Advanced Distress Tolerance Skills: Improve the Moment 41Exercise: Higher-Power Activities
Here are some additional activities to help you feel more connected to your higher power, the
universe, and the big picture. Check () the ones that you’re willing to do:
(^) If you do believe in the teachings of a particular religion or faith, find related activities that make
you feel more empowered and calm. Go to your church, synagogue, or temple for services.
Talk to the man or woman who runs your services. Talk to other members of your faith
about how they’ve handled difficult experiences. Join discussion groups formed at your place
of worship. Read the books that are important to your faith. Find passages that give you
strength, and mark them or copy them to keep with you in your wallet or purse so you can
read them no matter where you are.
(^) Remember that your higher power can also be something other than God. Your higher power
can be a person who makes you feel stronger and more confident to deal with the chal-
lenges that you face. Think of someone you admire who can be your higher power. Describe
that person. What makes that person special? Then, the next time you’re in a difficult or
distressing situation, act as if you are that person, and notice how you handle the situation
di f ferently.
(^) Look up at the stars. The light you’re seeing is millions of years old, and it has traveled
from stars that are billions of miles away. In fact, each time you look up at the stars, you’re
looking through a time machine and seeing the universe as it looked billions of years ago.
Strangely, many of the stars you’re looking at have already died, but their light is just reach-
ing your eyes on the Earth. Look up at the stars and recognize that whatever created them
also created you, whether it was God or a cosmic accident. You are connected to the stars.
Imagine yourself connecting with the universe. Sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes,
and imagine a white beam of light shining down from the universe. Like a laser beam,
the white light shines on the top of your head and fills you with a feeling of peace. Now
imagine the white light spreading all over your body, relaxing every muscle. Now imagine
your legs stretching down through the floor like giant tree trunks, going all the way down
into the center of the Earth. Imagine these roots tapping into the energy that drives the
planet. Feel your body fill with confidence as your legs absorb the golden energy flowing
up from the Earth.