29.16
How in the world
would you do this?
00:14:29.19\00:14:30.87
Okay Don, we've talked
about there are stress-inducing
00:14:30.90\00:14:34.67
beliefs that we all
have that create stress;
00:14:34.70\00:14:37.79
90-95% of the stress we
experience in today's world
00:14:37.82\00:14:41.57
is process of stress.
00:14:41.60\00:14:42.93
We create it by
our own viewpoint.
00:14:42.96\00:14:45.20
Now #1- If you want to
change your viewpoint to reduce
00:14:45.23\00:14:48.94
your stress and
manage your stress levels,
00:14:48.97\00:14:50.65
#1- Every time you have
a stress-inducing belief
00:14:50.68\00:14:53.97
that's manifesting itself and
creating stress in your life,
00:14:54.00\00:14:56.69
CHALLENGE that belief,
challenge it... rigorously,
00:14:56.72\00:15:00.19
never allow it to go on.
00:15:00.22\00:15:01.84
So as soon as you
think sometime like that,
00:15:01.87\00:15:03.30
you go - "Wait a
minute, why am I thinking that,"
00:15:03.33\00:15:05.23
and just analyze it,
scrutinize it... Exactly
00:15:05.26\00:15:08.00
Okay... Exactly
00:15:08.03\00:15:09.23
Well, how can
someone determine if they
00:15:09.26\00:15:10.75
have such beliefs?
00:15:10.78\00:15:12.61
Well that's a very good
question because I can tell you
00:15:12.64\00:15:15.46
if I asked you right
now to write down all your
00:15:15.49\00:15:17.10
stress-inducing beliefs,
you might... MIGHT be able
00:15:17.13\00:15:19.98
to come up with 1 or 2,
but generally, we don't know..
00:15:20.01\00:15:24.00
There are 2
primary ways to do that...
00:15:24.03\00:15:26.44
#1- Is by our self-talk.
00:15:26.47\00:15:30.39
We're constantly
talking to ourselves.
00:15:30.42\00:15:32.58
We're sending messages to
ourselves just constantly,
00:15:32.61\00:15:35.57
and to get in, if we had a
ticker taper, it's a printout
00:15:35.60\00:15:39.74
of all of our self-talk,
we would see those beliefs
00:15:39.77\00:15:42.36
would be manifest to us.
00:15:42.39\00:15:43.42
So just listening to ourselves,
00:15:43.45\00:15:44.92
listening to what
we're saying to ourself.
00:15:44.95\00:15:46.50
And what we're
saying in the mirror.
00:15:46.53\00:15:47.57
I guess that's what
that graphic means there.
00:15:47.61\00:15:48.95
Okay, good. Yes!
00:15:48.98\00:15:50.30
Analyze your self-talk.
00:15:50.33\00:15:51.50
The person looking in the mirror
there is - Talking to themselves
00:15:51.53\00:15:54.19
They're interpreting what
they're seeing in the mirror.
00:15:54.22\00:15:55.97
And they are saying
something to themselves,
00:15:56.00\00:15:58.65
and if they'll listen to what
they're saying to themselves,
00:15:58.68\00:16:00.98
they're actually creating
stress by what they're saying,
00:16:01.01\00:16:03.58
and they need to start
challenging the words that
00:16:03.61\00:16:06.07
they're saying that
are creating stress.
00:16:06.10\00:16:08.03
So, if I'm saying to myself,
"You're no good, you're no good"
00:16:08.06\00:16:11.48
...You've got to
say, "Wait a minute, maybe
00:16:11.51\00:16:13.37
I need to think about
that... maybe I am good"
00:16:13.40\00:16:15.46
Is there any other way
besides self-talk that we can
00:16:15.49\00:16:17.72
challenge these
beliefs? Yes there is...
00:16:17.75\00:16:19.92
The second way is equally
as important as self-talk is
00:16:19.95\00:16:23.03
to work backward from what we
00:16:23.06\00:16:26.61
call "C" or the consequence
of stress to "A" - the stressor,
00:16:26.64\00:16:30.11
and then work
forward to beliefs.
