Sweeta by Ita Giveaway and Progress Report: How's Your Stress?

The goal of this blog is to help you (and me!) connect to Hashem and relieve stress through Bitachon.
Thanks to everyone who has been following and commenting for helping to make this blog a success!

Let’s reflect on our progress so far.  We’ve only been working on Bitachon for a couple of weeks now, but I feel that many of us have made significant progress in this short time. When we recognize our accomplishments, it motivates us to do even better!

Here are the questions I’d like you to answer:

1. Compared to before we began the blog/class is your stress level:
    a) higher
    b) lower
    c) the same
2. Compared to before we began the blog / class, do you feel your connection to God is:
    a) weaker
    b) stronger
    c) the same
3. What has helped you the most in your quest for Bitachon?
4. What is your biggest obstacle to achieving Bitachon?
5. Additional comments:

OK, I’ll go first:

1. Compared to before I began the blog, my stress level is lower.
2. Compared to before I began the blog, my connection with Hashem is stronger.
3. What has helped me most while working on Bitachon is writing this blog. It helps keep me focused on Bitachon all week long!
   

   Additionally, having a variety of prepared phrases to deal with life’s challenges really helps keep things in perspective. (Suri mentioned this too in her comment on True Story: Bitachon in action).
   

   For example:
   

   • “I guess it was(n’t) meant to be” when things don’t go as planned
   • “Whatever Hashem wants, that is what will happen” when things seem uncertain
   • “You do your best and Hashem will do the rest” when I’ve done all that I reasonably can, but still feel inadequate

4. My biggest challenge to attaining Bitachon is remembering to have the right attitude at the right time.
   

   My initial reaction to a situation that is out of my control, or something that has gone “wrong” is not always the Bitachon attitude that I would like to have. Sometimes there may still be an initial “panic”, worry, or stress.  But I find that I am more likely to catch myself quickly – often within seconds.  

   The key is to keep moving in the right direction and not to worry too much about perfection!

5. Comments:
   

   This blog post was just about finished and set to go, but I didn’t have a chance to actually publish it right away. In the meanwhile, I had a rough afternoon.  Nothing terribly out of the ordinary – just everything all at once.  A kvetchy toddler whining at exactly the same time that the baby was trying to squirm off of the changing table, all as we were supposed to be leaving the house …
   Even as my head said “This is what Hashem wants”, I felt tense and stressed.
   “But you’re supposed to have this worked out!” my insides shouted. “You’re the one giving the class!”
   Yet still, I was tired and snappy. Okay, I tried not to act too snappy, but I sure felt that way!
   I guess the point is that there will always be some “downs” to go with the “ups” in life. When that happens, we just have to pick ourselves up and start climbing again!
   Also, it’s helpful to realize that no one is perfect.  We’re all working on this together!

Sweeta By Ita Giveaway

As an added bonus, I’m giving away a $5.00 Sweeta By Ita gift certificate to one randomly selected participant! Just fill out the Bitachon Survey to enter! All entries must be submitted by Tuesday, July 17, 2012.

Click here to take the Bitachon Survey and enter the Sweeta by Ita Giveaway!