00:16:30.14\00:16:31.94
In other words, Don,
you walk into the room,
00:16:31.97\00:16:34.13
you've hurt me so
many times in the past -
00:16:34.16\00:16:35.91
I'm having a great time
at this social function,
00:16:35.94\00:16:38.48
but YOU walk into the room
and suddenly my adrenalin levels
00:16:38.51\00:16:41.31
go up, my
cortisol level goes up,
00:16:41.34\00:16:42.86
and I'm defensive now - and I'm
just ready to get hurt again...
00:16:42.89\00:16:46.54
And once that happens,
that's the consequence;
00:16:46.57\00:16:51.72
my fear - I feel that
rush of adrenalin within me...
00:16:51.75\00:16:55.89
That's the
consequence, that's the "C"
00:16:55.92\00:16:58.02
And I work backward from
that to "A" to the stressor...
00:16:58.05\00:17:01.34
What just
happened to create that?
00:17:01.37\00:17:02.77
I sense that
happening within me.
00:17:02.80\00:17:04.19
Or you do something
that makes me angry -
00:17:04.22\00:17:06.12
that's a stress response.
00:17:06.15\00:17:08.08
So then I say - "Okay,
what has just happened?"
00:17:08.11\00:17:11.33
I work back to the stressor
- You just walked in the room,
00:17:11.36\00:17:13.57
or you just
said something to me.
00:17:13.60\00:17:15.17
Then I work from there
and say - "You know what,
00:17:15.20\00:17:17.05
Don walking in the room does
not have the power to create
00:17:17.08\00:17:19.91
...suddenly my adrenalin
starts flowing or I get stressed
00:17:19.94\00:17:24.11
He doesn't have that power.
00:17:24.14\00:17:26.10
Even him saying those
words doesn't have the
00:17:26.13\00:17:27.92
power to make me angry.
00:17:27.95\00:17:29.22
What is it I'm thinking?
00:17:29.26\00:17:30.50
What is it I'm believing
about those words he says,
00:17:30.53\00:17:34.24
or about just his presence in
this room that's creating this?
00:17:34.27\00:17:37.24
Well, I'm thinking that because
he has said things that have
00:17:37.27\00:17:40.48
hurt me in the past,
because he's tried to
00:17:40.51\00:17:42.58
humiliate me in
social groups in the past,
00:17:42.62\00:17:43.65
he's probably
going to do it again...
00:17:43.68\00:17:45.31
That's a... leap that's
probably a leap. That is
00:17:45.35\00:17:48.85
Okay, so once you've discovered
these self-inducing stressors
00:17:48.88\00:17:54.28
or beliefs that cause stress,
00:17:54.31\00:17:55.73
and you're
starting to discover them,
00:17:55.76\00:17:57.45
and you're going from looking
at self-talk and working from
00:17:57.48\00:18:01.02
"C" back to "A" and
you have a list of them,
00:18:01.05\00:18:03.47
that you know are
there, what do you do then?
00:18:03.50\00:18:05.15
Okay Don, first of all
you've challenged those
00:18:05.18\00:18:08.75
stress-inducing beliefs,
00:18:08.79\00:18:09.82
you've identified
them and challenged them...
00:18:09.85\00:18:11.00
Secondly now, you replace
the stress-inducing beliefs
00:18:11.04\00:18:14.08
with stress-reducing beliefs...
a very important step.
00:18:14.11\00:18:17.83
So, here's "A" -
here's "B" you replace it.
00:18:17.86\00:18:20.39
So, what are you saying?
That we just make up beliefs?
00:18:20.42\00:18:22.80
No... I mean that one
option - you just make stuff up,
00:18:22.83\00:18:26.72
but no, we're not
talking about that.
00:18:26.75\00:18:28.15
We're talking about
reality-based beliefs.
00:18:28.18\00:18:30.97
For instance, in the
plane incident where someone is
00:18:31.00\00:18:36.63
afraid to fly because they've
seen all the paper reports
00:18:36.66\00:18:41.00
and news reports of
planes that have come down,
00:18:41.03\00:18:43.28
and they visualize themselves
as being on those planes.
00:18:43.31\00:18:45.38
Well, if they
look at the evidence
00:18:45.41\00:18:48.83
that's 250 times
safer to fly than to drive,
00:18:48.86\00:18:53.70
statistically, then
that's a reality-based belief
00:18:53.73\00:18:56.88
you replace that belief...
00:18:56.91\00:18:57.95
So if they do
have to fly next time,
00:18:57.98\00:18:59.53
they wouldn't be as
fearful - as an example.
00:18:59.56\00:19:02.02
So put that FACT in the PLACE
of the FEAR or whatever it is.
00:19:02.05\00:19:04.89
Okay, let's go on -
Do you have some other
00:19:04.92\00:19:06.91
examples that you
can share with us?
00:19:06.94\00:19:09.04
Yes, I do... Okay,
let's look at them.
00:19:09.08\00:19:10.15
For instance, if a
person says to themselves...
00:19:10.19\00:19:13.34
"Life must be fair
to me at all times"
00:19:13.37\00:19:16.80
That's a stress-inducing
belief. That certainly is...
00:19:16.83\00:19:19.61
Now Don, I have
NEVER said to myself...
00:19:19.64\00:19:22.89
"Life must be fair
to me at all times"
00:19:22.92\00:19:24.16
I doubt that you ever have.
00:19:24.19\00:19:25.51
But what happens when something
grossly unfair happens to you?
00:19:25.54\00:19:29.43
You'd say - "Wait a
minute, that's not fair!"
00:19:29.46\00:19:31.52
See, that's the "C"
that's the consequence.
00:19:31.55\00:19:34.36
When something
grossly unfair happens to you,
00:19:34.39\00:19:36.33
and it just upsets you.
00:19:36.36\00:19:37.46
It frustrates you and
maybe makes you angry,
00:19:37.49\00:19:39.91
and it's not something
that just comes and goes,
00:19:39.94\00:19:42.46
but, I mean, you stew on
it over a period of time...
00:19:42.49\00:19:45.34
And after a while,
you may obsess on it.
00:19:45.37\00:19:48.17
What has happened is -
that IS a stress-inducing belief
00:19:48.20\00:19:50.93
that you have -
whether or not you're...
00:19:50.96\00:19:52.73
I don't want to admit that I
have a stress-inducing belief
00:19:52.76\00:19:55.17
so ridiculous as "life
must be fair to me at all times"
00:19:55.20\00:19:57.96
...the fact is if something
really bad happens to me,
00:19:57.99\00:20:01.32
very unfair and I
start obsessing about it,
00:20:01.35\00:20:04.43
it really affects
other aspects of my life,
00:20:04.46\00:20:06.68
then that is a
stress-inducing belief I have.
00:20:06.71\00:20:08.58
I need to replace it
with a stress-reducing belief.
00:20:08.61\00:20:10.44
So what would
you replace it with?
00:20:10.47\00:20:11.57
It would look something
like this - as an example...
00:20:11.61\00:20:14.22
I would always LIKE
to be treated fairly.
00:20:14.25\00:20:19.05
Now, is that a
reality-based statement?
00:20:19.08\00:20:21.29
It is because
that's realistic... Exactly
00:20:21.32\00:20:24.17
But everyone is
treated unfairly at times...
00:20:24.20\00:20:26.82
Is that reality-based?
That's very reality-based.
00:20:26.85\00:20:29.19
It is... Okay, now it
is possible to be treated
00:20:29.22\00:20:32.75
unfairly and
still be happy. Yeah...
00:20:32.78\00:20:35.47
Is that reality-based?
How do we know it is?
00:20:35.50\00:20:38.46
Hebrews 11- it's
the faith chapter.
00:20:38.49\00:20:42.75
All those people were
treated in certain ways,
00:20:42.78\00:20:44.97
but reality was -
they had real stressors,
00:20:45.00\00:20:47.25
but still, they are
you know... Exactly!
00:20:47.28\00:20:51.04
By the examples - there
are people around us too -
00:20:51.07\00:20:54.02
treated grossly unfairly
and yet they're almost heroic
00:20:54.05\00:20:57.10
in the way they approach it.
00:20:57.13\00:20:58.56
Because of that, we know
that's a reality-based belief,
00:20:58.59\00:21:01.52
Now here's what happens, Don...
00:21:01.55\00:21:02.58
The next time something
really unfair happens to me,
00:21:02.61\00:21:05.18
and I'm really upset about it,
00:21:05.21\00:21:07.47
when I literally my self-talk
- when I start plugging in those
00:21:07.50\00:21:11.13
words, I'd always
like to be treated fairly,
00:21:11.16\00:21:13.33
but many things happen in life
that aren't going to be fair.
00:21:13.36\00:21:16.29
It's possible to be treated
fairly and still be happy.
00:21:16.32\00:21:19.14
I just start running that tape
00:21:19.17\00:21:20.31
in my mind and
you know what happens?
00:21:20.34\00:21:21.81
Before long, my emotions,
my reaction, my body chemistry
00:21:21.85\00:21:25.60
actually begins to change and
it reduces the stress levels,
00:21:25.63\00:21:28.96
healthy in every way
simply by that belief.
00:21:28.99\00:21:32.80
And I'll give you another one...
Okay, yeah, give me another one
00:21:32.83\00:21:34.98
Okay - I must succeed, for
instance, at everything I do...
00:21:35.01\00:21:40.43
Now, have you ever
said that to yourself?
00:21:40.46\00:21:42.73
I've thought it! Okay
00:21:42.76\00:21:44.27
It would be nice to
feel... It would be nice - yes
00:21:44.30\00:21:46.44
I've never actually
said those words to myself,
00:21:46.47\00:21:48.53
but that's a
stress-inducing belief...
00:21:48.56\00:21:49.93
And again, the way we
know we have that belief
00:21:49.96\00:21:52.93
somewhere in our
psyche - is when you really
00:21:52.96\00:21:56.37
fail at something,
how does it make you feel?
00:21:56.40\00:21:57.93
Boy, you're not living
up to what your dad said...
00:21:57.96\00:22:00.35
"McCarty's are SUCCESSFUL!"
00:22:00.38\00:22:02.08
See... That's the point,
the point is that when it
00:22:02.11\00:22:07.77
affects us by we
begin to obsess on it,
00:22:07.80\00:22:10.29
and it affects our
relationships and our ability to
00:22:10.32\00:22:14.34
perform at the same level at our
work and relationship, etcetera,
00:22:14.37\00:22:19.15
Yeah, then we have
that belief, it's there...
00:22:19.18\00:22:21.82
So here's a way we can
replace it for instance...
00:22:21.85\00:22:23.84
Okay, let's look at
it, how do you do that?
00:22:23.87\00:22:25.37
I would like to succeed
at everything that I do,
00:22:25.40\00:22:30.55
and that's
reality-based again, right? Yes
00:22:30.58\00:22:33.00
Okay, but no one is
always successful...
00:22:33.03\00:22:34.94
Is that true? That's true...
00:22:34.97\00:22:36.09
Okay, failing
doesn't devalue me.
00:22:36.12\00:22:39.12
Now from a Christian perspective
we know that to be true.
00:22:39.15\00:22:42.44
I can use it - I can use
failure as a stepping-stone.
00:22:42.47\00:22:46.01
It's what I do with
the failure that matters.
00:22:46.04\00:22:49.62
In fact, we know people
from history, from the stories,
00:22:49.65\00:22:52.56
even just looking
around us in modern life even,
00:22:52.59\00:22:54.94
people who have
failed tremendously,
00:22:54.97\00:22:57.40
and yet have
really been heroic again;
00:22:57.43\00:23:01.18
in a way, they've just
risen right up on top of that.
00:23:01.21\00:23:04.04
They've used their
failure as a stepping stone
00:23:04.07\00:23:05.84
to greater success...
00:23:05.87\00:23:07.45
So both of those
are really kind of...
00:23:07.48\00:23:09.45
what would you say?
00:23:09.48\00:23:11.58
I'm talking now as a Christian -
they're also biblical based too.
00:23:11.61\00:23:14.76
You can look at the stories
and you can see... Absolutely
00:23:14.79\00:23:17.98
that really, you know -
hey, just because it looks like
00:23:18.01\00:23:22.11
I'm a failure, it
doesn't really mean that...
00:23:22.14\00:23:23.95
Christ on the cross - there
He is hanging on the tree...
00:23:23.98\00:23:26.43
It looks like it's the
most unsuccessful scene EVER!
00:23:26.46\00:23:29.93
And yet He can say to
the thief on the cross...
00:23:29.96\00:23:31.68
"Hey wait, this is successful"
00:23:31.71\00:23:33.68
So is that okay?
Yes Reality-based.
00:23:33.71\00:23:37.11
Yes Don, it's important,
I think, to recognize that
00:23:37.14\00:23:41.02
if a person just
says, "Hey, I have some
00:23:41.05\00:23:43.78
of those
stress-inducing beliefs"
00:23:43.82\00:23:45.18
...there's no
shame involving that.
00:23:45.22\00:23:46.55
I teach these things; I
teach them over and over
00:23:46.58\00:23:50.25
and over, and yet I'm
constantly discovering new
00:23:50.28\00:23:52.41
stress-inducing beliefs I have.
00:23:52.44\00:23:53.91
I'm constantly
getting upset about something,
00:23:53.94\00:23:55.81
and then
thinking... You know what?
00:23:55.84\00:23:57.38
That didn't have the
power to do this to me.
00:23:57.41\00:23:59.57
It had no power
to do this to me.
00:23:59.60\00:24:01.50
What was I thinking?
00:24:01.53\00:24:03.31
How was I processing?
00:24:03.34\00:24:05.18
Going from the
consequence to the stressor,
00:24:05.21\00:24:07.24
and saying - the stressor
didn't have the power to
00:24:07.27\00:24:09.21
produce that consequence.
00:24:09.24\00:24:10.29
What was going on?
00:24:10.32\00:24:11.58
How was I filtering
that? How was I processing it?
00:24:11.61\00:24:13.88
What were my beliefs
that enabled it to do that?
00:24:13.91\00:24:16.19
The supercharge
enabled it to do that...
00:24:16.22\00:24:17.81
Constantly discovering and
so it's part of a life journey,
00:24:17.84\00:24:21.70
but it is SO rewarding.
00:24:21.73\00:24:23.14
Even if you're a
stress seminar teacher,
00:24:23.17\00:24:25.54
your stress seminar
can be stress-inducing
00:24:25.57\00:24:27.96
unless you know how to
make it stress-reducing.
00:24:27.99\00:24:31.04
Okay, how can you actually
develop some more healthy
00:24:31.07\00:24:35.37
stress-reducing
beliefs? How can you do that?
00:24:35.40\00:24:38.42
A very good question, Don.
00:24:38.45\00:24:39.84
There are 4 points that I
would recommend with that.
00:24:39.87\00:24:44.69
#1 is to make an
accurate assessment constantly
00:24:44.72\00:24:48.61
of what is happening and
we've been talking about that.
00:24:48.64\00:24:50.44
Accurately
access what's happening.
00:24:50.47\00:24:51.66
#2- Explore
creative possibilities,
00:24:51.69\00:24:55.12
and I'll come back to
that in just a moment.
00:24:55.15\00:24:57.14
#3 is read books that
are recognized for their
00:24:57.17\00:24:59.30
healthy outlook and
then note positive responses
00:24:59.33\00:25:03.72
of other people to situations
that cause you stress.
00:25:03.75\00:25:06.59
I think the book, of
course, par excellence
00:25:06.62\00:25:09.50
without any
question is the Bible.
00:25:09.53\00:25:14.23
Every time you
spend time in the Bible...
00:25:14.26\00:25:16.68
When someone takes a
devotional time every day,
00:25:16.71\00:25:19.33
they are literally
bathing their mind in healthy
00:25:19.36\00:25:22.80
stress-reducing beliefs
and become saturated with
00:25:22.83\00:25:26.10
healthy stress-reducing beliefs.
00:25:26.13\00:25:27.16
The Bible itself challenges
stress-inducing beliefs,
00:25:27.19\00:25:34.54
and replaces and educates
us to think in healthy ways...
00:25:34.57\00:25:40.00
and you're
developing the healthiest set of
00:25:40.03\00:25:41.97
belief systems you could
possibly have when you're
00:25:42.00\00:25:43.81
just reading and going
over the stories of the Bible,
00:25:43.84\00:25:46.26
and seeing how healthy
people, God-fearing people
00:25:46.29\00:25:49.37
related positively to life's
experiences - it is so awesome,
00:25:49.40\00:25:53.29
and in a future program we'll
talk about some of those things.
00:25:53.32\00:25:57.46
It is the greatest
source, in my estimation,
00:25:57.49\00:26:01.69
of proven
stress-reducing beliefs.
00:26:01.72\00:26:03.70
Now, I'd like to come back
to just give you a brief story
00:26:03.73\00:26:07.12
here of how the creatively
process stress is an example.
00:26:07.15\00:26:10.69
I was at the General
Conference here a while back,
00:26:10.72\00:26:13.81
and our Conference gave
us a thousand dollars to go,
00:26:13.84\00:26:16.54
and then when that
thousand dollars ran out,
00:26:16.57\00:26:18.16
we had to come back home.
00:26:18.19\00:26:19.49
So I was trying to
stretch my thousand dollars out
00:26:19.52\00:26:21.40
as far as I could - I got a
hotel that wasn't very expensive
00:26:21.43\00:26:23.90
and one night, I came
home late from the last session
00:26:23.93\00:26:27.98
all inspired, got in
bed, was doing some reading
00:26:28.01\00:26:30.49
to put myself to sleep and the
alarm in the next room went off,
00:26:30.52\00:26:33.22
and it was one of
those motel alarms...
00:26:33.25\00:26:35.13
You know, they
go... buzz, buzz, buzz,
00:26:35.16\00:26:38.49
and I thought - no problem,
they're going to turn it off
00:26:38.52\00:26:41.13
over there... After
about 1.5 minutes or so,
00:26:41.16\00:26:43.19
I realized there's
nobody in that room...
00:26:43.22\00:26:44.79
and they turn the thing
up as loud as it could be;
00:26:44.82\00:26:48.15
it was like 11:30 at
night and they turned that thing
00:26:48.18\00:26:51.49
up so loud and it was like
the wall between our 2 rooms
00:26:51.52\00:26:55.22
were like an amplifier.
00:26:55.25\00:26:56.68
I called downstairs and I
said, "Ma'am, any change you can
00:26:56.71\00:26:59.94
have somebody come
up and turn that off?"
00:26:59.97\00:27:01.76
And they said, "Well sir,
I'm the only one on duty tonight
00:27:01.79\00:27:05.16
and can't do it
until later on. "
00:27:05.19\00:27:09.08
So I said, "Okay, well as
soon as you can, please. "
00:27:09.11\00:27:12.38
And about 2 minutes
later, I'm trying to read,
00:27:12.41\00:27:14.97
and this thing goes through
my mind "Chinese water torture"
00:27:15.00\00:27:18.86
You know what I mean
- that buzz, buzz, buzz,
00:27:18.89\00:27:21.61
and then I realize - instantly,
I caught what was happening.
00:27:21.64\00:27:24.01
Stress-inducing
belief... Exactly! Exactly right
00:27:24.04\00:27:27.68
And so I said, "What's some
00:27:27.71\00:27:29.42
creative way I
can deal with this?
00:27:29.45\00:27:30.78
And I said, "You know, I
hadn't been thinking directly
00:27:30.82\00:27:33.29
that God loves me - God
may be sending me a signal.
00:27:33.32\00:27:36.23
Every time that goes buzz,
I'm going to think God loves me,
00:27:36.26\00:27:38.53
and you know what happened?
00:27:38.56\00:27:39.59
About 10 minutes
later, they came up
00:27:39.62\00:27:40.81
and turned that thing off.
00:27:40.84\00:27:41.91
I felt they had
actually taken something...
00:27:41.94\00:27:43.89
it became soothing.
00:27:43.92\00:27:46.64
We've been talking
with Dr. Skip MacCarty
00:27:46.67\00:27:48.42
We've been talking
about stress-reducing beliefs;
00:27:48.45\00:27:51.98
how they can replace stressors.
00:27:52.01\00:27:53.95
We hope you contact
us about more information
00:27:53.98\00:27:56.28
about how to find
health, in this regard,
00:27:56.31\00:27:58.51
that lasts for a lifetime.
00:27:58.54\00:28:00.55